Syria : chemical and military disinformation running high...

French version

Much is said these days on chemical weapon attacks, sarin gas, etc. attributed, of course, to the Syrian government forces.

Therefore, our devoted Humanitarian apostles & Co, the same people who requested in their prayers the overthrow of our old ally Gaddafi on behalf of suffering humanity, those very people, indeed, who are yelping to their great indignation (it goes without saying) at the thought of President Assad’s regime using chemical weapons against our terrorist allies. As well as claiming immediate military intervention by the West.

As far as the so-called chemical weapon uses are concerned, two observations must be made: first, a technical observation and, second, a political one.

1) Technically, the facts are far from being established and remain extremely vague, are based on highly suspicious videos calling for circumspection and doubt instead of any other sentiment. On the other hand, the opposition’s assertions are mere and unconfirmed allegations that remain to be proved.
To our knowledge, it is not the first time that the West has been pushed to intervene following false and forged pretexts.

So, the famous video (here) with a guy lying in bed with foaming at his mouth makes smile everyone who knows that the results of sarin gas attacks do not involve this kind of symptom. Once again, this video circulated on the internet is pure disinformation.

"There are clearly some chemicals being used in Syria, but footage of victims raise more questions than they answer. After the 23 December attack on Homs, doctors described symptoms that included pin-point pupils and convulsions – signs of sarin – but also lethal fluid in the lungs, which is not.
US officials declared in January that the incident involved CS gas, a tear gas used as a riot-control agent. The international convention banning chemical weapons prohibits the use of CS in war, but allows it for riot control; the dividing line is not clear.
Jean-Pascal Zanders of the European Institute of Security Studies in Paris maintains that images circulated on the internet of the alleged attacks do not suggest a nerve gas like sarin. "There are no convulsions or dead bodies," he says, "only single patients being treated in crowded emergency rooms. I'd expect clusters of casualties, and deaths." Moreover, no one seems to have been exposed to nerve agents due to handling victims.
Only one in a series of four such videos "shows any real poisoning symptoms", says Richard Guthrie, an independent CW expert, formally at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
These symptoms appear to be fluid in the lungs and foaming at the mouth. While sarin causes drooling, among other symptoms, it does not cause fluid in the lungs or foaming at the mouth. Many industrial chemicals do and are commonly released when industrial areas are bombed."

You might also want to read the excellent article by Alex Thompson about the overall lack of evidence on, first, a simple chemical attack and, second, its execution by the Syrian Army (article here).

2) Politically, what would be the interest of the Syrian government in using chemical weapons, whereas such action would infringe Obama’s famous “red line” for a US intervention in Syria? Is the regime’s military situation desperate? It seems to be the opposite, in particular for two weeks. This seems so true that certain analysts consider that the interest of the Syrian government is not to overexploit its successes to avoid a Western intervention - an analysis that we do not agree with at all, because we do not believe that the Western countries will intervene in Syria, simply because they cannot afford it and don’t even have the will to do so, as was confirmed by David Cameron himself two days ago.

“In my view what we need to do – and we're doing some of this already – is shape that opposition, work with them, train them, mentor them, help them so we put the pressure on the regime and so we can bring this to an end".

Asked whether that would mean putting British troops on the ground in Syria, Cameron said: "I don't want to see that and I don't think that is likely to happen”.

A word to the wise is enough !

Should our valorous terrorist allies be given a good hiding by the Syrian Army, as seems to be the case, they will only have to take to their heels to save their lives.

Towns near Damascus such as Otaibah were seized by government forces this week, blocking the arms supply for the opposition from Jordan. Another front on the Lebanese border, Qusayir, was recaptured by the regime forces. The Syrian army was also successful in breaking the months-long siege in Homs and Idlib, making it easier to resupply arms to its forces stationed in these areas. If this pace of military advances by the regime forces continues, the opposition will be greatly weakened in a matter of weeks. Washington doubled its aid to the Syrian opposition last week, but the situation on the ground will change by the time the aid package is approved in Congress and reaches the fighters on the ground.
(Sources : 27.04.2013 - Sunday Zaman - Mahir Zeynalov)

Once again, it seems that we are facing a disinformation campaign with an attempt to push the West to intervene in Syria when the terrorists seemed to be pulling back before the offensive of the Syrian government forces which have already retaken multiple vital and strategic points.

From a military point of view, the current situation on the ground may still evolve, but a Western intervention is certainly not in the air. And even less on the ground.

But for now, everybody is happy in Pig on Earth, the brave new world.