Chemical weapons

And I thought this was actually going to be a serious thread about the most horrendous happening in the news today.

Never mind. It's Gransnet again.

Sorry Celebgran. You've just put it in the wrong forum really.

What on earth do you mean ? A you totally ignorant?

It's amazing, and terrifying, that politicians at the UN can stand on the fence in this issue. There is a UN chemical weapons team in the affected city apparently but they have not been allowed to visit the area. That says it all really doesn't it.
Mans lack of humanity is frightening at times.

This atrocity is beyond belief - it makes me despair.

As did a programme on Radio 4 the other day where they were discussing a book called Buddhist Warfare - sigh.

Aren't chemical weapons banned by the Geneva Convention? Someone will know.

I am against the death penalty, it would be too good for the perpetrators of this action. What I would do to them would be long, drawn out and painful. I'm usually much more of a pacifist but this has really got to me.

sometimes I wish I was totally ignorant *ceesnan*

A truly awful act.

I'm puzzled as to why the Assad regime would do this just as the UN chemical weapons team arrived in the country? Doesn't make sense.

Yesterday I read somewhere that a senior American general has said that the US won't be arming the rebels as a resultant government wouldn't act in the interests of the US. As I've said before, the West didn't really want the rebels to succeed - better the dictator you know than an unpredictable Islamist government elected, as in Egypt.

Not all countries are signatures to the Geneva Convention. And not all who are keep to every bit of it.

I absolutely agree on the horror of this incident but we do not know the facts of the situation and things are far more complex than we can easily understand in Middle Eastern conflicts.

Who is to say that the perpetrators are the Government forces. How do we know that it is not Al Qaeda - it would certainly suit their purpose and they are now proven to be mixed in with the rebel forces.

I note that all the comments made by our politicians have been careful to use phrases like "allegedly" and "reportedly" and I think we need to exercise great caution in apportioning blame for this inhuman and cruel act.

Extremely proud of my son who works as expert in this field hence his day of press interviews yesterday. dont pretend to understand it as I am sure it is extremely complex however I realise I underestimated his position!

Gaga gran that is exactly how My son spoke ON euronews last night.

it is impossible to be definite at this stage.

I watched Hague talking about this last night on the late news. Listened to Radio 4 and a couple of phone ins this morning. The point about who is responsible is well made above and was discussed at length this morning. Celebgran, I'm sure you are proud of your son and it's good to see the subject being discussed sensitively by so many posters.

What a truly terrible field in which to be an expert. You must be very sad even while you are proud of the way he handled his press interviews.

Someone has got to know about it Absent. How to try to protect against it, how to treat survivors.... Once these things have been invented, they have to be understood.

It is such an horrendous incident, watching those poor children writhing in agony. I didn't hear your son Celebgran, I hope he is not in the area. I think we are all shocked, it makes my little problems pale into insignificance. I hope the perpetrators receive a taste of their own medicine.

Do we know where the chemical weapons came from in the first place? Would it be the USA again?

Not really absent he has Cambridge degree in classics and Arabic and was officer in army so it is only one string to his bow as it were. He is doing phd in subject that is why his opinion sought I guess.

It is truly awful to watch footage I find.

Liza G. He had trip planned before this happened I do worry about that.

No he ins in uk thank god at moment.

I find into possible understand how or why this happened!

We had all the Blair panic over this with Iraq and it was unfounded.

Tragic

I hope he continues to learn to understand these awful "weapons" and how to defeat them. Someone needs to do so. Good luck to him. You must be very proud.

Thanks jo8 I am proud even if I understand little !