Who needs facts? We've got Intelligence.

[bigtree]

Spencer Ackerman ‏@attackerman 13m
What is -- and, importantly, isn't -- in Obama's Syria intelligence dossier. Gets a bit Danger Roomy. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/30/syria-us-intelligence-dossier-prelude-strike …





____ Unlike with the 2003 case against Iraq's Saddam Hussein, the existence of Assad's chemical stockpiles is not in doubt. The incident in question, a chemical attack outside Damascus on August 21, was heavily covered over social media at the time and since – something referenced in the assessment.

But the intelligence dossier also references directly collected surveillance on Syrian officials, as first reported by Foreign Policy magazine, as well as human sources, geospatial data and even public social media information.

"We have a body of information, including past Syrian practice, that leads us to conclude that regime officials were witting of and directed the attack on August 21," the dossier reads, laying out the closest thing the document presents to a smoking gun . . .

"I don't think there's any doubt to the world that a chemical weapons attack took place given the thousands of sources," a senior administration official told reporters on a Friday conference call, although the official insisted on not being named.

But not included in the variety of intelligence sources underlying the assessment are actual physiological samples from the attack – which the US seems not to possess.

"We have physiological samples from the previous assessment" that Assad's forces used chemical weapons in an earlier incident, an official said, "but given, again, how shortly ago this attack took place, we have not included physiological samples in this assessment. That would have to be something that would have a longer time lag in terms of collecting that type of information."


read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/30/syria-us-intelligence-dossier-prelude-strike

[dennis4868]

1. This is the damage Bush has done...

no longer will intelligence be believed by most people, especially EMOS. So now Obama has to deal with that.

[blkmusclmachine]

2. Lies and damned lies. And all of it is quite bipartisan.

[Tx4obama]

3. Video evidence of burns from napalm type chemical that was dropped from military plane

Caution: Graphic images

Video of some of the people that Assad's napalm type chemical burnt: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-23892594

[bigtree]

4. thought it was from missiles lobbed from a govt.-held area

. . . into a rebel-held one.

[Tx4obama]

5. Two different attacks

The folks that got gassed was from ground missiles.

The folks that were burnt was from missiles dropped from military plane/s.

[bigtree]

6. all of that intel

. . . and still no actual evidence this was Assad's doing?

Interesting that they've made this assessment that Assad must be responsible without pointing to anything more consequential than 'norms.' What happened to international law? That would likely require the actual proof that the administration doesn't yet possess to legally justify the military action they're openly contemplating.

[Tx4obama]

7. Did you see the 'Preparation' section in the report on the link below?

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014581040

p.s. And since a lot of info is classified we don't know all of it. But what we do know looks pretty damning.

[CanonRay]

8. Who needs intelligence

the powers that be have made up their minds to get involved already.