There is a war going on in Syria; it may be a civil war, but a war none-the-less. In wars, people get killed. When we were at war, we knowingly bombed civilian populations to turn the people against their military. We discussed the neutron bomb as a way of killing people in cities without destroying the infrastructure; how is poison gas that much different?
Our hands are not clean.
5
Punitive airstrikes by the US and the West again. Does it really matter if the airstrikes are by Assad, the US, Russia, Iran and now Israel? The result is the same. It is the Syrians who are punished. Period. What have they done to be punished? So Assad used chemical weapons on his people. Agreed he is a monster. But we are no better either. The end result is all the same. Only the Syrians suffer. Take out Assad alone. After all, we have the most powerful intelligence agencies in the world.The punishment is worse than the crime. Honestly, what have the Syrians done to deserve punishment.
6
I am convinced this was a military exercise by US, UK and France.
They needed to make sure if their expensive war gears are still in working condition and if war room staff are performing properly.
8
We vetoed UN resolution to send specialist to Syria for chemical weapon investigation. Without 100% proof of guilty offenders, we launched missiles first to targeting Syria is reckless. And we know that it will never end the civil war. Thus, do we really want to have a perpetual war in the Middle East or peace? It seems that the current war only benefits weapon manufacturers, military generals, and Israeli peace.
7
How much money did this cost us taxpayers?
Only a small percentage of missiles got through. Looks like our military might isn't all that mighty. Any dummy can fire off a weapon. The wise person will sit down with adversaries and work out the problems. Trump's actions feed right into the propaganda machines of Russia and North Korea. Trump has sealed our fate.
4
It was a good show, G-rated even. Thanks for the entertainment, President Trump. Too bad American viewers will pay for it with hundreds of millions of tax dollars we need for healthcare, infrastructure, school security, border security, protection of elections from cyber attacks, student debt relief, disaster aid, climate change mitigation, Social Security and Medicare, and other things.
7
Unacceptable. The use of military strikes will only lead to greater US involvement when we have to leave. We cannot afford another quagmire like that of Afganistan and Iraq. It is not the US job to be the policeman.
5
The just-posted NYT Headline reads: "Pentagon Declares Syria Strikes Successful". Successful in terms of what, exactly? Wasn't this just the live-fire version of Obama's "Line in the Sand"? (Note that that historical cliche comes from Col. Travis at the Alamo, another declared success.)
Ever notice how the Pentagon always, always says its first strikes are successful? As they have done in war after war, up to and including Viet "Declare Success and Go Home" Nam and So "Declare Success and Go Home" Malia and Ir "Declare Success and Go Home" Aq and Af "We will soon Declare Success and Go Home" Ghanistan. And more than a few others. It is sure comforting that we are always right and we never loose.
3
Obama attacked both Syria and Libya without obtaining congressional approval.
Many people at the time claimed he committed an impeachable offense by not obtaining approval. An authorization vote by congress was not taken,
The truth is Obama chose not to enforce his own red line regarding chemical weapons.
2
Why does "suspected chemical weapons attack" sound so much to me like "weapons of mass destruction"?
2
Why would he not consult with congress, but consult with his lawyers? What do they know about chemical weapons and air strikes?
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/383163-trump-sought-advice-on...
Setting aside the depressing possibility that the real motivation here was Trump's petulance at being sneered at by Assad, let's hear it for James Mattis: "proportionate response," isn't something our esteemed President can so much as spell.
Our response good or bad is a reflection of the failure to develop International law and standards that must be lived up to and has legal consequences. There can be no veto of law by sovereign nations, the most powerful have to abide by them.
Our response good or bad is a reflection of the failure to develop International law and standards that must be lived up to and has legal consequences.
Mr. Assad should be on trial in an International court and proof should be presented. If he doesn't want to appear he can and should be tried in absentia.
The UN has been abandoned because the UN Security Council members have used their veto power to continue to use their own military intervention to shape their own geopolitical goals. The Security council was set up to maintain international peace and security, and, especially, be able to act in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The veto power of the permanent members of the UN Security Council must be limited in the case of these 3 terrible crimes.
Here we go again.
A shallow incompetent president using the flag for cover.
World "leaders" trying to prove their morality vs. cruel evil dictators.
And congress and citizens fiddling while we let a few "leaders" risk the fate of the world to salve their egos and demonstrate hair to voters.
Numerous nations are today involved in unjustified killing using a variety of tactics. Gas, missiles, nukes, drones or pick your poison.
Long distance missile strikes are no more than "thoughts and prayers" for difficult and sustained action in world forums like the UN, OECD, NATO and perhaps others to come.
Men and women of integrity must step up seeking long term peaceful solutions which missiles strikes will never solve.
I see a lot of reproach here, but decrying a strike designed to punish the use of weapons of mass destruction is a bad look. It's important that we--and by we I mean those of us who dislike this administration--support decent decisions. If we don't, we lend credence to Hannity and droves of Trump supporters who insist that we, the left, will resist at all costs. Last night's strike made a statement: the use of weapons of mass destruction will not be tolerated. That statement comports with our values and the positions of countless leaders, past and present, domestic and global. Does Trump deserve to be called presidential for it? No. It wasn't an example of extraordinary leadership; it was simply the right thing to do (it even bordered on an easy decision). But we should withhold scorn for deserving moments--this is not one.
2
Thank god my grandfather was arrested as an illegal immigrant and deported to Canada. I am a Canadian because of that, and I'm packing now.
The US has been at war for 218 out of its 241 year history. That's all you need to know about who likes killing innocent people.
2
This doesnt look good.
Such actions openly destroys international order and moral behind it.
They went and bomb ONE day before UN inspectors would begin work in which should find out what happened there, if anything happened.
US, UK and France showed directly that for their WAR actions, International order and truth based on fact findings is not needed.
1
I cannot see this doing any good, it simply creates more resentment and belligerence from Assad, Iran, and, Russia.
When the President and his team lie about seemingly everything, how are we supposed to believe him about anything?
2
Every time, I mean every time when US’s puppets on the ground, the so-called “moderate rebels”, experience difficulties, the government forces will “gas attack” their opponents as if prompted. Does this even make sense? Why would a regime come to such extreme measures, risking retaliation and further isolation, when they are winning? Instincts tell me this is Iraq all over again. I won’t be shocked if the US takes over the entire country (unlikely due to Russian presence) and still can’t find a trace of evidence of this attack.
2
The message of our courageous conviction to Assad is: the USA will catapult fire and fury to any adversary while hiding in the dark at a very safe distance yet we want the American war fighting machine to be seen as heroic and noble.
2
This morning Trump tweeted: "Mission Accomplished!"
Can someone please tell us what the "mission" was?
- Did he do this just to protest the use of chemical weapons? If so, why are chemical weapons any more objectionable than shooting people, or killing them with missile strikes?
- Did he do this merely as chest-thumping with our allies?
- Did he do this to send a message to Russia?
- Did he do this merely to prove that pres Obama was a sissy?
- Did he do this to show Congress that he has the right to single-handedly declare war (in spite of what our Constitution says)?
And can someone please tell us what we "accomplished?"
- Did he actually destroy Syria's entire chemical weapons program?
- Did he actually make Assad back down at all? Did he actually shorten the war, and/or save some Syrian lives?
- Did he really show our allies that Trump's word about anything can be trusted?
- Did he show the world that they can't mess with the US? Maybe this merely will provoke more anti-US sentiment, more terrorist attacks, etc?
Maybe the only mission that he accomplished was to make himsdelf feel good about himself? Or maybe all he wanted to do was to distract us from all of his legal problems?
The last time we had a president boast "Mission Accomplished," we remained mired in a deadly and expensive war for many more years. Bush later stated that he regretted that slogan. Of course, because Trump doesn't read or know anything about history, that lesson is totally lost on him.
1
May and Macron should have learned from recent history. Siding with our president never bodes well for anyone. Yesterday's self-righteous intrusion meant to punish will more likely act as a catalyst for unification against the common enemy—U.S., Britain, and France. November cannot come fast enough.
1
Clearly Trump is being scripted here. I just hope the voters won’t be deluded into thinking he and the Republicans are indispensable to action in Syria. Any number of Democrats could provide better overall leadership to this country than what we have had for far too long.
He actually declared, "Mission accomplished." and we are deep in the caverns of the Twilight Zone.
While it might feel good to "punish" Assad with missiles and air strikes, I fail to see either the logic or legality for the decision. Syria is in the grip of a long civil war and not at war with us, UK, or France. Yes Russia is in Syria in a big way but they were invited in by what is still the legal government. Did I miss something? As far as I am aware the UN Security council didn't request or authorize these strikes' nor has our own congress. so, no attempt at following legal norms or niceties here. Finally, how does these strikes help the people of Syria? The only real help is likely to be a dark one. Experts think the civil war is ending with the existing regime winning and inheriting the ruins with Russia, Iran and Turkey as the new power brokers on the ground.
3
On the one hand, I'm relieved that Britain and France joined in this attack as it suggests that someone more rational than Trump gave it the consideration it warranted.
On the other hand, the game board looks a lot like August 1914.
1
This statement in the article is incorrect: "...President Barack Obama, who declined to respond with military force..."--as we know, Obama sought congressional approval for military action. So Obama didn't decline to respond--the GOP Congress did. Please correct this incorrect assertion.
7
Let Israel do it.
Look, squirrel.
1
Ok, so he shoots the rockets like he said he would; fortunately he still can’t get his stupid wall built. Gives him about 2 days distraction from stormy daniels, bob mueller, and his Michael Cohen disasters. What do you think really keeps him up at nite?
3
Congress where are you? Idiotic weapons sent into empty ramshackle buildings is nothing more than urban renewal to Assad.
1
Who is 'Rocket Man' now?
2
At $1.6million for each cruise missile, Raytheon must be pleased.
2
Syria is snake eat snake, no good guys with guns, get out while we can.
1
Darn tootin'! If I were you, I wouldn't leave this to chance -- I'd volunteer right now!
"It will take much more than some "targeted" bombings to deter Assad..."
(I'll bet you haven't even seen this comment because you're in the car, driving down to your local Army headquarters to join up and whup that bad guy, Assad!
Tomorrow Assad will say he knocked down all our missiles and two hit a chicken farm.
We are faced with deceitful leaders who care not for their people and have become the new scourge of mankind.
3
I fear Mr. Trump's cauldron of chaos ( Syrian missile attacks, Scooter Libby pardon, the National Guard on our southern border with Mexico, Michael Cohen's hush money payments, trade agreement flip-flop, "...untruthful slime ball" Comey tweet, fake news attacks, "Scott (Pruitt) is doing a great job!", cowardly Rex Tillerson firing, and the list goes on...) is finally boiling over. Will any of us not be burned?
2
The evil dictator and war criminal Assad, and his enabler Putin, is not really "punished", he, they, will still remain illegitimate leader of Syria continuing using chemical... weapons on Syrian civilians, children...!
Go ahead bomb each other Out of oblivion. The ancient Assyrian civilization is all but gone lying in ruins, Ancient people displaced killed by its own ruler. No one cares about humanity any more. Refugees all over the place women children men humans. American TV viewers are so numbed from seeing wars devastations refugees human suffering that they think it’s a fictional TV serial which is so heavy on violence crime as it is. Shrug
2
Pretargeted , presignaled airballs shifting sand and rubble, nothing was hit, plenty of gas left, and the cheering section just sent out for more beer. Next up, North Korea, folks, gonna be a stormy night.
2
We are now "The Evil Doers of the World"! May god have Mercy on US!
7
The American people had a choice. They could have elected a President who would have turned Assad into a greasy spot on the ground a long time ago. Instead they elected a Tweeter whose idea of demonstrating guts is to give guns to school teachers and turn a lot of desert wasteland into desert wasteland.
4
The only positive outcome of this is that Putin may actually die laughing.
5
Trump needs congressional approval before attacking Syria. Ray Sipe registered florida voter
1
It has been proven that Assad did use chemical weapons, even though Putin's Russian military have done all they can to destroy all evidence on the ground! Putin use desinformation trying hide the proven fact that Assad/Putin use chemical weapons on Syrian civilians/children!
Assad is an evil dictator that wants to spread fear by using chemical weapons so that nobody will dare oppose him in the future! Assad, and Putin, do not care about their own civilians, making both illegitimate leaders of Syria! By using chemical weapons on Syrian children Assad say that he does not fear USA... because Putin makes Assad untouchable!
Weapons of mass distraction!
2
You will not distract us.
4
One night a few years ago there could have been cruise missiles hitting the palaces of the Assad/Alawite mafia along the Syrian Rivieria. Problem solved. Instead, we have these periodic demonstrations of moral outrage, like last night, which make us look pathetic.
1
Gonna be tough for Trump haters to criticize this one when even the French joined to strike this animal.
3
Instead of allowing trump to get away with accusing Obama of doing nothing how about telling it like it is NYT's CONGRESS wouldn't allow Obama to strike and now no one can even find congress to discuss this.... the longer a lie is spread the more it is believed... NYT's you are playing into trump's hand if you do not call him out
3
More theater for the leadership egos. A muscle-bound America chucks a few very expensive missiles at targets that will be back in operation in days just like the last time. Either get in or get out of Syria. Common sense says get out and let the regional countries sort it out. The USA has screwed up every involvement it has made in the region. Russia is not going to give up its long-held Naval base on the Med.
18
Allegedly a chemicals weapon storage facility was struck.
How do they ensure that the chemicals aren't released into the atmosphere or seep into the groundwater?
5
Obama was a fool to trust Syria and Russia to get rid of their chemical weapons. At this point I have no reason to believe Iran has given up their nuclear weapons.
2
Except that he never "trusted" them.
That's why he tried and succeeded to obtain an international multilateral agreement, and how the 1300 tons of chemical weapons in the agreement have effectively been destroyed.
That means that all the weapons that Syria had declared, at the time, were gone, so that at least THOSE couldn't kill people anymore.
It also meant that it was totally known that there still was a certain amount of undeclared chemical weapons inside the country. The idea was simply to at least punish Syria in such a way that the result would be tangible, for Assad, all while preventing a WWIII.
How will Trump now know whether and how much chemical weapons he destroyed during the strike? And of course, it's obvious that here too many others will still stay in the country.
As to Iran: just like with the Syria deal, it's the entire international community that is constantly verifying whether Iran is building nuclear weapons or not, AND confirming that they don't. So here too, it's obviously not a matter of "trust" ... . It's actually quite foolish to believe that any Western country would accept a deal based on "trusting" our enemies, you know.
To all the people of the USA, This is not about Republicans or Democrats ! Its about doing the right thing ! No country should be aloud to use chemical weapons on any people, any where in the world, For any person or party to say anything else is just stupid !
Very interesting reading the comments - some people are never satisfied. 2 of America's closest allies, for centuries, joined the US in these surgical strikes. It sent a message that these 3 countries will not accept the crossing of Obama's red line. This line was crossed 3 times, once when Obama was President, and Obama famously did nothing, allowing Asad to call Obama's bluff, and now this 2nd time during Trump's presidency, and he joined our 2 closest allies in a 2nd surgical attack, which sends a message that the chemical red line cannot be crossed without consequences during a Trump administration if not an Obama administration. It should act as a deterrent. Since it was surgical enough, it will unlikely otherwise escalate US involvement.
To Trump's irrational critics, he is damned if he does and damned if he does not.
2
Congress prevented Obama from acting. Congress must authorize military strikes. Trump violated this. Trump is using this to deflect from ongoing investigations against him.
Now if you care so much, why not allow in some refugees?
8
I am incandescent! How dare May reach this decision without consulting Parliament! Blair was Bushes poodle, May is Trumps lapdog! This is so dangerous and to do it without the confirmation from the OPCW that chemicals were used gives Assad and Putin the moral high ground. So stupidly reckless and profoundly undemocratic
6
Does trump doesn’t care about the Syrian people. He does not even care about Americans, except those he can use or suck up to him. He was ready to pull all US forces from Syria about a month ago.
IMHO, this is nothing but a distraction from Mueller, his problems with crooked lawyer Cohen, Stormy Daniels and Avenatti getting closer to exposing him and his crooked cabinet’s swamp antics.
Trump took 6 days before he did anything -the attack was just window dressing and he gave Assad and the Russians plenty of time to minimize the damages. He might even have used Jared Kushner’s back channel to warn Putin who is blackmailing him.
Just imagine this clownish former serial draft dodger as POTUS if we had a true military crisis. How much longer will we have to tolerate this scammer who is trashing our nation?
2
Why does our "president" always look like a hostage when forced to follow the most basic script?
That’s an excellent question but the corporate media will never touch it.
An attack against a sovereign country without UN authorisation, allegedly to punish said country's government for something it hasn't been proven to have committed.
This charade does absolutely nothing for the Syrian people, doesn't bring any peaceful political solution any closer, only exacerbates the already high tensions in the region.
It is nothing more, than 2 leaders with a member of questionable firmness trying to convince their adoring audiences that those are ...errr...not limp and the third (born without one) is trying to show that she actually grew a pair.
2
I hope Russia doesn't strike Eastern Oregon where our nerve gas is stored.
4
Where will this lead?
1
This should have happened long ago under the Obama administration when Syria first crossed "the red line." That inaction was de facto deference to the murderous regime of Assad. Like the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur, the US is morally culpable when we sit idly and wring our hands.
1
Military strikes require approval from Congress. How will Congress and specifically the GOP members respond to this illegal act by Trump? Will the rule of law prevail? Or will Republicans find a way to contort whatever scruples they have left into approving this action after the fact? We are on a very dangerous slippery slope!
2
Nice to have "allies" but you know whose taxpayers are footing the bill.
This is meant, firstly, as a way to distract from all the negative publicity that Trump is getting from the Comey book and, secondly, show how much more macho Trump is compared to Obama. There is no strategy or plan here.
Bottom line: Mr. Trump, this didn't work. It accomplished exactly nothing. It didn't work as a military operation. It didn't work as a self-aggrandizing publicity operation. It does not make you look presidential. It only makes you look like a weak, desperate, isolated crazy person with no strategy--only visceral reactions to what you hear on Fox News at 6 am. Sad.
Now we know what a ridiculous, cynical piece of Kabuki theater this strike was. The Russians, Iranians and Syrians are touting this as a silly piece of ineffectual frou-frou. It didn't hurt them. Indeed, the Syrians have been emboldened by this wimpy nonsense.
I am not advocating for the U.S. to carpet bomb Syria, but lets be clear. This was not serious military action. Let's call it what it is--a distraction--total wag-the-dog.
To help the optics, Mattis got the UK and France to "endorse" the strike. Yeah, "international coalition" again. Why not add Vanuatu again?
Trump lobbed a few bombs at the fringes of an air field in Syria early in his "reign" in Washington, and his ratings went up a couple of points. So he learned that throwing bombs makes him more popular. So Trump goes back to the well again. Throw a couple of bottle rockets and woo-hoo! His base approves and he gains in the polls.
What better way to dominate the news cycle when the Comey book is exploding all over the media.
2
I bet Germany refused to join because their tornadoes need massive amount of upgrades.
Donald Trump is the new George W. Bush.
Both Trump and Bush II have used ‘false flag’ pretexts and insinuations to launch a war of aggression against a sovereign nation in violation of international law, and before credible international investigation took place.
If the principles of the Nuremberg Charter were applied, both would be accused and judged as war criminals for their wars of aggression against Syria and Iraq.
3
Face it, ANYTHING Trump does will be criticized. If he didn't do anything against Syria , he would be called out for letting Assad get away with using chemical weapons (and there were plenty of pundits saying that). Now that he acted in a measured way, WITH BRITAIN AND FRANCE, he is getting called out for acting too aggressively or without authorization.
It's become impossible to have a reasonable discussion about politics because minds are made up that "If Trump did it, I am against it", no matter how much sense the action many be.
3
Just like the aerial raids on Panama and Bosnia, the Syrian ones are for three principal purposes: (1) to test military technologies in the field; (2) to goose US, UK and French sales of weapons to the likes of Saudi Arabia and Israel; (3) to cow political opponents of US global policies. The latest missile attacks certainly have nothing whatsoever to do with providing greater safety and security for the Syrian people or "punishing a war criminal" -- that is wholly bogus (just as it was for Noriega and Milosovic). The only ones who pay the price in terms of death, injury and subsequent oppression are the local civilians (who in the case of the Balkans are still paying it because the US wanted to test its depleted uranium bombs on a population, leaving behind widespread radioactive contamination). You'd think the media would be more alert, more honest, more critical after Vietnam, Nicaragua, Honduras, Panama, the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, Yemen . . . And just like Iraq, the Pentagon didn't wait for international verification regarding the use of chemical weapons (which we would have had next week) because no doubt it didn't think they'd be found, inventions like Saddam's WMDs.
4
Just as a side note I find it interesting that you can date British, French, Russian and US involvement in this area way back to the First World War. Plus ca change , plus c'est la meme change. The more it changes the more it stays the same would be my poor French translation.
The Sykes-Picot agreement between Britain and France which Russia gave its tacit agreement to still reverberates to this day in my opinion. I would just mention that an American teacher is still as far as I know a hero in Iran from when America was regarded as a friend although what significance that has I don't know.
Time we allowed the Middle East to develop its own institutions and develop its own identity in my opinion. Although how that could happen in a reasonable is way outside my pay grade I have to admit.
Gosh: " the Russian ambassador to the United States warned of “consequences” for the allied attacks."
Anyone worried? Just think of those consequences--what might Russia do???
Maybe interfere with our elections and help elect an entirely unsuitable candidate? Maybe hack (or work with WikiLeaks) to hack our on-line communications and release those confidential messages at the worst possible moment to maximize embarrassment? Maybe think they can control our troll of a president by apparently friendly and hilarious visits to the Oval Office where they bring their press, but ours are kept out. Or maybe they will attack people on English soil with nuclear or chemical weapons of their own.
While those things are all rather scary, my hope is that our leaders will tell the Russian ambassador to "bring it." We're onto them--and let's free up our security services to keep track of the Russians rather than worrying so much about some little old Arab lady who has been driven from her home in the Middle East and just seeks a place to live quietly. Let's also tell future Scooter Libbys that there won't be pardons for outing more of our spies.
Punitive no, not really sham is more like it.
Our President with the very high I.Q., let every know what we were doing.
What basically did with all the delivery and incidental costs of the weapons used was waste around 200 million dollars. We could have built around 30 new high schools for that.
Sad....
3
I remember the last time we did this and I was watching the video of the smart bombs going straight down the smokestacks of targeted buildings and listening to the ecstatic virtues of surgical precision from the expert military analysts on MSNBC, I remember always feeling sorry for the poor janitors who had to go to work that night.
1
And how again is this helping the people of Syria? These missile strikes are just another example of Trump trying to act "presidential" and behave as he thinks a "World leader" would act, but falling far short. Actually, our 71 year old large mouth bully is acting like a 10 year old shooting off rockets in his back yard on the 4th. Now where are the statesmen who will get Putin to stop his ally Assad from using chemical weapons? Oh, I forgot. Putin also has chemical weapons that he uses on individuals he wants to get rid of, some of whom are outside Russian territory but not beyond the reach of Russian operatives.
Instead of de=escalating we are heading straight into WWIII. Trump will make Bush2's Iraq war seem like the 4th by comparison. Americans, say good bye now to your kids and grandkids. Most of us will not be around to celebrate making America Great again.
1
If Syria’s leader Bashar al-Assad is responsible yet again for a gas attack on civilians, this time in Douma, why did we not target him and his staff in our missile attack? Given that the black market in the region can any chemical weapons off the shelf of arms dealers, and given that our last missile attack did not prevent this latest gas attack, how do we expect another limited attack against chemical weapons plants to do so?
Whatever doesn’t kill a delusional dictator leaves him free to fight another day, making him stronger, wiser, bolder. Can you imagine Eisenhower, Stalin or Montgomery in a major battle defeat of a Germany army division letting the German generals in the battles escape capture or death?
Once again the US proves that it is the world's bully. It would serve us right if we got bombed to see how it is like. The US and its miliary are a global menace who need to be punished
Our actions are a violation of international law and a violation of our constitution. We sought no permission from the UN, or Congress or Parliament - we just went ahead as if we had the right to do so. We have no right for our actions.
Also Chlorine is not considered a chemical weapon. It is not on the list of chemical weapons. We could not even wait for the OPCW to carry our their inspection for fear that they might not find sufficient evidence for our illegal action.
Mattis, Trump, Dunfort, May, Macron and all who participated in the strike are war criminals who should be tried before a war crimes tribunal. My hope is that what we do to others is done to us.
Remember our past action have causes civil wars in Iraq and Libya by destroying their governments. It is we who crated ISIS and AL Quaeda by our heedless, illegal actions.
Stop spending billions on the miliary and start spending it here in America.
6
Destroying capability to manufacture chemical weapons is a good thing.
However, it's worth remembering that a Syrian child killed by conventional weapons (and there are said to be 100,000 Syrian children killed in this war) is just as dead as a Syrian child killed by chemical weapons.
I cannot say why we express more horror at chemical attacks. My only guess is that it seems to Americans that chemical attacks by foreign agents are more likely to come to these shores than conventional attacks.
2
Trump, his lapdog May and Macron attacking Syria? Now that is going to solve a lot! The US, as usual, acting as the great innocent. But anyone my age who has not yet suffered total dementia will remember the thousands of Iranian Revolutionary Guards killed and numberless maimed by Saddam’s use of poison gas on the Faw Peninsula in 1986, and the then Halabja in 1988. Not a peep out of Washington then. But, of course, Saddam was our guy then. (Remember Reagan's Iran-Contra deals?) And then guess who supplied the chemical precursors for Saddam's gas? You guessed it, the US and Germany. The US even had military observers on the Faw Peninsula fully aware of what was going on. I remember reading a short book in the late 1980 by some US major who was present there at the time. He discussed it in a totally matter of fact way.
The history of British use of poison gas against anti-British rebels in Iraq in the 1920s is well known. Churchill was its great advocate. As to Macron, the French still claim some sort of special interest in Syria. Oh yes, it's the Mission Civilisatrice.
Both Trump and May are in desperate need of a change of subject. Nothing does that better than a war. That is in no way to absolve Assad of anything. All sides have used poison gas in Syria, Assad probably more than others. But to imagine that an attack on the Damascus regime solves anything is to live in la la land. In the meantime, the civil war in Syria drags on and on.
4
The very limited scope of the strike makes me believe that Trump was not (much) implicated in the whole process. That is somewhat a relief but a strong condemning statement from Trump on national television (not a tweet), would have been way better at making a point to Assad and the Russian. Not much has been accomplished by that symbolic strike and I can clearly imagine Assad and Putin having the laugh of their live. The US need a leader.
If Syria’s leader Bashar al-Assad is responsible yet again for a gas attack on civilians, this time in Douma, why did we not target him and his staff in our missile attack? Given that the black market arms dealers in the region can sell him any chemical weapons off the shelf, and given that our last missile attack did not prevent this latest gas attack, how do we expect another limited attack against chemical weapons plants to do so?
Whatever doesn’t kill a delusional dictator leaves him free to fight another day, making him stronger, wiser, bolder. Can you imagine Eisenhower, Stalin or Montgomery in a major battle defeat of a Germany army division letting the German generals in the battles escape capture or death?
Its a start - against the war crimes of Russia under Putin.
Unfortunately Chlorine gas is a commodity that's readily available on the open market. Its easily made by electrolysis with just water and salt.
The most effective measure would be to freeze Russian and Syrian bank accounts and assets.
No money. No war.
Dumb move by trump. Syrians should be allowed to kill each other and Iranians and Russians as well. Just a few years ago we did the same thing in Libya, for political purposes of electing Clinton and protecting a corrupt French president by killing a foreign leader which by the way is violation of US and international law. Trump has now stooped as low as Clinton. This move however is a reflection of progressive politics which were highlighted just a few days ago in this media outlet in which a NYT editorial encouraged Israel to jump in the fray. Recall, trump is falling back on his training all those years as a progressive. Fine job everybody.
This is one of the many reasons why I voted for Mr. Trump. Finally we have a leader of this country who has a spine!
1
Interesting that all three leaders are struggling at home. Only Germany’s Angela Merkel, who is also struggling, had the courage to resist what is likely to be an ineffectual — and costly — attack undertaken for political, not strategic, purposes. Ironic that the same guy who wants to kill the wives and children of suspected terrorists is so concerned about this one atrosity in Syria. After all, estimates are that half a million Syrians have been slaughtered by Assad’s regime. And the slaughter will continue despite all the macho posturing.
“Loose Tweets Sink Syrians”. Trump’s visceral reaction to the gas attack last year, telegraphed his response this time. Ten days ago, he said, “We’re getting out Syria, and we’ll leave it to the others”. Putin thought, “Oh, no you’re not, we have you where we want you, standing on the sidelines watching us build a Russian client right on the European backdoor". He reached down from the marionette’s position and thumbed the string called “He doesn’t like chemical warfare”. For that hundreds of Syrians lost their lives. Trump went into a rage, a rage within other nested rages. Then he released his little strike overnight.
The other strings of the puppetmaster are also well known: Komprimat, money laundering, election Interference….Trump thinks he doesn’t telegraph his position, but acting out all the time, he definitely informs our adversaries of his hot buttons. His drawing of the red line this time, will be as useless as the last time. Score one for the puppet master, again.
It is as absurd to say that the biggest crimes against international law are always committed by the U.S. as it is to say that this attack has any basis of sustained success or legitimacy, given that our invasion of Iraq helped touch off the enormous chaos in that region of the world today. And, oh yes, that our mindless support of Israel's preposterous military ambitions in that region and our mutual crimes against the Palestinian people have absolutely no bearing on the situation we face today. Israel flatly sabotaged any effort to come to some terms with Hafez al-Assad at a time when in his dying condition he was prepared to deal, while meanwhile Israel has also done everything it could to aggravate the hatred and bitterness that has touched off this horrible violence. The American people sense this but have no prominent voice to give a reasonable guidance to our need to lay down to Israel as well as other actors in that region a set of truly fair guidelines for our participation and leadership. Meanwhile, Putin in his cynicism proceeds apace to re-assert Russian leadership in that whole region. And, meanwhile, too, there is every reason to believe that Mr. Trump is the prisoner of John Bolton's hysterical passions, and, yes, of his personal desire to use this crisis to avoid accountability for his own predicament.
2
Trump and company do not realize they are being played by Putin. Putin has no way out of Syria and he wants everyone else bogged down. He wants the western nations to drain finances. By drawing the west into this war, Putin wants western nations to face internal chaos and waste money so that they can ultimately be failed states. While it is unlikely for the western states to become failed states, the internal chaos this war will cause will be very dangerous for the world order.
Today President Trump, I mean Obama, I mean Bush, I mean Reagan, I mean GW Bush, I mean....oh what the heck. It doesn't matter who's President it's always the same story and always with good justification as well complete with graphics on CNN and the fireworks show as well. Mission Accomplished for the umpteenth time until the next time. As long as it's NIMBY I'll just sit here, read the newspaper, and sip my coffee. No sweat off my nose or the nose of any of my neighbors. It's war US style. (Is that Theresa May I hear panting in the background?)
2
If Trump did not attack Syria, he would have looked real weak to his own base. That is the main reason he did it, plain and simple. Of course, it is also meant to draw people's attention away from all the other bad news impacting him. The strike was precise and carried out in a way to minimize Russian and Iranian losses and remind the Syrian tyrant the consequences of using chemical weapons. The strike was also legitimized by the fact that Britain and France also participated in it. Yeah, it would have been great if Obama would have done the same without having to worry about the blowback from Republican congress. Trump is very lucky to have a rubber stamp Congress that is letting him do as he wishes to do.
the Radical lberal lefts comments on here are priceless. Not a peep about why we are still here with Assad running Syria. Obamas ineffectual leadership. But a ton of anti Trump comments because he bombed a chemical weapons plant but has not yet assassinated Assad. (Really thats the lefts solution under Trump he has to kill foreign leaders??) Did you ask the last President to di that???
Further they Blame Trump for giving the russians a heads up and thus avoiding a direct conflict with Russia over something as meaningless as a Syrian civil war. Then call him a war monger who wants a war with Russia.
The hypocrisy is limitless.
3
I don't see which of us commies demanded Assad's assassination (though if he fell backwards down a long flight of stairs, I can't promise that I'd burst into tears of sorrow), but I do know that our actual accusation against Trump is that for some doggone reason, he sure does walk soft and careful around Vladimir Putin.
1
The combined attack on Syria by the US, UK, and France is a direct result of the so-called Arab spring that has destabilized the Middle East and North Africa since 2010. Some may look upon the Arab Spring as progress, others don’t. I am one of those who doesn’t; I believe that the former regimes in those regions, including Assad’s in Syria provided stability. Now the region is a complete mess. Before the AS, the US invasion and prolonged war in Iraq contributed to the instability of the region, and the fall of Hussein inspired the region to rebel. The US war in Iraq, basically Bush/Cheney’s war to finish leftover business from the first Bush administration. Collin Powell at the time is on record telling “W” that if the US went to war in Iraq, the US owns it. Well, it seems now that the US owns the entire region, but is reluctant to be responsible for its ultimate maintenance. Obama’s tough talk in 2012 turned out to be just that, talk, and instead worked out a deal with Russia to remove Syria’s chemical weapons. Did that happen? Obviously not, or not completely. Will these attacks be an annual occurrence for the US to flex its muscle that softened over the last decade? Will the UK and France continue to join the US? Germany offers verbal support but will not commit force. In all, I’m sure Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies are snickering in their bunkers, waiting for the dust to settle, and will return to business as usual. Thank you.
3
There's never enough money to help the homeless or to feed the poor, nor is there money to provide good health care to all or pay people better wages. Taxes get cut and services get gutted. Yet there's always money for weapons and the means to deliver them.
Our priorities are not about helping others but rather destroying humanity. And why? So a few rich people can live better than the rest of us.
3
Since the major Syrian chemical attack in 2013 (Obama’s red line) which killed hundreds and resulted in the Syrian pledge to forego any further use or production under a Russian brokered program to totally shut down all Syrian illegal chemical weapons use or production there have been over 30 incidents of the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Most of these have been ignored.
Obviously the targets in this latest punitive strike were vetted and verified — intelligence information that was available well before the Assad regimes latest chemical agent attack. Targets that should and could have been neutralized before the latest incident.
One hundred and five (105) missile strikes against known chemical weapons production and or storage facilities, two sites outside of Homs and one site in Damascus. Most of the ordinance was American TLAMs with warheads in the 1000 pound high explosive range. The Tomahawks have an estimated cost of $1.4 Million each.
The facilities that were struck Friday must have been considerable indeed to require interdiction of such a staggering magnitude.
All of this points to the sporadic and largely feckless US and international effort to end Syria's ongoing violation of its 2013 pledge regarding chemical weapons.
1
The Syrian morass keeps getting more tragic for its people every day. With the so-called Arab Spring of only a few years ago infusing a new sense of hope for a fairer, less despotic future for many in this region the results in Syria are regrettably just the opposite. The sectarian differences and factional power struggles there have left a fractured country with Assad, a brutal autocrat, as its head. A strong response to the chemical attack horror was appropriate but one that was carefully crafted to send a message of deep disapproval. But the end of the suffering there is still nowhere in sight.
Trump’s comment “Mission accomplished” is ominous. I recall hearing that from another president just before a long period of sectarian strife started that resulted in the deaths and maiming of many thousands of civilians and military personnel not that far away in Iraq.
W Bush and Cheney destabilized the entire Middle East with their Iraq adventure. We are still paying the price.
No number of air strikes is going to put Humpty Dumpty together again. Over half a million (!) people have been killed in Syria. Not sure what this will accomplish.
For Trump, it is another way to distract from his malfeasance and ongoing policy disasters. Distraction is his greatest talent.
Extremely stupid and unwise. If there was one thing I actually liked about Trump, it was his supposed intent to stay out of Syria and not repeat the same mistakes as Obama and Bush. Clearly Trump has changed his mind yet again.
What exactly makes a chemical weapon a WMD? Is choking on gas worse than being blown into pieces? These little rules we make for war are so silly. It's like we feel bad about it, but still want to do it, so we try to relieve some of the guilt and create standards of "appropriate" behavior.
As for Assad, we all know he is a morally reprehensible being, but why do the rebels continue to fight? Why are they prolonging this war? Cut your losses for God's sake and go home! You lost. End this madness already.
1
Wow! Bolton wasted no time. I wonder which country will be our next target.
1
Message to Assad ..... "Kill whoever you want....just don't use chemical weapons."
Is it just me or is that just ridiculous?
2
More informative headline:
US, UK, France jointly attack Syria over Chemical Attack
This is a co-ordinated attack by the West - and Syria is the proxy for Russia
1
Western powers bombing ME and Muslim countries. "The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.”
1
Every little enthusiastic person knows that chlorine is used for disinfecting water, especially in hospitals in the area! The question is whether the US president, the French and British prime ministers, know this, they have put the nativity scene down together with the total ignorance or rather ignorance of a normal man, and it is enough to throw a grenade into a chlorine tank, a mine with a detonator, and we have chemical weapons,This applies to every water treatment plant in Poland, or so that without following my logical thinking one day we do not become a country of attack debili as it is today in Syria because we have a chemical weapon for water disinfection!!! Dear brothers and sisters, how is an ally underdeveloped in such a peculiar way, what is our country supposed to do, how do these people have red buttons?
2
The article states that one of the targets was a sarin production facility: how do they know that? Who says it is (besides the NYT)?
1
We do this. We kill some Russian in error Russia comes back at us. It's Breaker Morant all over again.
It’s wag the Dog time for Trump.
2
Another one night stand for trump.
4
This is a ridiculous charade by the US and is a continuation of it's imperialistic policies. It supplies arms to Saudi Arabia, which has slaughtered many civilians in Yemen, supports SIsi in Egypt and has allowed Iraq to use chemical weapons against Iran, nuked Japan and now it claims outrage in Syria?
Maybe, the stupid American people are fooled by this nonsense, but most of the world see's it as just another evidence of the imperialism of the west.
4
What is Russia now going to do? Send a missile to Seattle?
1
Someone please explain how this was 'retaliatory'? The NY Times and other 'respected' outlets have a responsibility to at least phrase developments of such a grave nature accurately.
5
The situation in Syria is complicated.
Douma was in the hands of Jaish al-Islam, before Russia and Assad took it over, after the chemical weapons attack.
Jaish al-Islam fights against Assad and ISIS, and in that sense is an ally of the US. It's also supported by US allies in the region Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
That's how in a sense, this is already a proxy war between the US and Russia, and not just a Syrian civil war.
The reason why Putin managed to take over the city was clearly because of the chemical weapons attack. Chemical weapons are prohibited by international law. So in a sense, Russia just defeated a US ally in an illegal way. That's why in one way or the other, the US indeed had to "retaliate".
So the phrasing here is correct.
The question is rather how once in a while dropping a few bombs on Syria, all while letting many other chemical weapons attacks by Putin and Assad unpunished, as Trump has been doing now, will somehow have any effect.
I knew, as soon as John Bolton got a job with Trump, that a major military action would rapidly ensue. I’d feel much better about this if Trump wasn’t already fired up about domestic quandaries and Bolton, the über hawk, wasn’t screeching in his ear. Not that I don’t think Syria or Russia can act with impunity, but a rush to war seems impertinent in the face of Douma’s tragedy which can hardly leave any victims more dead than the hundreds of thousands slain before them.
Russia’s bluff has been called: any retaliation on its part will be a dangerous gambit. The UK has had its fill of humiliating chemical attacks on its own soil likely perpetrated by Russians. France is keen to raise its international profile. The US, however, has a moron in charge for whom the political bell tolls. George W. Bush, another Republican disaster, touted himself as a “war president” to decoy the masses, and, a pound to a sixpence, Trump attempts the same.
5
Does anyone seriously believe that Trump is standing up for "moral values" in which he believes? Like most of his electorate, this is a man who has made clear his belief that the only good Muslim .. is a dead Muslim. So, why react therefore to a deadly chemical attack in Syria. No, this is about deflection, and his febrile need to one-up that dark-skinned man who preceded him.
4
The NYT reporters and columnists - along with NPR & the corporate media, "liberal" hawks and anti Trump neo-cons have been baiting Trump to attack Syria despite the absence of conclusive evidence an chemical attack had occurred.
It is not a coincidence that the US, British and French aggression occurred hours before the inspectors were scheduled to arrive to inspect the area where the alleged chemical attack occurred.
Neo-cons, cold war "liberals" and our certifiable president are now united in further destablizing the Mid East and bringing us closer to a catostrophic war.
4
More coverage of Comey book = more bombs.
1
Trump iis hoping the weekend news shows will talk about Syria and not the Comey book. I would not put it past that sociopath to do this to distract from Comey's media blitz this weekend.
2
Dear Mr. President how come you keep friendship with Salmans of Saudi Arabia whom are killing women and children in Yemen?
3
I have seen numerous comparisons between Assad and Hitler. We ended Hitler. Who will end Assad?
When? The Allies will end Assad.
1
So long mom
I'm off to drop the bomb
So don't wait up for me.
Are we saving Syria or protecting Israel?
1
This is evil and insane.
1
Now Kim Jong-un will be able to refer to Trump as "Rocket Man".
4
the headline is not accurate. a “retalitory” strike would be if syria attacked usa. it did not. regardless, allegedly there was a chemical attack internally in syria, though there has not been enough proof to verify who was repsonible.
4
Operation Desert Stormy has begun.
5
Oh, the hue and cry from liberals! Where was that indignation during President Obama's intervention in Libya (his own private "Iraq,") with cheerleader Hillary urging him on? Veni, Vidi, Vinci!
Crickets.
4
So Trump has once again enforced Obama’s “red line” after Syria used weapons that Obama failed to get rid of.
1
Americans want seemingly simplistic solutions here(bombing) so they can return to the salacious details of the porn star presidency.
2
Coordinating with allies before striking, getting back into TPP (possibly). Maybe the sky isn't falling. It just might be possible that Trump is starting to take things seriously and figure out how it works. Maybe. I'm trying to be an optimist here. Two positive moves in one week is a new record.
3
The US led by Trump have wrongfully attacked Syria. They have been played for fools by al Qaeda jihadists. France and the UK are along for the ride. The Syrian Civil War is of course the off shot of the Arab Spring and Bush's deadly illegal war in Iraq. Then the US, following France's lead, overthrew Qadalfi's regime in Libya, for which Qadalfi famously stated, "next come the terrorists." Next the regime crowd focused its efforts on overthrowing Assad in Syria. Syria was suffering through a severe drought which led to food riots. Assad mismanaged the unrest with a deadly thuggish response. 1000s of jihadists rushed to Iraq and Syria to do the regime crowd's dirty work. The US is primarily responsible for destabilizing the region. Now the US has 2000 troops in Syria. This is certainly a case of fool's rushing in.
3
A War of Mass Distraction. It begins.
15
Why, aside from the optics? Oh . . .
4
In Syria:no regime change, no peace. Unless a snake is beheaded, it continues to slither and stalk its prey unabated. The chemical attack in Salisbury and the gassing of Assad's hapless victims are two sides of the same coin. Moscow and Damascus continue to issue such bloody specie irregardless of bleating and grumbling from London and elsewhere.
3
Problem: you can't take out Assad without declaring war on Russia, and that means WWIII. Why would we do something like that?
1
...The chemical attack in Salisbury and the gassing of Assad's hapless victims are two sides of the same coin..
- False coin.
2
Bla,bla,bla. We're at it again. Somebody found the stash of stupid pills. Picture the U.S. as "Wiley Coyote", paint a big black tunnel on the surface of Syria and keep bombing and shooting at it, meep, meep.
This great nation is spending itself into the ground in dollars and young lives. Yes fellow readers, we are punishing people again, what a surprise. I just want to know when the last time cruise missiles punished anybody relevant?
Posturing and Saber rattling year after year is like pounding sand in the Middle East, literally. Especially when you give the Russians targeting information in advance. Aren't they supporting Syria? Did anyone forget the Russians have a naval base in Syria?
Don't worry we have precision surgical strike capability.
5
I’d forgotten roadrunner used to do that to coyote, that was hysterical. I miss those old cartoons.
There are no good options here. How about Kidnapping Assad and putting him into 6 month's of therapy. Break him down to where he admits his wrongdoings and begins to work on becoming a better self. Then maybe we can help. Nice Fantasy?
3
Great idea.
Considering who his mother and father were, what else can we expect to fall from the tree? Get rid of the tree, part of his reconciliation therapy will have to include being the one who chops it down. Symbolic irony, no?
There are better candidates I suppose.
Did Trump jest tweet “ mission accomplished “?
Is he really that ignorant? Does he know what the history of that phrase means in American military history?
17
If Obama had done this...Liberals, Progressives, Democrats and Socialists (The Left), would have rallied to his side--the attack couched as a heroic, humanitarian mission. He may have even received a 2nd Nobel Prize.
Trump does it? It's described as an abuse of power...an attempt to distract us from his legal problems, the illegal act of a reckless bully--even with the French and the Brits by our side.
In reality...Trump is dealing with the inheritance of a meek, effete and feckless foreign policy. But men, women and children have been slaughtered--more than once, by a ruthless, amoral dictator who uses WW I tactics to murder his citizens. Obama threatened and did nothing. His promised "red line", in reality was pink.
There is genuine evil in the world--Putin, Kim Jong Un, Castro, Iran's Ayatollas, ISIS, Venezuela's Maduro--dictators who enslave, torture and kill their own people. But the recognized existence of evil is not always enough to bring action. The U.N. is allergic to the use of force. Obama was too timid to act. It is always left up to adults like Reagan, Bush and Trump--to take the lead against evil--and then suffer the consequences--a predictable howling of the liberal media.
And count on the far Left, the Democrat Party--to second guess and criticize, any Republican who confronts evil. Because in reality...the only evil Democrats can reliably point to...is a politician with an "R" after their name--or someone who wants smaller government.
6
Amen.
1
You can't show moral leadership abroad when you haven't shown it at home or in your personal behavior. Furthermore, this is technically an illegal act of war lacking either Congressional or U.N. authorization. And that too, it so consistent with that a pattern of behavior that brings fresh new, deeply troubling revelations on a daily basis.
10
Whenever we attack countries in the Arab world our excuse is always weapons related. Iraq was alleged to have 'weapons of mass destruction,' Syria uses chemical weapons, and Iran is being threatened for developing nuclear weapons. How much should we really care what variety of weapon evil doers are using? Are chemical weapons that much worse than using machetes and rapes to wage war?
5
US people, haven't you learned anything after the war of Iraq? You still believe these fake reasons to start a war? Why didn't you do anything to stop your government from giving miseries to ppl in foreign countries?
2
If you believed Bush, Jr. and his war against Saddam Hussein you’ll love Trump’s against Al-Assad. Is Pence the new Cheney?
5
US out of Syria now, this is a quagmire....
2
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is still smiling and smirking while Donald Trump is snarling, Theresa May is snarky and Emanuel Macron is playing adult. Syria is a minor distraction from Russian influence and interference in American, British and French elections and politics. Putin has helped Assad to win the SyrIan civil war.
4
Somewhere around 500 000 people have died in Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011. We are not ok with them gassing each other ( ...understandable), but it doesn't seem like we are too bothered if they kill each other by any other means.
That seems to be the takeaway from Trumps address tonight.
3
"since the start of the civil war in 2011."
"since WE helped to start the civil war in 2011." to be precise!
Oh well, Obama did nothing and it only got worse. So Trump does do something and if it also only gets worse, it’s still a draw on our end. Maybe rather than blaming ourselves we should blame the real offender who created the whole mess in the first place.
2
Does this mean that Donny and Vlad's play date is off?
2
US, Britain, and allies did not care when Saddam Hossein used Cemicals against Iranians and Kurds during their war with Iran. Why do they care now? Simple, it has nothing to do with humanitarian good deeds but is a war with Russia and Iran for power in the middle east.
We know from US war against Iraq that even if there were no reason to attack, they could easily come up with a fake one! Who knows if this time the reason was justified...
5
Bombs, bombs, bombs. Smart bombs to save the babies! The same babies for whom we have now lowered our light and locked our Golden Door!
2
Trump gave them a week for them to move their chemical weapons to a different place... Yes, Trump: "Mission accomplished"...
3
Trump gave Assad a warning before the attack so that all chemical could be moved to other locations to be able to be used on Syrian children in the future!
It has been proven that Assad did use chemical weapons, even though Putin's Russian military have done all they can to destroy all evidence on the ground! Putin use desinformation trying hide the proven fact that Assad/Putin use chemical weapons on Syrian civilians/children!
Assad is an evil dictator that wants to spread fear by using chemical weapons so that nobody will dare oppose him in the future! Assad, and Putin, do not care about their own civilians, making both illegitimate leaders of Syria! By using chemical weapons on Syrian children Assad say that he does not fear USA... because Putin makes Assad untouchable
1
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. Two more decades of the military industrial complex! Yaaaaa Hooooooooo!
2
Terribly convenient.
1
I see only two outcomes with the bombing.
1. More rubble for Syria.
2. Raytheon gets another big order to replace the cruise missiles.
2
“What kind of nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of men, women and children?” he asked.
Okay . . . Let's talk about Yemen . . .
6
Well....I certainly hope the bombing map provided by NYT is not accurate. Those spot are on top of some very densely populated areas.
Even a 'smart' bomb on top of a sarin gas facility could murder thousands of civilians.
Could someone, with more knowledge of history, please correct me if I'm wrong: We are repeatedly hearing that the UK is our "oldest ally," but I'm pretty sure that France is our oldest ally, having assisted in the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. Don't forget, the key to the Bastille, framed, and hanging in the front hall of Mt. Vernon.
2
The USA has always shown great eagerness and readiness to “do spiting”, when it comes to aggress and humiliate the Arabs always, without UN sanctions or any neutral verification nor non American certification or endorsement !
All being anti Arab and/or anti Muslims .....which happens to please and accord its actions approval and Israeli support whether involved or not .
When it does seek international, ie non American plus allies, support it is bound to fail,scandalously, as in the case of Iraq
The whole world but especially the Arab/Moslem world is thus confronted with only one choice: submission or destruction all,meant to show . that the provisions and self assigned prerogatives of the NEW Middle East are already in in place and are being implemented .
The only constraines that may deter it from its cherished plan of total destruction being the presence of another world power, as in this Syrian case !
Assuming the role of prosecutor, jury , judge and policeman the USA is attempting here to regain the aura and powers of omnipotence Except when constrained by the presence and interest of an other world, kunterrorized, world power,
The ongoing by the Assad regime and its crimes are totally abhorred and resented AS IS the American self appointed role of executioner!
A "retaliatory" strike is one made in retaliation for something that is done to you. It is not "retaliatory" when you decide to be the world's policeman and go around blowing up people who do things you disapprove of.
2
I believe this is the first time I have supported a decision by the current president. Leaving aside the dysfunction of announcing these things in twits, I mean tweets; I think we should have hit the Syrian dictatorship the first time they used chemical weapons several years ago.
Let the dog wagging begin.
1
What a ridiculous exercise, without any strategy supporting it. It will merely kill more civilians.
And yes, I will still watch the Comey interview.
1
Trump looked great last nite.Hopefully beginning of end of Assad.
Why does anyone even listen to what donnie says?
Last week, we are pulling out of Syria....
4
We could hear Bolton and the other chicken hawks popping the champagne bottles all the way in Chicago. Doesn't the Head Chicken Hawk - 4 deferments for "bone spurs" - look tough? He could sign an executive order waiving the age limit for military service so his chicken hawk sons and daughter could embed with the Special Forces. A family of phonies.
7
Taxpayers of three nations pick up the tab to make the jihadis stronger.
1
Congress is too dysfunctional to make a decision about responding to an attack of this sort. Congress is obviously too week to impose the constitution or the law. Look at what transpires every day in the US. It is time to vote these old lobbyist entrenched bipartisan estranged Senators and Representatives out of office. Limit terms, regulate their attendance, pay and benefits, and overturn Citizen United.
Britan and France stood behind a strong message of deterrence. Congress has demonstrated it is too week to do the same.
4
Oh please give me a break. If the Syrians that Trump is claiming he is protecting or avenging were in Brooklyn, he would have them arrested and deported. Investigation getting too close to home? What should I do? I know lets bomb another country! Then I'm a Wartime President! "Hey kids, can you say unimpeachable?" Not exactly a Reichstag fire but it will do for now.
7
So social media photos now suffice as the justification for war?
Anyone heard of photoshop? Actors? Pranks? Tony Blair? Colin Powell?
3
I had asked the readers whether we should have done nothing. I thank them all for the reasoned answers to my question. The 10 readers were split as to whether to do something or whether it just causes more trouble. Of those who thought we should do something, most wanted to wait for more evidence. And some thought that a non-military response should be considered.
"Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, said that 'one night of airstrikes is not a substitute for a clear, comprehensive Syria strategy.'”
9
Great news! Good to hear from her. She’s probably the most practitioner of the political and military sciences since Napoleon...
1
“We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents.”
Notice the hidden qualifier in this statement. Trump is basically ceding Syria to Russia and Iran under the condition that Assad stops using chemical weapons. Conventional weapons are fine; just don't use chemical weapons. This is what I would term an "aggressive retreat." I'm sure Russia will get the message. The only question is whether Putin actually holds influence over Assad. I'm guessing he does.
I also guess the "consequences" mentioned concern the Kurds. If you're in Northeastern Syria right now, please duck.
On a brighter note, upsetting Putin will mean less pro-Trump election interference in 2018. That's something.
3
It's said that chemical attacks are horrific and need a response. When a few tens are injured and killed and it's this aspect that hits the Western press.
While the real "horrific" situation, is that largely below the radar in the Western conscience, over seven years war, millions have been injured and killed, while millions more people's lives have been destroyed, and displaced.
It's these millions of lives that requires a solution. Diplomatic and political solutions, not a few "smart" missiles. It's these millions of lives impacted that are truly horrific.
The "mission" has decidedly not been accomplished.
10
The word “folly” didn’t just appear in the dictionary all by itself, people had to put it in there.
They've been trying to "solve" the Sunni/Shi'a wars in the middle east for 1000 years. They aren't likely to succeed in Syria. It's like the Catholics and Protestants in the 200 or so years after Martin Luther, only the Europeans got over it sooner.
We heard all this talk from Obama about the enduring principles of democracy but all he did was knuckle under to dictatorships around the world. They knew it was just talk, a "red line" that disappeared in the sand. Now three great democratic countries--the US, Britain, and France--acting in concert under Trump's leadership have finally taken action, but Trumps critics, who have till now been the most vocal of Russophobes, are suddenly the most earnest exponents of Real-Politik, as they question the effects of the mission and its relation to the "facts on the ground" which they themselves helped create because of their pusilanimous inaction during Obama's term of office. We inherited this mess from him, so give Trump a chance to clean it up.
5
Remember, it was a GOP congress that stopped Obama. Plus a few smart missiles are in no way going to "clean it up". I suspect the impetus for this was far more Macron and May, than Trump, who's more concerned with Cohen. The REAL combination of factors that caused France, Britain and US to do this, I suggest, are also completely unknown to us. We get "talking points" appropriate for public consumption ONLY from the Pentagon.
3
I think Trump's an unstable maniac, but I give him a brownie point for coordinating with allies on this one. If he gets TPP right, I might even forgive him his personal failings. It just might be that he's finally figuring out how do do the job.
On the contrary Ed, the war started because Assad refused to allow the Arab Spring to bloom in Syria, leading to their 7 year civil war (in which the US and Russia have played central roles) which has killed, injured, displaced millions of people. Obama was cautious (perhaps too much so) because he knew that, given the parties at play on the ground, this could lead to a larger, uncontrollable world war. Meanwhile, Trump's indifference to authoritarians around the world has lead to a significant rise in oppressive governmental actions, with nary a blink of an eye from the US. He doesn't care about the Syrian people, or really anyone else, just transferring the optics from his own legal woes....
A question though! Why would America presumably help those people, the same people whom America has condemned to enter the United States?
6
First he tells Russia we're pulling out which is followed by a gas attack. Then he tells Russia we're going to do a missile strike. Given that Trump's only success in life has been a 100% scripted "reality show", I have to wonder just exactly what's going on here. The first missile strike (April 2017) had no positive result, why would this one? Russia is absolutely pulling out all of the stops with online propaganda saying the "west" is responsible for the chemical attack as a false flag/hoax etc. This seems to be good for both Putin and Trump as well as for the folks who make these missiles and their shareholders.
2
We lose credibility if, as liberals, we criticize everything a Republican president, even this horror show clown, does. Can’t we, as liberal Americans, just acknowledge that a regime that uses chemical weapons deserves some retribution? It’s impossible for me, in good faith, to tell my friends that are suffering from Trump delusion that they are unreasonable in supporting his every action, if I attack his every act, even those that are reasonable. Can’t Pelosi and the rest do the same? Does anyone actually believe the President has to get permission from congress to bomb an enemy? Seriously? Ever heard of Obama’s drone wars in the Middle East? We need to be reasonable. Let’s not be like republican shills, let’s be better than them.
5
Well you can see in the statement he read that he is not in control of this endeavor. That speech had the imprimatur of what is left of our dedicated bureaucracy as does the limitations on the strikes.
BTW the President does need the permission of Congress to use force in this situation. He is not attacking an enemy whom has attacked us he is attacking a third party.
There is no sophisticated chem weapons factory they are cobbling together weapons from what they have as we have seen in the pictures of the shells from which the gas comes. So "degrading" their ability to make more would require far more destruction than is possible by one nights bombings. You'd have to destroy every little welding shop in the country under Assad's control.
The only way this war ends with Assad gone is to kill him and his family and the generals and their families who run this gangster government and to impose the same amount of constant fear and destruction on the people of Damascus that they have been imposing or at least supporting being imposed on their fellow citizens elsewhere for the "crime" of asking for a more fair government.
Otherwise what's the point? As long as the Russians are allowed to stay there and support this criminal regime Assad will stay and he will be supplied with all the chemicals he wants.
1
The U.S. has no foreign policy. Assad will keep killing his people, with or without chemical weapons. As long as Iran and Russia support him through proxies, troops and weapons, plus international protection, he has nothing to fear. In Syria, he convinced Christians and other Shias, apart from his clannish Alawi followers, that the alternative could be worse, consisting of fractious Sunnis of various political beliefs with some fundamentalists. The Middle East and North Africa, with their large populations of disaffected youth, has no stable ideology to unite it. Radical Islam has come and gone; tolerant and democratic Islam (with the possible exception of Tunisia) was always a Western delusion. Strong men rule the Arab world, as they did in the 1950s. Assad is a particularly revolting and brutal example. And the West Bank and Gaza seethe while Jared Kushner wheels and deals to save his family business in the guise of diplomacy.
4
How would U.S.A, France and Britain would respond if China or Russia were accused for a suspicion of using Chemical Weapons on their citizen? Not before thinking twice.
2
Since when do we punish anyone for being a "suspect"? I am not standing behind the atrocity Syria is accused of by any means, but until it is definitive, I believe strikes are at all legal nor justified. What if we cut the fingers off of "suspected" murderers in our own nation? Russia says they were not responsible. There is an element of doubt to both sides of this story AT THIS TIME. I think we have crossed the line. Until more evidence is gathered, I feel "WE" (the world community, should have kept a close watch and gathered more intelligence before flaunting our military might abroad.
2
I wonder if this will distract from the Russia and Cohen investigations? I'm sure trump hopes so!
VOTE in November.
5
Target practice for the arms trade.
The British?
"What? Let the Americans get all the great footage by themselves for the next arms show?!"
Russia is miffed not because it's concerned about Assad, but because its arms manufacturers won't have any such footage with which to dazzle prospective buyers.
Notice how it was the French who had the "proof positive" that it was Assad, when Assad would have to have been absolutely nuts to do make this strategically inconsequential move knowing what the result would be.
<>
But then again, Assad's assets are surely tucked away in some tax haven or other. So maybe he has stock in Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics ... and even Matra.
1
With the involvement of France and the UK, it was more than a simple distraction by 45. But, what was accomplished? What is the plan?
Crickets ...
Chemical weapons are poor man's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). There is international law against their use no matter what. Nowadays, Chemical weapons have been improvised for use on individual citizens (example:Russian use on their ex-citizens in UK), and small groups of citizens (example: Syrian use on its citizens recently). If the international community lets their use go unpunished, obviously regimes will be emboldened to use nuclear weapons in battle field. I had read somewhere in the pages of N.Y.T. that some nations have developed battlefield small scale nuclear weapons, and I don't think there is any international law against their use, and they are likely to be used in future battles.
I may not like President Trump on personal level. I may not like his sexual mores. I may not like his business tactics. I may not like his possible criminal connections. I may resent the fact that my fellow Americans have elected him President. But I support President Trump in punishing Syria and indirectly Russia. I am sure there will be consequences. But America is capable of retaliating such consequences. Unlike U.S. attack on Iraq where existence of WMD was false, in this case the use of Chemical weapons is real, and must not have gone unpunished. It is perfectly OK for three out of five permanent members of U.N. Security Council to enforce international law even though the other two i.e. Russia and China have shirked from their responsibility to join their forces.
5
Protecting civilians from Assad's barbaric acts is a categorical imperative. Particularly as the US, and allies, have the wherewithal. I'm proud of our resolve to confront those who do dastardly deeds.
2
The US, Britain and France: all bought and paid for by Saudi arms sales.
6
nobody is 100% bad although putin and assad come close. trump aint far behind either and I still want to see his cronies prosecuted and him impeached. at least his historical record wont be one of 100% failure.
“The United States and European allies launched airstrikes on Friday night against Syrian research, storage and military targets as President Trump sought to punish President Bashar al-Assad for a suspected chemical attack near Damascus last weekend that killed more than 40 people.”
Wow the Times admits the purported “chemical attack” is only suspected.
As for launching missiles and blaming the Assad government without anything like evidence, that’s extremist.
I see the US be backing ISIS and Al Qaeda here, while courting war with Russia. Not especially good things to do.
“But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who had urged caution in White House deliberations leading up to the strike, told reporters on Friday night that there were no more attacks planned unless Mr. Assad again uses gas on his own people.”
But so far the Times has never published evidence to support the accusation that Assad did this, not in 2017 or in 2013 either.
“Mr. Trump called on Syria’s patrons in Russia and Iran to force Mr. Assad to halt the use of poison gas in the seven-year-old civil war that has wracked his country.”
And like the Times, Trump hasn’t provided any evidence that Assad has done anything of the sort.
There are many other problems with this article but there’s a character limited to comments.
1
Bullets are okay, bombs and torpedoes are fine, mines are a common strategy, stabbing is acceptable, fire can be used, but, boy, if you try gas someone really might not enjoy it.
5
The one and only reason this contrivance of an airstrike against Bashar in Syria has even occurred is because Trump is in big trouble. His regime looks as if it may come to an abrupt end by means of a judicial writ so of course any distraction is welcome, the bigger the better. Even a four-year old child can see this.
2
Just another political stunt by Trump. Nothing has been accomplished, any losses sustained by the attacks will be replaced by Russia & Iran. The main objective should have been the end of Assad & his cohorts.Neither Obama or Trump have called Russia's bluff of protecting Assad.The Last thing the Russians want is another 20 million Russians killed.
1
Thank you President Trump for enforcing the red line President Obama would not.
2
It's actually quite funny to read some of the comments in that some people really never are able to discern fact from fiction. The reality is the strike by The Joint Powers was fantastically successful and the Russian built and designed air defense network was completely incompetent. This is yet another demonstration of the laughable inferiority of Russian technology versus Western technology. The purpose of an air defense network is to prevent damage by an attacking power. In this case as in all cases the Russian Design Network utterly failed.
The reality is that Russia is what it has always been poor relatively weak and far behind. Its allies Syria and Iran are failing Powers being left behind by the 21st century just as Russia is. In fact Russia is on its way to its fifth consecutive year of a shrinking economy and declining life expectancy. Tehran is yet another example of a failed state with high unemployment and economy dependent on fossil fuels and fossil fuel reserves which are rapidly being expended. Syria is a wrecked state run by a monster which sooner or later will be thrown on the ash heap of history.
It seems there are some people in the west to simply cannot understand what Putin is which is a small man with a big mouth and an empty wallet. The real message sent was to the Russians which was that we can do what we want when we want and there's nothing you can do about. Proof of what I say is demonstrated by the lack of Russian response since the attacks.
3
So, various sources are reporting Mr. Trump has tweeted, “Mission Accomplished!”
No one can possibly be that tone-deaf. Inappropriate does not begin to cover his unfortunate word choices.
4
“Russia responded with sharp words. “We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences,” Anatoly Antonov ... Mr. Antonov added, “Insulting the president of Russia is unacceptable and inadmissible.”
LOL, maybe Mr. Putin will finally release the evidence of Trump's Russian "collusion" that has somehow eluded Bob Mueller, the FBI and Adam Schiff for more than a year.
2
Does anyone stop to consider what happens when you bomb a chemical plant/storage facility, even a fertilizer plant? The chemicals become atomized and are are dispersed through the air in all directions. So the attack to save the Syrian people from chemical attacks - makes the matter worse. I have never understood how bombing people saves them from being killed. This was a blatant act of aggression in violation of the Charter of the United Nations and was carried out before the UN could even send inspectors to try to determine the provenance of the chemicals used in the most recent incident. Sounds very much like a cover-up to my. It seems that Trump, May and Macron, all of whom have failed administrations, need some pretext to divert attention from their own failures. Sad commentary on the moral degeneracy of Western leadership.
In reading some of these comments I find it hard to believe so many people are against a brilliant military intervention by our magnificent service men and our allies. Too many people throughout history have done nothing while atrocities were perpetrated even the great FDR refused to blow up the concentration camps during world war 2. We have allies in the Middle East that those chemical weapons ( which were being developed still) could have been used on. France and Britain joined in on the attack. There is such a hatred of Trump in this Newspaper and it is interfering with true journalism which is designed to bring you the facts without prejudice. I am a fair man, when Trump does wrong I will say it, but when he does right I will say he has done right. Today the world is a little bit safer, and the the united States as a defender of right over wrong is back on the World stage.
I don’t understand.
Trump is so moved by the pictures of people - ‘babies’ - being killed by chemical attacks that he felt moved to action.
What about the Syrian children in refugee camps or the children he wants ICE agents to forceably separate from their parents here, or the DACA folks who were brought here as children, etc. etc.
Trump closed the door to refugees from Syria - there are babies suffering there as well
Asad is a monster. But heis a very smart or very lucky monster. As a client of Putin, he is protected by Russian troops to carry out his monstrous deeds. The same Putin that President Trump called to congratulation after his sham election.
You can see why I am confused.
4
[ The two former colonial powers, Great Britain and France,[ perhaps helped by the former Ottoman Empire power, Turkey, who lost its mid-east empire by joining the German and Austrian attack upon Serbia in World War I (and is now trying to gain some of it back in northern Syria) joined by the USA, attacked a sovereign foreign nation, Syria, yesterday. I am a former rifleman, who volunteered out of Cornell law school in 1969 and saw our devastating destruction in Vietnam. I witnessed the "secret" over the border incursions into Cambodia and Laos. I heard the thumping of the jungle as the B52 devastated thousands of Vietnamese fighting against the foreign invader which, unfortunately, I was partner to. "When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn." As an aside, the Assad regime is and was the only protector of the ancient Christian community in Syria We always seem to back Sunni rebels who will create another terror state such as Lybia, Kosovo, etc. Just stay out of foreign civil wars, please. come home now. Remember we also drove out the British Empire in 1781 in our own civil war.
3
Your teenage daughter gets pulled over for driving under the influence and she gets a stern warning from the state trooper. As "disciplinarian" you tell her she's grounded for next weekend. You assure your friendly law officer, "She won't do that again after I finish with her."
Mr. Trump striken Syria for show because he knew the world would mock if he did not do it.
One can see mixed feelings as to the wisdom, and effectiveness, to strike supposed chemical sites...after telegraphing our intent beforehand. That Assad is an assassin of his own people, little doubt is left, even when he raises the flag to defend his government from 'rebel' attacks. But if this intervention is left to Trump's clueless and capricious whims, without a strategy, absent diplomacy, a stupid escalation in an already too long a civil war may be our fate...and the added suffering of innocent Syrians. When Obama changed his mind, and removed the chemical weapons with Russia's cooperation, instead of intervening militarily, we didn't know Assad was going to return using them...while Russians looked the other way. I suspect that we have not paid enough attention to the complexities of the Middle East conflicts for supremacy, with religious dogma an added burden to resolve their differences. When all is said and done, one thing remains at issue as to the cause of much of today's mayhem: the invasion of Irak on false premises. And the long memory of the 'locals' from the West's abuse in re-distributing land so oil could flow uninterrupted; remember the C.I.A. assistance in toppling Iran's legitimate president of Iran (1953), and installing a puppet (the Shah)? Our actions (or lack thereof) do have consequences.
We should be grateful. Our incompetent president actually found the target----and didn't hit Canada.
1
According to available information, a total of 103 cruise missiles were used, including sea-based Tomahawk, as well as guided GBU-38 bombs from b-1B aircraft. Aircraft F-15, F - 16 used missiles "air-ground". The Tornado jets of the British air force released 8 missiles "Scalp EG. 71 intercepted a cruise missile.
In the reflection of the impact were involved air defense s-125, S-200, "Beech" and "Square", produced more than 30 years ago in the USSR
1
Why doesn’t the NYT cover precisely how we entered into this coalition with the UK and France? In fact, did we lead, or did we get shamed into following? Too many headlines here make it sound like not only was it our initiative, but it is a unilateral action.
"raised doubts about its effectiveness."
Raised doubts? Syria's firing off chemical weapons Kerry and Obama assured us they no longer had. I think all doubts have been erased.
1
The Assad regime is yet again is accused of using chemical weapons. I am very dubious. It is known that Assad, with Russian and Iranian help is on the verge of winning this civil war.
It is not in his/their interest to act this way, neither is it necessary for them to use chemical weapons.
Now I believe that Assad is a very ruthless person, like many of the Mid East leaders, but does it make sense for him to act against his own interest?
Whose interest is it to stage such attack? His opponents and their supporters who want him to disappear.
It would not be the first such secretly staged attacks. They have been used by others to start/justify wars, in this case to continue this war and prevent it's conclusion, by bringing in the help of the West.
Virtually all Comments are from Blue States - very few exceptions.
Until Red States get up in arms about Trump policies and actions, Dems don't have a prayer of re-taking Congress.
We shape our tools and thereafter, our tools shape us.
1
Better to punish directly the Syrian ruling class and the Alawite religious sect from which they are drawn. Until these individuals personally feel the heat, there is no hope of bringing Bashar al-Assad to the negotiating table. Not unlike in Iraq with Saddam Hussein, Assad is the leader of a minority group trying to maintain its control of a country through fear and violence.
3
Lots of questions remain un-answered. Un-asked, even.
E.g.: Who benefits?
Pro-government Syrians feel some pain, but not enough to stop whatever they are doing to anti-government Syrians.
And since we are offered NO information as to who either of those groups are, we have no idea why it is a good idea to help/hurt either of them. Not just for the region or "international law," (whatever that is this week) but for the US.
Murky stalemate, and the killing of innocents will continue.
In other words, Middle East normalcy.
At home, Trumpists can not be proud of this.
The Trump-hating media will also remain unhappy, because they are not getting what they really want: A shooting war with Russia.
1
Here is what I find puzzling in the Allied response....the citizens of Syria have been pummeled with conventional weapons for many years - but chemical weapons require a strong response? Why the difference? Why make a bold statement now - after so many have died with the traditional weapons of war?
2
Enough with the Congress talk! When could they decide anything, let alone, anything within a few months? Trump's generals handled this the way military officers are trained to handle these situations: with professionalism.
The flaw in the Democratic party is it's inability to effectively use the military as a means of foreign policy. I remember the discussion with the Carter administration about the plans to rescue the hostages in Iran. The briefing general explained that their first step before entering the compound was to kill the guards on the walls. The Secretary of State was shocked, "Kill? Can't you subdue them or something." The general leaned closer. "No sir. You call on us when killing is the only solution. This is what we do." That encounter sums up the attitude of the Democrats towards military solutions.
Trump trashes our intelligence personnel and agencies when they get close to his own wrong doings, but depends upon them when he needs them for his own purposes. He can't have it both ways.
Another low point in the history of USA, France and Britain, comparable to the to the low point reached by Germany at WWI and WWII. These are all "civilized" nations. Reminder: Chemical weapons were first invented and used by "civilized" nations.
And Germany yet again sits on the sidelines failing to put its money where the Chancellor's mouth is. She wants to be leader of Europe but takes no leadership role.
Sudan Government is the real enemy ,China,Saudi Kingdom, Others had done more than what Assad had done-the real enemy is the theory of the forged book from David Songs?
Trump announced " MISSION ACCOMPLISHED". I wonder if he see the irony of that statement. Also, since the US and the world view is that chemical weapons are barbaric and should never be used -- How come the US has a large stock pile of chemical weapons?
1
While Trump was shedding his tears for the murdered children in Stria, was I the only one thinking back to his statement during the primary campaign (December 2015) that it would be necessary for America to murder the families of suspected terrorists we were unable to capture? I guess we have now seized the moral high ground.
1
And now our “President”, the “Leader of the Free World” now declares in yet another tweet “Mission Accomplished”?
Really? Israel and our traditional allies may have some restored faith that decision makers in the military will take action in a collaborative effort. But other than that, these air strikes accomplish nothing, other than providing 2 days worth of smoke screens, masking the disasterous events that are unfolding around the investigations and his Presidency.
Sorry Mr. “President”, smoke screens eventually dissipate. This temporary cover will not allow you to slip away from the turmoil in your unstable administration (and mental health).
Question to ponder: What if Assad had used Chemical Weapons on ISIS?
"Mission Accomplished" pronounces our fearless leader, Trump. George W. pronounced "Mission Accomplished" back on May 1, 2003 and was hoodwinked into thinking he "won".
BTW, where is our genius Peace Czar, Jared Kushner, who was going to bring peace to the Middle East?
Excellent job, good call by the President, great job by the military and our allies, believe me there are a lot of people in that corner of the globe are breathing a sigh of relief that those chemical weapons are destroyed
The pivotal question to be answered about this expensive fireworks display is in the lead up how many Mar a Lago members bolstered their portfolio holding of Raytheon Stock!
Two thoughts. First, if Trump is not censured for bombing another country without Congressional approval, then we are giving this mentally unstable man permission to attack other countries whenever he wants a distraction. And don't think he won't do it.
Second, if you want to punish Assad, you don't blow up a lab and some storage depots. And kill a few innocent cleaning people. Hit him where it hurts! Destroy his main residence. Bomb his official office building. Attack him directly! Do you really think he cares about labs and buildings and cleaning people?
1
This seems to be a minimal action designed to accomplish political goals rather than military goals.
1
Trump supporters including Tucker Carlson, Laura Ingraham, Anne Coulter, and others are outraged at this strike. I respect them, but they are wrong this time.
The goal of fiscal non-interventionists should be to avoid the U.S. being drained of blood and treasure through perpetual war. In this case, the strike was limited in scope and coordinated with allies. As such, the cost and risk to further entanglement is minimal…at this point.
Yes, we should avoid large scale, costly military adventures. President Trump acknowledged this last night.
The most important way to prevent slippery slopes is restore our constitutional balance. Congress should immediately re-evaluate and re-authorize (or not) our foreign military engagements.
1
Looks like a very sophisticated military-political strategy. The attack was very limited but that had to be the case because we were striking a very important client state of a nuclear superpower with an extensive array military installations and personnel in country. But the attacks were done and they were multilateral.
The effects would appear to be
1. We humiliated the triple alliance of anti-Western states i.e. Russia, Iran and Syria.
2. We damaged Syria's ability to manufacture chemical weapons for future use.
3. We add to the humiliation by indicating that there will be future multilateral strikes if Assad repeats his use of chemical weapons.
4. the threat of future attacks should be a deterrent.
5. We suffered no material losses and did not commit resources that would be exposed to retaliation from our adversaries.
6. The U.S. retains the moral high ground, our adversaries remain exposed to sanctions and future military actions to destabilize Assad and expose his benefactors to the effects of that destabilization.
7. What may happen as a result of this is to force the Russians to consider an exit strategy in Syria, which could lead to enduring armistice and an end to the Syrian war. As it stands, the war continues even with Assad's military victories.
Sen. Angus King acknowledged that Congress would have probably sanctioned the strike and then, as a big backer of military assistance to those 'rebels', stated that Assad had won.
This means that not only did Trump's team do what Obama promised but never delivered; but that Trump's desire to fully withdraw from Syria took a big step towards reality.
1
Among Western countries that presumably share common western values concerning crimes against humanity, their rankings both in terms of population and 2017 GDP are: USA first, Germany second, France third, UK fourth.
Of these, three joined to combat Syria's use of chemical weapons--Germany abstained.
In supporting their joint military actions, Theresa May of Britain said: “This persistent pattern of behavior must be stopped...because we cannot allow the erosion of the international norm that prevents the use of these weapons."
By contrast, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stated that Germany would provide moral, not military, support to joint military action from the U.S., France and the U.K. That is, Germany offers only "moral support" to the soldiers and taxpayers of its allies in their sacrifices in fighting crimes against Western values.
Rationalizations heard in Germany--especially among the young--for German dispensation from joining its allies in combat include: "Germany did not cause the problems in the Middle East so it is not their problem to solve"; and, "no one wants a muscular Germany",
The foregoing are of course self-righteous rationalizations by a country smug in its economic success and feelings of moral superiority.
Germany has had a recurring problem with feelings of superiority--first one way and now just the opposite. But Germany's self-serving refusal to join in combating crimes against humanity is morally reprehensible.
1
This is the way the top statesmen and generals of Europe, who were locked in similar complicated geopolitical power games, stumbled blindly into the First World War in 1914 when the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by a Bosnian Serb in Sarajevo. All that's happened since then is that communications are faster, weapons are deadlier and our Tweeter-in-chief is desperate. Not to worry.
2
Thanks to all the media for showing child gassing victims on their front pages -- way to go -- now Trump has his war, you guys have your page clicks and the public (and our children and grandchildren) all have anxiety and a mountain of perpetual war debt -- all for reasons no one can explain.
7
But there were child victims. And it's not only chemical weapons but all types. 400,000 dead...how many do you think are children. There is more hatred for our own American leaders than people that have killed nearly half a million people...it's hard to take those people seriously. We get it....a lot of Americans hate America.
This attack will only serve to weaken American global authority.
9
Great speech read by Trump. Why can't his speech writer be POTUS?
1
“These are not the actions of a man,” Mr. Trump said of last weekend’s attack in a televised address from the White House Diplomatic Room. “They are crimes of a 'doddering old fool'* instead.” *my edit. As this remark points right back to Trump. He's not a man. Oh he thumps his chest with those soft, tiny hands, and preens like an actor acting like a cliched version, but he's not the man I ever wished to be, or would want a son to emulate,or daughter to even casually date.
Trumps poses as a man, surrounds himself with a few good men (although Kelly is fast deteriorating his hold,among a few others) but he's not a role-model male. Unless you consider petty and vulgar behaviors and deliberate intellectual dishonesty a positive male trait.
For Trump to call out Assad as not a man...is funny sad. Funny, because he's continually applauded despots and despicable, murderous foreign leaders as strong and "good guys". Wished he could have their power. Sad, because he's a 70 yo man who apparently doesn't see how ridiculous he behaves, how disgusting he talks, and how much he's denigrating the office of President.
He's a sad man,IMO. Not one to be pitied, oh no! Never. Sad, that he's so clueless about what a real man should be, at age 70. Sad because he examples how low so many Americans view manhood. And more sadly view Leadership.
Trump isn't a true man, or a true leader. He's nothing but a man in a life long pursuit of cult followers. That's it. A man longing for Followers.
6
Why nobody is talking about Palestinians slaughtered every day with full support of Washington? Why the atrocities in Yemen are blotted out? Why analytical intelligence and basic ability to draw conclusions are in such a short supply? What's wrong with all those mainstream journalists? Frightened? Bought?
8
Blowing up unoccupied buildings in Damascus only helps Syrian Realtors. Hasn't anyone, Donald are you listening, heard about co-working spaces? Everyone will be back at work on Monday and the coffee shop will be open too. What a loser.
1
Am I the only one who questions the coincidental timing of the gas attacks just as the Stormy scandal and Cohen investigation heats up? I hate to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but it’s pretty clear Putin is behind this to protect his puppet.
3
Operation Wag the Dog has begun!
4
Well, he did get the media to stop with the Stormy/Comey leads.
3
“Nobody knew attacking Syria was so complicated.”
2
Syrians are the 'children of the lesser God' and the so-called precision strikes in Syria by US/UK/France is adding insult to Syrian injury/tragedy. If Obama has put a 'no fly zone' in Syria as proposed by Hillary Clinton, Assad would have been ousted in 2013. On the contrary Obama/Kerry gave free hand to Putin/Lavrov/Rouhani to murder Syrianfolks using chlorine gas, barrel bombs, nerve agents. The trio with the help of murderous Assad killed millions of Syrian folks with absolute impunity.
Syrians have faced the worst atrocities/genocide/mayhem unparalleled in 20th century. Putin consolidated its Tartus navy base and establishing Lattakia air base and US was left with a narrow strip in Syria. In the guise of finishing off Da'esh Russia/Iran and Assad military finished all the opposition in Syria and captured Aleppo, Homs, Huma, Ghouta ofcourse using CWs multiple times. US/'west' lost their influence in Syria and have a diminished role in Iraq where Iranian blood thirsty militias gained massive ground. Meanwhile Israel kept its stakes high in Syria by its air assaults while Erdogan is strong on the Turkish Syrian border. In the fast changing landscape in ME and Syria Trump and his allies want their presence felt while they don't want to infuriate Russia. Israel will be another beneficiary of US strikes and will further exert its role in Syria.
US/'west' has no love for Syrian folks rather its geo-strategic interests of stakeholders at the expense of more Syrian blood!!
1
Every bomb is a chemical weapon that depends on a chemical reaction to fricassee people. Just another Dresden, ad nauseum.
6
This is madness. I pray that Russia's leadership will continue to be more sensible and restrained than the psychopaths leading this country!
5
Can you please change the headline to "U.S., Britain and France Strike Syria in Order to Divert Attention From Investigations of Trump's Illegal Activity"? Let's call it for what it is.
5
His Attorney’s home, hotel and offices were raided by the FBI, and he is a target of investigation so what could Trump do to change the news cycle? Attack Syria? Disregard his Defense Secretary, and risk thermonuclear war with Russia?
A man who rose to power with a lie about the nationality, religion and race of Obama, with a promise to restore white supremacy and coal, with a promise to grow the economy by decreasing revenues, with the promise of a wall, could such a person be permitted to threaten life on earth? WAKE UP!
4
Life imitates art.....as in Wag the Dog....reboot 2018.
2
The US has engaged in one Vietnam after another all my life and has never learned a thing and bombs, bombs and bombs some more, ad nauseum. We stink!
8
"Punish" is a strange word in this context. You don't "punish" regimes that kill their own people. The U.S. didn't "punish" Germany in the 40's, they went all in and defeated Nazi Germany, and thanks again for that.
So the question arises: what to do next with Syria? If this punishment didn't work? If Assad isn't fazed by the it? Remember the Vietnam war? Dropping bombs from 50000 feet didn't really break the spirit of the VC, quite the opposite!
I can fully understand that the U.S. population has no more interest in "regime change". But it has to be said that the current situation in Syria is basically a direct consequence of the unjustified U.S. attack on Iraq in 2003. See, this is why you should plan your moves really, really carefully on the world stage!
And then there is the issue of money. In 2020 you will hit an annual deficit of one trillion dollars. Can you even afford to wage any kind of war anymore? Your military is the biggest in the world, sure, but can it still be used without collapsing the country?
France and the U.K. are with you. Great. That's basically like 2003 where Palau was with you and Morocco offered to send mine-seeking monkeys. Where is the U.N. resolution to back this? Where is the NATO commitment? You (U.S.) and your militarily much smaller partners seem to be alone in this fight.
Germany won't join, and I tell you why: you guys don't have a plan beyond "punish", and we here don't even go to the loo without a plan!
4
Early in the day, DJT curried favor with Bolton by pardoning Scooter Libby. Late in the day, he further pleased Bolton by striking Syria. While our president thinks he's impressing Bolton, who is nobody's lackey, and distracting the public from his personal woes, it is our country's young men and women who are putting their lives on the line. During the Vietnam War, DJT sat it out nursing his bone spurs and John Bolton saw active duty for 18 weeks of training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Sigh...
3
There can be no doubt that after the attacks, our wag the dog "leader" called Mr. Putin to apologize for his decision.
1
First, it is trade war with China and now we’re taken to the brink of an actual war with Russia. It’s amazing what Trump will stoop to just to buy himself a bit more time as noose tightens around his neck.
3
The left was crying for this action certainly Trump was not. Last week he wanted to pull out. Then a mysterious un proven chemical attack and the left and warmonger Mccain and Graham demand action.
Big mistake by Trump not to follow his own path.
This jackanapes is not "my fellow" American. How dare he address America this way. He's a learning disabled child who some faction of other disabled learners (and they know what states they live in) accidentally elected president by pure mathematics, not popular vote. He needs to be impeached BEFORE he starts a war that will surely destroy the planet. How dare he associate himself with true Americans.
1
A page out of the Bush/Cheney book on how to distract people's attention from failed leadership.
4
Timing - main stream media, could you connect the dots? Ain’t that news?
1
If Trump/US is really concerned about Syrian civilians—-how about bringing several thousands to the US and give them visas.
4
collusion
illegal campaign contributions
affairs
compromised by debts to foreigners
ideologically bankrupt
cruel beyond belief to immigrants
investigators coming ever closer to exposing corruption
tax plans likely to drive deficeit to the pont of peril
so the cornered rat deflects by attacking Syria (if the Oval Office actually had corners)
1
You either stand against the use of chemical weapons or you don't. So proud to stand with our President.
Maureen it wasnt Assad using them. We fell into a spiders web because the President succumbed to the crying left.
Is Van Jones going to say about Trump, “Tonight, he became President of the United States with this bombing, period”?
2
There are allot of people in the world that need to be removed from the gene pool but is it the United States responsibility to remove these people? Chemical weapons are horrible but the genocide going on in Africa and other parts of the world is just as horrendous. The US is not and cannot be the world’s policeman. Every country in Europe should have participated in the action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad not just Britain and France. The United Nations is a good concept but basically it is ineffective and toothless.
2
Obama? Old news! Missile strikes this evening demonstrate America's commitment to eradicating Syria's ability to use chemical weapons.
If you have a psychopath dictator killing his own people you solve the problem by killing the dictator. Nothing less is going to end the genocide in Syria. How about a meaningful "surgical strike?"
Bolton broke a record bending trump's. I can see him doing his happy dance from where I sit.
1
I despise Trump. I think he is lowlife, a criminal, and most likely, a traitor.
Having said that, I think this response was morally justified, strategically necessary, and proportionately appropriate.
Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day, I suppose.
The strike was fake news, bigly.
Tell me you are going to punch me in the mouth a week in advance and you will find I have moved, and you have struck an empty space.
Much ado that amounted to nothing.
1
The flat world of the global economy - and of digital life - means that the nation-states of the 20th century and earlier no longer have such clear boundaries or limits. So if we want a civilized world, can we turn our backs to a nation using chemicals on citizens when we know about it? So May is right that nations who want some kind of peaceful norm have to act/say no to Assad. But I would like to know the casualties of these strikes, too. Who works at that research center? In the digital age, we will find out anyway. No part-time grown-ups hiding info, thanks.
As for Trump being at the helm of this, thank goodness for checks and balances. There is no way he wrote that speech, and no way he made this decision alone. Maybe it takes the dangers of the real world to reel him in?
1
Now we know why the president did not order the strikes 2 days ago; he had to have time to warn his buddy Putin that he had to drop some bombs and to get the Russian staff away in time. What a tweet!
2
In exactly what way was Assad punished? He is going to continue his war, hopefully, without chemical weapons. The world view must be that barrel bombs are acceptable. Really? The curse of excessive and valueless human cranial activity continues. This war must be stopped in totality. Period.
1
Who cares let the war go on but the
U S involvement must stop completely. Let the Arab League handle punishment. Set up Refugee camps until the conflict is over. Permanent Mass exodus from any country hurts in the long run.
Pathetic and disgusting. Trump targets weapons, not the killers.
Result: 40 Syrians die; Assad and Putin gloat.
1
Syrians are the 'children of the lesser God' and the so-called precision strikes in Syria by US/UK/France is adding insult to Syrian injury/tragedy. If Obama has put a 'no fly zone' in Syria as proposed by Hillary Clinton, Assad would have been ousted in 2013. On the contrary Obama/Kerry gave free hand to Putin/Lavrov/Rouhani to murder Syrian folks using chlorine gas, barrel bombs, nerve agents. The trio with the help of murderous Assad killed millions of Syrian folks with absolute impunity. Syrians have faced the worst atrocities/genocide/mayhem unparalleled in 20th century.
Putin consolidated its Tartus navy base and establishing Lattakia air base and US was left with a narrow strip in Syria. In the guise of finishing off Da'esh Russia/Iran and Assad military finished all the opposition in Syria and captured Aleppo, Homs, Huma, Ghouta ofcourse using CWs multiple times.
US/'west' lost their influence in Syria and have a diminished role in Iraq where Iranian blood thirsty militias gained massive ground. Meanwhile Israel kept its stakes high in Syria by its air assaults while Erdogan is strong on the Turkish Syrian border. In the fast changing landscape in ME and Syria Trump and his allies want their presence felt while they don't want to infuriate Russia. Israel will be another beneficiary of US strikes and will further exert its role in Syria.
US/'west' has no love for Syrian folks rather its geo-strategic interests of stakeholders at the expense of more Syrian blood!!
1
It may be said and probably will be that it was proportional, not retribution but sized retaliation. However, in the balance, it weighs not at all.
President Bluster will bluster and boast and tweet for weeks about his courage and American power when he's a coward and we a confused nation.
Putin will understand it was proportional, steered clear of his people unless they were very, very, very stupid and will do nothing but make noise.
Assad? Assad will take it as a small price to pay to continue terror against his own people as, inch by inch, he kills them and reclaims rule over what once was Syria. Come a month or two, he will do it again.
There is only one effective target in Syria that can end this. It has to be struck between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. EDT on a weeknight when least expected -- with no stupid warnings beforehand by the stupid man in the White House.
The CIA and the NSA, you may be sure, know where Assad sleeps every night. Likely or always it's the same location, the presidential palace in Damascus.
That is the only right target. Yes his family will die, with staff, servants and others. So? So that is the way of these things.
He has done it to his people for four years, murdering hundreds of thousands of children, women, old men, patients in hospitals. Not until he dies will it end.
If we really mean what we say and really want to enforce Pax Americana, we have to kill him. We have to send a decisive missile strike aimed at the palace.
1
Trump is insane, our only hope is Putin is not as nuts as he is. Putin has no choice but to answer back, let's just hope it's a calculated risk that won't turn into all out war. Shame on the Pentagon for not knowing better.
1
If I remember correctly, Uncle Sam helped Saddam using chemical weapon against Iranians during Iraq-Iran war.
1
Trump is so crafty, even HE doesn't know what he'll do next. Our foreign policy is the national equivalent of a multi personality disorder, and our state department has a vacancy sign out front.
Next up could be impeachment, a trade war, or World War Three. Maybe all of the above! 'Cause that Trump's such a crafty and unpredictable deal maker.
If we're talking human rights, Assad must go. And Duarte must go. And the genocidal leadership in Myanmar must go..... If we're talking the planet and any hope for future generations, it's Trump that must go first.
1
This illegal attack on the sovereign state of Syria is not a „ sign of Western resolve”. This bomb attack was carried out in violation of international law by the elites of NATO countries. The population of the West, according to polls in Europe, does not agree with this air attack on Syria. The chemical attack in Gouda has all the signs of a false flag operation to lure Trump into this killing spree. Assad had no reason whatsoever to commit this crime. The jihadists, known for their brutal warfare have the support of major Nato countries. Assad is about to defeat them and therefore would have been stupid to use chemical substances to kill civilians knowing that Trump would hit back. It is typical of Nato to bomb first so that a proper investigation of this incident by chemical weapons inspectors can be avoided. One wonders why the US and the UK bomb Syria in support of those terrorists who killed civilians in Europe…. This morning’s attack reminds us of Nato in Iraq – millions dead, expelled, maimed….but the colonial powers do not care
4
“These are not the actions of a man. They are crimes of a monster instead.” Was he speaking of himself?
2
Trump’s efforts should have been directed at Assad. Cut the head off the snake.
3
Sounds an awful lot like Wag The Dog.
1
John Bolton almost made it a week before talking Trump into bombing someone. What did you expect?
4
So, maybe someone can explain to me how Assad’s killing of his people via chemical weapons is more immoral and barbaric than killing his people with barrel bombs ... or killing them at all? It’s an arbitrary distinction for the pointy-head Right Wing intellectuals who are always ready to fight to the last drop of someone else’sblood. The Syrian slaughter has been going on for years with nary a blink, but somehow Chlorine gas is the last straw. Really?
This was a scripted “conflict” ready-made for Twitter starting the reality TV stars themselves; one dictator in Russia, the other in the USA, pretending to land puches on one other without inflicting personal damage. You can be certain that the Russians were given advanced warning this time, just like they were last time, so they had plenty of time to take shelter and the USA could make inflated symbolic gestures without inflicting real, lasting damage on Russia’s war machine.
2
Obama's heroic moment was to have the Navy Seals take out Bin Laden.
Trump could do us all a favor by having Assad surgically removed in kind.
- Wonder what would happen next?
2
A pitifully weak response from a woefully unprepared and ignorant president. This will accomplish nothing other than the puffing of chests from the rightwing armchair warriors.
This won't even be a headline on tonight's evening news. It accomplishes absolutely nothing.
A suspected chemical attack that killed 40 people prompts missile attacks from the United States while bombs that killed 400,000 barely registered a yawn.
Some moral leadership.
3
Ironic that the Russian ambassador issued his response on Facebook.
1
This will not matter in the long run. Unless the USA and its allies are prepared to up their game in Syria, which is unlikely, this will do nothing. Perhaps the best than can come out of this is a real break, as in severing of diplomatic relations and recalling ambassadors. The Russian mafia headed by Vlad the Putrid. Assad will never control his country again without Iran another mafia fiefdom under the guise of religion and Russia. We need to back the Kurdistan forces and do the inevitable. Rearrange the furniture in the area. It’s already underway. Turkey has already gone over to the dark side. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out. Out of a functional democracy.
It would have been better for Americans if the strikes had hit Tehran instead of Damascus.
1
Apparently Trump makes his decisions based on what’s showing on TV. He must have just seen “Wag the Dog.”
1
No he succumbed to the crying on the left like Schumer and Feinstein and the warmongers on the right Mccain Graham And Kinsler.
Big stupid blunder.
Did he absolutely wink,wink,nod,nod, make sure Putin knew where ,when, how the attack was coming? Any Russian casualties? I bet not. Oh, what a fearless leader - NOT! Not impressed once with all the blathering, then , pitiful actions thereafter. Poor people of the world are truly finding out how we have truly fallen. Great again, what a farce!
No longer baffles me how the so called civilised have become uncivilised.
1
Were tonight's missiles also Raytheon's, like last time?
It remains to be seen if Trump's attack was effective. His previous one certainly wasn't. Is this just a show for his base? Would he go this far to deflect attention from whatever it is that Cohen's documents indicate about him and his business? No one can claim Trump is a humanitarian. His sympathy for the Syrian people cannot just be assumed real. After all, he has suggested pulling American troops out of there and leaving the Syrians at the mercy of Assad. There is always some other motive at work behind his words and deeds. Is no action is too extreme in the attempt to protect himself, including precipitating a war with Russia? We'll see.
You contradict yourself on every thought.
No more military strikes without Congressional approval.
Obama was right to seek Congressional approval in 2013. I called my Democratic Senators and House members to say NO to military intervention in Syria. Many other Americans joined me, and felt we finally had a voice on the issues of war and peace, for which our families sacrifice so much-- far more than the families of rich Congress people.
The President should always go to the people's representatives before striking militarily. The lack of political will and sustained interest in the future of these countries beyond the narrow interests of the weapons' dealers is the reason we keep failing to "win" since WWII.
Trump is not a war-time Commander-in-Chief. He and his incompetent staff should not be the ones making these kinds of decisions.
This is just one more reason to oust every Republican in 2018 and put hawkish interventionist Democrats on notice.
3
Ed: a 5-minute editing window a La Guardian would let us undo the well-intentioned damage wrought by Microsoft's "auto-correct" for those of us who try to prepare our comments in Word so as not to trip NYT's hair-trigger touch-screen SUBMIT function and send you half-completed comments.
I said "Dems" in my comment a few minutes ago. Microsoft "Deems" that spelling incorrect. Wait, Mr. Bill, oh noooooo!!!...
In your article it says "suspected attack". What if I suspect Trump in paying porno stars for sex and silence? should we impeach him right now? why should we wait for investigation to be completed?
4
This is all beyond stupid. If Assad is such a butcher then why not bomb him, his palace, his family, etc., until he is dead and this is all over? Instead, we will selectively bomb some rubble somewhere in the outskirts, rinse, repeat.
No one in British, French, or U.S. government wants this war to end. Too much money, too many campaign donations from sheep, to be made to stop the madness now. Russia, Israel, Iran and Saudi Arabia do not want the war to end either. A dozen or more billionaires want to make some more money and that is why the war keeps on going.
Your tax dollars at work.
4
Trump ought to be careful. If he goes too far, Putin will release the video of that scene in the hotel room that Trump denies ever happened.
5
The headline here is imprecise and the print headline was misleading. A coalition was responsible for the attack, not one country or leader. If you check some of the British papers, there are good examples of how to properly sum up the news accurately in a headline. The lead of the article was more careful than the head.
3
"Precision strikes"? Pulllese! Strike is either a baseball term or a job action against an employer. Call it what it is: Naked aggression.
2
I don't like Trump and I did not vote for him in 2016. This action was in my view the correct proportionate response. He actually did something right. Give credit where credit is due.
6
Are you aware of the fact that:
1. Trump already did the same thing in April 2017, after a couple of chemical attacks
2. Assad continued since then as if nothing happened, and Trump simply didn't react at all, contrary to what his rhetoric promised?
If yes, what makes you believe that once in a while calling Russia to tell them that you're going to drop a couple of bombs on Assad positions somehow will have ANY effect?
Will have a great effect keeping us out of direct conflict with Russia thus not ecalating a stupid decision to bomb in the first place.
I see the BIG picture in a very small way. If there will be a solution it will only come from a complete disengagement and the passage of time. We still have the resources to receive the worlds "poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free," and at the same time remove the sales pitch mentality from our foreign policy, that abets the killing of hundreds of thousands in hundreds of conflicts around the world. We stand by and suck up to Russian oligarchs and tyrants and China's commissars, who we know are despicable on solely driven by ego and greed, in the hopes to sell them something. We have enough. Let's fully take care of those at home AND those around the world in need. Bite the bullet and make the big change.
1
Here we go again, using our military "might" to teach some kind of lesson. In reality, it's just another example of the military industrial complex making huge amounts of money. President Eisenhower warned us about this kind of thing happening in 1961. The United States is a fascist nation, corporations making money by invading every nation that is invadable, all for profit, while killing millions of people and fooling the electorate that it is about freedom. Sick.
1
Initial bomb damage assessments indicate the airstrike has failed to halt the release of Comey's book.
1
The United Staes is "retaliating" against what, exactly? Your headline makes it sound like we're responding to an attack on our nation. But that's probably how you wanted it to come across.
1
My lord! Assad commits an atrocity. Then Trump uses the occasion to shoot off a few ineffective fireworks to "wag the dog" and distract from his domestic troubles, just as he did the last time he lobbed a few bombs on the corner of an airfield in Syria. His ratings went up then with that stupid little stunt and he is back at the well trying the same trick again.
I bet he told the Russians precisely where he was aiming the rockets, and told them to make some noise to make this charade look good.
America, Trump is playing you once again! Wake up. We are in danger from this very unhinged and desperate man, who is willing to risk our lives and treasure for his own miserable paranoid needs.
Don't mistake me. Assad, like his father has used butchery to stay in power. Serious international measures are needed to contain him. But that would require Trump to deal seriously with Russia, which he will not do. Ever.
But in the meantime Trump can use a pop-gun strike to weather this weekend where the real artillery is James Comey blowing up all over the Sunday news shows and on into next week.
Onice again, our Commander in Chief shows he doesn't care about defending us. Only and always himself!
2
Pin-prick missile strikes, fortunately, do not a war cause. There is more theatre that threat in these photo-ops, for it is far more important for politicians to be seen to be doing something, however inept, especially when if doing nothing, God forbid, real issues like poverty, corruption and global warming take center stage.
2
Sites of insignificance with advance warning: What does that tell us?
3
How can the same people who cried so loudly about the fate of Syrian refugees be so disapproving of this action, taken to protect Syrians against the government that oppresses and kills them?
2
Conclusion: DJT, by substantially revealing top secret national security briefings and the battle plan, committed treason. What DJT told us and the enemy: 1) Russia get ready 2) shinny new missiles. He is not astute at military matters and missile systems are replaced every 30 years, so he must have been referring to an upgrade; something he would only know from a security briefing. Wikipedia (not even Janes) tells us the SB-2 upgrade includes missile interceptor, fragmentation, unused fuel weaponization, etc. features. By telling Russia the response would be another missile response, DJT effectively ruled out other options. That limits targets; the advance notice and delay ruled out an attack on the Syrian air force. Israel hit chem. storage site Masyaf 6 months ago. The map on the BBC website identifies another chem site SE of Homs, near Faraqas. The Damascus sites were worth defending if you thought precision could rule out casualties. In 10 minutes anyone, including obviously Russia, could figure out 90% of the Plan. Because it took Syria only six months to reconstitute Masyaf after the last attack and because of the delay, we know this attack, like last year, was symbolic (not one atom of Cl or precursor detected), just expensive theater; the purpose - ratings. Every Syrian elementary school has a garden shed containing an air force helicopter bloated with chlorine cylinders for the next shock and awe message to the rebels - nothing achieved.
Watching this "strike" unfold one can surmise that U.S. foreign policy has gone completely bonkers. The American-led response is patently so hypocritical, that to any reasonable person who cares to consider all the known facts, the only logical conclusion one could draw from the events that have unfolded over the last week, never mind over the last year and a half, is that its elected political leadership, from your president on down the list, are desperate, immoral, and for the most part, incompetent. What does this say about Americans that voted for these bozos?
Imagine how you would react if China launched their version of cruise missiles at Israeli military targets because the Chinese Government did not approve of the way the Israelis had conducted a military operation in the West Bank. You would probably be outraged, right?
Now tell me why the United States has any standing to launch a punitive attack against Syrian forces in the wake of their likely use of chemical weapons on Syrian rebel-held territory. How has it come about that we have appointed ourselves in charge of punishing nations who do things the global community of nations disapproves of?
If the world is outraged by the use of chemical weapons in Syria, the world should do something about it—not just the United States.
And while I am ranting, how are chemical weapons different from more traditional ways of brutally killing your own citizens? The Syrian regime of Bashar al Assad has killed tens of thousands rebel fighters. The rebels have killed tens of thousands Syrian soldiers and police. By all accounts, well more than 100,000 civilians have been killed in the fighting.
How are the deaths of those 100,000 children, men, and women any more acceptable than the deaths of the 1000 killed by a chemical agent last week? This distinction between conventional weapons and chemical weapons is stupid. Weapons are weapons and dying is dying.
A weapon is a weapon and the people who die, die. One way is not any more morally reprehensible than another to me.
1
Killing 40 people with chemicals is outrageous but slaughtering and maiming 400,000 people with other weapons is acceptable?
4
Apparently for many posters herein, Trump attacking Assad is nothing more than wag the dog in action. And if he didn’t attack he would be Putin’s puppet. Amazing...
1
Trump once again demonstrates his disingenuous behavior with this more or less meaningless response to Assad's crimes, wouldn't want to do any thing to offend Putie, would he? In his prior 'missile attack', $85 million worth of missiles were wasted to blow potholes in asphalt, that put an airport out of commission for about one day! And of course he told Putie about it in advance so all the Russian planes could be moved. In this latest speech Trump claimed that the prior attack destroyed 20% of Assad's air force. What a transparent liar Trump is! It must nauseate our military to have to shut up and go along with his fakery.
1
No investigation into these chemical attacks. We just listen to the CIA as we did with Iraq.
Assod had his war all but won then launched a chemical attack on civilians.Children no less.
Are we all just so naive?
Neo Liberal Corporate Democrats and Neo Conservatives holding hands as we goose step into another war.
Can we please have one party to vote for that doesn't love war and the blood money that comes from it?
Justifiable or not, this attack had nothing to do with punishing the Syrian regime and everything with a distraction to rally around our flag and troops as the Comey book comes out and Mueller's noose is tightening. Despicable and stupid. I've seen 4-year old kids with more guile than DJT.
If Donald Trump actually cared about Syrian civilians, why is he refusing them entry into the United States as refugees?
Sheer farce.
NOT my president
3
Go to Theresa May twitter. Brits are mad about this.
2
Mission Accomplished was declared by President Bush ahead of the most deadly years of U.S. intervention in Iraq.
Mission Accomplished was declared by President Trump today.
1
It seems to be the modus operandi of the US government that when a dictator kills innocent people, the US retaliates by killing more innocent people.
That's been the pattern for the administrations of Bush the Elder, Clinton, Bush the Younger, Obama, and Trump.
The only ones benefitting are the profiteers in arms, oil, and the like.
The Sunnis have to grow a spin and remove the Shiite scurg from southern Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq. Even if they have to bump heads with some Russians. Then incorporate Syria into parts of Sunni governed Iraq and Jordan. The USA should create another gulf war coalition like like staging area in the golan heights. Let’s deal with this now and comprehensively.
At this point, why can't Interpol go in and arrest Assad and other top brass? They have violated international law.
1
Trump, by all reports in the last week, was and is angry. Angry that his fixer may be exposed, thus exposing him.
When my ex-husband went from 0-60 in one of his many rages, I told him to go punch a wall. He did. Better that takingit out on a person or behind a wheel.
Trump seems to be blowing off steam by sending missiles far away to wreak havoc on a place where destruction is an every day occurrence.
Maybe he needs to punch a wall.
It is downright scary to realize that this president has the power to unleash his anger by using bombs. Really really scary.
Trump still does not do gravitas. All he still do well is sell snake oil.
I am not a Trump supporter by any means, but he did what he said he would do. Obama did not.
I despise Trump but support this strike except that I think it should be a decapitation strike. The civilized world cannot look the other way in the face of Putin's use of weapons of mass destruction.
I for one don't believe Assad used chemical weapons especially when he knew the consequences and especially considering that he's been winning the war in Syria.
This is an illegal attack on a sovereign country based on more lies like the WMD lies in Iraq in 2002/2003.
2
That is a deterrent? How so? It is like hitting someone over the head with a sledgehammer for accidentally bumping into them while walking; the kind of thing you would say "excuse me" or "I'm sorry".
My point is, missile strikes and film of people (especially children) being gassed (by whom has not been precisely determined) are not necessarily related. We are on the Titanic with a madman at the helm, with "Fox and Friends" as the advisers.
This was not retaliation. Syria had not attacked the US, France or the UK.
1
Imagine my surprise yesterday and today as I watched the media cover the attack on Syria without raising any critical questions.
By attacking Syria, what exactly is our message and end goal here? It’s Syria’s 50th chemical attack that goes too far? So 49 are okay? You’re free to conduct 49 attacks but at 50 you will pay?
Also, don’t use chemical weapons but feel free to conduct genocide with conventional weapons. They’re okay?
Who is naive enough to believe the fantasy that these strikes, unlike last years, will magically stop Assad from killing civilians en masse?
1
All this airstrike is doing is reinforcing Assad's power and Russia's sphere of influence in that region. If the West really wanted to take on Assad who is indeed a monster, they could take him out of power just like they took Khadafi out. The West has done that many times without having to send troops. What the inept and corrupt man with the orange hair did yesterday was more to show power, boost his Fox News ratings and distract from the chaos and investigations that are engulfing Washington. He did not even consult Congress but had his Vice President call them in his stead. All this does is fire up the base and give theatrical ammunition to Fox News, which I have no doubt gave this Fake President ample advice beforehand and congratulations afterwards. If only Obama had done something about this, we would not be there, and that does not mean sending troops to Syria.
If I recall correctly Trump, with his infinite wisdom, tweeted that Obama, who was president at the time of the tweet, needed Congrwssional approval to attack Syria and any such attack was a bad idea.
The hypocrisy of Trump is shocking...
1
I question the headline. Is it right to call these attacks retaliatory? Doesn't retaliation mean a counterattack by the party targeted in a previous attack?
So did Trump get his testosterone high? Feel more manly, more like the men he first applauds then denigrates?
Cadet Bone Spurs...strutting 'round at MarELago this weekend? Where is he this weekend?
It sickens me that this man has been given this much power. Campaigning and relying on absurd promises, lies and vulgar language is NOT enough to earn this power. A man who has never done anything meaningful for anyone but himself should not be in this position. A man who needs NDA's to slip thru life did not earn thispower.
But by some fluke of our election system, and a gullible, too often racist voting public - this charlatan, a huckster, a 3xs draft deferred weakling gets to tell our military what and where.
I'm ashamed for the US. I'm appalled that a 70yo man worries more about his own image then he does the lives of others. A 70 yo man who has no clue what his job description is, nor does he care.
I'm sickened that this scam artist has so much lethal power.
The end of his term, and as such the sycophants surrounding him, can not come soon enough. The end of his chosen political party can not come soon enough.
Why is it that seasoned military commanders are taking orders from Trump bomb another nation?
They need to lock him in his oval office with the famous "tweet Machine" and let capable people run the country.
what's a an over-reaching imperial super power to do? I mean, them cruise missiles were straining at the leash, you really don't want the equivalent of military-industrial blue balls, am I right?
Russians given advance notice, Syrians given several days to prepare...US military used to change the headlines from sex scandals? Think I saw this movie in '97.
2
Aside from working in concert with our allies, there is no clear path forward in Syria, for any president or general or nation. Given the negative perspective many of us have about Trump and anything he does, condemning this strike is almost automatic. Judgements about this strike could benefit from an objective consideration of the historical events that have created the current morass in that part of the world, including the past decisions and indecisions of American foreign policy.
1
The nature of warfare is changing. We can now fight only limited wars. The turning point came in the winter of 1950, when Chinese troops intervened in the Korean War and threatened to overwhelm American forces north of the 38th parallel. In response, General MacArthur wanted the air force to bomb the bridges over the Yalu, invade China, and even use nuclear weapons. In an historic decision, President Truman fired MacArthur and established the policy that we cannot fight all-out wars. Every president since then has adhered to that policy--in Viet-Nam, in Iraq, and now in Syria.
A question for the government and the nation is whether we will maintain that policy with regard to North Korea. It is reassuring that Secretary of State-designate Pompeo stated that we will not aim to change the regime in North Korea, an act that might lead to a nuclear exchange
1
Assad has been targeting civilians for years with all kinds of munitions. While chemical weapons are horrific what is the difference between them and barrel bombs? This air strike was nothing more than the U.S. military flexing its muscles and finding a use for our stockpiled missiles. This action does nothing to change the situation in Syria.
4
Retaliatory strike? I wasn't aware that Syria had launched attacks on the US, UK or France which would call for retaliation. PM May, Presidents Trump and Macron are all facing domestic crises: May, the revelations about over-spending and data harvesting in the Brexit Leave campaign, Trump...well, take your pick, and Macron, strikes in reaction to his avalanche of reforms, as well shock at the inordinate (and probably illegal) use of state violence against the nonviolent occupants of the settlement in Notre-Dames-des-Landes. Unfortunately, this looks very much like a wag-the-dog scenario which adds grist to the conspiracy theory mills. This has nothing to do with defending long-suffering Syrian civilians, and seems more like desperate and dangerous feints by embattled politicians.
5
I'm skeptical that this action is more about creating an illusion of action for the sake of scoring political points than it is an attack Assad. Specially designed incinerators are required to destroy chemical weapons, so if one bombs a chemical weapons facility, would not most of the chemicals be dispersed in the air contaminating the surrounding area and exposing the population to the poisonous gasses? Hence were the strikes telegraphed so the area could be evacuated? I hope reporters are on the ground learning more about what was in the facilities that were hit, and what the collateral damage was from these strikes.
4
Don't be fooled, it's all about oil. Chemical weapons are an abomination, but so are chemical industrial pollutants and pesticides. I'm just sickened to read Trump's tweets this morning bragging about the billions spent on the U.S. military when the country is speeding toward a trillion dollar deficit. Those billions would be better spent on finding ways to reduce humanity's current dependency on fossil fuels instead of fighting with Russia, by proxy with this "retaliatory" strike to Syria, over a dwindling planetary resource.
4
Mr. Trump said: No nation can succeed in the long run by promoting rogue states, brutal tyrants and murderous dictators.
A noble sentiment indeed. However, given the long, sad U.S. history of promoting, doing business with, or even protecting brutal tyrants and murderous dictators--as well as overthrowing democratically elected ones--it's hard to refrain from the conclusion that any American leader would be better off omitting such statements from the reportoire. Names like Ferdinand Marcos, Mobutu Sese Seko, Salvador Allende, Augusto Pinochet and even Saddam Hussein come to mind. The U.S. has supported oppressive, ruthless regimes in every hemisphere, often doing the opposite of what it preaches. That is key to some of the reasoning of adversaries the world over for the last century.
Given his status and situation, this president has precious little moral authority or credibility. He has ceded the high ground through his own bad faith. He may order munitions to rain down, but the targets will snicker, shrug it off, and suspect that he does so simply to enforce his strong-man image. Obama wouldn't strike Syria, so Trump will. There is no positive yield; it's almost all negative, and this situation could easily sink into deep red. And no matter who is Commander in Chief, nowhere U.S. bombs have fallen since WWII now both fully represents what thousands of Americans ostensibly died for, and is in a positive, peaceful state.
2
Thankful for a lot this morning. First, for Defense Secretary Mattis and his calm, cool and collected approach. Trump's announcement of the strike seemed a bit rambling. Thanks for the U.K. and France for making this a joint effort to destroy the chemical weapons sites in Syria. Millions of us hope this was accomplished.
Congress should sign off on this strike to let the world know that the country is behind it. Lastly, we'll find out who's the bigger liar, Assad, Putin or Trump.
1
The attack was irresponsible for several reasons. First the risk of direct confrontation with Russia. In addition the lack of practical results. In fact the attack seems to strengthen the image of Assad, because it was illegal and this reinforces the arguments of those who defend him. Besides, perhaps because it was announced with great anticipation, Syria claims that it intercepted most of the missiles.
1
What a joke. Pinprick strikes that will not deter Assad from doing anything in the future. I'm certain Putin was given a heads up before the event.
It's a shame the U.S. is now afraid of Russia. We're a nation of cream puffs. Trump should be removed from office and the entire National Security team including Mattis should be re-evaluated. Mattis should know if you're going to engage an enemy you have to have a goal, a strategy and an exit plan. Shooting up a few buildings is meaningless.
This is folly.
3
If there is an investigation the Russian interference on our elections, and plausible considerations that the Trump campaign was involved, what is Congress doing sitting on the sidelines while this ignoramus and egotistic person "orders" a strike on an ally of Russia? How on Earth can Trump, a person that cannot control tweeter impulses, can order a missile strike? Congress? Ryan? Anybody?
Do they even get a sense of what we are living through? Are they trusting the military judgement? Do not they realize that the military should defer to civilian authority and that Congress is the way it is expressed in a representative democracy?
What a disaster.
It's a shame that the US, UK and France can't be more honest about what this attack is for: it has nothing to do with chemical weapons. That is obviously merely a pretext. When governments need to cloak their belligerency motivations in humanitarian grounds, then its citizens have not only something to fear, but something to protest and rectify. That's called a democracy. Do we have a democracy in action this morning, or is it perhaps something else? Moreover, while constitutional interpretation is currently de rigueur, evidently no one wants to interpret the Patriot Act and the larger GWOT legal constructs that are the basis for the President's congressional by-pass authority. The UK and France march in step both on their own legislative designs of authority, and in ideological solidarity (and interests). And where is Israel, so quiet. These are among the reasons why public passivity vis-à-vis terrorism legislative acts over the past 17 years, make it difficult to control State behavior. And the Editors mild rebuke to President Trump (compare it to its invective over gun rights) in this morning's lead editorial "A Coordinated Attack on Syria" would be perhaps even funny if it weren't of such transparent hypocrisy: the President is given a veiled pass, evidently as long as he is loyal to the global war on terror. Of course, whose terror, and whose loyalty?
2
Wars are never sustained with weapons: Peace is never lasting without intellectual leadership. Donald Trump and the present Congress is incapable of understanding either.
2
So this is a police action against Assad and not the start of a war with Syria, because Trump doesn't have the authority to declare war as that is Congress's job under Art. 1, Sec. 35. However we've all seen how strongly Congress's takes it's job. If the rest of this country worked as hard as Congress, this nation wouldn't exist at all.
2
Unignorable is the wag-the-dog timing. At exactly 9 pm ET, the ratings-hungry face of the "The Apprentice" pre-empts what galls him most, news shows such as ratings gold Rachel Maddow, to announce air strikes in Syria, knocking the antics of his self-destructive loyalist Micheal Cohen out of the news cycle for the weekend. Trump will no doubt brag about his "ratings".
2
This election has turned me from an optimist to a cynic, so call me cynical but...
We have a president on the ropes for his blind refusal to be critical of anything Putin-- a leader with a taste for nation toppling, land grabs, killing journalists, incarcerating gays, and pushing opposition leaders out windows--does. DJT says nothing about that, but is recorded numerous times actually praising him. Then there's the overwhelming evidence of collusion (prosecutors in their dozens note that just the June meeting in the tower, alone, is prima facie evinced of collusion).
Along comes a week in which DJT is in the hottest water he's ever been in when his fixer is up on criminal charges and it turns out there are tapes. And voila! Someone cooks up a war and suddenly Donny can "berate" Putin. How very convenient.
And to those saying "But there really was an attack!" Yes there was. A contemptible, unforgivable one that deserves retribution, but let's not forget that that attack may well have been instigated by this pair of corrupt crooks.
Give these puzzle pieces to a child and they will assemble them faster than you can say "war criminal."
France and Britain are motivated by true horror at what happened and the desire to punish those responsible; nonetheless, they may well have allowed themselves to become embroiled in these men's evil machinations.
DJT & Putin have created a world where some no longer know what is ethical. That is our tragedy; it may still be our undoing.
3
In a country already devastated by war, a few more blown up buildings makes a difference? This shows resolve and "consequences"? What a disgrace.
1
Irrespective of whether military strikes in retaliation for Syria's use of chemical weapons may have been justified, that decision belonged to Congress. Trump's unilateral action was illegal and unconstitutional. He should be impeached for that alone.
"Who's going to take away his license to kill?" - Bob Dylan
Wag the dog..Trump backed himself into a corner militarily and he needed a distraction from the multiple scandals that are plaguing his administration. These strikes were weak and ineffectual just like the man that ordered them.
2
People, children have been dying of cholera , starvation, for years corraled within their borders no accessibility to care. What name do we give that type of warfare? What about the indiscriminate bomhings?. Why only chemica warfare ?This is not a video game you don't move to the next level by being politically bombastic. Througout history this strategy has not proven effective. When a society is content, there is more likely room for peace and progress. Pick an enemy stick to it, quick creating provacation for proxy wars. It's the next generation that will change the Dynamics. I mean what lessons do we want to send with them into adulthood?
1
Greatly disappointed in the Syrian strike. It was nothing more than a show-and tell action by the West to cover their political positions against Assad and to appease their populations. Why wasn't punitive action taken, like five scuds at the Assad Palace. USA accomplished zero, just added more incentive for Syria, Russia, and Iran to hate America and provide more propaganda against us. Our SELF-appointed 'genius' POTUS Trump accomplished a trivial action similar to blowing out a lighted match. Another match will eventually appear.
I have come to believe that Trump does everything he does out of gut instinct rather than with a thought out objective in mind. Therefore, he is dangerous and incompetent at the same time. At some point in this he will be unable to keep his mouth shut and will blame Obama for the whole mess in Syria while proclaiming he is the better man.
Interesting that we have only heard that Russia vetoed a resolution but in fact, the US twice vetoed Russian resolutions to let independent inspectors visit the site. Strange.
1
Last night Trump played exactly like the movie plot as shown in "Wag the Dog" by ordering air and missile strikes against certain Syrian targets where the Russians deliberately didn't keep any of their military or civilian personnel in consultation with the White House.
All the Americans have to realize that this order for retaliatory airstrikes came for a possible Sarin gas attack done probably by the rebels working under us to save their soldiers' lives.
In all probability these rebels used their own stockpiles of nerve gas supplied by our allied forces while fighting against Assad with arms and ammunition and chlorine gas which was supplied by us which they used on their own people while trying to pretend that they were trying to save their lives from an impending coordinated push by the Syrian and Russian forces.
Trump ordered the air attack on Syrian targets after the stock markets closed so as not to let a wild scramble to sell stocks by the stock brokers.
His decision to attack Syria came after he made a phone call to his fixer Michael Cohen who's about to go to jail for money laundering.
While acknowledging his fear that Mr. Cohen might spill out the beans to Mr. Mueller about his boss's 'obstruction of justice' maneuvers,Trump pardoned Scooter Libby just to prove to everyone charged by the Special Counsel that they'll be pardoned by their president if they kept their mouth shut even after they're sentenced to jail for a long time by the prosecutors.
Go figure !
NYT the lead story had to be Michael Cohen. Te more you change the story, the more Trump will want to start a major war to get the heat off. His plan is working. Stay focused, Trump is owned by Putin. He gave Putin the opportunity to move things in Syria and Trump was told by Putin where he could bomb.
1
We haven't been offered adequate evidence that it was Syrian government forces that are responsible for (chlorine/sarin/other chemical?) attacks. High standards of proof should be required to justify launching dozens of missiles at another country.
1
Our military is wasting our resources if this is the only response we can generate to end chemical warfare in Syria. These limited, pre-informed assaults only serve to embolden Assad and any other despot who wishes to use chemicals as a part of their mean of suppression. As long as Putin and Iran back Assad he will be in charge, and we will dance to his music. Putin knows this. Iran knows this. Assad knows this. Now the rest of the world knows this. When are we going to figure it out? Limited missile strikes don't work to stop tyranny. They just make us look helpless and stupid.
Putin himself has given Trump the Targets. The Targets were bases, which have already been damaged during the war. In the end, this is beneficial to all parties.
When Assad came to work this morning, tears came to him from laughter.
It would also be helpful in the Trump Team could decide if this is a one and done attack or a multi-pronged effort. Trump and Mattis seem to be on different pages there which tells me this attack was more about distraction then retribution. What a surprise! It will be interesting to see how things develop in the days ahead.
1
Godspeed our military forces. If we are civilized, we should not remain silent when someone uses chemical weapons. This is a tactical strike; punitive in nature. I see two advantages here.
If the strikes prevent Syria from using chemicals, and prevent one horrendous death, then it is worth it. We can discuss the meaning of life issues when the chemicals are destroyed. Then we can hum and haw, and start conversations with "wag the dog this, and isn't it terrible that."
Second, please note that both UK and France, bent over backwards to cooperate. Not because they have anything against chemical weapons, or killing people. Both manufacture and export weapons to degenerates around the world, supply munitions, finance rebellions and dictatorships, and spread general havoc in the third world when they can. Much of their insecurity comes from learning that they are less able to do so today than they were prior to WWII. They are cooperating because want to win favor with Trump. He has a lot of people running scared; EU, UK, China, and N. Korea.
Whether this is by design or default, these are good things for America. Only a fool believes that we should not look out for America's best interests first.
As a bleeding heart liberal, I am getting increasingly aware of the plain "knee jerk" rejection of everything Trump is doing.
Kalidan
No political objective has ever been achieved by air strikes alone. Dropping bombs does not constitute a policy. Trump administration has no rational policy on Syria, or the Middle East. (Nor did the Obama administration, which is why it failed to achieve anything in that region.)
If Putin represented to Obama that he would prevent future chemical strikes, then Putin should be responsible for Assad's renewed use of chemical weapons. Putin may not be a man of his word, but when he opened his mouth he but the backing of his country behind his promise. Is there some sort of escrow of a great deal of Putin/Russian money that would be forfeited if another chemical attack occurred? If not, why not? The only thing Putin loves more than himself is the money he has stolen from his own Treasury. Confiscation of some of Putin's personal wealth will get his immediate attention to make good on his agreement to baby sit Assad.
It appears easy to throw a few bombs to ease Trump's shallow promise to end the use of chemical weapons. Taking Putin/Assad's money is a much more powerful weapon, monies that could be used to cover the losses of innocent people. What about the Chemical Weapons Convention that both Russia and Syria have agreed to uphold? What is the punishment for Convention violators?
Russia and Iran are not too happy right now. Neither are Trump's critics at home who seem caught a little off-balance. They lamely complain that the end-game of the situation is unclear conveniently overlooking that Trump is making good on Obama's "red line." Was the idea a good one only when it was an idle threat? Are we to do nothing but wring our hands like Obama while Assad gasses his people? But maybe the anti-Trumpers need some crying time until they can think of a way to reconcile facts with their fake narratives.
"To punish Assad.." violence is never the solution. We have diplomats to settle conflict peacefully. Diplomacy means "skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility."(Webster) Our elected diplomats must find a way to message Assad without inciting further hostility.
Sad day again for the US.
What has Congress got say about being by passed?
Well, that was money well spent! Not a long time ago there were articles about US being the most dangerous country in the West for children to grow up in.
The biggest issue for the US in the Middle East is still Iran.
I see some people call for killing Assad. You have had how many years passing to do that? If the US wanted to, they could have taken him out a long time ago. But they chose not to, because:
Who is going to follow Assad? Someone more secular? Someone more democratic? Some one not affiliated with ISIS? The organization that Assad and the Western countries fought against together. Someone who can reconcile all the 200 + something fractions now shooting at each other in Syria?
Neither should the journalists in the NYT or other Americans forget that it was the US invasion in Iraq that gave birth to ISIS.
Some have written how dangerous is this action by the US.
In fact, its not dangerous at all, because the whole thing is choreographed -- right down to alerting the Russians when and where the missiles would be landing (that's protocol when engaging militarily with other, presumably non-combatant armed forces in the area).
What WOULD be dangerous would be pushing the Russians into a corner by setting up an no fly zone around Damascus international airport and landing some C-135s with troops on board.
Syria is the latest "theater" for great power confrontation and competition. It is far away from the US and the people who live there are Arabs, with whom Americans have precious little in common.
The sad truth is that this conflict will go on, and on, and on, because the only people with skin in the game are dark skinned and do not speak English.
Interestingly the chemical attack came days after Trump vowed to pull the limited troops we had out of Syria.
Why would Assad risk anything that would hold the USA in his country. Unless he's such a madman he cannot follow reason.
If indeed it was Assad, as the UN indicates, then they deserve a response. Removing Assad is out of the question. usually from recent past history that vacuum of power is filled by something much worse.
But not to respond is simply out of the question.
I never fully understood this concept of chemical weapons and a "red line." I get that chemical weapons are banned by the international community. But to innocent civilians, does it really matter that they loved ones are killed by chemical weapons rather than by weapons that are sanctioned by the international community?
Why stick up for victims only when specific weapons are used? If we want to stick up for humans, then let's stick up for humans.
1
This is pure theater. Follow the money.
2
The barbaric action of the Syrian regime are not limited to the use of chemical weapons. They have killed tens of thousands of their citizens yet we did nothing. We seem to rate one death higher then another. This attack is a joke and inadequate.
Chemical weapons centers and warplane airfields are the only "safe" targets because attacks on Syrian cities, electrical grids, and refineries will only make the Syrian people mad at the US. I'm not a student but why is Syria important? Why do we care? We in the US have people shot by the police almost everyday by accident. I guess it's the gassing that happened in WW I and WW II has finally made a red line that us civilised people will no longer tolerate.
1
It's really quite disgusting to hear politicians talk about war crimes as if certain practices or methods are what is wrong, and it's always someone else doing it. War itself is the crime, every aspect of it.
There is a purpose for war; it is to smash your opponent into unconditional surrender and submission, take their lands and resources, and rule over their people. War and the tools of war are not to be used as punishments. Unless your goal is annihilation and assimilation of your enemy there is always a better tool available. War is the ultimate human failure.
Politicians who use this device casually are a criminal elite misusing the nations tools for their own, and their cronies special interests.
Our United States of America was once on a path to greatness and enlightenment. We have been led off that path by the criminal elite who have enriched themselves spending the earnings of the next several generations. We will need to do more than sit at our desks weeping crocodile tears to turn this around.
A country that refuses to prevent, deter, and stop the use of chemical weapons is simply an accomplice to those who use them. Having a military and not using them would be ridiculous and criminal. Yet, I wonder if American Intelligence knew that Asad would be using chemical weapons and let them, in order to keep Repulbicans in office during the midterms.
1
No President of the United States should be allowed to bomb another country without the consent of Congress. However, the weasels and cowards we have elected to the most important body in our democracy are unwilling to go on the record and eager to let a President abuse his power. President Obama was shrewd enough to use Congress’s cowardice as an excuse to get out of doing something stupid like bombing Syria. Unfortunately, Trump is neither shrewd nor intelligent and is eager to do stupid stuff.
What’s worse is watching the foreign policy and defense establishment represented by public officials as well as members of the media intone solemnly that this is necessary instead of telling the truth that at best it is a complete waste of time and at worst a violation of international law. Syria nor anyone else will be deterred by this lame strike. They weren't deterred by the first one. The absurdity of the West saying to the world that it is OK to kill your people with bullets and bombs but don’t use chemicals is not lost on every tin pot dictator that Trump adores. Myanmar can wipe out Rohingya, the Philippines can murder alleged drug dealers without due process and Saudi Arabia can dismember women and children with all the ordinance it wants in Yemen and nary a peep from us, but we have to kill more Syrians to keep Assad from killing them with Chorine gas. Boy aren’t we special.
"The supreme art of was is to subdue the enemy without fighting"
says Sun Tzu...The media bates the public with headlines of mass murder
in another country and complains loudly about the methods used.
"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" would be a good
way to curb our desire for revenge, and was offered to the West
more than two thousand years ago. We just can't seem to learn the
lessons of history, perhaps.
in the morning of April 14, aircraft and ships of the U.S. armed forces, along with the British and French air forces launched a missile strike on the military and civilian infrastructure of Syria.
Russia's defence ministry says preliminary information suggests that there were no civilian or military casualties. It says 71 of a total of 103 cruise missiles were intercepted by Syrian air defences.
In the zone responsibility of Russian air defense in Syria, cruise missiles did not appear.
At the same time, the doomsday plane E4B Nightwatch with Donald Trump was in the sky fearing the reaction of Moscow and a nuclear strike on the United States.
I would love to see some analysis of the 'suspected' aspect. That's a huge hole in the story. If we don't actually know what happened, do we have any moral standing in this at all?
Anyone who sought deferrals five separate times to blatantly avoid military service is not qualified to be commander in chief. Trump doesn't know the first thing about military service or sacrifice. The shameful spectacle of his lame attempts at consoling grieving families who have lost loved ones defending the country is sickeningly galling.
1
It is interesting reading these comments. Some people are never satisfied. 2 of the closest and centuries-long allies that the US has, France and the UK, joined the US in this surgical strike as a clear message - that the use of nerve gas will not occur without consequences.
Asad crossed a red line 3 times, once during the Obama administration and 2x during the Trump administration. Asad called Obama on his bluff, who famously did nothing on the first red line crossing, but Trump, May and Macron clearly showed Asad that red line crossings on their watch will not occur without consequences, unlike what happened on Obama's watch.
The strikes were surgical so it seems unlikely that the US involvement will otherwise escalate.
Trump did the right thing but his critics will hardly give him credit for it.
3
It appears that there are so many unknowns in the Syrian crisis. Russia and the United States are now two major players in the crisis, and neither of the leaders of these countries can be relied upon for honesty or integrity. I don't see how this crisis can be resolved until leadership changes.
1
It's interesting that the right-wing talk show hosts and conservatives in general are against this use of force -- what did they expect to happen when they supported increasing the military budget by $63 BILLION this year and $68 BILLION next year.
1
I am thankful that the response by the U.S. and its allies was restrained. When Trump sent his tweet early in the week I was worried that a much larger response was imminent.
With Bolton joining the discussion I was quite worried. Maybe Mattis, Macron, and May held sway this time
The U.S. Government will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons to kill rebel forces. So we respond by launching scores of cruise missiles and dropping bombs. How many innocent people did we kill to protect them? Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says, "... we were very precise and proportionate. But at the same time, it was a heavy strike.”
4
The demeanor of Mattis and Dunford spoke volumes. Measured and carefully worded these two answered all questions that they were asked. Whoever wrote Mr. Trump's speech used the word "sustained". Mattis and Dunford said the opposite. The only point I really want to make in this comment is that actions or inactions in the Middle East always, always lead to consequences. The inaction of the Republican Congress to Mr. Obama has led to this. The actions of last nights strikes will have consequences but I feel somewhat confident that Mr. Mattis and Gen. Dunford may have paid attention to errors in the past. Whoever is writing Mr. Trump's speeches, needs to listen to these two and not to someone who has no knowledge of war, or who has made serious errors in thinking the Middle East problems can be solved.
1
No doubt only a tough response can remind Assad of consequences for being a war criminal. Or else he won’t change his behaviour and will continue to use chemical weapons as a fast-track to victory – the recapture of lost territories. But it’s not without risking a direct confrontation with Iran and Russia, whose bases in Syria serve as a safe haven for Assad’s aircraft and other important weaponry.
It remains to be seen whether Assad be deterred. Last year the US strike failed to change his behaviour. Will it be any different this time? It’s most likely that he will continue to use chemical weapons, because he’s desperate to win and end the war. He could always set up chemical labs and plants near Russian facilities, knowing any hostile strike will hit Russia and trigger a possible retaliation.
For the time being an all-out war between the US and Russia has been averted. Assad relies heavily on Iran and Russia to survive militaritly. The question is how long Putin can fight Assad’s war in the face of the stalling economy at home.
5
While I laud this limited response to the horrific murder of innocents, by Assad, using chemical weapons, banned worldwide, after WW1, I believe we must follow up with a more sustained attack against airfields, weapons depots, military command centers, and military communication centers, all to ensure Assad cannot ramp up other actions proving, as he is likely to do, that this allied missile strike had little to no effect, militarily and psychologically.
I believe a follow-up phase is ready, but likely waiting for some trigger by Assad, which is wrong-headed on the part of the allied.
Destroy his confidence now, hit this areas hard, avoiding, to the extent such is possible, Russian and Iranian casualties.
Use on the ground special-forces to manage targeting, and advise Russia to stay out of targeted areas.
Russia will continue to stand aside, and Assad will be demoralized enough to seek asylum either in Russia or Iran.
I imagine a well thought-out plan has been in existence for some time, for such an eventuality, with one of the less radical groups taking over governance while stability is brought back to this torn nation.
Anything less ensures continued war on its own people, by Syria and it's allies, with both Russia and Iran solidifying gains, and eventually the Iranian presence will be such that Israel will have to act, causing a much wider war.
Lack of follow-up now is more dangerous than this early-morning missile strike.
3
Land war in Asia. Sounds inviting.
Trump woke up and tweeted "Mission Accomplished."
How can it be known that the mission was accomplished. Assad could use chemical weapons again, we could see further escalation - neither of those things are remotely implausible. Yet, Trump glories in his opportunity to drop bombs. He hasn't solved a single problem.
15
What’s actually amazing is that this strike was necessary at all.
I recall President Obama and John Kerry telling us on numerous occasion that Syria’s chemical weapons were ‘100% destroyed.’
Looks like they were fooled or at least believed what they needed to believe.
No qualm of a largely symbolic attempt like the previous one but wish he didn't tweet "Mission Accomplished." People saying that don't really know much about war and strife.
12
Trump doesn’t know much about hardship, period.
1
The chemical weapons attack that precipitated the missile strike was one of many chemical attacks, perhaps as many as 80, that have taken place since Syria's chemical weapons supposedly were transferred to the United States and destroyed.
This is the second missile attack that has occurred on Trump's watch. Both missile strikes were aimed at military targets. Both should have targeted Assad.
The United States is not in position to do much more than launch futile cruise missile attacks. The Russian have moved into Syria, established air superiority and now control the skies over Syria. Putin, Assad, Erdogan and the Iranians are establishing the terms under which Assad will rule Syria. The Kurds who acted as a US proxy army and defeated ISIS will be decimated while the US chooses to watch from the sidelines.
Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria should have convinced the United States that the only reason to fight a conventional war is to defeat an enemy that has attacked the United States. There can be no victory in a war fought to achieve any objective short of unconditional surrender.
5
How are US missile strikes against Syria anything but an act of war against a sovereign nation? Syria did not attack the US ergo the strikes were not retaliation. That Assad murders civilians does not make our actions any less an act of war.
14
Thank you General Mattis. Ironic that a general is the one who is protecting us from triggering a war. And congratulations to Trump's minders, who succeeded in mostly having him keep to the prepared script.
6
Given its own precarious moral position regarding U.S. military interventions, the Times should seriously reconsider using headlines such as "U.S. Attacks Syria in Retaliatory Strike". "Retaliation" is being given a new meaning here, one that implies unlimited authority to punish bad actors everywhere without regard to their immediate relationship to the United States
If that is what is meant, let's discuss it openly.
16
The article fails to mention that Obama took the matter to Congress when Syria crossed his “red line”. They failed to act, not Obama.
24
Give it up, please.
Obama was ineffectual, and we all know it.
If he had had the backbone and stamina, Assad would be long gone.
We are where we are today, because of his, and Congressional, failure to act.
I supported Obama twice, financially as well, and remain thoroughly disappointed in him and the party, and unless we make real changes in the few months left before the midterms, the Trump cabal will remain in control, and Trump will breeze into his second term.
1
I believe the UK voting not to join in was a big factor in the red line decision.
1
Trump is in so much trouble at home with the courts so it is true. Anytime a bad President and his corrupt GOP are failing fast they get us into a war . This may be the worlds last war . Amegeddon.
20
Neither Russia, the United States, or any other of the nuclear armed nations, will step up any conflict by using nuclear weapons, because such use will result in uncontrollable retaliation, precipitating an Armageddon-like effect.
Only crazed terrorists would contemplate such actions, and even then they would likely think twice.
No, Syria needs to be dealt with now, otherwise Iran will be solidly entrenched in Syria, and Israel will be forced to deal with that threat to its existence, sooner than later.
Our inaction now guarantees a wider more serious destabilizing regional war within the next two years or so.
Trump betrayed the Kurds in Afrin and now he is preparing the ground for Turkey's Erdogan to walk in and take all of Syria, when Turkey was buying oil from ISIS all those years.
6
Representative Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the House Republican majority whip, wrote in a statement: “President Trump is right to assert that the Assad regime’s evil acts cannot go unanswered.”
And James Comey is right to assert that the Trump regime's evil acts cannot go unanswered, and hopefully they won't ... right, Steve?
13
Trump...enforcing the red line which Obama would not do.
2
which congress would not do.
1
Yes, just think of the wars we could've had, the dead and more trillions gone, if Obama had been a republican. It's like having Bush Jr. and his pals back again.
1
AZ: Do you honestly think it is that simple?
1
U.S., Britain and France... Why? Haw far are they willing to go with disinformation and lies to initiate/sustain conflicts, rage wars and kill people?
5
Should be familiar territory to a country like your's that just re-installed a budding dictator.
1
If you blow up a chemical weapons storage facility, what happens to the toxic agents that were stored there?
22
How is it that the New York Times consistently fails to mention that President Obama was willing to strike Syria for its chemical attacks but after objections from Republicans he put it to the Republican Congress who voted down military action.
The Times is culpable in extending the false narrative that Obama was unwilling to act after the crossing of the red line when in fact it was yet another example of the GOP saying no to anything Obama wanted to do.
33
Trump wants to divert us from his scandals.
UK wants revenge on Sergei Skipal.
France (still) wants to sell it's Rafale fighter aircraft.
8
"But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis ... told reporters on Friday night that there were no more attacks planned unless Mr. Assad again uses gas on his own people."
Then it's OK if he gasses non-Syrians? The "on his own people" construction has always sounded odd, whether it's in reference to gas attacks or any other style of murder. Is it less vile to gas, bomb or slaughter the people of another country?
5
Would our investigative journalists please report on how many world leaders are sociopaths. West, east, north, south. Quality leadership left the room long ago. Please - why, when, how, who? Does anyone care to be concerned, if not, why?
I watch those old, mean-faced men perpetuating never-ending violence & I, along with multi-millions in this dying world, feel sick. Their hatred is incurable so best to put them out to pasture.
Meanwhile; every word out of Trumps mouth makes a mockery of everything a decent, intelligent, caring, honest person stands defends.
If these old men (toss in a few women) don't get out of the way - there is no future.
8
Another US hotel California moment in a Middle East conflict.
As the song goes, you can check out any time you like
But you can never leave!
8
These crusades are costly and tiresome--when will they end?
5
Fire and Fury
Can it be overlooked that Michael Cohen is at one moment the centerpiece in a scandal that threatens the very presidency, and in the next moment, the US is taking a very limited military action that just followed the same thing Israel did?
Cohen, Israel? Please.
4
Well, this should buy him a little time. Wonder what's up for tomorrow though?
4
How many innocent civilians did we kill? Are we going to see the running total on the front page of the Times or is that only when Israel defends itself do you keep count?
Trump must be in more trouble at home than we thought if he has to get involved in a war to distract Congress from impeachment proceedings.
4
Seems Trump has forgotten how Mossad and the CIA almost destroyed Reagan's presidency.
It would also seem Bush-Cheney and the CIA are guilty of the same crime: Innocent Iraqi women and children killed at the caprice of a nation-state, the US.
So now we have taken it upon ourselves to kill more people based on what exactly--a possible maybe. There is the real crime.
5
If they used chemical weapons 50 times, why wasn't there time to discuss the attack with CONGRESS as required by the Constitution? Oh yeah, that old rag, we don't use it anymore.
And didn't Trump warn his Russian friends to get out of the way earlier in the week? I don't see his phony "getting tough on Russia" act as convincing. I think he did collude and is unfit for office.
8
USA has repeatedly ignored international Law and illegally attacked other nations. The last time US President ordered such illegal actions was when George W. Bush ordered strikes against Iraq and this nation is still struggling to find its bearings. It’s high time the people of USA tell their Presidents to act within internationally legal norms. We all know that US govt. had to retract on Iraq.
Where was uUnited States in 1971 when Pakistan was massacring Bengalis in then East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. The values which USA states to protect are without any bases. Stop preaching your values to the world. Accept values of others and stop interfering in other countries.
3
Obama continued Bush's illegal policies, increasing the troops in Afghanistan and escalating the drone attacks.
Here come the mid terms...err I mean here comes the war.
4
Please please please don’t let this article about war and the ones that come after bury the stories about him, his lies, and the crimes he and his have committed.
1
If Obama had done what Trump is doing now and did in August 2017 after Assad breached the 'red line', we would have the time and time to talk about Stormy Daniels all night and all weekend long.
Oh, what a pity!
I note that once again, the New York Times is employing the terms 'punish' and 'punishment' to describe military actions taken by the United States (with the help of Britain and France) in Southwest Asia. Whence, one might like to ask, do these three countries, with their record of death and destruction in that part of the world, derive the moral authority to 'punish' anybody ? Under international law, as embodied in the Charter of the UNO (which, nota bene, was largely the creation of the United States after WW II), threats to and breaches of the peace are to be met by that organisation's Security Council (cf Chapters V, VI; and VII), with the qualification (Article 51) that 'Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nations, until the Security Council has taken measures necessary to maintain international peace and security'. No evidence has hitherto been presented, nor has it been claimed, that Syria has attacked the United States, Britain, or France....
The term that should be used to describe the illegal military action taken by these three countries against another country that has not harmed them is hardly 'punishment', but rather 'crime'. Let us hope that such criminal acts can be contained, and that we can avoid a repaid descent into WW III, which will bring an end to human life on this planet. I am, alas, not sanguine....
Henri
5
Watched the live address from the Pentagon and they specifically said it was a stockhouse for the manufacture of chlorine gas, not a stockhouse of sarin gas. Come on.
Talk of an elephant dropping a molehill, for this our President cancels his participation in the 8th Summit of the Americas where China's lead in foreign investment in our back yard is likely high on the agenda - another abdication, figuratively the wrong one.
1
Great. Weak leaders in the USA, UK, France found that they can boost their approval ratings by firing misses that distract from the Mueller investigation, Brexit, national strikes.
I am waiting confirmation that only 30% of the missiles hit their target. That makes the entire exercise more futile and a side show.
2
So Trump wants to strike Syria because the Syrian people are under attack, but refuses to receive the Syrian refugees in the U.S.? hmmm...
16
Trump's duplicity is staggering. He "sought to punish President Bashar al-Assad for a suspected chemical attack near Damascus last weekend that killed more than 40 people." Yet, he doesn't want to allow those same people into the US because they are "terrorists" in his mind.
11
Our own house is on fire. Why do we care if there is a dumpster fire thousands of miles away while the house of America Is burning to the ground? If we had our domestic affairs in order I would be all for rendering foreign aid, but we don't.
2
This will embiggen the rabble when they were nearly almost completely vanquished thus lengthening the war when it was all but finished. Bravo
3
I guess that's one way to change the subject
9
Trump is offended by the loss of innocent life, great humanitarian that he is, so he decided to bomb them to communicate his belief in the sanctity of human life
7
Hundreds of millions of human beings are offended by donnie’s exisitance on this planet let alone as the so-call leader of the USA.
1
A principled military response by the U.S. against the use of chemical weapons rings a bit hollow considering our massive use of napalm and Agent Orange in Vietnam. Is today's strike an attempt to atone for who knows how many Vietnamese civilians incinerated or scarred for life?
4
A leader? Are you kidding us? Donald J. Trump could not lead a Cub Scout Troop.
9
That strike probably runs under the code name "Operation Stormy deflection". Cosmetics & show. Troubling.
5
how can they title the article ''retaliatory'' strikes when syria has not attacked the u.s. the word retaliatory should be framed by quotation marks.
5
The Emperor strikes again. What a farce, folks. He did it at a time when he wanted distraction from the Comey interview and soon to be release book.
5
The book wins...
1
This illegal action by Trump violates the Constitution and is yet another reason he should be impeached, convicted and removed from office.
11
thank you mr. trump, mr. macron and mrs. may, for bringing us to the brink of WW3. a concerned european.
10
The dog has been wagged.
7
Mr. Trump had no good options, but appears to have acted appropriately, reasonably, and indeed in a manner that can be termed presidential. He took military action but it appears to have been measured, and he acted with at least some international support.
Mr. Trump was left in an especially difficult position by his predecessor, President Obama, who sternly warned Assad not to use chemical weapons, and then failed to follow-up when Assad gassed well over one thousand civilians.
One can't know how Trumps response will fare over the long run. The future cannot be predicted. But this action was probably better than doing nothing.
And yet, the New York Times emphasizes the negative; the subheadline is "Trump Risks Deeper Involvement in Multi-Sided War." Unfortunately this may be true. But the Times should report the news objectively, and leave the editorializing for the editorial pages. The Times would very probably have been critical regardless of what the president did. This seems to be biased reporting; the Times should do better.
8
A war crime is not made more acceptable just because it has "international support."
1
Trump had some buildings destroyed this time and had some runways temporarily disabled last time. He wasted several millions of dollars of military inventory and thumped his chest while getting republicans and other fools to dub him presidential. Tomorrow the Syrian tragedy continues and the same people die from other means that don’t require a military response. Sad indeed.
1
Please turn off the fox and friends and gets all the facts.
President Obama, who sternly warned Assad not to use chemical weapons, and then failed to follow-up when CONGRESS REFUSED TO AUTHORIZE his request.
This lawless so-called leader doesn’t even care about the constitution.
1
Shock and Awe !
Mission Accomplished !
And Scooter Libby Pardoned.
Pres. Yogi asks, "Is this déja vu all over again?"
8
Perspective. Assad's barbarism in his country pales in comparison to what we did on foreign soils in Vietnam and Iraq.
What now will be the affect of "The Law of Unintended Consequences?" With trump's knee-jerk strategic genius guiding our policies anything can happen.
Our world is being upended on a daily basis due to the clinging hunger for power of a few ambitious, psychopaths who feel compelled to act out their insanity on the rest of us while they sit in gilded towers.
7
This is senseless act of cruelty. USA responsible for civil war in Syria. Use of chemical was a staged provocation by British intelligence.
3
Wag the Dog was the first thing that came to mind.
3
Assad: „I am not impressed“
(Interpreted: after one week of warning he could do everything to hide his chemical arsenal and strategic weapons - and himself)
2
Assad is constantly accused of attacking his own people. Isn't that what we did during our civil war?
5
It's what we do now (if they are Black or poor).
I'm confused on the headline on the front page - how is it a retaliatory strike if Syria has neither attacked us or our allies? At least make some attempt to be objective. We suspect chemical weapons, have no concrete proof, yet attacked a sovereign nation - yet another great day for peace. Another exceptional attack by our Department of Defense! Few problems that a few missiles here and there can't solve. I expect full capitulation anytime now, just like the Taliban in Afghanistan - we have them on the run now boys!
9
Who do you believe? There are no “good guys” here. Chemical weapons appear to be the international provocation buzzzword of choice. Kind of like “incubator babies.” This is a cruel chess game that the international players are jousting over. Syria is the staging ground of another petro-war. The people of this country are immaterial. The same coalition of Western players who destroyed Iraq are at it again. The Russian/Iran side of this tug-of-war have their reasons for influence also. The silent partner in this charade is Israel (If my enemies are destabilized I’m safe.). But let’s not continue the foolish narrative that Syrian lives are the cause for taking more Syrian lives! That is ridiculous on it’s face.
Trump needs to feel he is wielding “presidential power” (kind of like when he sat in the fire truck and honked the horn on the White House lawn). His “surgical strike” is like trying to be just ‘a little pregnant.’ Nothing changes here, it just grinds on. However, when Trump supporters and the Left wing begin to agree on the impotent, unnecessary, and Constitutional illegality of this charade, then, perhaps the American political needle is being moved. All the people are not being fooled all the time! But not soon enough to save Syrian lives!
7
Thank you for your thoughtful, articulate post.
So how much closer to peace are we than we were yesterday?
4
the divide between Mattis and the military command is a little too blurry for my taste
2
What’s the (tenuous at best) legal authority for this strike?
1
Seems we set our own rules on legal authority.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED !
(Likely stated from a bed in Russia rather than an aircraft carrier this time.)
Hmmm, but what exactly is the mission? And does anyone think it a coincidence this occurred the same day Scooter Libby was pardoned?
2
It’s truly frightening to think where we will be as a nation in a week, a month. Ladies and Gents what you are witnessing is a master class in poor leadership.
3
the world needs to stop playing around and kill Assad once and for all. don't stop bombing until he's gone.
Would this have happened this weekend if comey’s book was coming out in June?
Tonight Trump stated at the beginning of his address:
"Tonight, I want to speak with you about why we have taken this action. One year ago, Assad launched a savage chemical weapons attack against his own innocent people. The United States responded with 58 missile strikes that destroyed 20 percent of the Syrian air force."
Let's set aside the fact that last year's Shayrat attack was a single strike (not "58 strikes") that involved 59 missiles (not 58) and resulted in little damage (not the destruction of "20% of the Syrian air force").
When Nikki Haley this week referenced the 50 purported chemical attacks, surely she was including the half dozen that are reported to have occurred in 2018 prior to this latest assault.
So why is Trump trying to sell this as a response to last weekend's assault on Douma, as if his first strike seemed to have done the trick until the past weekend?
Why did he not do anything about the previous chemical attacks of 2018?
Did he not hear about them in his daily briefings from Fox&Friends?
1
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED !
(Announced from a bed in Russia rather than an aircraft carrier.)
Now, just what is the mission? And who thinks it is a coincidence that this occurs the same day Scooter Libby is pardoned by Trump?
1
We are at war. It is time for all Americans of good will to put aside our differences and unite behind our leader and President Donald J. Trump. All the petty Russia stories and fake investigations should be put aside. We need to be as one.
1
You forgot the sarcasm tag, /s.
Any military action connected to this administration makes my skin crawl and reminds me of the days when Americans were building bomb shelters in their basements, but I am slightly, only slightly reassured, because Britain and France were in alignment. My question is: Why did Germany decide not to join its allies? Merkel must have had a very good reason.
This attack will accomplish absolutely nothing. Nothing. The civil war will go on as it has for seven years. Obama was vilified for not responding after the infamous red line was crossed, but attempts at regime change are rarely successful, so what is the long-term strategy here? Trump only pays attention to the last segment he saw on Fox and Friends and he has no comprehension of the nuances of foreign affairs. Even scarier, he has no desire to acquire this knowledge. All military actions should be approved by Congress, but with the spineless and sycophantic GOP in control, there are no longer checks and balances.
5
I can just imagine what he will do on Tuesday when Mr. Comey"s book is released, now that he has new toys to distract with.
6
So we got really mad that kids were being killed with gases but not as mad when they were killed with conventional weapons. Will someone tell me who's today's bombing supposed to make feel better?
7
Trump, May and Macron have:
no proof
no mandate
no legal base
So this is an act of war and therefore murder.
Time to impeach them and put then in front of a war times tribunal or in a criminal court.
It is also time to put the US, the UK and France under some Iran type sanctions to outlaw these murderers and war mongers.
It is as simple as that.
5
In the official narrative of WWII we are told that in order to get a pretext for war Germany staged a false flag attack on the Gleiwitz radio station. Corpses were paraded in front of newsreel cameras to appeal to the emotions of the German people and prepare them for future military action against Poland This was called 'Operation Canned Goods'. Is this not what we are seeing now? We see children allegedly poisomed by gas but we see no evidence to back these images up., is this not to appeal to our emotions?
Now in the aftermath of WWII at the Nurembug Military Tribunals we were told that the ultimate crime was the act of aggression against a nation that had not attacked the aggressor.
What has happened now The USA, the UK, and France have attacked a nation that has done nothing to them, is this not an act of aggression?
The state propaganda machine is in full swing at this moment telling us that this was necessary because of 'chemical attacks' on civilians.Yet there is no proof only assertions, and on an assertion the west has the right to commit an act of war against a sovereign nation.
The quote of Thomas Jefferson comes to mind at this moment
"I I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever."
We have been conditioned to accept lies and assertions as evidence. Lok at the trail of death & destruction we have created in the middle east and think of Jefferson's quote.
2
Glad to strike this repugnant, murderous dictator (Assad), even if the President's motive is simply to swing it around in the face of his investigators. Now we wait for the damage assessment which may, like last time, turn up zip. As for the real solution, a brokered, orderly dissolution of this dysfunctional brigand state? We'll see how things go in Syria first.
1
So we've known all along where the CW are researched and produced but did nothing about it until now, after the horse was out of the barn?
I know I will offend some susceptibilities, but the U.S. is the last nation on Earth with a right to criticize other nations' real or imagined War Crimes.
And if Trump (of all people) can call the chemical attacks "the crimes of a monster", how would he describe the U.S. invasions and bombings of Iraq, Libya and Syria, not to mention the genocide in Yemen committed by a U.S. proxy?
Sorry, but I find U.S. criticisms of Assad even more sickening than Assad's crimes.
And it also smacks of an Anglo-Saxon P.R. stunt, coming hard on the heels of the entirely fishy Skripal nerve gas affair.
8
You sir, are absolutely, 100% correct. Thank you.
The cynical among us not that Trump's timing is in part to draw your attention away from Comey.
Will millions need to die before congress develops sufficient backbone to impeach him?
5
Cynical? So those who say the emperor has no clothes are cynics?
Trumps ego is threatened. Hundreds of people die. This is the bargain of the devil.
3
Obviously Russia are not helping Assad in a 'free lunch' situation. It is what Russia wants from Syria that must be why we all suddenly a) Don't want Russia to have it unfettered and b) Want it ourselves.
What role did the Skirpal poisoning in Salisbury, Uk play in all this? Why did our Boris Johnson rush over to Moscow on the day before the Xmas break? Has something changed in Trump's willingness to confront Putin?? Can videos ever be truly deleted.
The accepted data from the international experts is that 500 people perished in this last Assad chemical atrocity alone. It came towards the end of a particularly brutal campaign to kill off political opponents of the regime in the Douma enclave.
Yesterday, the NYT wrote about the difficulty of reporting accurate counts from Syria. But it has to be understood that part of the Assad-Putin hybrid warfare strategy is to claim they are "not hurting 'anybody,' not killing 'anybody.'" Meanwhile, the videos; testimony from refugees & evacuees; the sheer volume of chemical signatures of weaponry being discharged; and the diligent mapping of the conflict zones by well-equipped, professional military intelligence services present in the area -- such as Turkey's, Turkey being a NATO member and having a long history of rigorous intelligence-gathering -- all indicate considerably higher casualty rates than are being reported by understating media.
It is important to respect the reluctance of Western journalists traumatized by the lies & obfuscation that characterized wars in both Vietnam & Iraq, but can we pretend that asserting that lives and identities that existed actually 'never happened' does not itself amount to one of the worst kinds of lies?
A few yrs ago, while Lavrov & Kerry were negotiating "the dismantling of Assad's chemical stockpiles," the official -- conservatively calculated -- Syrian death toll was reported as 600,000 dead. Before Aleppo, Raqqa & Assad's latest fits.
1
you forgot Libya.
Neoconservative imperialism sadly fights endless wars on foreign soil that have little to do with protecting liberty and democracy.
America spends $700 Billion annually on the military, more than the next eight nations collectively. The United States maintains military bases in at least 80 nations. We could spend 2/3rds as much and still protect the homeland adequately. Also, with B-2 bombers, twelve aircraft carrier wings and a fleet of nuclear submarines, why does America need military bases in so many foreign lands?
Waging war in Iraq on false premise, endless occupation in Afghanistan and now rocketing Syria makes foreigner fighters desirous to attack America's homeland. This endless cycle of war has never and will never make anywhere safer.
Two Marine vets from the film Last Flag Flying said it best:
(Sal Nealon): Every generation has their war. Men make the wars and wars make the men. It never ends!
(Reverend Richard Mueller): Maybe one day we'll try something different.
2
It is enough for Syria, Syria has more than 7 years under different attacks from different parties, and this is not fair for Syria. No country can tolerate these condition, however they resist and try. Syria and Syrian have the right to live in stable and peaceful environment like any country and land created by ALLAH, the Almighty.
Problem of using chemical weapons against people does not mean or allow to destruct productive points inside Syria or to destruct their resources at any level and in any way.
ALLAH, the Almighty does not accept to corrupt any environmeny and resources for any whatever the reason is.
1
"No nation can succeed in the long run by promoting rogue states, brutal tyrants and murderous dictators.” ...... Tell that to the CIA.
1
So the first time he bombs an airfield which accomplished very little. And now he does some targeted strikes to avoid hurting the Russians or Iranians feelings? It's like your kid bites a kid in the classroom, the teacher pulls the kid out of class and talks to him. Then when the kid does it again, the teacher has the principal speak to the kid. But don't do anything requiring the parents to step in and get help for the child. Wouldn't want to upset them. I imagine we will be revisiting this down the road a piece.
2
The impotence of us as a people is astounding
We are acting paralyzed
Like watching a train wreck when we could actually throw the switch
Impeach
Recall
1
Commenters are surely right. Trump hopes Syria will distract us from his enormous pecca-dilloes. But Trump is distracting them from Syria (and lots of other hard questions). It’s time for the Deems to appoint a Shadow President, official or otherwise, who goes on record with the tough calls.
2
Stop! I am ashamed and devastated that we have no leaders who've the courage, the wisdom, and the strength to roll up their sleeves and meet the other, to talk to others face to face, especially those you don't like or disagree with. You keep at it till the job is done, and learn a little about Getting To Yes. It's hard work, and worthy work, and we simply don't do it.
Might does not make right. Authoritarian egos "Have you no shame."
America, my government of democrats and republicans, you've ignored your greatest minds and leaders. You've not learned the grave lessons of horror and murder and lawlessness (war), nor the lessons awaiting you, that of being fearlessness for the greater good of humanity.
We citizens are responsible. We pay for each and every bomb. Divest, now. Find a bank like Amalgamated Bank of NY that refuses to pay for guns or the industry of warfare. Move your money!
"We're the Universal Soldiers, and we really share the blame..... the orders come from far away no more, they come from you and me, and brothers, sisters, can't you see.... this is not the way we put the end to war." Buffy St. Marie 1963
4
As a member of Aircraft Owners and Pilots (AOPA) I get TFR (temporary flight restriction) notices for my general area. Got one for Palm Beach today, Trump's in Florida, again as every weekend. Guess he'll be discussing government policy in the dining room amongst his customers.
6
Past American presidents have had no Middle East strategy, and this president is more of the same. Why are we in the Middle East? Plain and simple ... OIL! We spend Trillions ($) on wars in the Middle East and gain nothing. If we only directed those investments instead toward accelerating our move to alternative energy (Hydro Solar Wind Battery GeoThermal), we could cure the American Oil Addict. Congress is just as guilty as the Executive branch of inaction. Our two party system has failed us....”American Leadership” is an Oxymoron! Washington disgusts me...it’s time for TERM LIMITS, CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM, and a Constitutional Amendment to force a balance of the budget. Rome can be saved...it’s time for revolution people.
2
It is time. But first convince those you seem to ignore--those who believe in the "Holy Land." Christian, Jew, and Muslim.
Let Congress decide whether to commit to war.
We should fire missiles straight at Assad’s palace or wherever this monster hides. We should do it now since we have announced that the military strikes are over for now, so Assad will crawl out from his hole and will be exposed to a hit. Assad is directly responsible for killing hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrian men, women and children - using chemical weapons, barrel bombs, military aircraft, conventional weapons, bombing hospitals, schools, homes, torturing people to death, he has made millions of Syrians refugees. Assad butchers his population with support from Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. There other truly evil groups in Syria - ISIS (now largely but not fully defeated), Al Qaeda affiliated groups. Syria is a civil war, a complex problem. The world has failed the Syrian people. But no one is worse than Assad. Fire the missiles straight at him.
2
That, of course, will mean that Russia and Iran will declare war against the US.
There is no simple solution here.
If we wouldn't have put the entire Middle East on fire more than a decade ago, and without any strategy, then Al Qaeda wouldn't have flooded Iraq, and Iraq's generals fired by Bush wouldn't have founded ISIS, and ISIS wouldn't have attacked Assad, and Iran wouldn't have gained access to Iraq and now feel emboldened enough to try to strengthen its power in Syria too, etc.
Forget all this, and you can indeed start to imagine simplistic solutions like the one you propose. The problem is that people in the region probably did NOT forget the last ten years and America's role in the hell they're going through day after day since then ... . So another attack on a dictator might not be that welcome, you see?
This is horrible, ridiculous and terrifying all at the same time.
And, no, this will not make us forgot about the Mueller investigation, Russia, Stormy Daniels, Cohen, money laundering and corruption, or even the Comey book. Nothing you do could distract us. Sorry.
2
Is it really a 'retaliatory' strike, or a punitive strike?
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2014-20439 Doc No. C05794498 Date: 11/30/2015
RELEASE IN FULL
The best way to help Israel deal with Iran's growing nuclear capability is to help the people of Syria overthrow the regime of Bashar Assad.
[...]
the real threat from a nuclear-armed Iran is not the prospect of an insane Iranian leader launching an unprovoked Iranian nuclear attack on Israel that would lead to the annihilation of both countries. What Israeli military leaders really worry about -- but cannot talk about -- is losing their nuclear monopoly.
[...]
Bringing down Assad would not only be a massive boon to Israel's security, it would also ease Israel's understandable fear of losing its nuclear monopoly. [...]
Washington should start by expressing its willingness to work with regional allies like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar to organize, train and arm Syrian rebel forces.
[...]
Arming the Syrian rebels and using western air power to ground Syrian helicopters and airplanes is a low-cost high payoff approach. As long as Washington's political leaders stay firm that no U.S. ground troops will be deployed, as they did in both Kosovo and Libya, the costs to the United States will be limited. Victory may not come quickly or easily, but it will come. And the payoff will be substantial. Iran would be strategically isolated, unable to exert its influence in the Middle East.
------
Nowhere the document mentions the human costs of this strategy.
2
Trump advertised this strike beforehand.
Trump hoped it would distract.
Most of us are not impressed.
1
“...as allies compiled evidence of Mr. Assad’s role that would assure the world the strikes were warranted.”
The US and its two allies have provided no such evidence, they attacked before the OPCW investigators even arrived at the scene. The world is not assured.
These attacks, despite allegedly being “restrained”, constitute massive violations of international law. They are a crime against peace: planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances. There is no U.N. resolution authorizing these attacks. There is not even any Congressional authorization, so the attacks are in violation of the US Constitution.
Contrary to the propaganda conveyed by the current front-page headline to this piece — “U.S. Attacks Syria in Retaliatory Strike” — there is no “retaliation” here. Neither the US, nor Britain or France have been attacked by Syria. This is not “self-defense”. There is no “threat”. This is Donald Trump and the war party which has now taken Trump over acting exactly as George Bush did in 2003 in launching the criminal and disastrous invasion of Iraq. The difference being that Trump and co. seem to actually believe that the victim of his attacks had or used WMDs, while the Bush regime at least were smart enough not to believe their own lies.
The war party and its minions in the press are thrilled. The rest of us, not so much.
1
When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
1
If Putin now succeeds at persuading the remnants of the Ottoman Empire that they have more to fear from the West than they do from a renascent Soviet Empire, we may be seeing John Bolton's fondest wishes come true ... once again.
1
funny...
Syria army is taking over the place late March, but so-called "chemical attack" happened early April. Why?
The West even point at Syria immediately without investigation. Why?
It is just an invasion without reason.
"WE" are bombing another nation, to protect it's people, who as refugees we refuse to admit into this nation, because a book came out on Friday.
This cannot continue. WE are responsible.
1
"The goal, President Trump said..."?
WHY keep headlining what "Trump says"?
He's a documented serial liar and speaker of rubbish, whose utterances at this point have no validity or relation to truth or even objective reality?
Please report on the NEWS and actual events, not self-serving press conference utterances or twittering tweets!
Mission accomplished - again and again....
No doubt, Assad is a war criminal and belongs to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. However, the whole mess in Syria is also a results of the US policy in the past years.
Anyway, it is to obvious why Trump authorised this strike (besides he is a maniac): to deviate from Muellers investigation. Trump knows that he will be in big trouble soon. So, why not start a little war to distract... (wag the dog). And the US taxpayers are wasting another couple of billions for a war they cannot win while their schools, infrastructure, people are suffering. I just hope that the US will find back the way to the civilised world when this nightmare Trump is over. Till then, we Europeans even see North Korea as a more reliable partner as the US administration. Our prayers will with you, America - the land of the free....
the only thing more appalling than the use of chemical weapons on children is the reactions by Pelosi and Kane... if Trump HADN'T taken tonight's action, these two would have berated him for his indifference to the suffering of the Syrian people... our politics have a stench that not even the most potent perfume could make fragrant
I do hope they were all "surgical strikes" so nobody was killed or injured...............I wonder if those who were punished were the bad guys or maybe the good guys......But then, I suppose that Trump is one of those Presidents who do not need Congressional approval to go to war. And, besides, who actually knows where Congress is these days? It is so quiet in the halls of Congress they must be out of town........
Shame on the Times and on US media for fomenting war based on inadequate information -- and for learning nothing from its history of doing so. The crime is yours as are the consequences.
"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind." - Gandhi
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Again the meaningless posturing of missile-strike diplomacy. Did we actually accomplish anything? I doubt it. Aren't the chemical weapons now coming from North Korea anyway? That's what I read.
I get the feeling that all of this is coordinated with Russia according to script: Trump gets to blow up something (who knows really what); Putin gets to talk tough and maintain his line that it's all Western lies while continuing to prosecute his war; Assad gets to tweet out his outrage as the innocent victim while continuing to be Putin's puppet. Check, check, check, the list is ticked off on the Dictator's playbook of how to use chemical weapons and get away with it.
It really boils down to one question: can we tolerate Putin controlling Syria? If the answer is NO, then we have to prosecute an all out war of control. If the answer is YES, then we need to pull out altogether. I know what I vote for: YES, let Putin have Syria and deal with ISIS. There is NO WINNING in Syria. Putin will eventually fail miserably, and for what? Nothing.
Continuing to waffle in this way, we are just sending a signal that it's okay to kill civilians with bullets, explosives, terror, and starvation but not chemicals. If we really wanted to help in a humanitarian way, we would spend our money evacuating innocent civilians and giving them safe harbor here in the USA, even if that means--Oh my!--letting some Muslim people enter the country.
I'm pretty sure the innocents of Syria just want it to stop.
In recent weeks these comment boards were overflowing with challenges to Trump claiming he would do nothing against Syria out of fear of angering Putin.
And essentially, he has done nothing. "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."
So Trump is so concerned about those Muslim children in Syria but he won't let any of those refugees come here? I thought we were supposed to hate and fear them. Hasn't he been telling us they are all terrorists? And isn't it the Evangelicals and Mormons who want these wars in the Middle East in hopes of bringing around "the last days?" As I remember, W said that God had told him to attack Iraq.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel wisely avoided having anything to do with the odious Trump, whom she doesn't trust as far as she can spit.
Young inexperienced Macron of France bonded with Trump at the military parade in Paris—and is acting like an apprentice.
And Theresa May of Britain, I'm sure, is largely motivated by the recent Russian nerve agent attack on British soil. And this is a further way of striking back at Putin.
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Merkel is excluded from military action by international law. Macron is no apprentice, and has Trump yearning for a share of pomp. May is reacting more to her Brexit mess than to novichok.