Dienstag, 27.11.2018 / 18:42 Uhr

Chemwiewaffenangriff in Aleppo?

Von
Thomas von der Osten-Sacken

In Aleppo, das seit langem ganz von syrischen Truppen und ihren Verbündeten kontrolliert wird, soll es einen Angriff mit Gas gegeben haben. Das berichteten syrische und russische Medien und erklärten Rebllen für die Schuldigen. Als Vergeltung flogen daraufhin russische Kampjets Angriffe auf Idlib.

Schon seit Monaten kursieren in russischen Medien Artikel, dass ein Einsatz von Gas seitens der Rebellen geplant sei.

Bislang allerdings blieben sowohl Russen als auch Syrer jeden Beweis, der einen solchen Angriff belegen könnte, schuldig:

With no physical evidence to provide so far, Russian State outlet RT has now retreated to a headline of “alleged chemical attack”, while falsely claiming “Western media is silent”.

To back up its narrative, RT used a falsehood from former InfoWars editor Patrick Henningsen, “They don’t care, because the attack is coming from the wrong side, as it were. If you check the mainstream media coverage globally, it’s a non-event.”

In fact, leading press and broadcasters such as Reuters, the Associated Press, the BBC, CNN, and the Guardian reported the Russian-regime claims with little scepticism.

The Assad regime raised the stakes by asking the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons — inspectors who have been restricted by Russia and Damascus from investigating suspected regime chemical attacks since 2013 — to go to Aleppo.

OPCW head Fernando Arias said he has asked the UN security department whether it is safe to deploy a team.

A UN official in Geneva said UN war crimes investigators are already collecting information and asking sources for evidence: “Once they have something concrete and credible that meets their standard of proof, they will be able to report publicly.”

The UN panel has attributed 33 chemical attacks to the Assad regime since 2013, with six others linked to the Islamic State or left open.