Syrian foreign minister denies the use of chemical weapons

Syrian foreign minister denies the use of chemical weapons

Syrias Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem held a press conference on 6 April in the countrys capital Damascus to deny accusations of the use of chemical weapons. Concerns have mounted in the international community after at least 70 people were killed and a large number of others wounded in a gas attack in a rebel-held area in Syrias northwestern province of Idlib on Tuesday.Al-Moallem said two statements have been issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the government forces that firmly denied the use of chemical weapons.If the international community could form objective, neutral and fair investigative teams which would not be affected by pressure from other countries, al-Moallem said the Syrian government is willing to allow such teams to investigate the incident in Idlib.However, it is very difficult to be totally neutral, the minister pointed out. Apr 7, 2017
Isis claims it shot down an Iraqi helicopter in Mosul

Isis claims it shot down an Iraqi helicopter in Mosul

The Islamic State claims it shot down an Iraqi helicopter in Mosul claiming it shows the chopper shot down. Newsweek has not been able to verify independently that this video shows the crash, but the Iraqi military confirmed ISIS downed the chopper, killing two pilots . The helicopter was supporting elite Iraqi police forces fighting ISIS in Western Mosul. Its the first time that ISIS has shot down an aircraft over Mosul since Iraq launched an assault to retake the city in October 2016. Apr 7, 2017
Isis claims it shot down an Iraqi helicopter in Mosul

Isis claims it shot down an Iraqi helicopter in Mosul

The Islamic State claims it shot down an Iraqi helicopter in Mosul claiming it shows the chopper shot down. Newsweek has not been able to verify independently that this video shows the crash, but the Iraqi military confirmed ISIS downed the chopper, killing two pilots . The helicopter was supporting elite Iraqi police forces fighting ISIS in Western Mosul. Its the first time that ISIS has shot down an aircraft over Mosul since Iraq launched an assault to retake the city in October 2016. Apr 7, 2017
Trump says Bashar al-Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children in Syria

Trump says Bashar al-Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children in Syria

US President Donald Trump ordered a missile strike against an Assad regime airbase in Homs in Syria on Thursday night (6 April) in response to the horrific chemical attack against civilians in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun. Speaking at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where the president is attending a two-day summit with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, Trump said it was in the vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons. Apr 7, 2017
Tillerson: Russia should consider carefully its support to Assad regime

Tillerson: Russia should consider carefully its support to Assad regime

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Thursday (6 April) that Russia had failed to deliver on a commitment to secure chemical weapons in Syria. He accused Syrian President Bashar al-Assad of perpetuating a chemical weapons attack that killed more than 70 civilians in Syria. He urged Russia to reconsider its support for the regime. In a strongly worded rebuke, Tillerson said the country had either been complicit or simply incompetent in its failure to keep to the 2013 commitment brokered under the Obama administration after a chemical attack. Apr 7, 2017
US launches cruise missile strike on Syrian air base

US launches cruise missile strike on Syrian air base

President Donald Trump ordered military action against the Assad regime in Syria in response to the horrific Khan Sheikhoun chemical attack believed to have been carried out by government forces. Up to 60 Tomahawk missiles were fired at an air base in Homs where aircraft that carried out the attack, possibly with sarin gas, are thought to have been based. The missile strike was not announced earlier, but strong rhetoric had come out of the administration before the action was taken. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said: I call on all civilised nations in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria. Apr 7, 2017