Assad gives the green light of attacking Idlib with chlorine

ARK News: Syrian President Bashar Assad has agreed to use chlorine gas as part of his regime's attack on Idlib, the country's last opposition stronghold, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The newspaper quoted from US officials that Assad agreed to use this gas, saying that international pressure did not discourage the Syrian president, who enjoys the support of Russia and Iran.

The newspaper quoted from a senior administration official as saying,” we didn’t say that the United States will resort to a military response to any attack”, and added that "We have political means available, as there are economic means, there are a number of different ways in which we can respond to Assad if he takes that reckless and dangerous step. "

The United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator, Mark Lokoc, warned on Monday that a large-scale military operation in Idlib province could lead to the "worst humanitarian catastrophe" of the 21st century.

"There must be ways to deal with this problem so that the next few months in Idlib will not turn into the worst humanitarian disaster with the greatest loss of lives in the 21st century," he told reporters in Geneva.

The United Nations believes that an attack on Idlib would lead to a wave of displacement that would uproot some 800,000 people from their areas and prevent the return of refugees to their homes.

The United States and France said that an attack on Idlib would cause a humanitarian crisis, warning that a chemical attack in the province would prompt Western revenge.

The Pentagon said on Saturday it was considering military options to respond to Syrian government forces if chemical weapons were used in Idlib.

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