Suspected Gas Attack In Syria 'Uniquely Horrific'

>>> DOZEN EASY OF PEOPLE ARE REPORTED DEAD IN SYRIA FOLLOWING
A SUSPECT CHEMICAL ATTACK. WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY SEAN
SPICER CONDEMNED THE ACT AS REPREHENSIBLE.
THE TRUMP ADD MEN ADMINISTRATION WAS CHALLENGED TO SHOW SYRIAN
PRESIDENT BASHAR AL ASSAD HE CANNOT COMMIT MORE CRIMES WITH
IMPUNITY. SOME OF THE IMAGES IN THIS
REPORT MAY BE DISTURBING. FOR MORE, WE TURN TO RICHARD
ENGLE WHO JOINS US FROM LONDON. WHAT MORE DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS
ATTACK? >> EVEN ON THE SCALE OF
ATROCITIES IN SYRIA, THIS SEEMS TO BE UNIQUELY HORRIFIC.
IT HAPPENED AROUND 7:00 THIS MORNING LOCAL TIME WHICH IS IN
THE IDLIB PROVINCE. LOCALS DESCRIBED THEY HEARD AN
EXPLOSION. THEY THINK IT WAS DROPPED --
THAT SXHOESIVE WAS DROPPED FROM AN AIRCRAFT.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN AN ARTILLERY. BUT REALLY WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS
WHAT HAPPENED IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS EXPLOSION.
IT HAPPENED IN THE CENTER OF THIS SMALL CITY.
PEOPLE STARTED CHOKING, SOME PEOPLE COULDN'T MOVE.
THEY BEGAN TO FOAM AT THE MOUTH AND SOME WERE IMMEDIATELY
INCAPACITATED. PEOPLE WERE DUMPED INTO CARS.
THE LOCALS THOUGHT IT WAS IMMEDIATELY SOME SORT OF
CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACK. THEY WERE THROWN INTO VANS.
PEOPLE HAD THEIR CLOTHING STRIPPED OFF OF THEM, FIRST
RESPONDERS TRIED TO SPRAY WATER ON THEM TO GET THIS CHEMICAL
AGENT OFF. ONE WITNESS WHO IS CONNECTED TO
AN ACTIVIST GROUP THERE DESCRIBED HOW HE WENT INTO A
HOUSE AND SAW THE PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE JUST FROZEN IN THEIR
CHAIRS, UNABLE TO MOVE. HE SAID HE TRIED TO HELP PEOPLE
TAKE OFF THEIR CLOTHES, GET THEM OUT OF THAT LOCATION AND TAKE
THEM TO NEARBY CLINICS. THEN AS SOME OF THE WOUNDED WERE
BROUGHT TO A CLINIC A COUPLE OF MILES AWAY, THAT CLINIC ITSELF
WAS HIT BY AN EXPLOSION. RUSSIA SAYS IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY
COMBAT AIRCRAFT IN THE AREA AT THE TIME.
THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT, THE SYRIAN ARMY HAS JUST COME OUT
WITH A STATEMENT SAYING THAT IT WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE IN ANY WAY
FOR RELEASING A TOXIC AGENT IN THIS TOWN.
BUT ACTIVISTS SAY THAT THIS WAS AA CHEMICAL WEAPON ATTACK.
THEY SAY IT WAS NOT CHLORINE GAS.
THEY SAY IT WAS A NERVE AGENT, PARTICULARLY SERIN GAS AND THE
DEATH TOLLS ARE UNCLEAR, PARTICULARLY BETWEEN 50 AND 100
DEAD. THOSE NUMBERS DO KEEP CHANGING,
INCLUDING ABOUT 11 CHILDREN. >> RICHARD, I WAS JUST GOING TO
ASK YOU THAT FROM THOSE IMAGES WE WERE LOOKING AT ON THE
SCREEN. IT APPEARS MUCH OF THEM WERE
FROM THE SECOND EXPLOSION AT THE CLINIC AND A NUMBER OF CHILDREN
WHO ARE ON STRETCHES. >> THERE WERE QUITE A FEW
CHILDREN. MOST OF THE DEAD APPEAR TO HAVE
BEEN KILLED IN THE FIRST ATTACK, THE ATTACK THAT RELEASED THIS
CHEMICAL AGENT INTO THE AIR, THIS ALLEGED CHEMICAL AGENT
WHICH LOCAL MEDICAL OFFICIALS AND ACTIVISTS SAY IS A NERVE
AGENT, SERRIN GAS AND THEY'RE SAYING THAT BECAUSE THE VICTIMS
WERE SHOWING MASSIVE RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS.
THEY HAD PINPRICK PUPILS, SOME WERE FOAMING AT THE MOUTH, THEY
WERE SWED SWETH PROFUSELY AND THEY WERE UNRESPONSIVE, THEIR
SYSTEMS JUST SHUT DOWN. AND WHAT THEY COULD DO IS TRY
AND GET THE CHEMICAL AGENT OFF OF THEM, WASH IT OFF OF THEM,
TAKE THEIR CLOTHES AND GIVE THEM OXYGEN, BUT 50 TO 100 PEOPLE
SUCCUMBED TO THEIR INJURIES AND DIED.
>> RICHER ARD, RIGHT THOU, WHO IS RESPOND TO GO THIS ATTACK?
>> THE FIRST RESPONDERS IN THE AREA ARE POORLY EQUIPPED,
DOCTORS COMPLAINING THEY DON'T HAVE SUPPLIES.
IDLIB PROVINCE IS STILL IN REBEL HANDS.
IT IS AN AREA THAT HAS BEEN ATTACKED REPEATEDLY BY THE
GOVERNMENT OF BASHAR AL ASSAD, ALSO BY RUSSIA WHICH BACK TESS
GOVERNMENT OF BASHAR AL ASSAD. BUT THERE ARE NO INTERNATIONAL
RELIEF EFFORTS, NO INTERNATIONAL AID THAT CAN GET TO THIS AREA,
SO IT IS REALLY UP TO THE PEOPLE THERE TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN.
THIS IS AFTER THE WAR HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR -- SINCE 2011,
ACCORDING TO THE LATEST. YOU HAVE ABOUT 400,000 PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN KILLED IN SYRIA. SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT THEY
BARELY HAVE ANY SUPPLIES LEFT. >> RICHARD, SECRETARY OF STATE
REX TILLERSON WAS ASKED ABOUT THIS BY REPORTERS A FEW MINUTES
AGO AND HE HAD NO COMMENT. HE JUST KEPT WALKING AWAY.
THE TRUMP WHITE HOUSE IS BLAMING THIS ATTACK AND WHAT'S GOING ON
IN SYRIA ON THE OBAMA WHITE HOUSE SAYING THAT THEY WERE WEAK
AND CRITICIZING OBAMA FOR HIS RED LINE COMMENTS.
WHAT CAN THIS WHITE HOUSE DO NOW FURTHER THAN JUST CRITICIZING
THE LAST WHITE HOUSE? >> SO YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE
HISTORY OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS ATTACKS IN SYRIA.
THE LAST HORRIFIC ATTACK WAS IN 2013 WHEN UPWARDS OF A THOUSAND
PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN A DAMASCUS SUBURB.
AT THE TIME, IT LOOKED LIKE THE UNITED STATES WAS GOING TO GO TO
WAR AGAINST SYRIA. PRESIDENT OBAMA HAD DRAWN THAT
FAMOUS RED LINE AND SAID IF CHEMICAL WEAPONS WERE USED, IT
WOULD BE A RED LINE WITH THE UNITED STATES.
INSTEAD, THERE WAS A DEAL BROKE WITHERED WITH RUSSIA SAYING IT
WOULD HELP DISMANTLE SYRIA'S CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAM AND THE
AMERICAN TALK OF WAR FADED AWAY. NOW WE SEE ANOTHER GAS ATTACK,
NOT ON THE SAME SCALE, BUT WITH DOZENS AT LEAST KILLED.
SO YOU SEE THIS WHITE HOUSE BLAMING THE PREVIOUS
ADMINISTRATION FOR NOT HAVING ACTED STRONGLY ENOUGH, BUT NO
INDICATION THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO DO
ANYTHING

Suspected Gas Attack In Syria 'Uniquely Horrific' | MSNBC

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