They now call it America's dilemma, not Syria's. In August last year, US President Barack Obama warned that the use of chemical weapons constituted a "red line" for intervention in Syria. But now that the red line appears to have been crossed, at least according to reports from Britain, Israel and the US, the question for the American president is this: how much longer can he avoid the inevitability of more forceful intervention?
Mr Obama is under great pressure to do more to aid the opposition, and yet he continues to demur. At the weekend he insisted the evidence supporting the use of chemical weapons remains preliminary and that the US would conduct a "vigorous investigation" before considering future action. Chemical weapons deployment would be a "game changer", he said.
Arab allies have sought to support opposition forces with arms and cash, but this has not turned the tide in the opposition's favour. Mr Obama, meanwhile, may rightly gauge that the US public does not see the Syrian war as theirs, but American interests will be engulfed quickly if the crisis in Syria continues spilling over the Syrian border. This should be another "red line" in Mr Obama's calculation.
Allegations that the regime fired chemical weapons have swirled since December. Initially, the allegations proved false; US officials said in January that the regime misused a riot-control gas. But two reports since March have been more conclusive. One report, from The Times of London, said civilians died twitching, hallucinating and choking on white froth that poured from their noses and mouths, possibly the work of nerve gas. That report buttresses US intelligence reports that the Syrian regime may have used sarin gas on a small scale.
Determining who pulled the trigger with certainty is complicated by the nature of the crisis. We may never know until the war is over. But certainly, access to these materials would be easier for the regime, which is known to possess large stocks. Meanwhile, the regime has been consistently escalating its use of weapons of terror for over two years, from bullets to tanks to mortars to Scud missiles.
And yet, instead of recognising the immense implications of the use of these devices, there has been more focus on whether the scale of their use would qualify as crossed "red line" or a "game changer".
Mr Obama may have boxed himself in with his words, but it is the Syrians on the wrong side of canisters of gas who will suffer most for it. Indeed, every line in Syria has been painted by the colour of blood for far too long.
Company%20profile%20
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Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
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INVESTMENT PLEDGES
Cartlow: $13.4m
Rabbitmart: $14m
Smileneo: $5.8m
Soum: $4m
imVentures: $100m
Plug and Play: $25m
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Company profile
Company: Rent Your Wardrobe
Date started: May 2021
Founder: Mamta Arora
Based: Dubai
Sector: Clothes rental subscription
Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded