Alleged chemical attack, March 19, 2013

What would be the first confirmed chemical weapons attack of the Syrian conflict (if confirmed, and it's not the first allegation) was reported on March 19, 2013, in Khan Al-Assal, a western suburb of Aleppo. As usual, both sides in the conflict blamed each other for an attack that killed a reported 25 or 26 to perhaps 31 people, and wounded/effected 80-110 with acute respiratory and nerve problems.

There was also an alleged chemical attack the same day in Al-Otaybah, near Damascus (causing an unspecified number of "martyrs" and "a large number of wounded and many injuries"). While only the event near Aleppo is universally accepted and well-documented, both are worthy of proper scrutiny.

This page is a stub with a couple of sections up-front, and otherwise, as usual, being assembled on the discussion page.

Overview
Introductory Video, Produced by Syrian Girl Partisan, the video below features ample footage from the hospital of the effected and the dead to strongly suggest mass exposure to a nerve agent. Numerous good points are also made that should spur some serious questions. Many of these are the same points we are or will be discussing at this page. Nac9zdGTOOo

Some evidence (mainly a widely-reported smell) suggests chlorine was involved - perhaps nothing else, perhaps in conjunction with other chemicals (see talk page, "The Alleged Agent(s)"). Chlorine at least, and perhaps some of the other possible ingredients, are known to be in the opposition's chemical arsenal (see talk page, "Rebel Chemical Holdings"). While they hold no Scud missiles the world knows about, nor fighter jets (both reported as the delivery method), rebels do have plenty of home-made rockets, cited by the government as their munition (see talk page, "Propulsion: Rebel Rockets"). And it cannot be ruled out that some rebel group or other would be able to weaponize their chemicals to work with the projectiles they had.

The attack was against a disputed but government-held area, and by some credible reports, 16 of the dead were government soldiers. As usual, both sides blamed each other, and this important alleged event remains incredibly confused and confusing, suggesting we don't know what's going on yet. This hasn't stopped strenuous posturing on the world stage about a firm response, probably against the Syrian government, whatever the truth of the matter. Considering the stakes, the truth of the matter is worth more study and though than it has yet been given. The United Nations, following a request from Damascus and considering competing requests from rebel groups and allied governments, agreed to launch an investigation into the attack.

Who Controlled Khan Al-Assal?
This can get a bit complicated. Official sources specify the government restored order to "parts of" Khan Al-Assal in November, 2012. But in recent weeks, rebels have made gains back in, taking over the police academy. They say the March 19 strike was aimed at their position there but missed. But it happened to successfully come down right by a Syrian military target of some sort, if reports that numerous soldiers were killed are true. But most sources pass Khan Al-Assal as either government-held (a majority of sources) and thus, more likely to be hit by the other side, or call it a rebel neighborhood (rebel fighters and leaders), making it less likely or ludicrous to be a rebel attack.
 * SANA: The armed forces restored security and stability to parts of Khan al-Asal area last November.
 * SANA: ... (rebels) launched a missile at 7,30 in the morning from Kfar Dael region into Khan al-Asal area in Aleppo governorate. "The missile fell in a region populated by civilians on a 300- m distance from the post of the Syrian Arab army soldiers," the Ministry said in the letters.
 * Voice of America: Other rebel leaders told VOA in telephone interviews that it would make no sense for them to launch a rocket strike on a city they largely controlled.
 * Reuters: A rebel fighter in Khan al-Assal, ... Ahmed al-Ahmed, from the Ansar brigade in a rebel-controlled military base near Khan al-Assal (the police academy? "about 2 km from the blast") said: The missile, maybe a Scud, hit a regime area, praise God, and I'm sure that it was an accident. After, he said: A fighter jet circled a police school held by the rebels on the outskirts of Khan al-Assal and bombed the area
 * NYT: Another rebel commander, Abdul Jabbar al Okaidi, head of the rebel military council in Aleppo, said in a telephone interview that he had witnessed the attack, describing it as an errant strike on a government-controlled neighborhood, by Syrian warplanes flying at high altitude.
 * NYT: Anti-government activists suggested that the government might have concocted the chemical attack story to cover up an episode in which it accidentally fired a Scud missile on a government-held area.
 * AFP: "We have neither long-range missiles nor chemical weapons. And if we did, we wouldn't use them against a rebel target," Louay Meqdad, a spokesperson for a rebel group, said.

No Evidence for Rebel CW Capability?
One of the core issues in what's increasingly recognized asa distressing "whodunnit" is who could have done it. The rebels are not known to possess Scud missiles or deadly nerve agents. But neither is it known for sure just what chemicals were used and how they were really delivered. And it's entirely possible that, collectively, the opposition's forces have a number of capabilities that aren't known, by the public. (see talk page for evolving details)

World Reaction
With what happened on March 19 far from settled, how the world governments have reacted is of extreme interest. Stated tripwires of global war were allegedly triggered. The text that was here has been moved to the discussion page to let it develop and get sorted-out. Later, the summarized results will be inserted here. (see Talk page, World Reaction for evolving details)