Syrian rebels in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta have admitted to Associated Press journalist Dale Gavlak that they were responsible for last week’s chemical weapons incident which western powers have blamed on Bashar Al-Assad’s forces, revealing that the casualties were the result of an accident caused by rebels mishandling chemical weapons provided to them by Saudi Arabia.
“From numerous interviews with doctors, Ghouta residents, rebel fighters and their families….many believe that certain rebels received chemical weapons via the Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, and were responsible for carrying out the (deadly) gas attack,” writes Gavlak.
Rebels told Gavlak that they were not properly trained on how to handle the chemical weapons or even told what they were. It appears as though the weapons were initially supposed to be given to the Al-Qaeda offshoot Jabhat al-Nusra.
“We were very curious about these arms. And unfortunately, some of the fighters handled the weapons improperly and set off the explosions,” one militant named ‘J’ told Gavlak.
His claims are echoed by another female fighter named ‘K’, who told Gavlak, “They didn’t tell us what these arms were or how to use them. We didn’t know they were chemical weapons. We never imagined they were chemical weapons.”
Abu Abdel-Moneim, the father of an opposition rebel, also told Gavlak, “My son came to me two weeks ago asking what I thought the weapons were that he had been asked to carry,” describing them as having a “tube-like structure” while others were like a “huge gas bottle.” The father names the Saudi militant who provided the weapons as Abu Ayesha.
According to Abdel-Moneim, the weapons exploded inside a tunnel, killing 12 rebels.
“More than a dozen rebels interviewed reported that their salaries came from the Saudi government,” writes Gavlak.
If accurate, this story could completely derail the United States’ rush to attack Syria which has been founded on the “undeniable” justification that Assad was behind the chemical weapons attack. Dale Gavlak’s credibility is very impressive. He has been a Middle East correspondent for the Associated Press for two decades and has also worked for National Public Radio (NPR).
The website on which the story originally appeared - Mint Press (which is currently down as a result of huge traffic it is attracting to the article) is a legitimate media organization based in Minnesota. The Minnesota Post did a profile on them last year.
Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in providing rebels, whom they have vehemently backed at every turn, with chemical weapons, is no surprise given the revelations earlier this week that the Saudis threatened Russia with terror attacks at next year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi unless they abandoned support for the Syrian President.
“I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” Prince Bandar allegedly told Vladimir Putin, the Telegraph reports.
The Obama administration is set to present its intelligence findings today in an effort prove that Assad’s forces were behind last week’s attack, despite American officials admitting to the New York Times that there is no “smoking gun” that directly links President Assad to the attack.
US intelligence officials also told the Associated Press that the intelligence proving Assad’s culpability is “no slam dunk.”
As we reported earlier this week, intercepted intelligence revealed that the Syrian Defense Ministry was making “panicked” phone calls to Syria’s chemical weapons department demanding answers in the hours after the attack, suggesting that it was not ordered by Assad’s forces.
"In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot."
I support an 'effective' attack that would limit the use of chemical weapons in the area, by either side
Oh right Boxy, that mythical 'line' that no one should cross and if you do, YOU SHALL PAY!!
It's good to see that you support all out war if Obama deems it to be the 'effective' attack.
Let me give you a clue Boxy.
There is one and only one 'effective' attack, and that is the targeting Assad himself. You can't blow up an airport or a army base or a group of weapons and think it will 'deter' anything.
Assad commanders, because of WH 'leaks' on what we are going to do and generally with what, have been moving assets to either more hardened areas or placing them in dense civilian areas.
"Approval ratings go up and down for various reasons... An example is the high post 911 support for GWB even though he could be said to be responsible for the event." --- Box A Rox '9/11 Truther'
Melania is a bimbo... she is there to look at, not to listen to. --- Box A Rox and his 'War on Women'
US Contractors Cited for Syrian Chem Attacks US Chem Weapons Disposal Program Supplies WMD’s for Syrian Rebels By Gordon Duff, Senior Editor
Investigative journalists inside Georgia and the region have traced shipments of chemical weapons to American controlled sources in the region.Here, the weapons from Georgia are being deployed by US backed Al Qaeda terrorists.
Journalists, Jeffrey Silverman and Lika Moshiashvili have discovered clandestine WMD operations at the US controlled Central Reference Laboratory.
Additionally, at the same facility, now controlled by the US government under cover of a “disarmament aid” program, new strains of deadly viruses are now also being reported as being weaponized and distributed to terrorist organizations.Differentiating between listed and named terror groups and intelligence agencies has become problematic. All of this is financed by the US government and done under the guise of foreign aid and disease control.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Quoted from Box A Rox America will support reasonable actions to help prevent the return of Chemical Weapons.
There. Now we've both misstated each others position. We've each spent some time and effort composing and posting a useless argument. Why bother???
When you post platitudes like "reasonable action" that have a broad range of meaning, I just figured you meant the US governments most commonly use "reasonable action" over the course of its history. I was agreeing with you by the way. There are many Americans that would love to see bombs fly.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
The problem with that sign is the "we" part. People still identifying with the actions of government. It should read 'I have to pay to feed the poor, I can't afford to fund your war'. People need to stop speaking in the collective terms of 'we', and 'us', and 'our' when talking about government actions.
All he wants is to be able to launch drones at targets in Syria.
As far as the argument of what percent approves of drone strikes or actual invasion forces, keep in mind that the majority of Americans would approve of launching drones to kill everyone outside the US. Not just Syria.
Wow, the homicidal maniac in chief is looking for friends in congress?
This should be interesting. You will see democrat liberals like Pelosi speak like war hawks and republicans like Paul look like the doves. You will see who are the shills for the military industrial complex and how they do not represent the will of the people. It will be another layer peeled away exposing the fraud of a democracy. Especially if a lame duck president acts against the will of the people, like he already said he has the legal authority to do.
The problem with that sign is the "we" part. People still identifying with the actions of government. It should read 'I have to pay to feed the poor, I can't afford to fund your war'. People need to stop speaking in the collective terms of 'we', and 'us', and 'our' when talking about government actions.
Cicero is NEVER EVER part of a "WE", unless of course Cissy is the recipient of what "WE" give him.
Cicero so wants to be independent and not part of any govt, but he just can't help himself... he enjoys the benefits of what all of us "WE" people produce, our roads, our infrastructure, our education system, our hospitals, our fire and police protection... etc.
Cicero hates govt so much that he complains about it at every possible post, yet he sucks up all the benefit of what the "WE" citizens provide.
hypocrite a person who pretends to be what he is not
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
"In the beginning of a change, the Patriot is a scarce man, brave, hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, however, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a Patriot."
Cicero is NEVER EVER part of a "WE", unless of course Cissy is the recipient of what "WE" give him.
Cicero so wants to be independent and not part of any govt, but he just can't help himself... he enjoys the benefits of what all of us "WE" people produce, our roads, our infrastructure, our education system, our hospitals, our fire and police protection... etc.
Cicero hates govt so much that he complains about it at every possible post, yet he sucks up all the benefit of what the "WE" citizens provide.
hypocrite a person who pretends to be what he is not
When confronted with the truth... he runs away and changes the subject... Meanwhile he still sucks off the govt for his every need.
(It's too bad he didn't "decline" his public education that the rest of us paid for... It was obviously a waste of taxpayer dollars and he hates us for providing that benefit.)
The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishness. John Kenneth Galbraith
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