Syria Gas Attack- What Now?

[Chopstick]

How is Russia going to react?
http://www.eutimes.net/2013/08/puti...e-against-saudi-arabia-if-west-attacks-syria/

A grim “urgent action memorandum” issued today from the office of President Putin to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is ordering a “massive military strike” against Saudi Arabia in the event that the West attacks Syria.

According to Kremlin sources familiar with this extraordinary “war order,” Putin became “enraged” after his early August meeting with Saudi Prince Bandar bin Sultan who warned that if Russia did not accept the defeat of Syria, Saudi Arabia would unleash Chechen terrorists under their control to cause mass death and chaos during the Winter Olympics scheduled to be held 7-23 February 2014 in Sochi, Russia.

 

[Marauder06]

Hey, F-22's want to play too! You haterz just don't understand how airpower can win wars. /sarcasm.
Reed

Airpower. Hmmm. I think I have clipart for that:

 

[JBS]

How is Russia going to react?
http://www.eutimes.net/2013/08/puti...e-against-saudi-arabia-if-west-attacks-syria/

Read about this elsewhere. One of those developments that is a big deal treated like a small one.

See my earlier posts about observing Russia if you want to know what's at stake on the strategic level. Syria + AQ = relatively small (albeit vital) potatoes.

This move virtually guarantees a low intensity conflict, especially in light of the current US political leadership.

 

[Chopstick]

Oh great...Susan Rice. Im mildy surprised she isnt blaming this all on a spontaneous act based upon reactions to a film.....
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/201...nfirmed-assad-regime-behind-alleged-chemical/

A senior U.S. official also confirmed a report that initially appeared in the Wall Street Journal that National Security Adviser Susan Rice wanted to get the U.N. inspectors out of Syria last weekend because the U.S. already believed it had the information it needed to confirm the Syrian government’s culpability.

A White House official would not comment on internal deliberations between Rice and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power.

The Wall Street Journal quoted from an email that Rice reportedly sent Sunday to Power and others within the administration.

"The investigation is. . .too late, and will actually tell us what we already know: CW was used," Ms. Rice wrote, using the abbreviation for chemical weapons. "It won't even tell us by whom, which we already know."

 

[JHD]

Also, what are the other consequences likely to be, aside from it not working? How are other regional powers (Russia and Iran, primarily) going to react? What is Iraq going to do? These things have to be thought through before we start lobbing missiles willy-nilly or sending in our fighters.

This is exactly what I am worried about.

 

[Mac_NZ]

Hey Susan Rice, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld called, they want their reason to go to war back.

 

[Marauder06]

AQ interest in Syria and Al Nusrah as an AQ front:

1) designated as a terrorist organization by the State Department:

The Department of State has amended the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Executive Order (E.O.) 13224 designations of al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI) to include the following new aliases: al-Nusrah Front, Jabhat al-Nusrah, Jabhet al-Nusra, The Victory Front, and Al-Nusrah Front for the People of the Levant.

Through these attacks, al-Nusrah has sought to portray itself as part of the legitimate Syrian opposition while it is, in fact, an attempt by AQI to hijack the struggles of the Syrian people for its own malign purposes. AQI emir Abu Du’a is in control of both AQI and al-Nusrah.

2) The Combatting Terrorism Center at West Point said:

Al-Qa`ida has taken a keen interest in the Syrian war. In mid- to late-2011, its Iraqi affiliate, the Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), helped create Jabhat al-Nusra, a Syrian spinoff

 

[AWP]

What is it with America and UN Weapons Inspectors? We need them, we don't, they have to inspect, pull them out, if they find evidence we can go to war, we don't care what they find and we'll go to war anyway, we like little girls on the internet, oh yes we do...

 

[Totentanz]

What is it with America and UN Weapons Inspectors? We need them, we don't, they have to inspect, pull them out, if they find evidence we can go to war, we don't care what they find and we'll go to war anyway, we like little girls on the internet, oh yes we do...

This whole back-and-forth appears to be the political equivalent of marking time on your crank.

 

[Chopstick]

Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd Egypt throws down!
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/egy...s-bar-to-wests-anti-assad-efforts/2013/08/28/

The current Egyptian leadership may close the Suez Canal to warships in an effort to block a western attack on Assad's Syria. The leading anti-Muslim Brotherhood group in Egypt, the Tamarod (Rebellion), announced it will prevent military action threatened by the West against Syria, from using the Egyptian-controlled Suez Canal.
And the Suez Canal, of course, is the route through which U.S., British and other warships will need to pass for any non-air or land-based military strike against Syria.
“Supporting the Arab Syrian army is a national duty,” Hassan Shahin, the Tamarod spokesperson wrote, according to Gulf News. “The Arab people have to rebel after unmasking the plot of the Free (Syrian) Army and its backers among the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies from the militant groups,” Shahin wrote.
Egypt’s current foreign minister, Nabil Fahmy, insisted that the only way to proceed regarding Syria is for there to be a political solution. Fahmy firmly opposes any military intervention.
Back when Mohamad Morsi was in power in Egypt, all of three months ago, the Egyptian government had turned on the Syrian regime, and ordered the closure of the Syrian embassy in Cairo. Muslim Brotherhood members are among those currently fighting the Assad government.

 

[Scotth]

Hey Susan Condi Rice, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld called, they want their reason to go to war back.

Fixed it.

Personally, if you can us this event as an excuse to launch a couple hundred cruise missiles and destroy Syria's chemical weapons stock piles I'm all for that. I wouldn't trust Assad with those weapons and I sure as hell don't want those weapons to be around if the rebels win. Beyond that I have no problem walking away.

 

[DA SWO]

The run to war has turned into a slow jog; guess the convincing evidence wasn't so convincing after all.

 

[Poccington]

How is Russia going to react?
http://www.eutimes.net/2013/08/puti...e-against-saudi-arabia-if-west-attacks-syria/

Do people actually believe the story in that article?

It reads like a very bad film plot. The EU Times is a joke, right up there with that gimp Alex Jones.

 

[Atlas]

What is it with America and UN Weapons Inspectors? We need them, we don't, they have to inspect, pull them out, if they find evidence we can go to war, we don't care what they find and we'll go to war anyway, we like little girls on the internet, oh yes we do...

So if the UN finds chemical weapons WE go to war. I'm getting kind of lost on what the whole point of the UN is.

"Hey good guys, here's a set of rules for you to follow."
"But the people were trying to stop aren't following them."
"Figure it out" /troll face

When I leave basic is there going to be a UN patch on my arm? It just seems like we are policing the things they should be doing.

 

[Poccington]

Well it looks like the whole thing has gotten a bit more interesting, British MP's have tonight voted against the possibility of any military action against Syrian forces...

David Cameron loses Syria vote in Commons

British MPs have voted against possible military action against Syria to deter the use of chemical weapons.


David Cameron said it was clear the British Parliament does not want action and "I will act accordingly".


The government motion was defeated 285 to 272, a majority of 13 votes.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23892783

 

[surgicalcric]

..I'm getting kind of lost on what the whole point of the UN is..

I have been wondering that since I was old enough to learn what their mandate is vice what they do or not depending on the AOR.

 

[AWP]

Well it looks like the whole thing has gotten a bit more interesting, British MP's have tonight voted against the possibility of any military action against Syrian forces...

Good news for once.

 

[pardus]

So if the UN finds chemical weapons WE go to war. I'm getting kind of lost on what the whole point of the UN is.

"Hey good guys, here's a set of rules for you to follow."
"But the people were trying to stop aren't following them."
"Figure it out" /troll face

When I leave basic is there going to be a UN patch on my arm? It just seems like we are policing the things they should be doing.

Don't forget "they" is also "we". People in the USA tend to forget that the USA is the strongest part of the UN. Think about that.

Good news for once.

Indeed, that will make it much harder for Obama to release the hounds. I wonder what France will do?

 

[Chopstick]

Indeed, that will make it much harder for Obama to release the hounds. I wonder what France will do?

Surrender, of course!

 

[pardus]

Surrender, of course!

Stop it. The French Military have balls and aren't afraid of a scrap.