Connecting previous shiny to current shiny: call intercepts show Syrian use of chemical weapons

[Recursion]

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/27/exclusive_us_spies_say_intercepted_calls_prove_syrias_army_used_nerve_gas

Last Wednesday, in the hours after a horrific chemical attack east of Damascus, an official at the Syrian Ministry of Defense exchanged panicked phone calls with a leader of a chemical weapons unit, demanding answers for a nerve agent strike that killed more than 1,000 people. Those conversations were overheard by U.S. intelligence services, The Cable has learned. And that is the major reason why American officials now say they're certain that the attacks were the work of the Bashar al-Assad regime -- and why the U.S. military is likely to attack that regime in a matter of days.

But the intercept raises questions about culpability for the chemical massacre, even as it answers others: Was the attack on Aug. 21 the work of a Syrian officer overstepping his bounds? Or was the strike explicitly directed by senior members of the Assad regime? "It's unclear where control lies," one U.S. intelligence official told The Cable. "Is there just some sort of general blessing to use these things? Or are there explicit orders for each attack?"

Nor are U.S. analysts sure of the Syrian military's rationale for launching the strike -- if it had a rationale at all. Perhaps it was a lone general putting a long-standing battle plan in motion; perhaps it was a miscalculation by the Assad government. Whatever the reason, the attack has triggered worldwide outrage, and put the Obama administration on the brink of launching a strike of its own in Syria. "We don't know exactly why it happened," the intelligence official added. "We just know it was pretty fucking stupid."

American intelligence analysts are certain that chemical weapons were used on Aug. 21 -- the captured phone calls, combined with local doctors' accounts and video documentation of the tragedy -- are considered proof positive. That is why the U.S. government, from the president on down, has been unequivocal in its declarations that the Syrian military gassed thousands of civilians in the East Ghouta region.

[Schema Thing]

1. Well, you would think that the content of the call would answer some of these questions

I mean, it seems logical to assume that if "an official at the Syrian Ministry of Defense exchanged panicked phone calls with a leader of a chemical weapons unit, demanding answers for a nerve agent strike that killed more than 1,000 people", then said "leader of (the) chemical weapons unit" would have replied to that line questioning with some sort of rational for the strike.

[dkf]

2. Sounds confused to me and still no basis.

First of all, I hesitate to believe this admin. Second even the allegation as it stands is weak.

This is ridiculous.

[HeiressofBickworth]

3. Check another thread on DU

It says that the phone interception was by Israeli intelligence and that it is Israel's disclosure that is included in the report to the President. We must be very careful about accepting third-party disclosures as a reason for military intervention. We failed at that miserably with the invasion of Iraq.

[Arctic Dave]

4. A "rogue general".

Now we are swallowing turds from nuttyyahoo and calling it caviar because he said so. That's like taking anything from Cheney says as the gospel.

But ooh no, it could never be the jihadist because its not like they've been caught doing it already. Oh wait, they have.

[TroglodyteScholar]

5. Good read, thanks...

"Fucking stupid" (quote from the anonymous analyst) is a good way to describe this horrible act.