The recent chemical-weapons carnage in Syria is universally condemned - and rightly so. The gruesome pictures humanized even President Donald Trump ("no child of God should suffer such horror"), and he responded appropriately.
However, Nikki Haley, our UN ambassador, had noted, "We don't know yet the source of yesterday's attack."
And the UN is investigating. Former Sen. Ron Paul and others suggest Syrian President Bashar Assad couldn't have done it. Thus, some wonder if the "Iraq has WMD" fiasco is being repeated.
Be that as it may, we too have used chemical weapons, most recently in Fallujah, Iraq, led by Gen. James Mattis (now defense secretary, nicknamed "Mad Dog" for his callous disregard of human life); he also employed them in Afghanistan. Ironically, he recently reminded the world of the Geneva Convention ban against chemical weapons. The horrific legacy of depleted uranium continues in Iraq, with stillbirths and birth defects still occurring in what Iraqi doctors call "genocide."
And Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu displayed his usual hypocrisy. He "was shocked and outraged" to see "babies suffocating." He forgets his own burning of Palestinian children in Gaza with phosphorus gas in 2014 and in earlier Israeli invasions of Gaza and Lebanon, even Syria; and his justice minister applauded the poisoning of "little snakes."
Even Saudis have employed chemical weapons in Yemen.
These events are documented in U.N. investigations and various human rights reports.
Indeed, it is our short-sighted imperial privilege: for the same deeds, condemning and punishing some, engaging ourselves; ignoring or condoning others.
S.M. Ghazanfar
Acworth, Ga.
