Syria: What America’s Congress should know

Syria: What America’s Congress should know

This hypothesis is supported by America’s intelligence community and backed by the highest military leaders including General Martin Dempsey, who remained silent when called upon by Secretary of State Kerry to present arguments to Congress favoring an attack. Dempsey’s silence has resounded around the world.
Today, I am addressing members of congressional staff who are tasked with researching Kerry’s claims on Syria and advising the elected officials they serve.
Where needed, for key leaders, we can make available briefings by key retired military intelligence officials who have made no public statements of any kind. We begin by casting doubts on Secretary Kerry’s version of evidence.
He is claiming that he has signals intercepts that originate from locations proven to be held by Assad backed troops. This is not valid.
There are a dozen ways to originate a signal from a remote location, typically using repeaters. These can be disguised as a rock, as with those Israeli companies sell, or mounted on small UAVs.
As these are encrypted KHz band burst transmitters, they can be used and self-destructed in seconds.
This method isn’t a theory but so common that experienced defense specialists like Kerry and McCain have been briefed on this capability repeatedly.
If your representative has not, please make sure he or she has this information.
The second most important fact withheld from congress is that rebel leaders, as early as May 2013, openly stated during press conferences that they were armed with chemical weapons and were using them.
Senator McCain met with these individuals when he visited Syria.
Please note that as early as March, claims of the use of chemical weapons was made. Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov asked the UN Security Council to investigate and offered evidence, broad and extensive testimony and analysis of laboratory samples.
In May, Turkish authorities seized Sarin gas from rebel couriers transporting it from an unstated region to the “north” of Turkey. This was reported in all news media.
What is important to make note of is that the internet is filled with videos of rebel groups loading and firing chemical weapons. These videos are not dated but were posted on or before the August 21, 2013 chemical attack.
One must also ask why the CIA withheld information on established rebel websites, in Arabic, that rebel leaders had, some time ago, announced that they possessed and used chemical weapons.
We also note that they reason they give reasons, stating that, if the government uses chemical weapons they will also.
Here are your options:

· The rebels and the Assad regime are both using chemical weapons
· Only the rebels are using chemical weapons
· A third party has “seeded” the internet and is trying to incriminate either the rebels or Assad regime.

I vote for the second choice, as supported by the logic of what we know to be the battlefield situation as given in CIA briefings.
Additionally, Kerry’s claim that he has signals intelligence openly discussing disposition of chemical weapons and preparations for protection from chemical attack, is both suspect based on “timeliness” and now because it is clear that his confidence in the origin of the signals was a misstatement of fact.
Use this analogy:

“If you are winning a football game, 40 -7, 4th quarter, 10 minutes to go, would you simply pull your team off the field just to see what happens?”

This is what Kerry is selling and why nobody is buying.
Other key considerations are the actions of the Israel lobby and Russian President Putin.
Israel is fully behind the US move against Syria yet they know that if the US attack’s Syria, American credibility in the Arab world, in particular as a “peacemaker” over the Palestinian issue, is “toast.”Israel has, it seems, a strong reason to want the US to suffer a disaster in Syria.
Please note Putin’s statements. He hasn’t promised war. He has just issued enough strong words, along with clear announcements that Russia will not retaliate, to give Obama the “green light” to attack Syria. Immediately, Russia is a hero, America is a monster.
Dozens of nations watching this will start closing the door on American companies, begin moving away from defense cooperation with the US and move toward Russia and China.
After thirteen years of war, the US is known for unilateralism, falsified intelligence, torture, war crimes and getting its intelligence from a CIA most of the world believes is the largest narcotics producer and distributor on the planet. Please, try to find fault with this last statement if you can.
President Obama began his administration with a Cairo speech meant to redress this opinion of the US held by so many.
His first term fell short of that very important goal. Why does he now wish to bury the US for a generation, particularly since our good friends in the European Union have never been weaker or more divided?
There are a number of accusations floating about. When had mentioned those made by the Russians. Anyone who believes they aren’t holding even more cards is delusional. They are simply waiting for a better time to play them.
There are also stories floating around that tie defense contracting firms and Pentagon officials to the August 21 attack. Hacked emails, possibly falsified or “seeded,” are the source.
Now they can be ignored. Two weeks from now, they may be the new “Benghazi.”
There will, at some point in the future, be an accounting, Kerry’s intel against the intel Lavrov tried to bring to the UNSC.
Lavrov offered laboratory samples, medical evidence, and, of course, sought redress through appropriate international legal channels.
Kerry has offered less. His signals intelligence is worthless. His satellite surveillance data lacks hyperspectral signatures, a key failure and no “counter battery” systems were in operation. Your military advisor will explain. Kerry has nothing.
What he does have is photos off the internet, frankly little more than propaganda and conspiracy theory sites.
He has the word of rebel leaders, some who are at war with each other, others who actively admit they are themselves using chemical weapons.
The groups McCain is backing killed over 600 civilians in Iraq last month alone. They are responsible for the deaths of 5,000 American troops. John McCain wants them to have Stinger missiles?
Obama wants our Navy and Air Force to help build a state that will plunge Iraq into civil war.
This will give us two, one in Syria and reignite the old one in Iraq. What are people thinking?
Print this, go to the phone and call the smartest people you know. Write up a briefing piece, get it to your boss and let’s find a way out of this.

Gordon Duff

Gordon Duff posted articles on VT from 2008 to 2022. He is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War. A disabled veteran, he worked on veterans and POW issues for decades.

Gordon is an accredited diplomat and is generally accepted as one of the top global intelligence specialists. He manages the world’s largest private intelligence organization and regularly consults with governments challenged by security issues.

Duff has traveled extensively, is published around the world, and is a regular guest on TV and radio in more than “several” countries. He is also a trained chef, wine enthusiast, avid motorcyclist, and gunsmith specializing in historical weapons and restoration. Business experience and interests are in energy and defense technology.

• Gordon’s Archives:  2008-2015
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