There has been a storm of news, talk, claims, accusations, opinions, positions, discussions, and pronouncements about the chemical weapons attack in Syria last week and the responses of various governments to it.
These are four of the most striking things I have observed in all of this.
- The putting forward that the US has to break international law in order to dissuade those who might be inclined to break international law from doing so. (Adding the role of 'self-appointed world vigilante in advance' to the role of 'self-appointed world policeman')
- The use of rebel videos of Syrian government forces munitions which the rebels have captured to prove that Syrian government forces were the ones who carried out the chemical weapons attack because these videos are irrefutable proof that Syrian government forces have the necessary munitions to carry out such an attack.
- People's allowing the deserved animosity they feel towards President al-Assad and Syrian government forces to influence them, generally unknowingly, into making statements which gloss over the brutal nature and horrific actions of rebel groups such as al-Nusrah.
- The lack of perception of the essentially complete absence of the dysfunctional Western-recognized Syrian opposition in recent developments and decision making (as they sit forlornly, but comfortably, in a hotel in Istanbul pining for the interest and attention they so richly don't deserve), and of the significance of this - especially when combined with the White House's statements that the actions being considered are not about regime change.