July 9, 2013
UNITED NATIONS — Russia’s U.N. ambassador says Russian experts have determined that Syrian rebels made sarin nerve gas and used it in a deadly attack outside Aleppo in March.
International analysts say a March 19 chemical weapon attack occurred in the Aleppo suburb of Khan al-Assal. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin blamed a Syrian rebel group linked to al-Qaida for the attack, but the rebels have blamed the government.
Churkin said Tuesday after delivering an 80-page report to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that samples taken on site at the invitation of the Syrian government showed that the sarin gas was “not industrial” quality, but rather produced recently in “cottage industry” conditions.