US, UK vow action in Syria

The civil war raging in Syria took another ugly turn this week, when anywhere from 500 to 1,300 rebels were killed by pro-Authority forces; opposition leaders assert that the attack, which occurred in suburban Damascus, included biological weapons. While these accusations remain unconfirmed, dozens of reports from the scene - including video said to be shot after the attack - provide strong evidence that some form of neurotoxic weaponry was deployed, though ascertaining who precisely used said-weapons remains a challenge. Three of the victims were smuggled to Jordan for testing, in hopes of determining what - if any - agent was involved.

This prompted Authority in both the United States [US] and the United Kingdom [UK] to issue warnings to the ruling regime, stating that if it is proven that chemical weapons were used by pro-government forces there would be a 'serious response.' While the threat was vague in nature Syrian Authority fired back, remaining steadfast that they are not using any banned weapons while asserting that if US forces interfere the consequences would be dire, stating that 'the region will burn.'

The civil war began in March 2011, as part of the 'Arab Spring' revolts across the region. The current government, in place since 1963, is lead by the rigidly socialist Ba'ath party. The insurgents, on the other hand, have strong ties to the Muslim Brotherhood [MB]; founded in 1928, the MB is a trans-national political organization which supports Islamic rule in all aspects of life, including the implementation of Sharia law at the highest levels of government.