In the light
of recent developments and accusations directed against the Syrian
government, it is important once more to set the record straight: the
US supported rebels possess chemical weapons.
The
following article first published in December 2012 documents how the
Pentagon not only provided chemical weapons to Al Nusra, an
affiliated Al Qaeda terrorist organization, but also provided
training to the rebels in the use of these weapons.
While
Washington continues to point its finger at president Bashar al
Assad, a United Nations independent commission of inquiry confirmed
as early as May 2013 that the rebels rather than the government have
chemical weapons in their possession and were using sarin nerve gas
against the civilian population:
U.N.
human rights investigators have gathered testimony from casualties of
Syria’s civil war and medical staff indicating that rebel forces
have used the nerve agent sarin, one of the lead investigators said
on Sunday.
The
United Nations independent commission of inquiry on Syria has not yet
seen evidence of government forces having used chemical weapons,
which are banned under international law, said commission member
Carla Del Ponte.
The
Geneva-based inquiry into war crimes and other human rights
violations is separate from an investigation of the alleged use of
chemical weapons in Syria instigated by U.N. Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon, which has since stalled [discredited]. See “U.N. has
testimony that Syrian rebels used sarin gas: investigator,” Chicago
Tribune, May, 5 2013)
Ironically,
when the chemical weapons pretext was first launched by the Pentagon
in August 2012, the accusations were not directed against President
Bashar al Assad to the effect that he was underhandedly conniving to
use WMD against Syrian civilians. Quite the opposite. According to
the Pentagon, the operation was to ensure that Syria’s WMDs, which
allegedly had been “left unguarded” in military bunkers around
the country would not fall in the hands of opposition jihadist rebels
who are fighting government forces:
Pentagon
planners are more focused on protecting or destroying any Syrian
stockpiles that are left unguarded and at risk [of] falling into the
hands of rebel fighters or militias aligned with Al Qaeda, Hezbollah
or other militant groups. (U.S. has plans in place to secure Syria
chemical arms – latimes.com, August 22, 2012)
Full
article here:
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