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Syria-Lebanon
Report: Syria has 100 nerve-gas missiles aimed at Israel
2003-07-31
Syria has at least 100 long-range ballistic nerve-gas missiles aimed at central Israel, Jane’s Foreign Affairs reported this week. A senior Israeli defense source told Foreign Affairs that the missiles are equipped with VX, the most lethal nerve gas, and that the Syrians have now achieved their aim of balancing Israel’s nuclear advantage.
Now, where do you suppose they got VX, I mean it’s not like they could go borrow some from their neighbor. Oh, wait....
Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official told Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that Syria today is incapable of stopping the activities of terror organizations operating in south Lebanon or the flow of money and military supplies from Iran to the area, Israel Radio reported Thursday morning.
Incapable, or unwilling?
The same source said that the U.S. has detected that Syrian President Bashar Assad is experiencing difficulty in controlling the advisors of his late father, former president Hafez Assad. While these advisors had little influence when the elder Assad was alive, today they are setting Syrian government policy, the report said. The senior aides wield great influence today, and they are exploiting the younger Assad’s inexperience in order to maintain a tough line which is preventing any possibility of stopping the flow of weapons and money to terrorists in south Lebanon, as well as their operations.
Evil advisors usurping power from the young prince, old arab tradition.
The source also said that Bashar Assad is unable to deliver on his promises to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell that would get Syria removed from the U.S. list of states supporting terror.
We noticed, so did Colin.
Posted by:Steve

#23  Moke some meed for me, stevey!
Posted by: 11A5S   2003-7-31 11:22:33 PM  

#22  Looks like Stevey will be heading for "The Triangle" sooner then he thinks.
Posted by: tu3031   2003-7-31 11:16:10 PM  

#21  btw Steven Robinson. Don't be surprised if Commerce Bank has a few ideas about your employment, hobbies, and connection to their respected business name. They'll be contacting you shortly. Ass. Have a nice day
Posted by: Frank G   2003-7-31 8:01:37 PM  

#20  All of Jane's publications, Defense Weekly, Foreign Affairs Weekly, etc., are standard reading material by all of the Pentagon crowd. My office had three subscriptions to Jane's Defense Weekly so everyone could read it.

Great publication with some really interesting sources. They have been known to get their mitts on some very highly classified info on the Soviets and the PRC.

If Jane's says the Syrians have missiles with VX, take it to the bank.
Posted by: SOG475   2003-7-31 7:07:10 PM  

#19  Just goes to show that Stevey couldn't grab his ass with both hands.
Don't know about"Jane’s Foreign Affairs",but if it is like Jane's Weapons and Defense guide you can pretty much figure they know what they are talking about.
Posted by: raptor   2003-7-31 7:00:41 PM  

#18  mass weapons search among all mid east countries is fine - part of regional disarmament pact - negotiated by ALL states in region - with ALL states in region recognizing each other and negotiating with each other - oh, wait, Syria and Iran dont recognize Israel - oh, well, so much for that idea.
Posted by: liberalhawk   2003-7-31 5:01:32 PM  

#17  Assad lite has not even figured who to appoint as his own advisers yet so he still uses his dad's advisers.

Also, no missiles have ever been designed with the idea of delivering VX. Yes, you can stuff the VX where the explosive stuff was supposed to go but all kinds of problems ensue.
Posted by: mhw   2003-7-31 4:54:37 PM  

#16  All is saved! I heard that France and Germany have created a joint inspection team to serch for those pesky VWs. What? VX you say? Oh never mind we will let the EU handle it.
Posted by: Cyber Sarge (VRWC CA Chapter)   2003-7-31 3:34:18 PM  

#15  20YO college dropout and DJ by the name of "MC PrimaL" and general waste of protoplasm, as evidenced on his home page. Hope that's antifreeze he's pounding.
Posted by: Dar   2003-7-31 3:29:30 PM  

#14  He be a troll and moron. Unworthy of your time / notice, though many feed him for some reason.
Posted by: PD   2003-7-31 3:14:29 PM  

#13  Hi Folks... been away for a bit (moved to a new place) and I'm curious. Is this Stevey schmuck really this dumb, or is he just spoofing? At least Murat gave you more than the latest D.U. talking points.
Posted by: Hodadenon   2003-7-31 3:05:49 PM  

#12  me prove Israel has Vx how about you prove Syria has them fast....or i propose a major weapons search in all middle east countries. From Iran to Syria to egypt to yemen to Israel. But ofcourse Israel refused to the Idea.
Posted by: stevey robinson   2003-7-31 2:52:22 PM  

#11  The day has been saved! Hans Blix has just dispatched Scott Ritter and a crack team of 13-year old girls to Syria to perform... er...whatever.
Posted by: Hodadenon   2003-7-31 2:43:51 PM  

#10  My goodness gracious, should we ask the UN to send in the clowns inspectors and nag them into complying.

Like Douglas said, only a completely naive and irrational person Democrat would not make the connection between the Ex-Iraqi Baath party and the Syrian Baath Party.
Posted by: SOG475   2003-7-31 2:22:35 PM  

#9  (Continuing Douglas's list)
Fourth, Israel has the USA as a big brother, friend, and protector who will look on any VX deployment or use and be very, very unhappy. Who's Syria got? All those Arab neighbors, North Korea, and the UN sure came to Saddam's rescue, didn't they?
Posted by: Dar   2003-7-31 2:19:45 PM  

#8  Anyone who thinks VX "balances" nukes needs to revisit physics. Or sadly, maybe needs to put it to the test... that would probably settle things once and for all.

VX is really overrated as a WMD. It kills people, not real efficiently, if the wind's just right, and then it goes away. If you know it's coming you can defend against it, and Israel is probably the best-equipped civilian population in the world for such a defense. Horrific? Yes. War-winner? Not hardly.

Contrast with nukes... Damascus isn't going to "get over it". Sure hope it doesn't come to that, but the whole ME seems to have misplaced its collective calculator when it comes to cost-benefit ratios.
Posted by: Mark IV   2003-7-31 1:59:36 PM  

#7  Israel has nerve-gas tipped missiles?

Can you prove this lil' stevie?
Posted by: Parabellum   2003-7-31 1:57:08 PM  

#6  stevey, shouldn't you be in Iraq right now helping your Baathist buddies?
Posted by: Rafael   2003-7-31 1:56:10 PM  

#5  If push comes to shove, Israel has a credible theater missile defense system in the form of the Improved Patriot and Arrow II.

Secondly, those chemical warheAds would need to be charged. VX is a very corrosive chemical agent.

Thirdly (THIS IS TO THE IDIOT DEMOCRATS IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE), Syria got their VX from Saddam.
Posted by: Douglas De Bono   2003-7-31 1:48:41 PM  

#4  Israel doesn't foam at the mouth and threaten a veritable Sea of FireTM on its neighbors, do they, stevey boy?
Posted by: Raj   2003-7-31 1:38:40 PM  

#3  so what Israel has them too.What is good for the goose, is also good for the Gander.
Posted by: stevey robinson   2003-7-31 1:27:56 PM  

#2  Is this why the Syrian Ministers are full of themselves and talking so tough, ya think? If they admit having them, but don't pull the trigger, the Pals and all their little buddies will scream bloody murder. Iran, for instance, has stated publicly, more than once, that as soon as they have a nuke they'll take Israel out. This story might actually put Syria in a bind - in a perverse way. Interesting. Time to put the hobnail boots on again, methinks - there's no MAD balance with an insane opponent.
Posted by: PD   2003-7-31 12:54:02 PM  

#1  Be a real shame if some of those nasty missles had an accident before they could be launched, now, wouldn't it? I'd have to deplore the terrible loss of life in Syria.

Really. I would.
Posted by: mojo   2003-7-31 12:41:34 PM  

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