NBC News, among others, is reporting that the Syrian military has loaded chemical weapons into bombs, is ready to use them against their own people, and is awaiting orders from Assad. “U.S. officials” are cited by NBC as the source for this information. (emphasis added)
The military has loaded the precursor chemicals for sarin, a deadly nerve gas, into aerial bombs that could be dropped onto the Syrian people from dozens of fighter-bombers, the officials said.
At Buzzfeed:
A White House spokesman declined to comment to BuzzFeed outside of remarks made by press secretary Jay Carney Monday. Carney said that ‘use or proliferation of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime would cross a red line for the United States.’
He added that ‘the Assad regime must know that the world is watching and that they will be held accountable by the United States and the international community if they use chemical weapons.’
(Syrian Flag via Maps of the World)
USS Eisenhower Nears Syria With Thousands Of US Troops Aboard
Written by RT
December 5, 2012
The USS Eisenhower, an American aircraft carrier that holds eight fighter bomber squadrons and 8,000 men, arrived at the Syrian coast yesterday in the midst of a heavy storm, indicating US preparation for a potential ground intervention.
While the Obama administration has not announced any sort of American-led military intervention in the war-torn country, the US is now ready to launch such action “within days” if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decides to use chemical weapons against the opposition, the Times reports.
Some have suggested that the Assad regime may use chemical weapons against the opposition fighters in the coming days or weeks.
The arrival of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the 11 US Navy aircraft carriers that has the capacity to hold thousands of men, is now stationed at the coast of Syria, DEBKAfile reports. The aircraft carrier joined the USS Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, which holds about 2,500 Marines.
“We have (US) special operations forces at the right posture, they don’t have to be sent,” an unnamed US official told The Australian, which suggested that US military troops are already near Syria and ready to intervene in the conflict, if necessary.
If the US decides to intervene militarily in Syria, it now has at its disposal 10,000 fighting men, 17 warships, 70 fighter-bombers, 10 destroyers and frigates and a guided military cruises. Some of the vessels are also equipped with Aegis missile interceptors to shoot down any missiles Syria might have at hand, according to DEBKAfile.
http://tinyurl.com/cs9vtb5
I do not know if this hype about Assad on the verge of using sarin gas. It is hard to believe anything from an administration that said the terror attacks that killed Americans in Libya on September 11 was a “film protest.” This might be more hype and lies to be used as a justification to replace the Syrian government with a bunch or terrorists. This removal of leaders with terror groups is sometimes referred to as the “Arab Spring”.
Well mjsmith, when this first broke, it didn’t come from the administration. The information came to the press from sources inside the Syrian military and government. Your response to this news is no surprise seeing as anything Obama is suspect and bad.
angels81 – The story first broke by NBC News. All of the sources are anonymous.
Maybe you should try getting your news from some more worldly sources then American MSM. NBC news didn’t break anything, they may have been the first TV news channel to broadcast the news, but they didn’t break the story.
mjs I’m sure the administration is providing us with the best information and the best assessment that the administration has at the time, except for the classified part which might be exactly the opposite.
DaGoat – What you are saying sounds correct. Although I would like to add that some folks in the Obama administration will claim to be telling the truth the entire time.
God! you know how silly you sound? Do you really think Obama wants terrorists to replace Assad? First off, Assad runs one of the biggest terrorist regime in the middle east. I suppose the next thing out of your mouth will be, Obama is a secret Muslim and is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. I understand that for you, anything Obama is bad, but now you are falling close to the Orly Taitz clowns.
angels81 – What is happening in Egypt right now! The Muslim Brotherhood is the de facto dictatorship. Do not put words in my mouth as far as what you think I “might” say.
I never said “Obama is a secret Muslim and is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood.”
This is someting you made up –> ” I understand that for you, anything Obama is bad, but now you are falling close to the Orly Taitz clowns.”
Please direct your comments on what I DO say and not what you think I might say.
Sarcasm isn’t your strong suit is it? From the silly statement you made about Obama wanting to have terrorists take over from Assad, its not a far stretch to expect you to claim Obama is a Muslim and a member of Muslim Brotherhood.
1.”I do not know if this hype about Assad on the verge of using sarin gas.”
Oh yeah…I’m going to take instruction on grammar and sentence structure from the literary genus that penned THIS brilliant bit of incomprehensibility!!
2.”It is hard to believe anything from an administration that said the terror attacks that killed Americans in Libya on September 11 was a “film protest.” ….”
Funny how the dawgs of the repugnantklaner/teabagger mob just can’t let go of a bone no matter how much male bovine fecal matter covers it ain’t it!!
3.”This might be more hype and lies to be used as a justification to replace the Syrian government with a bunch or terrorists.”
Sorry honey, you’re thinking about the BUSH maladministration
4.”. This removal of leaders with terror groups is sometimes referred to as the “Arab Spring”……
And you are sometimes referred to as an intelligent person…neither of those two statements are true.
Sec – Did you just call me “honey” ?
Chemical scare is a cloak for intervention, says Syria
By Erika Solomon
BEIRUT | Thu Dec 6, 2012 12:48pm EST
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Western powers are whipping up fear of chemical weapons as a pretext to intervene in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad’s government said on Thursday, after several Western countries said they feared Assad might use poison gas.
“Syria stresses again, for the tenth, the hundredth time, that if we had such weapons, they would not be used against its people. We would not commit suicide,” Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al Maqdad told Lebanon’s Al Manar television, the voice of the pro-Assad Hezbollah movement.
“We fear there is a conspiracy to provide a pretext for any subsequent interventions in Syria by these countries that are increasing pressure on Syria.”
http://tinyurl.com/cz4ul53
The Congress wants to know what is going on in Syria. What is our Government doing in Syria? All we hear is fluff.
“The Congress wants to know what is going on in Syria. What is our Government doing in Syria? All we hear is fluff.”
But you’ve already answered that donchu member? That Kenyan, Socialist, Muslim in the White House wants to the wonderful only legitimate, loving, kind leader of Syria and put Al Queada in charge? Did you forget you told us that already?
WMD was bullshit in 2003 and it’s bullshit in 2012. Bush/Cheney IV lives. Raise you hand if you have a son or grandson you would like to donate (or any of their appendages).
I’m skeptical as well. As TPAZ notes, the U.S. has a long, sad history of lying its way into wars. There were Iraqis who swore on their mamas’ graves that Saddam was building WMDs in his basement (or somewhere). Chemical weapons are dangerous things for the users as well as the people attacked. That’s one of the reasons we and most nations promised not to use them anymore.
Cujo, if Syria has WMD’s we (the US) sold them to Syria.
There’s some chance of that, yes. They still have good relations with Russia, which is another possible source. In fact, I think Russia is the more likely source, since it has been their primary source for weapons over the years.
Cause LAWD knows them Syrians just ain’t smart enough to make em themselves right?
The type of gas is so lethal that the amount it would take to cover the head of a pin can kill a person in about one minute.
And your point is………………
I was responding to this comment – “Cause LAWD knows them Syrians just ain’t smart enough to make em themselves right?”
My point is that the chemical weapons Syria has is much more potent than your typical gas. I don’t think it is a matter of people in Syria “ain’t smart enough” to make it. It is a matter of dedicating the resources to make it. There would be a good chance that Israel would blow up any place they felt was manufacturing chemical weapons.