Trump aides differ over Assad's future after Syria attack

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Trump aides differ over Assad's future after Syria attack

By Sarah N. Lynch and David Lawder

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTOS: A combination photo shows U.S. President Donald Trump (L) in Washington, U.S., April 3, 2017 (L) and Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in a handout picture taken January 8, 2015 by Syria's national news agency SANA. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque (L) and SANA/Handout via Reuters/File photos - RTX34H7O

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top aides to President Donald Trump demurred on Sunday over where U.S. policy on Syria was headed after last week's retaliatory missile strike, leaving open questions about whether removing Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad from power was now one of Trump's goals.

 

After the United States launched cruise missile strikes on a Syrian air base alleged to have launched a deadly poison gas attack on Syrian civilians, Trump administration officials said they were prepared to take further actions if necessary.

 

Trump's United Nations ambassador, Nikki Haley, said the United States had "multiple priorities" in Syria and that stability there was impossible with Assad as president.

 

"In no way do we see peace in that area with Assad as the head of the Syrian government," Haley told NBC's "Meet the Press."

 

"And we have to make sure that we're pushing that process. The political solution has to come together for the good of the people of Syria," she said.

 

Her comments appeared at odds with those of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who said the U.S. missile strike was aimed solely at deterring the use of chemical weapons by Assad.

 

"There is no change to our military posture" in Syria, Tillerson said on ABC's 'This Week' program.

 

Tillerson said the U.S. priority in Syria was defeating Islamic State, the militant group also known as ISIS. Once ISIS is defeated, the United States could turn its attention to trying to help bring about a "political process" that could bring about stability in Syria, he said.

 

"It is through that political process that we believe the Syrian people will ... be able to decide the fate of Bashar al-Assad," Tillerson said.

 

A White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said any difference in nuance was inadvertent and unintentional, and declined to comment further.

 

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump said defeating Islamic State was a higher priority than persuading Assad to step down. The Republican criticized calls by his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, for the establishment of a no-fly zone and "safe zones" to protect noncombatants.

 

"What we should do is focus on ISIS. We should not be focusing on Syria," Trump told Reuters in an interview last October.

 

Tillerson on Sunday blamed Russia for enabling the poison gas attack by failing to follow through on a 2013 agreement to secure and destroy chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria.

 

"The failure related to the recent strike and the recent terrible chemical weapons attack in large measure is a failure on Russia's part to achieve its commitment to the international community," he added.

 

Russia swiftly condemned last week's attack. On Sunday, a joint command center comprised of Russian, Iranian and militia forces supporting Assad said it would respond to any new aggression and increase its support for its ally.

 

Trump ordered the missile strikes on the Syrian air base after blaming Assad for the chemical weapons attack, which killed at least 70 people, many of them children, in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun. The Syrian government has denied it was behind the assault.

 

Speaking on "Fox News Sunday," White House national security adviser H.R. McMaster said the United States was "prepared to do more" regarding military action in Syria if necessary.

 

On whether Assad should be removed from power, McMaster said: "We are not saying that we are the ones who are going to effect that change.

 

"What we are saying is other countries have to ask themselves some hard questions. Russia should ask themselves, 'What are we doing here?'" McMaster said.

 

Lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties were supportive of Trump's decision to attack the Syrian air base, but some Republican senators said they were concerned about the lack of policy clarity and Tillerson's strategy of leaving Assad's fate unresolved while concentrating on Islamic State.

 

"There seem to be a difference in what Ambassador Haley is saying, that Assad has no future, and what I heard this morning from Secretary Tillerson," Republican Senator Marco Rubio told ABC, adding that Tillerson's strategy won't work.

 

"There is no such thing as Assad yes, but ISIS no," Rubio said.

 

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press," said removing Assad from power would require the United States to commit thousands more troops to the country to create safe-haven areas for the opposition to regroup, retrain and ultimately take control of the country.

 

"You tell the Russians, 'If you continue to bomb the people we train, we'll shoot you down,' Graham said.

 

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and David Morgan, writing by David Lawder; Editing by Caren Bohan; Editing by James Dalgleish and Jonathan Oatis)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-04-10

[Andaman Al]

Be afraid, be very afraid!

 

I believe Tillerson is Haley's boss, they really need to get their s**t together or people might think these business people have no idea what they are frakking doing and no idea how to govern a world super power.      The amateur nature of what is now going on with US Governance is quite unbelievable. Americans actually voted for these people. I wonder what Trumps popularity rating is now? He is so far out of his depth he needs scuba kit. We have Trump shooting from the hip, his two most senior and closest advisors having to agree to stop disagreeing and competing with each other and his two senior foreign policy people openly stating complete opposites as far as Assad and Syria are concerned. Are none of you Trump worshippers even slightly concerned? 

Edited April 9, 2017 by Andaman Al

[craigt3365]

56 minutes ago, Andaman Al said:

Be afraid, be very afraid!

 

I believe Tillerson is Haley's boss, they really need to get their s**t together or people might think these business people have no idea what they are frakking doing and no idea how to govern a world super power.      The amateur nature of what is now going on with US Governance is quite unbelievable. Americans actually voted for these people. I wonder what Trumps popularity rating is now? He is so far out of his depth he needs scuba kit. We have Trump shooting from the hip, his two most senior and closest advisors having to agree to stop disagreeing and competing with each other and his two senior foreign policy people openly stating complete opposites as far as Assad and Syria are concerned. Are none of you Trump worshippers even slightly concerned? 

Assad's the one who started this mess.  The opposition won't sign a peace treaty until he's gone.  This mess has been going on for years.  Perhaps a change is in order.  It sure can't get any worse.

 

I'll give you an update next week when I'll be in Lebanon for a week, and hoping to overnight in the Bekka Valley.  Less than 20km from Syria.  And the home of Hezbollah.  Who from time to time cause problems that close the area to tourists.  Great opportunity to speak with the locals and see what their thoughts are.

[ikke]

2 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Assad's the one who started this mess.  The opposition won't sign a peace treaty until he's gone.  This mess has been going on for years.  Perhaps a change is in order.  It sure can't get any worse.

 

I'll give you an update next week when I'll be in Lebanon for a week, and hoping to overnight in the Bekka Valley.  Less than 20km from Syria.  And the home of Hezbollah.  Who from time to time cause problems that close the area to tourists.  Great opportunity to speak with the locals and see what their thoughts are.

Not Assad who started the mess, Obama did !

[craigt3365]

3 minutes ago, ikke said:

Not Assad who started the mess, Obama did !

Explain, please. LOL

 

Amazing how people blame Obama for everything. LOL

[ilostmypassword]

3 minutes ago, craigt3365 said:

Explain, please. LOL

 

Amazing how people blame Obama for everything. LOL

He's probably referring to the fact that when the rebellion got under way, the United States started giving it aid.

[boomerangutang]

10 minutes ago, ikke said:

Not Assad who started the mess, Obama did !

                Off base.  Obama did what he thought was best in a very messy situation.  I think Obama did rather well, considering the lose-lose scenario - regardless of what the US did or did not do.

 

               Syria has been a festering pustule for decades.  It lost a war to Israel not long ago.  It has nearly zero natural resources.  It is hobbled by a mean-spirited and out-dated belief system (Islamism).

 

                    When Arab Summer protests spread around the M.East, there were also uprisings in Syria, similar to uprisings in other dune states.   Assad could have dealt with the Syrian uprising in a sane and measured way.  Instead, he used an iron fist, and the reverberations are still going on.

[craigt3365]

10 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

He's probably referring to the fact that when the rebellion got under way, the United States started giving it aid.

So they were wrong.  Obama didn't start it.  The rebellion.  Again, amazing how people blame Obama for this. LOL

[ilostmypassword]

Just now, craigt3365 said:

So they were wrong.  Obama didn't start it.  The rebellion.  Again, amazing how people blame Obama for this. LOL

He doesn't deserve all the blame. But he does deserve some of it.

[Crowes]

I love these stories by the media claiming chaos in the Trump administration when Trump appointees speak their minds. The media just can't fathom having people in key positions able to think for themselves rather than reading canned responses like we've had the past 8 years under Obama (ex. Susan Rice).

[ilostmypassword]

1 minute ago, Crowes said:

I love these stories by the media claiming chaos in the Trump administration when Trump appointees speak their minds. The media just can't fathom having people in key positions able to think for themselves rather than reading canned responses like we've had the past 8 years under Obama (ex. Susan Rice).

People in key positions should think for themselves. But they should speak for the administration they serve.

[Crowes]

14 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

People in key positions should think for themselves. But they should speak for the administration they serve.

 

I agree, but it's clear that any deviation, no matter how small, is enough for scrutiny by the media with regards to Trump when it probably wouldn't have been under Obama. The comments by Haley and Tillerson mentioned in this story are not even newsworthy in the sense that somehow you can draw a comparison that there is confusion about how to handle Assad. Even with the whole Syrian conflict being one huge cluster f to begin with. I had to read the article 3 times to find out what the big deal was, and even now I'm still not sure. But hey, Reuters made a nice negative story about Trump, so I guess they achieved their purpose.

Edited April 10, 2017 by Crowes

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, Crowes said:

I love these stories by the media claiming chaos in the Trump administration when Trump appointees speak their minds. The media just can't fathom having people in key positions able to think for themselves rather than reading canned responses like we've had the past 8 years under Obama (ex. Susan Rice).

It's all over the news.  Seems there is turmoil in the administration.  Makes sense considering the nature of the administration, Trump, and these individuals.  Many have zero experience in government.  Don't blame the media for this.

[dutchisaan]

2 hours ago, Crowes said:

I love these stories by the media claiming chaos in the Trump administration when Trump appointees speak their minds. The media just can't fathom having people in key positions able to think for themselves rather than reading canned responses like we've had the past 8 years under Obama (ex. Susan Rice).

I love the stories from the trumpeteers. In this administration there are no people that are in key positions and can think for them self!

 

Sorry, I take that back, they only think for them selfs and leave it up to people like you to defend them, and please, don't start complaining when they take a runner and let you to take up the bill.

[KenKadz]

Actually these comments are not going back far enough.

The Middle East implosion began with Bush Sr and "W" carried on.

A wikipedia search for April Galaspie will provide more details.

April Catherine Glaspie (born April 26, 1942) is an American former diplomat and senior member of the Foreign Service, best known for her role in the events leading up to the Gulf War.

[dunroaming]

One of the mistakes with Saddam was that they didn't just take out the man they took out everything else as well and the country imploded.  Take out Assad but leave everything in place.  That way you don't open the door any wider to the terrorist groups.

[Andaman Al]

37 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

Take out Assad but leave everything in place.

Nice Idea, 5 years too late. Apart from Damascus there is nothing else left.

[dunroaming]

1 hour ago, Andaman Al said:

Nice Idea, 5 years too late. Apart from Damascus there is nothing else left.

I am talking about the administration and the police and services.  Assad is the poison.  As for Syria itself I agree completely and there is no easy fix for that. 

[ilostmypassword]

17 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

I am talking about the administration and the police and services.  Assad is the poison.  As for Syria itself I agree completely and there is no easy fix for that. 

Assad isn't the poison. The whole system is poisonous. Especially considering that it's the Alawites who are mostly in the positions of power.  If you depose Assad, some equally poisonous character will rise to the top. The only way to actually give Syria good governance is lots and lots of boots on the ground for a long long time.  That simply won't fly.

[boomerangutang]

 

7 hours ago, Crowes said:

I agree, but it's clear that any deviation, no matter how small, is enough for scrutiny by the media with regards to Trump when it probably wouldn't have been under Obama. The comments by Haley and Tillerson mentioned in this story are not even newsworthy in the sense that somehow you can draw a comparison that there is confusion about how to handle Assad. Even with the whole Syrian conflict being one huge cluster f to begin with. I had to read the article 3 times to find out what the big deal was, and even now I'm still not sure. But hey, Reuters made a nice negative story about Trump, so I guess they achieved their purpose.

Trump and his honchos are debilitating their credence day by day.  If they declared water was wet, I might doubt it, or question their motive, because they simply aren't believable or trustable.  None of 'em.  As my dad would say, they're "blind leading the blind" ....and that's putting it nicely.  

 

3 hours ago, dunroaming said:

One of the mistakes with Saddam was that they didn't just take out the man they took out everything else as well and the country imploded.  Take out Assad but leave everything in place.  That way you don't open the door any wider to the terrorist groups.

                  I'd like to agree. However, the modus operandi in the Dune States is: a strong oppressive man takes charge.  His son takes over.  Anyone not in his inner circle gets killed or f'd.  rinse and repeat.

 

                If Assad were taken out, another oppressive dictator would take charge. Though in Syria's case, it might be after 19 years of internecine fighting, with civilians taking the brunt of harm.  

[craigt3365]

1 hour ago, ilostmypassword said:

Assad isn't the poison. The whole system is poisonous. Especially considering that it's the Alawites who are mostly in the positions of power.  If you depose Assad, some equally poisonous character will rise to the top. The only way to actually give Syria good governance is lots and lots of boots on the ground for a long long time.  That simply won't fly.

Assad is the poison.  If he was better, the whole system wouldn't be poisonous.  Jordan doesn't have these problems.  Good leader.

[dunroaming]

I think to talk of a satisfactory outcome in Syria is too optimistic.  We must learn from the dire mistakes made in Iraq but this is far more complicated because of Putin.  Troops on the ground isn't the answer which leaves you with a clinical take out of the head of the snake.  yes of course Assad would be replaced but it is at that time that deals and red lines are re-enforced.  Just my take on it and with Trump in the mix I doubt a positive result at all.

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

Assad is the poison.  If he was better, the whole system wouldn't be poisonous.  Jordan doesn't have these problems.  Good leader.

Jordan doesn't have the Baathists, either. Nor is it ruled by members of a minority religion. Really, I thought the debacles of the Bush era had put paid to this kind of thinking.

Edited April 10, 2017 by ilostmypassword