Syria- Is it time we re-assessed who we support?

johntheexpat

The One Pulling the Strings | Friends of Syria

phew, thought I was going mad.

Sonic67

Why are we supposed to support either side?

johntheexpat

Interesting interview in the Washington Post:
An interview with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius: On Ukraine, Syria and Iran - The Washington Post

and a bit further on

And from the comments section.

So, it seems that western governments are painfully misinformed, or there is a very active and well managed disinformation campaign being waged by the Syrian government supporters side.

My gut feeling is that the denial of use arguments are a well managed, and actually quite worrying, campaign aimed at discrediting the western media in the minds of the people.  If you can win over the hearts and minds of western opinion, then the governments will be hard pressed to do anything in response to whatever may happen and then goodness only knows what kind of crap could go down utterly unopposed and unreported.

johntheexpat

And finally, this quote from AlJazeera
Syria attacks probed by chemical watchdog - Middle East - Al Jazeera English

Seems pretty unequivocal that.  After a sarin gas attack on Damascus.  No "possible"s or "probable"s, no "reported gas attacks" or anything which could be taken as doubt.  A blunt statement that can only be taken to mean the sarin attack happened.  And not a hint of the BBC anywhere.

rickflair

It was never proved 'Assad used chemical weapons'. The likely culprit is that Turkey used them.

Sonic67

What are we destroying?

Royal Navy ship will guard removal of chemical stockpile from Syria - Portsmouth News

johntheexpat

In effect a relatively small quantity of not particularly unusual industrial chemicals.

But it would be easier to knock up a relatively small high temperature furnace in situ and do the necessary there.  

I suppose just getting the job done isn't enough.  You have to have a media circus and an on-going show.

IronGiant

Doesn't it seem at all odd to anyone that the main link to the "it was all lies" report: Friends of Syria are in fact Assad's supporters?

johntheexpat

As hinted at above, I would go much further.  I would suggest, from the evidence I have seen on t'internet, that the pro-Assad publicity machine is something to behold. It seems every time Syria is discussed, someone pops up very quickly to dismiss any anti-Assad evidence and promote the "what a good guy he is" line.
You can't just throw that kind of thing together from a back bedroom and keep it working effectively for months.  It does seem that a concerted effort is being made and its well co-ordinated and pretty coherent.  So I assume we are talking quite powerful backers.

Mshulla

This may be true, however, many people just aren't swayed by the evidence we have been shown. It also doesn't make much sense.

The US president had made it clear the Red Line was the use of chemical weapons, at the same times a UN inspection team are on their way. Assad chooses that moment to use chemical weapons.

It makes no sense.