Rebels: Syrian medics die after treating attack victims
Source: USA Today
Some first responders to a reported chemical attack in Syria have died after treating victims, providing more evidence that a weapon of mass destruction was indeed used, opposition forces said Thursday.
"Some of them came down with similar symptoms and passed away," said Khaled Saleh, a spokesman for the Supreme Military Council of the Free Syrian Army, which the United States has provided with non-lethal aid. Saleh said at least six doctors had died after treating victims. "We don't have the (total) number of dead first responders yet," he said.
Despite seemingly overwhelming evidence, the Syrian government continues to deny that it used chemical weapons. Three dozen countries, including the U.S., have now called for a United Nations investigation.
Saleh said he learned Thursday that one of the people he had been in touch with Wednesday who was treating people injured in the attack had later passed away.
Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/08/22/syria-chemical-attack-responders-die/2686971/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Alamuti Lotus
(3,093 posts)Yes, it has unfortunately come to that.
pampango
(24,692 posts)Alamuti Lotus
(3,093 posts)I don't think I read enough Syrian government PR to state with any sense of certainty, but that is probably a safe assumption as well. Naturally, any claim from the terrorist opposition will be met with denial. The difference is, nobody really seems to take their statements seriously, while many are still mistakenly predisposed to take the takfiri propaganda with any grains of salt necessary. It's the "babies in incubators" principle applied to the Nth degree.
joshcryer
(62,536 posts)My commentary was conditioned on the information available that the first responders were not affected. In a Sarin or VX attack the first responders within the first 30 minutes or so would be contaminated and would eventually die.
My original contention was that it was not Sarin or VX gas being used because the first responders appeared unaffected, indicating to me something less lethal was being employed.
If this is the case the red line has been crossed.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(24,663 posts)... and fleshed out their story with tales (and perhaps bodies) of dead medics.
Plus, if there is evidence of a nerve gas, there's still the problem of figuring out which side used it.
I'm sure lines have been crossed, but there doesn't seem to be a "good side" in this mess. These are not "our" rebels, and certainly not "our" government. I don't see a reason to enforce another no-fly, no-drive, no-walk zone.
joshcryer
(62,536 posts)pampango
(24,692 posts)That is certainly true. However that should never stop us or anyone else from trying to determine what is happening in the world and why. And I don't think it is "liberal" to choose a policy then make the "facts" fit your policy.
To me that is a republican tactic. They are good at using fear and emotion to sway people to their chosen policy. They create "facts" or pick out "facts" that misrepresent or mislead and use those to support their policy.
Want to create more jobs, let rich people keep more of their money by lowering their taxes. "Has anyone ever been hired by a poor person?" Or "Make life miserable enough for illegal immigrants and their families and they will 'self-deport'. More jobs for 'us'." Or "If you raise the minimum wage you increase unemployment. Hey, if something is more expensive you use less of it." Or "It snowed yesterday. Global warming is a liberal hoax.." Or, last but not least, "The issue is just too big and complicated and filled with unknowns. Stop trying to understand it or do anything about it. Just go with your 'gut'."
All of these conservative lies (half-truths, at best) encourage people to stop trying to understand a problem and use that understanding to guide policy.
Instead they encourage people throw up their hands, curse how complicated the world is and leave policy matters to your 'gut' instinct which often is what is in your immediate self-interest. "Big cuts in the rich guy's taxes. That's OK as long as mine go down a little, too." "Increase wages at McDonalds? I might have to pay 25 cents more for my Big Mac." "Caps and taxes on carbon emissions? Will the cost of electricity or gas go up?"
In all those cases republican politicians would urge people to go with their immediate self-interest rather than trying to understand such complicated issues. Of course, it is no surprise that such advice, based on fear and emotion rather than understanding, leads to policy choices that are favorites of conservatives.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(24,663 posts)... but other media has commented on the casual way the corpses are handled by medical staff, mortuary staff, or by relatives and volunteers. As if it's dangerous to handle a gassed body without rubber gloves. It's been a while since I had a class on this, I don't remember how long a victim of serin remains hazardous.
Certainly it would be good to try to understand this, to get to the facts. It seems like a leap to say the facts of this incident will cause us to mobilize our armed forces in support of one side over the other.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)it's easy and plain to see why the opposition would want to pin such a crime on the gov't. Which are you going to believe - a version of events that's inherently illogical or something that makes complete sense on its face?
JustABozoOnThisBus
(24,663 posts)... the ptb may just pick a side, to be able to say they're doing "something".
Then they'll put on a sales campaign to get agreement that they chose the right side.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)Not since we learned how these sorts of dirty tricks get played out in 2003, it isn't.
BillyRibs
(787 posts)False flag operation. Discredit the Syrian and Russian Governments and it will pave the way for US involvement, Contractors will make a fortune. What Bullshit!
undergroundpanther
(11,925 posts)Some people in govt. who read shit like leo strauss,read that strauss laid out bush's axis of evil some 40 some years ago.
These ayn rand ass suckers are just going along with the sick ass philosophy /idealogy they use and combine to excuse thier own sociopathy,greed and power tripping.
The owners of big corporations and thier top executives are vile inhuman scum.The problems go back to the 1% ers justifying thier wealth and lifestyle to others who struggle to live in a world they are exploiting ,poisoning,abusing and strangling to death.
Purveyor
(29,876 posts)
Supersedeas
(20,630 posts)BillyRibs
(787 posts)if this wasn't A false flag operation it would be the exception to the rule.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)The only thing we know, is that it makes zero sense under the circumstances for it to have been the Syrian gov't. This is less plausible than Iraqi WMDs, and far more sinister.
Harmony Blue
(3,978 posts)as this is a trademark of weapon grade chemical weapons if some the medics/first responders have died.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)No, absent some proof that this was an intentional sirin gas attack by the regime, I'm not buying this, even if some people really, really want us to. BTW: there's nothing signature about this as the regime hasn't done this before. If there was hard evidence they had, I might believe it.
No. Too much at stake - nothing for Assad or his generals to gain.
Harmony Blue
(3,978 posts)the inspectors in to look at the aftermath as they were 3km away and turn popular world support of the rebels against them. And yet the Syrian government continued their artillery bombardment, which makes them look guilty.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)they are completely innocent.
They'll probably make a decision within 48 hours. The first problem here is that the munition used may well have been looted from gov't stocks. The second is that there is no way to prove who actually fired it, and why.
That somewhat puts the burden of proof on the regime, and they may have severe worries about what the world will do with this if the regime allows them access to evidence and it turns out the toxic material was indeed originally military issue.
Do you understand the dilemma?
Harmony Blue
(3,978 posts)and why this situation is so confusing.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)to have done this.
They aren't that stupid. That leaves other ruthless parties.
madrchsod
(58,162 posts)syria is russia's problem because they sold the gas to syria. the russians used syria as a counter to the west since after ww2. the best we can do is condem the act and wait for the truth.
BillyRibs
(787 posts)About Clues You can walk around all day with a pocket full of them.-Sam Vimes. from The Terry Pratchett Novel "THUD"
Jesus Malverde
(10,274 posts)is neither supreme nor free. The bulk of the fighters in Syria do not embrace our plural secular democratic culture. Many actively resist it.
Harmony Blue
(3,978 posts)it is the Al Nursa front that is not and why the Syrian resistance movement can't fight as a unified coordinated force. The FSA is not well funded like Al Nursa front and is not backed by wealthy Arab royalty.
leveymg
(36,418 posts)yoloisalie
(55 posts)put any pressure on the Saudi and Qataris to stop funding the terrorists in Syria? These guys go around forming orgs called friends of Syria while at the same time funding fire breathing hardcore Wahhabi terrorists in Syria. And please don't tell me we choose not to interfere because we have asked Hezbollah to stop sending militants to Syria and the same to Iraq to stop allowing pro Assad shia fighter to Syria.