NATION/WORLD
Wednesday, April 5, 2017
Chemical attack kills dozens
in Syria, U.S. blames Assad
By SARAH EL DEEB
and ZEINA KARAM
Associated Press
BEIRUT — A chemical weapons
attack in an opposition-held town
in northern Syria killed dozens of
people on Tuesday, leaving residents
gasping for breath and convulsing in
the streets and overcrowded hospitals.
The Trump administration blamed
the Syrian government for the attack,
one of the deadliest in years, and said
Syria’s patrons, Russia and Iran, bore
“great moral responsibility” for the
deaths.
The Britain-based Syrian Obser-
vatory for Human Rights said at least
58 people died, including 11 chil-
dren, in the early morning attack in
the town of Khan Sheikhoun, which
witnesses said was carried out by
Sukhoi jets operated by the Russian
and Syrian governments.
Videos from the scene showed
volunteer medics using fire hoses to
wash the chemicals from victims’
bodies. Haunting images of lifeless
children piled in heaps reflected
the magnitude of the attack, which
was reminiscent of a 2013 chemical
assault that left hundreds dead and
was the worst in the country’s ruinous
six-year civil war.
Tuesday’s attack drew swift
condemnation from world leaders,
including President Donald Trump,
who denounced it as a “heinous”
act that “cannot be ignored by the
civilized world.” The U.N. Security
Council scheduled an emergency
meeting for Wednesday in response
to the strike, which came on the
eve of a major international donors’
conference in Brussels on the future
of Syria and the region.
Edlib Media Center, via AP
This photo provided Tuesday by the Syrian anti-government activist
group Edlib Media Center, which has been authenticated based on
its contents and other AP reporting, shows victims of a suspect-
ed chemical attack, in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, northern Idlib
province, Syria.
In a statement, Trump also blamed
former President Barack Obama for
“weakness” in failing to respond
aggressively after the 2013 attack.
“These heinous actions by the
Bashar al-Assad regime are a conse-
quence of the past administration’s
weakness and irresolution,” Trump
said. “President Obama said in 2012
that he would establish a ‘red line’
against the use of chemical weapons
and then did nothing. The United
States stands with our allies across
the globe to condemn this intolerable
attack.”
Trump left it to his top diplomat,
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, to
assign at least some blame to Russia
and Iran, Assad’s most powerful
allies. Tillerson called on both
countries to use their influence over
Assad to prevent future chemical
weapons attacks, and noted Russia’s
and Iran’s roles in helping broker a
cease-fire through diplomatic talks in
the Kazakh capital, Astana.
“As the self-proclaimed guaran-
tors to the cease-fire negotiated in
Astana, Russia and Iran also bear
great moral responsibility for these
deaths,” Tillerson said.
In a statement, the Syrian govern-
ment “categorically rejected” claims
that it was responsible, asserting that
it does not possess chemical weapons,
hasn’t used them in the past and will
not use them in the future. It laid the
blame squarely on the rebels, accusing
them of fabricating the attack and
trying to frame the Syrian govern-
ment. The Russian Defense Ministry
also denied any involvement.
East Oregonian
Page 7A
BRIEFLY
McConnell claims
North Korea fires
votes to bust Supreme ballistic missile into
Court filibuster
its eastern waters
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Senate Majority Leader Mitch
McConnell claimed the votes
Tuesday to bust a planned
Democratic filibuster of President
Donald Trump’s Supreme Court
nominee as a showdown neared
that could change the Senate, and
the court, for generations.
“They seem determined
to head into the abyss,” the
Kentucky Republican said of
Democrats as debate began
over Judge Neil Gorsuch’s
nomination. “They need to
reconsider.”
Democrats made clear
they had no plans to do so,
and blamed Republicans for
pushing them to attempt a
nearly unheard of filibuster of
a well-qualified Supreme Court
pick. Forty-four Democrats
intend to vote against
proceeding to final confirmation
on Gorsuch, which would be
enough to block him under the
Senate’s filibuster rules that
require 60 votes to proceed.
Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley
began talking on the Senate floor
Tuesday evening and said he
planned to remain “as long as I
am able.”
Merkley’s extended speech
isn’t a filibuster and won’t delay
debate or votes, but it’s part
of Democrats’ effort to bring
attention to the nomination.
Merkley was one of the
first opponents of President
Donald Trump’s nominee, citing
Republicans’ 2016 blockade
of former President Barack
Obama’s pick. Republicans
refused to hold hearings or a
vote on Merrick Garland.
SEOUL, South Korea
(AP) — North Korea fired a
ballistic missile into the waters
off its east coast on Wednesday,
U.S. and South Korean officials
said, amid worries that the
North might soon conduct
banned nuclear or long-range
rocket tests.
The firing was also made as
North Korea expressed anger
over annual military drills
between the United States and
South Korea that North Korea
sees as an invasion rehearsal.
The U.S. Pacific Command
said it detected and tracked
what it assessed as North
Korean missile launched from
land near the eastern city of
Sinpo. A U.S. statement said
initial assessments indicate
the type of missile was a
KN-15 medium-range ballistic
missile. South Korea’s Joint
Chiefs of Staff issued a similar
assessment, saying the missile
flew about 37 miles.
That is a much shorter
distance than other North
Korean missiles flew in their
recent test-launches.
Two weeks ago, the South
Korean and U.S. militaries
said they had detected a
failed North Korean ballistic
missile launch. South Korean
media speculated at the time
that North Korea might have
attempted to test a missile that
it hasn’t deployed. Earlier in
March, North Korea fired four
ballistic missiles that flew
about 620 miles, with three
of them landing in waters that
Japan claims as its exclusive
economic zone.
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