US investigating whether Islamic State used chemical weapons

[webfact]

US investigating whether Islamic State used chemical weapons
By JOSH LEDERMAN

EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) — The United States is investigating whether the Islamic State used chemical weapons, the White House said Thursday, following allegations that IS militants deployed chemical weapons against Kurdish forces in northern Iraq.

Alistair Baskey, a spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, said the U.S. is taking the allegations "very seriously" and seeking more information about what happened. He noted that IS had been accused of using such weapons before.

"We continue to monitor these reports closely, and would further stress that any use of chemicals or biological material as a weapon is completely inconsistent with international standards and norms regarding such capabilities," Baskey said in a statement.

Earlier Thursday, Kurdish officials said their forces, known as peshmerga, were attacked the day before near the town of Makhmour, not far from Irbil. Germany's military has been training the Kurds in the area, and the German Defense Ministry said some 60 Kurdish fighters had suffered breathing difficulties from the attack — a telltale sign of chemical weapons use. But neither Germany nor the Kurds specified which type of chemical weapons may have been used.

Confirmation of chemical weapons use by IS would mark a dramatic turn in the U.S.-led effort to rout the extremist group from the roughly one-third of Iraq and Syria that it controls.

Although the U.S. and its coalition partners are mounting airstrikes against the Islamic State, they are relying on local forces like the Kurds, the Iraqi military and others to do the fighting on the ground. Already, those forces have struggled to match the might of the well-funded and heavily armed extremist group.

At the United Nations, U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power said the U.S. was speaking with the Kurds who had made the allegations to gather more information. She said that if reports of chemical weapons are true, they would further prove that what IS calls warfare is really "just systematic attacks on civilians who don't accord to their particularly perverse world view."

"I think we will have to again move forward on these allegations, get whatever evidence we can," Power said.

She added that as a result of earlier chemical weapons use by the Syrian government, the U.S. and its partners now have advanced forensic systems to analyze chemical weapons attacks. She said anyone responsible should be held accountable.

Similar reports of chemical weapons use by IS had surfaced in July. But it's unclear exactly where the extremist group may have obtained any chemical weapons.

Following a chemical weapon attack on a suburb of the Syrian capital of Damascus in 2014 that killed hundreds of civilians, the U.S. and Russia mounted a diplomatic effort that resulted in Syrian President Bashar Assad's government agreeing to the destruction or removal of its chemical weapons stockpiles. But there have been numerous reports of chemical weapons use in Syria since then — especially chlorine-filled barrel bombs. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the global chemical weapons watchdog, has been investigating possible undeclared chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria.

Word of the White House's probe into possible chemical weapons use by IS came as President Barack Obama was vacationing with his family in Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. Also on Thursday, IS militants claimed responsibility for a truck bombing at a Baghdad market that killed 67 people in one of the deadliest single attacks there since the Iraq War.
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Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-08-14

[shaurene]

Here we go again will be Wepons of Mass Destruction next and a call from the USA to the western powers to have another desert war.

But I do agree this IS NEEDS TO BE ERADICATED. They came out the wood work once the troops left.

[peterb17]

Oh Dear

Another red line never to be crossed- lets ponder a minute and think what happened when the last red line was crossed- nothing much really and appeased the Russians.

[uksomchai]

A bit ironic that a country that has probably the largest arsenals of chemical and biological weapons in the world is investigating this.

They will be dumping babies out of incubators next thing you know

[Hayduke]

So, Mr. Baskey is pointing out stressing that"....any use of chemical or biological material as a weapon is completely inconsistent with international standards and norms...."

Considering the IS's meticulous concern for international standards and norms, this scolding will no doubt have a severe and immediate impact. It will certainly get their undivided attention as the last thing they want is for the NSC to take these allegations "...very seriously".

But...if not, a stern warning to refer this matter to the ICC (the US has legions of attorneys) should straighten those rascals out.

Edited August 14, 2015 by Hayduke

[F430murci]

A bit ironic that a country that has probably the largest arsenals of chemical and biological weapons in the world is investigating this.

They will be dumping babies out of incubators next thing you know

Only a sad old fart could be so cynical about people suffering. Whether US has chemical weapons is of no consequence. There is a huge difference from having stockpiles of WWII era weapons and actually using them. No one needs to trump up any charges against ISIS and trumped up charges are not needed to create world outrage against these stinky, little bed sheet wearing heathens.

[Seastallion]

" those forces have struggled to match the might of the well-funded and heavily armed extremist group."

The forces against ISIS are established governments with powers...how is this funding continuing? How can cash be paid to arms dealers, how is ISIS logistics chain being supported?

Forget Iran...when they wanted, they froze the money. Why not with ISIS?

Edited August 14, 2015 by Seastallion

[F430murci]

" those forces have struggled to match the might of the well-funded and heavily armed extremist group."

The forces against ISIS are established governments with powers...how is this funding continuing? How can cash be paid to arms dealers, how is ISIS logistics chain being supported?

Forget Iran...when they wanted, they froze the money. Why not with ISIS?

Lol, everything is not a conspiracy and ISIS has had no problem getting money or weapons. There is plenty of money, banks and weapons left behind or in areas they over run for their taking.

[uksomchai]

A bit ironic that a country that has probably the largest arsenals of chemical and biological weapons in the world is investigating this.

They will be dumping babies out of incubators next thing you know

Only a sad old fart could be so cynical about people suffering. Whether US has chemical weapons is of no consequence. There is a huge difference from having stockpiles of WWII era weapons and actually using them. No one needs to trump up any charges against ISIS and trumped up charges are not needed to create world outrage against these stinky, little bed sheet wearing heathens.

I'm neither old nor sad though I do admit to farting occasionally, just telling it how it is. If it wasn't for the good ol USA invading Iraq in the first place this wouldn't be happening

Why has the USA having probably the biggest stockpile of weapons of mass destruction and being the only country to have used them of no consequence ?

I would put it that that has a lot to do with the trouble the world faces today and if no trumped up charges are needed why have they done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT ?

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

I'm absoluetly no islam fan, but enough is enough...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jn6pLdugdCM

Edited August 14, 2015 by Blitzkrieg Bob

[oneday]

I don't understand the point of the investigation. Just so the international community can give an extra gasp of disbelief? Do they think the IS really gives a @#$# what the rest of the world knows or does about it? Do they think there are any threats they can make that will get these low life barbarians to stop using chemical weapons when they proudly show people being beheaded on the internet. Are they going to penalize them by putting one extra bomb on each plane leaving Turkey? What's the point? Why waste the time unless they are going to try and find the source and bomb the hell out of it.

[cantplay]

A bit ironic that a country that has probably the largest arsenals of chemical and biological weapons in the world is investigating this.

They will be dumping babies out of incubators next thing you know

Only a sad old fart could be so cynical about people suffering. Whether US has chemical weapons is of no consequence. There is a huge difference from having stockpiles of WWII era weapons and actually using them. No one needs to trump up any charges against ISIS and trumped up charges are not needed to create world outrage against these stinky, little bed sheet wearing heathens.

ISIS - The flat earth people.

[Rancid]

Yep, time for a new war, good for TV ratings. If you can't trust a US announcement on ME WMD what can you trust, Iraq, Syria...

Assume the arm chair generals here will be rushing to enlist? Or is that just the sons of the poors problem as usual?