• US, UK, France vow to respond to Syria in the case of future chemical attacks
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https://www.dw.com/en/us-uk-france-vow-to-punish-syria-for-chemical-attacks/a-45170611 The United States, France and Britain on Tuesday vowed to respond to the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad amid anticipation the regime is preparing a major offensive to retake Idlib province. The statement from the permanent UN Security Council members came on the fifth anniversary of a sarin nerve agent attack in Eastern Ghouta that killed hundreds of people. The West blamed the attack on the Assad regime, which in turn blamed rebels. "As Permanent Members of the Security Council, we reaffirm our shared resolve to preventing the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime, and for holding them accountable for any such use," the three military powers said in a joint statement. "As we have demonstrated, we will respond appropriately to any further use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime, which has had such devastating humanitarian consequences for the Syrian population," the three countries said. The United States and Russia brokered a 2013 deal to dismantle Syria's chemical weapons program following US threats of military action in response to the Ghouta attack.   The Syrian regime has since been accused by Western powers of using chemical weapons on dozens of occasions, including in Khan Sheikhoun, Ltamenah, Saraqeb, and Douma. Most of the suspected regime attacks involved chlorine, but the UN chemical watchdog determined sarin was used in the April 2017 aerial attack on Khan Sheikhoun that killed more than 70 people. When the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons blamed the Assad regime for the use of chemical weapons in Khan Sheikhoun, Moscow responded last November by vetoing a renewal of their mandate to apportion blame for chemical weapons attacks.  In June, a Western-backed move supported by parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention enabled members to established responsibility without the inference of governments, which the US, France and UK said "will help ensure that the perpetrators of chemical weapons use in Syria cannot escape identification." The US, UK and France also said they were "gravely concerned" over the humanitarian consequences of a Syrian regime offensive on Idlib province abutting Turkey. "We also underline our concern at the potential for further – and illegal – use of chemical weapons" in Idlib province, the trio said. Backed by Russia and Iran, the Assad regime has largely turned the war in its favor, retaking large swaths of territory from rebels since Russia intervened in 2015. Idlib province is the last rebel stronghold and is dominated by jihadists factions.
then vlad said "make my day."
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