Syrian enigma
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| Chemical
weapons are considered weapons of mass destruction. Their production,
stockpiling and use is outlawed by the Chemical Weapons Convention CWC,
signed respectively acceded to by most countries of the world, with the
notable exception of Angola, North Korea, Egypt, South Sudan, and -
Syria! It cannot be claimed that Syria is in best company with its hesitation to accede to that treaty. |
| On August 20, 2012, during a news conference at the White House, US President Obama declared that "...
a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of chemical weapons
moving around or being utilized". This was shortened by most media to
the announcement of military countermeasures if the Syrian regime would
use chemical weapons on its own people. |
| Last
week, almost to the day one year after this unfortunate utterance, more
than 300 people were killed near Damascus, apparently by exactly those
chemical weapons declared as "red line", most conveniently a few days
before the arrival of UN chemical weapons inspectors (visiting Syria to
investigate the claimed use of chemical weapons some months earlier).
Maybe, Obama shouldn't have talked about chemical weapons at all. |
| With his careless remark, trumpeted to the world by media always longing for sensation, he (unwillingly?)
signposted the avenue to trouble. Now, anyone interested in aggravating
the civil war in Syria knew what to do. And the USA, together
with their most loyal allies, seem to repeat the same old mistakes,
like a robot where you just have to push the right button. |
| Instead
of proudly announcing clarifying documents of his secret agencies (who
presently trusts in these agencies?), Obama should wait for the results
of the (fortunately) ongoing UN inquiry and then, depending on these
results, decide on further measures together with Russia and China. But who am I to advise the President of the United States? |
8/13 MB 8/13 > 8/13
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