US perpetuates WMD lies

This is part of a series of alarming news stories that have come through the wires this morning

Along with the perpetuation of the myth that the two brothers in Boston were planning a 'second attack' on NYC, comes this second myth about chemical weapons.

This allows for yet another line to be crossed both on the US domestic front (in terms of moves towards martial law), and towards direct intervention in Syria.

The other thing to keep in mind that Hagel, during his visit to Israel, has given Israel a green light to attack Iran separately.

Everything is connected

US believes Syria used chemical weapons

The disclosure of the assessment, which Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said was made within the past 24 hours and the White House said was based in part on physiological samples, triggered immediate calls for US action by members of Congress who advocate deeper US involvement.

Stuff,

26 April, 2013

Britain's Foreign Office also announced it had information showing chemical weapon use in Syria, and called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to cooperate with international bodies to prove he had not sanctioned their use.

"We have limited but persuasive information from various sources showing chemical weapon use in Syria, including sarin. This is extremely concerning. Use of chemical weapons is a war crime," a Foreign Office spokesman said in a statement.

But while President Barack Obama declared that Syrian use of chemical weapons would be a game-changer, his administration made clear it would move carefully - mindful of the lessons of the start of the Iraq war 10 years ago.

Then, the George W Bush administration used faulty intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion in pursuit of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that turned out not to exist.

"Given the stakes involved, and what we have learned from our own recent experiences, intelligence assessments alone are not sufficient - only credible and corroborated facts that provide us with some degree of certainty will guide our decision-making," Miguel Rodriguez, White House director of the office of legislative affairs, said in a letter to lawmakers.

One senior US defence official told reporters that "we have seen very bad movies before" where intelligence was perceived to have driven policy decisions that later, in the cold light of day, were proven wrong.

The White House said the US intelligence community assessed with varying degrees of confidence that the chemical agent sarin was used by the Syrian government. But it noted that "the chain of custody is not clear."

"So we cannot confirm how the exposure occurred and under what conditions," according to the White House letter, sent to lawmakers.

The term "varying degrees of confidence" also usually suggested some debate within the intelligence community about the assessment, the defense official noted.

The scale of the sarin use appeared limited, with one US intelligence official noting that nobody was "seeing any mass casualties" from any Syrian chemical weapons use.

France, Britain and Israel have concluded evidence suggests chemical arms have been used in Syria's conflict.

A top Israeli military intelligence officer said two days ago that evidence supported the conclusion Syrian government forces had used chemical weapons - probably sarin - several times against rebels trying to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad.

RED LINE CROSSED?

Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, one of the leading advocates of deeper US involvement in Syria's civil war, said the US intelligence assessment demanded Washington follow with action.

"The president of the United States said that if Bashar Assad used chemical weapons, it would be a game changer, that it would cross a red line," he said.

"I think it's pretty obvious that red line has been crossed."

Senator Bob Corker, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said there was likely still a need to check on chemical weapons use.

"There realistically is probably some additional steps that need to be taken to verify, but ... there are indications a red line has been crossed," he told reporters.

Syria's deputy foreign minister, Faisal Mekdad, told Reuters that US aid to the rebels may backfire and lead to attacks on American soil like those of September 11, 2001.

"Once the fire of terrorism spreads in Syria it will go everywhere in the world," he said in an interview in Damascus.

The White House has not specified what action Obama might take if he determines with certainty that Syria has used chemical weapons. But in its letter to lawmakers, it said it was "prepared for all contingencies."

From the CNN propaganda machine

US: Syria Likely Used Chemical Weapons on ‘Small Scale’

No Proof, So Why the Sudden Change in Assessment?

Anti-War,

25 April, 2013

What a difference 48 hours makes. On Tuesday, an Israeli brigadier general made a sudden claim of “repeated” chemical weapons use in Syria’s civil war, and Netanyahu declined to provide proof to Secretary of State John Kerry, saying he wasn’t in a position to do so. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, who was in Israel Monday and didn’t hear anything like this, expressed major doubts yesterday.

Today there’s still no proof, but the US has done a total 180 on the matter, and is now saying that they believe “with some degree of varying confidence” that Syria has twice used chemical weapons on a “small scale.”

There’s nothing to believe the evidence, or appalling lack thereof, has changed in the last 24 hours, but Hagel is also on board now, condemning Syria for supposed use that “violates every convention of warfare.”

British officials, who were on board in the first place because they thought it might justify more pro-rebel moves, reiterated that support by claiming they have seen “limited but persuasive information” about chemical weapons use in Syria. Information that the public won’t get to see, of course.


Context from RT