"The U.N. inspectors in Syria are professionals and — let's repeat — they are actually on the ground in Syria. Their direct access as well as their expertise in chemical forensics and weapons analysis gives them a level of credibility that is unsurpassed by any other intelligence agency.
Rebels have claimed the Syrian army fired the chemical weapons, but given the rebels' extreme self-interest in pointing the finger at the government and ginning up U.S. military action, we must be wary of letting the tail wag the dog.
It has been widely reported that some of the rebel forces in the Damascus area are extremists with links to Al Qaeda. The sniper fire and continued threats that blocked the U.N. team from inspecting chemical attack sites Tuesday may have come from those extremists. The Pentagon reported that Al Qaeda used chlorine gas bombs in Iraq in 2006 and 2007, and in June of this year, the Iraqi military claimed it broke up an al Qaeda ring manufacturing sarin and mustard gas. So it is surely not inconceivable that Al Qaeda, rather than the Syrian army, might be the responsible party for the recent attacks. All this deserves serious consideration." (thanks Robert)
Rebels have claimed the Syrian army fired the chemical weapons, but given the rebels' extreme self-interest in pointing the finger at the government and ginning up U.S. military action, we must be wary of letting the tail wag the dog.
It has been widely reported that some of the rebel forces in the Damascus area are extremists with links to Al Qaeda. The sniper fire and continued threats that blocked the U.N. team from inspecting chemical attack sites Tuesday may have come from those extremists. The Pentagon reported that Al Qaeda used chlorine gas bombs in Iraq in 2006 and 2007, and in June of this year, the Iraqi military claimed it broke up an al Qaeda ring manufacturing sarin and mustard gas. So it is surely not inconceivable that Al Qaeda, rather than the Syrian army, might be the responsible party for the recent attacks. All this deserves serious consideration." (thanks Robert)