Saturday, April 13, 2013

Syria, Chemical Weapons and the President's Warning: Has Obama's "Red Line" Been Crossed?

Some eight months ago, President Obama warned against the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government against its own people. Obama stated (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-19319446):

"There would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movement on the chemical weapons front or the use of chemical weapons.

. . . .

A red line for us is [if] we see a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around, or being utilised. That would change my calculus."

Well, The Times of London is now reporting:

"Forensic evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria has been found for the first time in a soil sample smuggled out of the country in a secret British operation.

Defence sources, who declined to be named, said yesterday that conclusive proof that 'some kind of chemical weapon' had been fired in Syria had been established by scientists at the Ministry of Defence’s chemical and biological research establishment at Porton Down in Wiltshire."

Given that his "red line" has been crossed, will Obama now "change his calculus"?

Why, having watched Obama fail to slow Iran's nuclear weapons development program, do I harbor doubts concerning the readiness of the Procrastinator-in-Chief to take any action whatsoever in Syria, e.g., impose a no-fly zone?

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