Dozens dead in Syrian chemical weapons experiment

[crimzonsol]

Jane's Magazine reports Syrian officers, Iranian engineers attempting to mount chemical warhead on Scud missile killed in accident which took place in secret location about two months ago
Dozens of Syrian military officers and Iranian engineers were killed about two months ago in an a chemical weapons accident, Jane's Magazine reported Monday, revealing new details on the incident which took place in a secret weapons facility.

According to the report by the British magazine, the explosion occurred early in the morning on July 26, in a factory in the city of Halab, as the officers were attempting to mount a chemical warhead with mustard gas on a Scud-C missile.
A fire which started in the missile's engine led to an explosion near a storage location of chemical substances. The blast spread lethal chemical agents, including mustard gas, VX gas and sarin nerve gas, which are considered extremely toxic and are banned for use according to international treaties.

Jane's Magazine reports that the explosion killed 15 Syrian officers and dozens of Iranian engineers who were in the facility. Dozens of people were injured.

The incident was reported at the time by Syria's official news agency, but the report only included information on the Syrian casualties and did not mention the Iranian representatives.

The Syrian report also claimed that the explosion was caused by a "heat wave" in the country, although the blast took place at around 4:30 am, and that the Syrian government rejected the possibility of sabotage.

According to the British magazine, the facility where the accident took place was built as part of a cooperation agreement signed between Syria and Iran in 2005. The joint activity included technological supply and assistance from Syria to Iran.

A Western diplomatic source reported in the past that in exchange, Tehran was providing Damascus with means that would enable it to independently produce chemical weapons, including help in planning and building facilities and carrying out chemical weapons experiments in a number of locations. According to the source, the cost of the project was estimated at millions of dollars.

Syria is currently in the midst of a PR battle aimed at denying the allegations that it has nuclear ties with Iran and North Korea. On Tuesday, Syrian Expatriate Affairs Minister Bussaina Shaaban said that the allegations of nuclear cooperation between Syria and North Korea which led to the reported Israeli overflight were "an orchestra of lies".

In an interview with the Iranian Fars news agency, the minister denied reports in Israeli and American media that suggested Pyongyang was helping Damascus build a nuclear installation in the country and said that "Syria maintains the right to respond when and where it sees fit."

[jafar00]

Care to proffer a link for this propaganda stunt? :P

[Marley]

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi held talks with Syria's leader Wednesday despite White House objections, saying she pressed President Bashar Assad over his country's support for militant groups and passed him a peace message from Israel.
The meeting was an attempt to push the Bush administration to open a direct dialogue with Syria, a step that the White House has rejected. Congressional Democrats insist the U.S. attempts to isolate Syria have failed to force the Assad government to change its policies.

Rep. Tom Lantos, the head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who was in Pelosi's delegation, said the meeting "reinforced sharply" the potential benefits of talking to Syria. "This is only the beginning of our constructive dialogue with Syria and we hope to build on this visit," he told reporters.
On Tuesday, President Bush denounced Pelosi's visit to Syria, saying it sends mixed signals to Assad's government. "Sending delegations doesn't work. It's simply been counterproductive," Bush said.

The cold hard facts of Democrat foreign policy in action!

[crimzonsol]

Sorry Jafar00, I thought I put it on.

Source for first article:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3451012,00.html

Source for Confirming Article:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/123716

[crimzonsol]

No comment Jafar00?

[Marley]

I'd love to hear comments on the ACTUAL results of Pelosi diplomacy.

Pelosi was a doofus, the worst case scenario of usefull idiot.

Image what a doofus she and the Democrats were. HEre they were being stupid while these Syrians knew full well they were working on WMD while serving her tea in her submissive head scarf. Friggin doofus idiot.

[jafar00]

No comment Jafar00?


Er... Do you have any sources with less of a reputation for propaganda?

[crimzonsol]

I was unaware that those two sites had a reputation for propaganda, I get my news from the Colbert Report. Also if you read one of them, I forget which you will see that the local Syria newspaper reported it as well, they reported it as an explosion due to extren heat at 4:something AM.

I will try to find better sources, what do you consider reputable sources?

[jafar00]

I was unaware that those two sites had a reputation for propaganda, I get my news from the Colbert Report. Also if you read one of them, I forget which you will see that the local Syria newspaper reported it as well, they reported it as an explosion due to extren heat at 4:something AM.

I will try to find better sources, what do you consider reputable sources?


I tried to find some sources, but all I could find were from Israel, or based on the Israeli ones. That kinda says a lot about the propaganda value of this report.

[crimzonsol]

Then I guess this story is irrelavent, however Syria does have chemical weapons. What do you have to say about this?

[jafar00]

Then I guess this story is irrelavent, however Syria does have chemical weapons. What do you have to say about this?


I have to say I don't know much about them if they exist. Have they used them? I know Israel has used their undeclared stockpiles as recently as the last attack on Lebanon, could Syria's act as a worthwhile deterrent?

[crimzonsol]

I have to say I don't know much about them if they exist. Have they used them? I know Israel has used their undeclared stockpiles as recently as the last attack on Lebanon, could Syria's act as a worthwhile deterrent?


Not when the enemy gets ready to invade every time a bullet enters your country, in fact many people think that the airstrike last week had to do with either nuclear or chemical weapons. Most people think its nuclear because of the fact that North Korea sent a large amount of "concrete" to syria two days before the airstrike, and then raised hell about Israel invading Syrias soveriegnty. Which by the way is a moot point since Israel and Syria are officialy at war and have been since the sixties.
As for the use of the chemical weapons, there have been allgations of them using it during the Yom Kipur war on civilians, but beyond that I don't know enough to really say anything about them using it.

Calling Israel's chemical weapons undeclared is kind of pointless, everybody knows they have them and Israel is using them to test deffenses. They just sometimes leave them in missles that are about to be fired by accident.;)

[jafar00]

I have to say I don't know much about them if they exist. Have they used them? I know Israel has used their undeclared stockpiles as recently as the last attack on Lebanon, could Syria's act as a worthwhile deterrent?


Not when the enemy gets ready to invade every time a bullet enters your country, in fact many people think that the airstrike last week had to do with either nuclear or chemical weapons. Most people think its nuclear because of the fact that North Korea sent a large amount of "concrete" to syria two days before the airstrike, and then raised hell about Israel invading Syrias soveriegnty. Which by the way is a moot point since Israel and Syria are officialy at war and have been since the sixties.


Perhaps it was actually "concrete"? I don't hold much hope the real truth will come out about it but you can be sure both sides will enjoy the propaganda.


As for the use of the chemical weapons, there have been allgations of them using it during the Yom Kipur war on civilians, but beyond that I don't know enough to really say anything about them using it.


A pic from the recent war with the Lebanese militia.
What kind of gas is in that canister being carried by an Israeli soldier?
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/images/IDFChem.jpg


Calling Israel's chemical weapons undeclared is kind of pointless, everybody knows they have them and Israel is using them to test deffenses. They just sometimes leave them in missles that are about to be fired by accident.;)


The point is, they haven't officially admitted to them, and neither their chemical or nuclear weapons programs have been subjected to any inspections, nor are they a signatory to the NPT. To have such an unstable state in possession of such horrible weapons is a worry. They are insane enough to use them too.

[Scorpion]

To have such an unstable state in possession of such horrible weapons is a worry. They are insane enough to use them too.


I realize that you are speaking about Israel but you could just as easily be describing Iran.

[jafar00]

To have such an unstable state in possession of such horrible weapons is a worry. They are insane enough to use them too.


I realize that you are speaking about Israel but you could just as easily be describing Iran.


Iran doesn't have any Nukes.

[Scorpion]

To have such an unstable state in possession of such horrible weapons is a worry. They are insane enough to use them too.


I realize that you are speaking about Israel but you could just as easily be describing Iran.


Iran doesn't have any Nukes.

True, I never said that they did. My point is that Iran is an ustable state, its leadership has demonstrated a desire to obtain nuclear weapons and taken steps towards that goal and Iran's leadership is radical enough to use those weapons.

[jafar00]

To have such an unstable state in possession of such horrible weapons is a worry. They are insane enough to use them too.


I realize that you are speaking about Israel but you could just as easily be describing Iran.


Iran doesn't have any Nukes.

True, I never said that they did. My point is that Iran is an ustable state, its leadership has demonstrated a desire to obtain nuclear weapons and taken steps towards that goal and Iran's leadership is radical enough to use those weapons.


Actually, Iran is more stable than Israel is and they aren't attacking their neighbours every 5 minutes either.
May I ask in what way has Iran demonstrated a desire to obtain nuclear weapons, when they have in reality been bending over backwards to convince us of the opposite?

[Truth_and_Power]

I think what you mean to say is that the uniformed iranian military is not attacking their neighbors. Support for hezbollah DOES count as attacking israel.

[Scorpion]

Actually, Iran is more stable than Israel is and they aren't attacking their neighbours every 5 minutes either.
May I ask in what way has Iran demonstrated a desire to obtain nuclear weapons, when they have in reality been bending over backwards to convince us of the opposite?


The issue of stability is relative. How are you using the word stability? Politically, economically, socially?

Iran actively supports Hezbollah which has attacked Israel. By proxy, Iran is attacking Israel. Iran actively supports Iraqi insurgents. By proxy Iran, is attacking Iraqi and US security forces.

Iran may have shut down their nuclear program but Iran was of the intention to develop nuclear weapons.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/nuke.htm

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,430649,00.html

Quite obviously, Iran spreads fabrications and propaganda in a vain attempt to convince the world that it is a peaceful nation with no intention of developing weapons of mass destruction.