Claims that Assad has been using Chlorine gas against civilians and rebels.

And Obama has said that Chlorine Gas isn't "historically" considered a chemical weapon.

Assad’s air force has launched more than 2,000 raids on Idlib since its capital city was taken by the rebels on 28 March, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The escalating air campaign has also coincided with the alleged intensified use of chlorine as a weapon, which is banned under the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention.

www.theguardian.com...

But the Obama administration, which once regarded chemical weapons as a red line, is unlikely to press Assad on the latest chlorine attacks. Though Obama said the US was assisting investigators who were looking into the chlorine allegations, he stunned observers at a press conference in Camp David by saying chlorine was not “historically listed as a chemical weapon”.

“It is true that we’ve seen reports about the use of chlorine in bombs that had the effect of chemical weapons,” Obama said. “Chlorine itself historically has not been listed as a chemical weapon but when it is used in this fashion can be considered a prohibited use of that particular chemical.”

www.newsweek.com...

When used with the intent to hurt or kill, chlorine is considered a chemical weapon, but chlorine itself, used for industrial or domestic purposes, is not included in a state's declaration of chemical weapons.

Read more: www.businessinsider.com...

The world, and more particularly Assad, knows that Obama won't do anything, even though he had his Red Line thingy happening there a while ago. Although I don't think the West should have boots on the ground there, I do think that since we are bombing the piss of ISIS from the sky, why not shoot down any aircraft in the sky as well why we are there? None of the rebels have aircraft as of yet so we could be relatively confident that they are Syrian. It's pretty conclusive that it was Assad that used the chemical weapons originally and most likely still using them on his own citizens.

It's hard to take much that Obama says seriously with a comment like Chlorine isn't a chemical weapon.

a reply to: GAOTU789

Israel wants Assad gone, therefore American wants Assad gone.
Toward this objective, the US supports ISIS (and lies about it).

As far as I'm concerned, this is just more war propaganda.

a reply to: GAOTU789

Chlorine itself is not a chemical weapon. All those people with swimming pools using chlorine are stockpiling chemical weapons, are they?
But when used in bombs, the gas it produces is considered a chemical. Ie, chlorine gas!

What he said is true..


in saying that.. he is trying to weasel out of his promise to stop Assad - this is why he said "investigating"

originally posted by: wasaka


As far as I'm concerned, this is just more war propaganda.

I agree with this. It's all war propaganda but do I believe that Assad has used Chemical Weapons on his own people. A no fly zone or something could be implemented to prevent these attacks from aircraft. I have no problem with Canadian fighters shooting down Syrian aircraft.

a reply to: Agit8dChop

Right, except Chlorine Gas has been a banned weapon for a long time. He is using weasel words to back down from his threats from a while ago.

Don't get me wrong, I am not interested in seeing the West invade Syria or Iraq but when a leader starts using chemical weapons on his own people, measures should be taken to stop it. We already have a multi-country contingent of aircraft in the theater, they could be used to stop this as well as dropping bombs on ISIS.

a reply to: GAOTU789

Correct, but the OP statement

It's hard to take much that Obama says seriously with a comment like Chlorine isn't a chemical weapon.

is not correct.

Chlorine isnt a chem weapon. Its a widely used industrial product. Which is what Obama said "Chlorine itself isnt a chemical weapon"

Its another ignorant attempt to ridicule Obama. He has much to answer for and be ridiculed/questioned over.. but not these petty attempts

a reply to: GAOTU789

It's the devil you know or the one you don't. Assad may be a prick, but he is a consistent prick that isn't going to go an blow stuff up in American. His friends might, and he may applaud, but you can't fault him for being a prick. Isis on the other hand is 10x worse then Assad and are to dangerous to deal or negotiate with. They need exterminated and to that end, we're not going to knock out Assad as he is fighting them.

Cheers,

Camain

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
a reply to: GAOTU789

Correct, but the OP statement

It's hard to take much that Obama says seriously with a comment like Chlorine isn't a chemical weapon.

is not correct.

Chlorine isnt a chem weapon. Its a widely used industrial product. Which is what Obama said "Chlorine itself isnt a chemical weapon"

Its another ignorant attempt to ridicule Obama. He has much to answer for and be ridiculed/questioned over.. but not these petty attempts

So , I imagine Assad was just trying to disinfect his enemies . Really?

a reply to: Agit8dChop

Ahh, I see. Semantics.

Carry on then.

a reply to: GAOTU789

Any chemical used as a weapon becomes a chemical weapon.

The U.S. won't attack Assad directly because then we have to deal with Russia.

And the show goes on...

People are stilled tuned in, they keep spoon feeding.

What is so important in the ME?

Resources? Ancient relic, history?

Alliances?

Profit. Control. Power.

Stay tuned!

...What the? Seriously?

Chlorine itself historically has not been listed as a chemical weapon but when it is used in this fashion can be considered a prohibited use of that particular chemical.

Obama did NOT say that chlorine gas is not a chemical weapon. He was talking about chlorine in general, such as the chlorine found in swimming pools. Using chlorine gas as a weapon however, is a different story - something which Obama acknowledged.

I read a few news stories about this and they all seem to blame Obama. This is absurd. If I punch someone in the face, is it your fault? What is the American government supposed to do? Investigations are limited by Russia's insistence that claims of the attack are merely "propaganda", and aggravating Russia is not an ideal outcome.

My real question here is, why is Obama the object of derision here? Shouldn't the Assad government be at the centre of the blame?

So...?

Killing people with Chlorine is more humane than dropping bombs on them?

Sounds like a poor mans chemical weapon to me.

Everyone in Syria has a camera, where is the footage?

If i were Assad, I would ask the Russians to come in and help in return for naval bases and air bases and a military pact for training, russian arms and aircraft etc.

Its his country, its civil war.

a reply to: Forensick

It's civil war created by the US and Israel!

Funny how Obomber should say that!

Napalm is a Chemical Weapon. (Used by the US in Vietnam) Agent Orange is a Chemical Weapon. (Again used by the US in Vietnam including on their own forces) White Phosphorous is a Chemical Weapon. (Used by the US on the Iraqi's and by Israel on the Palestinians) Fluoride is a Chemical Weapon. (Used by the US on it's citizens since WW2 added to Water Supplies with the Bogus excuse it's good for teeth) (Also used by the Nazi's and Russians in WW2 for controlling the brains of people in Prison and Concentration Camps) "Dumbs people down"

Now in 2011 when the media came out with the story that Assad was using Chemical Weapons on his own people that was just media Propaganda to justify an attack on Syria. It didn't pan out though as the idiot Rebels the US used to create the frame up screwed up the mission by gassing themselves. Still didn't stop the media sending out Fake Videos and Pictures and using Rebel Actors however.

So claims that Assad has been using Chlorine Gas on Civilians and rebels? Naw! Media and Government Propaganda all over again most likely. The Biggest users and abusers of Chemical Weapons are the US, UK and Israel.

When it comes to chemical weapons and syria im totally in the woods. I think it is quite obvious that someone there is using chemicals like chlorine against civilians. I think that anyone who has spent some time trying to find out what the BLEEP is happening in syria would agree with me when i say that there is lots of disinfo and propaganda, actually so much that it comes very hard to find out what is actually happening.
what we know about situation:

1. someone uses chlorine on civilians
2. government troops have comitted war crimes
3. daesh has comitted war crimes
4. some victims blame "freedom fighters"
5. some victims blame Assad
6. many videos and reports about chemical attacs are propaganda and forged
7. Obama slipped, that US should intervene if chemical weapons are used by the government

To me all above indicates that Obamas statement might well be the reason we see chlorine used as a weapon in syria. One must note that the way these attacks are carried out indicates either that

a) people responsible don't know how to deploy them effectively
or
b) attacks main purpose is something else than effective deployment of chemical weapons

This doesn't rule out that the attacks might have psychological purpose, terror and general opinion fixing for example. If this is the case and Assads troops are doing this then they have very incompetent people in charge. If it is on the other hand some Daesh black ops then one would say that the campaing is effective and giving desired results.

I'm not for Assad, but i'm not for these "freedom fighters" either... I think that the only fraction in this conflict that has shown it should be alloved control over territory it holds is the kurds. For average Joe things are not that bad in the government held areas either compared to those isis/daesh now holds. Al nusra/qaeda has announced recently that they let the alawites live if "they come back to islam", so i guess that shows how humane option they are. And it goes without saying that Assad has so much blood in his hands that he has to go for the sake of Syria.

I find it interesting how quickly recent history can be forgotten. These claims of the Assad regime using these types of weapons have been dubious at best. However, there were some interesting things going on during the last round of accusations that the regime used sarin gas in late 2013.

An interesting development was the activity of the Al-Nusra rebel group a little earlier in 2013. Most notably, their possible activity in Turkey during the same time the Syrian chemical attacks took place.

Earlier, several Turkish newspapers had reported that 12 people from Syria's al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front who allegedly had been planning an attack inside Turkey and were in possession of 2 kg (4.5 pounds) of sarin, had been detained in Adana.

To be fair.

Cos said unknown chemical materials were found during the raids and sent away for investigation. He denied media reports that a small amount of the nerve agent sarin had been uncovered.

Reuters

There's certainly more interesting things about this rebel group. Seeing how they're linked to al-Qaeda. And just so happened to be well funded and equipped during the same time period. A time period where top U.S. officials were lobbying for increased funding for rebel groups in Syria

Al Qaeda's affiliate inside Syria is now the best-equipped arm of the terror group in existence today, according to informal assessments by U.S. and Middle East intelligence agencies, a private sector analyst directly familiar with the information told CNN

CNN

Funny how this rebel group who was opposing Assad just so happened to become one of the best equipped terror group during the same time period. Connect the dots. It's not that hard, there's only 2 dots.

Well, to be honest, there's a lot more than just two dots to connect and that's my point. The region is so F'd up with so many hands in it, it's impossible to know for sure what's really going on. So many interests pushing and pulling in so many directions it's becoming warped beyond recognition.

You have to feel bad for the average people caught up in the middle of this situation with no chance of getting away from it.

More propaganda with the obligatory exaggerated / snippets of quotes.

So Obama said it was not a chem. weapon? Yes... but let's read what he said AFTER that:

“It is true that we’ve seen reports about the use of chlorine in bombs that had the effect of chemical weapons,” Obama said. “Chlorine itself historically has not been listed as a chemical weapon but when it is used in this fashion can be considered a prohibited use of that particular chemical.”

So he's not publicly excusing the use of the weapon at all.

That said, it's BS - and if it's not - US uses worse in their attacks.

originally posted by: GAOTU789

originally posted by: wasaka


As far as I'm concerned, this is just more war propaganda.

I agree with this. It's all war propaganda but do I believe that Assad has used Chemical Weapons on his own people. A no fly zone or something could be implemented to prevent these attacks from aircraft. I have no problem with Canadian fighters shooting down Syrian aircraft.

Im pretty sure ISIS would lllllloooooovvvvveeeeeeeeeeee that no fly zone too.

originally posted by: GAOTU789

originally posted by: wasaka


As far as I'm concerned, this is just more war propaganda.

I agree with this. It's all war propaganda but do I believe that Assad has used Chemical Weapons on his own people. A no fly zone or something could be implemented to prevent these attacks from aircraft. I have no problem with Canadian fighters shooting down Syrian aircraft.

Such a no fly zone would also massively impact Syrias fight against the western backed, armed, trained and funded terrorists, but of course that is the idea behind a no fly zone.