Damascus activists: UN inspection site tallies with missile strike
The U.S. government assessment released Friday of alleged chemical weapons attacks outside the Syrian capital of Damascus claims "high confidence" the Assad government planned to use poison gas, and these videos uploaded by known activist groups in the area appear to lend some evidence to the claim.
The first video shows U.N. inspectors visiting the site of a missile strike in Zamalka, and using geographical tracking, the video is demonstrated to have been taken within 100 meters of where one missile, originating to the north, is known to have hit.
The U.S. assessment also said intelligence revealed regime activities associated with preparations for a chemical attack, in Adra, which is to the north of this area in the video.
The second video appears to have been shot near the first one, and geolocation efforts are underway here. This Google Map image supports the location of this second video in Zamalka, about 250 meters from the only specific location, Zaynia, mentioned by activists in early and local reports of strikes.
The videos do not prove a chemical weapons attack occurred here and, of course, neither does the dead bird the uploaders hold up to the camera. But they do demonstrate that U.N. inspectors went to one of the most likely sites where evidence of chemical weapons use might be found.
