G7 REBUKE: TILLERSON NEEDS EVIDENCE: TRUMP HAS NONE

In the UK Mirror, today (April 11, 2017) I read that at the meeting of the G7 Group in Tuscany Italy  yesterday, thakeat group of economically advanced nations  rebuked  Secretary of State Tillerson for proposing sanctions against Russia prior to any investigation of the Khan Shikoun event in Syria.  I suspect that they would have been even less supportive of Mr. Trump’s attacks on the Syrian airbase for the same reason.  There is no evidence. 

There is still NO Evidence that Syrian Government used Sarin gas In Khan Shikoun in Idlib in 2017. If the US has these materials they have kept them secret. 

The White House is continuing its "blame game" on Syria, now boldly also attempting to implicate Russia in the culpability for the so called “Sarin gas” attack on civilians. To this date they have not produced any hard evidence of a Sarin gas attack or of Syrian culpability, and even less  of Russia knowing about the attack. There is no evidence as the G7 attendees pointed out---because there has been no investigation to date.  Mr. Trump’s actions are all based on TV film footage and still photographs. 

First there is no evidence that the gas was Sarin gas--a weapon only the Assad regime would have. Yet that charge is repeated over and over again.   The facts don't add up.  The number of people affected, (60-100) were too few for an aerial attack which would have affected a wide area and perhaps thousands of individuals.  Additionally, many were photographed seeming to suffer only mild breathing difficulty—-then seem to recover and walk away.  Finally, photographs and video which showed the aid workers treating victims with their bare hands and having no ill effects points to some gas other than Sarin.  A noxious gas that might have been being generated in rebel munitions workshops as the Russians claim.  The case is not closed. The evidence is no clear.  a rush to judgement is not 

Second it seems unlikely that such an attack would be launched by the Syrian regime which is winning the war.  As I indicated in at in earlier blog the Assad regime simply had no motive to use gas.  What is needed is a formal investigation by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.  But that will come long after the damage of this policy would have been done. 

 warranted

Let’s hope that Mr. Trump cools down the rhetoric, gets control of the loose cannons (like his UN Ambassador) and neocons in his cabinet which seem to be leading him, rather than the other way around. Let's hope he refreshes his memory of how and why he was elected over the other GOP hopefuls.  They did not call for an America First policy.  They were for regime change, nation building and endless global war…..

We all understand how a new conflict in the ME will diffuse focus and funds from the domestic needs here at home to "Make America Great Again"--"-We been there and done that!"

To our deep regret.