Rebels claim chemical weapon used in Syria. US skeptical but unsure of what really happened - Polidicks

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLc4zoAmbRE[/media] [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENXXON59XUg[/media] [url]http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/12/did-syria-just-use-nerve-gas/[/url] [quote=Wired]Opposition activists in Syria are claiming that the embattled regime of Bashar Assad [url=http://blogs.aljazeera.com/topic/syria/poisonous-gas-sprayed-homs-leaves-seven-people-dead-and-scores-affected-activists-say]gassed rebel forces[/url] in the battleground city of Homs on Sunday. U.S. officials tell Danger Room that they are skeptical about the rebels’ chemical weapon claims, however. Al Jazeera reported that seven people died after inhaling a gas sprayed by government forces in a part of Homs held by the rebel Free Syrian Army. “We don’t know what this gas is but medics are saying it’s something similar to sarin,” rebel Raji Rahmet Rabbou told the Qatar-based news organization. The “poisonous material” was [url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/syrian-rebels-claim-assad-regime-uses-chemical-weapons-1.489611]deployed by government warplanes[/url], Haaretz reported, citing a rebel statement. The Assad regime, meanwhile, is [url=http://rt.com/news/syria-chemical-weapons-rebels-696/]blaming the rebels for the attack[/url]. Al Jazeera posted two videos it said were obtained from “a field clinic in the city.” The graphic videos appear to depict gasping victims of what could be construed as a nerve agent attack. However, the origins and contents of these videos have yet to be verified by other sources. U.S. officials note that several things about the video are inconsistent with a sarin strike. There are complaints of strong smells; sarin is odorless. There are reports that the victims inhaled large amounts of the chemical; a minuscule of amount of inhaled sarin can be fatal. “It just doesn’t jive with chemical weapons,” one U.S. official tells Danger Room. In fact, the symptoms shown in these videos might have been caused by other chemicals — possibly chlorine, phosgene, or cyanogen chloride, according to [url=http://www.osen-hunter.com/images/osenpdf/pdfs2012/f-l%2012-028%20december%2024.pdf]one independent review of the clips[/url] (.pdf). Or we might simply be seeing a [url=http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/12/did-syria-just-use-nerve-gas/#comment-746886454]severe asthma attack[/url]. The specter of chemical warfare has long loomed over the brutal Syrian conflict, which rebels claimed has killed [url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/15/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html]no fewer than 37,000 people[/url]. As early as this summer Assad’s regime [url=http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/07/syrian-wmd-nightmare-continues/]warned it might deploy[/url] its 500-ton chemical stockpile. “There was a moment we thought they were going to use it — especially back in July,” [url=http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/10/syria-chemical-weapons-2/]a U.S. official told Danger Room[/url]. “But we took a second look at the intelligence, and it was less urgent than we thought.” The relief was short-lived. Assad began trying to expand his arsenal with fresh sarin precursor materials — specifically, [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol]isopropanol[/url] and [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methylphosphonyl_difluoride]methylphosphonyl difluoride[/url]. U.S. and allied agents blocked at least some of the new acquisitions, but there was little they could do about the existing stockpile. Three weeks ago U.S. surveillance spotted special Syrian military units mixing the precursors and prepping sarin warheads for possible use. “[url=http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/12/syria-chemical-weapons-3/]Physically, they’ve gotten to the point where they can load it up on a plane and drop it[/url],” an official told Danger Room at the time. Washington and its allies have repeatedly said they would not tolerate a chemical attack. “This would cross a red line and those responsible would be held to account,” [url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57556705/u.s--planning-to-take-action-if-syria-crosses-chemical-weapons-red-line/]Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned previously[/url]. Even Sergei Lavrov — foreign minister of Assad’s ally, Russia — called the use of chemical weapons “[url=http://blogs.aljazeera.com/topic/syria/russia-assad-would-not-commit-political-suicide-using-chemical-arms]political suicide[/url].” Now the question is: Has the regime actually taken that step? Are the rebels confused? Or is this an opposition effort to further discredit the regime?[/quote]

Both sides seem to be capable of false-flag attacks so I can understand the scepticism from the US. Nobody can win this war.

[QUOTE]There are complaints of strong smells; sarin is odorless. There are reports that the victims inhaled large amounts of the chemical; a minuscule of amount of inhaled sarin can be fatal.[/QUOTE] This whole story is just really fishy, it's best for anyone to not put their foot into this until they get to the bottom of what happened

Invade Syria.

i have doubts tbh, there is no way you can "secretly" use chemical weapons. there are even aid workers in Syria, and I'm sure there'd be an official word if there was usage of chemical weapons.

[QUOTE=FrankOfArabia;38961117]Can we just bomb Assad's ass already?[/QUOTE] no that's a terrible idea [editline]24th December 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=AK'z;38961135]i have doubts tbh, there is no way you can "secretly" use chemical weapons. there are even aid workers in Syria, and I'm sure there'd be an official word if there was usage of chemical weapons.[/QUOTE] rogue commander or something might have issued a command? i mean something seems to have happened, it's just pretty unclear exactly what.

While I understand that Syria is a shit hole right now, wouldn't it be a whole lot easier to forcefully remove Assad from power? I am not pleased with either party right now seeing as the rebels may actually set up their own or cause a radical group to set up a tyrannical regime given the current chaos and disrespect for civilians in times of war. However, the rebels are going to be the party that the UN supports in this endeavor and using limited air strikes to destroy infrastructure and military assets to force a surrender by Assad would be much faster, save lives and ultimately calm the region down a little. The only opposing parties to this would be Russia, but even they are starting to care less and less for Syria given its instability and the recent kidnapping of Russian and Ukrainian citizens.

According to Al Jazeera's blog section medics are claiming its concentrated tear gas.

[QUOTE=FrankOfArabia;38961117]Invade Syria.[/QUOTE] Why is this even needed. The answer is no. [editline]24th December 2012[/editline] [sp]Is that a meme response?[/sp]

All they were trying to do was to make some crystals...

Assuming these videos are not faked, doesn't this imply that chemical weapons are okay as long as its not sarin gas?

[QUOTE=ShootEvryRapper;38962824]Assuming these videos are not faked, doesn't this imply that chemical weapons are okay as long as its not sarin gas?[/QUOTE] The thing is, rumours/statements are saying that's it's basically Sarin gas.

Tbh I wouldn't really blame the rebels for jumping the gun and thinking it was chemical weapons when they simply got a whiff of either exploded industrial chemicals or tear gas; must be damn stressful with the spectre of chemical warfare looming over your head.