Perhaps it is purely a coincidence that on the day in which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (which as profiled earlier is anything but [4]) released several new YouTube clips "confirming" a poison gas chemcial attack by the Assad army had killed 6 people in the country, that several hours later a US drone was shot down by the Syrian military according to CNN [5], which cites Syria's SANA news agency reported Tuesday.
CNN did not report why the shooting of a US drone flying over someone else's sovereign territory - especially someone who was nearly invaded by the same US two years ago - is news: the outrage here is that the US once continues to assume it is still a unilateral world in which D.C. can invade and treat any country, especially those half way around the world, with impunity and expect zero reprisals (although Jack Lew is finally figuring out [6]that world is changing). We await to find out. In the meantime, this is what CNN did report [5]:
"Syrian Air Defense systems shot down a U.S. UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) north of Latakia Province," the Syrian Arab News Agency's breaking news report said.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The United States has used drones for surveillance and targeted killings, allowing missions to be carried out without risking the lives of U.S. military personnel. But it's not alone. More than 70 countries now have some type of drone, according to The New America foundation.
Moments ago [7]the Pentagon confirmed, via Rueters, that the US had indeed lost contact with an unarmed drone aircraft flying over Syria's Latakia province. A second U.S. official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was unclear whether the aircraft was shot down and said the incident was being investigated. [7]
Reuters also adds [7]that it was the first such incident since the U.S.-led coalition began carrying out air strikes against ISIS last summer.
Then again, perhaps it is not a coincidence, as little by little the summer of 2015 is shaping up to be a replica of what happened two years ago. Because as every self-respecting Keynesian will admit, with Neo-Keynesian economic policy failing around the globe, only war is left as an "option."
