UPDATE: 4-26-2013 - Syrians Attacked With Chemical Weapons. Intelligence of Stockpiling Known Months Ago.

UPDATE:4-26-2013

Krauthammer On Syria: "What's At Stake Here Is Whether Anything This President Now Says Is Believable"

CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: Well, I think what’s really important here is that what’s at stake is not the trajectory of the Syrian war. There’s something else at stake here, and that’s America’s word. 

Whatever Obama does, I don’t think he’ll do anything. He’ll try to minimize this. He’ll try to caveat himself out of this. But even if he does act, it’ll be a minor act. It’s not going to have any effect on what happens in Syria.

What’s at stake here is whether anything that this president now says is believable around the world. When you say 'red line' and you make the red line way out there -- it’s not the slaughter of 80,000 of your own people; it’s the use of chemical weapons -- and then you get definitive evidence that it has been used and you don’t do anything, then your word means nothing. 

And the one thing America’s had for the last 60 years is the power and the belief in the world that when it says 'x,' it will do 'x.' And I think that’s really what the problem is here. I’m wondering whether this Administration understands how much of its word is at stake. (Special Report, April 25, 2013)

SOURCE: http://www.realclearpolitics.com

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UPDATE:4-25-2013

White House: We don’t know if Syria red line has been crossed

Posted By Josh Rogin  Thursday, April 25, 2013

Despite a new U.S. intelligence community assessment that the Syrian regime likely used chemical weapons on its own people, the White House is still waiting for more evidence before deciding whether Bashar al-Assad has crossed President Barack Obama's "red line."

The White House scrambled Thursday to set up a conference call with reporters following Thursday morning's news that the U.S. intelligence community has concluded with varying levels of confidence that there has been small-scale use of sarin, a deadly nerve gas, inside Syria, most likely by the Syrian regime. Secretary of State John Kerry told lawmakers Thursday that the assessment referenced two instances of chemical weapons use in Syria.

A senior White House official said on the conference call that the intelligence community's assessment was not enough to determine that President Obama's red line regarding U.S. intervention in Syria has been crossed.

"We are continuing to do further work to establish a strong, firm, evidentiary basis to determine whether or not the red line has been crossed," the official said. "If we make a determination that the red line has been crossed... what we will be doing is consulting with friends and allies as to the next steps forward."

The official indirectly referenced the flawed intelligence assessments about Saddam Hussein's programs of weapons of mass destruction in the lead up to the Iraq war as justification for caution.

"It is crucial, given our own history with intelligence assessments, including intelligence assessments on weapons of mass destruction... that we are able to present evidence that is airtight," the official said. "It is absolutely the case that the president's red line is the use of chemical weapons or the transfer of chemical weapons to terrorist groups. Our standard of evidence has to build on these intelligence assessments. We want to continue to investigate."

The Obama administration is keeping all options on the table, but the official declined to say what options might be considered if and when it is confirmed that the president's red line has been crossed. The official also declined to identify the locations or dates of the two alleged uses of chemical weapons in Syria, but acknowledged that a March incident in Aleppo had spurred the United States to press for a fuller investigation.

"We will constantly have prepared contingency planning for different scenarios within Syria," the official said. "What the Assad regime needs to know is that we are watching this incredibly closely."

The White House's conclusion that not enough evidence exists to confirm that the Syrian regime has crossed Obama's red line was contradicted Thursday by Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein(D-CA), the chairwoman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

 "It is clear that ‘red lines' have been crossed and action must be taken to prevent larger scale use," she said in a statement. "Syria has the ability to kill tens of thousands with its chemical weapons. The world must come together to prevent this by unified action which results in the secure containment of Syria's significant stockpile of chemical weapons."

The original announcement about the new intelligence community assessment on Syrian chemical weapons came in statements Thursday from Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and in a letter from the White House to several senators delivered Thursday morning during an otherwise classified briefing.

"Our intelligence community does asses with varying degrees of confidence that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons on a small scale in Syria, specifically the chemical agent Sarin,"Miguel Rodriguez, the director of the White House office of legislative affairs, wrote in the letter.

SOURCE: http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com

SOURCE: http://www.scribd.com......................................................................................................

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First...let me state that we knew that the stockpiling of weapons, including chemical weapons was known through HUMINT (human intelligence) and other sources of intelligence by global national communities.  As we know, much of this has been helped along by Russia and Iran.  The blame is on the global nations, including the U.S. the have known about this and have not done anything to stop it.  

President Obama said in August that 

"I want to make it absolutely clear to Assad and those under his command -- the world is watching" "The use of chemical weapons is and would be totally unacceptable. And if you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons, there will be consequences and you will be held accountable," he said.Obama has previously warned that any use of chemical weapons by Syria in its civil war would be crossing a "red line" that would prompt a swift U.S. response. source: here

Here is when there was warning that the bombs were being made ready to launch against the rebels...

Intell on Syria's chemical weapons sparked international action to stop 'bomb preparation'

Jorge Benitez | January 08, 2013

From Eric Schmitt and David E. Sanger, New York Times:  In the last days of November, Israel’s top military commanders called the Pentagon to discuss troubling intelligence that was showing up on satellite imagery: Syrian troops appeared to be mixing chemicals at two storage sites, probably the deadly nerve gas sarin, and filling dozens of 500-pounds bombs that could be loaded on airplanes.

Within hours President Obama was notified, and the alarm grew over the weekend, as the munitions were loaded onto vehicles near Syrian air bases. In briefings, administration officials were told that if Syria’s increasingly desperate president, Bashar al-Assad, ordered the weapons to be used, they could be airborne in less than two hours — too fast for the United States to act, in all likelihood.

What followed next, officials said, was a remarkable show of international cooperation over a civil war in which the United States, Arab states, Russia and China have almost never agreed on a common course of action.

The combination of a public warning by Mr. Obama and more sharply worded private messages sent to the Syrian leader and his military commanders through Russia and others, including Iraq, Turkey and possibly Jordan, stopped the chemical mixing and the bomb preparation. A week later Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said the worst fears were over — for the time being. . . .

“I think the Russians understood this is the one thing that could get us to intervene in the war,” one senior defense official said last week. “What Assad understood, and whether that understanding changes if he gets cornered in the next few months, that’s anyone’s guess. . . .”

The head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service, the BND, warned in a confidential assessment last month that the weapons could now be deployed four to six hours after orders were issued, and that Mr. Assad had a special adviser at his side who oversaw control of the weapons, the German newsmagazine Der Spiegel reported. Some American and other allied officials, however, said in interviews that the sarin-laden bombs could be loaded on planes and airborne in less than two hours. . . .

How the United States and Israel, along with Arab states, would respond remains a mystery. American and allied officials have talked vaguely of having developed “contingency plans” in case they decided to intervene in an effort to neutralize the chemical weapons, a task that the Pentagon estimates would require upward of 75,000 troops. But there have been no evident signs of preparations for any such effort.

The United States military has quietly sent a task force of more than 150 planners and other specialists to Jordan to help the armed forces there, among other things, prepare for the possibility that Syria will lose control of its chemical weapons. . . .

Syria’s chemical weapons are under the control of a secretive Syrian air force organization called Unit 450, a highly vetted outfit that is deemed one of the most loyal to the Assad government given the importance of the weapons in its custody.

American officials said that some of the back-channel messages in recent weeks were directed at the commanders of this unit, warning them — as Mr. Obama warned Mr. Assad on Dec. 3 — that they would be held personally responsible if the government used its chemical weapons.

Asked about these communications and whether they have been successful, an American intelligence official said only, “The topic is extremely sensitive, and public discussion, even on background, will be problematic.”   (graphic: Best Thinking)

source: http://www.acus.org/natosource/intell-syrias-chemical-weapons-sparked-international-action-stop-bomb-preparation

Is it obvious to anyone else that the video below from approximately a day ago was a staged video to cover our butts because we knew of what was going to happen today with the attack on the Syrian people with the use of chemical weapons?!

Here are are some of the articles about what has happened divided by videos that were about the chemical warfare issue from months ago...

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UK says Syria chemical weapons use would need "serious response"

LONDON | Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:04am EDT

(Reuters) - Britain said on Tuesday it was aware of media reports about a chemical weapons attack in Syria, adding that the use or proliferation of chemical weapons there would demand a serious response from the international community.

"The UK is clear that the use or proliferation of chemical weapons would demand a serious response from the international community and force us to revisit our approach so far," a Foreign Office spokeswoman said.

source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/19/us-britain-syria-chemical-idUSBRE92I0J820130319

Above From  7-2012   

Despite the Confirmation of Biological Weapons, the International Community Still Can’t Do Anything 

Though Syria’s arsenal of chemical weapons has been an open secret for the past 4 decades, the Assad’s regime’s announcement is a direct confirmation that Syria does indeed have a chemical weapons arsenal at their disposal.  The announcement targeted the international community, stating that if any foreign intervention in Syria’s civil war would be met with the deployment of chemical weapons.  The weapons include mustard and sarin gases, as well as cyanide, and are capable of being deployed by aircraft, surface-to-air missiles and rockets.  The announcement has sparked renewed animosity towards the regime, as well as towards the eastern powers that still persist in supporting the Assad regime, such as Russia and China.  Though the announcement does spark another international dilemma to be confronted if the community were to begin renewed intervention-talks, it does not present any new looming threat for the opposition groups still fighting throughout the Syrian country. 

'Suffocating in the streets': Chemical weapons attack reported in Syria

George Ourfalian / Reuters

Residents and medics transport a wounded Syrian army soldier to hospital Tuesday after heavy fighting in Aleppo province during which both rebels and government forces said a chemical weapon was used.

By Erika Solomon and Dominic Evans, Reuters

Syria's government and rebels accused each other of launching a deadly chemical attack near the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday in what would, if confirmed, be the first use of such weapons in the two-year-old conflict. 

Syria's state news agency SANA said the rebels had launched a missile, while the rebels said the government had fired a long-range missile with "chemical agents."

"Terrorists fired a rocket containing chemical substances in the Khan al-Assal area of rural Aleppo," SANA said.

A Reuters photographer visited two hospitals and saw people with breathing problems, who told him that they saw people dying in the streets and that the air smelled strongly of chlorine.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a human rights monitoring group with a network of sources on the ground, said 26 people were killed in a "rocket attack" but it could neither confirm nor deny reports of chemical weapons.

U.S. President Barack Obama, who has resisted overt military intervention in Syria's civil war, has previously warned Syria's President Bashar Assad that any use of chemical weapons would be a "red line".

Syria's Information Minister Omran al-Zoabi put the death toll at 16 and said 86 people were wounded, most of them critically.

In a televised news conference, he said the country's armed forces would never use internationally banned weapons. "Syria's army leadership has stressed this before and we say it again, if we had chemical weapons we would never use them due to moral, humanitarian and political reasons," Zoabi said.

read more at http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/19/17370550-suffocating-in-the-streets-chemical-weapons-attack-reported-in-syria?lite

Cagle Cartoons

Views: 213

Above Cartoon Published on Jul 24, 2012 at 8:12 AM PDT

Damascus, rebels trade charges on "chemical attack"

BEIRUT - Syria's government and rebels accused each other of launching a deadly chemical attack near the northern city of Aleppo on Tuesday in what would, if confirmed, be the first use of such weapons in the two-year-old conflict.

Syria's information minister said rebels had fired a rocket carrying chemical agents that killed 16 people and wounded 86. State television said later the death toll had risen to 25.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict using a network of contacts in Syria, put the number of dead at 26, including 16 soldiers.

A Reuters photographer said victims he had visited in Aleppo hospitals were suffering breathing problems and that people had said they could smell chlorine after the attack.

"I saw mostly women and children," said the photographer, who cannot be named for his own safety.

"They said that people were suffocating in the streets and the air smelt strongly of chlorine."

The photographer quoted victims he met at the University of Aleppo hospital and the al-Rajaa hospital as saying: "People were dying in the streets and in their houses."

President Bashar al-Assad, battling a two-year-old uprising against his rule, is widely believed to have a chemical arsenal.

Syrian officials have neither confirmed nor denied this, but have said that if it existed it would be used to defend against foreign aggression, not against Syrians. There have been no previous reports of chemical weapons in the hands of insurgents.

Information Minister Omran al-Zoabi said rebels fired a rocket with chemical weapons at the town of Khan al-Assal, southwest of Aleppo, in what he called a "dangerous escalation".

He said the rocket had been launched from Aleppo's southeastern district of Nairab, part of which is rebel-held.

source: Reuters

West Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion. Possible 100 Dead.

2.1 Seismic Event Recorded from this explosion...

'Like a nuclear bomb': Fertilizer plant blast levels homes, kills 2 in Texas town

By Lateef Mungin, CNN

A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in the small Texas town of West left at least two people dead, leveled several homes and prompted a wide scale evacuation in the community of 2,600 people.

"It was a like a nuclear bomb went off," Mayor Tommy Muska said. "Big old mushroom cloud. There are a lot of people that got hurt. There are a lot of people that will not be here tomorrow."

Fire officials fear that the number of casualties could rise as high as 60 to 70 dead, said Dr. George Smith, the emergency management system director of the city.

"That's a really rough number, I'm getting that figure from firefighters, we don't know yet," he said.

"We have two EMS personnel that are dead for sure, and there may be three firefighters that are dead."

Fireball in the sky

The blast took place at the West Fertilizer Plant, about 18 miles north of Waco, about 8:50 p.m. ET.

The explosion: What we know so far

It sent a massive fireball into the sky. Flames leaped over the roof of a structure and a plume of smoke rose high into the air.

"There are lots of houses that are leveled within a two-block radius," Smith said. "A lot of other homes are damaged as well outside that radius."

He estimated that between 10 to 15 buildings were demolished and about 50 damaged.

And the danger may not be over.

Risk remains

Residents are being evacuated because officials are worried that another tank at the facility might explode.

"What we are hearing is that there is one fertilizer tank that is still intact at the plant, and there are evacuations in place to make sure everyone gets away from the area safely in case of another explosion," said Ben Stratmann, a spokesman for Texas State Sen. Brian Birdwell.

Firefighters at the scene said they were concerned aboutanhydrous ammonia, a pungent gas with suffocating fumes that is used as a fertilizer.

When exposed to humans, it can cause severe burns if it combines with water in the body.

And exposure to high concentrations can lead to death.

What is anhydrous ammonia

The scene

State troopers in gas masks set up roadblocks, waving away cars coming off the highway.

The Federal Aviation Administration instituted a flight restriction over the town. Schools will be closed for the rest of the week, and officials urged everyone to stay away from school property.

Shortly after the explosion, more than 60 patients streamed intoHillcrest Hospital in Waco, suffering from "blast injuries, orthopedic injuries (and) a lot of lacerations," said hospital CEO Glenn Robinson.

While some of the injuries are minor, others are "quite serious," he said.

The West Fertilizer Plant is just north of Waco. A nursing home with 133 residents was near the plant.

Smith, the EMS director, said he didn't know whether there were casualties reported in the nursing home.

'It was intense'

Tommy Alford, who works in a convenience store about three miles from the plant, told CNN that several volunteer firefighters were at the store when they spotted smoke.

Alford said the firefighters headed toward the scene and then between five and 10 minutes later, he heard a massive explosion.

"It was massive; it was intense," Alford said.

Cheryl Marak, who sits on West's city council, said the impact of the blast knocked her to the ground.

"It demolished both the houses there, mine and my mom's and it killed my dog," she said.

Other residents had similar stories.

read more at http://www.cnn.com/

Live Updates: West Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Injures More Than 100

Apr 18, 2013 1:02am

1:43 a.m. ET: Mayor of West Tommy Muska said in a news conference said they are concerned about the wind – which they expect to change direction about 3 a.m.

Muska told residents to stay in inside because of the hydrous gas that is still in the air.

1:25 a.m. ET: The explosion registered as 2.1 magnitude quake according theUSGS. Residents about 30 miles away in the town of Buffford told ABC News that they felt the quake.

AP Photo/Waco Tribune Herald, Rod Aydelotte

1:21 a.m. ET: VIDEO: Homes and business were completely destroyed around the West, Texas, fertilizer plant.

1:09 a.m. ET:  Texas Department of Public Safety trooper D.L. Wilson said in a short news conference that there are more than 100 injuries with fatalities confirmed but did not specify how many deaths. Officials are searching for more people and are doing a house by house search.  About 133 people were evacuated from a nursing home.  About half the town has been evacuated.  Between 50-75 buildings were destroyed or damaged.

“Massive. Just like Iraq. Just like the Murray Building in Oklahoma City… So you can imagine what kind of damage we’re looking at,” Wilson said in describing the blast.

12:53 a.m. ET: Blood drives are planned for Thursday in Texas. Linda Goelzer of Carter Blood Care, the primary blood support service supporting more 58 counties, largest blood provider in Texas told ABC News the people in the community of West are “heart of gold people, like a Norman Rockwell painting.”

“The whole town is being evacuated. We had our blood supply pretty well stocked in Waco as of today but now we are sending more than 300 units of blood from Dallas Fort Worth down to Waco, that’s where patients are going. Many are being care-flighted to Parkland Hospital in Dallas for treatment at their burn center,” Goelzer said.

“Tonight our message to our donors is don’t everybody come at once, we will have patients for who knows how long who will be needing blood. Especially O-negative are needed, universal donor, will likely be expended tonight. What we tell people is that the blood helping people tonight is what’s already on the shelves. What we’ll need most is for consistency. We have blood drives everyday and we will have them tomorrow, we just don’t want people flooding in, in droves, like they did after 9/11. We’re asking our regular donors to keep coming throughout the week because we expect there will be many survivors.”

12:33 a.m. ET: At least 124 people hospitalized, with one hospital telling us that 20 more are on the way.  Of those, 38 considered serious.

AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth/The Dallas Morning News

12:19 a.m. ET: According to the CEO of Baptist Hillcrest Medical Center, Brett Esrock (in Waco) officials are triaging the wounded. Baptist has treated, or is treating 29 wounded, mostly minor to moderate injuries: cuts abrasions, broken bones, respiratory distress, and one critical injury. Hospital officials are being told they are about to receive an additional 20 patients “they are coming in ambulances cars vans, pretty much anything.” Other wounded people are also being sent to Hillsboro Regional Hospital, which has apparently received another 60 patients.  -  Matt Gutman

11:48 p.m. ET: West City Hall suffered significant damage according to Gail Scarborough with Texas Department of Public Safety. The middle school also caught on fire due to a gas leak in the building.

11:00 p.m. ET: Texas Gov. Rick Perry released the following statement on the explosion in West, Texas:  “We are monitoring developments and gathering information as details continue to emerge about this incident. We have also mobilized state resources to help local authorities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of West, and the first responders on the scene.”

ABC

9:33 p.m. ET: According to a dispatcher at Texas Department of Public Safety, there were two explosions and a fire reported at a Fertilizer Plant in the town of West, Texas.

source: http://abcnews.go.com

Accidental Explosion Kills 7 Marines At Hawthorne Nevada Army Depot

7 Marines Dead after Explosion at Nevada Military Facility

Posted: Mar 19, 2013 7:54 AM MDTUpdated: Mar 19, 2013 9:58 AM MDT

By April Valencia - email

 

HAWTHORNE, Nevada -- Seven United States service members are dead, and several others injured after an explosion at the Hawthorne Army Depot Monday night.

The injured have been transported to area hospitals for treatment and further evaluation.

The identities of those killed will be provided 24 hours after primary next of kin notification. The status of those injured will be provided as it becomes available.

"We send our prayers and condolences to the families of Marines involved in this tragic incident. We remain focused on ensuring that they are supported through this difficult time," said Maj. Gen. Raymond C. Fox, II MEF commanding general. "We mourn their loss, and it is with heavy hearts we remember their courage and sacrifice."

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

source: http://www.kcoy.com/story/21698355/7-marines-dead-after-explosion

Lawmakers mourn Marines killed in Hawthorne, NV

Posted: Mar 19, 2013 9:06 AM MDTUpdated: Mar 19, 2013 9:33 AM MDT

Nevada's lawmakers offered condolences Tuesday following an explosion that killed seven Marines in Hawthorne.

Rep. Steven Horsford, D-NV, made the following statement:

"I am deeply saddened by the loss of life as the result of an explosion during a live-fire training at Hawthorne Army Depot last night. I had the honor and privilege visiting the Depot in January, which is located in Nevada's 4th Congressional District. The families of those affected are in my thoughts and prayers, and I pray for the recovery of those in critical condition and receiving medical care. Our office is in contact with the Governor, local officials, and military command to receive updates on the situation."

Sen. Dean Heller, R-NV, expressed the following after the explosion:

"My thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones in this explosion, and the entire nation is grateful for the service of those whose lives were lost. I would also like to thank the first responders and medical personnel who are helping the injured, and wish those injured service members a speedy recovery. My staff and I will continue to closely monitor the situation."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-NV, offered his condolences:

Late last night, seven United States Marines were killed and several others were injured by an explosion during a training exercise near Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada. My thoughts are with those who were injured. My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives. And my sympathies are with their fellow Marines, who are also grieving this loss. Details are still emerging, and I will continue to follow this news closely. I will do whatever I can going forward to support the United States Military and the families of the fallen Marines.

Sen. Kay Hagan of North Carolina, where the killed Marines were stationed, made the following statement:

I was so saddened to learn about the seven Marines from Camp Lejeune who were killed last night in Nevada. Our Marines, and all of our service members, demonstrate their bravery everyday as they serve our country. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the Marines who were killed and those who were injured, and I will continue to monitor the investigation so we can find out what happened and take appropriate steps.

Gov. Brian Sandoval, R-NV, had this to say following the explosion in Hawthorne:

"I am deeply saddened to hear of the incident at the Hawthorne Army Depot this morning. The men and women who work and train there put service ahead of self each and every day. Kathleen and I wish to extend our deepest sympathies to those killed and their families. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been injured and we pray for their speedy recovery."

Rep. Dina Titus, D-NV, gave this statement following the deaths of 7 Marines in Nevada:

"It was with great sorrow that I heard of the loss of life at the Hawthorne Army Depot explosion last night. This tragic accident reminds us of the sacrifices our servicemen and women make every day to protect our American way of life, in the field and here at home. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends who lost a loved one in Hawthorne last night, and I pray for a quick recovery of those receiving care for their injuries."

Rep. Joe Heck, R-NV, offered his condolences in the explosion:

"This morning we awoke to the devastating news that seven Marines were killed during a training exercise at Hawthorne. This tragic event underscores the fact that whether at home or abroad, all of our men and women in uniform put their lives on the line every day and that the costs of defending a nation are great. My thoughts and prayers go out to the families of those we lost and I extend to them my deepest condolences. I also thank all of those who responded to the explosion and helped get the injured to safety. I will continue to watch this situation closely and my staff and I stand ready to assist in any way we can in the wake of this horrible event."

read more at http://www.fox5vegas.com/story/21708073/lawmakers-mourn-marines-killed-in-hawthorne-nv

Chris Kyle, Author of "American Sniper", Shot Dead at Texas Firing Range

‘American Sniper’ author Chris Kyle shot dead at Texas gun range; ex-Navy SEAL was 38
By Jessica Chasmar

Photo by: Paul Moseley

Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who wrote the book “American Sniper,” poses in Midlothian, Texas, on Friday, April 6, 2012. (AP Photo/The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Paul Moseley)

A 25-year-old man was charged Sunday in the deadly shooting of Chris Kyle, a former Navy SEAL who was the author of “American Sniper,” and another man at a Texas firing range.

Sgt. Lonny Haschel said in a news release that deputies responded to a shooting at the Rough Creek Lodge outside Glen Rose, Texas, about 50 miles from Fort Worth, at about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Police found the bodies of Mr. Kyle, 38, and Chad Littlefield, 35, at the shooting range, the Associated Press reports.

Eddie Ray Routh of Lancaster, Texas, was arraigned on two counts of capital murder. The motive for the shooting was unclear.


Mr. Kyle wrote the best-selling book “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History.” A news release from Travis Cox, director of FITCO Cares, a nonprofit Mr. Kyle helped start, said Mr. Kyle served four tours of duty, the AP reports.

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/feb/3/american-sniper-author-chris-kyle-shot-dead-texas-/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS#ixzz2Jrl2Pt5q
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

‘American Sniper’ Author Shot to Death in Texas

By MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ

Published: February 3, 2013

Since retiring from the Navy SEALs, Chris Kyle, who was known as America’s deadliest sniper, would occasionally take fellow veterans shooting as a kind of therapy to salve battlefield scars.

Mr. Kyle, author of the best selling book “American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History,” was with a struggling former soldier on just such an outing on Saturday, hoping that a day at a shooting range would bring some relief, said a friend, Travis Cox.

But the Texas authorities said Sunday that for unknown reasons, the man turned on Mr. Kyle and a second man, Chad Littlefield, shooting and killing both before fleeing in a pickup truck.  

“Chad and Chris had taken a veteran out to shoot to try to help him,” Mr. Cox said. “And they were killed.”

The police identified the gunman as Eddie Ray Routh, a 25-year-old veteran with a history of mental illness who had served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The police offered no information about a possible motive.

Mr. Routh shot the men at about 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Rough Creek Lodge, an exclusive shooting range near Glen Rose, Tex., about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth, Sgt. Lonny Haschel, a spokesman for the State Department of Public Safety’s Highway Patrol Division, said in a statement. Mr. Routh was arrested on Saturday night at his home in Lancaster, a suburb south of Dallas. He has been charged with two counts of capital murder, Mr. Haschel said.

Mr. Cox, the director of a foundation that Mr. Kyle created, said he was not acquainted with Mr. Routh, but said that Mr. Kyle had devoted his life since his retirement from the military to helping fellow soldiers overcome post-traumatic stress.

In 2011, Mr. Kyle created the FITCO Cares Foundation to provide veterans with exercise equipment and counseling. He believed that exercise and the camaraderie of fellow veterans could help former soldiers ease into civilian life. “He served this country with extreme honor, but came home and was a servant leader in helping his brothers and sisters dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder,” Mr. Cox, also a former military sniper, said by telephone.

Mr. Kyle, who lived outside of Dallas, had his own difficulties adjusting after retiring from the SEALs in 2009. He was deployed in Iraq during the worst years of the insurgency, perched in or on top of bombed-out apartment buildings with his .300 Winchester Magnum.

He became proficient at his job, racking up more than 150 kills and becoming a scourge of Iraqi insurgents, who put a price on his head and who were said to have nicknamed him the “Devil of Ramadi.”

He preferred to think of his job not as killing bad guys, but saving the good.

“I feel pretty good because I am not just killing someone, I am also saving people,” he said in a January 2012 interview with The Dallas Morning News. “What keeps me up at night is not the people that I have killed. It is the people I wasn’t able to save.”

Manny Fernandez contributed reporting.

source: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/04/us/chris-kyle-american-sniper-author-reported-killed.html?_r=0