Syria Trying to Produce More Sarin, U.S. Believes

[Perknose]

Not particularly good news.

The regime of embattled Syrian dictator Bashar Assad is actively working to enlarge its arsenal of chemical weapons, U.S. officials tell Danger Room. Assad’s operatives have tried repeatedly in recent months to buy up the precursor chemicals for deadly nerve agents like sarin, even as his country plunges further and further into a civil war. The U.S. and its allies have been able to block many of these sales. But that still leaves Assad’s scientists with hundreds of metric tons of dangerous chemicals that could be turned into some of the world’s most gruesome weapons.

“Assad is weathering everything the rebels throw at him. Business is continuing as usual,” one U.S. of

[...]

Whatever the rationale, Assad is continuing his attempts to buy the building blocks of nerve agents like sarin. The CIA and the U.S. State Department, working with allies in the region, have recently prevented sales to Syria of industrial quantities of isopropanol. Popularly known as rubbing alcohol, it’s also one of the two main chemical precursors to sarin gas, one of the deadliest nerve agents in existence. The other precursor is methylphosphonyl difluoride, or DF. The Syrians were also recently blocked from acquiring the phosphorous compounds known as halides, some of which can be used to help make DF.

[...]

n June, Jane’s Defence Weekly reported that North Korean engineers were spotted in Syria working on Scud-D short-range ballistic missiles, which can carry chemical warheads. Two months later, witnesses tell the German magazine Der Spiegel, Syria test-fired several of its chemical-capable missiles at the al-Safirah research center east of Aleppo.

To Leonard Spector, deputy director of the James Martin Center, these reports are signs that “Syria has not stopped the weapons of mass destruction program.”

 

[cybrsage]

Uh oh, claims of WMD...the first beats of the war drum.

 

[Agent11]

The only reason to make more is if they intend to use what they have.

I wouldn't want to be a civilian in Syria right now.

 

[EagleKeeper]

If it was a legit threat to Israel, they would be gone by Israel.

If used against the rebels, the West will not care. Do not get hands dirty, especially with what happened recently on other Arab countries that were "friends" after helping them implement the Arab Spring.

 

[postmortemIA]

In civil war, there are no innocent or aggressors or victims. U.S. should not pick the side. Even if U.S. helps rebels, there will be minority or majority who supports gov't that can turn against U.S. in the future.

 

[Orignal Earl]

Are we all good on this report?
Is this a report by the CIA and state dept we can all get together on?

 

[Juror No. 8]

LOL. More WMD propaganda.

Whenever you need to invade a country full of brown people so that you can turn it over to Western corporations and financial interests, all you have to do is claim they have or are developing WMDs of some sort and the people will eat it up every time. The propaganda works even better if you claim they have "ties" to Al-Qaeda and show pictures of scary brown Muslim men scowling on TV.

This shit works every time. Just wash, rinse, and repeat.

 

[waggy]

so they are producing yellow ca...err sarin? haven't we been down this road?

 

[Screech]

I wouldn't want to be a civilian in Syria right now.

This.

Although depending on how things turn out its probably safe to shorten that to:

I wouldn't want to be ... in Syria right now.

 

[bfdd]

Isn't sarin gas incredibly easy to make? Also this report is probably coming from the "rebels" which means we really should trust it with a grain of salt. It's all bogus non-sense and we need to NOT be involved.

 

[shortylickens]

Uh oh, claims of WMD...the first beats of the war drum.

Its ok, a democrat is in office. Its allowed.

 

[nextJin]

Its ok, a democrat is in office. Its allowed.

Well clearly if Mittens were in charge he would have already kicked the hell out of Syria and hung another brownie like Saddam. I dislike Democrats but frankly they can let the US collapse into Welfare hell as long as they prevent Republicans from invading Canada or Zimbabwe, or wherever the hell else they want to waste lives over.

 

[bfdd]

Well clearly if Mittens were in charge he would have already kicked the hell out of Syria and hung another brownie like Saddam. I dislike Democrats but frankly they can let the US collapse into Welfare hell as long as they prevent Republicans from invading Canada or Zimbabwe, or wherever the hell else they want to waste lives over.

Because Democrats have a great history of never wasting American lives at wars we never should have been a part of....

WW2, Vietnam and now Libya. No worries though they'll never ever be war hounds because they love the gays and want to make others pay for your cancer

 

[Agent11]

We lost soldiers invading Libya?

 

[Juror No. 8]

Because Democrats have a great history of never wasting American lives at wars we never should have been a part of....

WW2, Vietnam and now Libya. No worries though they'll never ever be war hounds because they love the gays and want to make others pay for your cancer

Don't forget WW1 and Korea. The Democrats love killing Americans, whether it's in abortion clinics or distant, foreign battlefields. And if they can't kill Americans, they're more than happy to force themselves on 'em.

 

[shortylickens]

Are you people retarded?

 

[Doppel]

It's amazing how fvcking terrible Bush was as president and I know it simply because of this thread. I actually think that a dictator of some country could give a complete presentation including minute details of his WMD program and how he intends to use it and yet we're all so gunshy after Bush's catastrophuck that we'd just assume it was CIA propaganda.

Anyway, really it's just time a cruise missile found itself hitting Assad.

 

[Juror No. 8]

It's amazing how fvcking terrible Bush was as president and I know it simply because of this thread. I actually think that a dictator of some country could give a complete presentation including minute details of his WMD program and how he intends to use it and yet we're all so gunshy after Bush's catastrophuck that we'd just assume it was CIA propaganda.

So you figure we should just accept whatever the CIA says as the truth? The same CIA that carried out the criminal MK-ULTRA program against the American people and then tried like demons to cover it up? LOL.

Wake up, dude. Not everything is about Bush.

 

[cybrsage]

Well clearly if Mittens were in charge he would have already kicked the hell out of Syria and hung another brownie like Saddam. I dislike Democrats but frankly they can let the US collapse into Welfare hell as long as they prevent Republicans from invading Canada or Zimbabwe, or wherever the hell else they want to waste lives over.

You obviously know nothing about Romney. Obama is more of a warmonger than Romney is. If your reason for voting dem is to stop new wars, you had better not vote for Obama.

 

[Agent11]

We all know nothing about Romney because he insists on lying constantly.

 

[cybrsage]

Sure we do. Go to the "what we believe" (or whatever it is called) portion of the Mormon Church official website and you can find what Romney believes. Very simple and easy.

He was also very clear in the debates about his position on war.

 

[uclaLabrat]

You obviously know nothing about Romney. Obama is more of a warmonger than Romney is. If your reason for voting dem is to stop new wars, you had better not vote for Obama.

Well, Obama is a bigger warmonger than Romney after the last debate.

That may or may not change by next week, still need to roll the dice on that one....

 

[cybrsage]

Romney basically parroted the official Mormon Church line on war. I doubt it will change any since they match so well.

 

[Agent11]

In the same breath he was saying that he backs Israel militarily however. And they are pretty hawkish atm.

 

[cybrsage]

He said he would defend Israel, militarily, if Israel was invaded...something we should do for all our allies (it is the primary purpose of being allied). Obama refused to say he would militarily aid our ally. I am certain Romney said this due to the Biblical promise that those who bless Israel will be blessed by God and those who curse Israel will be cursed by God.


EDIT: Hmmm..do we have a treaty of alliance with Israel? Maybe not, I will have to look...
EDIT EDIT: Kinda sorta:

In 1987, Congress designated Israel as a major non-NATO ally...

Today, these strategic ties are stronger than ever. To cite a few examples:

• In early 1997, Israel linked up to the U.S. missile warning satellite system, which will provide Israel with real-time warning if a missile is launched against it.

• Joint military exercises are regularly held. In November 1996, U.S. Marines held training exercises in the Negev.

• A Joint Anti-Terrorism Working Group was created.

• A hotline was established between the Pentagon and the Israeli Defense Ministry.

• The United States continues to fund the research and development of Israeli weapons systems and military equipment including the Arrow missile, the Nautilus Tactical High Energy Laser, the Barak ship self-defense missile system, Bradley Reactive Armor Tiles, Crash-Attenuating Seats, the Have-Nap missile and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.

The strategic cooperation agreements established Israel as a de facto ally of the United States, institutionalized military to military contacts, sent a message to the Arabs that America was not afraid to risk upsetting them and shifted at least part of the focus of relations with Israel from Congress to the Executive Branch.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/special.html

Basically, that would be a Yes. Yes, we should defend Israel militarily if it is attacked...but nothing in writing that says we must (like we have with France, Taiwan, and South Korea).