President Macron recently stated that he has „proof“ that CW were used in Douma and that is was the Syrian Army. Now the French govt has released the „evaluation nationale“ but it seems no-one is paying attention to it.
https://www.defense.gouv.fr/content/download/528742/9123389/file/180414%20-%20Syrie%20-%20Synthe%CC%80se%20-%20Les%20faits.pdf
After reading the document carefully one can only reach one conclusion:
There is NO PROOF whatsover in this evaulation and it is obviously addressed to an audience considered to be incapable of critical thought. The format of the document is rather revealing because it contains no offical ID from a French „service“ or ministry (just „Republique Francaise“) and the authors are unknown (so no official takes personal responsibility for its content, like the phony „assessment“ on CW released by the WH in 2017)
https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3553049/Syria-Chemical-Weapons-Report-White-House.pdf
In order to find out who committed a crime, forensic evidence is extremely important, as we all know from detective thrillers and court-room dramas. But in this case, there is NO FORENSIC EVIDENCE (no criminal investigation by a CSI-unit). There are only unverified pics and videos posted on YouTube by the White Helmets (WH).
It is impossible to verify WHERE these pics/vids were taken and also WHEN because the metadata have been tempered with. The WH of course have NO CREDIBILITY whatsoever, being a cover for the massive „strategic information“ (incessantly demonizing Assad) created by MI6, who also ran the massive PR for the artificial „rebels“ in Syria. (See voltairenet.org for more on this).
And yet this is the basis for the „assessment“ of the French govt. They write that
„French experts have analyzed the symptoms (visible in the pics and vids) … which can be described as follows (respiratory distress, asphyxiation, cyanosis, skin-burns, excessive salivation, etc.) Taken together, these symptoms are characteristic für a CW-attack, especially for suffocating-agents. The use of asthma-sprays supports the thesis that such agents were used.“
So instead of a forensic examination and autopsy, all we get is an interpretation of symptoms to fit the frame of the Assad-gasses-his-own-people horror-narrative. To this, they add statements from anonymous people working (in Douma) for medical NGOs like UOSSM (created in France in 2011, PR-front group) and SAMS (US directed front group) who claim that about a hundred people „stormed“ their health facilities in Douma and at least 40 died as a result of the CW-attack.
They use medical staff of course as „CREDIBILITY-ENHANCERS“ because in general people tend to trust doctors, nurses and paramedics, hence the „White Helmets“ (and the faux „nurse“ telling the heat-wrenchning, invented tale of the incubator-babies in Iraq)
I asked a friend who works for one of the biggest chemical companies in Germany (BASF) about the symptoms and he said they are consistent with a chlorine-exposure but that does NOT mean that it could ONLY have been chlorine. Very similar symptoms occur when people have been exposed to SMOKE-INHALATION (German: Rauchgasvergiftung)
And now it gets really interesting because a video has been released by Russian and Syrian TV stations in which two medical students who work for the emergency department of the Douma hospital, say that the people shown in the WH-video had indeed been exposed to SMOKE-INHALATION. (see links below)
A house in Douma had been hit by an airstrike which caused a fire in the lower floors and the partial collapse of the upper floors. So these people had breathing difficulties and were taken to the emergency dept of the hospital where they were given first aid. Suddenly some men appeared and shouted „this was a gas-attack!“. They then began to douse the patients with cold water (from a hose), which caused panic (children screamed of course). These „dramatic“ scenes were filmed then the strangers disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.
I cannot verify if these medical students told the truth, but given the political context, I have much more reason to believe them than the White Helmets or the French DGSE.
Just one more thing, the brochure from BASF about the dangers of chlorine contains one sentence that caught my eye:
„Wasser verstärkt die oxidative und ätzende Wirkung von Chlor“
(Water exacerbates the corrosive effect of chlorine (because hydrochlorid acid is formed through the moisture
So why would medical experts then hose down these alleged „chlorine“ victims? Of course they would not. So this too, seems to show that the whole scene was staged.

Posted by: Cassandra | Apr 17 2018 18:02 utc | 4

Alleged Israeli attack on southern Syrian airstrip last night, still tentatively reported on SouthFront but now “officially” denied by SANA and not remarked at all by Russia. Lots of twitter activity from various accounts in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel reporting jet activity, successful interception, and even a big explosion around Golan Heights…
What is going on here?

Posted by: WJ | Apr 17 2018 18:07 utc | 6

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/17/syria-crisis-medics-intimidated-over-douma-gas-attack
I can hardly believe that I actually read an article like this.
First they delay the OPCW then they claim that Russia and Syria cleaned up the site – several acres where gas was spread all over but those Russians caN clean it all in 24 hours, every trace. They can also hide all the bodies.
Now we here that the medical staff are intimidated and can’t say who was treated for what?
But…but…where are the 500 victims???
This is shear desperation and totally P-A-T-H-E-T-I-C

Posted by: Babyl-on | Apr 17 2018 18:14 utc | 8

maybe you need this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Test_Card_F#/media/File:Testcard_F.jpg

Posted by: Helen Stillburn | Apr 17 2018 18:14 utc | 10

@8,
The public will totally buy it. We have been conditioned to fear the Russians for a reason after all. Anybody in their vicinity would tell them what they want to hear–otherwise they could get Skripaled.

Posted by: WJ | Apr 17 2018 18:18 utc | 12

Wall Street Journal is reporting that Erik Prince (founder of notorious mercenary army, Blackwater, and brother of current Secretary of Education, Betsy De Vos) is negotiating with Trump Administration to build mercenary army to replace US soldiers in Syria. They are looking for Saudi Arabia to partially fund it.
This privatization of war could be what Trump meant when he said US troops would be leaving Syria, and “other people” will take over.

Posted by: Daniel | Apr 17 2018 18:39 utc | 14

The Barzeh Institute in Damascus was part of a larger complex, Damascus no. 1 Tech institute, HIAST. (higher inst. of app. sci. and tech.)
https://hiast.edu.sy/en/about-us
https://hiast.edu.sy/en/contact-us
It is well respected in some European countries (exchange of students, graduates, qualifications, etc. .. see the relations with France for ex.) I couldn’t turn up a map of the district with clear labels / the damage… this article gives it a try (don’t agree with all it says, see maps):
Sott news
It was (imho) just an ordinary lab facility, probably over-used, for multiple purposes, incl. training students. The very idea that chem weapons were developed / produced there is grotesque. Note that in the pix of the rubble (google it) one can intuit that it was at least partially emptied out before the attack. The usual stuff which spills about, like furniture, computers, file cabinets, curtains, piles of paper, sci. equipment like huge fridges, lab benches, blackboards, endless chairs, lights, etc. is missing.

Posted by: Noirette | Apr 17 2018 18:44 utc | 16

Can’t remember where I read it, but the Barzah research center is where the OPCW hangs its hat when it’s conducting investigations in Syria. On March 13 of this year, it was certified by the OPCW as free of chemical weapons and technology. https://www.opcw.org/fileadmin/OPCW/EC/88/en/ec88dg01_e_.pdf
It’s work included the “chemical and bacteriological pollution of rivers, sewage treatment and the construction of waste water treatment facilities, plastics, [and] high performance lubricants.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barzah_scientific_research_centre (.) So it would have had chemical analytical technology. And almost beyond doubt, it is where Russia and Syrian officials would have stored samples from Douma along with chain of custody proof in anticipation of OPCW investigators’ arrival on site.
This suggests that the timing of the missile attack might have been aimed at destroying any such samples and chain of custody evidence before the OPCW began work, originally scheduled for the next day. The destruction of the center might also explain why there was a one-day delay in OPCW investigators beginning their work.

Posted by: Paul E. Merrell, J.D. | Apr 17 2018 18:46 utc | 18

Of interest, since I haven’t seen any links to the information before:

Mohsen Shebli⁦
‏ @_mohsenshebli
Social Media reports : 2 Saudi officers and 1 British officer fighting alongside terrorist groups were captured by the #SAA in the #EasternGhouta #Syria
6:55 AM – 7 Mar 2018

https://twitter.com/_mohsenshebli/status/971398818884440065?lang=en (with photo).
See also;

Shaamtimes says in March 2018 a group of British intelligence officers was taken captive by the Syrian troops in Kafr Batna.[1] Another three soldiers were captured during a battle in Eastern Ghouta, among them an American and two Israelis.
The Sultanate of Oman was the one to negotiate a release of the captives on behalf of the USA and Great Britain.
There may surely be a connection between the release of the officers possessing some classified materials and a visit of U.S. Defense Secretary to Oman on March 11, 2018.
Both the successful clearance operation in Eastern Ghouta by the Syrian Army and the capture of the intelligence officers could shock the Western countries deeply. It also may serve to explain the early U.S. threats to strike Damascus.

A Jaunger, International Coalition Soldiers Captured by Syrian Army, Inside Syria Media Center (2 April 2018), https://en.insidesyriamc.com/2018/04/02/international-coalition-soldiers-captured-by-syrian-army/
[1] Kafr Batna is in Eastern Ghouta. SOHR reported that the Syrian Army took control of that town on 17 March 2018. Anon., Fears for the Lives of Civilians after the Regime Forces Advanced in the Southwestern Pocket of the Eastern Ghouta under Heavy Fire Cover, SOHR (17 March 2018), http://www.syriahr.com/en/?p=86977

Posted by: Paul E. Merrell, J.D. | Apr 17 2018 18:50 utc | 20

@14,
Why stop a war when you could privatize it! Brilliant!
That’s the kind of American genius that truly makes the
world a better place.

Posted by: WJ | Apr 17 2018 18:57 utc | 22

“There is no other plausible scenario” means “I cannot think of any other explanation”. Put that way, it is obviously a confession of inadequacy rather than an objective statement.
Posted by: Tom Welsh | Apr 17, 2018 2:15:02 PM | 11
Actually, this is not a confession but a symptom. In the area of expert systems there is a notion of “closed world assumption”, running inference engine on the set of collected facts with the assumption that only those thing may happen that are reflected in those facts. An example is that (those of us who drive) we believe that turning key in the ignition will start the engine, pressing the brake pedal will slow down the car etc., and that allows us to operate efficiently EVEN THOUGH we may recall that when the battery was down turning the key in ignition was futile, and after postponing break repair for too long, break pedal was also sadly non-operational.
There are two points here. One point is that very little can be said with certainty using “pure logic”, so we need some shortcuts. So far, so good. But who controls the content of that “closed world” that contains “everything that is plausible”? One can argue that a British Prime Minister and other members of the Privy Council would tell a total, raw, unfermented, pungent cow manure at most once per decade, so the chance that this is such a rare occasion is minuscule. But that of course never happens.
In practice either we keep such events in “our closed world” and thus another case is “plausible”, or we do not, and in that case we cannot make any reference to it, however hypothetical or dismissive. I could restate the symptomatic sentence with an impossible addition in square brackets:
“There is no other possible scenario [on the admittedly short list that I am allowed/able to consider]”.

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Apr 17 2018 19:14 utc | 24

@3 lozion… thanks for the link… an interesting note to it.. jeffery sachs is mentioned quite a bit due his role in the shock therapy approach to russia in the 90’s… he was recently interviewed on morning joe.. what he has to say is well worth the watch.. 5 minute video..

Posted by: james | Apr 17 2018 19:23 utc | 26

Trump’s Trade War vs China will end in defeat as the time’s long past for China to be hurt by the various tariffs and sanctions being applied. This backgrounder concludes thusly:
“A concerted Washington attack on Chinese trade policies may be all but inevitable. Complex global supply chains will suffer, while prices inflate. Naturally, Beijing will move key pieces in its global asset chessboard, which could affect US bonds and equities.
“No one will profit from a trade war between two huge, interconnected economies accounting for nearly 25% of global trade, 20% of global services, and more than a third of global output.
“Yet even if that was to happen, it would not be enough to halt the long profitable march of digital China.”
This report’s more up-to-date and contains a link to a PDF doc entitled Made in China: 2025 laying out Xi’s game plan. Then there’s this recently published Global Times editorial dealing with China’s first round of counter-sanctions on the Outlaw US Empire. Pepe concludes thusly:
“US industrialists are in a very delicate position – as they have massively invested in China; transferred technology to China; and even use Chinese technology themselves – as supply lines are global. If a tech wall would ever be erected between American and Chinese companies, Europeans would gladly replace the Americans.”
Then of course, Trump lies about China and Russia being currency manipulators as explained here.
It appears that Trump’s Trade War is already a complete failure just as with the many sanctions levied against Russia for much the same reason–both Russia and China can exist and grow their economies without needing the Exceptional Nation whatsoever as the ball and chain is actually attached to Uncle Scam’s leg.

Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 17 2018 19:23 utc | 28

cra·ven
ˈkrāvən
adjective
1.
contemptibly lacking in courage; cowardly.
Mcraven, MacRaven — a chap or a lass of Scottish descent

Posted by: Piotr Berman | Apr 17 2018 19:25 utc | 30

Yes, craven’s a very apt adjective describing those in Western/G-7 leadership positions since 1980.

Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 17 2018 19:31 utc | 32

S300s to Syria is a threat, not a promise. Israel would likely attack the system if installed. There would probably need to be an agreement between Russia and Israel for this to happen without increasing the risk of a larger conflict. Seems to me a negotiating position not likely to be followed through unless diplomacy is abandoned.

Posted by: the pessimist | Apr 17 2018 19:37 utc | 34

Cassandra @4: The sentence in the BASF manual is not “Wasser verstärkt die oxidative und ätzende Wirkung von Chlor” but “Wasser verstärkt die oxidative und ätzende Wirkung“ and refers to hypochlorous acid.
Otherwise, thanks.

Posted by: Cherrycoke | Apr 17 2018 19:49 utc | 36

Erik Prince is an extremely well-connected, jet-set private MIC contractor. This hired gun became known after 911 as the boss of Blackwater. Need Dirty Deeds done extra-expensive? Who you gonna call? Not Ghostbusters.
Young buck, Erik came of age during the Dick Cheney Cost++++ Admin (8yrs), he stuck around (with name change – Xe) with fake liberal, fake populist, grinning O-bomber (8yrs) – continued to milk the public teat for multi-millions and he’s still doing it with Trump (2yrs+). Like Henry Kissinger, there’s no indication that he will ever go away. Even got his sister hired on to destroy public education.
Does this guy know where the bodies are buried, or what?

Posted by: fastfreddy | Apr 17 2018 19:56 utc | 38

Correction: I suppose the build up will be in the Mediterranean Sea and not “the gulf”.

Posted by: fastfreddy | Apr 17 2018 20:12 utc | 40

The UN Charter established six main organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council and the General Assembly. It gives primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security to the Security Council, which may meet whenever peace is threatened. The five permanent members of the Security Council are: China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Recently three permanent Security Council members who share primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security , US UK & France, attacked Syria, a violation of the UN Charter and a perversion of their exalted positions.
The General Assembly occupies a central position as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations. The Assembly may take action in cases of a threat to the peace, breach of peace or act of aggression, when the Security Council has failed to act owing to the negative vote of a permanent member. There has been no negative vote in this Syria matter but there has been a gross violation of the UN Charter by the actions of the three UNSC permanent members.
Accordingly, a special session of the General Assembly should be called by a majority of the Members of the United Nations and the three countries should be censured for their illegal attack on Syria.

Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 17 2018 21:05 utc | 42

@9 WJ: Thanks for the clarification. Kinda makes one wonder what a retooled attempts might
look like. At some point there has to be a “South Ossetia Tipping Point” of sorts.

Posted by: Chevrus | Apr 17 2018 21:06 utc | 44

I’ve been puzzling over the frequent claims that Western Special Forces were “embedded” with the Jihadists.
This is an article by Seymour Hersh, via a comment on SST by “ISL”, about the Khan Shaykhun alleged poison gas attack –
https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article165905578/Trump-s-Red-Line.html
– and this is the passage that caught my attention:-
“One reason for the Russian message to Washington about the intended target was to ensure that any CIA asset or informant who had managed to work his way into the jihadist leadership was forewarned not to attend the meeting. I was told that the Russians passed the warning directly to the CIA. “They were playing the game right,” the senior adviser said.”
We know that Syrian Intelligence had penetrated many Jihadist groups. It is therefore likely that Western Intelligence agents had done the same.
Could the existence of such “assets” or “informants” account for the frequent reports that there are Western Special Forces embedded with the Jihadis?
Could that also account for the fact that if those Western “assets” are in place then neither the Syrians nor the Russians would wish to expose them when they are found amongst groups of defeated or surrendered Jihadists? That would account for the frequent complaints on the more partisan pro-Syrian websites that the Russians keep passing up the chance of a propaganda victory by putting such “assets” on public display when found.
The whole question of Western support for the Jihadists in Syria is a vexed one. For my part I believe that we went further than merely hoping they’d unseat Assad. We were instrumental in supplying arms, training, and indeed foreign Juhadists. We did this on the transparent pretext that we were helping “moderate” rebels. We ourselves were therefore largely responsible for the death and destruction visited on the Syrian people.
But, for all the claims made, I’ve seen no proof put forward that we went further than that and were directing or assisting the Jihadist onslaught. Nor that we were doing this indirectly through mercenaries and the like. This is in contrast to our activities in the Ukraine, where it was clear that Western forces of one sort or another were directing or assisting the Ukrainian forces.
Perhaps there’s been no proof put forward because it simply didn’t happen in Syria. Those claimed “embedded” Western Forces were merely intelligence “assets” of the type Sy Hersh refers to. Is this a reasonable conclusion to come to on the basis of what is known of our involvement in the Syrian conflict?

Posted by: English Outsider | Apr 17 2018 21:19 utc | 46

English Outsider 44
“I believe that we went further than merely hoping they’d unseat Assad.”
There was a credible interview of an ISIS commander sometime last year, he stated that they had direct guidance and on-the ground advisors from many countries, implied US, UK, and Israel at least were supplying things like maps, satellite data and other information about their opponents. He spoke of a fully equipped, modern command center.
In addition there is US news about training, arming and paying these attackers. The US has supplied false end user certificates for literally tons of armaments and munitions bought from eastern European countries that have ramped up factories to produce AK-47s, ammunition and more. The EUCs state that the destination for the weapons is US however they are passed on to rebel forces.
I believe “we” went further than merely hoping too.

Posted by: jonku | Apr 17 2018 21:42 utc | 48

@ 14 Dave, let them privatize their Syrian war effort. It will be a clusterfuck and continuous looting of public funds like everything else they privatize.

Posted by: Augustin L | Apr 17 2018 21:56 utc | 50

Adding that this Bilal Abdul Kareem or whatever he’d renamed himself studied Arabic in the middle east for years in order to “be able to read the Koran”. Who.Does.This. Not even Louis Farrakhan. Certainly not your run-of-the-mill African American convert to Islam, which he portrays himself as. So to me it sounds like a CIA or similar education, with a very flimsy cover.
And certainly there are others like him w better cover and less facetime exposure.

Posted by: sejomoje | Apr 17 2018 21:59 utc | 52

@44
It’s a good question.
My response: where’s the distinction between “arming and training” and “directing and assisting”?
Then, if you do find a distinction there: where’s the distinction between “arming and training in the field” and “directing and assisting”?

Posted by: Castellio | Apr 17 2018 22:03 utc | 54

Seems jaw-dropping Russia denied Syria’s request for S300 given Israel is now making almost daily bombing os Syria. What was Putin thinking?
A bit depressing. The only thing that might be saving Russia is the bloated defense weapons of the U.S. geared too much for profit.

Posted by: timbers | Apr 17 2018 22:16 utc | 56

Jonku @ 46,
Thanks. The information in your penultimate paragraph is near as dammit certain. Also Israeli assistance, though the report from a UN observer was of an observation made at a distance. Also there’s a lot of murky stuff about MI6 or their pals doing propaganda work though I doubt we’ll ever get to the bottom of that. If it wasn’t Obama romancing, then his admission that they “didn’t throw a bunch of airstrikes” at ISIS when they were going into Iraq, and that that was to put pressure on the then Iraqi government, is further proof that we weren’t interested in saving the local populations from atrocities but were using ISIS for our own purposes. I suppose my intense disillusionment with Obama stems from the realisation then that he’d swallowed the Brzezinski nonsense and had bought into the Grand Chessboard; and tough luck on the pawns. That was when for me he ceased to be the mouthy, ineffectual but well intentioned loser and became the standard model Drone King. Welcome to the world of the neocon psychos, Mr President.
So there’s all that. As you say, we did go further than “merely hoping”.
But where’s the proof for the pre-penultimate paragraph? Are the Syrians now showing journalists round the remnants of the command centre? Are the more credible pro-Syrian journalists giving us chapter and verse? Do we not undercut our true statement that we’ve visited mayhem on the Syrians by advancing that further unproved statement that our forces fought with the Jihadis?
Maybe it’ll come out later, but nothing solid’s come out yet and there’s been time for it. That’s why I put in my query. Maybe we should put up or shut up on that one.
By the way, “we” means just that. We voted the bastards in, after all.

Posted by: English Outsider | Apr 17 2018 22:26 utc | 58

Douma Chemical Attack False Flag Operation Exposed
https://youtu.be/vSrRV-zdNic
” I think there was a pre-planned coordination to stage this chemical attack.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 17 2018 22:43 utc | 60

@51 Thanks for the transcript. Stephen Saker is being intentionally provocative and impolite. His audience expects it. It’s really just entertainment.
Lavrov knows the game and he handled it in a mature, sensible way.

Posted by: dh | Apr 17 2018 22:56 utc | 62

Finally some traction…Rand Paul throws Wolf Blitzer a big curve ball on CNN, says he is suspecting this is another false flag…
https://russia-insider.com/en/breaking-rand-paul-tells-wolf-blitzer-he-thinks-syria-gassing-was-false-flag-video/ri23194
regards
OY

Posted by: oldenyoung | Apr 17 2018 23:18 utc | 64

Peace is breaking out in Korea — bad for US chair-warriors.
Korea Times–

Seoul is seeking to broadcast the upcoming inter-Korean summit as well as a joint press conference between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un live, a top presidential aide said Tuesday.
A hotline between the two leaders is likely to be set up around Friday, and they may be able to have their first phone call early next week, he said.
Presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok, who is leading the government’s inter-Korean summit preparation committee, said officials from the North and the South would discuss the broadcasting issue at a working-level meeting on protocol, security and media coverage, today.
“We want to broadcast the historic moment live,” Im said in a media briefing 10 days before the summit scheduled for April 27. . . .here

Posted by: Don Bacon | Apr 18 2018 0:21 utc | 66

@2
Stormy Daniels’ Sketch Sure Looks Like Her Husband
https://lawandcrime.com/crazy/stormy-daniels-sketch-sure-looks-like-her-husband/
Hmm… sketchy. Wonder how long until this is buried. Regardless, Daniels is busted.

Posted by: Anna | Apr 18 2018 0:48 utc | 68

Engdhal’s lecture @ 3, is a must listen, if understanding the “Russia did it” meme puzzles anyone.

Posted by: ben | Apr 18 2018 0:59 utc | 70

The excellent power of peer review:
Agreed on the Engdahl transcript/interview @3 – don’t miss it.
And, okay…on my way to read the Lavrov interview @51

Posted by: Grieved | Apr 18 2018 1:15 utc | 72

English Outsider @ 44: This is where it all began, and still continues.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Cyclone
Hiring Jihadists to destabilize other governments is no secret..

Posted by: ben | Apr 18 2018 1:40 utc | 74

usa daily propaganda press briefing from today..
https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2018/04/280553.htm
“Part of the concern, Matt, is the longer that it takes to get OPCW inspectors in to take a look at soil samples and other information that they can get on the ground, that delay further degrades any evidence that’s on the ground. So that is our chief concern. We want them to be able to get in as quickly as possible, as safely as possible, but we also want that evidence to be as pure as possible for their investigation.”
you mean like how the UK gave that same opportunity to russia when it first blamed russia for the skripal event? righto..
matt lee last response “QUESTION: Okay. But – so – but you’re just saying then – because the bottom line here is you’re saying, “Just trust us.”
“QUESTION: But you’ve not mentioned sarin. You’ve – or has that actually been —
MS NAUERT: In that background briefing, that was mentioned. We have information that leads us to believe that both chlorine and sarin were used in the attack.
…
QUESTION: Hi. Thanks. You still stand by the proof that you say the U.S. has on this, right? You —
MS NAUERT: I certainly do, yes. ”
” QUESTION: Could I ask – hi. Could I ask you to square to – square for us your desire to have the inspectors go in and establish the veracity of evidence on the one hand, but on the other hand your rush to attack and strike Syria? Could you square that for us?”
MS NAUERT: The United States has excellent intelligence gathering. Other countries do as well. We do not take these decisions, we do not make these decisions, lightly. As we saw what happened with information that led us to believe that sarin and chlorine gas were used in this most recent attack, the United States, the UK, and France got together, had conversations about telling Bashar al-Assad that this has to stop. And we believe in the efforts that took place on Friday night that we showed them that we are very serious about this, and that the world will stand up, the world will act together, and we will not tolerate the use of these illegal chemical weapons to kill innocent men, women, and children.
QUESTION: Right. I am trying to understand that the inspectors, the OPCW inspectors, were supposed to go in on Saturday, and the strike happened Saturday morning. I mean, they could’ve waited, like 20 hours, 24 hours, to ensure that the whole world can see that evidence.
MS NAUERT: Okay, Said, once again, we have our own intelligence. We have our own intelligence. The OPCW is something that we back strongly, but it can also take quite a bit of time for the OPCW to gather its information and compile a report. If we look back to last year – and I can have my colleagues double check this right now – I think it took quite a few months, at least several months, before the OPCW was able to come out with its official report about what substance was used on the ground in Khan Shaykhun.
So I would ask you: Should the United States and her allies wait around for Bashar al-Assad to use more chemical substances on his people? Should we wait around for that formal investigation that could take months and months when we have seen nine chemical attacks take place this year alone? I think the United States was right in its decision, backed by our allies, to take action and show Bashar al-Assad that he will be held to account.”
see the link for more stupidity..

Posted by: james | Apr 18 2018 1:56 utc | 76

I am reposting a few quotes collected by “Tony” at craigmurrays’s blog because I found them quite moving and thought those here would as well.
Hans Borgelt, journalist in Nazi Germany:
“We felt…I felt relatively free. I always thought I could write what I wanted. But years later, when I read the articles I’d written then, I was surprised by the inhibited style in which they were written. As if my brain were standing to attention awaiting orders.”
Goebbels:
“With the benefit of hindsight, however, we disciplined journalists so that, at critical times, we did not even need to give orders. A mere sign made clear to the press that there would be no discussion.”
Narrator:
“As a result, these journalists became servile heralds of the dictatorship. Dutifully, they anticipated the party line.”
(Hitler’s Henchmen “Quest” 30 November 2011).

Posted by: WJ | Apr 18 2018 2:52 utc | 78

Castellio@52
You say –
“Then, if you do find a distinction there: where’s the distinction between “arming and training in the field” and “directing and assisting”?”
Unless we’re logic chopping I have to confess I can find none. I think Putin’s noble but as yet ineffectual UN Speech – “Do you even now not realise what you have done?” – will search us home in the coming years, as the facts of what we have done or caused to be done in Syria surface.
Many years ago I read an account by a young woman in Germany of her experiences up to 1945. Melitta Maschman had been a convinced Nazi and proud of the achievements of the Nazi years. That pride shines through her account, even though the account was written long after she had rejected her earlier convictions. Those convictions had been real enough too. From memory – I don’t choose to read the book again – she was one of the few who attempted to keep the fight going even after the end of the war.
Melitta Maschman had a journey to make. Slowly, after the war, she had to come to terms with the fact that the time she had been so proud of was a time of horror. That the fighting men whose achievements she had been so proud of were also implicated in – or responsible for, as you imply the distinction is hair-splitting – the atrocities of the Eastern Front.
I think her account might have been genuine, as was her post-war rejection, though of course one can never tell from a book. Genuine or not, on a less dramatic, less monumental scale, that’s the journey English and American patriots must slowly prepare for too. You must not be too critical if some of us are still reluctant to make that journey.
Thank you for your reply.

Posted by: English Outsider | Apr 18 2018 3:24 utc | 80

Do y’all know who “Site Intelligence” is? That’s the equivilent of SOHR. It was one woman with a computer who miraculously “leaked” all those ISIS videos BEFORE ISIS posted them! She was the source of the journalist beheading videos, etc. She’s an Israeli whose father was executed for spying for Israel.
One should take her posts seriously, because she is clearly connected.
Well, today’s she’s posting that Jihadists are planing “ISIS-Style” executions in new York and European cities.
https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Chatter/jihadist-warns-of-is-style-executions-to-come-in-new-york-streets-and-the-west.html

Posted by: Daniel | Apr 18 2018 3:36 utc | 82

@78 English Outsider
It’s always valuable to take the long view, because actually it’s where the proof exists for the real view. Why should we think the scale of our impatience matches the scale of reality in the time over which it manifests?
Take your time. Whatever we think now will only begin to become solidified as history, forty years from now. And two hundred years from now they’ll have a better view of these times we are living in.
But when they make the movies of these days, they’ll make sure that the actors show how the people of this time didn’t judge necessarily by words or concepts or identification with platforms, but by the test of if we feel comfortable in the presence of various individuals, or not.
I don’t fully get your point of view yet, but we have the rest of our lives, no rush. I don’t think anyone is really judging anyone on where it seems they stand today. We wouldn’t be here in this forum if we didn’t value discussion. And discussion always implies the potential for change. So let us continue with our discussion.
And walk on into the “future”, as we in the present call it.

Posted by: Grieved | Apr 18 2018 4:11 utc | 84

WJ. Noam Chomsky did a great job explaining “journalist” mindset to Andrew Marr of BBC years back.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=186&v=lLcpcytUnWU

Posted by: Daniel | Apr 18 2018 4:24 utc | 86

#15. The French are masters of mime. I wish they would STFU, or as the UK defence minister Gavin Williamson put it go away and shut up.
“‘I’m the equal of Putin,’ Macron tells journalists over a drink – when one hears such idiocy, one can safely assume they live in some sort of altered universe.” Poor boy, he seems a bit confused. Perhaps that’s a result of listening to his teacher/lover/wife mother
Napoleon Mark 2.0 is getting ready to march on Moscow. Dispatches from the Asylum sum up the current leadership in France quite well.
https://dispatchesfromtheasylum.com/2018/04/17/gasbags-du-jour/

Posted by: Tom | Apr 18 2018 4:38 utc | 88

86
IDK about Putin, but:
1. Greatest tax cuts for 5hectic since Reagan 1;
2. Greatest Mil.Gov budget increase (15%) in US history;
3. Sharpest spike 8n (onerous, odious, fraudulent) debt in human history;
4. Most brutal ACA blowup and Work or Starve since the Great Depression
Some pretty serious Whiteistan. Peace out: https://youtu.be/H1YIgwPsX5Q

Posted by: Chipnik | Apr 18 2018 4:52 utc | 90

@77 wj… obviously the french are completely ignoring this… or are very bad liars… i choose to think the later…
@79 Norumbega.. i have seen that, but not picked up by the msm.. rt had some coverage on it..
@83 paveway… thanks.. interesting info..
@85 tom.. gasbags dujour is a good title for a run down of macron.. what a friggin’ idiot… he makes ‘trudeau light’ look good and that is hard to do!

Posted by: james | Apr 18 2018 5:22 utc | 92

It appears that little makes sense in this Syrian adventure. Yet , it makes sense to some people like Aren Haich and me. What happened was EXACTLY predicted by comment of Aren in 142,165 of April 11 at 5:23 PM , only a few days ago.
“smart missiles raining on Syria is also a negotiating ploy and to save face…….There will probably be a well restricted cruise missile on some Syrian-Iranian base with Russia prewarned.”
There you have it in a nutshell ! I agreed with the commentator except I felt that missile firing may be a bit risky. I was wrong and Aren was right. We had the SHOW. Now : ” The long -promised meeting between Trump and Putin will emerge in the news to discuss the future of Syria.”
Pres. Trump will pull out of Syria.

Posted by: Friar Ockham | Apr 18 2018 5:32 utc | 94

PavewayIV @83
I wrote about the likely Israeli and American war aims in Syria a month ago on The Duran:

US War Plans: Kurdish land bridge to Israel?
The United States may be about to start a land invasion of Syria. The offensive would start from the US base at the Al Tanf border crossing and extend through Abu Kemal to the American and Kurdish-held areas on the eastern bank of the Euphrates. The troops would be supplied through Jordan. It is possible that Britain would also take part in this operation.

Also see my comment at b’s previous post Syria – Pentagon Hides Attack Failure – 70+ Cruise Missiles Shot Down. Russia may be totally mistaken and the Syrian air defenses shot their missiles at “deception targets”.

DID SYRIAN AIR DEFENSES HIT THIN AIR?
It is possible, that Syrian air defenses wasted 112 missiles firing at imaginary targets created by radar jaming and electronic countermeasures. To argue otherwise we would need to see photos of the downed missiles. So far we have seen nothing but fakes, with the exception of a few missile parts that might have come from a missile that hits its target.
…

Posted by: Petri Krohn | Apr 18 2018 5:58 utc | 96

M K Bhadrakumar, in the second half of his new column, relays what many of realistically hoped for from Trump, aside from obvious truth that he would not be an insane warhawk like Hillary: his foreign and military policy is very incoherent and unstable and therefore deeply weakens the U.S. and its representatives, and so makes it easier for countries like India to assert their own interests, and thereby make the post-US-hegemony world come sooner.
http://blogs.rediff.com/mkbhadrakumar/
2018/04/17/indias-22-with-us-is-one-sided/

Posted by: fairleft | Apr 18 2018 6:35 utc | 98

We have been hearing stories of the financial political corruption increasingly common here in Britain and in high places.
However confirmation now of one of the most sordid stories – buried of course by the British apology for news – our MSM.
Theresa May and her family personally have made possibly millions, by the illegal and unsanctioned attack on Syria the other day.
The British media is silent.
But Russia Today has now exposed what is clearly – I would say in the eyes of most – a resigning matter.
Her family blatantly and it seems secretly making money out of her disgusting warmongering.
Her hands covered in blood from Iraq, Libya, Syria etc etc profiting every time Bae systems are involved.
You couldn’t make it up – as they say.
https://www.rt.com/uk/424392-may-husbands-capital-group/

Posted by: Emily | Apr 18 2018 7:42 utc | 100