Posted on 08/21/2013 6:00:03 AM PDT by NYer
Rockets with toxic agents were launched at the suburbs of the Ghouta region early on Wednesday as part of a major bombardment on rebel forces, they say.
The Syrian army says the accusations have been fabricated to cover up rebel losses.
The main opposition alliance said that more than 1,000 people were killed by the attacks.
Activist networks also reported death tolls in the hundreds, but these could not be independently confirmed.
It is also not clear how many died in the bombardment of the sites and how many deaths were due to any exposure to toxic substances.
In a statement, the army described the accusations of chemical weapons use as grave, and stressed the military's right to fight what it described as terrorism in Syria.
It accused the opposition of fabricating the accusations to divert attention from the huge losses its forces had suffered recently. 'Shocking escalation'
UK Foreign Secretary William Hague and French President Francois Hollande called for UN inspectors to be allowed access to the area and said Britain and France would raise the issue at the UN.
If confirmed, the attacks would mark a "shocking escalation in the use of chemical weapons in Syria", Mr Hague said.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...
They are “sleeping” under a sheet that is covered with ice.
Look closely.
“They are “sleeping” under a sheet that is covered with ice.
Look closely.”
They are good at staging the scenes. Shame that one of the kids is trying to open his to see what the camera men are doing.Seen that sh.iite before.
Last week in Egypt they were staging the same kind of propaganda.Unfortunately the Egyptian army was filming the islamists doing the scenes.
Why not laugh? Obama is the world’s biggest joke.
Exactly... there’s no skin discoloration or deformation that is typical of death.
Sorry, jihadis... FAIL.
No mention of the agent used.
Remember when a rocket hit a chemical tank, and it was broadcast as an attack? Could be the same thing. If there was an ammonia refrigeration station that got hit, that could be the source.
Hmm. I didn’t realize that I was in the presence of three forensic pathologists. I’m not sure even Cyril Wecht would go as far out on the limb based on a single photo that you all seem to be willing to go.
Time may tell what happened here, but I have no confidence that all of the facts will ever be known. And skepticism is warranted, based on prior history and is reflected throughout the news coverage. Sarin (GB) is pretty volatile, and won’t stick around long in the desert environment. However, Soman (GD) was more of a favorite of the Russians since the antidotes didn’t work as well (the acetylcholinesterase ages too fast). Being a client of the USSR, I’d have thought that Assad would lean toward their preferred flavors of WMD.
But I will defer to your expertise in the matter.
Can’t aree more. The muzzies are loosing out there. They invent such “horror stories” for they urgently need some shocking sensation to ivoke sympathy from the international community. Besides, Assad ain’t so silly to deploy the chems right after the UN inspectors arrived in the country to check out allegations of a WMD use.
Ammonia is lighter than air and boils at -28 degrees Fahrenheit. In the middle east, I’d expect it to go pretty much straight up. It certainly wouldn’t create hundreds of casualties unless they were in really close proximity.
The news coverage contains repeated references to symptoms that are indicative of nerve agent (salivation, lacrimation, urination, defecation, gastric distress, emesis, miosis). Is it real or is it Memorex? Only when and if someone gets there with the right knowledge and equipment will we know for sure what the agent was.
Blood tests on the survivors would be revealing. People exposed to nerve agent will have suppressed levels of acetylcholinesterase for a prolonged period. It is replaced only at a rate of 1% per day, IIRC.
*healthy reference in no way reflects a medical opinion. Readers should consult their own physician/clinician to determine what is healthy for them. Results may vary.
Granted - and my tone was a little abrasive.
There aren’t any angels in this conflict except for the dead children. They are the victims of both sides. And there are dead children. There are thousands of real casualties, a lot of them non-combatants, and both sides are exploiting them for all they are worth. It is worth the time to dig a little into the story.
And its not like arab dictators are above sliming their civilian populace. Halabja was no stage-managed photo op.
Fox ran a story with video and warned to look away . . . I had to look away.
Apparently you haven’t seen the videos....they’re very disturbing, & no, they aren’t actors
PLease view some of the awful videos...if you dare
Clearly. The question remains however as to which subhuman savages perpetrated this atrocity. Asisi, or the MB, or let's face it, the CIA?
Since it is a fact that our government perpetually lies to us, and given that the media perpetually propagates those lies, what are we to believe?
I suggest this: That the Syrian government is evil. That the terrorists fighting the government are evil. That America would be better served in refraining to aid, abet, or advocate on either side of evil.
I didn’t say there weren’t chemical weapons used....it just does not add up that the Syrian government would sanction their use, especially right now. Anything is possible, but I don’t think the Syrian government wants the grief that would come from using them. THey seem more than capable of killing plenty of people the old fashioned way.
Chemical weapons scare people more than gunfire.
Maybe the Syrian gov’t didn’t do it. Maybe it was alQaeda or the MB.
“PLease view some of the awful videos...if you dare”
Pallywoood...all fake. all set up by clever marketing.
It is all lies.
I am amazed people fall for it....
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.