Daily Mail Online:
The world has looked on in horror as graphic images emerged showing the aftermath of a dawn poison gas attack in the suburbs of Damascus that wiped out 1,300 people as they lay sleeping in their beds.
Syrian activists accuse President Bashar al-Assad’s forces of launching the nerve gas attack in what would be by far the worst reported use of poison gas in the two-year-old civil war.
Activists said rockets with chemical agents hit the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar before dawn.
While these pictures of dead children are graphic, disturbing and undoubtedly the worst so far to have emerged from the conflict, MailOnline has made the decision to publish them in order to raise awareness of the plight of innocent people in a war that shows no sign of ending.
That is just one article. There are a bunch of them out there. There are a bunch of videos too. They purport to show proof that President Assad of Syria is using nerve gas on his own people. This proof is supposed to justify our direct intervention into the Syrian civil war on behalf of radical Muslim rebels.
I find the evidence less than convincing.
First of all I don’t trust the source(s) of the evidence. Secondly, even if the evidence does prove that chemical weapons were used it doesn’t tell us who used them. Thirdly, I do not care.
Let’s start at the beginning. Wikipedia:
Sarin, or GB, is an organophosphorus compound with the formula [(CH3)2CHO]CH3P(O)F. It is a colorless, odorless liquid, used as a chemical weapon owing to its extreme potency as a nerve agent.
[…]
Initial symptoms following exposure to sarin are a runny nose, tightness in the chest and constriction of the pupils. Soon after, the victim has difficulty breathing and experiences nausea and drooling. As the victim continues to lose control of bodily functions, the victim vomits, defecates and urinates. This phase is followed by twitching and jerking. Ultimately, the victim becomes comatose and suffocates in a series of convulsive spasms.
Sarin was invented by the Germans during World War II. It is similar in formulation to organophosphorus insecticides like Malathion. (Some of you may recall that in a previous life I was a pest control technician and I am familiar with these type of insecticides.)
Sarin is some nasty shit. Very nasty. The good news is it is unstable and degrades fairly quickly. The bad news is it is highly volatile and can be inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin. Full body protection is needed when handling Sarin or treating victims of Sarin exposure.
And that’s the problem.
The evidence does not show the kind of devastation that Sarin would really cause. If Assad is using chemical weapons that’s some pretty weak-ass stuff. I would expect to see whole villages and neighborhoods wiped out – everything and everybody dead, including adults, children, dogs, cats, birds, rats and cockroaches. Anyone not wearing protective gear who entered the contaminated area to do first aid or retrieve bodies would also die. And the bodies would be a mess.
I have seen pictures and videos that look like dead people. Some or all of them may really be dead. But I can’t determine the cause of death from a short, blurry, jerky video in Arabic. Nor can I determine that poisoning occurred from videos of live people receiving some unspecified treatment.
There is an underlying premise here that I don’t understand. It seems like we’re saying it’s okay to kill people with guns and bombs but if you use poison gas that is so reprehensible that we will to go to war to stop you. Does the means by which people are killed make that much difference?
War is ugly, but this isn’t our war. We don’t have a dog in this fight. There are no good guys, just bad guys and victims. Regardless of who wins they won’t be our friends. Our sole interest should be in containing the war to keep it from spreading and to keep outsiders (and their military support) out. But even that is a limited interest.
BTW – If you think the body count is high now, wait until you see what happens if the rebels win. It will be a bloodbath.
I had similar thoughts when I saw pictures like the one above- those people look too clean and peaceful to have died such supposedly horrific deaths. Something is fishy.
I think the powers that be want to get openly into this “war” so badly that they can’t stand it. Syria is another chess piece on the Middle East game board.
I still remember pictures and videos from Bhopal, India where people were killed by an accidental leak from an insecticide manufacturing plant.
That’s what I would expect to see here.
I googled “japan sarin bodies” for a comparison.
In the Syria photos – are there also dead animals (cats/dogs/etc)? A massive gas bomb – one would expect dead animals.
And I remember the less than honest stories about babies being “ripped from their bassinets in the hospital nursery” as justification for attacking Saddam’s army in ’91.
The naked dancing Jeebus guy wearing nothing but a sock on his junk was an inspired touch.
metaphor my ass
Hey, I haven’t watched the episode yet, but this is creepy.
Every episode is creepy, but this one . . .
France?? Oh everybody’s freaking scared now. nothing worse than france.
By all means France should send troops and stop it.
France should round up their own violent “youths” and deport, er, deploy them to Syria.
France is merely offering to ship the rebels guillotines to speed up the beheadings.
Trying to wrap head around the combination of France and Force used in same sentence………….Nah, doesn’t work.
France is so lucky I have to work today or i’d be writing all about france
Let’s just make it easier for his cellmate “Tiny” 😉
😆 retwed.
call Lorena Bobbit. end of problem
You have to be very brave to try living rent free in a madwomans head
From my local news last night: Trayvon’s mother releases NEW SINGLE, http://tinyurl.com/mqc2eza
Her 15 minutes are getting stretched with a new career….
normally as a mother I would feel terrible for this woman. But I can not for her. she was not around during most of her son’s life and is really busy making money of his death. I have nothing but contempt for her.
I do feel bad for her son. it seems he had no proper direction given to him and he paid a very high price for that.
Didn’t know I was a “peckerwood”.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/08/oklahoma-thug-shooter-tweeted-about-knocking-out-peckerwoods-after-zimmerman-verdict/#disqus_thread
When I read that earlier I wondered how kids in Oklahoma could have possibly heard of “just a local news story” involving Zimmerman. Then I realized ….. Obama, Sharpton, Jackson, DOJ and the sh*t stirring media. This is why I hope the death of Chris Lane will not go in vain, to put the end to professional race baiting which has probably killed more people for no reason than guns do.
And then there’s this little gem that is also being totally ignored by the media…nothing like “viral lying” to stir up the low information masses…
http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/22/meet-the-privileged-obama-supporting-white-kids-who-perpetrated-cruel-oberlin-race-hoax/
OT. The MO missing 12 yo’s body found
http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-searchers-find-adriaunna-hortons-body-20130821,0,1606332.story
How sick is that – to prey & murder your own daughter’s friend.
Iirc, that one of women trapped in that Castro guy’s basement in Cleveland was also a friend of his daughter’s.
Yes, all of the photos of the gassing incident that I have seen so far, appear to be staged.
Forcing Obama into another red line decision ? Wonder who’s behind it?
What makes you think he’s not the one behind it?
I must have offended my cat. She caught the mouse I asked her to get rid of for me, but when I tried to praise her, she put the mouse in Ellie’ s crate. On another note there’s a guy riding his lawnmower up and down my street. This is his fourth pass by. No grass in the middle of the road that I can see. I wonder if he’s lost.
Maybe the cat is paying taxes to Ellie.
Lock your door.
Ever read the Steven King short story “Lawnmower Man?”
http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2013/08/19/what-is-the-difference-between-extremist-and-moderate-muslim-brothers/?singlepage=true
what is the difference between extremist and moderate muslims??
A moderate Muzzy is a terrorist who has run out of ammo.
http://instantrimshot.com
Before Muhammad, did the people of the Arabian Peninsula follow a religion called “Waslam”?
http://hotair.com/archives/2013/08/22/san-diego-weve-reached-an-agreement-to-settle-filner-scandal/
agreement reached to settle filthy filner scandal
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/08/22/breaking-filthy-filners-reign-of-terror-over-will-resign-as-part-of-settlement/
more on the agreement
THIS >>>>>
http://newsninja2012.com/open-letter-to-parents-of-christopher-lane-citizens-of-australia-please-accept-our-apologies-2013-08-22/#sthash.0x97DECn.Tc7MWeDY.dpbs
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/08/homeland-security-employee-moonlights-race-warrior/68600/
WOW , I feel so secure NOT
The MSM seems to be in overdrive on this Syria story (which I agree is suspect because of the sources of video — they aren’t even reporters *in* Syria –this stuff is coming from the “rebels”) to get us involved in it on behalf of the rebels. Given how much the MSM has been carrying Obama’s water since 2008, it leads me to believe that our Nobel Peace Prize winning SCOAMF wants us involved too.
a commenter at No Quarter said that when you look at the picture please think about this. it is highly disrespectful to display muslim dead with their faces uncovered. red flags anyone????????
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/20/press-briefing-principal-deputy-press-secretary-josh-earnest-8202013
pedaling BS just as fast as he can
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/08/obama-campaigns-in-buffalo-on-making-college-more-affordable/
look out backtrack is about to screw college students
MSNBC the all backtrack all the time channel now calling for nationalizing colleges. just in time for his college tour.
http://weaselzippers.us/2013/08/22/msnbc-goes-into-full-soviet-mode-calls-for-nationalizing-colleges-in-america/
I am sure this would not include the so called Ivy League. Afterall, the self anointed would hardly want little precious mixing with the peons.
All this does mesh perfectly with BO always droning on and on about how everyone should go to college. Plus it would do away with all those pesky applications. Just carve out school districts for K-16 rather than K-12.
Also would help plug up those holes and and keep young people from becoming useful members of society such as electricians and plumbers and IT specialists and policeman and firefighters (opps – better get rid of all those volunteer fire and rescue units). Not to mention putting the screws to those few higher academic institutions that do not play by the rules and actually try and provide students with an non DOE approved education.
Ace:
Liberals’ Obsession with Ted Cruz Rooted In Anger over His Betrayal of His Class
http://ace.mu.nu/archives/342732.php
again what can you say??
submitted without comment
http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2013/08/22/federal_judge_rules_food_stamp_recipients_can_unionize_100567.html
A union of non-workers. Great. I guess we’d call them no-collar slobs.
It’s satire, poorly written as such, and disappointed in RCP/Markets for running it without a “satire” tag. It’s like the stupid Andy Borowitz columns the New Yorker runs as humor.
Toure Neblett: Slavery Is Partly to Blame for High Black Unemployment Rate
By Noel Sheppard | August 22, 2013 | 15:22
Toure is playing stupid again
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/08/22/msnbc-ratings-slide-22-percent-over-summer
I wonder why
Oh sh*t. Lee Daniels “might” produce the Broadway-to-Movie “Miss Saigon” ?
http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Lee-Daniels-Sets-Amy-Adams-for-Janis-Joplin-Biopic-Announces-MISS-SAIGON-Film-Adaptation-20130822
Trust me, nothing good will come of this, the VietNam War will be re-told in Jane Fonda’s vision, and not like this……
Didn’t Les Miz do poorly as a movie? Ya think that would scare off the money men…
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2013/08/obama-doj-to-sue-texas-over-voter-id-laws/
one of the things that keeps this country free is the vote.
backtrack and bunch have been undermining that right for quite a while now.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/christians-other-egyptians-protest-perceived-pro-muslim-brotherhood-bias-white-house
Christians ,other egyptians protest perceived pro muslim brotherhood bias in white house.
plan march on white house
http://www.westernjournalism.com/obamas-secret-8-billion-bribe-to-the-muslim-brotherhood/
backtrack’s secret $8 Billion bribe to muslim brotherhood.
do not know if truth or BS. Sad that I have to even wonder about a president of the US doing this
article about the alleged chemical weapons attack (Syria). Interesting comments:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/21-5
stole it