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Updated 22:56
IT HAS BEEN more than two years since the conflict in Syria kicked off but the past 24 hours have seen the situation change dramatically.
Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron has recalled parliament early to discuss the crisis, France has used strong language against Bashar Assad and his regime and the US has claimed it is ready to intervene with force.
Meanwhile, Syria insists it will defend itself against any attacks by international powers, claiming the Assad administration was not responsible for the alleged chemical attack in a suburb of Damascus last week.
Images of the aftermath of that incident shocked the world as countless children were seen lying lifeless in body bags, while others wriggled in pain from the toxic substance. The death toll from the incident sits somewhere between 355 and 1,300 but independent verification is near-impossible as foreign journalists and UN inspectors have not been given access to the area.
The violence act has rallied international powers to action – and more forceful speech – on Syria. With everything happening so quickly, TheJournal.ie takes a look back at what has happened today:
Chemical Inspection?
The United Nations inspectors, who were yesterday shot at while heading towards the site of the suspected chemical attack, had to postpone their efforts to collect more evidence as their safety could not be ensured.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has urged all sides to give safe passage and access to the team.
What the US said?
US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel told the world that the US is ready to act once President Barack Obama gives the green light.
“We are prepared. We have moved assets in place to be able to fulfil and comply with whatever option the president wishes to take,” he said while discussing Syria. “We are ready to go, like that.”
The Washington Post, citing a senior US administration officer, believes the intervention would last no more than two days and involve missiles or long-range bombers.
The White House has also revealed it is to release intelligence on the gas attack later this week, stating it has “no doubt” about who was responsible.
What Syria said?
Assad’s regime said it would defend itself against any external attack, adding that Syria had capabilities that would “surprise” the world. Foreign Minister Walid Muallem warned that outside intervention would not be in the best interests of Israel and Al-Qaeda.
And the Opposition – the Syrian National Coalition – believes military action from the West will happen within days. One official told reporters that the group, as well as the rebel Free Syrian Army, had been consulted with over possible targets, including airports, military bases and non-chemical arms depots.
What Russia said?
Russia, a close ally of Assad’s, warned that any use of force would have “catastrophic consequences” for the entire region. Moscow has also questioned the widespread belief that Assad was responsible for the chemical attack.
What the Arab League said?
The 22-member group was more decisive than others, stating that the Assad regime bore the “entire responsibility” for the 21 August horror.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said “the situation calls for a firm and serious attitude to put an end to the human tragedy of the Syrian people.”
What Britain said?
Prime Minister David Cameron has recalled parliament early for a session on Thursday to discuss the crisis and debate any possible action. Its armed forces are also drawing up contingency plans for action.
He said any action will have to be legal and it would not be about “getting involved in a Middle East war” but rather about the use of chemical weapons, adding that “the world shouldn’t stand idly by” as they are deployed.
Deputy PM Nick Clegg has said, however, that Britain is not seeking to topple Assad.
“What we’re considering is a serious response… What we’re not considering is regime change, trying to topple the Assad regime.”
What France said?
President Francois Hollande – who has not shied away from foreign interventions previously with quick action on Mali – said France is “ready to punish” those responsible for last week’s chemical attack.
“France is ready to punish those who took the vile decision to gas innocent people,” he said in a televised speech. “Our responsibility today is to look for the most appropriate response to the exactions of the regime,” he added, pointing the finger at the Assad regime.
This civil war today threatens world peace.
France plans to increase military support to the main Opposition body in Syria – the Syrian National Coalition.
What Israel said?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed a serious retaliation if his country were attacked.
“The State of Israel is prepared for every scenario,” he said following consultations on the crisis. “We are not part of the civil war in Syria, but if we detect any attempt to hurt us, we will react, and react fiercely.”
What the Vatican said?
The Vatican is against any military intervention in Syria, citing the bloodshed and violence in Iraq following the US-led war against Saddam Hussein in 2003 as reason not to take action.
The city’s daily newspaper said the United Nations was caught in a crossfire and that the tone of the debate is becoming “ever more drastic”.
What next?
As Russia is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it can veto any proposed mandate for intervention.
Therefore, other countries – probably led by the US – could band together in a ‘coalition of the willing’ to carry out an operation not aimed at overthrowing the government but ensuring no further chemical attacks take place.
Knock-on Effects
European stocks fell sharply as investors looked at the impact a military intervention could have on markets. As is usually the case in an unpredictable storm, gold rallied, becoming a popular safe-haven for money.
“The outlook of a military action in relation to the use of chemical weapons is clearly dampening risk appetite,” said Gekko Markets’ trader Anita Paluch.
Oil prices also soared with Brent crude striking six-month highs amid concerns of military action.
“Escalating fears about the possibility of Western military action in response to the chemical weapons attack in Syria is boosting the appetite for the black gold,” noted Fawad Razaqzada, an analyst at traders GFT Markets.
Additional reporting by AFP
Originally published 18.13
It’s 2014 and people still don’t take videos in landscape mode….
It should be a crime punishable by death.
That helps my fear of flying
Pussies
“We were eating and all the food just flew up in the air and pretty much bounced off and fell,”
Whatever you might say about them, Americans never lose their sense of priority.
Judging by what I’m seeing around Dublin this week I’d say Irish people have similar priorities.
Prayers are great for turbulence and bad wind I find…
Imagine if the lights were off and the cabin was black. Now that would be scary. Scientific weather planes fly into hurricanes. Turbulance does not really effect the performance of an airplane, tis a bit like a car driving on unpaved really uneven ground. Saying that I would be defo a little nervous if twas me there.
Doesn’t help my fear either and I don’t care how brave you think you are at flying, when you are in a plane that is flying through severe turbulence or being struck by lightning it’s bloody frightening and you will remember every time you get on a plane after that. I always say that it’s not a plane crash that scares me, it’s turbulence and what you go through while it’s happening, horrible….
While everybody around him prayed to their gods and made promises about what they’d do if they got out of this alive, camera guy was praying to the god of youtube views
‘C’MON BABY! LAND THIS BIRD! GIMME THEM LIKES N SHAAARESZ!’
Brilliant, Cap’n!
Thank you, Mary!
All the same, it proves just how robust these aircraft really are. I do feel sorry for people who are a tad nervous flying, turbulence like this must be terrifying.
I’d s##t my pants if i was on that plane.
The engineering that goes into commercial airplanes will easily handle such perceived violent levels of turbulence, such as in this video. Modern plane structures are built to handle ferocious forces up to 150% stronger than any wind pattern experienced in the last 40 years of flying, and that includes any lightening strikes.
I just wasted 3 minutes of my life FFS !!
Fxxk me, that’s terrifying and brings back memories from the early 80′s of travelling to school on the old CIE bone shaker busses, I made need counselling
It will be alri ted is out on the wing with the sticky tape
News just in: the number of aircraft that have crashed due to turbulence has been found to be ZERO.
In the history of air travel no plane has ever crashed due to turbulence. Still it seems like they had a scary experience.
Mind you, it sounds like one mad aul wan doing all the roaring.
Ps- pilots rock
Cough, cough… this Air France crash in 2009 had nothing to do with turbulence! It resulted from how the cockpit crew dealt with a blocked pitot tube which is a sensor and sends speed data to the pilot’s instrumentation. The crash was a result of how the pilots dealt with faulty instrumentation and poor cockpit communication. The only other accident cited is a BOAC plane in 1966, 48 years ago! Your link only validates Steven’s point that 1, crashes are rare, and 2. Turbulence plays a miniscule part in modern aviation, unless you want to include windsheer on descent. Turbulence is a part of every flight. You’d need to go back decades to find incidences of turbulence directly resulting in the loss of a large aircraft.
Terrifying stuff. Even worse if your family was on board but you were seated away from them
A bit of communication from the folk in the pointy bit would have calmed the passengers.
Imagine sitting there not knowing if the next bump was a mountain …
Exactly what I was thinking. The captain should have been reassuring passengers to keep them calm. Not doing his job very well.
Oh dear he might have been to busy making a difficult emergency landing…
He landed the bleedin thing you nut.
Would u like him to come out and rub people’s foreheads as well?
Emergency landing? Its severe turbulence. Any pilot worth his salt would be well used to this scenario. Most passengers only experience light to moderate turbulence so that is why it can be scary for them (understandably). Planes these days are built to withstand extreme turbulence. This probably happens quite regularly but nobody videos it. The pilot should have reassured people over the intercom. The media doesn’t help with dramatic emergency landing headlines.
Some right smug condescending smartarses out today.
The people that are paid to fly the effin thing might know what they are at and smug f****** like you might know what they are at but there are nervous passengers that clench at every bump.
Think before you type.
I experienced this turbulence before coming home from new york absolutely cacked myself, last transatlantic flight I’ve took.
Drinks trolley would be the only thing on my mind
And 2 parachutes ??
I’ve created more turbulence in an Irish pub with rear end gaseous emissions then these screaming hyenas have had to endure here.
At 2.02 in the video… “Why is he not talking to us?”..maybe it’s because he’s trying his hardest to fight the turbulence and not let the plane fly out of control??????!!!!
The video is towards the end of the turbulence after the Captain had made the decision to divert to Japan out of the storm. Pilots rarely ‘fight’ poor conditions in manual flight mode. That’s stuff for the movies. They leave it to the FMS Auto Pilots which combined usually work far better at controlling an aircraft’s speed, altitude and balance. In fact some airline procedures prohibit the pilots from taking manual control unless the auto pilot kicks outs during flight.
Sounds more like a big orgy with all the noises…
I’d say the stench was rotten after that
Probably have prayed myself,even though I don’t believe in any God.
Recorded with a potato .
Recorded by a potato. ..
Regardless of whether the seat belt sign goes off while flying I always leave it on while seated,The reason being CAT (Clear Air Turbulence ) it cannot be picked up by radar.
Normally it occurs over large mountain ranges and can make a plane drop suddenly,Lifting people out of their seats hitting the overhead luggage bins.
Even in the cruise flight crews leave the lap belt on at the pointy end.
Normally CAT would have been reported by other planes on the same route
*I’m going to die. Quick get the camera. One to look back on in years to come eh? Oh wait…*
‘Twas a rollercoaster of a ride
I bet half of you pussies would shit your pants if this happened, big men behind the computer…priceless
Maybe it was caused by the lad who had his phone turned on and recording a video during the flight????
I was kinda hoping someone would go for a pee but it might have ruined the camera guys big moment.
They say flying is the safest form of transport but yet I’ve been watching Air Crash Investigation on a daily basis for a couple of years now !
imagine watching car crash investigation so.
Link to the video ? The one in the article says it’s been removed by user,
I’m terrified of flying. I’ve flown a good deal around the world none the less. I’ve got claustrophobia to, that doesnt help. Flying is hours of sheer scary boredom where you feel every bump and turn and can sense the changes in speed and direction. Other people panicking when you hit turbulence is the worst, panic spreads in such a confined space. You need the pilot to explain what is happening and his reassurance that it isnt as bad or as dangerous as how it feels. Flown to Cuba twice, on 3 of the 4 flights there were quite scary incidents. Every time i get off a plane i swear i’ll never get on another one.
have your say