Arab League accuses Syria of chemical attack

[William769]

CAIRO (AP) - The Arab League has blamed the Syrian government for last week's alleged chemical weapons attack near Damascus that killed hundreds, calling for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

In an emergency meeting held Tuesday, the Arab League also called on members of the U.N. Security Council to overcome their differences and agree on "deterrent" measures against those who committed "this heinous crime." The League said it will convene a meeting at the ministerial level next week to follow up on the situation in Syria.

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/23262757/syria-accuses-kerry-of-lying-disregarding-un

[William769]

1. Chirp chirp chirp.

So typical.

[cali]

2. Of course they did.

Who are the dominant countries in the Arab League? If you guessed SA and Qatar you'd be right.

Few international institutions have been more congenitally irrelevant than the League of Arab States. It's problems are structural: a Charter rooted in the protection of state sovereignty, an autocratic and inept membership, a façade of Arab unity hardly concealing the reality of deep political divisions. The Arab League for long decades has been little more than a punchline for sad jokes about the failed hopes of unified or effective Arab action.

<snip>

http://lynch.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/04/08/making_the_arab_league_matter

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. Saudi Arabia who is the prime outside agitator in this war (yes Saudi Arabia -NOT Israel, everyone

knows that) to a large degree dominates the Arab League through their financing of the organization. Syria has always been an outsider in the Middle East. Other than post 2003 Iraq - the only non-Sunni lead government in the Arab world. The Arab League except for Syria and Iraq are solidly united against Syria's closest ally, Iran. The Arab League taking this position is 100% predictable.

[William769]

4. Maybe it's 100% predictable because it's true.

[cali]

5. Maybe it's more political than anything else and has little to do with truth

of any kind.

[Wilms]

6. Agreed. Here's Reuters.

Diplomatic sources said the statement, issued after a meeting of Arab League delegates in Cairo, was pushed through with strong backing from Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/27/us-syria-crisis-league-idUSBRE97Q0IX20130827

Did the League mention WHY they blame the Syrian Govt.? Not that I saw.

Mean while USA Today reports:

Pollack and other analysts, such as former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, say any military action must be strong enough to deter Syria from using chemical weapons and help rebels end the Assad regime.

It would be dangerous if the U.S. goal is to only contain the Syrian conflict, Pollack said. "That's how you get sucked into something without thinking about it. It's the incremental escalation to simply buy off criticism (that the USA is not engaged) that gets you into a lot of trouble."

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/08/27/syria-chemical-weapons-us-response/2705299/

So in other words, you have to get sucked into something in order to avoid getting "sucked into something without thinking about it."

I'm still thinking about that one.

Actually I'm not. Ken Pollack and John Bolton aren't the kind of analysts I have much of a stomach for.

[mainer]

7. So let THEM deal with it. They have all those jets we sent them.

They do not need the US to intervene. It's their neighborhood.