Syrian Civil War

[Shady]

Like the rebels have enough chemical weapons to attack 10 different towns.

[DogOnPorch]

Like the rebels have enough chemical weapons to attack 10 different towns.

I don't think we'll get a straight answer as to who is doing what to who until the archives are opened in 50 years.

[GostHacked]

What if it's Assad?

We would have heard the drums of war already. Less evidence here of Assad using chem weapons than the all the so called evidence supporting the invasion of Iraq. This is the 3rd or 4th incident of a chemical attack in Syria over the last 2 years and nothing conclusive on who did it.

So somebody is using chemical weapons, I think that much we can be sure of. But this red line has been tested on at least two other occasions and still no boots on the ground. Why? They cannot pin it or link it to Assad and the Syrian military in any way at all.

[DogOnPorch]

We would have heard the drums of war already. Less evidence here of Assad using chem weapons than the all the so called evidence supporting the invasion of Iraq. This is the 3rd or 4th incident of a chemical attack in Syria over the last 2 years and nothing conclusive on who did it.

So somebody is using chemical weapons, I think that much we can be sure of. But this red line has been tested on at least two other occasions and still no boots on the ground. Why? They cannot pin it or link it to Assad and the Syrian military in any way at all.

We can't rule out that the entire event is a fabrication in classic Pallywood fashion. You and I could fake a similar event given enough...

1] actors

2] corpses

Syria has plenty of the latter.

[jbg]

What if it's Assad?

I'm surprised you didn't blame Israel. So many do on here.

[GostHacked]

I'm surprised you didn't blame Israel. So many do on here.

They might be involved, but very covert. Who knows.

We know stuff is coming in from Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and most likely weapons through Benghazi with help from the USA. We also know that the majority of these 'rebels' are not even Syrian. They are Iraqi, Jordanians, Libyans, Saudis, Aghanis, ect ect. From all over the Middle East.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/08/23/syria-alleged-chemical-weapons-un-inspectors.html

Should see lots of news talk about this over the next few days.

[Rue]

Where is the moral outrage? You hear anyone from the Arab League of Nations saying anything? How about Abbas. How about Hamas, Hezbolah, Iran?

All these entities oh so silent. Children being slaughtered and not a peep from the whole lot of these sob's.

So where is H Jones now?

Not a peep. Two faced spineless cowards.

I am today officially disgusted at Obama as well.

I expected the EEC and the UN to be the two faced sob's they are, likewise China and Russia, but Obama?

This is someone who stated he had a red line. Now he shows the world he is powerless. Impotent. Someone not willing to lead the free world.

It was bad enough when he pulled that cowardly position on Egypt's military now this? How can he stand up and studder like he does trying to back track as to what he said earlier. How embarassing.

I was a supporter of Obama. Not now. The US was and is the only country we could turn to for moral leadership on such things and now? Not with him. He has shown he is not willing to lead just pander to the Muslim Brotherhood. How can he not at least denounce what has happened. All I heard was studdering. Where was the German Chancellor-the same one lecturing Israel on negotiating with terrorists? Not a peep? Where was the British PM who lectured Israel on negotiating with terrorirts? Not a peep? The French? Pathetic.

They can all kiss my ass. The next time any of them want to lecture Israel take a good hard look at their pandering and who they pander too. Look at their lack of spinal cords.

There is a strong possibility if Assad keeps using gas Israel may have no choice but to bomb some sites.

This is a moral outrage. It is now going to go down with the mustard gassing of the Kurds, the genocides in Sudan and Rwanda/Mali as yet further examples of the pointlessness of the UN and the lack of morality across the planet.

I do commend the Canadian foreign Minister for speaking up today but words are just that.

It is an outrage to see children gassed. Where are all these two faced sob's who come on this forum going on and on about how evil Israel is? where are they all now? I will tell you-sitting with their hands up their collective buttoxes.

The most putrid of them all has to be the sphincter muscle who claims to be the leader of Turkey. What a piece of excrement. The best he can do is try deflect attention and accuse Israel of staging the coups in Egypt. What an utter bafoon. What a complete and utter bafoon.

Edited August 24, 2013 by Rue

[Guest American Woman]

I always feared that Obama's orator skills were his strong point over leadership skills. This seems to confirm that he is all talk.

John McCain wants Syria intervention

[sharkman]

What Obama is unintentionally signalling to the world is that he will threaten but do little else. This is not the first chemical attack in Syria under Obama's watch, and he's waffled whenever needed. Oh, BTW, this shows that it's open season on Israel too.

[LonJowett]

This seems to confirm that he is all talk.

People on this forum are so quick to judge. Apparently his current meetings to plan a military action aren't quick enough and he should have responded before it even happened.

[Shady]

I don't think it would take much to deter Assad. Just one cruise missile in his living room, and the chemical weapons would be shelved. That's how you gotta deal with these dictators. Like the way Reagan did with Gaddafi. One quick bombing strike.

[sharkman]

People on this forum are so quick to judge. Apparently his current meetings to plan a military action aren't quick enough and he should have responded before it even happened.

No. There have been at least 2 previous attacks and Obama did nothing but waffle with words. That is the main reason why this attack was so bad with hundreds dying. Assad watched what Obama did in response to the previous ones. Obama is partly responsible for these deaths since he declared there was a red line and then did nothing when it was crossed.

[Guest]

Far be it from me to defend BO, but it's difficult to see what he can do with Russia (and China?) insisting it was the rebels who unleashed the gas.

And how can we be sure Assad has chemical weapons anyway? I know he used them, but so did Saddam, and he didn't have any.

If America wants to use Syria as a place to test some new missiles, all well and good, but until that country actually threatens the US, I would support BO if he adopted the old Bomber Harris dictum about bones and applied it to US marines.

[sharkman]

Russia is insisting this most recent attack is some kind of set up or mix up. BO has his excuse thanks to Russia, but I think the numbers of dead is making him look bad. Hey don't blame me, it was Barry who insisted he was drawing a red line that must not be crossed. He got himself into this mess.

Should Syria be allowed to use chemical weapons as long as they don't attack the US? That's rather an awful thought.

[eyeball]

We would have heard the drums of war already. Less evidence here of Assad using chem weapons than the all the so called evidence supporting the invasion of Iraq. This is the 3rd or 4th incident of a chemical attack in Syria over the last 2 years and nothing conclusive on who did it.

So somebody is using chemical weapons, I think that much we can be sure of. But this red line has been tested on at least two other occasions and still no boots on the ground. Why? They cannot pin it or link it to Assad and the Syrian military in any way at all.

Why should we be putting boots on the ground? We should have been pinning this mess on Russia and China and cutting off trade with them months ago. Aiding and abetting tyrants and monsters like Assad should be a crime against humanity of the worst sort - even worse than using chemical weapons in my opinion.

But notice that what it really takes to get our political ginch in a knot is Putin's distaste for rainbows. What a nation of wimps we've become.

[Shady]

Far be it from me to defend BO, but it's difficult to see what he can do with Russia (and China?) insisting it was the rebels who unleashed the gas.And how can we be sure Assad has chemical weapons anyway? I know he used them, but so did Saddam, and he didn't have any.If America wants to use Syria as a place to test some new missiles, all well and good, but until that country actually threatens the US, I would support BO if he adopted the old Bomber Harris dictum about bones and applied it to US marines.

I agree. But if that's the case, Obama should have never declared "Assad must go" and a redline of chemical weapons use if he had no intention of following up. It's foreign policy 101.

[Guest]

I agree. But if that's the case, Obama should have never declared "Assad must go" and a redline of chemical weapons use if he had no intention of following up. It's foreign policy 101.

Completely agree. I said as much back in April.

I would have thought that that was the first thing you learn in President's School. Never give a certified nutjob a concrete ultimatum.

My comment was about the folly of giving ultimatums when one isn't willing to back them up. Not about the situation on the ground in Syria. As far as I'm concerned, there is no good side/bad side over there any more.

[Guest American Woman]

Russia is insisting this most recent attack is some kind of set up or mix up. BO has his excuse thanks to Russia, but I think the numbers of dead is making him look bad.

Obama's initial reaction, before he had this excuse thanks to Russia, is making him look bad, IMO. His initial reaction wasn't just a matter of "We'll have to confirm the facts before we act," but he talked of how he can't act without a coalition, without a UN mandate, etc. So what was his "red line" talk all about?

Hey don't blame me, it was Barry who insisted he was drawing a red line that must not be crossed. He got himself into this mess.

I agree that Obama should not have talked about his "red line" if he had no plan regarding how the U.S. was going to proceed if it came to pass. To boldly declare his "red line" and then speak of not being able to act without a coalition/UN mandate, etc, makes it nothing but talk. I'm sure Syria would have been shaking in its boots if Obama had talked of getting a UN mandate if Syria used chemical weapons.

Should Syria be allowed to use chemical weapons as long as they don't attack the US? That's rather an awful thought.

Agreed; and the world should be up in arms over this, not just the U.S., as that same line of thought applies to us all.

[dre]

I'm surprised you didn't blame Israel. So many do on here.

Im suprised you even bothered to post that off topic nonsense!

[dre]

I agree. But if that's the case, Obama should have never declared "Assad must go" and a redline of chemical weapons use if he had no intention of following up. It's foreign policy 101.

Its foreign policy 101, but you accidentally showed up "recreational knitting" in 104.

[Argus]

Im suprised you even bothered to post that off topic nonsense!

I dont think Israel can ever be off-topic when we're discussng the middle-east.

I do have to note that if this chemical attack had happened in Isreael or Gaza the world would be going freaking bananas now with all the condemnation and demands for action against Israel. The middle-east would be in an uproar with various Arab governments threatening outright war.

Nobody really seems to care much how many Arabs die, though, as long as it's other Arabs doing the killing.

[LonJowett]

So what was his "red line" talk all about?

Just wait. It won't be long now. They'll get the cruise missiles you're asking for.

[jbg]

People on this forum are so quick to judge. Apparently his current meetings to plan a military action aren't quick enough and he should have responded before it even happened.

As William Safire once said about the U.S. reaction to Soviet oppression of Poland's freedom movement, "orchestrated cries of anguish" and "coordinated handwringing".

[dre]

Nobody really seems to care much how many Arabs die, though, as long as it's other Arabs doing the killing.

I care when people die, but if people are absolutely determined to kill each other, I dont want to waste my money trying to stop them.

What those idiots over there do is none of my business, and not my problem.

[sharkman]

When oil is $200 per barrel and gas is $5/ltr(with all of the resulting chaos as our food supply dries up) people like you will care but it will be too late.