Kerry Discussed Attack with Syrian FM
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke Thursday with Syria's foreign minister about an alleged chemical weapons attack a day earlier that reportedly killed hundreds of civilians, an American official said.
Kerry discussed the attack on rebel-held areas near Damascus with Walid al-Muallem "to make clear that if, as they claimed, the Syrian regime has nothing to hide, it should have allowed immediate and unimpeded access to the site rather than continuing to attack the affected area to block access and destroy evidence," the official said.
The top U.S. diplomat also made a series of calls about evidence relating to the attack, speaking Saturday to the foreign ministers of Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, as well as the secretary general of the Arab League.
"In all these calls, the Secretary emphasized the importance of quickly determining the facts and underscored the seriousness and gravity of any chemical weapons use," said the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
U.S. President Barack Obama is under mounting pressure to act following reports of the alleged chemical weapons attack, which Doctors Without Borders said had killed 355 people due to "neurotoxic" symptoms.
Opposition groups say the reported attack was carried out by Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces and that it killed more than 1,000 people.
11 years
Hello scorpyonn
How are you?
11 years
The people of the west don't care about the middle east anymore they are tired of spending money. The only ones interested in this conflict are the ones supplying arms.
11 years
If the US is smart it will also cripple those criminal clerics in Tehran at the same time and teach them a lesson they will never ever forget.
11 years
@Southern
Please spare us and quit glorifying your so called resistance. What you portray as a resistance is nothing but a proxy under the orders of Iran
what you call resistance is the destructive force in Lebanon
11 years
Scorpyonn
These turbaned dudes in Tehran are the head of the snake. Once eliminated by the US, Bashar's forces and Hizbullah will fall right away, A couple of Tomahawk here and a couple there will take care of that
11 years
,...I cringe to think that certain sects of the Lebanese pay homage to these types== what an insult to our people.
Time to cripple Assad's forces