Guys, I did some research on the �missing explosives & Syria� issue and now offer a different perspective:
�Can you imagine how 277,000 tons of explosives were removed while U.S. troops were in the area? That is a huge logistical operation which would probably require many large semis to carry
the stuff. At twenty tons per load, that would be more than 10,000 semi
loads. "
That's the reason why it didn't happen. From 200-600 tons were taken, according to the most recent estimates I've seen. But ten thousand semi-loads, under the eyes of the army and air force recon, and satellite intelligence, is a little much
"Then, Washington was seen as an irresistible force in the
region, and neoconservatives and Pentagon chief Donald Rumsfeld appeared to
be spoiling for a fight with Syria, which, they charged, was harboring
senior members of the ruling Ba'ath Party and Iraq's alleged weapons of
mass destruction".
It isn't going to happen, now. Rumsfeld will go shortly after the elections in Iraq, IMO. Even hawks such as Bill Krystol are calling for his resignation.
I don't doubt that some military action, such as an airstrike, will hit the Syrians, sometime in the next four years. But the purpose of the strike will be to "reason" with the Syrian government, not cause regime-change or any other such thing. And can you imagine the explosion in this country if the President started talking about the necessity of invading Syria because of WMDs?
Carl
