NP - The NATION (magazine), SYRIA, AND THE TRUTH ABOUT CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Fri Apr 27 13:58:04 CDT 2018

The Nation misquoted my Secretary of Defense to misinform the public.  Are
you not able to see past your knee-jerkedness?  (a rhetorical question)

David Morris

On Fri, Apr 27, 2018 at 1:29 PM, Jochen Stremmel <jstremmel at gmail.com>
wrote:

> You're nobody's monkey if you answer these questions.
>
> I'm sure here are some who want to know why you don't stop to bring that
> matter up. Quoting your Secretary of Defense (!) (that title alone, think
> 1984 or – well, don't think it), of all people. Imagine, our favorite
> author would read those posts on a list with his name.
>
> 2018-04-27 20:12 GMT+02:00 David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>:
>
>> I'm not his monkey.  If he wants to ignore the substance of my post, and
>> then ramble on, I can point that out w/o addressing his ramble.
>>
>> David Morris
>>
>> On Fri, Apr 27, 2018 at 12:57 PM Jochen Stremmel <jstremmel at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> He asked some serious questions that you ignored.
>>>
>>> 2018-04-27 19:45 GMT+02:00 David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>:
>>>
>>> > As usual, you have ignored the supject of the article I posted (The
>>> Nation
>>> > magazine lied to cast doubt on Assad's chew attack), and then just
>>> > ramble-rant on about whatever you feel like.  You don't know how to
>>> > converse.
>>> >
>>> > David Morris
>>> >
>>> > On Fri, Apr 27, 2018 at 11:07 AM Joseph Tracy <brook7 at sover.net>
>>> wrote:
>>> >
>>> > > Virtually every branch of federal power is now headed by people whose
>>> > > primary qualification is kissing the ass of a man who lies daily.
>>> The US
>>> > > government and press have a history of lies and misinformation
>>> > particularly
>>> > > to justify military actions. What I see are many assurances from big
>>> > shots
>>> > > and all the evidence coming from White Helmet types who are part of
>>> > > opposition to Assad. I have seen no substantive evidence, and you do
>>> not
>>> > > list any, but what major difference does it make? The US wars to
>>> topple
>>> > > regimes have done far more evil than good and have not brought
>>> stability
>>> > or
>>> > > just government. The US has committed many war crimes itself, the
>>> wars
>>> > only
>>> > > serve to bankrupt our own democracy and give ever more power to the
>>> > weapons
>>> > > industry and military.  Why are you promoting this agenda?  Why not
>>> > choose
>>> > > the arrests and killings in Egypt, Gaza, Burma, Turkey, Honduras etc.
>>> > Why
>>> > > so obsessed with this neocon agenda?
>>> > >
>>> > >
>>> > > > On Apr 26, 2018, at 4:34 PM, David Morris <fqmorris at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>> > > >
>>> > > > On April 11th 2017, the US National Security Council released a
>>> 4-page
>>> > > > reportwhich stated, “The United States is confident that the Syrian
>>> > > regime
>>> > > > conducted a chemical weapons attack, using the nerve agent sarin,
>>> > against
>>> > > > its own people in the town of Khan Shaykhun in southern Idlib
>>> Proince
>>> > on
>>> > > > April 4, 2017.”  The same day, Secretary of Defense James Mattis
>>> > > declared,
>>> > > > “Last Tuesday on the 4th of April, the Syrian regime attacked its
>>> own
>>> > > > people using chemical weapons. I have personally reviewed the
>>> > > intelligence,
>>> > > > and there is no doubt the Syrian regime is responsible for the
>>> decision
>>> > > to
>>> > > > attack and for the attack itself.”
>>> > > >
>>> > > > Imagine if, after all that, Secretary Mattis stated that “we do not
>>> > have
>>> > > > evidence” that the Assad regime was responsible for the Khan
>>> Shaykhun
>>> > > > attack.  It would be a shocking admission, staggering in its
>>> > > implications.
>>> > > > But Mattis never made such an admission.
>>> > > >
>>> > > > Nevertheless, *The Nation* published an article on April 16th 2018
>>> > > claiming
>>> > > > that he did.  Its claim is indisputably false.  [...]   *The
>>> Nation* is
>>> > > > deceiving the public on a matter of the utmost gravity.
>>> > > >
>>> > > > The transcript of the February press conference is available for
>>> all to
>>> > > > read.
>>> > > >
>>> > > > It matters what happened in Khan Shaykhun.  We have abundant
>>> evidence,
>>> > > > certified by the UN, that the Assad regime launched a gas attack
>>> > causing
>>> > > > dozens of men, women, and children to suffer agonizing deaths. The
>>> > > Nation’s
>>> > > > claim encourages readers to think otherwise, but the claim is a
>>> > > > fabrication.  Stephen Shalom (the author of a superb Jacobin
>>> article on
>>> > > the
>>> > > > Khan Shaykhun attack) has made the following observation about
>>> those
>>> > who
>>> > > > propagate the James Mattis "no evidence" assertion: “Sometimes, a
>>> claim
>>> > > is
>>> > > > so clearly without merit, so obviously ludicrous, that those who
>>> > promote
>>> > > it
>>> > > > mark themselves, at best, as individuals wholly uninterested in
>>> > examining
>>> > > > evidence when a dubious claim conforms to their preconceived
>>> notions,
>>> > or,
>>> > > > at worst, as scoundrels.”  The journalistic malpractice of The
>>> Nation
>>> > > > insults victims and harms the truth.
>>> > > > --
>>> > > > Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>>> > >
>>> > > --
>>> > > Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>>> > >
>>> > --
>>> > Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>>> >
>>> --
>>> Pynchon-L: https://waste.org/mailman/listinfo/pynchon-l
>>>
>>
>