Tensions between Russia and the West are again at sky-high level.
I have no doubt that Russia is an “evil” operator and President Putin ants to restore the USSR.
But we must remember that in geopolitics nobody is good.
There are some questions that come into my mind.
In the nerve agent Skripal case – my questions are essentially two.
- How come that a supposedly Russian trained agent using a nerve agent several times stronger than sarin failed to kill the Skripal. The Russian secret service are reknown for their efficiency (and still are – just look at how many armed rogue people they eliminated in Ukraine) and cannot kill 2 civilians? It does not sound like the Russians
- How come that the UK accused Russia after a few hours. How can they be so fast in identifying a sophisticated nerve agent.
We will never know. My very personal theory is that Mr. Skripal had for some reason a dose of nerve agent at home and accidentally got poisoned while dealing with it. The authority acted very fast not to have to explain how come a Russian double agent was allowed to have such a military weapon at home.
Syria.
It was three weeks that Russia was warning everybody (even I got the note!) that they had intelligence that someone was preparing a gas-attack and probably blaming it on Assad.
They could have well planted the idea to cover their tracks – but still applying logic it does not make sense.
Read it like this: you have fighting the East Ghouta rebels since 2013 (5 years! as long a the world war two practically!!). Finally little over 2 month ago you win a major battle driving a spearhead between factions and 15 days ago one of the factions finally surrenders. You practically have won.
What do you do at this point? You do the only thing (gas attack) sure to attract the superpowers intervention? No sorry no one survived in Syria by being such an imbecile.
If you still do not believe me – see two unrelated links from supposedly “not fake news” sources.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38066791
So, while it is possible that Assad organised the strike to finish off the rebels, it does seem unlikely.
It is possible that the rebel used gas (if you ask how they can have it – just see look at their sponsors – Saudi Arabia, Qatar and others – all very well able to provide it).
One thing sure about Syria is that the truth is never so simple and the evidence is never there.
As a major development in this story there is also another strange and more terrifying fact.
President Trump suspended a travel abroad to deal with the emergency and Russia said, for the first time, that it would see any attack as an hostile development.
While the US sent a missile cruiser in the area, a few Russian warplanes buzzed it (flew really close) and there is an increased Russian jamming and spoofing (confusing the GPS) of smaller US drones.
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