Its pretty much/almost/maybe a certainty now- Assad used chemical weapons

[Trajan]

I didn't get all wound up when this was first reported, I wasn't sure , a lot of us weren't. Between the brits the french, now the Israelis, is the Obama admin. on board with the idea/fact that Assad did use them? I mean Jesus Christ say it or DON'T, but stop dancing around the shitpile.



April 25, 2013, 11:53 a.m. ET

U.S. Shifts Assessment of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use

U.S. Shifts View of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use - WSJ.com

I have to say, I think ( and have) that Hagel is an imbecile.
Either we beleive it or we don't, stop mealy mouthing it when you have just said the US Intel community has changed its stance from a dead 'no' to, a 'pretty sure yes'.......ole Chuck cannot figure out if the Red Line has been crossed? really truly? Sounds pretty straight forward to me.....obama said;

"We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilised,"


But we both know ( and so does Assad) hes got no play, or what he does have he won't play.....oh wait, theres always the strong letter to follow from the WH and UN to follow....

This is why you don't make threats or draw lines in the sand unless you're going to enforce them.....now we look even weaker and less serious.

 

[hjmick]

I wonder where he got the sarin gas...

 

[Trajan]

I wonder where he got the sarin gas...

no, don't go there......yet

 

[hjmick]

I wonder where he got the sarin gas...

no, don't go there......yet

Aw come on!

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - time to send in the drones...

U.S. now believes Syria has used chemical weapon, but no response is imminent
4/25/2013 WASHINGTON -- U.S. intelligence has concluded "with some degree of varying confidence" that the Syrian government has twice used chemical weapons in its fierce civil war, the White House and other top administration officials said Thursday.

However, officials also said more definitive proof was needed and the U.S. was not ready to escalate its involvement in Syria. That response appeared to be an effort to bide time, given President Barack Obama's repeated public assertions that Syria's use of chemical weapons, or the transfer of its stockpiles to a terrorist group, would cross a "red line."

The White House disclosed the new intelligence Thursday in letters to two senators, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, traveling in Abu Dhabi, also discussed it with reporters. "Our intelligence community does assess, with varying degrees of confidence, that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically, the chemical agent sarin," the White House said in its letter, which was signed by Obama's legislative director, Miguel Rodriguez.

Shortly after the letters was made public, Secretary of State John Kerry said on Capitol Hill that there were two instances of chemical weapons use. Hagel said the use of chemical weapons "violates every convention of warfare." It was not immediately clear what quantity of weapons might have been used, or when or what casualties might have resulted.

Obama has said the use of chemical weapons would be a "game-changer" in the U.S. position on intervening in the Syrian civil war, and the letter to Congress reiterated that the use or transfer of such weapons in Syria was a "red line for the United States." However, the letter also suggested a broad U.S. response was not imminent.

MORE

 

[Dugdale_Jukes]

These shit for brains countries have all kinds of problems.

Why would anyone in the US care?

 

[skye]

I didn't get all wound up when this was first reported, I wasn't sure , a lot of us weren't. Between the brits the french, now the Israelis, is the Obama admin. on board with the idea/fact that Assad did use them? I mean Jesus Christ say it or DON'T, but stop dancing around the shitpile.



April 25, 2013, 11:53 a.m. ET

U.S. Shifts Assessment of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use

U.S. Shifts View of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use - WSJ.com

I have to say, I think ( and have) that Hagel is an imbecile.
Either we beleive it or we don't, stop mealy mouthing it when you have just said the US Intel community has changed its stance from a dead 'no' to, a 'pretty sure yes'.......ole Chuck cannot figure out if the Red Line has been crossed? really truly? Sounds pretty straight forward to me.....obama said;

"We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilised,"


But we both know ( and so does Assad) hes got no play, or what he does have he won't play.....oh wait, theres always the strong letter to follow from the WH and UN to follow....

This is why you don't make threats or draw lines in the sand unless you're going to enforce them.....now we look even weaker and less serious.

Apart from agreeing that Hagel is an imbecile ..... the situation regarding the use of poison gases now revolves around the credibility of the USA and Obama.
Having constantly stated that a red line has been drawn it has now obviously being crossed and it is imperative that Obama doesn't dither around any more and takes necessary action!
He was being tested by Syria and possibly Iran in the use of this small amount of sarin... and if no response is made the consequences could be disastrous ... especially as Iran will be closely watching for any reaction.

 

[Trajan]

I didn't get all wound up when this was first reported, I wasn't sure , a lot of us weren't. Between the brits the french, now the Israelis, is the Obama admin. on board with the idea/fact that Assad did use them? I mean Jesus Christ say it or DON'T, but stop dancing around the shitpile.



April 25, 2013, 11:53 a.m. ET

U.S. Shifts Assessment of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use

U.S. Shifts View of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use - WSJ.com

I have to say, I think ( and have) that Hagel is an imbecile.
Either we beleive it or we don't, stop mealy mouthing it when you have just said the US Intel community has changed its stance from a dead 'no' to, a 'pretty sure yes'.......ole Chuck cannot figure out if the Red Line has been crossed? really truly? Sounds pretty straight forward to me.....obama said;

"We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilised,"


But we both know ( and so does Assad) hes got no play, or what he does have he won't play.....oh wait, theres always the strong letter to follow from the WH and UN to follow....

This is why you don't make threats or draw lines in the sand unless you're going to enforce them.....now we look even weaker and less serious.

Apart from agreeing that Hagel is an imbecile ..... the situation regarding the use of poison gases now revolves around the credibility of the USA and Obama.
Having constantly stated that a red line has been drawn it has now obviously being crossed and it is imperative that Obama doesn't dither around any more and takes necessary action!
He was being tested by Syria and possibly Iran in the use of this small amount of sarin... and if no response is made the consequences could be disastrous ... especially as Iran will be closely watching for any reaction.

agreed.

someone should ask him at a press conference, that is when he decides to deign us with his presence, whats the over and under on Sarin use? 200 Cubic feet? 800? 5000?


if he goes to the UN with this russia et al will laugh us out of the council....AQ already owns a large portion of the country and they are the preeminent resistance force to Assad, we've blown it, anything we do now will not retrieve the influence would could have had if we had seen the struggle in Syria for what it was.......next to not negotiating a status of forces agreement with Iraq, this will be his largest and most comprehensive FP failure and woe is us & Israel & Jordan & Lebanon........and......

 

[tjvh]

My prediction is that Obama's red line will relocate in the best moving goalpost fashion.

 

[hortysir]

Then maybe we should might could do something if the maybes turn out to be probable.....THEN we could possibly either do something or avoid anything

 

[tjvh]

Then maybe we should might could do something if the maybes turn out to be probable.....THEN we could possibly either do something or avoid anything

Or maybe we could just stay the hell out of it and let them kill each other.

 

[skye]

Then maybe we should might could do something if the maybes turn out to be probable.....THEN we could possibly either do something or avoid anything

Or maybe we could just stay the hell out of it and let them kill each other.

well...kill each other and kill us too....

no good

 

[Quantum Windbag]

I didn't get all wound up when this was first reported, I wasn't sure , a lot of us weren't. Between the brits the french, now the Israelis, is the Obama admin. on board with the idea/fact that Assad did use them? I mean Jesus Christ say it or DON'T, but stop dancing around the shitpile.



April 25, 2013, 11:53 a.m. ET

U.S. Shifts Assessment of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use

U.S. Shifts View of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use - WSJ.com

I have to say, I think ( and have) that Hagel is an imbecile.
Either we beleive it or we don't, stop mealy mouthing it when you have just said the US Intel community has changed its stance from a dead 'no' to, a 'pretty sure yes'.......ole Chuck cannot figure out if the Red Line has been crossed? really truly? Sounds pretty straight forward to me.....obama said;

"We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilised,"


But we both know ( and so does Assad) hes got no play, or what he does have he won't play.....oh wait, theres always the strong letter to follow from the WH and UN to follow....

This is why you don't make threats or draw lines in the sand unless you're going to enforce them.....now we look even weaker and less serious.

Hagel said they did, which means the line was crossed, but Obama wants proof.

 

[waltky]

Granny says Obama backin' off red-line warnin'...

Obama cautious on Syria ‘red line’
Sun, Apr 28, 2013 - AP, WASHINGTON : US President Barack Obama is insisting that any use of chemical weapons by Syria would change his “calculus” about US military involvement in the two-year-old civil war — but said too little was known about a pair of likely sarin attacks to order aggressive action now.

The president’s public response on Friday to the latest intelligence reflected the lack of agreement in Washington over whether to use the US’ military to intervene in the civil war — and if so, how. However, lawmakers in both parties expressed concern that inaction could embolden Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and perhaps other countries including North Korea and Iran. US officials declared on Thursday that the Syrian government probably had used chemical weapons twice last month, newly provocative acts in the civil war that has killed more than 70,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. The US assessment followed similar conclusions from Britain, France, Israel and Qatar — key allies eager for a more aggressive response to Syrian conflict.

Obama, in his first comments about the new intelligence disclosure, said on Friday: “For the Syrian government to utilize chemical weapons on its people crosses a line that will change my calculus and how the United States approaches these issues.” He has issued similar warnings for months, saying the use of chemical weapons or transfer of the stockpiles to terrorists would cross a “red line” and carry “enormous consequences.” Seeking to show resolve, Obama added on Friday that “I’ve meant what I said.”

The president is facing political pressure from a familiar contingent of senators, led by Republican US Senator John McCain, favoring a quick and strong US response. However, even those lawmakers appear opposed to a US military invasion and are instead supporting creation of a protective “no-fly zone” or another narrow, safe zone inside Syria, along its border with Turkey. Some lawmakers voiced concern that if Obama does not make good on his promise to respond aggressively if it is shown that al-Assad used chemical weapons, his inaction could send a damaging message to the world.

White House officials insisted Obama’s caution was not an indication that the line was shifting. Officials said firm evidence of a chemical weapons attack would trigger a US response — unspecified — and would not be contingent on the size and scope of the use. Obama met at the White House with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, whose nation is suffering amid an influx of refugees spilling over its border with Syria. The president promised to vigorously pursue more information about chemical weapons attacks, including exactly who might be responsible and how they might have been carried out.

Obama cautious on Syria ?red line? - Taipei Times

See also:

Iraqi PM Warns of Syrian Sectarian Violence Spreading Across Region
April 27, 2013 - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has referred to fighting in Syria as a possible cause of sectarian violence in Iraq.

Maliki said Saturday sectarianism is "evil" and can spread "from country to country." He said sectarian strife has returned to Iraq because it erupted in another area in the region, an apparent reference to divisions within Syria. The Iraqi leader's warning was made a day after U.S. President Barack Obama said Syria's use of chemical weapons against its people would be a "game changer" for how the U.S. approaches the two-year-old conflict.

But Obama stressed Friday that more evidence is still needed, including how, when and where Syria may have used the weapons. Speaking at the White House alongside Jordan's King Abdullah, the president said current findings are only "preliminary assessments" based on U.S. intelligence. He said the U.S., along with regional partners and the United Nations, will seek to obtain more direct evidence to corroborate the reports.

On Thursday, the White House said U.S. intelligence agencies believe with "varying degrees of confidence" the Syrian government has used sarin gas on a small scale against rebels trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. British Prime Minister David Cameron has backed the U.S. report, adding that the use of chemical weapons would amount to a war crime and should represent a "red line" for the international community.

Obama said Friday that the international community recognizes it "cannot stand by and permit the systematic use of weapons like chemical weapons on civilian populations." He said as "horrific" as mortar shelling and indiscriminate killings are, using potential weapons of mass destruction on civilians "crosses another line" with respect to international law. At least 70,000 people have been killed in Syria since the uprising began in March 2011.

http://www.voanews.com/content/iraq-maliki-syria-sectarian-violence/1650185.html

 

[skye]

Obama is color blind... but then I despise Obama

 

[jon_berzerk]

I didn't get all wound up when this was first reported, I wasn't sure , a lot of us weren't. Between the brits the french, now the Israelis, is the Obama admin. on board with the idea/fact that Assad did use them? I mean Jesus Christ say it or DON'T, but stop dancing around the shitpile.



April 25, 2013, 11:53 a.m. ET

U.S. Shifts Assessment of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use

U.S. Shifts View of Syrian Chemical-Weapons Use - WSJ.com

I have to say, I think ( and have) that Hagel is an imbecile.
Either we beleive it or we don't, stop mealy mouthing it when you have just said the US Intel community has changed its stance from a dead 'no' to, a 'pretty sure yes'.......ole Chuck cannot figure out if the Red Line has been crossed? really truly? Sounds pretty straight forward to me.....obama said;

"We have been very clear to the Assad regime, but also to other players on the ground, that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilised,"


But we both know ( and so does Assad) hes got no play, or what he does have he won't play.....oh wait, theres always the strong letter to follow from the WH and UN to follow....

This is why you don't make threats or draw lines in the sand unless you're going to enforce them.....now we look even weaker and less serious.

the prezbo seems to be backpedaling on that one

--LOL

 

[jon_berzerk]

ask the iranians about

“Operation Praying Mantis”

25 years ago this month

Reagan showed the iranians what it means when a red line is crossed

 

[waltky]

Assad a bit cagier than Saddam was...

Pattern seen in alleged chemical arms use in Syria
28 Apr.`13 — The instances in which chemical weapons are alleged to have been used in Syria were purportedly small in scale: nothing along the lines of Saddam Hussein's 1988 attack in Kurdish Iraq that killed thousands.

That raises the question of who would stand to gain as President Bashar Assad's regime and the opposition trade blame for the alleged attacks, and proof remains elusive. Analysts say the answer could lie in the past — the regime has a pattern of gradually introducing a weapon to the conflict to test the international community's response. The U.S. said last week that intelligence indicates the Syrian military has likely used sarin, a deadly nerve agent, on at least two occasions in the civil war, echoing similar assessments from Israel, France and Britain. Syria's rebels accuse the regime of firing chemical weapons on at least four occasions, while the government denies the charges and says opposition fighters have used chemical agents in a bid to frame it.

But using chemical weapons to try to force foreign intervention would be a huge gamble for the opposition, and one that could easily backfire. It would undoubtedly taint the rebellion in the eyes of the international community and seriously strain its credibility. Mustafa Alani, an analyst at the Gulf Research Center in Geneva, said it would also be difficult for the rebels to successfully employ chemical agents. "It's very difficult to weaponize chemical weapons," he said. "It needs a special warhead, for the artillery a special fuse."

A Syrian victim who suffered an alleged chemical attack at Khan al-Assal village according to SANA, receives treatment by doctors, at a hospital in Aleppo, Syria. The purported instances in which chemical weapons have been used in Syria have been relatively small in scale: nothing along the lines of Saddam Hussein's 1988 attack in Kurdish Iraq. That raises the question of who would stand to gain as President Bashar Assad's regime and the opposition trade blame for the alleged attacks and definitive proof remains elusive. Analysts say the answer could lie in the past the regime has a pattern of gradually introducing a weapon to the conflict to test the international community's response.

In the chaos of Syria's civil war, pinning down definitive proof on the alleged use of weapons of mass destruction is a tricky task with high stakes. President Barack Obama has said any use of chemical arms — or the transfer of stockpiles to terrorists — would cross a "red line" and carry "enormous consequences." Already, the White House's announcement that the Syrian regime appears to have used chemical arms has ratcheted up the pressure on Obama to move forcefully. He has sought to temper expectations of a quick U.S. response, saying too little is known about the alleged attacks to take action now.

Analysts suggest that a limited introduction of the weapons, with little ostensible military gain, could be an attempt by the Syrian government to test the West's resolve while retaining the veil of plausible deniability. This approach would also allow foreign powers eager to avoid a costly intervention in Syria to remain on the sidelines, while at the same time opening the door for the regime to use the weapons down the road. "If it's testing the water, and we're going to turn a blind eye, it could be used widely, repeatedly," Alani said. "If you are silent once, you will be silent twice."

MORE

See also:

US Lawmakers Urge Action After Syria Chemical Weapons Report
April 28, 2013 - U.S. lawmakers say America cannot ignore Syria’s alleged use of chemical weapons.

Last week, the White House told lawmakers it believes the government of President Bashar al-Assad has used a small quantity of sarin gas, a chemical weapon, in Syria’s bloody civil war. The news prompted strong reaction from legislators that continued Sunday. Speaking on the U.S. television program Meet the Press, Republican Senator John McCain demanded prompt action. “Arming the [Syrian] rebels, making sure that we help with the refugees, and be prepared with an international force to go in and secure these stocks of chemical and, perhaps, biological weapons. There are a number of caches of these chemical weapons. They cannot fall into the hands of the jihadists."

McCain has also urged establishing a no-fly zone over Syria. The White House says it wants the United Nations to confirm the U.S. belief that chemical weapons have been used, something President Barack Obama has described as a “red line” that would trigger a U.S. response. Senator McCain says the administration’s posture has failed to stem bloodshed in Syria. “The president drew red lines about chemical weapons, thereby giving a green light to Bashar Assad to do anything short of that, including [firing] Scud missiles and helicopter gunships, air strikes, mass-executions and atrocities on a scale that we have not seen in a long, long time.”

The United States has provided non-lethal aid to the Syrian opposition. The Obama administration has resisted calls for direct U.S. military involvement in Syria, saying that President Assad’s rule will end one day regardless of any actions taken by the United States. But even some of Obama’s Democratic allies in Congress say there is more the United States could do. Congressman Keith Ellison also appeared on Meet the Press.

“I believe the United States could play a greater role in dealing with the humanitarian crisis. I mean, we have spillage and refugees in Jordan in Lebanon, internally-displaced people in Syria. The suffering is intense, and I do not think the world’s greatest superpower, the United States, can stand by and not do anything.” Republican Congressman Peter King said, having set down a red line in Syria, “something is going to have to be done” once that line is crossed. Neither he nor the Obama administration have specified any actions to be taken.

http://www.voanews.com/content/us-lawmakers-syria-chemical-weapons/1650501.html