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STATE DEPT. SPOKESWOMAN ADMIT U.S. DOESN'T KNOW IF ASSAD ORDERED CHEMICAL ATTACK
www.theBLAZE.com ^
| Aug. 29, 2013
| Sara Carter
Posted on 08/30/2013 5:24:14 AM PDT by Yosemitest
STATE DEPT. SPOKESWOMAN ADMIT U.S. DOESN'T KNOW IF ASSAD ORDERED CHEMICAL ATTACK
Aug. 29, 2013 by Sara Carter
State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf let the cat out of the bag Wednesday when she admitted to reporters that the U.S. government is not sure whether President Bashar Assad ordered the chemical attack that led to the deaths of hundreds of people last week.
United Nations inspectors had arrived in Syria just days before the chemical attack took place, leaving many foreign affairs experts and intelligence officials perplexed as to why Assad would order such an attack and face the wrath of the international community.
Harf staunchly defended any impending U.S. airstrikes on Syria as she was being grilled by reporters.
When asked by a reporter, Do you believe (Assad) ordered this attack? Harf responded, I dont know the answer to that.
She noted that it is Assad who is essentially responsible for his regime, regardless of whether a rogue officer ordered the attack or not.
Foreign Policys The Cable reported Tuesday that U.S. officials are basing their assessment that the Assad regime is responsible for the attack off a phone call intercepted by U.S. intelligence. According to the report, a Ministry of Defense official was demanding answers of a commander in charge of a chemical weapons site about the attack.
Other U.S. officials told TheBlaze that the rockets and delivery systems used in the chemical strike and the location from which the attacks were launched point to Assads regime.
Read Harfs full exchange with reporters at Wednesdays briefing below:
QUESTION: I wonder if you could flesh that out for us a bit, because as you know, in the deployment of a chemical weapons or a chemical weapon or munitions armed with chemical weapons, there are several layers through which an order has to proceed. And I wonder if you are telling us that you believe that President Assad himself maintains full control, command and control, over the chemical weapons arsenal, or whether you think that that control is exercised at some mid level. Tell us what you mean when you say you think the regime maintains full control.
MS. HARF: Its a good question, and I dont have a lot of information about that for you. If I can share more about that, I will. I think Id make a few points, that we ultimately, of course, hold President Assad responsible for the use of chemical weapons by his regime against his own people, regardless of where the command and control lies. I dont have more details for you on that specifically. Obviously, weve said that the regime maintains control of these weapons and that the opposition, of course, doesnt have the capability to use them. And if I have more to share with you about the specific command and control, I will. I just dont at this time.
QUESTION: Do you believe that he ordered this attack?
MS. HARF: I dont know the answer to that.
QUESTION: If he but if he or his people didnt have anything I dont understand how you can say it doesnt matter where the command and control lies.
MS. HARF: I didnt say it doesnt matter. He is ultimately held responsible for the actions of his regime.
QUESTION: Of his regime.
QUESTION: Regardless
MS. HARF: Regardless.
QUESTION: Regardless of whether he
MS. HARF: Right.
QUESTION: said
MS. HARF: Not that it doesnt matter.
QUESTION: How can you hold him accountable regardless of where the command and control is? If the command and control doesnt rest within him or his people below him in the food chain, how do you hold him responsible?
MS. HARF: Well, lets be clear. The commander-in-chief of any military is ultimately responsible for decisions made under their leadership, even if command and control hes not the one that pushes the button or said, Go, on this. And again, I dont know what the facts are here. Im just, broadly speaking, saying that he is responsible for the actions of his regime. Im not intimately familiar with the command and control structure of the Syrian military. Im just not. But again, he is responsible ultimately for the decisions that are made.
QUESTION: So it doesnt matter to you whether he personally gave the order? It doesnt
MS. HARF: He is responsible at the same level
QUESTION: It doesnt matter
MS. HARF: either way.
QUESTION: It doesnt either way, depending on
MS. HARF: And again, I just actually dont know the facts here.
QUESTION: Just let me make sure I understand.
QUESTION: What do you mean by either way?
QUESTION: Just let me make sure I understand. It does not matter whether President Assad himself gave an order to use chemical weapons?
MS. HARF: He is responsible for their use.
QUESTION: It doesnt matter; is that correct?
MS. HARF: He is responsible either way, yes.
QUESTION: So if some rogue officer did this, its still his responsibility?
MS. HARF: Thats well, (a) yes. But thats also a wildly conjecturous question that I think in no way theres
QUESTION: Ill stick with
MS. HARF: evidence thats supporting it right now.
QUESTION: Ill stick with (a), but thank you.
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: christian; ibtz; murder; muslim; nuttery; obama
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To: MestaMachine
Too bad most of the US didn’t see that clip. It certainly won’t be gven much air time on the obana broadcasting networks and print media. He is determined to light the fuse.
21
posted on
08/30/2013 6:25:07 AM PDT
by
freeangel
( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like it)
To: MestaMachine
To: WayneS
I guess, if the ILLEGAL ALIEN IN CHIEF wants to keep with the
idea of bombing the guilty, he
must bomb the Muslim Brotherhood!
But wait and remember.
He said he'd ALWAYS stand with the Muslims!
So that make Obama guilty of the chemical attack, also!
23
posted on
08/30/2013 6:38:31 AM PDT
by
Yosemitest
(It's Simple ! Fight, ... or Die !)
To: Admin Moderator
WHY did you remove this from the NEWS forum and from “EDITORIAL” ?
24
posted on
08/30/2013 6:56:37 AM PDT
by
Yosemitest
(It's Simple ! Fight, ... or Die !)
To: Jim Robinson
Are you aware ... that your moderators REMOVE NEWS form the NEWS FORUM ?
I want to know WHY?
We have a rogue pResident who knows and is blaming the wrong people for the chemical attacks in Syria.
25
posted on
08/30/2013 7:01:31 AM PDT
by
Yosemitest
(It's Simple ! Fight, ... or Die !)
To: MestaMachine; Yosemitest
26
posted on
08/30/2013 7:09:16 AM PDT
by
danamco
(-)
To: Jim Robinson
This was originally posted under News and "foreign; government; news; editorial" and it should be RETURN to its original posting.
27
posted on
08/30/2013 7:10:54 AM PDT
by
Yosemitest
(It's Simple ! Fight, ... or Die !)
To: VRWCarea51
>>>She noted that it is Assad who is essentially responsible for his regime, regardless of whether a rogue officer ordered the attack or not.
I like that mind set. Now can we focus on Recently Convicted Former Major Hasad and his terrorist activities?<<<
Down with Obamao!
To: Yosemitest
Sorry, but when I see that little girl Marie Harf I can only think that she is an overgrown Harry Potter fan. I am sure she is an educated woman, but seriously.....
To: SoFloFreeper
Nobody’s buying her selling of the Kenyan Turd’s lies.
30
posted on
08/30/2013 9:46:25 AM PDT
by
Yosemitest
(It's Simple ! Fight, ... or Die !)
To: bray
Notice the silence of the anti-war movement? Speaking of silence...
Has a presidential approval rating poll been released since the Rodeo Clown Diplomacy regarding Syria broke the news?
31
posted on
08/30/2013 10:27:30 AM PDT
by
null and void
(Bush: Cowboy Diplomacy. Obama: Rodeo Clown Diplomacy.)
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