-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
President Obama claims that a chemical weapons attack was carried out by the Syrian government in Ghouta on Aug 21. The Obama Administration then sent an “intelligence official” to Foreign Policy magazine to leak the intelligence supporting that claim. That intelligence consisted of captured phone call between an official of the Syrian Ministry of Defense and the leader of a chemical weapons unit. The phone calls were described as panicky with the official demanding answers.
You can kiss that intelligence collection method goodbye. This “leak” also may have endangered the NOC who placed the device. As the phone call shows, the Assad regime is responsible, but that regime includes everyone from Syrian President Assad to the lowliest private in the Syrian army.
The phone call does not indicate who gave the order. The repeated referrals to the entire “regime” means that the Obama Administration hasn’t narrowed it down. The easiest way to prevent irate phone call from a Ministry of Defense official is to claim that Bashar al-Assad or his brutal younger brother, Maher, gave the order. That would have put an end to any future phone calls.
One intelligence official asked: “Was the attack on Aug. 21 the work of a Syrian officer overstepping his bounds? Or was the strike explicitly directed by senior members of the Assad regime? It’s unclear where control lies.” Intelligence analysts say that without the intercepted call does not establish who gave the order and could indicate that it was a mistake.
Assad is head of a weak regime, whose Alawite constituency is far outnumbered by the Sunni population. The use of chemical weapons in such circumstances is a typical behavior. It seems unlikely that a single, limited US strike of Syria will change the motivation for using chemical weapons. After Syria survives the US strike, the next chemical weapons usage will place the US in an increasingly difficult position. Future US strikes will become more and more politically difficult.
The Syrian civil war has provided a vehicle for a resurgence of al-Qaeda. A Syrian rebel group, the Al-Nusra Front, has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda leader Sheik Ayman al-Zawahri. The Syrian Free Army, a group of rebels made up of Syrian soldiers who have defected, will “collaborate with any faction allowing them to topple” Assad. Networks are being set up to funnel foreign jihadis into Syria. In areas controlled by Al-Nusra, Sharia law is being enforced.
With a choice between Assad and his chemical weapons, and another Islamic state sworn to the destruction of Israel, it’s time to sit one out.
H/T: The Guardian, National Post, Juan Cole, Charles P. Pierce, Bloomberg.
No doubt by now, most interested persons have read about President Obama’s sudden decision to ask Congress for authorization to attack Syria in violation of the U.N. charter, i.e., America’s own law by treaty ratification. Whether Congress wishes to join with the President in violating both American and international law remains an open question. Since a substantial majority of Americans want no part of such lawless and unnecessary warfare, the more important question seeks to determine whether or not the Congress actually reflects the will of the people it claims to represent. At any rate, according to The Huffington Post:
“Speaker John Boehner and , House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) released the following statement after Obama’s remarks:
‘Under the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war lies with Congress. We are glad the president is seeking authorization for any military action in Syria in response to serious, substantive questions being raised. In consultation with the president, we expect the House to consider a measure the week of September 9th. This provides the president time to make his case to Congress and the American people.'”
Suddenly the Constitution becomes relevant again. President Obama clearly believes that he will get his vote to commit an unlawful and unprovoked attack upon Syria, thus implicating Congress and — through them the American people — in the war crime. But given the corner into which he has painted himself politically, a vote of “no” by the Congress could rescue him and his presidency while allowing him to blame the Congress for “condoning the use of chemical weapons by unspeakably evil foreign monsters.”
Now we will see whether, as in Great Britain, democracy can avert another disaster by having the Legislative branch of government insist on its own exclusive power to say “no” to unnecessary war. As a practical political matter, the Republicans in Congress now must decide if they can hurt President Obama more by denying him his unlawful bombing or by granting it to him; while the Democrats must decide if they actually deplore imperial militarism more than they love the President who has betrayed them and their party with such depressing regularity.
Laser,
Would you repost the link again… I’ve tried a couple of times… Different ways… It brings up a dead browser search…
Oky1;
Going to Senators & Congress and asking them to impeach someone is akin to asking Nitti to prosecute Capone.
It might happen; but then there would be a DPA (Deferred Prosecution Agreement [BRIBE]) and a plethora of pardons as they substitute the next round of skullduggery betrayers of the public’s trust into THE most powerful positions.
I’m just sayin………..
Tis a merry-go-round of culprits we be a playin….
[music[ To the tune of Rednecks, by Randy Newman:
Went in dumb, come out dumb too, hustling round Atlanta in our alligator shoes, Mizzoura, Mizzoura, we don’t know our arse from a hole in the ground,…. etc
It is high time for a rogue drone to fly over that rogue officer of Syrian ilk and drop poison gas on him. If you have a drone you might be able to get the poison gas from Mizzoura. They use it to kill inmates.
I’ve got a friend that’s been following the actions of Obama/Biden/Clintons/Kerry, Mad Dog John Mc Cain & Lindsey Graham, their policies, including the 1 Billion so far of our US Govt’s Taxpayer Funds the sent to their Al QaCIA’da terrorist buddies in Syria, & he confirms to me the whole lot are certifiable Mentally Ill Lunatics that are a National Securrrrity Risk & they all need Impeached Immediately.
So I’ve been calling/writing every congress critter & Senator demanding they either Impeach those American Hating Trash or at the very least have a “No Confidence Vote” against them.
It’s time to take out the Garbage & run these Aholes out of office.
nick spinelli 1, August 31, 2013 at 3:26 pm
Dredd, Well we know how Nancy will vote.
==============================
But not Boener?
Cantor, yes we know how he will vote.
Chatty Kathy?
Do you ever no miss the point Nick?
pdm;
picky, pickee, pikki…..
Obama — Bush 45?
Dredd, Well we know how Nancy will vote.
pdm, You’re right. And, I deserve it because I often make that mistake.
President Obama will ask congress to make the decision (HuffPo).
Anonymously @12:24;
You hit a “nerve” and I’m gassed up about it!
Blackwater “was” renamed “Xe” and then RE-named (again) “Academi”
Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is one of the head guys who works for Red McCombs. And you’re NOT going to believe it upon my telling you what was owned by Red McCombs (so I’ll provide the link).
Romney’s Bain Capital entity of Clear Channel Communications.
http://academi.com/pages/about-us/board-of-directors/red-mccombs-chairman
And that AIN”T the rest of the story……
betty kath,
Thank you for your update. Like BFM, I believe we have time now to get real facts out. We have already seen rumors and lies by the administration and it’s allies. There are bound to be errors by sincere people as well.
Having actual information will take time. Now we have that!
“If gas used to kill is so awful and inhumane then why does the State of Mizzoura have a gas chamber ready for use in its penitentiary”
Gas used as a weapon is indiscriminate. Gas kills anyone in the area, not just the military. The gases used as weapons can cause injuries prior to death that are considered inhumane.
Gas used for judicial execution is applied only to the condemned. The gas used is chosen to act quickly. There is no possibility of suffering with a terrible wound.
In any case, I oppose capital punishment.
A friend who has been following the situation in Syria very closely with direct contact in Syria says that my previous post about the rebels claiming responsibility is FALSE.
Thanks for the update.
My guess is that before this is over we will see many more reports that are based more on politics than fact.
In my opinion it helps if we work together to try to sift through the many conflicting reports.
It’s “toe the line” not tow the line. Sorry for the correction, but twice in one blog is over the limit.
Max-1,
I think it is very serious that they claim they saw preparations for the use of CW and did/said nothing. Had they gone to the UN, they would have stopped the attack from every happening.
Either they don’t actually have that footage of preparations or they are culpable in failing to act to stop a war crime.
The kids in the fifth grade here ask if it would be ok for a state to kill people one at a time with poison gas.
If gas used to kill is so awful and inhumane then why does the State of Mizzoura have a gas chamber ready for use in its penitentiary in Jefferson City, Mizzoura? Anyone from Mizzoura out there want to explain?