US Fears Iran Helping Libya With Chemical Weapons

Sparks renewed fears he'll use mustard gas

(NEWSER) - As Moammar Gadhafi appears to be entering his endgame, fears are increasing that the Libyan strongman might use chemical weapons against his own people. The Pentagon and other officials say Gadhafi’s remaining mustard gas, more than 11 tons, has been secured. But Libyan rebels are concerned because gas masks and protective suits have been shipped to Gadhafi’s remaining strongholds. As one London think-tank analyst tells the Washington Post , now that the possibility of a negotiated settlement with the West has been yanked, “there are no rules, no red lines”—and no telling what Gadhafi might do. More»

More than Libya, Syria will determine Middle East democracy

(NEWSER) - The fall of Moammar Gadhafi is demonstrating to people and regimes around the Middle East that even the most violent crackdowns cannot stop populations fed up with dictatorships and corruption—but even more important to the Arab Spring will be how Libya affects the uprisings in Syria, reports the Wall Street Journal . Yesterday in Syria, protestors started chanting "Gadhafi tonight, Bashar tomorrow." "Syria is very different from Libya, and for us, there are different scenarios, but what a boost to know that all scenarios lead to the end of the dictator," said a Syrian opposition activist. More»

... and toward his new boss

(NEWSER) - Churn through enough news sites today, and you're bound to come across a 2007 clip of Joe Biden promising to lead an impeachment of President Bush if he attacks Iran without getting the approval of Congress, notes Mediaite . It's leading to charges of Libya hypocrisy along these lines from Ed Morrissey at Hot Air : "When the target of the attack is a country that hasn’t presented a threat to the US for years, it’s apparently no big deal ... especially if that president is a Democrat." More»

What bin Laden, Ahmadinejad, Mugabe rock out to

(NEWSER) - When they’re not plotting to kill you or thousands of others, the world’s most evil men like to kick back with some tunes, too. The Guardian gives us an idea of what’s on their playlists:

• Osama bin Laden: The al-Qaeda chief has the perfect soundtrack for hiding in caves from US B-52 bombers—the B-52s. One woman who claims she was his sex slave describes “this devout party boy who wanted to hear Van Halen or some B-52s. To this day, I would hear the song Rock Lobster in my sleep.”

Tough new air security crackdown begins today

(NEWSER) - In the toughest new airline security rules in history, all US-bound passengers from 14 nations considered state sponsors of terrorism or "countries of interest" will be patted down, and their carry-on baggage will be searched. The new rules will apply beginning today to travelers from Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen, MSNBC reports. More»