Trump unleashes military strikes against Assad airbase in Syria

[thaibeachlovers]

9 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

It's already worse than Iraq.  Talking heads on CNN are saying it's highly unlikely US troops will be deployed.  But all options are open now.

 

Too many innocents have been killed by Assad.  Time to stop the silliness.

It's not worse than Iraq for the US and it's allies, which is what I meant.

Assad goes, it won't stop the slaughter. IMO we are now reaping the rewards of colonialism, which used the Roman principle of "divide and rule" to control foreign lands. Assad is of a different culture to the majority of Syrians, and there is little possibility of peace between them. Iraq is still suffering from such.

[craigt3365]

7 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't know, obviously, but it wouldn't be the first time a government told porkies to enable a response. Remember the Gulf of Tonkin incident?

 

The only reason I even care is because I can't think of a good reason why Assad or his forces would do such a thing, while I can think of loads why IS would.

Gulf of Tonkin?  What year was that? LOL  How about the Trojan Horse. LOL

[craigt3365]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

It's not worse than Iraq for the US and it's allies, which is what I meant.

Assad goes, it won't stop the slaughter. IMO we are now reaping the rewards of colonialism, which used the Roman principle of "divide and rule" to control foreign lands. Assad is of a different culture to the majority of Syrians, and there is little possibility of peace between them. Iraq is still suffering from such.

Assad and Russia are responsible for the vast majority of casualties.  So it makes sense, getting rid of that will reduce casualties.  Hard for the rebels to kill so many without the advanced weaponry of Russia and what Russia is giving to Syria.

[thaibeachlovers]

4 minutes ago, Rob13 said:

AFAIK...As commander in chief he can carry out military actions within a set of parameters without going to congress. At some point he needs congress' approval to continue though.0

Agreed, though it should be only if the US was directly threatened. I would hope that he conferred with the leaders of the house before launching though.

[CGW]

If the people waging these "wars" were the ones on the front line with a high chance of death or injury, would these wars be "staged"?

Thankfully I am not cannon fodder! Like to see Trump on the front-line!

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Assad and Russia are responsible for the vast majority of casualties.  So it makes sense, getting rid of that will reduce casualties.  Hard for the rebels to kill so many without the advanced weaponry of Russia and what Russia is giving to Syria.

If the rebels overcome Assad's forces in battle, IMO likely they will slaughter everyone on the government side. It's gone too far for shake hands and be friends now.

[thaibeachlovers]

2 minutes ago, CGW said:

If the people waging these "wars" were the ones on the front line with a high chance of death or injury, would these wars be "staged"?

Thankfully I am not cannon fodder! Like to see Trump on the front-line!

I believe few if any children of politicians died in Vietnam. I doubt that has changed much.

[beechguy]

26 minutes ago, CGW said:

Maybe Trump will now be accepted? he's proving that he is one of the boys who like to slaughter innocents!

Have to wonder who supplied the "chemicals" to the Syrians in the first place! surprise, surprise - was the UK, well done!

We have learnt nothing and remain the tools of the elites!

And what innocents is Trump slaughtering? Appears to be a limited strike, on a military base. But no need to let the facts get in the way for the ignorant is there.

[oz457]

Will this ignite WW3? I'm worried about the Russian answer to this strike if any of the Russian Military are hurt.

This does not look very good.

[dexterm]

Whoever perpetrated the murder of innocents with chemical weapons deserve everything they get. I have no sympathy for those monsters whatsoever.

 

But I wonder if there is also a hidden agenda in this missile attack?

 

Perhaps no small coincidence that Trump is in the middle of talking tough to China now and Russia next week.

 

Geopolitically, is it also an indirect attack on Iran, Syria's ally. You have to ask the question cui bono regime change in Syria.

 

If these missile strikes prevent the further barbaric use of chemical weapons, and the US goes back to targeting ISIS...good. If it is the start of something different, watch out.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, dexterm said:

Whoever perpetrated the murder of innocents with chemical weapons deserve everything they get. I have no sympathy for those monsters whatsoever.

 

But I wonder if there is also a hidden agenda in this missile attack?

 

Perhaps no small coincidence that Trump is in the middle of talking tough to China now and Russia next week.

 

Geopolitically, is it also an indirect attack on Iran, Syria's ally. You have to ask the question cui bono regime change in Syria.

 

If these missile strikes prevent the further barbaric use of chemical weapons, and the US goes back to targeting ISIS...good. If it is the start of something different, watch out.

Whoever being the operative word. Has it yet been established beyond any doubt that Assad did it? IS must be lovin' it.

[Galactus]

hope the wipe out bloody dictator Assad and his guys from this world forever!

USA, EU and all whatever needs to do something ASAP.

 

and shame on Russia for backing and supporting a bloody dictator Assad gassing his own people! man, can Russians live with this shame? History will remember Russia as a nation supporting bloody murderers and makers of despicable acts and responsible for multiple millions of deaths in Syria.

Edited April 7, 2017 by Galactus

[tuktuktuk]

Wow!  I didn't expect this, especially after Hillary called for it.  Will this really help?  Sounds like the Russians were warned that it would take place.  It wouldn't surprise me that the Russians in turn warned the Syrians.  The damage may have been largely avoided.  No matter what we do here we help a faction that hates us. I hate seeing innocent children targeted and hurt when we could act, but I also believe most of those children will grow up to hate us no matter how sincere we are about our humanitarian responsibilities.  I was starting to see it the Obama way - do nothing.

[CGW]

14 minutes ago, beechguy said:

And what innocents is Trump slaughtering? Appears to be a limited strike, on a military base. But no need to let the facts get in the way for the ignorant is there.

Well noted! some "ignorant" may not realise bombs kill people, commonly refereed to as collateral damage....

[craigt3365]

2 minutes ago, CGW said:

Well noted! some "ignorant" may not realise bombs kill people, commonly refereed to as collateral damage....

Few on a military base are innocent.  Civilian or otherwise.  They know what's going on.

[LannaGuy]

[thaibeachlovers]

7 minutes ago, CGW said:

Well noted! some "ignorant" may not realise bombs kill people, commonly refereed to as collateral damage....

Cruise missiles are not bombs and they go where intended. Air bases don't have collateral casualties.

[daveAustin]

26 minutes ago, oz457 said:

Will this ignite WW3? I'm worried about the Russian answer to this strike if any of the Russian Military are hurt.

This does not look very good.

Suits me. I think we all need to go and give the plants and animals a chance. What a mess we've made.

 

As to the price of the missiles... gotta replace them of course, but the money has already been spent so may as well use em on the perps. 

[thaibeachlovers]

17 minutes ago, Galactus said:

hope the wipe out bloody dictator Assad and his guys from this world forever!

USA, EU and all whatever needs to do something ASAP.

 

and shame on Russia for backing and supporting a bloody dictator Assad gassing his own people! man, can Russians live with this shame? History will remember Russia as a nation supporting bloody murderers and makers of despicable acts and responsible for multiple millions of deaths in Syria.

Hmmmm. Russians killed millions of their own in the past. Compared to Stalin, Assad is just an amateur. Then look at what they did in Chechnya and Afghanistan.

I doubt if they are at all worried about supporting Assad.

 

responsible for multiple millions of deaths in Syria.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Syrian_Civil_War

Estimates of deaths in the Syrian Civil War, per opposition activist groups, vary between 321,358^[1] and 470,000.

You shouldn't let emotion cause you to overstate your case.

[attrayant]

Good old Ron Paul and his appeals to ignorance.

[sujoop]

Called it correctly yesterday (below):
 

------------
Assad has the upper hand now so did not need to risk a renewed backlash. So, who besides Assad has free range of air space in Syria? Trump's pal, comrade Putin (Russia also has monitor control over Syria's chemical weapons).  This despicable act comes as Russia-Gate was dominating and increasingly revealing complicit ties between Trump's Whitehouse & Russia. But now, suddenly Trump & Putin appear on opposite sides. (pure theatre)

The situation in Syria could now make for a mutually convenient, distracting, 'theatre' of faux confrontation between Russia and the Whitehouse. Trump could order a couple strategic air strikes on Syrian bases or chemical targets, with Russia threatening back but it's only theatre. Meanwhile all the steam behind Whitehouse/Russia-Gate evaporates ...
--------------
 

Doubters, one logical question: Since Russia defacto controls Shayrat Airbase and also monitors Syria's chemical weapons, how did the chemical attack happen in the first place if not under direction of Putin and for what purpose?

 

Next up, onto N Korea for even more wag-the-dog dangerous distractions.

 

 

Edited April 7, 2017 by sujoop

[ddavidovsky]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

I hope they blow the Assad regime off the face of the planet .....   It cannot make it any worse for the people there. 

You are forgetting what happened to Iraq and Libya. So is Trump. Those were sectarian conflicts which persist to this day as sectarian conflicts. That sort of thing doesn't go away unless it is fixed at root. Syria is exactly the same. Removing Assad will only unleash a hornet's nest of worse conflict.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, attrayant said:

Good old Ron Paul and his appeals to ignorance.

IMO he has got it right. 

[LannaGuy]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

IMO he has got it right. 

yup I just don't think Assad is that stupid and the whole world is being 'set-up' again 

[attrayant]

He hasn't said anything to "get right".  He's just making a broad appeal to incredulity.  "I can't believe this really happened, so therefore it didn't."

[jollyhangmon]

40 minutes ago, oz457 said:

Will this ignite WW3? I'm worried about the Russian answer to this strike if any of the Russian Military are hurt.

This does not look very good.

Apparently the sections of the base where the Iwans dwell(ed) have been spared ... 

[rockingrobin]

5 minutes ago, sujoop said:

Called it correctly yesterday (below):
 

------------
Assad has the upper hand now so did not need to risk a renewed backlash. So, who besides Assad has free range of air space in Syria? Trump's pal, comrade Putin (Russia also has monitor control over Syria's chemical weapons).  This despicable act comes as Russia-Gate was dominating and increasingly revealing complicit ties between Trump's Whitehouse & Russia. But now, suddenly Trump & Putin appear on opposite sides. (pure theatre)

The situation in Syria could now make for a mutually convenient, distracting, 'theatre' of faux confrontation between Russia and the Whitehouse. Trump could order a couple strategic air strikes on Syrian bases or chemical targets, with Russia threatening back but it's only theatre. Meanwhile all the steam behind Whitehouse/Russia-Gate evaporates ...
--------------
 

Doubters, one logical question: Since Russia defacto controls Shayrat Airbase and also monitors Syria's chemical weapons, how did the chemical attack happen in the first place if not under direction of Putin and for what purpose?

 

Next up, onto N Korea for even more wag-the-dog dangerous distractions.

 

 

In 2013 it was reported the Syrian regime had no chemical weapons, whilst it is known some rebel factions are in possession 

[CGW]

36 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Few on a military base are innocent.  Civilian or otherwise.  They know what's going on.

Conscripted or otherwise, earning a daily wage, same as USA bases - never realised - thanks.

[craigt3365]

29 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Cruise missiles are not bombs and they go where intended. Air bases don't have collateral casualties.

CNN just showed a graphic. They targeted airplanes. Runways and fuel depots. Nothing else.

[ddavidovsky]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

Libya is better off than Syria.  But yes, both places are a mess.  No easy answers.

But some answers are easier than others. The easiest, and the best for everybody in Syria, is to let Assad keep a lid on the sectarian conflict. The only other option is partition of this artificial country, which ISIS have already attempted.