BBC: Syria chemical attack 'fabricated' - Assad
Syria's President Bashar-al Assad says reports of a chemical attack by his forces were "100% fabrication".
In an exclusive video interview with Agence France-Presse, he said "there was no order to make any attack".
More than 80 people were killed in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun on 4 April, and hundreds suffered symptoms consistent with a nerve agent.
Witnesses said they saw warplanes attack the town but Russia says a rebel depot of chemical munitions was hit.
Shocking footage showed victims - many of them children - convulsing and foaming at the mouth. Sufferers were taken to hospitals across the border in Turkey.
Read more ....
More News On Syrian President Bashar-al Assad's Claim That The Chemical Attack On April 4 Is ‘100 Percent Fabrication’
Syria's Assad says chemical attack '100% fabrication' -- AFP
Assad calls Syria chemical attack a ‘fabrication,’ dismisses evidence -- Washington Post
Assad: Chemical attacks '100 percent fabrication' -- The Hill
Syria’s Bashar Assad: Chemical Weapons Attack Is ‘100 Percent Fabrication’ -- NBC
Assad: Chemical attack is ‘100 percent fabrication’ -- Politico
Bashar al Assad: Syria chemical attack is '100 per cent fabrication' -- The Independent
'Were those children even dead at all?' Brazen Assad claims sarin gas attack in Syria was '100% fabricated' to justify military strikes by the US who are 'hand-in-glove with terrorists' -- Daily Mail
Syria's Assad Says His Forces Not Dented by U.S. Strikes -- Bloomberg
http://www.unz.com/article/the-nerve-agent-attack-in-khan-shaykhun-syria/
ReplyDeleteTheodore A. Postol (born 1946) is a professor of Science, Technology, and International Security at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Jay,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting article. Thanks for sharing this link.
Ultimately we try our best to analyze things. Sometimes we will get things wrong as humans are not infallible nor do we have perfect information and our own biases can cloud our judgment.
I know NOTHING about chemical weapons or how one would analyze them. As such, "expert witnesses" are helpful as this gentleman appears to be. Unfortunately without sound judgment an "expert witness" can tell us pretty much anything and we have no way to refute or prove it. As such, I really did not need an "expert witness" to lead me to the theory that this was faked or the rebels did it.
A number of my friends. family, and associates are police officers, prosecuting attorneys, or retired from these professions. Among the first things that are looked at motive and opportunity. Assad had little to none of these. The rebels have this in abundance. As such, my first thought was the rebels or staged and that is how I would have started such an investigation and barring extraordinary evidence Assad would be dismissed as a suspect rather quickly.
I also have a number of relatives and friends in the medical profession. When diagnosing diseases, they are taught to paraphrase "when you see hoof prints, look first for a horse and if a horse is not found then and only then do you look for a zebra." In other words, eliminate the most likely causes before moving on to the less likely causes. Again, Assad gets eliminated as a suspect very quickly here as well. WE HAVEN'T EVEN CONDUCTED THE INVESTIGATION YET!!
How does one start with the unlikely as an assumption and not only act on it but in doing so risks war with Russia and all for no good reason? Send a "message" to someone. Here's the "message" that was sent. 1.)you took out a sizeable portion of the air force of the country who was arguably doing more to fight ISIS/Al Qaeda than anyone else while we were not having to do much there. This sets that fight WAY back. 2.) You've angered Russia to the point that some of their officials have stated a that a state of war with them is almost imminent. 3.) A Russian reprisal is all but guaranteed unless Mr. Tillerson some how talked them out of it which seems unlikely. 4.)Given the reprisal will come and it will be severe, the jobs of those in charge of homeland security for major cities just got exponentially harder. 5.) If a "message" was being sent, NK is not impressed. While I don't like game analogies when discuss war, Syria is like a team of college football all stars. North Korea is like an all pro football team who has played together for many years. As such, NK is WAY beyond Syria.
Prior to this I thought the dumbest move ever made by a major power in the history of civilization was sanctions on Russia over Ukraine. This seems dumber by far and how 10 countries sign onto a resolution condemning Syria so hastily is a mystery to me. Apparently stupid is contagious. I'll say again I hope and pray my analysis is wrong.