Crime without punishment?

With the apparent chemical weapons attack of August 21, the Syrian conflict has reached a new low. European voices are now leading calls for military intervention. But none of the options looks likely to prevent a "regional war in freefall," writes The Guardian.

Published on 23 August 2013 at 15:11

There is next to no doubt that chemical weapons were used in Ghouta in eastern Damascus, and that, unlike previous alleged attacks, they produced mass casualties. Whether the death toll is in the hundreds or over a thousand, as the rebels claim, this is one of the most significant chemical weapons attacks since Saddam Hussein's on the Kurds in Halabja 25 years ago, and an unmistakable challenge to the vow [US President] Barack Obama made a year ago that, if proved, the use of chemical or biological weapons would "change my calculus".

Nor is there much doubt about who committed the atrocity. The Syrian government acknowledged it had launched a major offensive in the area and they are the only combatant with the capability to use chemical weapons on this scale. Western intelligence officials have calculated it would need an invasion force of 60,000 troops to secure the 12 chemical weapons depots at Bashar al-Assad's disposal. A lot of sarin, if indeed that was the agent used, is needed to kill that number of people. The sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway killed 13 people.

That leaves the question why. In defending their client state from the accusation, Russia called the attack a pre-planned provocation, occurring as it did within only five miles of the hotel where UN inspectors had arrived to investigate previous alleged incidents. There are four possible causes: a Syrian commander acting on his own, which is unlikely; an order from Mr Assad in the knowledge that Mr Obama would not respond; or a decision to up the firepower against the rebels who, despite losses in Qusair or Homs, still control about half of the country. The fourth possible cause is that this was an attack which went wrong, killing many more than intended.

Reaction

Receive the best of European journalism straight to your inbox every Thursday

Rumours of western boots in Syria

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has spoken of a need for "a response force" if the alleged chemical attack against a suburb of Damascus on August 21 is proven to have been launched by the Syrian government, reports Le Figaro. The minister ruled out, however, any ground intervention.

The conservative daily also reveals that an "anti-Assad offensive" is underway in the south of Syria –

A first group of 300 men, no doubt supported by Israeli and Jordanian commandos, as well as by CIA men, is said to have crossed the border on August 17. A second was to have joined them on August 19. According to military sources, the Americans, who don't want to put soldiers on Syrian soil or arm rebels partly controlled by radical Islamists, have been discreetly training hand-picked Free Syrian Army fighters for several months now in a boot camp set up in the Jordanian-Syrian border.

Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!