If the intercepts prove anything, it's that some Gen. Ripper type launched the attack on his own.

[leveymg]

Might as well blame President Merkin Muffley for that errant SAC wing sent to bomb Russia to protect America's precious bodily fluids. Since the red line has been crossed -- doesn't matter who or why -- we might as well kill a lot of people in Syria, anyway. Shows resolve.

This is as insane as the plot line of "Dr. Strangelove"- psychotic Gen. Jack Ripper sets off WW3 to protect his precious bodily fluids. Some middling officer commanding an isolated Syrian Army unit in a northern suburb of Damascus fires off some chemical rounds, which is something the Syrian Defense Minister is clearly upset by, and everyone else has to die winning the war. Utterly insane.

The White House needs to release the intercepts so the rest of us can hear what was said, and make up our own minds - they should have done that five days ago, but didn't. Why not? Assad isn't the only one who isn't being transparent.

The original source of the intercept is Israeli intelligence. We can and should release it and wait for independent analysis and authentication before we do a thing. Here's the source for that: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/28/israeli-intelligence-intercepted-syria-chemical-talk

Do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk... ice cream. Ice cream, Mandrake, children's ice cream.

You know when fluoridation first began? Nineteen hundred and forty-six. Nineteen forty-six, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.
-- General Jack D. Ripper

[randome]

1. That's a possibility that should not be overlooked.

But it's also possible Assad directly ordered it. We don't know the entirety of the intercepts, do we?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[leveymg]

2. The White House needs to release the intercepts so the rest of us can hear what was said, and make

up our own minds - they should have done that five days ago, but didn't. Why not? Assad isn't the only one who isn't being transparent.

[randome]

3. I would very much be in favor of that. It is not enough to inform Congress.

Obama is good with working with the hand he was dealt. It isn't his fault we went to war in Iraq under false pretenses. But he should recognize that this time we need more than just the word of a President. Any President.

I don't know if there are 'protected sources' involved but I bet he can give us more details than we have so far.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[leveymg]

4. The original source of the intercept is Israeli intelligence. We can and should release it and wait

for independent analysis and authentication before we do a thing. Here's the source for that: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/28/israeli-intelligence-intercepted-syria-chemical-talk

[DevonRex]

8. Yes, there are protected sources involved.

Unless Israel gives us the go-ahead we cannot release product. I used to do this type of intercept. You cannot believe the fury I would been in if my raw intelligence product was just broadcast with no warning.

There are lives, locations, equipment involved. The first 2 can't be replaced.

[randome]

9. Redact! Redact! Redact!

Even if it ends up being only token information because of all the redactions, I would hope Obama realizes we need more than we received last time.

That being said, it's still his call.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.
Nothing.[/center][/font][hr]

[sabrina 1]

11. Cameron was unable to provide proof to his Parliament. He admitted that 'this is a

judgement call'. And basically said that the 'evidence' was 'circumstantial. Parliament voted against intervention.

If the US has that evidence, they need to present, and they need to show it to their allies. No one trusts the US anymore.

Listening to the debated in Parliament today was amazing. Politicians who actually wanted to see proof before heading blithely off to war, again, following the US like puppy dogs. It seems the Brits have had enough of the US and they said so today in no uncertain terms. The US was not treated kindly in the UK Parliament today.

The old scare tactics aren't working anymore. They have become fodder for comedians.

Obama can back away from this, IF he wants to.

Killing people to 'save' them has never been an acceptalbe idea to anone other than war mongers.

[backscatter712]

5. It's comforting to know the US doesn't have a monopoly on batshit. n/t

[leveymg]

7. We will take the prize, nonetheless, if these tapes are not released and considered before we launch

missiles. It looks like a cover-up and runaway steamroller into war, even if it isn't (it would of course be the latter, at least).

[GeorgeGist]

6. Lt. General James Clapper (Ret.) would be my guess.

[hootinholler]

10. But Likud would never do anything like that n/t