re: #184 sattv4u2

Probably a moot point regardless, that Assad (or his minions) have access to any of it AND they are at a desperate point (from all reports) I wonder what his endgame is

He’s stated that he won’t employ chems unless invaded from outside. That, I speculate, could last until he decides that the rebels are in the pay of some outside nation. This is both a warning to everyone else to keep the hell out, no matter how insane things get, and a reminder to everyone inside that he’s got this stuff and will use it.

Everyone’s dressed a lot less pretty, and there are no dragons or wights, but the phrase ‘when you play the game of thrones, you win or you die’ comes to mind. Assad has very few options left. And he is from the family that inspired Tom Friedman’s phrase ‘Hama rules’.

I doubt that he will use this stuff outside his own borders, since he knows that if he does, it will be game over very fast. However, I have absolutely no doubt that if he thinks it will get him anything, even a measure of revenge, he will throw everything he’s got at the opposition and civilians, if he’s still got control of it, and gets the chance.

This is really, really not good, but nothing about this mess has been good from the beginning.

This is not even getting into who may inherit/may have already inherited the stuff.