(Warning Graphic) Syria - Chemical Weapons Experts Want Douma Corpses For Inspection

(Warning Graphic) Syria - Chemical Weapons Experts Want Douma Corpses For Inspection

As Douma is surrounded by Syrian troops backed for air support by Russian planes, and some media are already reporting that the regime of Mr Bashar Al-Assad is now fully in control again, western intelligence agencies in Paris, London and Washington were still studying videos from the scene of most of the deaths (see our related coverage), eager to get their hands on corpses from the events so they can draw final conclusions.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WHO: 500 Douma patients had symptoms consistent with toxic weapons exposure <a href="https://t.co/ivZ5gwfqoQ">https://t.co/ivZ5gwfqoQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/SVD8ToUAFO">pic.twitter.com/SVD8ToUAFO</a></p>&mdash; Reuters Top News (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/984010756755804160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2018</a></blockquote>

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Meanwhile the World Health Organisation claims that it received from its partners in the country various reports suggesting that the 500 people who had visited Syrian health facilities in the aftermath of the attack showed “signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals”, leading many to believe that either Sarin or chlorine gas was used.

<blockquote class="twitter-video" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Refresh yourself on facts surrounding <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Douma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Douma</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CWAttack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CWAttack</a> thats caused this uproar:<br>-8th April<br>-Chemical filled barrels (<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chlorine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chlorine</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sarin?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sarin</a>)<br>-Dropped on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/besieged?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#besieged</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Douma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Douma</a><br>-Breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention &amp; UN resolution 2118<br>-Almost 200 killed &amp; 1000 injured<br>Some Evidence: <a href="https://t.co/tj5SPqjvsV">pic.twitter.com/tj5SPqjvsV</a></p>&mdash; On the Ground News (@OGNreports) <a href="https://twitter.com/OGNreports/status/984344402230435840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 12, 2018</a></blockquote>

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However some doctors in the area are still doubtful. A doctor in the area who wished to remain anonymous, stated: “Something was working on the nervous system.”

Related coverage: http://thegoldwater.com/news/22629-Warning-Shock-Video-Syria-Chemical-Attack-70-150-Dead-US-Blames-Russia

“Chlorine doesn’t do that. While there was clearly chlorine on some of the people we treated, there was also something else.”

Meanwhile back in Jordan, officials from the WHO were preparing to receive multiple biological samples from some of the estimated 42 dead (as well as the many hundreds who luckily survived). As the US intelligence community tries to advise POTUS, getting those samples, especially corpses in for studying is crucial as the military try to establish whether anything besides chlorine (which would be a further indication that it is likely manufactured by the Syrian regime).

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BBC reporter: &quot;Rebels&quot; staged <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Douma?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Douma</a> photos <a href="https://t.co/SrQBjnTMEE">pic.twitter.com/SrQBjnTMEE</a></p>&mdash; Navstéva 🐐 (@Navsteva) <a href="https://twitter.com/Navsteva/status/984022823114076160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2018</a></blockquote>

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An official who had studied the Sarin strikes in 2013 (Ghouta) and 2017 (Khan Sheikhou) said: “Blood and urine will show that for up to a week, maybe longer.”

“Nerve agents degrade very quickly in situ though. If there was going to be a productive fact-finding mission, they would need to get there immediately.”

Source:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/12/syria-attack-experts-check-signs-nerve-agent