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| Obama: Syria chemical weapon claim a 'grave concern' - BBC News Posted: 23 Aug 2013 08:43 AM PDT
23 August 2013
Last updated at 12:05 ET
Bridget Kendall investigates how the attack unfolded, mainly through extremely distressing videos posted online US President Barack Obama has said the alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria in an attack on Wednesday is a "big event of grave concern". Mr Obama said the US was still seeking confirmation such weapons were used, but if proved true the situation would "require America's attention". Meanwhile, Syria's main ally Russia has said there is growing evidence that Syrian rebels were behind the attack. The opposition says hundreds died in a government assault outside Damascus. But despite calls from many different countries, there is no sign yet that the Syrian authorities will allow a UN inspection team to visit to investigate the claims. Unverified footage shows civilians - many of them children - dead or suffering from what appear to be horrific symptoms as a result of Wednesday's attack. Also on Friday, UN agencies said the number of children forced to flee Syria had reached one million. The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, and children's fund, Unicef, described the figure as "a shameful milestone", and said a further two million children were displaced within the country. 'Very troublesome'Last year, President Obama said the use of chemical weapons in Syria would cross a "red line" and force a tough US response. In an interview broadcast on CNN on Friday, he said that the recent claims of chemical weapons use were "very troublesome". "What we've seen indicates clearly this is a big event, of grave concern, and we are already in communications with the entire international community," Mr Obama said. He said that "core national interests" of the US were involved in the Syrian conflict, "both in terms of us making sure that weapons of mass destruction are not proliferating, as well as needing to protect our allies, our bases in the region." The BBC has learnt that some in the White House are furious and regard Wednesday's attack as an outrage that breached international law and demands a response. But Mr Obama warned in his interview: "Sometimes what we've seen is that folks will call for immediate action, jumping into stuff, that does not turn out well, gets us mired in very difficult situations, can result in us being drawn into very expensive, difficult, costly interventions that actually breed more resentment in the region." Meanwhile, Russia joined calls for an "objective investigation" by UN chemical weapons experts. Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Lukashevich said Moscow had urged President Bashar al-Assad to co-operate with a probe, but also that questions remained about the willingness of the opposition to provide "secure, safe access of the [UN] mission to the location of the incident". "More new evidence is starting to emerge that this criminal act was clearly provocative," the ministry added. "On the internet, in particular, reports are circulating that news of the incident carrying accusations against government troops was published several hours before the so-called attack. So, this was a pre-planned action." The ministry also described as "unacceptable" calls from various European capitals for the UN Security Council to authorise the use of force in Syria. 'Something to hide'Other leaders have also pushed for an urgent UN investigation. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has already called for inspectors to start "without delay". 
"I've seen people with loss of speech... [one child] compulsively shooting with a toy gun," said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres "I can think of no good reason why any party - either government or opposition forces - would decline this opportunity to get to the truth of the matter," Mr Ban said from the South Korean capital, Seoul. He said any use of chemical weapons would violate international law and should result in "serious consequences for the perpetrator". UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said it seemed like the Syrian government had "something to hide" over the reported chemical attack. "I know that some people in the world would like to say this is some kind of conspiracy brought about by the opposition in Syria. I think the chances of that are vanishingly small and so we do believe that this is a chemical attack by the Assad regime on a large scale," he told reporters. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has said that there should be a "reaction of force" from the international community if allegations that the Syrian government was responsible are verified. Damascus has described the allegations that it sanctioned the use of chemical weapons as "illogical and fabricated". But according to Reuters news agency, Syrian anti-government activists are trying to smuggle tissue samples from victims' bodies to the UN inspectors to prove their claims. "The UN team spoke with us and since then we prepared samples of hair, skin and blood and smuggled them back into Damascus with trusted couriers," activist Abu Nidal told Reuters. The main opposition alliance, the National Coalition, also said it would do everything to assist the UN inspectors and ensure their safety. "It is critical that those inspectors get there within 48 hours. The clock is ticking and we want to see those inspectors and we believe that the evidence will show who used those chemical weapons against innocent civilians," spokesman Khaled Saleh told Reuters.  
Meanwhile, the UN says children now make up half of all refugees fleeing Syria. About three-quarters of those children are under 11. 
The BBC's Jim Muir meets the Syrian children living on the streets of Beirut "The youth of Syria are losing their homes, their family members and their futures," said UN high commissioner for refugees Antonio Guterres. Most of the children have arrived in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, the UN says, and increasingly Syrians are fleeing to North Africa and Europe. But with its appeal for Syria less than 40% funded, the two UN agencies say they are struggling to meet the needs of the refugees. The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says the agencies are now warning of a lost generation that are ill-equipped to bring peace and stability to their country in the future. |
| Arrest made in Spokane beating death of WWII vet - CNN International Posted: 23 Aug 2013 07:45 AM PDT STORY HIGHLIGHTS
(CNN) -- A juvenile has been arrested by Spokane police in connection with the beating death of an 88-year-old World War II veteran this week, police said Friday. The male suspect has been charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree murder. The man -- Delbert Belton -- was brutally beaten and left for dead by two teens outside a lounge in Spokane, Washington, where he loved to go play pool. The motive? Police don't have one. The teens appeared to have picked him at random, authorities say. A retired aluminum company worker who served in the Pacific, Belton, friends say, took a bullet in the leg during the Battle of Okinawa. He survived that attack.  Delbert Belton survived being wounded in action during the Battle of Okinawa only to be beaten to death by two teens in Spokane, Washington. But on Wednesday night, Belton -- affectionately called "Shorty" by friends for his height -- headed to the Eagles Lodge where he was a regular. Police found him in the parking lot, with serious head injuries. He died Thursday. "It does appear random," Spokane police Lt. Mark Griffiths told reporters. "It appears he was assaulted in the parking lot and there was no indication that he would have known these people prior to the assault." It's the second time in a week that a seemingly random attack by teenagers has claimed a life. On August 16, a 23-year-old Australian baseball player attending college in Oklahoma was gunned down in the town of Duncan. One of three teens police arrested in that shooting said they carried it out because "we were bored and didn't have anything to do." 'All there is is bad news' The randomness of the two attacks was not lost on Ted Denison, who's been friends with Belton for a long time. "It's really depressing," Denison told CNN late Thursday night. "Seems that all there is is bad news." The two men met more than 20 years ago and worked on cars together. "We were mechanic buddies," the 42-year-old Denison said. "We just kind of kicked right along." But the friends also hung out together outside the garage. "We went dancing on Saturday nights," Denison said. "We went out to breakfast together." Belton stopped by the Eagles Lodge two or three times a week. He played pool, but by his own admission, wasn't too good at it. "He went up there and played pool, met with some of the guys he used to work with at Kaiser Aluminum," where he was employed more than 30 years, Denison said. His wife died several years ago. The WW II vet is survived by a son, 65. Waiting for a friend Wednesday night, Denison was outside the lodge waiting for a friend because he didn't want her to walk home alone, Lillian Duncan told the Spokesman-Review newspaper. "He was so awesome," Duncan told the paper. "Anybody that didn't get to know him missed out on a wonderful angel in their life." Police are looking for two suspects. Witnesses described them as "young African American males of average build," according to a police statement. Officers used K-9 search dogs to search for the suspects, swept for fingerprints on the chain link fence in the area where they were last seen headed, and scoured through surveillance tapes. So far, the attackers haven't been found. "We are actively looking for the suspects in this tragic incident and following up on tips and other leads in order to bring those responsible to justice," said police spokeswoman Monique Cotton. Outside the lodge Thursday, friends and strangers alike left flowers, flags and messages for Belton. Belton never had problems outside the lodge before -- no threats, no altercations, Denison said. "If he had, I would have made sure I was there." |
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