Countdown Syria: nerve gas to be used on the Syrian people?

[MillCreek]

So multiple news outlets are reporting that Syria is filling bombs with sarin and preparing the bomb racks of the planes.  Assad has surely got to think if he uses chemical weapons that no country will give him asylum or shelter.  I hope this is a bluff.

[Fitz]

I'm already counting on spending some time there

[De Selby]

There's a high chance that the story is bs - the Syrian "revolutionaries" tend to be dominated by Al Qaeda fanatics and whack jobs, which makes sorting their bs from the Syrian gov's very very difficult.

[Scout26]

Besides Syria doesnt' have any WMD's, right?   Where did they get them from, if they have them ?


(BTW, I think he'll use them.)

[kgbsquirrel]

Besides Syria doesnt' have any WMD's, right?   Where did they get them from, if they have them ?


(BTW, I think he'll use them.)

The Iraqis (and I say Iraqis because Saddam didn't just go do it all by himself) used chemical munitions on the Kurds, and allegedly on the Iranians during their war back in the 80's. I have no doubt that Assad would do it. Hell, Saddam stayed in power for over another decade after doing that while the world waggled it's finger at him, if Assad sees this as the only definitive way to secure his control of Syria I doubt what the rest of the world thinks of it will matter to him.

[kgbsquirrel]

Besides Syria doesnt' have any WMD's, right?   Where did they get them from, if they have them ?


(BTW, I think he'll use them.)

Any country with a half-way decent chemical industry can make these agents. It's just not that hard. Phosgene for instance was one of the first CW's, and it's currently a major industrial ingredient for the creation of plastics. Hell, chemical weapons were invented before a functional airplane existed.

[De Selby]

Any country with a half-way decent chemical industry can make these agents. It's just not that hard. Phosgene for instance was one of the first CW's, and it's currently a major industrial ingredient for the creation of plastics. Hell, chemical weapons were invented before a functional airplane existed.

Syria never signed on to the international program of restricting them, either.  They would've had weapons and a program apart from Saddam.

There's been so much bizarre propaganda and telling of the end in this war that I think scepticism towards this latest news is justified.   The information could be from a defector or rebel who wants to trigger foreign intervention, it might be a ploy by the Syrians themselves to influence rebel movements, or any number off things.

I think Syria is lose lose for us at this point.  If Asad falls, we get al Qaeda.  If he stays, he's much weaker and therefore much more unpredictable. 

[RoadKingLarry]

If Assad does use chem weapons I'm sure Obama and Clinton will speak very sternly about it.

[Fitz]

If Assad does use chem weapons I'm sure Obama and Clinton will speak very sternly about it.

Nonsense. We'll start another war. Guarantee it.

[AZRedhawk44]

Nonsense. We'll start another war. Guarantee it.

Another war?  Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia.

[Jamisjockey]

Nonsense. We'll start another war. Guarantee it.

Gotta liberate some people!

[Fitz]

Gotta liberate some people!

Another excuse to go dodge IEDs and shoot automatic weapons.

[HankB]

If a murderous dictator thinks he's going to lose a civil war anyway, why WOULDN'T he use WMDs, especially if he doesn't think he has the option of having a long and luxurious life in exile (with a generous stipend).  free from threat of reprisal or trial, as the late and unlamented Idi Amin did?

[roo_ster]

Syria never signed on to the international program of restricting them, either. 

Yeah, that woulda stopped him butt-cold.

[Fitz]

When Obama invades because this guy uses chemical weapons on his own people, do you think the lefties will cry about the "illegal war?" and how "a dictator is none of our business?"

 

[Scout26]

I gotta agree with De Selby.  I mean you have to figure that Obama and Hillary are getting their information about Assad and his WMD's from the same Intelligence agencies that gave GWB bad info on Iraq and screwed the pooch about Benghazi.  I'm sure that Obama will seek a "Go to War" resolution from congress after getting the UN to pass 17 resolutions against the Assad regime.




[You have no idea how hard that was to type with a straight face.]

[Fitz]

Actually, as much as I'd hate to admit it, i'm right there with much of what deselby posted. Especially about it being a lose/lose for us.

[longeyes]

Can't wait for The Brotherhood to add Syria to their portfolio.

[De Selby]

Rooster, the point is that their chemical weapons were never in dispute.  They haven't tried to pretend they have none.

Scout, I don't see how that paragraph has much to do with what I said.

Will people who drank the kool aid for Obama hate it if he takes us to war in Syria?   Hard to say.  It'll depend on the immediate outcomes.   Doing it would be suicidally insane for the country, but that's never stopped Clinton-Bush-Obama before.

[agricola]

The Iraqis (and I say Iraqis because Saddam didn't just go do it all by himself) used chemical munitions on the Kurds, and allegedly on the Iranians during their war back in the 80's. I have no doubt that Assad would do it. Hell, Saddam stayed in power for over another decade after doing that while the world waggled it's finger at him, if Assad sees this as the only definitive way to secure his control of Syria I doubt what the rest of the world thinks of it will matter to him.

Assad senior probably did the same* in Hama in 1982, albeit that was a different time and killing upwards of 35,000 people wasnt the internet event that it is nowadays. 

* that is used chemical weapons, albeit of course much of the killing was done by more traditional means such as artillery fire, bombing, tanks and small arms.

[LadySmith]

Would someone please explain to me why over 1.5 years of Assad killing his own people is ok, but it's suddenly an outrage now that he's about to use chemicals?

I come here to the Politics section to learn about what's really going on in the world.
You guys are better than any "news" source to me.

[Fitz]

Would someone please explain to me why over 1.5 years of Assad killing his own people is ok, but it's suddenly an outrage now that he's about to use chemicals?

I come here to the Politics section to learn about what's really going on in the world.
You guys are better than any "news" source to me.

Because American leaders and the American people are *expletive deleted*ing whiney, morally bankrupt hypocrites

[kgbsquirrel]

Because American leaders and the American people are *expletive deleted* whiney, morally bankrupt hypocrites

Pretty much.

We have a civil war that killed a nightmarish many of our own, but then get all angsty when anyone else fights one. We'll occupy countries for a decade (or more) and then pitch a fit when some local dictator who had stuff more or less stable (if not just) fights against outside forces coming in and stirring up trouble. And the cherry on the cake is decrying use of "WMD's" when we've used chemical munitions, firebombed major metropolitan areas and are the only people to ever nuke someone else in anger. But it's justified when we do it, because we're speshul and democratic. 

[Hutch]

The special repugnance we have for death by WMD is sort of like "hate crime" statutes.  Hack'em to death machetes?  Not a good thing, obviously, but boys will be boys, don'tcha know.  Treat them to a horrible form of insecticide?  Unacceptable, and someone will send a harshly worded letter to the editor.

The major reason we are all up in the trees about WMDs in general, and nerve gas in particular, is that we fear such an assault by terrorists on our soil, and so want to be able to credibly threaten nuclear retaliation while maintaining our smug and sanctimonious sense of moral superiority.  I fully embrace the notion of American exceptionalism, btw, but the particular weapon we choose to smite evil has nothing to do with it.

[kgbsquirrel]

Speaking of funneling weapons into the hands of extremists....

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/dec/6/muslim-brotherhood-inherits-us-war-gear/

.... looks like it wont just be post-soviet era crap from Gadaffi's horde, but shiny new U.S. arms as well. I'm suddenly reminded of the scene in Iron Man where Tony Stark nearly gets killed by a mortar round emblazoned "Stark Industries." I wonder how many Javelins and Stingers are included along with the M1A1's and F-16's?


This is my shocked face ->