WARNING: SOME IMAGES IN THE VIDEO ARE EXTREMELY DISTURBING.
In an interview with Vocativ on Thursday, a Syrian man who asked to remain anonymous because he fears for his safety described the horrific scene he witnessed near his home outside of Damascus. It’s proof, he says, of a chemical attack against the Syrian people by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
For two years, this man has documented the Syrian civil war, posting photos and videos on social media. And upon hearing reports of an attack on Wednesday night, he left his home, about a mile from Damascus, and traveled to the scene. A few people were still alive. Some foamed at the mouth, and others convulsed uncontrollably. Volunteers flocked to the area to help, and some of them died, too, says our source. There were so many dead bodies, he says, it was like counting pebbles.
Vocativ initially contacted this man after following his online posts with open source technology. We spoke to him over Skype, and he described the carnage in the images he sent us, told us of the terror he’d seen. For four months, we’ve been writing reports and documenting evidence of alleged chemical attacks in Syria. Back in April we wondered: Will this be a game changer for the American government? President Obama has repeatedly said he considered Assad’s use of chemical weapons as crossing a red line. But our man in Syria isn’t optimistic. Americans will do “absolutely nothing,” he says. He might be right.
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