— Musings —04.06.2017 08:31 PM
Syria strike: It is possible to despise Trump (as I do)
…but to support this action (as I do).
(And what happened is exactly what Hillary suggested should be done, by the by. #StillWithHer.)
But what of the Russians who may have been on the ground there, in harm’s way? Volenti non fit injuria, as we lawyers say.
https://twitter.com/kinsellawarren/status/850156471946010625
Don’t need evidence…don’t need UN Security Council Resolution…just work on media, usual congress warriors, set the public on its ass, – and boom , away you go.
Not the first time USA has responded militarily to videos. Odd that they choose a base used for bombing runs against ISIS, though.
Exactly how I feel, on all points. Assad needs to go, pronto, and his attack on civilians deserved retribution. However, this is a fantastic distraction for the Human Cheeto (sorry – plagarizing your term!), and fits the behaviour of many leaders who are under pressure. Declare an enemy, unite the nation, and distract the attention from yourself.
Most importantly, from an international perspective, is the possible conflict with Russia. I’m sort of feeling like we may be heading back to the 1980s..
Back in later 2011 and early 2012 Assad’s officers were defecting in droves for the Free Syrian Army, the opposition had the momentum, and there was an opportunity for NATO or the US to do something like Operation Noble Anvil that might have toppled Assad. That window of opportunity has passed, unfortunately. If these recent air strikes actually accomplished anything beyond satisfying our desire for revenge against a murderous, evil dictator, I would be 100% for them.
I’m baffled by Trump’s psychology. Syrian refugees are terrorists in a Trojan horse that cannot be allowed to enter the United States, yet the Assad regime’s latest used of chemical weapons against civilians has angered Trump to the point of beginning a military action? Does he care about human suffering or doesn’t he? Perhaps the real message here–Trump isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty–is directed at North Korea, not Assad.
CNN reported that for a while now, going back to the Obama administration, there is a line of communication open between the U.S. and Russia regarding operations in Syria so one can warn the other something is coming and to get their forces out of the area. The Trump administration told the CNN reporter that line of communication was indeed used here.
The U.S. official said Russia was notified of the target and time of the attack. Now, the natural follow up to that is – did the Russians notify Assad so he could get all of the Syrian planes off that airfield and into Iran or moved to other airfields within Syria before the Tomahawks landed.
CNN also said the U.S. is in possession of radar tracking that (allegedly) shows the Syrian planes take off from this airfield and drop the chemical weapons a couple days ago.
I cannot believe Assad would be so stupid and/or arrogant to use Sarin gas against his own people……Isolated as he is already, why would he invoke the world’s wrath by the use of nerve gas?….Sorry, but I have to give the benefit of the doubt that a Syrian airstrike hit gas canisters that were stored by opponents of the Assad regime.
As for the cruise missile strikes…..the Russians will stand by their ally, and I suspect this is not going to end well. This is not a defenseless Libya.
Hillary and Obama turned a functioning, relatively stable, albeit imperfect, state of Libya into a failed state…..which is now a hotbed of ISIS and people smugglers…..
It seems the real power behind the throne have also decided that it’s time to finish Assad off as well.
They turned a Libya that was in a full scale civil war to one that was just a failed state.
Without NATO bombing Gadaffi’s supporters, he might have been able to remain in power……he would have put down the insurrection, and Libya wouldn’t be the mess it is in today…..You will never convince me that taking him out was a good idea……NATO’s intervention had nothing to do with saving lives, and all about preventing Gaddafi from enacting plans to bring in the gold dinar for Africa, which would have spelled the beginning of the end of the petrodollar….same reason why the US took out Saddam…..he wanted to be paid in euros for his oil……
Remember the how much the were worried about Hillary starting unnecessary wars?
To those who thought Trump would be less militaristic then Obama, no “I told you so”. More like, ” How could you be so stupid?”