Posted on 09/12/2013 5:51:43 PM PDT by markomalley
Despite calling the available options to secure Syria's chemical weapons "pretty awful," House Intelligence Chairman Mike Rogers, R-Mich., said it was possible to transfer the country's massive stockpiles to international control—especially with Arab League troops on the ground.
"I do think you can get a good percentage of them, because the Assad regime is also worried these things could fall in the wrong hands and could be used against the regime," Rogers told the Intelligence and National Security Alliance summit on Thursday.
President Obama this week asked a wary Congress to postpone a vote authorizing force to punish Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad for using chemical weapons against his people to pursue diplomatic options instead. These options include a resolution at the United Nations Security Council requiring Assad to place his chemical arsenal under international control to be destroyed. Syria, one of the few countries that never signed the 1992 Chemical Weapons Convention, is believed to have one of the largest stockpiles of these weapons in the world—and securing and destroying them would be an arduous task even without a bloody civil war still raging.
To wade into Syria, where more than 100,000 people have died in the conflict, chemical-weapons inspectors would surely need protection. Rogers insisted there's no need for U.S. boots on the ground in Syria. Instead, the Arab League is "willing to provide the support we need, including troops to go in and help secure those weapons systems, because they know how dangerous it is if it proliferates around the Levant," he said.
"So I kind of hope we shake ourselves out of this malaise, and the administration regroups about how we could impact that with a plan that's meaningful and embraces our Arab League partners eager to do it," Rogers said. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey are the partners "eager" to take on the task, Rogers said.
By contrast, Rogers says no Republican or Democrat on his committee, or even on the Armed Services Committees, is interested in trying to put thousands of U.S. troops on the ground. "That's nuts. It would be a horrible decision."
Even with a concerted mission to protect and destroy the chemical weapons, there are dangerous consequences. "We do think there's going to be some further dispersal of the chemical weapons," Rogers said. This is especially worrying because—as ranking member Dutch Ruppersberger, D-Md., noted—other groups might like to get their hands on these weapons. "There's al-Qaida on one side, Hezbollah on the other."
Syria, Ruppersberger says, cannot be trusted to fully cooperate. "They have to be totally held accountable. I'm sure they're moving [their stocks] right now knowing that this is coming at this point," Ruppersberger told National Journal. "The only reason they're agreeing to anything at this point is because of the threat of power." Ruppersberger agrees Washington cannot take on this mission alone. "The United States can't be the sheriff of the whole world; it's got to be a coalition."
Sarin, the nerve agent suspected of killing hundreds of people last month and sparking Washington's call for military action, can be destroyed in a short period of time. "In the old days, it was a much more complicated process," Rogers says. By contrast, mustard gas and other weapons "are going to take a lot longer; you've got to do it with incinerators."
call for the double facepalm graphic ... “when one facepalm isn’t enough!”
American troops serve Saudia Arabia and al Qaeda.
But why? WHY?
I thought Rogers was intelligent. What the hell is he thinking of?
He has gone off the rails. We are led by deranged individuals.
“Instead, the Arab League is “willing to provide the support we need, including troops to go in and help secure those weapons systems, because they know how dangerous it is if it proliferates around the Levant,”
Let’s get this right.
The Arab League - where Saudi Arabia is very powerful
The Saudis - one of the main backers of the so-called “Syrian Opposition” (since long, long, long before the “Arab Spring”)
and this nut in the House of Representatives thinks Assad would “welcome” the Arab League into this situation, when it has officially condemned Assad and called for supporting “the rebels”
is this guy a nut or a patsy of the Saudis, looking for a way, an excuse, for rhem to “with our blessing” enter the “civil war” in Syria???
who is on his staff???
Intelligence?
Found this video which may contain the remarks by Mike Rogers.
The video is an hour long and am currently about 20 min into it.
At 12 or 13 min Mike Rogers mentions the real issue is that this is a proxy war (this was in introductory remarks).
At 18 min Mike Rogers talks more extensively about Syria, but did not make the remarks in the article.
He may make these comments later in the video.
“Al Qaeda Talking About Safe Havens Along The Iraq Syrian Border” Congressman Mike Rogers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZPFqNlBtT8
The answer is quite obvious, but not many people have the courage to proclaim the truth and do something about it. America troops serve Saudi Arabia because America (like many other nations) is addicted to Saudi oil.
“With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” (Revelation 17:2)
“Syria, where more than 100,000 people have died in the conflict”
WHO counted the dead? WHO died in Syria? Who killed them?
The Syrian opposition website says 80,033 (The number includes 14,118 rebels, including 151 foreign fighters, but does not include members of the government security forces. In fact 3,730 foreign opposition fighters have been killed) ; the Next Century Foundation says 75,816 killed; the Center for Documentation of Violations says 83,263 killed.
Al Jazeera journalist Nir Rosen reported that many of the deaths reported daily by activists are in fact armed insurgents falsely presented as civilian deaths.
In May 2013, SOHR stated that at least 41,000 of those killed during the conflict were Alawites, Assad’s supporters group, killed by rebel jihadists.
Pro-government combatants Casualties:
Syrian military and police 27,654 killed;
National Defense Force 17,824 killed.
Americans believe that “Assad killed 100,000 of his own people”, which is obviously FALSE.
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