Syria's Chemical Weapons Problem and Ours

Jane's Defense Weekly, a highly respected military affairs center, has reported that Syria is furiously working to build a chemical weapons plant. As per the Jane's report:

Satellite images from several commercial sources gathered from 2005 to 2008 have shed light on activity at the chemical weapons facility identified as Al Safir in northwest Syria. Imagery obtained by DigitalGlobe's WorldView-1 satellite indicates that the site contains not only a number of the defining features of a chemical weapons facility, but that significant levels of construction have taken place at the facility's production plant and adjacent missile base.

Image: A newly constructed possible missile loading building at the adjacent missile support facility.

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That's a map of the general location in question and is believed to be a command and control facility and the missile testing grounds. The chemical weapons facility is just to the northwest. This is an area Syria uses to test its Scud missiles, so the development of chemical weapons facilities next door brings ominous signs. Syria is believed to have three locations dedicated to developing chemical weapons, including near Damascus, Hama, and Safira (the facility in question).

That comes just a day after Syria's Bashar Assad stated that he wanted President Obama to consider doing business with Syria and to let go of its ties to Israel in the name of peace. The AP phrases this as Assad seeking better relations with the US, including reposting an ambassador and full diplomatic relations, but ignores that Assad wants the US to hang Israel out to dry. What exactly does the US get out of this? US Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) was in Syria to hear the latest spewage from Assad, and I doubt he asked any tough questions about Syria's support for Hamas and Hizbullah, including the provision of comfortable residences in Damascus where Hamas and Hizbullah thugs can sip tea and take visitors such as Iranian officials to discuss their war aims against Israel and the West, or the longtime support for the insurgency in Iraq that resulted in dead Americans.

Where's the mutual respect? There isn't any. Syria sees the incoming administration as weak and one that can be bullied and engage in appeasement rather than stand for freedom, liberty, and standing against those regimes that perpetuate terrorism.

Syria may want people to believe that he's a moderate state and open to negotiation, but the fact is that he supports and condones Islamic terrorism and jihad, and such support may lead to his own downfall as the Islamists grow tired of his inability to seal the deal.

Our problem is that the Obama administration looks like they're going to engage in appeasement rather than stand firm against these regimes, and the dictators are rushing to press forward with their agendas, including expanding their chemical weapons and missile development programs. They're busy testing Obama, and he isn't even in office six months.