Syrian WMDs

[LongBlade]

The State Department has begun coordinating with Syria's neighbors to prepare for the handling of President Bashar al-Assad's extensive weapons of mass destruction if and when his regime collapses, The Cable has learned.

This week, the State Department sent a diplomatic demarche to Syria's neighbors Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia, warning them about the possibility of Syria's WMDs crossing their borders and offering U.S. government help in dealing with the problem, three Obama administration officials confirmed to The Cable. For concerned parties both inside and outside the U.S. government, the demarche signifies that the United States is increasingly developing plans to deal with the dangers of a post-Assad Syria -- while simultaneously highlighting the lack of planning for how to directly bring about Assad's downfall.

Source: http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/02/24/exclusive_state_department_quietly_warning_region_on_syrian_wmds

[Gusington]

There were reports a few weeks ago that the WMDs were being used in Homs.

The report is vague but would the securing of the WMDs that are left be a covert sort of thing? No regular military involved?

[LongBlade]

No idea. It may depend on the circumstances on the ground.

If I read this correctly they're simply cautioning the neighbors to be on the lookout for bad guys smuggling across the border.

[MIGMaster]

I wonder how neighbors would react to verified WMD use ? I wonder if it would spur any international response - I think Syria is pretty much immune from any Western interference given the way things are developing. Kinda scary.

[LongBlade]

Israel shares a very small portion of Syria's border.

[MIGMaster]

Which probably represents a disproportionately large amount of security

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

WMDs again?  Real ones this time or the Iraq kind?

[LongBlade]

The possibility exists that the mysteries if Iraq may be solved in Syria. More like is the current story: Saddam wanted the world to believe he had them, even when he didn't.

I guess the lesson is: don't pretend you have something you don't.

[Gusington]

I could be totally making this up but didn't someone in the know (Brant?) prove with references that there were actual WMDs found in Iraq, and that they have become a sadly overlooked footnote? I could be wrong.

[MIGMaster]

I read that as well in the latest book on the Osama take down. According to the author (Chuck Pfarrer) WMD's were found

Great read if yo get a chance:

SEAL Target Geronimo, The Inside Story of the Mission to Kill Osama bin Laden

[LongBlade]

I thought they found precursors or something.

[Bison]

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=15918

Yes WMD were found.

[bayonetbrant]

WMDs again?  Real ones this time or the Iraq kind?

You mean these?  That actually existed but went against the dominant narrative at the time?

http://strayvoltage.blogspot.com/2006/06/well-looks-like-they-found-some.html  (quoting Reuters article)
edit: full-text link to the article - http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/6/29/163659.shtml

finding evidence of them in the files pushed out by WikiLeaks  (DR combed through what was released and found the references)
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2010/10/wikileaks-show-wmd-hunt-continued-in-iraq-with-surprising-results/

and how about the President's case for action against them?
http://grognews.blogspot.com/2010/05/president-justifies-military-action.html

[Epee1]

Will it play in Peoria?  Sadly, probably not.

[Gusington]

I knew I wasn't losing my mind, in this case.