UK Inteligance Report on Syria Confirms Assad used Chemical Weapons

The UK's Joint Intelligence Committee has unveiled its report into chemical weapons use in Syria.

It states that:

This judgement was made with the highest possible level of certainty following an exhaustive review by the Joint Intelligence Organisation of intelligence reports plus diplomatic and open sources . We think that there have been other attacks although we do not have the same degree of confidence in the evidence. A clear pattern of regime use has therefore been established.

Unlike previous attacks, the degree of open source reporting of CW use on 21 August has been considerable. As a result, there is little serious dispute that chemical attacks causing mass casualties on a larger scale than hitherto (including , we judge, at least 3 50 fatalities) took place.

J IC Report

The report also states that all of this information comes form open source intelligence and that the JIC does not agree with any claims that these attacks were committed by Rebel forces as they cannot find any evidence to support these claims.

In addition to this the UK government has also published another report which states that the use of force is justified on humanitarian grounds.

My current assessment of this situation is that NATO Forces will be seeing action in Syria by the end of next week pending the report from the UN weapons inspectors.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin

From the link:

The JIC has therefore concluded that there are no plausible alternative scenarios to regime responsibility.

Sounds like their evidence is based on 'absence of evidence'. There is nothing in this letter to make me believe with any amount of certainty that the attacks were perpetrated by Assad and his forces. Whomever launched those chemical attacks should be brought the justice, but I think the world should make damn sure who is responsible before launching any military action against Syria. A single US missile launched into Syria could erupt the entire region into a war like we've never seen.

I have given you a star and flag, although I must say this has completely ruined my day, I was kind of hopefull yesterday that maybee we could interfier in a more diplomatic way than bombing the $#1t of them but this is probably all the evidence we need

thanks for sharing

Yay let's go kill people
UK Intelligence Report on Iraq said Saddam had WMD , does anyone believe Government sponsored Intelligence Reports anymore ?

reply to post by fenceSitter

Sounds like their evidence is based on 'absence of evidence'.

Not that i want to get into a wider debate but...

if there isn't any evidence they deem to be credible to support a view that it was the Rebels who used the chemical weapons then of course they are going to conclude that there is a "absence of evidence" to support that anyone other then the regime was behind the attacks. Its very difficult to prove a negative.

There is nothing in this letter to make me believe with any amount of certainty that the attacks were perpetrated by Assad and his forces.

I agree in a ideal world i would like to see a fuller intelligence report into Syria so I could see how they have arrived at this conclusion.

But my understanding that this letter is just a letter to make clear the position of the JIC regarding Syria to inform leaders.

Whomever launched those chemical attacks should be brought the justice, but I think the world should make damn sure who is responsible before launching any military action against Syria. A single US missile launched into Syria could erupt the entire region into a war like we've never seen.

totally agree!

reply to post by gortex


"though intelligence may increase our confidence in the future."

This comment alone means that they do not have conclusive evidence. Let's all go to war on hearsay shall we?

Originally posted by sueloujo
reply to post by gortex

 

"though intelligence may increase our confidence in the future."

This comment alone means that they do not have conclusive evidence. Let's all go to war on hearsay shall we?

I would actually read into that differently, they are saying that their view is subject to change if they are faced with new intelligence.

Here is an article on chemical weapons being used in Syria frequently but in low quantities.
The Syrian army seams to use tear gas and then let off a couple of chem rounds along with it.
It's an interesting read.

In two months spent reporting on the outskirts of the Syrian captial, we encountered similar cases across a much larger region. Their gravity, their increasing frequency and the tactic of using such arms shows that what is being released is not just tear gas, which is used on all fronts, but products of a different class that are far more toxic.

www.lemonde.fr...

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin

Nowhere does it state that the conclusions were made based upon field assessments, just consultation with other War Pigs.

The UN weapons inspectors have not yet finished their investigations.

The letter appears to be knocked up by an itchy trigger finger.

there is little serious dispute that chemical attacks causing mass casualties on a larger scale than hitherto

well, that bit was a waste of ink Commander obvious.

Standby, whilst I knock up a similar letter concluding that the UK and US intelligence services have been infiltrated by the Military Industrial complex and that Syrian regime change was planned months ago.

My conclusions are also based upon

the highest possible level of certainty following an exhaustive review of intelligence reports plus diplomatic and open sources

See how easy that was.......now all I need is the MSM to start barking it to the public.

Pffft

reply to post by Strewth


I agree that we need more solid intelligence on this before we take action.

That is probably why the international community is now waiting for the final report from the UN.

Ahhhhh....... Wasn't it the UK that had the original source being used for WMD in Iraq before the 2003 invasion?

Not saying they can't be trusted when it comes to intelligence....but.. well? Track records are something some of us still recall? These people are playing damn near the re-run of Iraq except REAl WMD exists this time.

It's still secret reports with secret evidence from secret sources about something we can't be trusted to know any details about.

Someone find a secret prison cell to put those people into before they get someone killed!

reply to post by wrabbit2000


I know that you and another member have mentioned the Iraq Dossier, but that came from multiple sources and if i remember correctly it was Alister Darling who "sexed up" the document.

reply to post by wrabbit2000


The "Dodgy Dossier" as it was known
en.wikipedia.org...

Iraq – Its Infrastructure of Concealment, Deception and Intimidation[1] (more commonly known as the Dodgy Dossier, the Iraq Dossier or the February Dossier[2]) was a 2003 briefing document for the British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party government. It was issued to journalists on 3 February 2003 by Alastair Campbell, Blair's Director of Communications and Strategy, and concerned Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. Together with the earlier September Dossier, these documents were ultimately used by the government to justify its involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

It seems to me to be a very week document though,

there isn't really anything of substance to this report, I am not saying that its "wrong" but there needs to be more than this to justify war.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin


If the man actually used these weapons when he had the upper hand, he is truly suicidal. Whatever, I'm going to go watch Miley Cyrus twerk some more.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin

JIC does not agree with any claims that these attacks were committed by Rebel forces as they cannot find any evidence to support these claims.

No evidence?

www.facebook.com...

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin

I agree that we need more solid intelligence on this before we take action.

Even if we had video of Assad pushing the button I don't believe that gives us the right to stick our noses in and kill more people , even if we do just hit military targets we would still be killing people .

Assad will fall sooner or later , if he survives he should be put in the dock to account for his crimes .

Have we learnt nothing in the last 10 years .

reply to post by gortex


Like is say I want to see more evidence that Assad has been using chemical weapons against his own people.

but if its found that he has, then I do think that we need to act on humanitarian grounds.

I know some will disagree with me on that, and that's fine but thats my position on this one.

reply to post by OtherSideOfTheCoin

but if its found that he has, then I do think that we need to act on humanitarian grounds.

We have been acting all along. Who do you think is behind the stream of "rebels" and arms into Syria from Turkey (NATO)? Humanitarian grounds, lol.

Yes we need start killing even more Syrians. A lot more.

And once again a cry arose in the land.

WMD... WMD... WMD

Iraq – Its Infrastructure of Concealment, Deception and Intimidation[1] (more commonly known as the Dodgy Dossier, the Iraq Dossier or the February Dossier[2]) was a 2003 briefing document for the British Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party government. It was issued to journalists on 3 February 2003 by Alastair Campbell, Blair's Director of Communications and Strategy, and concerned Iraq and weapons of mass destruction. Together with the earlier September Dossier, these documents were ultimately used by the government to justify its involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.