Coming from a military officer in Canada–“we should learn from history…” and try diplomatic avenues.
The title of the piece is misleading, because from what I’m hearing, the UN has not been shown evidence of chemical weapons being used….why not?
Timeline of Syria’s uprising here.
From the timeline:
February 4, 2012
UN resolution vetoed
Russia and China veto a UN resolution backing calls for Assad’s resignation as president of Syria. The veto prompted international outrage, coming hours after the regime’s bloodiest crackdown in the 10-month old conflict, which the UN had already characterized as a civil war. At least 200 people were reported killed in heavy shelling in Homs. Read more
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May 26, 2012
Alleged Houla massacre
Activists say Syrian regime forces have killed more than 90 people in the Houla area, many of them women and children. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Arab nations and the international community were “partners” in the killing “because of their silence about the massacre that the Syrian regime has committed.” Read more
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June 16, 2012
UN suspends observer mission
International efforts to stop the violence is Syria are disintegrating after the U.N. suspends its observer mission. Major Gen. Robert Mood said rising bloodshed over the past 10 days was posing significant risks to the lives of the 300 unarmed observers in the country, and was impeding their ability to carry out their mandate. Read more
(the UN does go back within a short time period)
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June 25, 2012
Military defections
Dozens of military personnel defect to Turkey overnight. A total of 33 soldiers – including a general and two colonels – slip across the border in the largest defection of members of the military since the uprising began. It comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two countries after Syria shot down a Turkish
warplane.
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July 23, 2012
Chemical weapons threat
The Syrian regime threatens to use its chemical and biological weapons in case of a foreign attack, in its first ever acknowledgement that it possesses weapons of mass destruction. Read more
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May 3, 2013
Israeli air strikes
Israel launches air strikes into Syria over 48 hours. One appears to target a military complex. An Israeli official says they were targeting missile shipments bound for Hezbollah. Read more
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Well…this is disturbing. Jim White writes that the Kerry tried to interfere with the UN gathering evidence for an independent report on whether chemical weapons are being used. And if you follow the NYTimes link, it states that if Sarin was used, the chemical would linger for a long time, and therefore it could be detected long after it was used. Kind of like DDT, eh?
IF there were chemical weapons used…I wonder who sold either the chemicals or the technology to them? Gah, it wouldn’t be Monsanto, now would it? /snark
Eagle 