The Obama Administration is publicly moving toward possible military strikes in Syria, a major escalation in yet another war for the United States. The reason is the likely use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government against rebel controlled areas. In the meantime, documents have been released that show that the United States has been hypocritical on the use of such weapons. According to Foreign Policy magazine (a highly respected publication), the documents show that the Reagan Administration not only knew of the use of chemical weapons by the Iraqi Regime in the Iran-Iraq war but supplied the intelligence and satellite imagery used in the attacks. The CIA then sat on evidence of the attacks while Iraq denied their use.
The Reagan Administration was concerned that Iran would win the war in 1988 and discovered build ups of Iranian forces near weak points in Iraqi lines. The United States supplied Iraq with detailed maps and images and intelligence on the location of the forces, their air support and other intelligence. A former official is quoted as saying that they knew Saddam Hussein was going to use chemical weapons and that the United States had evidence of the use of mustard gas and sarin prior to four major offensives in early 1988. The U.S. then assured the public that it had no knowledge about the attacks or acquiesce to the use of chemical weapons.
Of course, the great irony is that we later cited the use of chemical weapons in the war to justify our actions against Iraq in the second Iraq war — insisting that any maniac who would use them in 1988 would use them again. The government never told the American people that the earlier use of chemical weapons was done with our knowledge and tacit support.
Now, the Obama Administration is publicly moving military assets closer to Syria and is preparing for “all contingencies” after the Syrians “crossed the red line” set out by President Obama. Obama has been suggesting that the United States would attack if chemical weapons were used. He has already intervened in the supply and training of rebel forces in the country.
The recent release of documents, again, show a shocking degree of duplicity and dishonesty in our foreign policy on such issues. Notably, the Reagan Administration debated whether Iran could prove the attacks and advised that the international response was likely to be muted. Indeed, the biggest use of the attacks would come later . . . when we cited it in support of our second Iraqi war under George W. Bush.
Source: Foreign Policy
There have been a couple reports that the “red line” Obama declared was off the cuff. With that in mind, I will NEVER criticize him again for being the teleprompter prez. When I first heard the “red line” comment last summer, I said to my wife, “This guy is a poker player, but you don’t bluff about this.” Well, Assad called his bluff. This possible retaliation is more about other Middle East countries than it is Syria. This Administration has had no philosophy about the Middle East. It has just reacted, unevenly, to the uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. I expected much better from this administration. Silly me.
Are the UN “players” doing this because the UN is being spied on by the NSA? I know must of these people are on board with murder but some of them are not. The US got its coalition of the “willing” in Iraq by using both threats and bribes. Der Spiegel reports a full scale NSA operation against the UN-everyone, everything.
Further, is Obama ramping up here because of the latest spying revelations? With taxpayers bailing out all the private companies legal fees to defend them against violations of law, I would call that, reverse fascism (to borrow from Wolin). Does he need a distraction?
bettykath, that is a really good point.
Right on que, Congressional leaders agree we must go to war! Yes, killing more civilians is always a good choice. We must burn the village (and everything around it) to save it
lets not do this again. havent we learned our lesson by now?
Enough, enough of endless war. Regime change in Iran and Saudi Arabia would end the Muslim Brotherhood/Islamic terrorist threat. Taking out Asaad is peanuts.
And let no one ever forget that the U.S. government leveled the Iraqi city of Fallujah in a fit of revenge for the (probably justified) deaths of four dogs-of-war mercenaries from Blackwater, Inc. As New York Times pundit Thomas Friedman explained things: “We had to hit somebody.” To the U.S. government, it doesn’t matter whom, where, when, how, or why. Just as long as our imperial careerist military gets to do a little “hitting.”
President Obama really doesn’t want former President Bill Clinton calling him a “wus” for not killing some Muslims when the opportunity presents itself.
The problem with this republic…. We will look the other way and even help you…. So long as you are useful to US…..
There is a “good reason” for warmongering among the upper class:
(American Feudalism – 3). Help gas some folks then invade –steal the priceless treasures and put them on the mansion wall.
Ten hutt!
bk,
The filters are acting a little weird this morning. It took a long time for your posts to appear after I freed them from the spam filter and approved them.
Now my disappeared post seems to be in moderation. Strange. No naughty words and only one link.
I made a post (twice) that still hasn’t shown up. It’s an excerpt of an article on the pentagon admitting, finally, that it used white phosphorus in Fallujah.
There was a report that a cache of delivery missiles, w/o the poison, was found. The shipping tag identified the Carlyle Group, the one with which GHWB is involved.
http://www.democracynow.org/2005/11/17/pentagon_reverses_position_and_admits_u
excerpt:
The U.S. government has now admitted its troops used white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon against Iraqis during the assault on Fallujah a year ago. Chemical weapons experts say such attacks are in violation of international law banning the use of chemical weapons. We speak with columnist George Monbiot and the news director of RAI TV, the Italian TV network that produced the film “Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre.” [includes rush transcript]
The U.S. government has now admitted its troops used white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon against Iraqis during the assault on Fallujah a year ago.
Chemical weapons experts say such attacks are in violation of international law banning the use of chemical weapons.
Peter Kaiser, of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said, “Chemicals used against humans or animals that cause harm or death through the toxic properties of the chemical are considered chemical weapons.”
White phosphorus is often compared to napalm because it combusts spontaneously when exposed to oxygen and can burn right through skin to the bone.
The Pentagon”s admission comes after a week of denials that it used white phosphorus as a weapon in Fallujah. While reporters have noted the use of white phosphorus since the war began, it only became a major story last Tuesday when Italian state broadcaster RAI TV aired the documentary “Fallujuah: The Hidden Massacre.”
On that same day Democracy Now aired an excerpt of the documentary and interviewed Lt. Col. Steve Boylan, the director of the Pentagon’s Combined Press Information Center in Baghdad. During our show Boylan denied the claims made in the documentary that white phosphorus was used as a weapon to target Iraqis.
And speaking of chemical weapons…..
http://www.democracynow.org/2005/11/17/pentagon_reverses_position_and_admits_u
excerpt:
The U.S. government has now admitted its troops used white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon against Iraqis during the assault on Fallujah a year ago. Chemical weapons experts say such attacks are in violation of international law banning the use of chemical weapons. We speak with columnist George Monbiot and the news director of RAI TV, the Italian TV network that produced the film “Fallujah: The Hidden Massacre.” [includes rush transcript]
The U.S. government has now admitted its troops used white phosphorus as an incendiary weapon against Iraqis during the assault on Fallujah a year ago.
Chemical weapons experts say such attacks are in violation of international law banning the use of chemical weapons.
Peter Kaiser, of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, said, “Chemicals used against humans or animals that cause harm or death through the toxic properties of the chemical are considered chemical weapons.”
White phosphorus is often compared to napalm because it combusts spontaneously when exposed to oxygen and can burn right through skin to the bone.
The Pentagon”s admission comes after a week of denials that it used white phosphorus as a weapon in Fallujah. While reporters have noted the use of white phosphorus since the war began, it only became a major story last Tuesday when Italian state broadcaster RAI TV aired the documentary “Fallujuah: The Hidden Massacre.”
Jill,
That’s a WP authentication bug that I’ve seen a couple of times before. It’s really nothing to be concerned about. As for your comment, the spam filter had it. I cut it loose.
My comment says: 1. it’s still posting and when I try again, it says it’s a duplicate post. It still hasn’t shown up on this site.
I don’t understand how the US has any credibility at all. I read the NYT article on our latest humanitarian intervention. Oddly it takes place right after Obama sold 1300 humanitarian cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. Yes, this nation really cares about civilian deaths!
Below are some excerpts from the NYT. They do not have evidence of who used the weapons, they don’t even know which gas was used. Yet Obama is sure of who did it, what it was and he’s ready to attack Syria. An attack on the Syrian people will not show Obama’s commitment to the Syrian people. Quite the contrary. The US has a known track record of killing civilians in every country where it has “helped” 1. to protect women, 2. bring democracy and 3. end a brutal dictatorship.
I think news organizations should point out that all the western nations wanting to use military force now also have a track record of manufacturing evidence about WMDs so they can go to war. Why are these nation’s assertions deemed credible? Credibility lies in a thorough, independent investigation, letting the facts lead where they may.
We should also note the selective concern about the use of nerve agents of civilian populations. Look at Bahrain. The western nations are remarkably unconcerned about those civilian’s exposure to gas. Again, if western nation’s are only selectively concerned with the use of WMDs, why do we give credence to their assertions that they really, really do care about the Syrian people.
Finally, why is war the only response western nations will tolerate? We need other voices put into this mix, now. We need to hear from people who don’t think war is the best and evidently, the only response. I would like to hear a real discussion by experts on the “helpfulness” to the Syrian people of the US bombing them. I am following with a few excerpts from the Times article now:
” WASHINGTON — In what appeared to be a step closer to American military action in Syria, a senior Obama administration official said on Sunday that there was “very little doubt” that President Bashar al-Assad’s military forces had used chemical weapons against civilians last week and that a promise to allow United Nations inspectors access to the site was“too late to be credible.”
[decision made, evidence of no value}..
The official, who released the statement under the condition of anonymity, why is it anonymous?}…
{What we do know:} On Saturday, Doctors Without Borders, an international aid group, said that on the morning of the reported attack, medical centers it supported near the site received about 3,600 patients showing symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic nerve agents.
of those, 355 died, the aid group said…Doctors Without Borders said it could not confirm what substances caused the symptoms it reported on Saturday or who was responsible for the attack,..The aid group said the symptoms were reported by three medical facilities it supported in the area of the reported attack. The group’s statement said that during three hours on Wednesday morning, the clinics received patients who had symptoms indicating exposure to a chemical nerve agent, including breathing problems, dilated pupils, convulsions, foaming at the mouth and blurred vision. Many of the medics in the centers also experienced some symptoms, said Stephen Cornish, one of the group’s executive directors. One of the medics died.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/world/middleeast/syria-says-un-will-get-access-to-site-of-possible-chemical-attack.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
“When you put these elements together,” he said, “what it suggests to us is a neurotoxic agent.”
Me too, JH.
I find the “timing” of the declassification interesting.
JH,
During his second term? Let’s be honest about who was really running the show at that point. Reagan’s faculties during his second term were clearly compromised.
Saint Ronnie would never do this.:(.
Reagan’s second term. Why am I not surprised by this?