The US secretary of state has said that President Bashar al-Assad has one week to hand over his entire stock of chemical weapons to avoid a military attack. But John Kerry added that he had no expectation that the Syrian leader would comply.

Kerry also said he had no doubt that Assad was responsible for the chemical weapons attack in east Damascus on 21 August, saying that only three people are responsible for the chemical weapons inside Syria – Assad, one of his brothers and a senior general. He said the entire US intelligence community was united in believing Assad was responsible.

Kerry was speaking on Monday alongside the UK foreign secretary, William Hague, who was forced to deny that he had been pushed to the sidelines by the House of Commons decision 10 days ago to reject the use of UK force in Syria.

The US Senate is due to vote this week on whether to approve an attack and Kerry was ambivalent over whether Barack Obama would use his powers to ignore the legislative chamber, if it were to reject an attack.

The US state department stressed that Kerry was making a rhetorical argument about the one-week deadline and unlikelihood of Assad turning over Syria's chemical weapons stockpile. In a statement, the department added: "His point was that this brutal dictator with a history of playing fast and loose with the facts cannot be trusted to turn over chemical weapons, otherwise he would have done so long ago. That's why the world faces this moment."

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/09/us-syria-chemical-weapons-attack-john-kerry

So going to Congress was pointless. They planned to attack anyway.

Then Kerry says this...


"We're not going to war," Mr. Kerry told reporters Monday after meeting with British Foreign Secretary William Hague in London. "We will be able to hold [Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad accountable without engaging troops on the ground or any other prolonged kind of effort, in a very limited, very targeted, very short-term effort that degrades his capacity to deliver chemical weapons without assuming responsibility for Syria's civil war. That is exactly what we are talking about doing; an unbelievably small, limited kind of effort."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/were-not-talking-about-war-kerry-outlines-unbelievably-small-strike-on-syria/article14184543/

Side note: Wouldn't it be hilarious if he turned them over and their markings were from Iraq?

But to your point, you're right, and there should be a follow up with impeachment hearings immediately.

Quote from: Solar on September 09, 2013, 08:51:06 AM
Side note: Wouldn't it be hilarious if he turned them over and their markings were from Iraq?

LOL!

I can see a sweaty Kerry desperately trying to scrape off the markings with a large knife. "No! Don't take this one yet. It's not ready"...

QuoteBut to your point, you're right, and there should be a follow up with impeachment hearings immediately.

Thay are making the case for us...

The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Samantha Power, allowed on NPR this morning that American action in Syria might not be legal:

I wonder if Kerry and Obama really believe they can take action and there will be no reaction? Are they that stupid or just terribly naive? I also saw where Hillary was going to the WH today to show support for Obama. Keep it up girl. You are indicating your blowing the 2008 nomination was not a fluke.

"Unbelievably small," as in, aspirin factory?

Quote from: quiller on September 09, 2013, 10:10:27 AM
"Unbelievably small," as in, aspirin factory?

Do they think Syria will just set back and say thank you.    

Nope. Never mind...

QuoteDuring a press briefing on Monday, Kerry said that Assad could avoid American air strikes by  giving up all his chemical weapons within a week. Within hours, the State Department was forced to walk Kerry's new red line back with the claim that he was making a "rhetorical argument about the impossibility and unlikelihood of Assad turning over chemical weapons he has denied he used."

But Putin took advantage of it...

QuotePutin has seized upon Kerry's hypothetical and called on Syria to accept Kerry's offer and turn over all of its chemical weapons. No one believes Assad would ever willingly give up his chemical weapons, but should he agree to an offer the Obama administration did not mean to make, it could stall American action for weeks and even months.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/09/09/Putin-takes-advantage-of-kerry-blunder

Quote from: The Boo Man... on September 09, 2013, 11:44:19 AM
Nope. Never mind...

But Putin took advantage of it...

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2013/09/09/Putin-takes-advantage-of-kerry-blunder

Quote

    During a press briefing on Monday, Kerry said that Assad could avoid American air strikes by  giving up all his chemical weapons within a week. Within hours, the State Department was forced to walk Kerry's new red line back with the claim that he was making a "rhetorical argument about the impossibility and unlikelihood of Assad turning over chemical weapons he has

That would be a nice solution, but it just ain't gonna happen. However it does confirm how naive libs are about dealing with thugs.

There are some red lines Obama has no problem ignoring. 

Quote from: JustKari on September 09, 2013, 02:16:13 PM
There are some red lines Obama has no problem ignoring. 

Oooh....Well played.

One should never issue an ultimatum.

You gain nothing and lose what you already have.

Quote from: The Boo Man... on September 09, 2013, 11:44:19 AM
Putin has seized upon Kerry's hypothetical and called on Syria to accept Kerry's offer and turn over all of its chemical weapons. No one believes Assad would ever willingly give up his chemical weapons, but should he agree to an offer the Obama administration did not mean to make, it could stall American action for weeks and even months.

Unless Assad doesn't have chemical weapons, in which case he's totally screwed.

They'll make more. To think we can somehow eradicate them is the epitome of insanity.

Quote from: Solar on September 09, 2013, 05:31:53 PM
They'll make more. To think we can somehow eradicate them is the epitome of insanity.

And who will oversee the process? Who appoints them? Will they be trusted?