Syria loads chemical weapons into bombs; military awaits Assad's order
Source: NBC News
The Syrian military is prepared to use chemical weapons against its own people and is awaiting final orders from President Bashar Assad, U.S. officials told NBC News on Wednesday.
The military has loaded the precursor chemicals for sarin, a deadly nerve gas, into aerial bombs that could be dropped onto the Syrian people from dozens of fighter-bombers, the officials said.
...
U.S. officials stressed that as of now, the sarin bombs hadn't been loaded onto planes and that Assad hadn't issued a final order to use them. But if he does, one of the officials said, "there's little the outside world can do to stop it."
Read more: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/05/15706380-syria-loads-chemical-weapons-into-bombs-military-awaits-assads-order?lite
NO TO U.S./NATO INTERVENTION!
Blunt477
(25 posts)Jon Ace
(243 posts)Sadly, it looks more possible that it might come to military intervention. Not good.
David__77
(23,423 posts)That would absolutely be a criminal mistake. As it is, the US, NATO, Gulf meddling in Syria has cost many lives and served to fan the flames of international terror.
Puregonzo1188
(1,948 posts)ButterflyBlood
(12,644 posts)Like note this pic from Libya:
And of course US casualties in Libya: 0. Any likely intervention here would be in the same way.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)You really think the US was NOT involved in Libya's regime change??? Really!!
That said, you really don't think ANY Americans have died in that process??? Really!!! (You can't think of ANY American deaths in Libya recently?)
Beyond that, have you made NO connections between a massive secret CIA station in Libya, poised on the Syrian border, that held prisoners, that was being targeted by Libyan "revolutionaries" (sic), where the AMERICAN Ambassador was holding meetings of SOME sort...
... and yet you still believe that there's nothing to see here?
We just don't know of the involvements by the US and other foreign intermediaries. But I assure you, our bloody hands are all over it.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)The obvious targets for Syria fighter bombers are bases in Turkey from which most of the attacks on Syria have been coordinated and launched.
?1351016633
John2
(2,730 posts)no different than using a nuclear bomb. The results are the same in my opinion. And I do think the CIA is involved in overthrowing Governments. If the Assad regime is going to die either way, he'll probably pull the trigger, which want be good for anyone. That could have lasting effects in the region. Assad claims, that he expects to die. He could go down in flames.
Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)Though I'm darkly curious as to how many DUers would respond to Assad actually using such weapons with anything other than unconditional condemnation.
delrem
(9,688 posts)"But we don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud."
Meanwhile, one of today's headlines from the NYT is
"U.S.-Approved Arms for Libya Rebels Fell Into Jihadis Hands"
Doh. How could anyone have foreseen it?
And in newly "free" Aleppo (Syria):
"the provisional Military and Civil Councils of Aleppo have explained the situation to the inhabitants of Aleppo, and have decreed that women are now forbidden to drive"
http://www.globalresearch.ca/syria-the-liberated-zone-of-aleppo-religious-dictatorship-supported-by-france/5313355
Are we, "the west" under our current leadership, total idiots????
It sure as hell seems so.
And we have no effing excuse whatsoever.
Alamuti Lotus
(3,093 posts)the "revolutionaries" bombed a school in Damascus today, I notice that didn't get "U.S. officials'" attention.
leftyohiolib
(5,917 posts)Purveyor
(29,876 posts)Comrade_McKenzie
(2,526 posts)madokie
(51,076 posts)I don't think he'll do it but one never knows what a mad man will do when cornered. Well we do know they will do strange things, whatever it takes, so at this point he is a dangerous man.
Hugabear
(10,340 posts)Sounds like we've been down this road before.
Kurska
(5,739 posts)escape route. We've failed to do that with Assad.
Puregonzo1188
(1,948 posts)NickB79
(19,253 posts)The fact is that Syria is confirmed by numerous non-political organizations around the world to have a substantial chemical weapon program and stockpile. Hell, Syria practically admitted to such just this year: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/world/middleeast/chemical-weapons-wont-be-used-in-rebellion-syria-says.html
The comparisons here to Iraq before the 2003 US invasion miss the mark because pretty much every international weapons watchdog group correctly pointed out that those weapons were destroyed by international weapons inspectors during the 1990's.
DRoseDARs
(6,810 posts)Looks good on a bumper sticker, makes for terrible philosophical discussion on justifiable intervention and rendering Humanitarian aid in internal conflicts.
David__77
(23,423 posts)Ask the unveiled women of Latakia if they want to be "saved" by al-Nusra terrorists...
DRoseDARs
(6,810 posts)It is an internal conflict, we need to stay out of it I agree (and try to keep others out as well: Turkey has shown great restraint, Iran needs to continue having its "supplies" to Syria blocked) but we need to keep Assad's WMDs out as well.
David__77
(23,423 posts)I do not think that Turkey hosting and arming terrorists and insurgents is an example of "restraint" with its neighbor country.
DRoseDARs
(6,810 posts)questionable at best. That Infowars is the first hit is telling.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)David__77
(23,423 posts)I'm not advocating the US to intervene and ship arms to the Syrian government. There are those, however, who advocate arming the insurgents. I would oppose either type of intervention.
John2
(2,730 posts)you there. I don't think the insurgents are any better than the Syrian Government. Most of them are Sunni Muslims. So the notion, they will create a Democracy and protect Israel would be flawed U.S. thinking. How do they know Iran and other extremists would not just fill in the void after Assad is eliminated? At least Israel could negotiate with Assad, but whatever comes next, may not negotiate at all with Israel.
Robeysays
(673 posts)you have no idea what you are talking about.
I for one stand with freedom fighters of all religions and colors. Whether in 1776 or 2012.
Freedom is freedom, and if they want a Muslim common law. then so be it, but freedom is freedom.
David__77
(23,423 posts)He waged an insurgency, just as are the Syrian and foreign insurgents in Syria.
I don't see how the Syrian insurgency is in any way better than the Khmer Rouge.
I have total grasp of what I'm saying. I have political criteria for whether or not to "stand with" insurgents. That said, I would never advocate the US intervening to support an insurgency.
Phoonzang
(2,899 posts)Yes it's all a BIIIGGG conspiracy to attack Syria, because there's we'll gain from that. When Syria does use chemical weapons it'll somehow be a US conspiracy too.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)The Assad Defense League around here was the same crowd that had a big sad because Gaddhafi lost power.
ForgoTheConsequence
(4,869 posts)You've watched Red Dawn a few too many times.
Posteritatis
(18,807 posts)ForgoTheConsequence
(4,869 posts)Its not indicative of things as a whole and certainly not a reason to start talking like Glenn Beck "far left" any more scary terms?
David__77
(23,423 posts)It had nothing to do with Moammar Gaddafi.
Robeysays
(673 posts)And some how believe now that they are all just a bunch of terrorist since they came in halfway through what can only be described as a nation wide "Stalingrad" and saw everyone shooting everyone.
Ohmehgurd! look at that! they have long beards(two years of no electricity or running water) and guns! (given to them by deserters for the most part) they must be terrorist!
John2
(2,730 posts)you are right. The same way the U.S. supported Gaddhafi and Assad once. Didn't the Assad Government help us bring down Hussein whom was Sunni? So the Alwaites in the minority helped to bring down Hussein and now the Sunnis are helping to bring down the Alwaites. Now the Government in Iraq is very friendly to Iran and let them use their air space to the U.S. dismay. What is the end game here for the U.S. strategy to create a Democracy for Israel's security? Which Government will we overthrow next? This is nothing more than what I call the strategy of a Blind mouse.
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Assad managed to avoid the mistake of siding with Saddam in the first Gulf War, but then again so did everyone not named Yasser Arafat.
JPK
(653 posts)Many Arab states in the region, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt even Turkey all have very sophisticated and advanced arms they bought or were given to them by us. Let them put their nice shiny american hardware to work policing their own region. We can supply advice but let them slug it out with Assad.
David__77
(23,423 posts)That US arms and money are ending up in the hands of radical theocratic terrorists is a sickening use of US citizens' wealth.
Dokkie
(1,688 posts)Russia and China cant come in and help the Syria govt take care of their terrorist problem. They are losing allies left and right to US supported revolutions. Libya is gone, Sudan is gone and now Syria is about to go. They need to show some support if only to help end the humanitarian crisis in Syria.
I hope its not too late, they better wake up or they will find themselves without an ally.
make you think Russia and China want have relations with whatever Government replaces Assad? They are playing a game of not interfering, whereas the U.S. is trying to find a way to protect their interests in Israel. Just look at Iraq as an example. That government seems now more favorable to Iran. Russia and China are also friendly and have more relations with Iran than the U.S. I do not agree with this Blind mouse strategy of the U.S. in the Middle East, over throwing different Governments rather than solving the problem legitimately in the Middle East. I don't even trust the new ruling government in Libya or Egypt either. If this is the strategy, then the U.S. just needs to get out of the Middle East instead of meddling.