US says likely no chemicals in Syrian attack

Rebels and regime have blamed each other for non-conventional attack; intel reports say all indications refute claims

21 March 2013, 11:27 pm

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Syrian citizens stand on the rubble of houses that were destroyed by government airstrikes in Aleppo, Syria, earlier this month (photo credit: AP/Aleppo Media Center)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior US official is saying that the US now has strong indications that chemical weapons were not used in the attack in Syria on Tuesday.

Officials won’t entirely rule out the possibility. But this official says additional intelligence-gathering has led the US to believe more strongly that it was not a weaponized chemical attack.

The US and allies have been looking into allegations by the Syrian regime that rebels carried out a chemical weapons attack in northern Aleppo province. Rebels blame regime forces.

There are fears President Bashar Assad would use chemical weapons against his people in the ongoing civil war and also concerns that al-Qaeda linked rebels might obtain and use them.

The official wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity.