“There are, within some of the videos, examples which seem a little hyper-real, and almost as if they’ve been set up . . . .”

Forensics specialist Stephen Johnson quoted in Euronews, “Expert casts doubt on Syria chemical weapons footage,” August 21, 2013.

The rebels blamed the government, the government denied involvement and Russia accused the rebels of staging the attack to implicate President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Hubbard, Ben and Hwaida Saad.  “Images of Death in Syria, but No Proof of Chemical Attack.”  The New York Times, August 21, 2013.

No responsible nation-state actor would want to go off to war half cocked, but there are those who want to manipulate the look of their conflict to either inveigle foreign military or, alternatively, keep the same at bay — and they believe they can do it by controlling information.

Now you see it.  It’s obvious.  Look.

Now you don’t.  It didn’t happen.

This behavior goes well with the idea of dictators and their mirrors in power as “malignant narcissists” — they’re not about being helpful to others but rather out to help themselves in the cause of their own aggrandizement.

If “Allah favors those who restrain themselves,” these are those who have lost their brakes, their self-containment, their ability to keep themselves from becoming the cause of evil.  Beyond the bubbles in which those live are those still able to take one step back before going in, if they can get in with some degrees of freedom, with the methods and tools of empirical investigation.

Syria is not necessarily about two sides lying for their respective causes.

It is about darkness and the truth being in it and crying for light.

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http://youtu.be/MEbWdByrrdU

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Something happened.

Something exceeded limits and took the lives of innocents and did so without conscience.

I’m uncertain about having seen in the news an end-to-end false flag on the rebel side.

On state television, a Syrian military spokesman rejected claims that the Bashar al-Assad regime used chemical weapons.

“The media channels of sedition and misinformation who shed Syrian blood have lied as usual that the Syrian Arab Army used chemical weapons in the suburbs of Damascus today,” the spokesman said.

RFE/RL.  “U.S. Demands UN Access to Alleged syria Chemical-Attack Site.”  August 22, 2013.

I’m equally uncertain about the Assad regime’s ability to tell the truth.

About anything.

Additional Reference

Rubin, Alissa J. and Alan Cowell.  “France Urges ‘Force’ in Syria if Chemical Attacks are Confirmed.”  The New York Times, August 22, 2013.

Wikipedia.  “Gaslighting”.

Zirulnick, Ariel.  “Chemical weapons in Syria: Latest suspicions revive ‘red line’ debate.”  The Christian Science Monitor (via Yahoo), August 22, 2013.

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