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© 2013 AFPU.S. military ready to act over Syria chemical claims: Hagel
ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.
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© 2013 AFP
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GalapagosnoGairaishu
Don't do it. It's time for the world's policeman to sit this one out. There are no good guys in Syria, just varying degrees of bad ones.
minello7
This is the UN's call, and the security council's. Unless everyone agrees, the US will find itself as usual the aggressor. the first paragraph says it all "Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday strongly suggested the Pentagon was moving forces into place ahead of possible military action against Syria, even as President Barack Obama voiced caution. " So who runs US foreign policy the President or the Military. " EVEN AS " President Barack Obama voiced caution, doesn't that indicate something, less of the Gung Ho from Americas military. How stupid of me, I forgot that the big business military machine runs America.
GalapagosnoGairaishu
Syria is turning into another Somalia -- whose situation can be described as "crazy anarchy." If it collapses, Lebanon will be next. The destabilization of the region proceeds apace. Eventually they'll blame the Israelis, like they always do.
Madverts
Since both sides are blaming each other, it's hard to tell what is going on.
Pretty horrific footage, but I'm not sure what getting involved can achieve other than further carnage.
Let the Chinese and the Russians handle it IMO. They have whored themselves to the Assad regime, let them take the inevitable blow-back.
nath
With people like Chuck Hagel he will not rest until he destroys the entire Middle East. I wonder how soundly he sleeps with all the in-built security in his home.
Bluescript
Why would Syria's Assad invite United Nations chemical weapons inspectors to Syria, then right after they arrive launch a chemical weapons attack against women and children, just miles from where they are staying?
If Assad were going to use chemical weapons, wouldn't he use them against the hired mercenary army trying to oust him? What does he gain attacking women and children? Nothing! The gain is all on the side of the US Government desperate to get the war agenda going again.US trained and equipped forces are already in Syria, and US naval forces are sailing into position to launch a massive cruise missile attack into Syria that will surely kill more Syrians than were ever claimed to have died in the chemical attack.
This is a repeat of the same lies we were told about Saddam's nuclear and biological weapons. And insider involved in the lead up to the Iraq war, and who has in recent years become very outspoken about the many lies that lead to that war, has also been coming out against the push for action against Syria. A few months ago: "Retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, who once served as Secretary of State Colin Powell's Chief of Staff, believes that the chemical weapons used in Syria may have been an Israeli "false flag" operation aimed at implicating Bashar Assad's regime."
Why is it that western media does not report this, it just repeats the government propaganda that leads to war. Could it have anything to do with the fact that the major media outlets are linked to the military industrial complex?
Serrano
"Obama cautious"
This would imply Obama would actually consider U.S. military intervention in Syria. He's not.
JeanValJean
Anyone who proposes any military intervention should be first in line to don the footsoldier uniform and lead from the first line. None of the "in the rear with the gear " or from the safety of a District of Con-men office.
slumdog
Perhaps because of the word 'may' and the lack of any evidence to follow it?
SuperLib
Anyone who proposes government cuts should be required to refuse any service from a department they want to cut. Then we vote again.
Hoola_Hoop_A_Cheerio
@Bluescript
To answer your initial question:
So when there is evidence of a chemical attack, which there is, the Assad regime can then turn the tables and blame the attack on the Rebels, which is what they are doing.
The use of chemical weapons isn't a lie conjured up by the US. There is evidence of several chemical attack dating back to last year. Get a grip.
SuperLib
At the very least people are learning that the conflicts are spread across so many countries in the Middle East. Their war with each other is much greater than any war with the West. We could literally ignore the region and it wouldn't stop Sunnis and Shiites from killing each other and spreading a form of radicalism that will sometimes carry over to the rest of the world. That's how the world should view the Middle East.
JeanValJean
superlib: Anyone who proposes government cuts should be required to refuse any service from a department they want to cut. Then we vote again.
I agree! And they should also be released from the tax-servitude.
Bluescript
If it is confirmed that the rebels were also responsible for this last chemical attack, will the US take action against them? Or will the US take action against israel if it is confirmed that they are behind the attack, as suggested by retired US Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, who once served as Secretary of State Colin Powell's Chief of Staff, regarding a previous similar attack?
@ Hoola, Assad is winning this conflict, he is beating the crap out of these foreign mercenaries. All he has to do is continue what he's been doing.
Either Obama and Hagel think Assad is stupid enough to invite a UN chemical weapons inspection team into Syria, then launch a chemical weapons attack on women and children (instead of against the hired mercenary army) right after the inspectors arrive, just miles from where the inspectors are staying.
Or, much more likely, they just hope the people are stupid enough to believe it.
Hoola_Hoop_A_Cheerio
Did I dispute this? I am simply saying that has already been proven that Assad has used chemical weapons. You are somehow implicating the US which has done anything in Syria so far. They are not causing the violence, they are not fomenting it. And they certainly are not conjuring up lies about chemical weapons. The rumors of chemical weapons is coming from media inside of Syria, not the US government. Get your facts straight.
But, Ok. Assad is stomping a bunch of poorly trained, poorly funded, poorly armed, disorganized rabble that. It's really not even a fair fight, now is it? Congrats to him.
StormR
Syria using WMD on its own people, where is the go get em Joe of the likes of G.W. Bush and the like.
Double standards here or different presidents or has the US finally woken up and realised something, this question goes begging.
Russia is itching for a fight too and if the US steps up the putin lot might end up put'n out the fire.
JeanValJean
" Syria using WMD on its own people,"
Herein lies the problematic and unconfirmed allegation.
" Since both sides are blaming each other, it's hard to tell what is going on. Pretty horrific footage, but I'm not sure what getting involved can achieve other than further carnage. Let the Chinese and the Russians handle it IMO. They have whored themselves to the Assad regime, let them take the inevitable blow-back."
Agree!
Bluescript
No, previous chemical attacks were by the rebels, according to Russia and the UN. We also have a video of rebels killing rabbits with poison gas and threatening to use it against the people.
Hoola_Hoop_A_Cheerio
Both sides have used them. But, since Russia confirmed that only the rebels have used chemical weapons, well then it must be true. What a fool I must be not taking Russia's word at face value.
And where do you think all these chemical weapons came from? Could it be Iraq? Is it not possible Saddam dumped all his goodies in Syria before the 2003 invasion? He certainly had enough warning to get rid of all the evidence.
hidingout
If Obama is even thinking about getting engaged in Syria then he is dumb as a post. How ironic will it be that the very people who called GWB a war criminal and a moron subsequently voted in a guy who is demonstrably worse by almost any measure.
In general I would hope people can see that the so called Arab Spring was nothing more than terrorists using civilian activists to grab power for themselves. Egypt, Lybia, Iraq - each one worse off than they ever were before the West knowingly gave weapons and air support to assist terrorists in their bids to overthrow (relatively benign) dictators. Western assistance is not wanted in these countries. In fact Western presence is not wanted in these countries. When are we ever going to learn that?
JeanValJean
Well, verifying who used the chemical weapons is critical. The made in xxx label doesn't prove anything.
Qui Bono?
The Assad regime would benefit nothing by using chemweap on Syrians.
noriyosan73
One reason President Obama was elected is that he recognized that Cowboy W #34 got the USA into two wars without any prior consideration of cost and outcomes. Today 8/26 the USA Congress urged President Obama to not get involved in a ground war again. No "boots on the ground" and no more "police of the world" attitude. Syria is a neighborhood problem.