The US military launched approximately 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield late on Thursday, in the first direct American assault on the government of President Bashar al-Assad since that country’s civil war began six years ago.The operation, which the Trump administration authorized in retaliation for a chemical attack killing scores of civilians this week, dramatically expands US military involvement in Syria.
The missiles were launched from two Navy destroyers — the USS Ross and USS Porter — in the eastern Mediterranean. They struck an airbase called Shayrat in Homs province, which is the site from which the planes that conducted the chemical attack in Idlib are believed to have originated
@ honeybee:
True, but if the League of Nations had invaded Germany and removed Hitler for violating the re-armament provisions of the Versailles Treaty in 1934, and if Britain, France and Poland had gone to war over German annexation of the Sudetenland, there would have been no Shoah. Trump enforced U.N. Resolutions as did both Presidents Bush.
And, but for Jonathan Pollard, Assad would have nukes. Thank you Jonathan Pollard and why hasn’t the President pardoned him yet so he can go home to a well-deserved hero’s welcome in Israel instead of suffering under inhuman parole conditions!
All we are saying, is give war a chance!
sung to the tune of https://youtu.be/RkZC7sqImaM
“We will make no distinction between terrorists and those who harbor them.” President George W. Bush 9/11/2001
https://youtu.be/XbqCquDl4k4
“For much of the last century America’s defense relied on the cold war doctrines of deterrence and containment. In some cases those strategies still apply. But new threats also require new thinking.
Deterrence, the promise of massive retaliation against nations, means nothing against shadowy terrorist networks with no nation or citizens to defend. Containment is not possible when unbalanced dictators with weapons of mass destruction can deliver those weapons on missiles or secretly provide them to terrorist allies.
We cannot defend America and our friends by hoping for the best. We cannot put our faith in the word of tyrants who solemnly sign nonproliferation treaties and then systematically break them. If we wait for threats to fully materialize we will have waited too long.
Homeland defense and missile defense are part of a stronger security. They’re essential priorities for America.
Yet the war on terror will not be won on the defensive. We must take the battle to the enemy, disrupt his plans and confront the worst threats before they emerge.
In the world we have entered the only path to safety is the path of action. And this nation will act.”
President George W. Bush, June 2001
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/01/international/text-of-bushs-speech-at-west-point.html
Only Presidential speech that ever inspired me. It still gives me goosebumps. What a great orator he was. I was born in ’59.
@ yamit82:
No evidence?
Not according to the Pentagon.
http://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-evidence-assad-used-chemical-weapons-2017-4
It was also a lie that Bush lied about Saddam Hussein having WMDs. He did. He had Sarin gas, as well as uranium yellow cake. Here is one article. I remember at the time an article about U.S. troops coming across a factory for putting Sarin gas into Perfume spray bottles. They also came across a downed plane that was being used as a school for hijackers. He was also giving safe haven to terrorists. Like the terrorist who murdered Leon Klinghofer. He was arrested by the U.S., Italy claimed jurisdiction and then let him go and he got asylum in Iraq! When the Berlin Wall fell, they finally were able to arrest left wing terrorist groups like the Baader Meinhof who had been receiving safe haven and support in E. Germany. That’s only some of the reasons why we were right to go in and wrong to get out.
History shows that war abroad brings peace at home!
In Israel, too. The Oslo Terror War began 4 months after Israel withdrew completely from S. Lebanon. From 1967 to 1972, there were fewer than 50 terror attacks. 996 Jews were murdered in Israel between 2000 and 2005.
We should be in a permanent state of war. So, should Israel. The only compromise should be to conquer less territory if they behave themselves. We should never relinquish anything. Expel the natives from territory captured. Kill the combatants.
Bush was right!
Trump is right!
about going to war. They’re both wrong to recognize the PLO.
Here’s one article about Saddam Hussein’s Sarin I found from 2004. You have go back, they re-write history.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/05/17/sarin-mustard-gas-discovered-separately-in-iraq.html
I voted for Bush in 2004. It was the first time I ever voted Republican (Senator Jacob Javits in the ’70s and 80’s doesn’t count, he was a liberal Republican and a staunch tenant advocate, though I’d still vote for him. Wish there Republicans like that today in NY.)
The ancient Romans were right. War is the highest good. It brings virtue.
Russia West Relations
There are three issues Russia and the West will never agree on. The West should drop these issues from the agenda, unless they are looking for confrontation.
These strategic and necessary for Russia’s survival issues are:
Crimea is an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” for Russia is the south , same as Japan is for the USA in the Far East. That is why it will always be “Russian”.
Russia will never give up its Kuril Islands to Japan. If the islands are lost, the entire nuclear submarine fleet, based on Kamchatka Peninsula, will be blocked in without safe access to Pacific Ocean.
Russia will do everything necessary to keep Syria pro-Russian. If control over Syria is lost, this would allow building of natural gas pipeline from Arab nations to Europe. Russia would lose control over Europe’s natural gas market, the main source of revenue for Russia’s state budget.
Serguei Semine, PhD.
Sebastien Zorn Said:
I am all in for bombing Berlin.
bernard ross Said:
Assad is not Hitler and Syria is not Germany.
@ bernard ross:
Trump did a 180 but first I ask the question who used Sarin gas?? No proof it was Assad and illogical it would be Assad. He was winning the war… His opposition on the ropes Barrel bombs more lethal and effective and why do anything to stir even more the International community against him especially now? Assad is a war criminal but not stupid….
Who benefits from America injecting herself even more deeply into Syrian quagmire? Globalsist, neocon chicken hawks, mil. contractors, wall st. Establishment Republicans and Libruls but above all the Generals… Who is embeded deeply in the Trump admin? Goldman Sacks… Many pro Islamic Generals. Daughter and son inlaw are liberal connected Democrats… who has been pushed out of influence in Trumps inner circle? Bannon and kelleyanne conway and others connected to his conservative and populous agenda that got him elected. He seems to have drained the wrong swamp…. He has what looks like a Bush WH clone….. In the blogsphere most harcore loyal supporters are jumping ship….
I am not in favor of a war with Russia and even if not intended there is the law of unintended consequences. Putin is not going to leave this unresponded to and neither will Iran. They are too invested in Assad…. Israel could be targeted as a response and Russia will protect… Putin send ships and beefed up air defenses…. I don’t like brinkmanship especially from an unbalanced neophyte like Trump who has as his main advisers his daughter and husband.
When the likes of McCain and Lindsey Graham and schmucky Schumer are all cheering Trump take it to the bank it was the wrong move.
@ bernard ross:
Further there’s the question of whether the War Powers Act is Constitutional
https://www.bustle.com/p/was-trumps-syria-missile-strike-constitutional-the-war-powers-resolution-sparks-debate-49719
and
Since Obama involved us in this conflict, either he got some kind of authorization which would extend to Trump, or he is using the authorization Congress gave Bush, or Obama violated the Constitution. And so did Clinton when he sent missiles into Iraq in retaliation for the assasination attempt on former Pres. Bush.
@ Sebastien Zorn:
Besides, what has he violated? We are already in there and he has 48 hours to make a report to Congress of any serious change (which its debatable this is.) Otherwise, it’s every six months.
“50 U.S. Code § 1543 – Reporting requirement
Current through Pub. L. 114-38. (See Public Laws for the current Congress.)
US Code
prev | next
(a) Written report; time of submission; circumstances necessitating submission; information reportedIn the absence of a declaration of war, in any case in which United States Armed Forces are introduced—
(1) into hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances;
(2) into the territory, airspace or waters of a foreign nation, while equipped for combat, except for deployments which relate solely to supply, replacement, repair, or training of such forces; or
(3) in numbers which substantially enlarge United States Armed Forces equipped for combat already located in a foreign nation;
the President shall submit within 48 hours to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to the President pro tempore of the Senate a report, in writing, setting forth—
(A) the circumstances necessitating the introduction of United States Armed Forces;
(B) the constitutional and legislative authority under which such introduction took place; and
(C) the estimated scope and duration of the hostilities or involvement.
(b) Other information reported
The President shall provide such other information as the Congress may request in the fulfillment of its constitutional responsibilities with respect to committing the Nation to war and to the use of United States Armed Forces abroad.
(c) Periodic reports; semiannual requirement
Whenever United States Armed Forces are introduced into hostilities or into any situation described in subsection (a) of this section, the President shall, so long as such armed forces continue to be engaged in such hostilities or situation, report to the Congress periodically on the status of such hostilities or situation as well as on the scope and duration of such hostilities or situation, but in no event shall he report to the Congress less often than once every six months.
(Pub. L. 93–148, §?4, Nov. 7, 1973, 87 Stat. 555.)”
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/50/1543
@ bernard ross:
“Image result for is the war powers act effective
The 1973 law was meant to prevent presidents from sustaining wars without congressional approval. But no one thinks the lawsuit will succeed. And the War Powers Act has never been successfully employed to end any military mission.Jun 16, 2011”
Why The War Powers Act Doesn’t Work : NPR
http://www.npr.org/2011/06/16/137222043/why-the-war-powers-act-doesnt-work
From a legal, moral and common sense point of view Trump appears unconstitutional, acting dangerously with no convincing evidence, operating dangerously impulsive.
On the other hand without regard to legal or moral issues his action may prove to be strategically and tactically brilliant from a geopolitical point of view. He has delivered a well timed message to all the recent rogue adventurers, Russia,Iran, Hezbollah,North Korea((especially), China that he will make his threats real and expects to be taken seriously. Furthermore, it might pre empt the trend of the rogues taking by a thousand cuts leading to an unavertable war.
One might argue that had Chamberlain done the same to Hitler early on it might have saved tens of millions of lives.
“Roosevelt warned that if Japan continued to use chemical warfare against China, the U.S. would consider such actions tantamount to a chemical or biological attack on America and the United Nations and respond with similar attacks.”
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/fdr-warns-japanese-against-using-poison-gas
“Decades of Suspicions
Did German Companies Aid Syrian Chemical Weapons Program?”
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/german-companies-suspected-of-aiding-syrian-chemical-weapons-program-a-1014722.html
@ oldjerry:
Boys and their toys.
Is this the start of WWIII? Did Syria attack us that we had to respond? Do we really know who was responsible for the gas attack? Can we believe in our Intelligence sources who have lied to us before? We know that Neo-Cons and other groups are pushing for war. Has Trump been duped by them?