UN official in May: It was rebels who used sarin in Syria
Editor’s Note: My bad, the Washington Times article is from May.
The Washington Times reports that one of the UN inspectors, a rather controversial one, at that, told Swiss TV that the inspectors of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria that they suspect the rebels of using sarin gas in that war;
Carla del Ponte, a member of the U.N. Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, told Swiss TV there were “strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof,” that rebels seeking to oust Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad had used the nerve agent.
But she said her panel had not yet seen any evidence of Syrian government forces using chemical weapons, according to the BBC, but she added that more investigation was needed.
Uh, oh. So who do we punish now?
AFP reports that UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon is asking the US to hold off until the inspectors have a chance to brief him. The UN isn’t known for moving too quickly on these matters. I guess he expects them to be out of the country by Saturday, though.
The Obama Administration contradicts the UN inspector, absolutely convinced that the Syrian government used the gas, says CNN;
Obama’s declaration to “PBS NewsHour” came at the end of a day that saw Russia and China walk out of a U.N. Security Council meeting as word surfaced Britain planned to pursue a resolution to authorize the use of force against Syria, even as United Nations weapons inspectors were in Syria assessing whether chemical weapons have been used.
“We do not believe that, given the delivery systems, using rockets, that the opposition could have carried out these attacks. We have concluded that the Syrian government in fact carried these out,” Obama told “NewsHour.”
John Boehner finally asks what I’ve been asking the last few days;
“What is the intended effect of the potential military strikes?” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote the president on Wednesday as the drumbeat of war grew louder.
Exasperated members of the House and Senate said the president has failed to make a case for U.S. military action against Syria despite the administration’s conclusion that the Syrian government carried out a large-scale chemical weapons attack against civilians last week.
Apparently, they’re discussing it now. I’m not sure that I trust the word of a rogue UN inspector, but certainly, her assessment has to be considered. And, probably more importantly, what do we do if the al-Qaeda-linked rebels do indeed have a way of using sarin. The answer to that question would have some impact outside of Syria.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Terror War
B. Hussein 0bama’s gonna be asking his teleprompter all day as to what to to now. That is, until it’s time to go golfing or head to another fundraiser!
I’m wondering if the UN Ambassador got a message from one B Obama saying “Please…please…please find me a way out of this mess.”
What a goat show this is turning out to be…
“We do not believe that, given the delivery systems, using rockets, that the opposition could have carried out these attacks.”
Because it’s really hard for militarized rebels to come by rockets in the middle east.
None of this matters to the POTUS. The only thing that matters to him and his cabal is their own opinion. Apparently they’ve convinced themselves that Assad is to blame and will therefore punish him. But not punish him enough to PO the Russians and Iranians.
Not a conspiracy theory guy in the least; but I think this is plausible. Who would have the most to gain from a US strike? The rebels, the Islamists, AQ etc. They are well aware of this fact and I don’t think it is beyond the realm of possibility that AQ or another one of these anti-Assad groups used these weapons in order to goad the US into this fight.
BHO blinked game over. Come back next month. Same bat time. Same bat channel.
Hmmm… it is odd how this parallells the Israeli 6-Day War, when Soviet warships impeded the movement of US Navy 6th Fleet off the coast of Israel. That could have turned into a shooting war, too.
Bodaprez is pissing off the Russians (Vlad Putin), and the target zone is in the same area.
Hmmm….
Is history repeating itself?
Nik – not sure the process took place as described, but this is a perfect excuse for the administration to back-pedal, as they damned well should.
@8 EX what happened to your name? Two dashes? Is PKW impersonating you again?
Let’s see obamao try to extract his foot ‘n mouth from this stinking morass that he himself has created…it is not gonna be pretty for Dearest Leader…
My bad, the Washington Times article is from May.
@10 – Smoke-check, no, it’s my fat fingers making a typo.
psul the uncool is now persona non grata.
Really, the date of publication doesn’t matter much. They either do or do not have access. We all know that they do. Anyone betting that they have not recently used what they have used something would be a fool.
My only concern is how much they have smuggled CONUS. Oh, hell, would they even need to smuggle it?
This article may be from May, but I recall an article in Stars and Stripes after the more recent attack took place which stated that rebels were the suspected perpetrators. Every article since then has blamed it on Assad’s government, but I’m still skeptical.
As Byrdman stated, it’s not like rockets (even fairly large ones) are a tightly controlled weapon in the area.
(errr? That should be something along the order of “Anyone betting that they have not recently used something would be a fool.” More or less.)
This situation is going pear shaped as we speak. The British House of Commons voted down a measure that would have aligned GB with the Prez. No Military action by the British! Look like Barry’s mouth overloaded his ass. First he gives Assad time to move his air forces. Then he says that we have no plans for regime change, no plans to follow up, no desire to commit to any further action. Man, if this is not the tail wagging the dog I don’t know what is. Now this SNAFU administration says that they have tel comms that prove Assad was responsible for the gassing of his people. Are we expected to believe this from an administration that swore that four Americans were killed as a result of some stupid video? Commander in chief, my ASS.
I was wondering what you all thought of all the chicken hawks who want to bomb every body now because a black democrat is in the white house they have put on the love beads and peace symbols and become ant-war hippy peace freaks! move over jane fonda the conservatives want to sit on the anti aircraft gun now as jane fonda wanna be’s! new symbol for therepublican party is peace sign!
@ #18: The better part of you ran down your daddy’s leg or was it left on the sheets…
@18, troll harder kid
Hey Protestor, we support wars that are in the national interest. Protecting our friends and those who are unable to defend themselves. Few of us will ever support a war to assuage the ruined manhood and ego of any politician who attacks people for his own political agenda. I served under presidents Johnson and Nixon to save the world from communism. That was a goal I could support, even though I really did not support either man. I got under Mr. Carter, I hated him for the way he treated the military. I supported both the Bush conflicts. We had real enemies that wanted to destroy our way of life. We don’t have a dog in this fight. Syria is in a civil war and while I sympathize with Mr. Assads enemies, they are not our friends. At no time have the rebels said that they want to establish a democracy when they win. This war has become a tribal conflict. Sunni verses Shiite verses Alawite verses Copts verses Curds. It has been said that AlQueda has infiltrated the rebels making our intervention even more problematic. Obama’s mouth wrote a check his body can’t cash and now we need to kill some people so Putin and Assad don’t kick sand in his face. I think it funny that an old hippy supports this President in his fake war while not supporting several presidents in their real wars. We call that trolling. Go away troll.
@18
You’re a laughable troll.
And that’s about all the attention you deserve.
I’m done with you.
How can we punish Obama’s good friends and allies of AQ?
Here’s a link to the news about Cameron losing the ‘hit Syria’ vote: http://news.msn.com/world/ghosts-of-iraq-war-force-uk-to-delay-syria-strike
Hey, #18vietnamwarprotestor — I thought I recognized your foul stench.
I was in the Navy during the Vietnam ward. There were a LOT of people in the military then, in country or not.
You don’t have a fucking thing to say so shut the fuck up and go hit your bong.
Leave decent people alone, asshole.
Who let the stinkin freak in?
@25 Dizzam PH2! Both barrels center face, nice! Remind me not to piss you off.
Cheers,
Ed
o.k. so you are all anti-war! thanks for the info peace!
Hey hippy, do you TRY your hardest to be an idiot, or does it come to you naturally? Seriously, did you even make it to the sixth grade before you dropped out and started drawing welfare? No matter, your 0bamadollars will arrive in a few more days, and after that, you’ll be too stoned to troll!!
You should have been a blowjob!!
protestor, you are trying way too hard.