Red line? What red line?
Syria has been using chlorine gas in their civil war for several years - despite the president's assurances that their chemical weapons stockpiles have been seized. When asked about it at a press conference at the Gulf Cooperation Council summit yesterday, the president made the astonishing claim that chlorin has not "historically" been considered a chemical weapon.Let's examine that claim a bit further......
Barack Obama: Chlorine Gas Not 'Historically' a Chemical Weapon
Widespread reports of chlorine gas attacks in Syria have not been prevented - or acted upon - because chlorine is not "historically" considered a chemical weapon, US President Barack Obama stated Thursday.
Obama was forced to answer the chlorine question during a press conference from a summit at Camp David with leaders of the Gulf states. Syria and Iran were key issues at the conference.
"Chlorine itself is not listed as a chemical weapon," he insisted, referring to the US's pledge against chemical weapons use in Syria.Flashback 2014: Chlorine Gas Part of Syria's Agreement ....
In his response, Obama made reference to the Organization for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which indeed supervised the liquidation of Syria's sarin gas over a year-long process that ended in late 2014.
However, the chemical watchdog indeed concluded in January "with a high degree of confidence" that chlorine gas had been used in attacks on three villages in Syria last year.
Previous blogs on Syria, Chemicals Weapons and more:
Obama Arms the Syrian Rebels & 'Overlooks' Their Use of Chemical Weapons
New Analysis of Rocket Used in Syria Chemical Attack Undercuts U.S. Claims
