US attack on Homs

7 Apr

Yesterday I posted on chemical weapons at Idlib. I wrote:

[The terrorists] are losing and, aided by corporate media in the west, have everything to gain by giving Washington, London and Paris a way of selling more direct intervention, posing potentially nuclear dangers, to their electorates.

Today we awoke to news that America has fired Tomahawk Cruise Missiles on Homs. With zero evidence (but deafening chorus of factless accusation from Mail and Express through Mirror to Guardian and Independent, and their equivalents across the Global North) and without awaiting even the pretence of an inquiry, America yet again does evil in the name of righteousness.

Needless to say our UK government came out immediately with fawning support.

Any “told you so” hubris I might feel at having my words so swiftly borne out is negated and then some by the facts that (a) Syria’s suffering is about to be extended as the world is brought closer to nuclear war, (b) a child could have foreseen this, (c) while I never went so far as to back Trump, and always worried he hadn’t the belly to stand up to America’s deep state, I was foolish enough to allow myself a modicum of hope on that front.

Other than writing as I do, I confess I feel powerless and despairing. For evil to prevail it is necessary only that good people do nothing.

 

3 Replies to “US attack on Homs

  1. It is ironic indeed that Trump, who has uttered so many words about fake news, should act on the basis of what increasingly appears to be a false flag operation.

    Even the lowliest squaddie in the troop will tell you that you do not enter an area contaminated with nerve gas, which the army instructors tell you ( and which I had confirmed during my time as a volunteer subject at the UK’s NBC establishment over forty years ago) will induce death within 7 seconds once exposed either through the skin of via inhalation, nor do you handle casualties exposed to these agents with any part of your skin exposed.

    The video evidence of this event cleary shows those from the White Helmets handling alleged victims of a nerve gas attack with no hand protection, no boot protection, and no head protection. You can actually see exposed skin such as bare hands, ears, hair, sides of the head, and forehead. Operating in the conditions alleged here -ie an area contaminated nerve agents – requires full Noddy suit (NBC) kit including boot protection, full head and air head protection, and gloves which consist of a white linin type thin inner glove and a black rubber compound outer glove ( which I can report from personal experience effectively gives you athletes hand after wearing them without taking them off after 48 hours).

    If this was, as alleged, a site contaminated, including casualties, with a nerve agent, well, let’s just say every single White Helmet in this video is lucky to be alive and the Pope should be officially announcing a miracle.

    • Good points all. I too saw video footage of White Helmets handling “Assad’s sarin victims” without even donning gloves. I also saw video of a real post sarin clean up, after the Tokyo Metro atrocity many years ago. Different as night and day.

      I do hope George Clooney is having second thoughts about starring in a film of uncritical adulation of these supporters of terror, with $100 million funding from the belligerent nations, $23 million from the US alone. I note too the absence of any questioning by western media as to why Aleppians didn’t queue up with tales of heroism and humanitarian aid supplied by these criminals in their years of lived nightmare.

  2. From the US Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR):

    https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mmg/mmg.asp?id=523&tid=93

    “Medical Management Guidelines for Nerve Agents: Tabun (GA); Sarin (GB); Soman (GD); and VX”……

    ……”Prehospital Management

    Victims whose skin or clothing is contaminated with liquid nerve agent can contaminate rescuers by direct contact or through off-gassing vapor.

    Nerve agents are extremely toxic and can cause loss of consciousness and convulsions within seconds and death from respiratory failure within minutes of exposure.

    Atropine and pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM Cl) are antidotes for nerve agent toxicity; however, pralidoxime must be administered within minutes to a few hours following exposure (depending on the specific agent) to be effective. Treatment consists of supportive measures and repeated administration of antidotes.”……

    ……”Hot Zone

    Responders should be trained and appropriately attired before entering the Hot Zone. If the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is not available, or if the rescuers have not been trained in its use, call for assistance in accordance with local Emergency Operational Guides (EOG). Sources of such assistance include local HAZMAT teams, mutual aid partners, the closest metropolitan strike system (MMRS) and the U.S. Soldier and Biological Chemical Command (SBCCOM)-Edgewood Research Development and Engineering Center. SBCCOM may be contacted (from 0700-1630 EST call 410-671-4411 and from 1630-0700 EST call 410-278-5201), ask for the Staff Duty Officer.”…..

    ….”Decontamination Zone”…..

    …..”Rescuer Protection

    Personnel should continue to wear the same level of protection as required in the Hot Zone (see Rescuer Protection under Hot Zone, above).”…..

    …..”Emergency Department Management

    Patients whose skin or clothing is contaminated with liquid nerve agent can contaminate rescuers by direct contact or through off-gassing vapor.

    Nerve agents are extremely toxic and can cause death within minutes to hours after exposure from respiratory failure.” ….

    …”Patient Information Sheet”….

    …”What immediate health effects can be caused by exposure to nerve agents?

    Nerve agents are extremely toxic chemicals that attack the nervous system. As little as one drop to a few milliliters of nerve agent contacting the skin can cause death within 15 minutes. Nerve agent exposure can cause runny nose, sweating, blurred vision, headache, difficulty breathing, drooling, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and twitching, confusion, convulsions, paralysis, and coma. Symptoms occur immediately if you inhale nerve agent vapor but may be delayed for several hours if you get nerve agent liquid on your skin”….

    Even outside the Hot Zone in the decontamination area and further down the process of Emergency Department Management the USA ‘s own protocols are specific that the clothing and skin of anyone contaminated are life threatening and that suitable protective gear is worn at all times.

    Not only does this video show a miracle but also the video of the so called ‘Doctor’ tweeting etc from a so called treatment area whilst being filmed and treating supposed victims.

    Yet we have to put up with so called “experts in NBC warfare” with a straight face lying through their teeth verifying this is genuine. If they believe the crap they are spouting they have obviously never ever had any practical experience of operating in full Noddy kit even on an exercise. I recall how difficult it was just trying to operate voice radio communications in NBC gear when on one exercise in the Harz mountains some of our troop “forgot” to hear the word ‘simulate’ in an order to simulate a gas attack on our Radio Village location and drove around our position with a CS cannister rigged up to the land rover exuast. That said we did have one lad in Basic Training from Belfast who seemed to have developed immunity to the stuff having spent so much time exposed to it during the late 60’s early 70’s.

    Who needs fake news from eastern Europe when our own Government and media have a total monopoly on it?

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