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Exclusive: Intercepted Calls Prove Syrian Army Used Nerve Gas, U.S. Spies Say
Foreign Policy ^ | 8-27-13 | Posted By Noah Shachtman

Posted on 08/28/2013 5:36:47 AM PDT by quimby

Last Wednesday, in the hours after a horrific chemical attack east of Damascus, an official at the Syrian Ministry of Defense exchanged panicked phone calls with a leader of a chemical weapons unit, demanding answers for a nerve agent strike that killed more than 1,000 people. Those conversations were overheard by U.S. intelligence services, The Cable has learned. And that is the major reason why American officials now say they're certain that the attacks were the work of the Bashar al-Assad regime -- and why the U.S. military is likely to attack that regime in a matter of days.

But the intercept raises questions about culpability for the chemical massacre, even as it answers others: Was the attack on Aug. 21 the work of a Syrian officer overstepping his bounds? Or was the strike explicitly directed by senior members of the Assad regime? "It's unclear where control lies," one U.S. intelligence official told The Cable. "Is there just some sort of general blessing to use these things? Or are there explicit orders for each attack?"

(Excerpt) Read more at thecable.foreignpolicy.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; Government; Israel; News/Current Events; Russia; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 911truthers; chemicalweapons; iran; israel; lebanon; littlebrotherdidit; maheralassad; randsconcerntrolls; russia; syria; turkey; unitedkingdom; waronterror
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I heard rumors of this intel intecept last saturday onn the Brian Suits radio show on KFI640.
1 posted on 08/28/2013 5:36:47 AM PDT by quimby
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To: quimby

my best guess is this is another ruse.


2 posted on 08/28/2013 5:37:53 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: quimby

BTW, the rumor was it was Israeli intel.


3 posted on 08/28/2013 5:38:45 AM PDT by quimby
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To: no-to-illegals
If you're in charge of the military, and you hear wind of a chemical weapons attack that you didn't authorize, I would think the natural response would be to call the guy with the chemical weapons and ask "what the heck was going on?"

And probably with a panicked tone.

4 posted on 08/28/2013 5:40:10 AM PDT by cincinnati65
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To: quimby

Does not make sense that Israel would be backing the mb.


5 posted on 08/28/2013 5:40:19 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: cincinnati65
The only problem I see is if I’m in charge I’m supposed to know. If I don’t know ... it rogue or from the other side. At least that is the way it is supposed to work.
6 posted on 08/28/2013 5:42:17 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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To: no-to-illegals

I agree. Obama knows and understands that if he does not take military action against Assad, he [Assad] will put down the Muslim Brotherhood uprising. Now, he is looking for a pretext to act.


7 posted on 08/28/2013 5:43:15 AM PDT by sport
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To: quimby

Personally I don’t believe it and even if I did I wouldn’t care. Its not my problem.

Those who want a war need to man up, organize, and go fight on their own dime.


8 posted on 08/28/2013 5:43:21 AM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: no-to-illegals

Exactly. So calling up in a panicked tone would be indicative that I suspect it might be a rogue leader. If it was confirmed it didn’t come from my side, I could assume it was my enemy.


9 posted on 08/28/2013 5:43:51 AM PDT by cincinnati65
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To: cripplecreek

I agree.


10 posted on 08/28/2013 5:43:52 AM PDT by sport
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To: quimby

Should make no difference to the USA. This is a civil war and the American people don’t need to spend lives and money only to be hated regardless of which group of 7th century sand monkeys win.

Tell them to give us a call when the fighting is finished and let us know who won (like it makes any difference).

The entire Middle East is filled with low grade sub-human clans who hate each other and have done so for centuries. A few missiles launched by the Prophet Obunghole will not solve this conflict.

The USA will be hated if we support monkey A or monkey B or no monkeys so lets just save our troops and money.


11 posted on 08/28/2013 5:44:09 AM PDT by Wurlitzer (Nothing says "ignorance" like Islam! 969)
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To: quimby

And they were probably all speaking English...


12 posted on 08/28/2013 5:44:14 AM PDT by Cowboy Bob (Democrats: Robbing Peter to buy Paul's vote.)
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To: no-to-illegals

Not at all.


13 posted on 08/28/2013 5:44:27 AM PDT by sport
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To: quimby

Sure, you can trust us. We are the government.

DDNL - Different Day New Lie v. NDDL - New Day Different Lie

What’s the difference? I have zero trust in government and given the militarization of our police, rapaciousness of our government and the recipients of its largesse, and the nationwide spying via American Internet and computer companies.

The computer companies are the ones that kill me the most. They love social engineering and manipulation... for marketing purposes only. They’ve got the heart of a porn mogul and the skills of a technomage - that spells slavery and tyranny.


14 posted on 08/28/2013 5:45:05 AM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: quimby

Sounds to me like a rogue commander might have ordered this, if this is true. Can this still be blamed on Assad?


15 posted on 08/28/2013 5:45:41 AM PDT by rawhide
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To: no-to-illegals
Does not make sense that Israel would be backing the mb.

Doesn't make sense to me, but the israeli's seem to be supporting US action.

16 posted on 08/28/2013 5:45:44 AM PDT by quimby
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To: quimby

http://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-intercepted-syrian-regime-chatter-on-chemical-attack/


17 posted on 08/28/2013 5:47:04 AM PDT by Perdogg (Cruz-Paul 2016)
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To: cripplecreek

Dear Saudi Arabia and Sunni Muslim Extremists Everywhere,

We will not fight your proxy war against Iran and Shia Islam. Go at it, fellas.

Sincerely,

America

PS we’ve wasted too much blood and treasure on you already. We’ll not waste our heroes. We need them at home.


18 posted on 08/28/2013 5:47:29 AM PDT by 1010RD (First, Do No Harm)
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To: quimby

It’s a “slam dunk”. Also, there really was a battle in the Gulf of Tonkin.


19 posted on 08/28/2013 5:47:51 AM PDT by glorgau
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To: quimby

strange ... have not read anything along that line. I’ll go look around, a bit.


20 posted on 08/28/2013 5:47:57 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Scrutinize our government and Secure the Blessing of Freedom and Justice)
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