I hope this is bullshit: Opposition says as many as 1,300 killed in gas attack near Damascus

[cali]

yria's opposition accused President Bashar al-Assad's forces of gassing many hundreds of people - by one report as many as 1,300 - on Wednesday in what would, if confirmed, be the world's worst chemical weapons attack in decades.

Western and regional countries called for U.N. chemical weapons investigators - who arrived in Damascus just three days ago - to be urgently dispatched to the scene of one of the deadliest incidents of the two-year-old civil war.

Images, including some taken by freelance photographers and supplied to Reuters, showed scores of bodies including of small children, laid out on the floor of a clinic with no visible signs of injuries.

Reuters was not independently able to verify the cause of their death. The Syrian government denied that it had used chemical arms.

<snip>

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/21/us-syria-crisis-idUSBRE97K0EL20130821

[leftynyc]

1. I saw this earlier today

Unfortunately, I don't think it's bullshit but I have no idea which side is responsible:

http://www.mediaite.com/online/graphic-video-emerges-from-syria-showing-horrific-aftermath-of-chemical-attack/#0

snip

A video has emerged from Syria where a chemical attack reportedly targeting the suburbs surrounding Damascus has killed hundreds of people, including children. A domestic opposition monitoring groups says that 494 people have died after chemical shelling by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces on Wednesday. The Syrian army has denied involvement in any chemical attack.


Video at the link will break your heart.

[MerryBlooms]

2. I don't think it's bullshit, BI is also reporting the story and has GRAPHIC video included

http://www.businessinsider.com/reported-chemical-weapons-attack-in-syria-2013-8

[JayhawkSD]

3. I believe this is the fourth such accusation

Two were utterly debunked and one turned out to be a small chemical use by the rebels.

Assad is winning this war now. Despite claims to the contrary, his forces are still well manned, well equipped, well armed and include artillery and an air force. He has Hezbollah on his side and is being equipped by Russia. He is regaining ground in every part of the country. He would be stupid and/or insane to use chemical weapons, and he is neither.

Isn't the timing exquisite? Just days after the UN team arrives. Could anything be more illustrative of a rebel ploy?