World View: Syria Chemical Weapons Inspection Offer 'Not Credible'

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• U.S., U.K. call Syria chemical weapons inspection offer ‘not credible’
• Britain and France call for ‘consequences’ for Syria
• New Buddhist on Muslim violence in Burma (Myanmar)

U.S., U.K. call Syria chemical weapons inspection offer ‘not credible’

Pigeons lie dead on Saturday after Wednesday’s chemical weapons attack (CNN)

Syria said on Sunday that it will allow U.N. weapons inspectors fullaccess to any site of a suspected chemical weapons attack, starting onMonday. However, both American and British officials are rejectingthe offer, for two reasons: First, the regime waited five days for theoffer, giving themselves time to tamper with the evidence; and second,the regime has been continuously showering the site with missiles,apparent in an effort to degrade or destroy the evidence, and thatshelling is continuing as late as Sunday evening. According to aU.S. official:

“If the Syrian government had nothing to hide andwanted to prove to the world that it had not used chemical weaponsin this incident, it would have ceased its attacks on the area andgranted immediate access to the UN — five days ago.”

At this juncture, the belated decision by the regime to grantaccess to the U.N. team is too late to be credible, includingbecause the evidence available has been significantly corrupted asa result of the regime’s persistent shelling and other intentionalactions over the last five days.

Based on the reported number of victims, reported symptoms ofthose who were killed or injured, witness accounts, and otherfacts gathered by open sources, the U.S. intelligence community,and international partners, there is very little doubt at thispoint that a chemical weapon was used by the Syrian regime againstcivilians in this incident.”

Another official said, “There is nothing credible to indicate that therebels, either the Syrian National Council or even al-Nusra Front,have used chemical weapons. Only the Assad regime is responsible forchemical weapons use.” CNN

Britain and France call for ‘consequences’ for Syria

British Foreign Secretary William Hague echoed the U.S. officials’remarks, and added:

“We cannot, in the 21st century, allow the idea thatchemical weapons can be used with impunity, that people can bekilled in this way and that there are no consequences forit.”

Another White House statement said:

discussed possible responses by the international community andagreed to continue to consult closely.”

The momentum for some kind of military intervention appears to bebuilding quickly. AFP and Reuters

New Buddhist on Muslim violence in Burma (Myanmar)

Burma, showing Kanbalu, Meiktila and Rakhine State, all sites of recent violence (BBC)

In signs that Buddhist on Muslim violence is continuing to widen inBurma (Myanmar), About 1,000 Buddhist rioters burned Muslim shops andhomes in the village of Kanbalu, in the northern region of thecountry. This follows hundred of recent deaths of Muslims byBuddhists, first in Rakhine State in the southwest last year, and thenin central Burma in March. (See “5-Apr-13 World View — Meiktila, Burma, violence has echoes of Kristallnacht”.)

The latest wave of violence erupted after a Muslim man was arrested onsuspicion of attempting to rape a Buddhist woman on Saturday evening.A crowd of about 150 people and three Buddhist monks gathered at thepolice station demanding that the accused be handed over to them.When the authorities refused, the mob attacked Muslim property in thearea and the crowd grew in size and ferocity as the night went on.

With this spreading anti-Muslim violence one can see a full-scalecrisis civil war building between the Buddhists and the Muslims. It’sgoing to explode into a major bloodbath before too much longer.AFP and BBC

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