U.N.: Chemical Weapons Used in Syria

The Syrian crisis got a whole lot murkier today. French scientists say that soil samples from Syria tested positive for sarin gas. Meanwhile, the United Nations said in a report that it appears that both sides in the country’s bloody civil war had used chemical weapons. Human-rights investigators examined four reported toxic attacks in March and April, and could not determine exactly what chemicals had been used—or which side had used them. Investigators conducted 430 interviews with witnesses, which included victims, those who fled the violence, and medical staff. “The conflict in Syria has reached new levels of brutality,” said the 29-page report. “War crimes, crimes against humanity, and gross human-rights violations continue apace.”