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A citizen journalism image provided by the United media office of Arbeen which has been authenticated, showing Syrian rebels escorted the UN investigation team, in Damascus countryside of Zamalka, Syria AP Photo/United media office of Arbeen

French armed forces 'ready' to intervene in Syria if called upon

Meanwhile, UN weapons inspectors left their hotels, but it is not known what their destination is at this point.

UN EXPERTS INVESTIGATING purported poison gas attacks left their Damascus hotel today, but anti-regime activists said the team’s destination was not immediately known.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the team would be leaving Syria on Saturday.

The inspectors spent two days this week taking biological samples and interviewing survivors in the suburbs of Damascus where Syrian activists say hundreds were killed in the August 21 attacks.

Sky News reports that the Syrian government has written a letter to British MPs, urging them not to be ‘reckless’.

Commons will debate the Syrian issue this afternoon.

USA

Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said that he has concluded the Syrian regime is behind the attack.  But it is not clear if the Western powers will wait for the UN experts’ findings before launching a possible punitive military strike.

Speaking in Vienna today, Ban asked for time for the inspection team to complete its investigation, including a scientific analysis of the samples after they leave Syria. All opinions should be heard before decisions are made on a possible response, he said.

The US has signaled it would act even without backing from its allies or the UN.

Britain

image

Activists block Whitehall near the junction with Downing Street during an event organised by Stop the War Coalition to protest against potential UK involvement in the Syrian conflict in London. Pic: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

Britain’s opposition Labour Party has indicated it may not support even a watered down version of a government resolution on Syria.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said today he is unwilling to give Prime Minister David Cameron a “blank cheque” for conducting possible future military operations against Syria.

He had earlier forced Cameron to back down on calls for an immediate strike in order to assess UN inspectors’ evidence about a possible Syrian government chemical attack on its own people.

Labour’s position leaves the results of a parliamentary vote expected late today in doubt. If approved, the measure would authorize possible strikes in principle but would require a second vote after the UN report.

The government says it plans to publish its legal advice on a possible attack today.

France

image

Syrian refugee boys play soccer at Zaatari Syrian refugee camp, in Mafraq, Jordan. Pic: AP Photo/Mohammad Hannon

A French defence spokesman said the French military is ready to commit forces to an operation in Syria if President Francois Hollande decides to do so.

French Defense Ministry spokesman Pierre Bayle told reporters today that “the French armed forces have put themselves at the ready to respond to the instructions of the president if he takes the decision to commit French forces” to an international intervention in Syria’s civil war.

While Hollande has spoken out strongly against the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad, today he stressed the importance of a political solution and making the Syrian opposition a stronger and more viable alternative.

Read: Obama: ‘No decision’ yet on whether to strike Syria – but Assad definitely to blame>

Explainer: What is going on in Syria?>

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65 Comments
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    Mute Chopstix
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:09 AM

    So the allies have made up there own minds without the UN’s report. God help us all the lunatics are running the asylum.

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    Mute Stephen Doyle
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:30 AM

    But the Americans have proof so it must be true. Sure weren’t they right with all those WMDs in Iraq

    45
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    Mute Darryl Weathers
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:32 AM

    Ye lets wait around for the UN like they did in Rwanda.

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    Mute werejammin
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:45 AM

    The team is reporting to Ban Ki Moon on Saturday Darryl.

    22
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    Mute Sean Mc Gowan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 12:01 PM

    It will be very different from Libya this time round…. I doubt the Russians are gonna sit back this time…

    19
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    Mute Chopstix
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    Aug 29th 2013, 12:08 PM

    In my opinion this has the potential to ignite into a major war maybe even the “big one” it all depends on how much Russia , china & Iran are willing to take if the allies attack Assad which seems to be only a matter of time now.

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    Mute Peter Ryan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 12:42 PM

    The Russians dont have too many military options in the area. Syria is surrounded by western allies and bases.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:08 PM

    werejammin. And what if the report categoricaly points the finger of blame at the Syrian Military. Would then support military action?

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:11 PM

    Sean the only thing the Russians will do is huff and puff. They are not going to confront NATO directly they are not that stupid.

    10
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    Mute Chopstix
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:28 PM

    Mick Jordan
    You come across as a man that desperately wants to see Assad found guilty and attacked by the allies.
    Most people hate war and want to see an end to it you seem to embrace it hence the reason so many disagree with you.
    If he is found guilty I could picture you pointing fingers saying I told you so I told you so doing a little dance at you keyboard while a country is bombed with more than likely civilian casualtys it’s pathetic carry on grow up mick

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:39 PM

    So what would your solution be if they are found to be guilty? And for I told you yes I will and Wests more I will take great pleasure in rubbing your nose in it. You and your cohorts have denied and denied, insulted, sneered at and defamed anyone that has an opposing view to yours. So yes I will take great pleasure in it.

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:50 PM

    Mick
    I have said all along let’s wait for the UN to report there findings check my posts if you don’t believe me.
    You sound very bitter & angry maybe you should take a break from posting on here your lying about me attacking you and you are taking things extremely personal maybe social isn’t your thing buddy.

    12
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    Mute Chopstix
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:55 PM

    Mick
    My solution would be arrest whoever is guilty and have them tried for war crimes

    11
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    Mute werejammin
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:56 PM

    We should all ease up on mick. He obviously has access to information in relation to the chemical weapons attacks that neither the CIA, Mossad or MI6 have been able to hand to their respective governments :)

    8
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    Mute MrKnow
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    Aug 29th 2013, 2:25 PM

    Hey mick a quick reminder of the past… From 1962 to 1971, the US military sprayed an estimated 20 million gallons of defoliants and herbicides over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in a bid to deprive the Vietcong of food and cover.The Vietnamese government estimates that 400,000 people were killed or maimed and 500,000 children born with birth defects as a result of the so-called ‘rainbow herbicides.’ And they also littered iraq with depleted uranium.

    12
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    Mute Derek Durkin
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    Aug 29th 2013, 3:47 PM

    True Mick, the Russians and Chinese do not have the capability to take on Nato in a military capacity but they could destroy the west by flogging all their dollars.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 4:43 PM

    Mr Know. Did the US use Agent Orange as a Nerve, Blister or Suffocating Agent to target civilians? No. They used it as a Defoliant. Did they know about the long term side affects? No. Because it has affected their own troops too.
    Derek. For Russia or China to disrupt the American Economy would be commiting economic suicide. They especially China would suffer much much more.

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 4:45 PM

    Chopstix. Arrest Assad how? They would have to invade Syria to get hold of him to bring him and his minions to trial.

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    Mute Chopstix
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    Aug 29th 2013, 5:49 PM

    Mick
    I never said arrest Assad I said the guilty party
    We don’t know who is guilty yet and let’s say it is Assad I’m sure a seal team could extract him.

    3
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    Mute guardian
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    Aug 29th 2013, 6:48 PM

    You cant be serious? ? Lol funny seal team extract of a leader with vicious Republican guard protection. Dream on keep taking the fantasy pills :)

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    Mute fergalreid
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:07 AM

    Commit French forces? Please. The French could barely establish air superiority over Libya in 2011. The British weren’t much better. Any attack on Syria will be America plus change, as per usual. All of this “and my axe” bluster from London and Paris is just braggadocio.

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    Mute guardian
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    Aug 29th 2013, 4:53 PM

    Cheeeeeese eating surrender monkeys.

    By the way to the idiot in the journal who deleted the above when I first said it cop on. Your deleting comments for no reasons muppets. Or do you lot watch the Simpson. Honestly the hypocrisy here at times is unreal.

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    Mute Vincenzo Pazienza
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:12 AM

    Here’s a very good and informative article on the recent events with completely unbiased links to support the analysis:

    http://syriareport.net/toxic-discourse-on-chemical-weapons/

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    Mute Vincenzo Pazienza
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:15 AM
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    Mute Johnny Downes
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:31 AM

    I hear talk of punishing Syrian Leadership for this attack. What about punishing America for Hiroshima and Nagasaki , and napalming Vietnam- all chemical weapons use!

    33
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    Mute Jim Flavin
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:47 PM

    What about punishing America ”
    Not to mention their help and advice to Sadam – and their use of depleted Uranium in Iraq – and Agent Orange in Vietnam also .
    Total hypocrites

    10
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    Mute Tom Barry
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    Aug 29th 2013, 2:13 PM

    Jeez the Japanese hardly had an unblemished human rights record in WWII. All in all the defeat of the Axis powers was a good thing for the rest of the world and looking at the subsequent economic powers of Germany and Japan, it didn’t do them too badly either. 100% agree about Vietnam though…

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    Mute MrKnow
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    Aug 29th 2013, 2:21 PM

    Explained here http://on.rt.com/neg4ap

    3
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    Mute Dave Gaughran
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:30 AM

    Its interesting that the moral outrage of the West always seems to run along the same lines as their strategic interests.

    32
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    Mute DublinLad
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:08 AM

    Really? I’ve heard the French have surrendered already.

    31
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    Mute werejammin
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:14 AM

    Not at all. They’re deploying their new tank. It has one forward gear and five reverse gears…

    35
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    Mute yoman
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:41 AM

    Idiots… you are all saying that from the comfort of your home. Spend more time reading history books, this will help you make more balance comments

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    Mute DublinLad
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:51 AM

    Oh lighten up.

    We all know the French are scared of their own shadows.

    12
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    Mute Tony O'Regan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 12:10 PM

    See how ‘cowardly’ and ‘ineffective’ the French were against Islamist insurgents in Mali, now compare that to US and UK against Islamist insurgents… Or see how many successful attacks there were against French embassies after Publishing Mohammed cartoons or the Burka Ban, or what French Planes did in the first strike against the armoured column in Libya… The French are well able to handle themselves.

    27
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    Mute yoman
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    Aug 29th 2013, 12:21 PM

    Thought this cliche about their shadow was a canadian cliche… maybe french canadian

    6
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    Mute DublinLad
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:04 PM

    You shouldn’t take everything literally, jeez!

    1
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    Mute werejammin
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:11 AM

    So, some rumblings of actually waiting until the UN inspectors report back their findings. Good. I see the US are doing their usual gaolpost shifting in the meantine i.e. Assad definitely ordered the use of chemical weapons against his own people has now become even if it was only a commander who urdered their use, Assad is still to blame as commander in chief.

    Will America practice what it preaches and order use of force against its own Commander-in-chief for war crimes carried out by his underlings?

    30
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    Mute Seoirse M H
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:41 AM

    The headline of this article makes no sense.
    French Armed Forces are already operating in Syria. It is not a case of there are currently no French Armed Forces present in Syria bit they could be on the ground if Hollande approved. They are already on the ground as Frances largest newspaper has been reporting for over a year now.

    They were no longer able to hide the presence of French Ground Forces in Syria after last year’s direct support of the Syrian ‘rebels’ by the French.
    By the way, the very first act of the directly supported Syrian ‘rebels’ was to ban women from driving in Aleppo.
    Ya, you guessed it, that didn’t make any Western headlines.

    15
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    Mute yoman
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    Aug 29th 2013, 12:19 PM

    This is very worring news but Im not surprised. Clearly there is an agenda behind this op. Quatar and Saudi Arabia are really pushing for war and are funding the rebels. A quick look at the situation in the other coutries.”liberated” by the US/France/GB clearly shows.that the stuation didnt improve for the local pipulation and the women in particular.

    14
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:13 PM

    Link please Seoirse. Just to prove your statement.

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    Mute Gearóid Ó Murchadha
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    Aug 29th 2013, 3:12 PM

    Things have improved in Mali. And when the rebels initially took allepo it was before the major influx of foreign fighters so I doubt the first thing they did was ban woken driving! Of course everyone thinks their opinion is “fact”.

    6
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    Mute Seoirse M H
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    Aug 29th 2013, 4:48 PM

    Re Gearoid.

    Search on startpage for Aleppo and Syrian rebels and ban women drivers and you’ll see some newspaper articles.

    What you think is not relevant to documented history.

    2
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 5:06 PM

    Where is the link Seoirse? Lets see the proof of your claim that French Troops are currently on the Ground in Syria.

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    Mute Aidan O Mahony
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:35 AM
    10
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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:20 PM

    Aiden. The video shows the Rebels firing a homemade mortar. The same type the IRA used in the North. If you care to look not one single person in the video is wearing a Gas Mask or any form of protective clothing. Not very sensible if you are handling neurotoxic substances especially when your delivery system is a gas tank welded to a shaft with fins. I mean your welds would have to be perfectly air tight to prevent spilages and killing yourself.

    6
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    Mute Anthony Quinn
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    Aug 29th 2013, 1:12 PM

    Cant impose modern values
    On a medieval culture
    Id leave them at it

    7
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    Mute Morticia
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:30 AM

    If it does turn out that both sides used chemicals what is the next step?

    7
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    Mute werejammin
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:36 AM

    I don’t remember you dealing with the possibility that it was only al-quaida that had used the chemical weapons, only you insisting it was assad.

    Would you like to discuss that first i.e. the possibility that it was not Assad

    13
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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:37 AM

    It’s an arab league problem, let the arab league sort it out.

    6
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    Mute Morticia
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:02 AM

    There is no justification for invading Syria unless the intention is to go all the way to mecca and tehran and put a stop to the nonsense once and for all.

    6
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    Mute werejammin
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:06 AM

    And are you picking up your tin hat morticia, or are you just willing to fight to the last drop of everyone elses blood for your beloved Israel??

    34
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    Mute fergalreid
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:09 AM

    Tehran and Mecca (not Riyadh, no?) are awfully long drives from Syria.

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    Mute guardian
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:17 AM

    Iran is coming. Dont think Israel will let those boys go nuclear.

    Problem here in Syria is yes the west should intervene but only to take away ability to launch these kind of weapons. Nothing more. West has to be seen to act as russia china and North Korea are watching for future reference but as bad as Bashir is the rebels are just as bad what we are seeing here in Syria is a wider middle eastern political fight between Shia and sunni and is bashir looses and rebels win its hugely destabilising as a minority muslim religion that will be at loggerheads with everyone plus each side will slaughter the others civilians. They are as bad as each other.

    Have to stop these weapons being acceptable but really chemicals kill 1300. Guns and bombs kill 100, 000 bit of perspective is good.

    Russia will huff and puff but will back down. Will sent boats to the med but aging fleet versus even one American destroyer no match really.

    13
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    Mute Morticia
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:19 AM

    OK, lets work on the plan as some think the long drive through the sand would be a bitt too much. How about a 3 or 4 pronged approach ?

    2
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    Mute Nelly
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:21 AM

    There must be no oil in Syria,if there was the yanks and Brits would’ve been in long ago

    18
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    Mute GOLDEN ARMS
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:35 AM

    It’s not all about oil in the Middle East, just look at the war mongering Israeli supporters posts above you.

    23
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    Mute Gearóid Ó Murchadha
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    Aug 29th 2013, 2:59 PM

    That makes no sense. Anyway, if the rebels win, their saudi allies (and sponsors) will be happy which in turn will make the US, the Saudis main western ally, happy. If they lose then Assad, Iran and Russia will be happy.

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    Mute guardian
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    Aug 29th 2013, 4:02 PM

    Ahh yeah golden arms amazing how he won’t shut up about us and uk m15 and cia mental illness has to be. Seems to forget that Russia outlaws gays denies war crimes and invades Georgia for sport. No knowledge apart from what he can see on wuick search of Wikipedia.

    Best to ignore persistent trolling :)

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    Mute GOLDEN ARMS
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    Aug 29th 2013, 6:14 PM

    Yes ill ignore it lol.

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    Mute Vincenzo Pazienza
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    Aug 29th 2013, 12:27 PM

    Very Important video, a must watch if you want to understand what’s going on in Syria:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uSCCBnnHgfs&list=UUvtTGZEcS8mbWdB7prg4QNw#t=16

    3
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    Mute Vincenzo Pazienza
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    Aug 29th 2013, 12:32 PM

    Also a radio interview with a French Syrian political activist, very interesting perspective on things:
    http://www.corbettreport.com/interview-730-ayssar-midani-on-the-syrian-chemical-weapons-hoax/

    3
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    Mute Morticia
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    Aug 29th 2013, 12:36 PM

    I mentioned the possibiltity that both sides had used chemicals on several ocassions ,let us see what the inspectors find before wasting the lives of any servicemen in some futile adventure unless it deals with the root cause of the problems our Islamic pals are beset with. Do we go Shia or Sunni ?

    3
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    Mute Morticia
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    Aug 29th 2013, 11:38 AM

    Aunty Merkel is reportedly sending in the Troika.

    2
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    Mute Morticia
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    Aug 29th 2013, 2:06 PM

    “How credible will Obama’s vow about blocking Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon be if he gives Assad a pass?”

    Slate

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    Mute Morticia
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    Aug 29th 2013, 6:28 PM

    The best evidence shows the gas atrocity was conducted by Syria’s ruler brother Maher Assad. The control of Syria’s chemical weapons is not a secret to Western intelligence. All the nonsense about a UN investigation is playacting to keep Western audiences deceived. The sarin nerve gas atrocity of Wednesday, Aug. 21, alleged to have claimed more than 1,000 lives, was the work of the 155th Brigade of the Syrian army’s 4th Division, headed by President Bashar Asad’s younger brother Gen. Maher Assad.

    Le Figaro

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