The U.S. has Repeatedly Violated the “Red Line” on Chemical Weapons

The U.S. encouraged Saddam Hussein’s use of chemical weapons against Iran … which was the largest use of chemical weapons in history. While the number of people killed in the August 21st chemical weapons attack has been estimated at between 350 and 1,429, 20,000 Iranians and 5,000 Kurds were killed by Saddam’s chemical weapons attacks with full U.S. support and backing.

The U.S. sprayed nearly 20,000,000 gallons of material containing chemical herbicides and defoliants mixed with jet fuel in Vietnam, eastern Laos and parts of Cambodia. Vietnam estimates 400,000 people were killed or maimed, and 500,000 children born with birth defects as a result of its use. The Red Cross of Vietnam estimates that up to 1 million people are disabled or have health problems due to Agent Orange.

The United States has used chemical weapons in the last 10 years.

The U.S. agreed pursuant to the international Chemical Weapons Convention to destroy its chemical weapons stockpiles by April 2007. It received several extensions. The final extension expired in April 2012. The U.S. failed to comply with the deadline. (Syria was never a signatory to the treaty.)

Given the above, does the U.S. have the moral or legal standing to accuse Syria of violating a “red line” on chemical weapons?

Notes: U.S. military action in Libya and Syria have also caused chemical weapons to fall into the hands of Al Qaeda … and Al Qaeda has in fact used those weapons.

Britain has also used chemical weapons within the past 10 years, and has been caught allowing its companies to sell nerve gas chemical weapons to Syria for years.