Syria - Whose to Blame?

I hesitated to write once again about the situation in Syria, but it seems like that country is dominating the news right now.  And we know that the Bible has much to say about Syria or Aram as it is sometimes called in the Bible.  So, it is only proper that we should focus attention on it, especially because of its close proximity to Israel.  I have the had the privilege of standing atop Mount Bental on the Golan Heights and look down into the country of Syria; and, the Lord willing, I will be on Mount Bental in a matter of a few weeks. 

Here are the facts as we know them.  First, the civil war in Syria has gone on for over two and a half years.  It began as part of the Arab Spring and the attempt to overthrow the Assad regime as the Egyptians had the Mubarak regime.  But, the military in Syria was firmly behind Assad and the rebels were not well organized.  Second, over the course of the civil war, an estimated 100,000 Syrians have been killed, many of them civilians.  Both the Assad regime and the rebel forces have been guilty of killing innocent civilians, many of them Christians who have been brutalized by the Islamic radicals in control of many of the rebel factions.  Third, that some type of chemical attack occurred on August 21 cannot be denied.  The photos are grizzly that show the dead, primarily children.  And the use of chemical or biological weapons of any type were banished from military arsenals after World War I. 

That is what we know.  Here is what we do not know with clarity: Who was responsible for that chemical attack on those suburbs outside of Damascus?  The world immediately accused the Assad regime of using WMD against its own people.  Perhaps he was responsible, but perhaps not.  Assad is certainly a dictator who rules with an iron fist over his people, much in the manner of his father.  And he certainly would be capable of using chemicals against his own people.  But why would he?  The tide of the civil war has definitely turned in his favor over the summer months.  The rebel forces have often fought among themselves.  They have differing agendas as to how they see a post-Assad Syria, and some of those agendas are not America-friendly.  Assad's military was not in a desperate situation that called for desperate measures.  They held the upper hand.  Would Assad do something of this magnitude just to make a statement before the world?  Yes, it is possible.  I doubt whether Assad's conscience afflicts him any longer as to what is wrong or right.

But, could there be another scenario?  What if the rebels used chemical weapons upon civilians in the hope that the world would blame Assad and come to their rescue?  Possible, indeed it could be.  Yesterday, radio talk-show pundit Rush Limbaugh raised that specter on his radio show.  According to the report by Kathy Shaidle on the WND website, (www.wnd.com/2013/09/rush-syrians-gassed-with-help-from-u-s) "Limbaugh said he base the theory on emails he received from friends over the weekend, both of whom 'have lived in the Middle East' and 'claim to know Bashar.'  The correspondents told Limbaugh that they suspect Assad is 'being framed.'  Limbaugh told listeners he was prepared to brush his friends' opinions aside until he read an article by Yossef Bodansky, former director of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, which claims that the chemical weapons attack was carried out by al Qaida terrorists posing as Syrian rebels - and that the U.S. may have had foreknowledge of the attack."

"Limbaugh read the first two paragraphs of Bodansky's World Tribune article on the air: 'There is a growing volume of new evidence from numerous sources in the Middle East - mostly affiliated with the Syrian opposition and its sponsors and supporters - which makes a very strong case, based on solid circumstantial evidence, that the Aug. 21 chemical strike in the Damascus suburbs was indeed a premeditated provocation by the Syrian opposition.  The extent of U.S. foreknowledge of this provocation needs further investigation because available data puts the 'horror' of the Barack Obama White House in a different and disturbing light."

"Limbaugh reminded listeners that back in September 2012, Foreign Policy magazine reported that 'the U.S. has lost track of some of Syria's chemical weapons ... and does not know if any potentially lethal chemicals have fallen into the hands of Syrians rebels or Iranian forces inside the country."

I have been careful not to rush to judgment against Assad even though I do not respect him or his leadership.  If he were losing the war, then perhaps; but Assad is not losing the war.  He had everything to lose and nothing to gain by a chemical attack.  The rebels, on the other hand, had everything to gain by making it look like Assad was responsible. 

So, now the ball of judgment is in the halls of Congress.  They will be the ones to finally decide how America should respond.  If chemical weapons were indeed used, then those responsible should be held accountable - how that should be implemented, well, that is another story.  The frenzy of the crowd often results in wrong choices.  I am praying that wisdom will be deployed so that the response will be targeted to the rightful parties in Syria. 

Someone asked recently if this could lead to the destruction of Damascus that is so strongly reported in the Scriptures.  I believe it certainly is setting the stage for that last time event.  But, if I understand Psalm 83, Syria will play a role in that war, so perhaps this is merely a prelude event.  Stay tuned, friends, this is far from being over.  Perhaps I can give you a first-hand report in a few weeks...right from the front.