• published: 26 Apr 2013
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Evidence Of Syria Chemical Weapons As footage emerges of alleged sarin attacks, David Cameron says there is "growing" evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria. David Cameron has said there is growing evidence of the use of chemical weapons by Bashar al Assad's regime, condemning reported attacks as a "war crime". His comments came as footage emerged of victims of an apparent sarin attack in the city of Aleppo. The video, which was taken in a hospital and shows men and women frothing at the mouth and twitching from the effects of the nerve agent, was posted online just over a week ago. The images were recorded at the medical facility in Afrin, about an hour's drive from the city of Aleppo, where the alleged sarin attacks by the Bashar al Assad regime were carried out. Dr Kawa Hassan, an orthopaedic surgeon who treated the first casualties, told Anthony Lloyd, a journalist for The Times who travelled to the medical facility: "We received an initial five casualties, then a second group. "Many were foaming at the mouth and their pupils were dilated. Then some of my medical staff started to become affected, too. We gave them all atropine. For most, it had an immediate positive effect." Syria's President Bashar al-Assad attends prayers during celebrations of Prophet Mohammed's Birthday, at the al-Afram mosque in Damascus The US says the Assad regime is likely to be behind any chemical weapon use Mr Cameron said while there was evidence chemical weapons have been used in Syria's civil war it was unlikely to mean British troops on the ground. Mr Cameron told BBC Breakfast: "It is very disturbing what we are seeing. It's limited evidence but there's growing evidence that we have seen too of the use of chemical weapons, probably by the regime. "It is extremely serious, this is a war crime, and we should take it very seriously." He said that it was now essential to gather further evidence and for Britain to work with the international community to put pressure on the Assad regime. He added: "But this is extremely serious, and I think what President Obama said was absolutely right - that this should form for the international community a red line for us to do more. Vials of suspected Sarin Vials of sarin found in Iraq in 2004 The alleged sarin attacks in the city earlier this month prompted the US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel to announce evidence of chemical weapons use had been found. His comments in Abu Dhabi yesterday were backed by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry, who said the Syrian regime had carried out two small-scale chemical weapons attacks. Mr Kerry made the claim as he left a Congressional hearing, but did not give further details. The White House said forces loyal to Assad probably used sarin gas against rebel fighters on a "small scale", but emphasised more assessments were needed. Barack Obama has repeatedly said that any use of chemical weapons would be cross a "red line", triggering possible military action. He is expected to discuss the matter when he meets King Abdullah II of Jordan later today. Syria Victims of the alleged attacks in Aleppo were treated at an Afrin hospital The latest disclosures by those in his administration have led to calls for tough action including enforcing a no fly zone and creating safe zones inside the country. Speaking yesterday, a White House official said if it was determined that line had been crossed, the US would consult with its allies on the next step - and "all options are on the table". The official said the Assad regime is believed to have chemical weapons, and any use of them in the country would probably have been carried out by government forces. Miguel E Rodriguez, assistant to the president and director of the Office of Legislative Affairs, revealed the claims in a letter to senators John McCain and Carl Levin. "Our intelligence community does assess with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent sarin," he said. A senior defence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Associated Press the letter was not an "automatic trigger" for policy decisions on the use of military force. The aftermath of an airstrike in Aleppo that killed 15 people. The aftermath of an airstrike in Aleppo earlier this month Senator McCain told Sky News: "The problem is that the president has consistently said that's a red line, so the question is, will the president act in a way that I have advocated for a long time? "(This involves) providing a safe zone for the Syrian resistance, provide proper weapons and have operational capability to secure these chemical weapon caches." It was reported earlier this month that British military scientists had studied a soil sample brought back from an area close to Damascus and found it tested positive for chemical weapons, although the Government has not confirmed that.