France pulls back on supporting strike, Kerry fails to convince EU counterparts

[ColesCountyDem]

16. Great post, but it really doesn't help me resolve my *personal*; ethical dilemma, sadly.

I'm pleased to see more nations dropping out of the 'WAR! WAR! WAR!" cheer leading squad (honest!), and I'm genuinely glad to see virtually all of those same folks wanting to wait and see what the UN inspectors have to say. That said, my 'gut' tells me that even Russia, China and Iran likely believe that Assad DID, in fact, use chemical agents on his own people, but just won't or can't say so, or even appear to be seen as saying so. That said....

I had a great-uncle who was gassed in WW1, and survived (as an invalid) for almost 36 more years, coughing up his life one chunk of lung at a time. I wasn't born until after he died, but I can never forget the mixture of deep, lingering anger and sadness that infused every word that was spoken about him and what had happened to him, every time his name was mentioned. Yes, his death was a single one, but the horror of it penetrated the entire family, and still does.

I'm not much impressed with the false equivalency-type arguments, frankly. Civil wars are, by their very nature, tragedies writ large. Nor am I dissuaded by the, "It was OK when Saddam was doing it to the Iranians and we were supplying him". Just because the criminal Reagan and Bush administrations did it THEN doesn't make it OK for us to ignore NOW, if you see my point.

I want the UN to answer the question, "Did he or did he not do it?". That matters ENORMOUSLY to me, on a personal level, and if he did, then he deserves to be punished, period, end of sentence. To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, "If this (sic) is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel....".

I know my view may well be unpopular, and I well understand why it may be so, but it is how I feel in every cell of my body, and in the marrow of my very bones.

Thanks for taking the time to read my $.02's worth!

*dons flame-retardant gear*