Syria: how UN inspectors might be able to identify the weapon AND its source.

[pnwmom]

Till now, I've been hearing that the UN inspectors could only say whether chemical weapons were used, but not who used them. This former weapons inspector thinks they could collect also collect information indicating the source of any chemical bombs that were used.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/july-dec13/syria2_08-29.html

CHARLES DUELFER: They have had limited time.

There aren't that many of them. But they are able to interview a range of people who were in each of these areas, to the extent that they can, about what happened, what types of munitions were used. They may be able to collect remnants of the munitions, which could tell you quite a bit about the type of agent.

JEFFREY BROWN: What will that tell you? And will it tell you about who used it?

CHARLES DUELFER: If it is a sophisticated kind of a rocket or an artillery shell, such as the Syrian army would have, you can tell.

There's different reservoirs for the components of the sarin gas if they're there which are made to mix when it's fired. They're able to look at the type of gas, the sarin gas. Some of it is more sophisticated than others. For example, if it were just made up by insurgents, an ad hoc group, as some are suggesting as one alternative, they wouldn't have something called stabilizers or preservatives in it.

Serious Syrian army stuff has been on the shelf for a long time. It's like Wonder Bread. It has got something in the agent which will keep it active for years.

[David__77]

1. More information would be great.

Obviously, there could never be 100% certainty. The thing that jumps to mind is the looting/capture of army stocks by various insurgent groups. There is more than a little fog here.

This could be a starting point, to get somehow to a high degree of certainty regarding what was used, and by whom. But then aside from that there are myriad issues about what, if anything, should be the response. And this includes contingency for if such occurrences were repeated. Another shot across the bow? Again and again? Or is the US willing to commit to actually intervene and secure all WMDs in Syria?

[pnwmom]

2. I know -- I don't want us going down a rathole, either. I drew some comfort

from hearing Obama or Kerry (can't remember which) saying there was no ultimate military solution to this -- whatever happens short term, long term there will have to be a political solution.