Does the UK want another WAR.

[tommy.irene]

BBC News......It is understood the most likely military response to Wednesday's suspected chemical weapons attack would be a one-off or limited guided missile strikes on Syrian military targets fired from US Navy warships.

Mr Cameron has spoken to a number of foreign leaders over the bank holiday weekend, including US President Barack Obama and his French and German counterparts.

The prime minister and Mr Obama agreed the need for a "firm response" from the international community to the attack.

Downing Street said Mr Cameron had used a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to tell him there was "little doubt" a chemical weapons attack had been carried out by President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

But Mr Putin told him they had no evidence an attack had taken place or who was responsible, it said.

'Fabricated' footage

Russia, a key ally of Syria, has warned any intervention without a UN mandate would be "a grave violation of international law".

[tommy.irene]

Obama has power, determination to make own decision on Syria, administration says

View Photo Gallery — Protests and preparations as Western powers stand on the brink of attacking Syr...

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The administration insisted Thursday that President Obama has both the authority and the determination to make his own decision on a military strike against Syria, even as a growing chorus of lawmakers demanded an opportunity to vote on the issue and Britain, the United States’ closest ally, appeared unlikely to participate.

Britain’s sudden withdrawal came after Prime Minister David Cameron, deserted by rebels in his own Conservative Party, lost a parliamentary vote for provisional authorization for military action in Syria.

Timeline: Unrest in Syria

Two years after the first anti-government protests, conflict in Syria rages on. See the major events in the country's tumultuous uprising.

Latest stories on Syria

U.S. insists Obama is empowered to go it alone on Syria

Karen DeYoung 2:10 AM ET

White House statement comes as more lawmakers clamor for vote, Britain’s support appears unlikely.

Syrian extremists fear U.S. strikes would target them

Liz Sly and Loveday Morris 12:53 AM ET

Islamist opposition fighters and regime forces are both redeploying their forces.

Within military, deep doubts about a strike on Syria

Ernesto Londoño 12:43 AM ET

Current and former officers fear the potential unintended consequences of a U.S. attack on Syria.

Britain backs off military intervention in Syria

Anthony Faiola AUG 29

Cameron’s stunning defeat in Parliament spells setback for U.S. coalition plans.

THE USA WANT TO VOTE LIKE THE UK..

[tommy.irene]

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[not-another-one]

Just to clarify from the link early on regarding the Syrian Airforce.  their most up to date fighter is the Mig29, developed in the 1970's, their most up to date attack aircarft is the Su24 which first flew in 1967. Whilst the pictures look impressive these planes are old and totaly obsolete by our standards and would offer little if any defence.

[tommy.irene]

---

@not-another-one wrote:

Just to clarify from the link early on regarding the Syrian Airforce.  their most up to date fighter is the Mig29, developed in the 1970's, their most up to date attack aircarft is the Su24 which first flew in 1967. Whilst the pictures look impressive these planes are old and totaly obsolete by our standards and would offer little if any defence.

---

Syrian prime minister Wael al-Halqi responded to the threat of military intervention by warning his war-torn country would become a ‘graveyard of the invaders’.

And a Syrian army officer has claimed Assad could use kamikaze pilots to combat Western forces. 

The unnamed officer told the Guardian that, in the event of an attack by the US and Britain, the Syrian army had 8,000 ‘suicide martyrs’ who would give their lives to bring down warplanes.

‘I myself am ready to blow myself up against US aircraft carriers to stop them attacking Syria and its people,’ he said.

[tommy.irene]

Nancy Pelosi warns President Obama that he needs to win over Congress before launching a unilateral strike against Syria

• Half of Americans say they oppose taking military action against Syria and nearly 80 percent believe Obama should seek congressional approval before using any force, according to a new NBC poll
• Administration officials spoke with a group of lawmakers for more than 90 minutes Thursday evening to explain why they believe Bashar Assad's government was the culprit in a suspected chemical attack
• House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi says she sides with House Speaker John Boehner on the matter
• Pelosi said must engage with the full Congress on military intervention in Syria and provide 'additional transparency into the decision-making process'
• Britain opted out of taking part in any attack in a stunning vote by Parliament Thursday
• Defence Secretary Philip Hammond warns of 'strain' on US relations as a result
  
• France now says it is prepared to take military action without Britain

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2406862/Nancy-Pelosi-warns-President-Obama-needs-win-Congres... 

[joe_bloggs*]

Paddy Ashdown said he felt "depressed and ashamed that Britain was not to join military action against Syria"

What is it with these people? It should be seen as a victory for democracy and common sense

[tommy.irene]

The U.S. knows it must avoid killing Syrian civilians, because civilian deaths would be a political, legal, and public relations disaster--especially if the UN is sent back in, this time to investigate claims of civilian deaths due to unsanctioned U.S. action.

Syria will probably redeploy some key assets into urban areas, knowing the U.S. will likely avoid attacking them. The Obama administration is literally playing with fire: if a cruise missile overshoots its target by even a short distance and takes out an occupied apartment building, all of President Obama's moral advantage will instantly turn into its opposite.

[merehazle]

Ashdown should grab a gun and a plane ticket to Damascas, if he is so passionate about going to war 

I don't see any of our dear leaders risking their own necks. They would send off other peoples sons and daughters to die in a war, while they march in afterwards wiyh their buddies in Big Oil  Big Armaments and scoop up fat contracts afterwards. Directorships (aka corruption) all round.

T.I. I see the dot   message recieved in morse More veggies later, if I can get back.

Oh, two of us were told we must not rant! today   And we must watch our granmama As long as we are sober we stand a chance  for her.  

[al**bear]

The Christian loonies, are right behind Obama in this , because this is another 'sign' to them that the End of Times is coming, ending in World conflict and the last battle between ALL the worlds forces at Megiddo (Armageddon) North Israel

Isaiah 17:1-3

“See, Damascus will no longer be a city
    but will become a heap of ruins.
2 The cities of Aroer (N Israel & Jordan) will be deserted
    and left to flocks, which will lie down,
    with no one to make them afraid.
3 The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim,
    and royal power from Damascus;
the remnant of Aram will be
    like the glory of the Israelites,”
declares the Lord Almighty.

[tommy.irene]

Goodone al** ..and the none believers just want to live in peace..  Hope this isnt another... God told me to go to WAR...Thing..

[**caution**opinion_ahead]

What really got my goat last night was the BBC news going on and on about how Cameron had lost face and our place on the world stage was threatened and our influence would be less and our special relationship with the US would be damaged, etc, etc, etc.  Not one word, not one, about the children killed by nerve agents.  It is all about politicians and their egos.

I think we should have a new law.  Any politician that advocates war should have to move their own family into the war zone for the duration.  That would shut them up. 

There has got to be better ways of going about things than just rushing in killing people to show them that killing each other is not on, for goodness sake.

[al**bear]

America and it's 'ALLIES'

John Kerry yesterday   "and with France, our oldest ally"

woe , what about 2003 -

It's time we Americans came to terms with something: France is not just our annoying ally. It is not just our jealous rival. France is becoming our enemy.

If you add up how France behaved in the run-up to the Iraq war (making it impossible for the Security Council to put a real ultimatum to Saddam Hussein that might have avoided a war), and if you look at how France behaved during the war (when its foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, refused to answer the question of whether he wanted Saddam or America to win in Iraq), and if you watch how France is behaving today (demanding some kind of loopy symbolic transfer of Iraqi sovereignty to some kind of hastily thrown together Iraqi provisional government, with the rest of Iraq's transition to democracy to be overseen more by a divided U.N. than by America), then there is only one conclusion one can draw: France wants America to fail in Iraq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/18/opinion/our-war-with-france.html

[tommy.irene]

Britian is not winning any wars in the far east.. Time to bring the army home..

[tommy.irene]

31 August 2013 Last updated at 09:58 GMT

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US claim on Syria 'nonsense' - Putin

Russia's President Vladimir Putin dismisses US claims that Syria's regime used chemical weapons as "utter nonsense".

[not-another-one]

You do have to ask why Assad would if indeed he did use chemical weapons. For 2 years his military hasn't been able to put down an uprising within his own country against a population armed only with basic weapons. He would know only too well that a gas attack would give the west the excuse it needs to intervene and would quite possible turn the war against him. I've no doubt the man is to a degree mad but is he really that mad.

[joe_bloggs*]

Obama to speak on Syria - live whitehouse link:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/middle-east-live/2013/aug/31/syria-usforeignpolicy

[tommy.irene]

5m ago

US air strikes delayed

It appears that any US action in Syria will be delayed after Obama said he would wait for authorisation from Congress before launching air strikes.

The president said he would wait for a debate and a vote on action in Syria, but said he will not call Congress back from recess early.

That will seemingly postpone any action until 9 September at the earliest – the date Congress is due back in Washington.

20m ago

Obama to seek authorisation from Congress on Syria air strikes

There will be a debate and a vote "as soon as Congress comes back into session", Obama says.

He says he is "confident" that he has the authority to launch strikes without that authorisation, but says the decision will be stronger with it.

He says the US is primed to strike on Syria.

"The chairman of the joint chiefs has informed me that we are prepared to strike whenever we choose."

Obama says the chairman has informed him that the military is ready for his order. He says strikes "will be effective tomorrow, next week or one month from now".

[merehazle]

Well not a lot of people know this:

Would our staunch American friends come to our aid if we were attacked or would they wait until they are ''Pearl Harboured'''....And by the way, in WW2 the Germans had a better sea force than we did and America initially refused to give us ships to help repel them until Churchill blew some of the French ships out of the water after they dilly-dallied about giving us some of their sea vessels to prevent the Germans taking them.

Oh ... --- ...  ssshhhsssss  no Rants! Allowed without permission from you know who  

[tommy.irene]

I'm going to copy Cameron! Drama as Obama vows to bomb Syria - but only after U.S. vote (and suddenly Britain is his 'closest ally' again)

• President Obama has said the US should take military action against Syria
• But he wants to put plans to a vote in Congress before launching attack
• Decision throws political lifeline to humiliated David Cameron
• Source close to the PM says it 'vindicates' his choice to go to Commons 
  
• UN weapons inspectors left the war-torn country this morning
• They have taken samples of evidence to be analysed

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2407974/Military-action-Syria-IS-necessary-says-President-Ob... 

[cee-dee]

Meanwhile in Syria, the brave regime are moving weapons in to civilian areas near to schools and mosques in anticipation of possible US-led strikes.