Is This the Video That Shows Assad Using Chemical Weapons on His Own People?

New video obtained by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) purports to show Syrian government forces loading artillery that was used in the attack on the Damascus suburbs last month which the U.S. says involved the use of chemical weapons.

MEMRI writes, “Syrian opposition sources on the Internet claim that the footage depicts the launch of the recent chemical attack on Eastern Ghouta. The footage is said to have been taken in the Al-Mazzeh military airport, and was posted on the Internet on August 28, 2013.”

Screenshot: MEMRI

The footage shows men in what appear to be black T-shirts and military fatigues loading a mobile launcher with a rocket equipped with some sort of canister. TheBlaze is unable to verify why the canister is there or what its contents are.

When the men complete the task of loading the device, they clear the area, after which the rocket is fired and smoke fills the frame.

Besides claims from the Syrian opposition, it is unknown if those equipping the device are affiliated with the forces loyal to President Bashar Assad.

There is no audible talking or explanatory subtitles in the five minute clip.

The video leaves many questions unanswered, such as: Where did it take place? Who was behind the launch? How did opposition activists get so close to the troops and film undetected? Why if they had this allegedly incriminating video in their hands did they not leak it earlier?

Obama administration officials last week said the intelligence was clear that the August 21 attack involved chemical weapons and that Assad’s forces were behind it.

Secretary of State John Kerry said, “The United States government now knows that at least 1,429 Syrians were killed in this attack, including at least 426 children.”

Here is the clip courtesy of MEMRI:

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