After today's horror in Syria, here is what the Obama administration had to say according to the AP.
"The United States is deeply concerned by reports that hundreds of Syrian civilians have been killed in an attack by Syrian government forces, including by the use of chemical weapons," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday.
"We are working urgently to gather additional information," Earnest said, adding that Washington has asked for U.N. investigators to be granted access to the area of the fighting. He made no mention of possible consequences if chemical weapons use is confirmed.
UPDATE: The AP managed to leave out the rest of the statement from the White House which reads as follows:
"The United States strongly condemns any and all use of chemical weapons. Those responsible for the use of chemical weapons must be held accountable. Today, we are formally requesting that the United Nations urgently investigate this new allegation. The UN investigative team, which is currently in Syria, is prepared to do so, and that is consistent with its purpose and mandate. For the UN’s efforts to be credible, they must have immediate access to witnesses and affected individuals, and have the ability to examine and collect physical evidence without any interference or manipulation from the Syrian government. If the Syrian government has nothing to hide and is truly committed to an impartial and credible investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria, it will facilitate the UN team’s immediate and unfettered access to this site. We have also called for urgent consultations in the UN Security Council to discuss these allegations and to call for the Syrian government to provide immediate access to the UN investigative team. The United States urges all Syrian parties including the government and opposition, to provide immediate access to any and all sites of importance to the investigation and to ensure security for the UN investigative team."
At least the US government condemned the attack. Calling on the UN to do something now, however, is a joke. The Russians have already announced that the chemical attack looks like a "provocation" by the rebels. What did the rebels do? I guess that these civilians who slept while the chemical weapons were dropped on them must have been sleeping in a provocative way. The USA cannot wait for the UN. The USA cannot use the UN in order to hide. America has to send its air force to take out the chemical weapons manufacturing plants, the storage depots and the Syrian air defenses that might hamper future sorties against chemical weapons locations as they are found. The world needs to know that the use of WMD's like this is intolerable.
"The United States is deeply concerned by reports that hundreds of Syrian civilians have been killed in an attack by Syrian government forces, including by the use of chemical weapons," White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Wednesday.
"We are working urgently to gather additional information," Earnest said, adding that Washington has asked for U.N. investigators to be granted access to the area of the fighting. He made no mention of possible consequences if chemical weapons use is confirmed.
UPDATE: The AP managed to leave out the rest of the statement from the White House which reads as follows:
"The United States strongly condemns any and all use of chemical weapons. Those responsible for the use of chemical weapons must be held accountable. Today, we are formally requesting that the United Nations urgently investigate this new allegation. The UN investigative team, which is currently in Syria, is prepared to do so, and that is consistent with its purpose and mandate. For the UN’s efforts to be credible, they must have immediate access to witnesses and affected individuals, and have the ability to examine and collect physical evidence without any interference or manipulation from the Syrian government. If the Syrian government has nothing to hide and is truly committed to an impartial and credible investigation of chemical weapons use in Syria, it will facilitate the UN team’s immediate and unfettered access to this site. We have also called for urgent consultations in the UN Security Council to discuss these allegations and to call for the Syrian government to provide immediate access to the UN investigative team. The United States urges all Syrian parties including the government and opposition, to provide immediate access to any and all sites of importance to the investigation and to ensure security for the UN investigative team."
At least the US government condemned the attack. Calling on the UN to do something now, however, is a joke. The Russians have already announced that the chemical attack looks like a "provocation" by the rebels. What did the rebels do? I guess that these civilians who slept while the chemical weapons were dropped on them must have been sleeping in a provocative way. The USA cannot wait for the UN. The USA cannot use the UN in order to hide. America has to send its air force to take out the chemical weapons manufacturing plants, the storage depots and the Syrian air defenses that might hamper future sorties against chemical weapons locations as they are found. The world needs to know that the use of WMD's like this is intolerable.
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