Syria denies chemical attack as U.S., allies ready response

[brassmonkey]

Syria on Tuesday challenged the Obama administration to prove its claim that its military forces used chemical weapons in an attack that killed hundreds of civilians, as the United States and its allies prepared for what could be a military assault on the country.

As Western nations discussed how to respond to Syria, White House spokesman Jay Carney said any operation would not attempt to depose Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"The options we are considering are not about regime change," he said.

France and the Arab League said Syria must be held responsible for the attack.

"France is ready to punish those who took the decision to gas the innocent," French President Francois Hollande told a meeting in Paris of French ambassadors.

The Arab League issued a statement Tuesday saying it holds Assad responsible for the chemical attack and that the United Nations should respond.

Syria was defiant in the face of the accusations. State-run Syrian Arab News Agency accused Secretary of State John Kerry of using "fabricated" evidence to claim that it is "undeniable" that Syria used chemical weapons against civilians on Aug. 21.

Syria Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem said Tuesday his country would defend itself using "all means available" in case of a U.S. strike.

The Syrian statements come as four U.S. warships neared Syrian shores and British aircraft gathered in the United Kingdom's airbase in Cyprus, according to the United Kingdom's Guardian newspaper.

President Obama's national security team continued to assess military options to follow up on the president's pledge a year ago to take "game-changing" action if Syria uses chemical weapons in its 2-year-old civil war.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told BBC television Tuesday that U.S. forces are ready to act on any order by Obama to strike Syria.

The United Nations said that its team of chemical weapons experts in Syria delayed a second trip Tuesday to investigate the alleged poison gas attack near Damascus by one day for security reasons.

A Russian cargo plane delivered 20 tons of food to Syria's port city of Latakia, and will evacuate 180 citizens of former Soviet countries, Russian TV station RT reported. Russia warned that military intervention in Syria would have "catastrophic consequences" for the region, RT reported.

Markets overseas were unsettled Tuesday. London's FTSE 100 index fell 0.68% and Germany's DAX tumbled 1.57%. Brent crude oil jumped $1.56 a barrel, or 1.41%, to $112.29.

Ken Pollack, a former Middle East adviser to the National Security Council in the Clinton administration, says a military strike could have unforeseen results and bring a response from others, such as Syria backers Iran, Russia and the terrorist group Hezbollah based in Lebanon.

"Going to war always means opening Pandora's box," Pollack said.

But if the strike is limited, neither the Iranians, Hezbollah or the Syrian regime want a fight with the United States or Israel, he said.

"I think there's a reasonable expectation this can be kept limited in terms of blow-back," he said.

full article...

[DavieVegas]

Good lord... What a mess

[blackmonsters]

None of it even matters because when the US wants to drop bombs in the middle east the only facts that matter are that "the US wants to drop bombs in the middle east".

[Seth Manson]

stop driving up my gas prices you bastards

[CDSmith]

In other news North American gas station owners salivate in anticipation of the coming requisite ten cent a litre increase to gas prices.

Tune in later for our 5 day forcast.

[FlowerKid]

Those motherfuckers just want to drop some bombs from time to time.

[DWB]

Tag... you're it.