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US suspects Syria used chemical weapons [W:284]

TheDemSocialist

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The US has said that Syria has likely used chemical weapons against rebel forces on a "small scale," but emphasised intelligence services were still not 100 percent sure.
US spy agencies have investigated reports from Syrian opposition groups that President Bashar al-Assad's forces have used sarin gas on at least two occasions during the two-year-old conflict.


"Our intelligence community does assess with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria," Caitlin Hayden, a US National Security Council spokesperson, said on Thursday.

The assessment, which she said was based in part on "physiological samples", points to the possible use of sarin, a man-made nerve agent used in two attacks in Japan in the 1990s. It can cause convulsions, respiratory failure and death.

Hayden however warned the chain of custody of the weapons was "not clear, so we cannot confirm how the exposure occurred and under what conditions".


Read more and video @: US suspects Syria used chemical weapons - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Chemical weapons may have been used in Syria but on a small scale. Intelligence is not 100% sure but it seems they may have been used but dont know how they were "used".
 
I bet Obama is really regretting that smack he talked a few months ago.
 
I bet Obama is really regretting that smack he talked a few months ago.

You've already seen the backpedaling by the administration. They are looking for any possible way to say that they don't know if they were used, because it will force them to act or look like bloviating idiots.

Syrian Blood Tests Positive for Sarin Gas, U.S. Spies Say | Danger Room | Wired.com

The U.S. intelligence community has uncovered strong evidence that chemical weapons have been used in Syria. Several blood samples, taken from multiple people, have tested positive for the nerve agent sarin, an American intelligence source tells Danger Room. President Obama has long said that the use of such a weapon by the Assad regime would cross a “red line.” So now the question becomes: What will the White House do in response?

In March, the Assad regime was accused of using chemical weapons during an attack on the city of Aleppo. The blood samples were taken by Syrian opposition groups from alleged victims of that strike. But American analysts can’t be entirely sure where the blood came from or when the precisely exposure took place.

“This is more than one organization representing that they have more than one sample from more than one attack,” the source tells Danger Room. “But we can’t confirm anything because no is really sure what’s going on in country.”

What’s clear is that the samples are authentic, and that the weapons were almost certainly employed by the Assad regime, which began mixing up quantities of sarin’s chemical precursors months ago for an potential attack, as Danger Room first reported.

“It would be very, very difficult for the opposition to fake this. Not only would they need the wherewithal to steal it or brew it up themselves. Then they’d need volunteers who would notionally agree to a possibly lethal exposure,” the source adds.
 
My question in this is the use of gas goes over the line and I understand that, but how close to the line does the death of nearly 70,000 people get?
 
Obama is not going to live up to his tough words, yet again....It really is no wonder that the rest of the world doesn't consider the US as any type of voice they should listen to anymore....What a sad time....
 
I believe he is referring to GWB and WMDs in Iraq.

ah I see. Not much relevance to this situation but I understand America's reluctance because of Iraq etc
 
Syrian use of chemicals will be the red line...the unacceptable act that will force a US military response as per the administr....errr....ummm...wait a second...

Syrian use of chemicals weapons will be a really really really naughty thing and will force the US to scold them and publicly denounce that action...
 
My question in this is the use of gas goes over the line and I understand that, but how close to the line does the death of nearly 70,000 people get?

Ask Clinton, Obama and Bush Admin.. they looked the other way in Africa.
 
Obama is not going to live up to his tough words, yet again....It really is no wonder that the rest of the world doesn't consider the US as any type of voice they should listen to anymore....What a sad time....

Why on Earth would any country listen to what our lying, murderous government has to say? We told Gaddafi in 2003 that if he gave up his WMD program that we wouldn't invade and we would "allow" him to stay in power.

The best thing any country can do to prevent US imperialist aggression is to get their hands on WMD. North Korea knows that. They see what we did with Gaddafi, tell me why on Earth Kim would even entertain the idea of listening to the United States? That would be suicide.
 
Syrian use of chemicals will be the red line...the unacceptable act that will force a US military response as per the administr....errr....ummm...wait a second...

Syrian use of chemicals weapons will be a really really really naughty thing and will force the US to scold them and publicly denounce that action...

And what gives our government the right to judge Syria again?
 
And what gives our government the right to judge Syria again?
Our government shouldnt make stupid statements they cant/wont back up. Its as bad as the French and Germans stating they will ensure North Korea will never develop nuclear weapons.
 
I agree, we should stop threatening every nation all together and just come home.
 
Ask Clinton, Obama and Bush Admin.. they looked the other way in Africa.

My personal preference is to stay out of that part of the world all together. It's obvious to me that we are not wanted. but I also understand the train of thought that we should help others who are oppressed because we can.
 
How do the American people benefit from war with Syria?

Ask the President, as he's the one who committed US involvement if chemical weapons were used.
 
I bet Obama is really regretting that smack he talked a few months ago.

Funny.

Obomba will lob 112 cruise missiles at Libya on our opening day attack, saying that protesters are being harmed, but do nothing about Syria using WMD?

It really would be nice to know where his loyalties really lie.

Now don't get me wrong, I think we should stay out of this Syria thing. It just seems he is doing what he can to support radical rebellions.
 
Syrian use of chemicals will be the red line...the unacceptable act that will force a US military response as per the administr....errr....ummm...wait a second...

Syrian use of chemicals weapons will be a really really really naughty thing and will force the US to scold them and publicly denounce that action...

Oh, no...Obama just said that he WILL act...right after he has SOLID evidence that Syria popped gas on someone and we all know that there will never be enough "solid" evidence...lol
 
Oh, no...Obama just said that he WILL act...right after he has SOLID evidence that Syria popped gas on someone and we all know that there will never be enough "solid" evidence...lol
No better evidence than for what we did in Libya. The difference, Obomba followed what the other UN nations agreed on. He is a follower, not a leader.
 
No better evidence than for what we did in Libya. The difference, Obomba followed what the other UN nations agreed on. He is a follower, not a leader.

A real leader simply follows his gut and invades countries all by themselves, amIright?

It's easy to be tough with other peoples lives. Just like it's easy to be generous with other peoples money.
 
He doesn't want to rush in based on faulty (faked) information. I reckon he doesn't want to go at all, but right now we have some evidence that Sarin has probably been used, but we don't know who did it. If it was used, it was probably Assad, but it could have been the rebels. Either way, this increases the pressure at the UN on Russia and China, Assad's main support.
 
Oh, no...Obama just said that he WILL act...right after he has SOLID evidence that Syria popped gas on someone and we all know that there will never be enough "solid" evidence...lol

Obama is a *****.
 
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