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Take a gander at this article where many believe that certain Saudi Arabia backed rebels received chemical weapons via the Saudi intelligence chief - Prince Bandar bin Sultan - and were responsible for carrying out the gas attack.............

This article is a collaboration between Dale Gavlak reporting for Mint Press News and Yahya Ababneh.

Ghouta, Syria – As the machinery for a U.S.-led military intervention in Syria gathers pace following last week’s chemical weapons attack, the U.S. and its allies may be targeting the wrong culprit.

Interviews with people in Damascus and Ghouta, a suburb of the Syrian capital, where the humanitarian agency Doctors Without Borders said at least 355 people had died last week from what it believed to be a neurotoxic agent, appear to indicate as much.

The U.S., Britain, and France as well as the Arab League have accused the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for carrying out the chemical weapons attack, which mainly targeted civilians. U.S. warships are stationed in the Mediterranean Sea to launch military strikes against Syria in punishment for carrying out a massive chemical weapons attack. The U.S. and others are not interested in examining any contrary evidence, with U.S Secretary of State John Kerry saying Monday that Assad’s guilt was “a judgment … already clear to the world.”

However, from numerous interviews with doctors, Ghouta residents, rebel fighters and their families, a different picture emerges. Many believe that certain rebels received chemical weapons via the Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, and were responsible for carrying out the dealing gas attack.

“My son came to me two weeks ago asking what I thought the weapons were that he had been asked to carry,” said Abu Abdel-Moneim, the father of a rebel fighting to unseat Assad, who lives in Ghouta.

Abdel-Moneim said his son and 12 other rebels were killed inside of a tunnel used to store weapons provided by a Saudi militant, known as Abu Ayesha, who was leading a fighting battalion. The father described the weapons as having a “tube-like structure” while others were like a “huge gas bottle.”

Ghouta townspeople said the rebels were using mosques and private houses to sleep while storing their weapons in tunnels.

Abdel-Moneim said his son and the others died during the chemical weapons attack. That same day, the militant group Jabhat al-Nusra, which is linked to al-Qaida, announced that it would similarly attack civilians in the Assad regime’s heartland of Latakia on Syria’s western coast, in purported retaliation.

“They didn’t tell us what these arms were or how to use them,” complained a female fighter named ‘K.’ “We didn’t know they were chemical weapons. We never imagined they were chemical weapons.”

“When Saudi Prince Bandar gives such weapons to people, he must give them to those who know how to handle and use them,” she warned. She, like other Syrians, do not want to use their full names for fear of retribution.

A well-known rebel leader in Ghouta named ‘J’ agreed. “Jabhat al-Nusra militants do not cooperate with other rebels, except with fighting on the ground. They do not share secret information. They merely used some ordinary rebels to carry and operate this material,” he said.

“We were very curious about these arms. And unfortunately, some of the fighters handled the weapons improperly and set off the explosions,” ‘J’ said.

Doctors who treated the chemical weapons attack victims cautioned interviewers to be careful about asking questions regarding who, exactly, was responsible for the deadly assault.

The humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders added that health workers aiding 3,600 patients also reported experiencing similar symptoms, including frothing at the mouth, respiratory distress, convulsions and blurry vision. The group has not been able to independently verify the information.

More than a dozen rebels interviewed reported that their salaries came from the Saudi government.

Saudi involvement

In a recent article for Business Insider, reporter Geoffrey Ingersoll highlighted Saudi Prince Bandar’s role in the two-and-a-half year Syrian civil war. Many observers believe Bandar, with his close ties to Washington, has been at the very heart of the push for war by the U.S. against Assad.

Ingersoll referred to an article in the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph about secret Russian-Saudi talks alleging that Bandar offered Russian President Vladimir Putin cheap oil in exchange for dumping Assad.

“Prince Bandar pledged to safeguard Russia’s naval base in Syria if the Assad regime is toppled, but he also hinted at Chechen terrorist attacks on Russia’s Winter Olympics in Sochi if there is no accord,” Ingersoll wrote.

“I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” Bandar allegedly told the Russians.

“Along with Saudi officials, the U.S. allegedly gave the Saudi intelligence chief the thumbs up to conduct these talks with Russia, which comes as no surprise,” Ingersoll wrote.

“Bandar is American-educated, both military and collegiate, served as a highly influential Saudi Ambassador to the U.S., and the CIA totally loves this guy,” he added.

According to U.K.’s Independent newspaper, it was Prince Bandar’s intelligence agency that first brought allegations of the use of sarin gas by the regime to the attention of Western allies in February.

The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the CIA realized Saudi Arabia was “serious” about toppling Assad when the Saudi king named Prince Bandar to lead the effort.

“They believed that Prince Bandar, a veteran of the diplomatic intrigues of Washington and the Arab world, could deliver what the CIA couldn't: planeloads of money and arms, and, as one U.S. diplomat put it, wasta, Arabic for under-the-table clout,” it said.

Bandar has been advancing Saudi Arabia’s top foreign policy goal, WSJ reported, of defeating Assad and his Iranian and Hezbollah allies.

To that aim, Bandar worked Washington to back a program to arm and train rebels out of a planned military base in Jordan.

The newspaper reports that he met with the “uneasy Jordanians about such a base”:

"His meetings in Amman with Jordan's King Abdullah sometimes ran to eight hours in a single sitting. "The king would joke: 'Oh, Bandar's coming again? Let's clear two days for the meeting,' " said a person familiar with the meetings."

Jordan's financial dependence on Saudi Arabia may have given the Saudis strong leverage. An operations center in Jordan started going online in the summer of 2012, including an airstrip and warehouses for arms. Saudi-procured AK-47s and ammunition arrived, WSJ reported, citing Arab officials.

Although Saudi Arabia has officially maintained that it supported more moderate rebels, the newspaper reported that “funds and arms were being funneled to radicals on the side, simply to counter the influence of rival Islamists backed by Qatar.”

But rebels interviewed said Prince Bandar is referred to as “al-Habib” or ‘the lover’ by al-Qaida militants fighting in Syria.

Peter Oborne, writing in the Daily Telegraph on Thursday, has issued a word of caution about Washington’s rush to punish the Assad regime with so-called ‘limited’ strikes not meant to overthrow the Syrian leader but diminish his capacity to use chemical weapons:

"Consider this: the only beneficiaries from the atrocity were the rebels, previously losing the war, who now have Britain and America ready to intervene on their side. While there seems to be little doubt that chemical weapons were used, there is doubt about who deployed them.

"It is important to remember that Assad has been accused of using poison gas against civilians before. But on that occasion, Carla del Ponte, a U.N. commissioner on Syria, concluded that the rebels, not Assad, were probably responsible."

Some information in this article could not be independently verified. Mint Press News will continue to provide further information and updates .

Dale Gavlak is a Middle East correspondent for Mint Press News and has reported from Amman, Jordan, writing for the Associated Press, NPR and BBC. An expert in Middle Eastern affairs, Gavlak covers the Levant region, writing on topics including politics, social issues and economic trends. Dale holds a M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago. Contact Dale at dgavlak@mintpressnews.com

Yahya Ababneh is a Jordanian freelance journalist and is currently working on a master's degree in journalism, He has covered events in Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Libya. His stories have appeared on Amman Net, Saraya News, Gerasa News and elsewhere.

Source: http://original.antiwar.com/dale-gavlak/2013/08/30/syrians-in-ghouta-claim-saudi-supplied-rebels-behind-chemical-attack/

Very interesting article that Gobster, and I cant disagree that its not possible. All I would say though, there are so many UK/US/French/German?SA expats working on various equipment supplied by their companies, its hard to imagine that stuff getting in. Arab security is something of a joke at the best of times....I know, living in probably the most competent militarily speaking among the lot....Hostile intelligence services would find out (The Western nations dont trust the Arab states that much...Arab Spring suggests we're right not to)

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Blame the Financial Times, not me.

I just read it.

I'm glad you seem to know about the current state of Iranian Nuclear weapon development.

No-one has a friggin clue what the truth is.

I saw a newspaper report and shared it.

No need to get abusive me old mate, no need at all.

The French are still going to get screwed by the Muz in Southern France.

The Police can't control the Muslim sharia areas now. After bombing Syria - well, good luck with that.

Oh and that's available on the internet too - if you doubt that there are no-go areas in France that are Muslim controlled.

Sleep well.

Most I dont disagree with ya on, its the US planning the war to take over bit I lauged at.....I know all about no go areas in France St Denis in Paris near the Stade De France is one, as is most of Marseilles, not to mention the ghettoes coming here in London among other places..

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You idiot.

Yes Im an idiot. Isreali will roll over and die without a fight wont they. They saw millions of Jews go into the Gas chambers and death camps without a fight. They are really gonna go down with out a fight arent they. Yep for pointing out the obvious I am an idiot.....

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The fact remains that as soon as the U.S. entered Iraq they got the Iraqi oilfields back up and running and they've been pumping the oil out of that country via sea tankers ever since. It makes perfect sense to me that the U.S. would want another pipeline into the far safer Mediteranean Sea via Syria.

Of course the oil started repumping. It's the only real source of revenue for the country. Contrary to what conspiracy theorists will claim however, most oil production in Iraq is nationalised and post war contracts to jointly develop new fields have gone to BP, Petronas (a Malaysian firm) and a Chinese company - not to US firms.

If an on land pipeline was required, taking it to Turkey's Black Sea coast would be the safest and quickest, not to mention cheapest bet. Of course Turkey also. has much more of the Med than Syria too. I'm afraid the neat conspiracy theory falls down on basic geography, and logic too.

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Israel have the capability for a very short and very bloody campaign.

This isn't the Golan Heights or the 60 day war.

The firepower directed against Isreali's enemies will be terrifying - But not sustained.

They do not have the munitions to wage a prolonged battle.

More importantly, they cannot produce replacement munitions - meaning every bullet and grenade has to be imported. Israel knows this, hence it's financial monopoly of certain parts of US economy.

The tail, sometimes DOES wag the dog.

Without US support, Israel falls - and very quickly. We all know that - Israel also knows that the US cannot support and protect it on its own.

The collapse (quite rightly) of European military support terrifies the state of Israel.

They need to negotiate, not fight.

My 'idiot' comment was made purely as "then surely Israel should attack Germany not Syria"... :laugh:

I think you'll find that Israel - as the eighth largest arms exporter in the World - is more than capable of producing bullets and bombs.

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Israel have the capability for a very short and very bloody campaign.

This isn't the Golan Heights or the 60 day war.

The firepower directed against Isreali's enemies will be terrifying - But not sustained.

They do not have the munitions to wage a prolonged battle.

More importantly, they cannot produce replacement munitions - meaning every bullet and grenade has to be imported. Israel knows this, hence it's financial monopoly of certain parts of US economy.

The tail, sometimes DOES wag the dog.

Without US support, Israel falls - and very quickly. We all know that - Israel also knows that the US cannot support and protect it on its own.

The collapse (quite rightly) of European military support terrifies the state of Israel.

They need to negotiate, not fight.

My 'idiot' comment was made purely as "then surely Israel should attack Germany not Syria"... :laugh:

Your light hearted jest at the end is more true than you may think. I did have a relative that served in the USAAF (the U.S. airforce of WWII) and I know for a fact that one of his colleagues - who was Jewish - was extremely disappointed that the USAAF did not get to use an atom bomb on Berlin. In his words "the Hitlerite German bastards surrendered too quick before we could use it". Anyway, as Jewish scientists were instrumental in developing atom bombs I reckon that the present day Jewish state of Israel has got enough nukes to wipe out all their Islamist enemies and turn their lands to glass.

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Very interesting article that Gobster, and I cant disagree that its not possible. All I would say though, there are so many UK/US/French/German?SA expats working on various equipment supplied by their companies, its hard to imagine that stuff getting in. Arab security is something of a joke at the best of times....I know, living in probably the most competent militarily speaking among the lot....Hostile intelligence services would find out (The Western nations dont trust the Arab states that much...Arab Spring suggests we're right not to)

With the Syria Ghouta towns people saying the Saudi Arabia backed rebels were using Mosques and private houses to sleep in - while storing their weapons in tunnels - I reckon the tunnels containing poison gas shells may have been hit with conventional high explosive rockets or shells from President Assad's forces. To me this seems highly likely and a brilliant scam to put the blame for a poison gas attack on President Assad when it was really the Saudi backed Islamist rebels that deployed the poison gas cannisters in places where they could easily be shelled by Assad's forces.

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Always the same isn't it. The privately educated bully boys at the top acting tough, sending young kids to their deaths fighting under a coloured flag they have been brainwashed into believing means some kind of shit.

All the while they are fighting a make believe war so that the elites friends in the big corporations can get rich from the spoils, **** knows why anybody votes for any of these assholes. Wish someone would flatten the House of Commons and all of the Cambridge and Oxford universities, the world would be a much safer place for it.

.....at least the Oxbridge educated MPs voted in majority against a military strike on Syria and at least Camoron said "I get it" in relation to the British people not wanting to be embroiled in further war in the Middle East. However, I suspect that Tony Blair's disciple - Ed Milipede - voted against Camoron just to spite the Tories rather than having any genuine anti war feelings.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22424188

This was posted on the Beeb back in May, the rebels were suspected of an attack back then.

How come the BBC has not broadcast this information on their prime time national TV news? Why keep this information on a website? Are the BBC top executives on the Islamist Saudi Arabia oil $dollar payroll as well as the EU payroll?

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How come the BBC has not broadcast this information on their prime time national TV news? Why keep this information on a website? Are the BBC top executives on the Islamist Saudi Arabia oil $dollar payroll as well as the EU payroll?

Well, that doesn't fit the BBC's agenda, does it?

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Interesting to see if that is on the BBC later.

It was. It was in the Inde first however. Well done Inde!

Point of order though, we didn't sell them nerve gas, we sold them some of the chemicals that can be used to make nerve gas. Such chemicals also have lawful uses.

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basically that CUN_T Ed Millerband is a pathetic little pectic of shit. He has the NECK to use the Iraq cock up to justify his decision to stab Cameron in the back, oh **** I hate him with a passion.

#The whole world is pathetic, unable to right a wrong because we are scared of history.

As far as I can tell its OK to use sarin and nerve agents, nothing happens. And all because Ed Millerband and his pathetic lot don't want to dirty their hands.

Time to rid parliament of its power, clearly its making a mockery itself.

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Britain sold nerve gas chemicals to Syria 10 months after war began

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/britain-sold-nerve-gas-chemicals-2242520

Well, there's a surprise! Didn't hear that on the BBC...

What a surprise, but once you go down the road of punishing people who supply goods that end up in terrorist or sanctioned states hands, ie Iran, N Korea you are forked! I know.

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It was. It was in the Inde first however. Well done Inde!

Point of order though, we didn't sell them nerve gas, we sold them some of the chemicals that can be used to make nerve gas. Such chemicals also have lawful uses.

I've just been on the British National Party (BNP) website as they seem to be in the know regarding the BBC in Syria and the Middle East war zones in general. As a kind of spokesperson for the BBC, what is your opinion on the following comments to the main BNP website article on Syria?.......

Crankcase08
9 hours ago190

The BBC is now sinking to new depths by giving publicity to supposed 'relief workers' who have allegedly witnessed atrocities by Assad's forces. These 'relief workers', particularly a certain woman (supposedly some kind of nurse or doctor) uses the same kind of language as the spokesmen for the Islamist rebels, imploring the West to intervene to remove Assad. People such as this woman are clearly working for propaganda misinformation organisations - that's not to ignore the fact that the BBC is one too. It's reminiscent of the fake Kuwaiti nurse who falsely claimed that she'd witnessed Iraqi soldiers throwing babies out of incubators.

see more

ANnoqGjk89 Crankcase08
4 hours ago00

One would think that this vile, anti british organisation the "B"BC would pull back a little on their brainwashing and propaganda now that there is an awareness with the british people into what is going on and what there agenda is...

see more

Source: http://www.bnp.org.uk/news/national/exclusive-pictures-syria

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basically that CUN_T Ed Millerband is a pathetic little pectic of shit. He has the NECK to use the Iraq cock up to justify his decision to stab Cameron in the back, oh **** I hate him with a passion.

#The whole world is pathetic, unable to right a wrong because we are scared of history.

As far as I can tell its OK to use sarin and nerve agents, nothing happens. And all because Ed Millerband and his pathetic lot don't want to dirty their hands.

Time to rid parliament of its power, clearly its making a mockery itself.

Indeed, Ed Milipede was well in with the warmongering Tony Blair regime. As with the lies from the Labour Party that started the war with Iraq, I certainly wouldn't believe any more lies propagated by the pro Islam BBC and certain war mongering Tories like Camoron and his Yorkshite puppet Hague. One thing is for sure, warmonger Tony Blair and the whole Labour Party High Command that started the war with Iraq have become extremely rich - backhanders from a grateful Saudi Arabia that wanted Saddam Hussein's Saudi hating regime destroyed ?????!!!!!

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<p>

I've just been on the British National Party (BNP) website as they seem to be in the know regarding the BBC in Syria and the Middle East war zones in general. As a kind of spokesperson for the BBC, what is your opinion on the following comments to the main BNP website article on Syria?.......

Crankcase08

9 hours ago190

The BBC is now sinking to new depths by giving publicity to supposed 'relief workers' who have allegedly witnessed atrocities by Assad's forces. These 'relief workers', particularly a certain woman (supposedly some kind of nurse or doctor) uses the same kind of language as the spokesmen for the Islamist rebels, imploring the West to intervene to remove Assad. People such as this woman are clearly working for propaganda misinformation organisations - that's not to ignore the fact that the BBC is one too. It's reminiscent of the fake Kuwaiti nurse who falsely claimed that she'd witnessed Iraqi soldiers throwing babies out of incubators.see more

ANnoqGjk89 Crankcase08

4 hours ago00

One would think that this vile, anti british organisation the "B"BC would pull back a little on their brainwashing and propaganda now that there is an awareness with the british people into what is going on and what there agenda is...see more

Source: http://www.bnp.org.uk/news/national/exclusive-pictures-syria

The BNP are full of racist fruitcakes. I. wouldn't piss on them if they were on fire.

Part of the attraction for the far right for some people, is this "we're outside the mainstream, our voice is being stifled by the establishment" vibe. Of course, they don't get a huge coverage on the BBC - and every other news organisation - because fock all people vote for them. They are, indeed, a lunatic fringe.

As regards to one of the many Syrian interviewees, I have no idea. Propaganda wars are played back and forth in this conflict.

It is worth remembering - as you have pertinently noted RG - that it may not be in the West's interest to remove Assad. An unstable Islamist state could well follow.

That's why the airstrikes are likely to be a token rebuke Politics of gesture, innit?

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I was talking to a Yank today who's answer to the problem was quite simple and dare I say effective..............................."NUKE EM".

I sleep well tonight with the knowledge that the world is being policed by these super intelligent beings.

God bless America.

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Indeed, Ed Milipede was well in with the warmongering Tony Blair regime. As with the lies from the Labour Party that started the war with Iraq, I certainly wouldn't believe any more lies propagated by the pro Islam BBC and certain war mongering Tories like Camoron and his Yorkshite puppet Hague. One thing is for sure, warmonger Tony Blair and the whole Labour Party High Command that started the war with Iraq have become extremely rich - backhanders from a grateful Saudi Arabia that wanted Saddam Hussein's Saudi hating regime destroyed ?????!!!!!

Spot on.

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I was talking to a Yank today who's answer to the problem was quite simple and dare I say effective..............................."NUKE EM".

I sleep well tonight with the knowledge that the world is being policed by these super intelligent beings.

God bless America.

Reminds me of Randy Newman's great song 'Political Science' from 197?. A lot of Americans thought he was being serious.

Well worth a listen if you don't know it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Du3WhHrrNgs&list=RD02Du3WhHrrNgs

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I was talking to a Yank today who's answer to the problem was quite simple and dare I say effective..............................."NUKE EM".

I sleep well tonight with the knowledge that the world is being policed by these super intelligent beings.

God bless America.

Haha, I live practically in a USAF airbase, many Yanks around here of which i'm pals with some, one of the guys I know is a Major who flys Apache... hes 25 and hes a Major...

His answer is 'Glass car park the entire middle East' serious too.

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Glass car park is obviously the effect you get when nuking sand.

He hates Arabs, or Sand ******** as they call them. Interestingly at 25 he's now too experienced and valuable an asset to fly combat and trains other pilots, but he said if the opportunity came about to attack Iran he would be the first in with nukes.

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