U.S. Releases Victims Footage Of Syria Chemical Attack

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINTS GRAPHIC IMAGES

The Senate Intelligence Committee on Saturday (September 7) posted a link to a video prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency showing YouTube videos of victims of a suspected chemical weapons attack in Syria.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee said she asked the CIA to prepare a DVD for lawmakers that showed evidence that the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its own people.

The videos were shown to the Intelligence Committee on Thursday (September 5).

The DVD is another tool that could be used to persuade lawmakers to give President Barack Obama congressional approval to carry out a limited military strike against Syria.

The source described the video as showing victims from a chemical weapons attack sometime on August 21st.

It was unclear how much of the YouTube footage had already been widely disseminated. U.S. and international television networks have shown some video coverage of the victims of what appeared to have been a chemical weapons attack.

Feinstein, who said she had seen enough evidence to support a congressional resolution authorising the use of force, said she was having more of the DVDs made to give members of Congress.

Many lawmakers have not yet decided whether to approve Obama's proposal for a military strike against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces, blamed by Washington for the Aug. 21 chemical weapons attack.

Presented by Adam Justice