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Kerry: Syrian regime planned for chemical attack | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Secretary of State John Kerry makes a statement about Syria at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)


Secretary of State John Kerry makes a statement about Syria at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Secretary of State John Kerry makes a statement about Syria at the State Department in Washington, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Washington, AP—In a speech delivered in Washington, D.C., on Friday afternoon local time, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the US knows, based on intelligence, that the Syrian regime carefully prepared for days to launch a chemical weapons attack.

A US chemical weapons assessment says 1,429 people were killed in the attack, including at least 426 children

Kerry says Syrian regime personnel were at the site of the attack for three days beforehand, making preparations. He says regime elements were told to prepare by putting on gas masks.

The US chemical weapons assessment said that Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad’s government used an unidentified nerve agent in the attack. The report cites human and satellite intelligence that it says backs up publicly available videos and other evidence.

Kerry says the US also knows where the rockets were launched from. He says the rockets came from regime-controlled areas.

The US is releasing a public report on intelligence gathered about last week’s deadly attack.

President Barack Obama is preparing for a possible military strike in response.