UN: Rebels, Not Assad, Appear To Have Used Chemical Weapons In Syria

Rion · May 6, 2013

UN: Rebels, not Assad, appear to have used chemical weapons - The Hill's Global Affairs

United Nations human rights investigators said Sunday they have gathered testimony from outside Syria suggesting rebels, not Bashar Assads regime, may have used chemical weapons.

Our investigators have been in neighboring countries interviewing victims, doctors and field hospitals and, according to their report of last week which I have seen, there are strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof of the use of sarin gas, from the way the victims were treated, Carla Del Ponte, a member of the independent commission of inquiry on Syria, told Swiss-Italian television. This was use on the part of the opposition, the rebels, not by the government authorities.

And of course, the administration wants to arm them still, so they are in denial.

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kermit · May 6, 2013

The adminstration wanted to supply arms to the rebels before there was a suspicion that they used chemical weapons. After there was suspicion they put plans on hold pending confirmation.

SnowCal · May 6, 2013

This may be the first time I've ever seen conservatives bash US intelligence sources in favor of what the UN has to say.

cow451 · May 6, 2013

SnowCal said:
This may be the first time I've ever seen conservatives bash US intelligence sources in favor of what the UN has to say.

Douger · May 6, 2013

kermit said:
The adminstration wanted to supply arms to the rebels before there was a suspicion that they used chemical weapons. After there was suspicion they put plans on hold pending confirmation.

Arming the rebels has always been a terrible idea.
If the devastating suicide and car bombings weren't enough to deter the idea, I sure hope this is.

I know ten years is a long time, but hopefully enough folks will remember the last disastrous intervention based on WMD hype.

Douger · May 6, 2013

SnowCal said:
This may be the first time I've ever seen conservatives bash US intelligence sources in favor of what the UN has to say.

cow451 said:

It certainly has happened, but is unfortunately rare.

grasping the after wind · May 6, 2013

SnowCal said:
This may be the first time I've ever seen conservatives bash US intelligence sources in favor of what the UN has to say.

I seem to have missed the bashing of US intelligence by conservatives in favor of the UN could you provide a link to it?

Rion · May 6, 2013

grasping the after wind said:
I seem to have missed the bashing of US intelligence by conservatives in favor of the UN could you provide a link to it?

Seconded. I'm eagerly awaiting this bashing they speak of. :bigeye:

cow451 · May 6, 2013

Or, perhaps we should wait until the Commission (not just one person) finishes.

It may be that both sides are guilty. Regardless there is not a good reason to get any more involved in this mess. Let Israel be our proxy and deal with it.

Boondock_Saint · May 6, 2013

The administration has done poorly at understanding what is going on in the world.
I wonder how it is they know what it going on so well in America.

Sounds like Socialist Europe before it fell 70 some years ago. The UN is a joke.

Rion · May 6, 2013

cow451 said:
Or, perhaps we should wait until the Commission (not just one person) finishes.

It may be that both sides are guilty. Regardless there is not a good reason to get any more involved in this mess. Let Israel be our proxy and deal with it.

You make McCain sad.

But yes, I am generally for not getting involved.

AirPo · May 6, 2013

cow451 said:
Or, perhaps we should wait until the Commission (not just one person) finishes.

It may be that both sides are guilty. Regardless there is not a good reason to get any more involved in this mess. Let Israel be our proxy and deal with it.

You may be onto something there.

42 Syrian soldiers dead in reported Israeli strike, opposition group says

Rion · May 6, 2013

Touma said:
Hot damn, I called it.

Called what?

Chris81 · May 9, 2013

The most of the rebels are Jihadist and at best Islamists. Many of the Al Qaeda terrorist that we fought in Iraq are now fighting alongside the rebels in Syria. Arming the rebels so that we can weaken an Iranian ally is cynically short sided as well as clearly detrimental to our own national interests.

SnowCal · May 9, 2013

Chris81 said:
The most of the rebels are Jihadist and at best Islamists. Many of the Al Qaeda terrorist that we fought in Iraq are now fighting alongside the rebels in Syria. Arming the rebels so that we can weaken an Iranian ally is cynically short sided as well as clearly detrimental to our own national interests.

No most of the rebels are not jihadis. But there certainly is that element on the rebel side. It's also present on the regime's side. This is a Sunni/Shi'a fight and there are unsavory elements on both sides here.

Jeffwhosoever · May 9, 2013

Too bad we don't have self expiring weapons systems, or ones we can remote detonate in the future.

UN: Rebels, Not Assad, Appear To Have Used Chemical Weapons In Syria

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