US distributes videos of Syrian chemical attack

PARIS (AP):

The Obama administration is distributing videos showing a chemical weapons attack in Syria to help convince Americans and Congress that a military intervention against the Syrian government is necessary, Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday.

Speaking at a news conference in Paris, Kerry said the videos make clear that the attack is not something Americans can ignore.

US accusations

The United States has accused Syrian President Bashar Assad's government of using chemical weapons in an August 21 assault, and cited intelligence reports as saying it killed at least 1,429 people, including more than 400 children. The videos show the victims exhibiting what appear to be symptoms of nerve gas poisoning.

"Those videos make it clear to people that these are real human beings, real children, parents being affected in ways that are unacceptable to anybody, anywhere by any standards," Kerry said. "And the United States of America has always stood with others to say we will not allow this, this is not our values, it's not who we are.