US accuses Russia and Assad regime of “false” Aleppo attack

Up to 100 people were reportedly hospitalized on November 24 after a suspected chlorine attack struck Aleppo, Syria’s most populous city. 

The State Department disputed that narrative. In a statement on Friday (Dec. 7), press director Robert Palladino claimed that "the Assad regime and Russia falsely accused the opposition and extremist groups of conducting a chlorine attack in northwestern Aleppo," and that the US "has credible information that pro-regime forces likely used teargas against civilians" there.

"The United States has information indicating Russian and Syrian personnel were involved in the teargas incident, and believes that both countries are using it as an opportunity to undermine confidence in the ceasefire in Idlib," the statement read. "The United States is deeply concerned that pro-regime officials have maintained control of the attack site in its immediate aftermath, allowing them to potentially fabricate samples and contaminate the site before a proper investigation of it by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons."

The statement went on to say that "the United States is deeply concerned that pro-regime officials have maintained control of the attack site in its immediate aftermath, allowing them to potentially fabricate samples and contaminate the site before a proper investigation of it by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

"We caution Russia and the regime against tampering with the suspected attack site and urge them to secure the safety of impartial, independent inspectors so that those responsible can be held accountable."

OPCW considers tear gas a chemical weapon if used as a method of warfare. The US is one of 193 countries committed to this convention, and it can be used for domestic law enforcement purposes.

Based on Newsweek