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Syria's chemical program: Rubio 'gravely concerned' about Iran & Russia complicity
FOX News World ^ | 20 April 2017 | Benjamin Weinthal

Posted on 04/21/2017 1:05:19 AM PDT by blueplum

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told Fox News he’s “gravely concerned” about Iran’s role in helping Syria develop its chemical warfare program that ended up killing dozens of people weeks ago.

Rubio, a Republican, said he was troubled by reports that both Iran and Russia were complicit in Bashar Assad’s chemical weapons program. While the Trump administration accused Moscow of covering up the Syrian regime's chemical weapons attack, the U.S government has not mentioned Iran's possible role.

{snip} “The thing that makes Iran so dangerous is it not only exports its weapons to proxies in Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq, but it brags about exporting the ability to manufacture weapons,” Rubin said.

Rubin, who has written about Iran’s chemical weapons program, said it makes strategic sense for Iran to help other countries obtain chemical agents.

“Plausible deniability has always been central to post-revolutionary Iran's strategic calculation,” he said, “and so to proliferate unconventional weapons enables Iran to avoid accountability by raising the number of suspects every time they are used.”

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iran; rubio; russia; syria; wmds
Not a quick read, but interesting. And a little concerning, too. Iran, Norks, Syria, Russia, all with apparently no problems with wmds. Crazy people are getting really crazy!

Rather than make a bunch of other threads, here's the latest on Syria - namely that OPCW has confirmed (using separate labs) Sarin was used on 4 Apr. Also, that people from all four of the hopscotching villages were killed in the bus attack (relatives waiting on arriving buses).

(CNN)International chemical weapons inspectors have found "incontrovertible" evidence that Sarin gas, or a similar substance, was used in a chemical attack in Syria earlier this month that killed 89 people.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/20/middleeast/syria-chemical-attack-sarin-opcw/index.html

When the Syrian government dropped what the U.S. says were chemical munitions this month in the northwestern province of Idlib, it was targeting a rebel bastion that it helped create.

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-syria-rebels-endgame-2017-story.html

Madaya is a case study in the brutal strategy of the regime, which is summed up bluntly:  “starve or kneel.” An estimated 1 million Syrians are suffering under similar conditions around the shattered country. The overwhelming majority are besieged by the regime.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/04/18/syria-starve-or-kneel-is-another-name-for-mass-murder.html

1 posted on 04/21/2017 1:05:19 AM PDT by blueplum
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To: blueplum

there’s concern trolling, then there’s grave concern trolling


2 posted on 04/21/2017 1:32:45 AM PDT by thoughtomator
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To: thoughtomator

you think Rubio’s concern trolling? or Fox?


3 posted on 04/21/2017 1:46:13 AM PDT by blueplum ("...this moment is your moment: it belongs to you " President Donald J. Trump, Jan 20, 2017)
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To: blueplum

4 posted on 04/21/2017 1:52:19 AM PDT by McGruff (The terrorists have elected to receive.)
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To: McGruff

Trump’s not wrong. Staying out of Syria is the whole point of the ME coalition/Brussels conference.

Iran was almost the first to issue a statement condemning wmd use by Assad. But if Iran is exporting wmd tech (which is what most of the article is about) that is a whole nudder problem.

At the same time, Assad’s continued behavior against civilians should be publicized because one of these days, even his loyalists are going to have an epiphany. At least we can hope. It sure would make life easier. And we can use the OPCW findings to leverage Russia. If Putin is internally perceived as pro-wmds/pro-coverup, the Russians can get rid of him as easily as any other slob to quell the seeds of public discontent. Seeing how Russia wants to be perceived as the kinder, gentler Russia (never mind the knife).


5 posted on 04/21/2017 2:44:43 AM PDT by blueplum ("...this moment is your moment: it belongs to you " President Donald J. Trump, Jan 20, 2017)
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To: blueplum

Rubio following the McCain model of needlessly getting himself into the news, just to get himself in the news.

OF COURSE with Iran and Russia aiding Assad the question of their complicity with Assad with chemical weapons comes up. What idiot does not think that??

So, Rubio makes news by stating the obvious???

On the other hand, it was known back in 2012 & 2013 that Assad had/has chemical weapons.

So, at this point what is the most likely case? Iran &/or Russia helping Assad make chemical weapons, or that he already had them. Definitely the latter.

Concerned, vis a vis Russia and Iran. Of course, but that goes without saying, chemical weapons or no chemical weapons, and besides, Assad already had them.

But the genius Rubio makes news anyway.


6 posted on 04/21/2017 6:34:38 AM PDT by Wuli
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