Independent casts doubt on chemical attack in Duma

The US and its allies, UK and France, recently launched a series of airstrikes against multiple government targets in Syria, targeting alleged chemical weapons sites. A total of 103 cruise missiles were launched in response to an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Syrian town of Douma last week.

With this connection, the Independent newspaper in its newly released investigation by the veteran

reporter Robert Fisk, who visited the Syria clinic at the center of a global chemical weapons crisis, cast doubt on any chemical attack in Duma.

British journalist Robert Fisk, in his investigation, visited a subterranean clinic in the former rebel stronghold of eastern Ghouta, where he spoke to senior medic Dr Assim Rahaibani.

"Children seen with breathing apparatus and doused in water in a video used to back up claims that chemical weapons were used against them were in fact suffering from oxygen starvation," Mr Rahaibani told the.

"The patients were overcome not by gas but by oxygen starvation in the rubbish-filled tunnels and basements in which they lived,

on a night of wind and heavy shelling that stirred up a dust storm," the report reads.

Dr Rahaibani went on to stress, “People began to arrive here suffering from hypoxia, oxygen loss. Then someone at the door, a White Helmet, shouted ‘Gas!’ and a panic began."

He continued, “they started throwing water over each other. Yes, the video was filmed here, it is genuine, but what you see is people suffering from hypoxia — not gas poisoning.”

Derby North MP Mr Williamson said that Mr Fisk’s account shows that evidence of the Syrian government launching a chemical weapons attack on people of Douma is “flimsy at best.”
He said, “Eminent military experts like Lord West, the former first sea lord and chief of the naval

staff, as well as General Shaw, the former commander British armed forces in Iraq, have questioned the evidence and the motive [of using chemical weapons].

“They point out that the Assad regime has all but won the battle for eastern Ghouta. Consequently, using chemical weapons that could prompt the wrath of the US military makes no sense.”

Along with the foresaid evidence and comments casting doubt on chemical attack in Syria, the claimed also was dismissed by many political analysts, saying the United Nations, roughly two years ago, announced Syria had been disarmed of chemical weaponry.

In their line, these claims are after delegitimizing Syrian government which is under a lot of pressure by western countries.

/SR