Chemical Attacks Resurge in Syria
The Progressive Teen Staff Writer
On April 4, more than 80 people died as a result of suspected chemical gas attacks in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. Witnesses report seeing warplanes fly over the city in the early morning and drop bombs on various buildings. The explosion resulted in a yellow mushroom cloud. When people arrived to aid those wounded from the explosion, many inhaled the gas and died. Medical aid agencies, such as the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations, report that those who were exposed to the gas experienced symptoms such as redness of the eyes, foaming at the mouth, constricted pupils, cyanosis of the face, shortness of breath, and asphyxiation. Such symptoms are consistent with the nerve agent Sarin, the use of which has been corroborated by samples from the urine and blood of victims. In the Syrian suburb of Douma, located outside of Damascus, a major chemical weapons attack killed at least several dozen civilians. This April 7 attack follows several smaller chlorine gas attack that occurred between March 7 and 11 of this year.
Both Khan Sheikhoun and Douma are rebel-held, and the international community suspects that the perpetrator of these attacks was the Syrian government led by President Bashar al-Assad. Although the government claims that the military has never and will never use chemical weapons, evidence from attacks in August of 2016 prove otherwise. Russia, a close ally of the Syrian government that has carried out airstrikes for Assad, said that while the Syrian air force did launch attacks on Khan Sheikhoun, the warplanes did not drop chemical weapons or aim to target civilians. Rather, it claims that the targets of the airstrike were terrorist groups located around the city. Russia said that the symptoms and evidence of nerve agents arise from fallout that resulted from the destruction of chemical weaponry made by the terrorist groups.
Nevertheless, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom, in addition to the United Nations, insist that the Syrian government used chemical weapons. This resurgence of chemical weapons attacks by the Syrian government coincides with President Donald Trump’s instructions to begin withdrawing troops from the nation. Despite obvious continuing conflict in the region, Trump said that the United States no longer has strategic interest in the region, as the Islamic State and other militant groups are “close to 100 percent” defeated. However, this onslaught of attacks has led U.S. officials, along with world leaders, to urge Trump to reconsider. Trump maintains that the goal of the 2,000 troops in Syria is not long-term stability, so the troops are no longer needed.
Despite his desire to pull out of Syria as soon as possible, Trump authorized U.S. participation in a joint airstrike with France and the U.K. The strike was deemed successful as it destroyed the Barzeh chemical weapons development site and the Him Shinshar storage site. Although Trump announced that the strike was not an indicator of indefinite presence in Syria, French president Emmanuel Macron announced that he had convinced Trump to keep troops in Syria after a series of phone calls. Trump has yet to address Macron’s announcement, nor has he announced a tangible plan for evacuating troops. Thus, the future of the United States in Syria remains unclear.
