Russian State Media Reports USS Eisenhower Near Syria
December 6th, 2012Fox Reporting Syria’s Sarin Weapons in Ready State
If this is true, I don’t see how the U.S. can attack these weapons; to do so would release the sarin. Right?
Maybe someone from .mil can confirm: Will the U.S. attack binary sarin weapons that are in a ready state?
Who the hell knows what’s actually happening on this thing. With sources like Russia Today and Fox News… *sigh*
Via: Fox:
Below is from FNC Pentagon Producer Justin Fishel:
I can confirm from a senior US official that sarin gas has been mixed and is ready to use. They have 60 days to use it until it expires and needs to be destroyed.
[note the shelf life of the mixed sarin gas is 60 days]
—End Update—
Update: Is ‘Red Line’ Crossed If Either Assad Uses Chemical Weapons Or Rebels Get Control of Them?
You know, the rebels the NATO countries have been supporting…
Via: Los Angeles Times:
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton indicated Wednesday that Washington is as concerned about Syria’s chemical weapons falling into the hands of Syrian rebels as it is about the possibility that Syrian President Bashar Assad may decide to deploy them.
“Our concerns are that an increasingly desperate Assad regime might turn to chemical weapons, or might lose control of them to one of the many groups that are now operating within Syria,” Clinton told reporters at the end of two days of NATO ministerial meetings in Brussels. “We have sent an unmistakable message that this would cross a red line and those responsible would be held to account.”
—End Update—
Apparently, the Eisenhower is in the Mediterranean:
01Dec2012,
transited the Suez Canal,
and returned to the Mediterranean Sea
01Dec-04Dec2012, Med
Via: Russia Today:
The USS Eisenhower, an American aircraft carrier that holds eight fighter bomber squadrons and 8,000 men, arrived at the Syrian coast yesterday in the midst of a heavy storm, indicating US preparation for a potential ground intervention.
While the Obama administration has not announced any sort of American-led military intervention in the war-torn country, the US is now ready to launch such action “within days” if Syrian President Bashar al-Assad decides to use chemical weapons against the opposition, the Times reports.
Some have suggested that the Assad regime may use chemical weapons against the opposition fighters in the coming days or weeks.
Of course there is no gas – after all, an excuse is required to bomb the creap out of Syria
Assuming the gas does exist and is in the described state – they attack it in situ and accept collateral damage from its release. Once it is detected in use by whichever side and for whatever reasons, there are several interested parties who could pile in and use it as an excuse for furthering their own agenda.
Unless it can be rendered ineffective by say, burning it all up in a series of massive fuel air bombs; or they use non-lethal (or lethal non-destructive) special weapons to take out the human operatives but leave the weapons systems undamaged.
Of course, pretend there is a gas reading detected and launch your strikes = almost the same result, minus the collateral damage from NBC weapons contamination. I think this is the more likely scenario.