A little levity. Very little. That's all I got. Thunderbirds to the rescue, cause that's what they do, dammit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAc_5sK89Fk
Obama and Hollande have convinced 11 countries from the G20 to side with them , at least on a moral basis. Putin argues that no country should attack another if it was not attacked in the first place. He's making a point , because in twenty or thirty years when China could be the first world power instead of the U.S. it could use the same rhetoric and attack a potential enemy on the same grounds. Whereas the use of Chemical weapons cannot be totlerated , a political solution must be found ,especially as Obama admitted both sides used them, may it not be on the same scale.
Me personally Im neither for nor against military action in Syria but it has o be limited. In term's of the Chemical weapons if it is found either or both sides have been using them then send in a pair of Ohio class SSGN submarine's to knock out any and all facilities that contain chemical weapons (Each Ohio SSGN having 154 Tomahawk's, They should have plenty to do the job with no need for actual manned flights penetrating Syrian air space). On the subject of boots on the ground, If it is for the purpose of defending people then leave it at a limited scale creating a safe zone only engaging enemy forces as they enter a 'buffer zone', Wont do much to help either side win the war but will provide some protection to those unable to protect them selves from either Assad or the Rebels.
Any hard info on "both sides used them", wonder where would "insurgents" get WMDs and the training to use them ? If they captured some government supplies in usable condition the Assad regime is in worse state than I thought. And if not, and they came from outside Syria, someone is playing really dirty. WMD are by definition area weapons and theit use is not easy to fit into typical insurgent tactics, if I see chemical weapons in the hands of "insurgents" as a much bigger threat that any in the hand of a goverment as the likelyhood of them being used is much higher, governments must aim for "control" insurgents may be satisfied with "denial" so are much more likely to escalate.
A few airbases have been overun TOS...whether they were storage areas for chem is another matter. But generally you keep your ammunition close to the place that you are going to use them from. So its not an impossibility. The latest attack of Chem seems to have been from rocket type artillery, if you believe the majority of reports. Both sides have the capability of launching such smaller type artillery rockets. Whether defectors to the rebel side were able to help in such a matter is another question. Scuds would not have been used as they would have been detected at launch...well in flight at least by Nato. Awacs and associated monitoring is all over the Mid East and Turkey at moment. A scud launch would have been identified and we would now have no problem stating who did it and with what. Cham and Bio can indeed be launced by smaller rocket...even mines can be used...Old Warsaw pact had capability of deploying chem in numerous packages and not just airborne or rocket. Who knows who could use smaller artillery rockets if they are found in the vicinity of any airbase being overun.
Whilst I am totally appalled by any government that uses chemical weapons on it's own (although Assad is way behind the CIA on this and our own is not beyond criticism) I cannot see why that is a red line when slaughtering civilians by neck shot, tanks, air strikes etc isn't. Also Mr Obama and your ex- best bud Cameron excuse me if I'm not fully convinced as I'm still waiting to see Saddam's WMD's.
You need to get with the program Pt...Iraq's wmd were bussed out in tunnels under deserts to Syria...Honest guv...trust me...I knew a man who knew a Lebanese gypsy who told me he saw them in the sand dunes. But think about it...great idea...Syrians Killing Syrians...lets kill Syrians to teach em a lesson...cos you can bet your bottom dollar they wont hit chems themselves..maybe sites where they will no longer be placed...And plenty of collataral damage coming USA's way with lots of pics of kids and women to follow...Brace yourself America...And still the weapons and means allthough degraded will still be there..and Russia will quite simply resupply the weapon carrier again afterwards...That'll teach em eh? So go ahead whoever...The line was crossed...by whom doesn't seem to matter...lets just belt em anyway. Assad will be on a lampost one day...probably deserves to be...but this won't put him on it.
many chemical and biological agents are incredibly easy to make. The purity and therefore potency are harder to achieve. Almost anyone with college level chemistry skills can produce them. In fact one of the byproducts of improperly "cooking" methamphetamine is phosgene gas, a military albeit earlier generation chemical weapon. Sarin Gas was synthesised by the Japanese, Aum Shinrikyo cult, and used in attacks on the Tokyo subway system. The Sarin was relatively impure and therefore not as potent as military grade Sarin, but it killed and injured many people just the same. The production of usefully pure chemical and biological agents is not the hard part, having effective delivery systems, the right conditions for employment, and the expertise to effectively employ them is what makes them not as useful to your average insurgent. They are not a useful weapon for targeting specific targets unless conditions are just right. In the subway attack, Sarin gas was an effective weapon because the target are was enclosed, all persons in the area of employment were targets, by being indoors environmental factors were not a major obstacle by limiting dispersion and breakdown of the agent. If I were the Syrian rebels, and I were to employ a chemical weapon, and due to prevailing winds or other environmental factors I hit more civilians than I intended as collateral damage. I'd blame it on the government, to keep the populations support for my side and further erode support for the government internally and within the international community.
Oh, BTW, the most recent poll I saw was 13% of the US population supported the US taking action in Syria, 76% were strongly opposed. It doesn't look like Joe Six-pack thinks we need to intervene.
Polls are polls, take from them what you will. Some favor intervention, while some do not, it all depends on how they are worded. http://www.theonion.com/articles/poll-majority-of-americans-approve-of-sending-cong,33752/
They soon change when the first bullet or in this case..cruise is fired...I would not be surprised if there was a large spike of support once they take to the sky. I won't be one of them though...I'm still waiting for the proof.
Hell, if they'd send Congress to Syria I'd lend my support too. I'd be all for that, I'd even make a substantial monetary contribution to help them on their way. I'd even brew up some chemical agents and provide them to whichever side, governmental or rebel that would promise to use them on them.
I find it really odd that neither US Administration nor UK try to defend their case about military intervention on UN or other international platforms and try to legitimize their actions before committing. The whole point of creating these organizations was to bring international scrunity and some form of legality to the actions of goverments. From the start US/UK called "guilty side is there we know who they are we have evidence we can not show/share or mention because since Iraq Mess we goverments are so reliable(!) you have to believe us" game. While Iraq trauma was fresh this was the worst PR move ever conceived to sway public opinion and trends. Everywhere people are rightly cynical about legitimcy of military intervention. Intervention how what scale how long , how much support or assets ? Do they really think launching a few Tomahawk missiles will convince Assad to back down ? If that does not happen and Russia is more actively involved then what ? Are we ready to send ground troops ? What shall happen Syria after conflict ? Will we get a Hollywood happy ending where Syria has a stable Western free market capitalist democracy , everyone happy THE END ? (this script did not turn well in Iraq ) Nobody asks these questions. In fact in international media nobody cares news trend began to focus elsewhere. In here Turkey Assad and his regime is not popular at all due to refugee crisis but everyone I know of is cynical about US/UK intentions regarding Syria and most of them are convinced a big conspiracy for getting Syrian oil is the main reason of pressure for military action.. US Foreign Policy has a severe legitimacy problem and it is getting worse. It needs urgent attention otherwise USA would be viewed as undertaking worst aspects of Britain's Victorian Foreign Policy in 19th Century.
Sorry mate...Not your grammer...I was attempting to be sarcastic...meant are seen...My humour does not always travel...nothing wrong with your English or grammer.
Maaloula....One of the oldest Christian enclaves or villages in the world...Not that I'm religious...but some of our leaders keep wearing their religion on their sleeve...and lots of their supporters... I wander why then we in west don't see much in our media on the fight fot this little enclave of Christendom in the Arab world.. Oh right..cos its in Syria right...And the Syrian baddies..the army...I agree they are bad...are currently fighting a battle to eject Muslim...another bunch of religious nutters..fanatics from cutting folks heads off and exterminating the good Christian folk of that small place...And seemingly losing the battle... Strange how this is usually reported anywhere else when it happens...Nigeria etc...Iraq..whatever.. And they wander why some of us couldn't give a fig about not just Syria but also our peers in the west who would have us trust them because they know... On yer bike Cameron...on yer bike Obama...can't wait till their kids are old enough to join up... Shut up Tony Blair...Until you get your own grown up and military age kids to do what their father wants my kids to do..I'd love to swear..but I'll just say..You inconsequental little poo.
Pay no attention to our resident crazy uncle. Sometimes I don't even understand him and in theory, I speak his language..
