Post date: Aug 21, 2013 4:30:35 PM
R Reports - The images are hard to watch.
But the number, too, is confounding.
THIRTEEN-HUNDRED people reported killed in chemical attacks on severa lDamascus suburbs by Syrian government forces.
Accusations the government has strongly denied.Speaking on Syrian TV, a military command spokesman said reports and video of the attacks were the product of sedition and misinformation.
UNNAMED SYRIAN MILITARY SPOKESMAN:
"The general leadership of the army confirms these allegations are completely false and are a part of the dirty media war that is led by some countries through the media against Syria."
In Turkey, leading opposition figure George Sabra urged immediate intervention to stop further loss of life.
LEADING OPPOSITION FIGURE, GEORGE SABRA:
"We demand international efforts and direct military support to stop the killings. We ask the world to stop the slaughtering of Syrians and suffocating their children with poisonous gas. We don't just wish it does so, we demand this, which is our right and the world's duty."
Video footage of the attacks, though still unverified, shows people choking, some foaming at the mouth.
Syria agreed in theory two weeks ago to let U.N. inspectors travel to Syria to investigate the possible use of chemical weapons in its protracted civil war.
On Wednesday, the U.N. announced that the departure of the investigative team is "now imminent."