Was Vladimir Putin complicit in the Sarin gas attack in Syria?

[Markle]

Was Vladimir Putin complicit in the Sarin gas attack in Syria?

Every first term president is tested by the "bad guys" of the world. How far can we go?

Russia had personnel stationed at the base where the poison gas was stored. Russia had convinced the administration of petulant former President Barack Hussein Obama that all the poison gas had been removed from Syria. Susan Rice (liar extraordinaire) said in January that THEY had succeeded in ridding Syria of poison gas.

It would be perfect. President Obama had failed the same test miserably when al-Assad crossed the red line. What would this guy do?

Again, President Trump has done exactly what he promised. There would be no advance warning of what he would do. Did President Trump do a 180-degree turn? We don't know yet. We have to wait and see where this goes and how it plays out.

For now, the Free World is celebrating.

 

[yiostheoy]

... unlikely.

 

[OldLady]

... unlikely.

Putin or at least the military higher ups no doubt knew, but since they want their buddy Assad to stay in power, why on earth would they blow the whistle on him? And since we did nothing about him making Chlorine gas attacks, why would they get all bent out of shape about it? Obviously, no one cares (cared).

 

[B. Kidd]

Putins' Russia would have had to have been beyond stupid if they are complicit. Given that, we and the world deserve concrete proof that this is the case beyond 17 U.S. intelligence agencies say so.........and I am not leaving out the possibility that Putin F'ed up in that regards.

The stakes are just too G-damned high for anything less than the above.

 

[OldLady]

Putins' Russia would have had to have been beyond stupid if they are complicit. Given that, we and the world deserve concrete proof that this is the case beyond 17 U.S. intelligence agencies say so.........and I am not leaving out the possibility that Putin F'ed up in that regards.

The stakes are just too G-damned high for anything less than the above.

Sounds like we're going to call for yet another Investigation that half the population will not believe the results of. Amirite?
So what if they DID know? What do you want to do about it? Heard about Russians using gas on Ukrainians lately? Or ISIS fighters? Or protesters in Moscow? No? Then what are these ultimate stakes you speak of?

 

[B. Kidd]

Putins' Russia would have had to have been beyond stupid if they are complicit. Given that, we and the world deserve concrete proof that this is the case beyond 17 U.S. intelligence agencies say so.........and I am not leaving out the possibility that Putin F'ed up in that regards.

The stakes are just too G-damned high for anything less than the above.

Sounds like we're going to call for yet another Investigation that half the population will not believe the results of. Amirite?
So what if they DID know? What do you want to do about it? Heard about Russians using gas on Ukrainians lately? Or ISIS fighters? Or protesters in Moscow? No? Then what are these ultimate stakes you speak of?

You figure it out. Just because you may be blind, it is not my responsibility to provide braille for you.

 

[S.J.]

Putin probably encouraged Assad to do it. He wanted to test Trump but wasn't going to do it himself. He let his buddy take the heat for him. The joke's on Assad.

 

[MarathonMike]

Syria is such a cluster fuck, who knows? Maybe Putin suggested the attack to see what Trump would do. But any speculation into that convoluted mess is in play. Trump did what he needed to do. His goal was not to cripple the airbase or kill people or to ignite the chemical stockpile. It was to send a message: "I'm not Obama".

 

[B. Kidd]

Syria is such a cluster fuck, who knows? Maybe Putin suggested the attack to see what Trump would do. But any speculation into that convoluted mess is in play. Trump did what he needed to do. His goal was not to cripple the airbase or kill people or to ignite the chemical stockpile. It was to send a message: "I'm not Obama".

Even if Putin suggested such an attack, than he is no better than Assad, himself.

 

[Dalia]

Syria is such a cluster fuck, who knows? Maybe Putin suggested the attack to see what Trump would do. But any speculation into that convoluted mess is in play. Trump did what he needed to do. His goal was not to cripple the airbase or kill people or to ignite the chemical stockpile. It was to send a message: "I'm not Obama".

Even if Putin suggested such an attack, than he is no better than Assad, himself.

Putin was playing to show big arms but Trump is more powerful .... USA is back they can all go to hell, ASSAD, ISIS and PUTIN

 

[Markle]

Putin or at least the military higher ups no doubt knew, but since they want their buddy Assad to stay in power, why on earth would they blow the whistle on him? And since we did nothing about him making Chlorine gas attacks, why would they get all bent out of shape about it? Obviously, no one cares (cared).

Russia has to show the proper level of indignation. Using al-Assad's planes they have plausible deniability and still have a measure of what they can expect from the Trump administration. Very useful information. Neither Putin nor al-Assad would have any hesitancy walking along a row of all those who died or were injured and shoot each one.

 

[Markle]

Putins' Russia would have had to have been beyond stupid if they are complicit. Given that, we and the world deserve concrete proof that this is the case beyond 17 U.S. intelligence agencies say so.........and I am not leaving out the possibility that Putin F'ed up in that regards.

The stakes are just too G-damned high for anything less than the above.

What proof would you consider adequate?

There are radar maps, aerials, and satellite photo's showing precisely the flight path of the planes leaving the air base passing over the target, leaving, circling back later to drop more bombs on the rescue workers and the hospital where the victims were taken. Then there is the flight of the jets back to the base. Testimony and evidence on the ground coincide with the radar and satellite images and times. Witnesses also agreed that the bombs had come from fixed-wing jets. Syria and Russia were the only ones with fixed-wing jets.

I'm not arguing the point, just asking what would convince you.

 

[toomuchtime_]

Putins' Russia would have had to have been beyond stupid if they are complicit. Given that, we and the world deserve concrete proof that this is the case beyond 17 U.S. intelligence agencies say so.........and I am not leaving out the possibility that Putin F'ed up in that regards.

The stakes are just too G-damned high for anything less than the above.

There are two issues here. Is the evidence Assad launched a chemical attack solid? Why did Russia allow it?

As to the first question, the US has intelligence sharing agreements with nearly all of its European and NATO allies as well as with other top allies such as Israel, Australia and Japan, so all of these countries saw the evidence that Assad committed the attack and not one of them expressed any doubt about his guilt. In fact, they all supported the US attack. We know that the Europeans especially are not shy about criticizing US actions when the disagree, so the fact that they all agreed about Assad's guilt and supported the US strike should provides a pretty solid basis for believing he did it.

The second question has two parts: why did Assad want to use chemical weapons and why did Russia allow him, perhaps encourage him, to do it?

While the momentum of the war has shifted in favor of the Russian-Iranian-Assad axis because of the Russian bombing, if Russia ever stops bombing, the momentum will shift back to the rebels again, so the war is not winnable in any meaningful way unless the rebels can be persuaded to give up.

For Assad this means that as things are going, he cannot lose the war, as he was in danger of doing before Russia started bombing the rebels, he also cannot ever be in charge of the war or most of Syria, and his very existence will forever be dependent on what the Kremlin believes is in Russia's best interests unless the rebels decide to give up.

For Russia this means it will have to continue the bombing forever unless the rebels decide to give up.

But how do they persuade the rebels to give up? Clearly, bombing and shelling won't do it, but what about gas attacks? The world has become complacent about pictures of bombed out cities in Syria but was horrified by pictures of civilians gasping for air after a chemical attack. Are the rebels having the same reaction to these attacks? Will they sufficiently demoralize the rebels that they will begin to give? There's only one way to find out.

That's why Assad launched the chemical attack despite the fact he would be enraging the world and that's why Russia allowed or encouraged him to do it.

 

[OldLady]

Putin or at least the military higher ups no doubt knew, but since they want their buddy Assad to stay in power, why on earth would they blow the whistle on him? And since we did nothing about him making Chlorine gas attacks, why would they get all bent out of shape about it? Obviously, no one cares (cared).

Russia has to show the proper level of indignation. Using al-Assad's planes they have plausible deniability and still have a measure of what they can expect from the Trump administration. Very useful information. Neither Putin nor al-Assad would have any hesitancy walking along a row of all those who died or were injured and shoot each one.

Are we over-vilifying Russia just a wee bit here? I think they could care less if Assad uses chemical weapons, but they aren't having wet dreams about it, either. Russia wants the war over same as everyone else on the planet, because it costs them $$ and all they want is a deep water port on the Mediterranean and a foot in the M.E. The war being over means getting ALL the people opposed to Assad to quit fighting, including the ones we call "rebels" because they oppose Assad but aren't ISIS. Assad sees the chemicals as the cheapest most effective weapon against a rebel enemy he can't quite seem to clean out of his country. Using Sarin was the logical next step after using Chlorine gas for months with no repercussions. Or maybe they got mixed up in the warehouse and loaded the wrong stuff.
Yes, Assad is committed to killing the enemies of his regime. Russia is willing to help for their own reasons. But they aren't staying up nights dreaming of choking people to death. It's just a weapon of war to them.