US probes new alleged chemical weapons use by Syrian regime

Speculation among the international community over the Syrian government’s continued use of chemical weapons mounted yesterday, with the US revealing that it was investigating fresh allegations of chemical attacks in the opposition held town of Kafr Zita in northern Syria.

“We're examining allegations that the government was responsible,” State Department spokesperson Jay Carney told reporters. He added the US believed that an agent, most likely chlorine, may have been used in the opposition held village near Hama and stressed that the US would treat all allegations of chemical weapons use very seriously.

The revelation comes a day after the French president, Francois Hollande, said he had "information" that toxic gases were being used against opposition targets.

The news follows on from a string of accusations by Syrian opposition forces who claim that there have been nine separate attacks in the last two months in which at least 10 people have been killed and hundreds more injured.

Earlier this month, Israeli security services said they too had confirmation that chemical agents were used in two alleged attacks that took place on the outskirts of Damascus in late March. Syrian authorities have always refuted allegations of chemical weapons use, instead blaming opposition forces for the reported instances.

UN investigations into the matter have proved inconclusive although the latest findings seemed to point the finger more at closely at government forces.

The issue of chemical weapons use is highly controversial. A chemical attack on 21 August last year brought the West to the brink of war with Syria. France, the US and Britain blamed the Syrian regime for that attack, which killed between 355 and 1,400 people in rebel-held areas of suburban Damascus.

Intervention was averted after Russia intervened and secured a UN-backed agreement to rid Syria of its chemical weapons stockpiles. Progress was initially slow, but on Saturday the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), tasked with removing the weapons, said that 80 percent of government stockpiles had now been handed over.

The organisation recently told the Guardian that it would not investigate the new claims unless they were referred to it by a signatory state.

An explosive article by veteran journalist Seymour Hersh, recently alleged that the August 2013 attack had been orchestrated by Turkish security services who had intended to launch a false flag operation to provoke an attack by the West. Turkish authorities vehemently denied the claims.