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April 4, 2017

Report: Dozens of Civilians Killed in Chemical Weapons Attack in Syria
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The U.K.-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
reports dozens of people have been killed, and more than 200 wounded, in
a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town in Idlib
Province in northwest Syria. The observatory reports at least 11
children under the age of eight were killed in the attack. Agence
France-Presse is reporting that a few hours after the alleged gas attack
a rocket hit a nearby hospital where victims were being treated. The
observatory says it does not know whether the attack was carried out by
the Syrian government or its ally, Russia.

The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons during the
six-year conflict, although the U.N. says the Syrian government used the
chemical weapons at least three times in 2014 and 2015. While speaking
at the United Nations on Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley
said the U.S. does not think the Syrian people want to be ruled by
President Assad any longer, but on Friday Haley said, "our priority is
no longer to sit there and focus on getting Assad out."


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