Has Obama asked imself what Putin will do?
I would not expect him to blink.
– Obama Administration Accepts Rebels’ Account on Syria, Prepares for War (Antiwar, Aug 25, 2013):
Officials Cite Media Reports as Leaving Them ‘Very Little Doubt’
It doesn’t take much to convince the Obama Administration these days.
Officials quoted by ABC News say that entirely based on media reports of the “number of victims” and “reported symptoms, the administration has “very little doubt” that the rebels’ account of the Wednesday incident in Jobar is accurate.
Interestingly, neither of these reports is in and of itself particularly persuasive, as initial rebel claims of 1,300 to 1,600 dead have been pared down to 355, while other experts have said the symptoms aren’t in keeping with an attack by the sort of chemical weapons Syria has.
With UN inspectors en route, actual real proof could be available at some point, but the US sure isn’t waiting for it, and instead has already made deals with Britain and France to attack Syria in the next couple of weeks based on what they assume to be true.
Indeed, the quick influx of inspectors raises the prospect of the assumption being disproven pretty quickly, and that seems to be driving the US and Britain into rushing the attacks to get out ahead of pesky facts that might get in the way of their war ambitions.