The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is conducting a very limited fact finding into this month’s accused gas attack in Syria’s Idlib Province, simply determining what sort of chemical people were exposed to.
Russia and Iran were both pushing for a new, bigger investigation, but the OPCW has “overwhelmingly” rejected that idea, arguing that it would harm the credibility of the fact finding mission if they had to carry out the broader investigation seeking specifics.
The Russian proposal sought an investigation into whether or not the chemical exposure was actually an attack with a weapon, how such a weapon would’ve been delivered, and most importantly visiting the Shayrat airbase, which the US attacked after the incident, to follow through on US claims that chemicals are being stored at the site.
The OPCW fact-finding mission found that the people were likely exposed to sarin or something similar, but all the other questions remain totally unanswered. This is likely to be a victory for the West, as the US and other nations have opposed any deeper investigation, claiming Syria’s guilt is obvious.
One more honest investigation like they did in the fall of 2013 and the OPCW chairman might be looking at an early retirement spent in a South American embassy…
On reason it’s obvious to the world that it’s the Syrian army doing the chemical attacks is that the word ‘Sarin’ is being used as a substitute.If you start from sarin to mean ‘millitary grade sarin’, that ‘s the type of gas that points clearly at the Syrian army. But then kitchen-grade sarin is also sarin, so the distinction is blurred. And this was the likely candidate for Ghouta. And about the latest attack OPCW says ‘sarin or similar’ but it’s understood as ‘sarin’ which is understood as ‘military grade sarin’ , therefore syrian army. So the headers say : OPCW confirms sarin attack.
But as Gareth Porter (and others) points out, phosphine has the same neurotoxic effects, and this stuff is available over the shelf because it’s used to kill rats. And it’s a likely candidate in the latest attack.
Not really obvious; the world wouldn’t know the difference between military grade or otherwise, or that sarin is military use and phosphine civilian.
Most would assume that anyone can mix deadly chemicals with the right chemicals, a formula, and equipment.
I look at what the press says, and there it’s generally assumed sarin is highend stuff and that its use always proves the syrian army is the culprit. And it is highend stuff. I do not think even low grade is easy for the rebels to come by and use in time. But it’s a lot easier than military grade, and phosphine is a lot easier again. Only the press does not distinguish between the three cases.
Sarin does not equal SAA in and of itself to most people. ‘Poison gas’ or ‘chemical attack’ is assumed to be military, so if the MSM is trying to meme sarin, its a waste of time; too technical. Identifying the gas would normally be part of a followup story covering the investigation, which the U.S. is thwarting.
Most people will believe what they want to believe on ideological grounds.
Those who use reason understand perfectly well Assad has no reason to use chemical weapons. Furthermore, using them against civilians makes no sense as there are any number of military situations where a chemical attack might be better spent as most DAESH don’t carry gas masks.
Those who need to believe otherwise violate the principle or parsimony and make up elaborate reasons for Assad to do something militarily foolish, like he’s ‘testing’ U.S. resolve or some such thing.
It would be quite possible to source a bit of sarin off the Turks and let it loose at an opportune moment making it look like the Syrian army has had a dumbass attack and dropped a single home-made sarin shell into the middle of a road at dawn to take out a goat and a few civvies still in their beds?. But this doesn’t even seem to have happened here, this event sounds constructed from whole cloth with the “victims” sourced from off-screen (smell factors well explained at http://www.unz.com/article/the-nerve-agent-attack-that-did-not-occur/)
It’s amazing that the Trump Camarilla hasn’t yet dragged Iran into this. Maybe it will be “revealed” tomorrow that Iran provided the “gas”, thus building a watertight casus belli for all NYT readers.
Well the survivors would probably like to know for sure what chemicals they were exposed to as would their doctors, so its not a complete waste of time.
It is a complete waste of time, at best. It is a fig leaf for the West to show due diligence, and determine the obvious — that the chemical weapons were responsible for the death. Yet, the military base from which presumably attack occurred would not be examined for the presence of chemical weapons. If they REALLY wanted to do an honest job, they could easily determine if the chemicals were stockpiled on the ground, vs delivered from the air. But that will not happen. Just as nobody cares about the fact that he same type of chemical weapon was used by ISIS in Iraq. That ISIS sites showed how they manufacture various types of chemical weapons, as well as their in vivo tests on rabbits. Disgusting. ISIS and Al-Qaeda are clearly protected. No deaths of evacuees at the hands of the protected “rebels” has been investigated, or victims cried over. To the victim, it hardly matters how they died. From a drone, a chemical weapon poisoning, regular bombing or shelling, or head chopping. And we seem very intent to prevent peace in Syria, at all costs. So, whatever it takes.
From the standpoint of adequate medical treatment of the victims, not the politics.
Obviously, the OPCW should go to both Khan Shaykhun and the airbase to investigate all of the physical evidence to determine if this was an air attack.
The quote that I am lifting from the article below is a bit ambiguous and squirrelly. They are implying that such an investigation is underway but it might just mean that they are just limiting their investigation to the chemical properties of the WMD. I’m not certain which way they are going with this.
“it would harm the credibility of the fact finding mission if they had to carry out the broader investigation seeking specifics” (also known as facts).
So… finding facts harms the credibility of the “fact finding mission.”
The lunatics are clearly running the asylum.
Or liars running our policy.
How on earth is this going to be a “likely victory for the West”? What is “victory”? The ability to have many “international bodies” staffed by corrupt officials that follow orders by their political masters, is not a victory. On the contrary, it is a defeat. It signals clearly to the rest of the world that the international system of independent bodies is a fraud. While this is really nothing new, as the so called “West” has displayed its colonial habits for a long time. But it has become blatantly disrespectful , without even a fig leaf of legitimacy. I would call it a loss for the “West”, whatever that means to those that associate themselves with the neo-colonial mentality.
A win for the United States would be to show global leadership. By being a leader of the “West”, US is clearly showing to the world the intent to defend and advance only the interests of its own block, at the expense of everybody else –and the expense of the truth itself.
While many cannot appreciate the importance of the respectability of the presumed leader of the globe, and many would even laugh at the need to be mindful of the global image over the short-term juicu morsels of so called “win”, this short-term thinking is damaging American international standing. And this damage is done down to the grass root level globally, with trust gone, and suspicion and defensiveness ripe. It is a real shame that US cannot distance itself from the European mentality and historic models of imperial superiority. Given the American history and the diversity of the population, US has been given a historic opportunity to provide global leadership for the benefit of both the world and the US. But it cannot for whatever reason escape the tentacles of powerbrokers, that seem in a bit of a hurry to control the world.
So, as a result, American people have to accept the fate of being ridiculed around the globe. As we insist that headchoppers are the angels, and the government army that is the only defender of Syria against the barbarism — is the guilty party. Automatically. We are being lampooned and ridiculed around the world. But the short-terming would be emperors do not care about such small matters. They are sure that the military might is all that counts. They are forgetting that those that are investing into defending themselves from the imperial rampage, are thinking much more clearly and coordinating with each other much more intensively then the self-confident imperial thinkers can imagine. It is an absolute shame that at this moment in history we are controlled by the deep state — so obviously, and so shamelessly. This is a moment when US power and economic strength are on the decline, while the rivals are not in a position to decisively deny US its primacy. This is a moment for historic decisions, a moment of a global approach to managing security. US needs to let go of European obsession, and come up with a global security schema with Russia and China. Eliminating any further need for global allegiances by all other nations. Just as the feudal system of continuously warring feudal lords and tribal chieftains was replaced by the security of nation states, so will eventually global security transform the relationships among states. But the current brand of globalist care only about breaking down the nations, to reorder the world according to their own interests, and are thus interested only in maintaining block mentality, to break down and subdue all rivals. That is Hubris that does not see the rising wrath of Nemesis it created.
But in the meantime, we are supposed to cheer our victories in preventing investigagtion that would prove what everbody already knows — the “rebels” in Syria have stockpiled and used chemical weapons on number of occasions, and a number of locations, including Iraq.
And to insure we forget the barbarity of “rebels”, media is no longer reporting their atrocities against Syrian civilians. Suddenly, ISIS is turning over territory to Al-Qaeda in parts of Syria, and both have openly collaborated. NY Times has insured that the public is prepared to support ISIS in fight against “regime”, so that the black flag would fly over Damascus, while the would be rulers of Syria today live in Saudi Arabia. So, our “Western” ally, Saudi Arabia, has pretensions to define what Islam is, or is not, and is using its own Wahhabi barbarism as a template for future emirates, caliphates, or sultanates to not just reshape the Middle East, but to provide a working tool for the “West” in its quest to undermine and jerk around all countries where Moslem population lives. Will it work? So far, the millions of unemployed youth of Middle East, North Africa and beyond have provided a ready made armies for a price of food for their families. But those armies can and will turn against their benefactors, Saudi Arabia, for example. What then? US has become beholden to this approach to global dominance, and will pay the price for its short-sighted stupidity. Those in the deep state, and their not so deep eneblers in the industry and media — will be far away from the harm. They will in the end blame the US people for all the failures and losses. Nothing new.
Umm, no this is not a shame or a tragedy.
Well, you got that right…
I hope for the rest of the world you’re wrong about that, and I think you may be. But the MIC doesn’t really care whether US primacy can or can’t be denied. All that’s important is that they sell their weapons and attain their career objectives. If the Empire is defeated in the process, that’s of secondary importance. If Russia-Iran-Syria-Hezbollah are able to prevail in Syria, that will simply be reason to appropriate more to the military budget. Oh, how I wish the Goths would come finally and sack Washington. Obviously, the American sheeple are not up to it.
That is conclusive, the US does not want the facts to come out, because it knows they are not what it claims.
Move along folks. Move along. Nothing to see here. Just move along.
Only amongst the most gullible or corrupt elements of Western society. In the rest of the world, it will only confirm that the OPCW is totally useless. The ZUS itself has totally destroyed OPCW’s credibility by claiming Assad squirreled away a ton or two of sarin right under the nose of OPCW in 2013.
Why would the Syrian Army use sarin gas, chlorine or what ever and shoot itself in the foot by giving the US and its allies an excellent pretext to attack Syria? What strategic, military or political advantage is gained? That’s always the cardinal question that should be answered.
Why would the Syrian Army use sarin, chlorine or what ever CW and shoot thereby itself in the foot by giving outside military powers a perfect pretext to invade the country. . What strategic, military or political advantage is gained? What sense does that make ? That are the questions that should always been asked and answered, no matter whether it is CW or the downing if MH17. Ce bono ? Who benefits ? Certainly not Syria or Russia.