Obama Decides To Arm Syrian Rebels After Chemical Weapons Proof

[Purveyor]

Al Arabiya

The White House said on Thursday that it will provide military assistance to the Syrian opposition after it has been concluded that the Assad’s regime used chemical weapons against his people and crossed what President Barack Obama had called a ‘red line.’

The Obama administration said it has provided Russia with the proof of the chemical weapons in Syria and that the subject will be discussed at an upcoming G8 summit.

The White House, in a statement issued late Thursday, said the use of chemical weapons “violates international norms and crosses clear red lines.”

Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national security adviser, told the Associated Press: “We've prepared for many contingencies in Syria…We are going to make decisions on further actions on our own timeline.”

more...

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2013/06/14/Obama-now-believes-Assad-used-chemical-weapons-crossed-red-line-.html

[Catherina]

1. Like the WMD proof? The Yellowcake proof?

And what lines are these? The ones we drew for the rebels we armed?

[Tx4obama]

2. I have NOT seen President Obama say anything anywhere about giving the rebels arms.

On the link below is the full statement by Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Communications Benjamin J. Rhodes

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023012831

[MotherPetrie]

3. "...violates international norms and crosses clear red lines"? SO DID THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION.

But Obama is fine and dandy with that.

[sabrina 1]

4. Lol, we've been arming them all along. So we have money after all, I thought we had such a big

deficit we had to cut food for the poor, steal benefits from SS beneficiaries etc.

It's amazing where the money comes from when our leaders see another war they want to profit from.

I blame the American people though, I no longer blame the government. Americans are the most abused people in the civilized world and they DEFEND their abusers. But I guess that is a symptom of the abused, until they break free and mostly they need help from outside to do that.

[Scootaloo]

5. So, two years down the line...

We'll have a nice jihadist freakshow happening in Syria, and there will be a hot war over Golan and another civil war in Lebanon, while the prospect of an independent Kurdistan revives the PKK in Turkey and leads to even more separatism - perhaps armed and violent - in Iraq. Couple more hundred thousand Syrians butchered, millions more thrown into refugee status, etc.

Plus the more immediate possibility that Assad will simply say "fuck it" and go all-out with his chemical weapons for real, since there is clearly no reason for the Syrian government not to now.