Syria reported to have use Chemical Warfare

[Junkenstein]

I've had a little look at Prince Bandar. He's a bit of card isn't he?

Just from his wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandar_bin_Sultan

Bandar helped negotiate the 1985 Al Yamamah deal, a series of massive arms sales by the United Kingdom to Saudi Arabia worth GB£40 billion (US$80 billion), including the sale of more than 100 warplanes. After the deal was signed, British arms manufacturer British Aerospace (now BAE Systems) allegedly funnelled secret payments of at least GB£1 billion (US$2 billion) into two Saudi embassy accounts in Washington, in yearly instalments of up to GB£120 million (US$240 million) over at least 10 years. He allegedly took money for personal use out of the accounts, as the purpose of one of the accounts was to pay the operating expenses of his private Airbus A340. According to investigators, there was "no distinction between the accounts of the embassy, or official government accounts [...], and the accounts of the royal family." The payments were discovered during a Serious Fraud Office investigation, which was stopped in December 2006 by attorney general Lord Goldsmith.[29][30] In 2009, he hired Louis Freeh as his legal representative for the Al-Yamamah arms scandal.[31]

Then a disappearance and rumours abound.

In what was perceived as a return to prominence, in March 2011, Bandar was sent to Pakistan, India, Malaysia, and China to gather support for Saudi Arabia's military intervention in Bahrain.[35][51] In April 2011, Bandar was present in meetings when U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates visited King Abdullah and in a separate visit by National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.[51]
The other goal of his late March 2011 visit to Islamabad (Pakistan) was to raise the prospect of a return engagement for the Pakistan army. The goal was achieved and Pakistan quickly approved the proposal.[52] His visit to China during the same period resulted in the issuing of lucrative contracts in return for political support. Since China is not a friend of the Arab Spring, it is eager for Saudi oil and investment. Bandar secretly negotiated the first big Saudi-Chinese arms deal. Thus, Bandar is the Kingdoms's premier China expert.[52]

This seems telling too:

Bandar considers himself an American Hamiltonian conservative.[3] Before the 2000 U.S. presidential election was decided, he invited George H. W. Bush to go pheasant shooting on his English estate in a "Desert Storm reunion".[3] After the September 11 attacks in 2001, in an interview in the New York Times, he stated, "Bin Laden used to come to us when America—underline, America—through the CIA and Saudi Arabia, were helping our brother mujahideen in Afghanistan, to get rid of the communist secularist Soviet Union forces. Osama bin Laden came and said 'Thank you. Thank you for bringing the Americans to help us.' At that time, I thought he couldn't lead eight ducks across the street."[57]
Bandar argued some researchers "learn to speak a few words of Arabic and call themselves experts about the affairs of my country."[58] In 2007, during his tenure as National Security Secretary, Bandar proposed that the Kingdom have greater contact with Israel, because he regarded Iran as a more serious threat than Israel.[59]

So far that covers:

Arms links to the US/UK
Arms deals with China
Dodgy Arms deal in UK has investigations stopped
Statement of support for Israel against Iran
A meeting with Bin-Laden

So he's totally trustworthy then.

[Junkenstein]

Also, now barely related, is the chap Bandar Hired during that BAE arms scandal

Again, Wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Freeh

Louis Joseph Freeh (born January 6, 1950) served as the fifth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from September 1993 to June 2001.
Freeh began his career as an agent of the FBI, and was later an assistant United States Attorney and a United States district court judge, the position he held when appointed FBI director. He is now a lawyer and consultant in the private sector.

The main relevant thing about this guy is his involvement with Carnivore. That gives me pretty much everything I need to know about the guy, the rest of the page just confirms it.

[Cain]

-

[The Good Reverend Roger]

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/26/20192545-kerry-accuses-syria-of-using-chemical-agents-and-destroying-evidence?lite

HEEEEEEEERE WE GOOOOOOOOO!

CALLED IT.

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/27/20209022-military-strikes-on-syria-as-early-as-thursday-us-officials-say?lite

[Junkenstein]

Horseshit.

The United States could hit Syria with three days of missile strikes, perhaps beginning Thursday, in an attack meant more to send a message to the Syrian regime than to cripple its military, senior U.S. officials told NBC News.

That's the opening paragraph. There's no fucking way the US could get away with throwing a few missiles then walking away for a while again.

I'm seriously inclined to think this is posturing until I see actual action. I'm fairly confident that A BRIGHT NEW FUTURE is going to be brought to the Syrian people by the US but not like this. Just think of the extra ammo you're handing the anti-US factions in the area. It's practically asking for things to get worse. Which makes paranoid part of brain suspect that is the plan. It's that stupid it must be evil genius smart.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57600336-83/syrian-electronic-army-implicated-in-twitter-new-york-times-attacks/

Heh.

[Cain]

-

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Hence the "heh"

Also, my source.

[Cain]

-

[LMNO]

Since the start of the rebellion, the best thing for civilians in Syria has been to try and get a ceasefire going, and then get the government and rebels down to talk.  But we told the Syrian rebels to pull out of negotiations in Geneva due to take place earlier this year.  So any argument we give a shit about the civilians in Syria and must carpet-bomb the country to save it, are not really washing right now.

I wish more people could hear you right now.

[Cain]

-

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I wonder if more people would read about this if every instance of "Syria" was replaced with "Miley Cyrus" and every instance of "Chemical weapons" was replaced with "Twerking"?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I should make a correction there:

During the May-July Geneva peacetalks (ongoing despite a ceasefire) , we worked with Qatar and Saudi Arabia to arm the Islamist groups to the teeth.  As a result, Miley Cyrus pulled out of the talks.

The peace talks were due to resume in upcoming weeks, but due to the twerking attack "by the government", the Miley Cyrus rebels are now pulling out of the peace talks.

Yeah, that kind of works.

[Junkenstein]

Protests are apparently going to be held in the UK on the 31st.

I'm wavering on whether to attend. I'm pretty sure this is still bullshit to grab votes and show them listening to the people by not taking action.... which is what the strategic goal seems to be.

That said, I've been reconsidering my stance on protests and going would probably be useful in that regard.

Anyone else in the UK/elsewhere hearing similar things?

[Cain]

-