Assad moves chemical weapons, protection gear distributed to troops, say rebels

[MH]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-18864629

No word about Iran and Hezbollah?

[Skybird]

Yesterday or the day before Syrian regime said that it will use chemicals in case of "foreign interference" without specifying what they understand under that term. It also is repiorted that alreay weeks ago they have moved stopckpoiles of chemicals to places near the border, away fromt he hotspots of ground battles.

Today Israel'S Lieberman told NATO at a summit that Israel is ready to go to war immediately if it sees a risk that radicals or Hezbollah are gaining or are being given chemical or biological weapons. Hezbollah seeks possession to such weapons since long time.

I don'T know. While it loks messy already right now, I think the real nightmare will begin when Assad is gone and the many diverse interests and mutual hostilities between different factions and foreign powers openly break out. After all, this is very much a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with Turkey hvaikng a very sharp look at how things are going, but I think Turkey is not ready to go to war over Syria. I think Syria will become another Lebanon, and the violence possibly will last for many many years to come.

It also got reported that former SAS members are training parts of the rebels.

And I wonder where all the weapons rebels recently got suddenly were coming from, and who payed them...

It seems the region has one hotter than hot hotspot more now, with turkey and Israel both needing to take into account the possibility that they will get pulled right into the middle of the mess, too, whether they want it or not.

Good for Iran.

[nikimcbee]

If they have them, where did they get them from?

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

If they have them, where did they get them from?

As I've said before you can basically walk down to the local supermarket and buy a chemical weapon.

For a nation with any kind of industry, the equipment and ingredients are already there; its simply a matter of having the intent to make them. You don't need secret labs in the back of semis.

Other than that, the same place they got their nuclear program (the one currently known as that big hole in the ground in al Kibar).

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by TLAM Strike

As I've said before you can basically walk down to the local supermarket and buy a chemical weapon.

For a nation with any kind of industry, the equipment and ingredients are already there; its simply a matter of having the intent to make them. You don't need secret labs in the back of semis.

Other than that, the same place they got their nuclear program (the one currently known as that big hole in the ground in al Kibar).

I'll laugh if it said "made in Iraq."

[MH]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

I'll laugh if it said "made in Iraq."

Iraq was disarmed by UN......

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by MH

Iraq was disarmed by UN......

Yeah that's right

Hold on a minute

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

If they have them, where did they get them from?

Carrier systems were build with assistance from North Korea and Iran, maybe also Russia. Chemical agents are produced by themselves in probbaly 3 or 4 facilities, they are assumed to have VX, Sarin and Tabun. A good ammount of their stock is assumed to derive from Saddam'S arsenal that he got rid of some years before the war of '03.
Dual-use technology probably also comes from some Western distributors. German, French, British, Italian and Amerian companies are not shy regarding selling dual-use technology.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Carrier systems were build with assistance from North Korea and Iran, maybe also Russia.

Do doubt they got some of their missile know how from the Iraqis who in turn got it from (in addition to those you named) the Egyptians, Libyans, and Argentinians.

[mapuc]

Earlier today I saw the news and the commentator said

"The syrians have said that they will not use it against it's own people, only against foreign intervetion in the conflict. So they can use it and say that it was against foreign group of terrorist"
(can't remember the exact frame, but it was something like that)

Markus

[Jimbuna]

My guess is they meant Turkey and Israel.

[Skybird]

I think we all know what to thinkl of their claism theyx would not use chemicals against "their own people".

And the Assads belongs to a minority ethnicity. Are the others "their people", too?

Technically, even the rebels from Syrian origin (no foreigners) can be seen as "their people", too, so...

That claim means nothing, we should know that for sure.