Patterico's Pontifications

4/6/2017

The Question Of What To Do About Syria (UPDATE ADDED)

Filed under: General — Dana @ 6:38 pm



[guest post by Dana]

In spite of President Obama’s “amateurish improvisation” when he drew a red line of warning in the sand to Syria, and national security adviser Susan Rice and Secretary of State John Kerry crowing about Syria voluntarily giving up their last stockpile of chemical weapons, we learned this week about a horrific chemical attack in northern Syria. The attack claimed the lives of at least 70 people, including 20 children, and with at least another 100+ being treated at various hospitals. While the UK and the White House blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s bloodthirsty regime for the gruesome attack, the regime denies any involvement.

Today, Reuters declared the obvious:

Untitled1

President Trump responded to the attack: PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: It crossed a lot of lines for me. When you kill innocent children, innocent babies – babies – little babies with a chemical gas that is so lethal that people were shocked to hear what gas it was, that crosses many, many lines beyond a red line – many, many lines.

Today, during a presser, he elaborated:

“I think what Assad did is terrible. I think what happened in Syria is one of the truly egregious crimes. It shouldn’t have happened. It shouldn’t be allowed to happen,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I think what happened in Syria is a disgrace to humanity. He’s there, and I guess he’s running things, so something should happen.”

Secretary of State responded today as well:

“With the acts that he has taken, it would seem that there would be no rule for him to govern the Syrian people,” Tillerson told reporters. “The process by which Assad would leave is something that I think requires and international community effort, both to first defeat ISIS within Syria, to stabilize the Syrian country to avoid further civil war, and then to work collectively with our partners around the world through a political process that would lead to Assad leaving.”

Tillerson added that “those steps are underway” already.

He also had this warning for Russia:

It is very important that the Russian government consider carefully their continued support for the Assad regime[.]

It is now being reported that the U.S. is considering military options in response:

President Trump is weighing options for a military strike in Syria, a possible prelude to a major expansion of American intervention that officials said Thursday could serve as a response to a devastating chemical weapons attack by the Syrian government.

As Defense Secretary Jim Mattis prepared to meet with Mr. Trump in Florida to discuss military options, Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson promised a “serious response” from the United States to the use of chemical weapons on Tuesday by the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Mr. Tillerson made it clear that the Trump administration saw “no role” for Mr. Assad to continue governing Syria.

American officials said the options ranged from a limited cruise-missile strike to destroy a relatively isolated military installation to a multiday offensive that could involve the use of American warplanes against a range of targets, including Syria’s extensive air defenses. One other possibility, experts speculated, might be to strike the airfield that Syrian aircraft used to carry out the chemical attack on the rebel town of Khan Sheikhoun.

Condensing a complex issue, and despite The New York Times reporting that “…foreign policy analysts said Mr. Trump risked looking indecisive if he did not act after declaring Wednesday that Syria had “crossed a lot of lines for me” with the chemical attack on civilians,” and despite that it is gut-wrenching to see so many innocent and powerless people being treated with such unfathomable cruelty by a madman, is increasing U.S. involvement in Syria or even going to war any kind of solution?

UPDATE:

President Trump ordered a cruise missile strike against Syria early Friday local time in retaliation for the chemical weapons attack that killed 86 people on Tuesday, according to the Pentagon.

The attack, the first conventional assault on another country ordered by Trump, comes a day after he declared that the chemical weapons assault had “crossed many, many lines,” including causing the deaths of 27 children.

The missiles, fired from a U.S. Navy vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, struck multiple sites, including the airfield where Syria based the warplanes used in the chemical attack, a Defense official said.

President Trump, opting to do what then President Obama wouldn’t:

The attack essentially follows the plan that the Pentagon had set in September 2013, according to a senior Defense official not authorized to speak publicly about the operation. That plan was devised after President Obama had set a “red line” on the use of chemical weapons. Syrian President Bashar Assad had used the weapons that killed 1,400 civilians, but Obama did not order an attack. Instead, Assad agreed to turnover his stockpiles of chemical weapons, a pledge he obviously reneged on in light of Tuesday’s use of what experts believe was sarin gas on civilians.

Thanks to kishnevi for pointing this out.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

UPDATE BY PATTERICO: Unconstitutional and stupid. I would have expected nothing less. Back to my hiatus. See you around April 10.

200 Responses to “The Question Of What To Do About Syria (UPDATE ADDED)”

  1. If Congress approves, and we do send troops in, to what end?

    Dana (023079)

  2. the best response to the gassy syrian (sp?) provocations is to repeal obamacare i think

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  3. That would be terrible, Dana. So far, it’s been Russia’s mini-Vietnam. If we send troops in, it will be our Vietnam all over again. What we should try to do is make the Russians bleed while we mainly keep out of harm’s way. Like Afghanistan in the ’80s.

    nk (dbc370)

  4. Yes, what to do? They just did it.

    “I have been many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.” -Abraham Lincoln.

    Patricia (5fc097)

  5. Let’s see if there’s a follow up over Damascus with airplanes that drop that dust that shorts out powerlines. That’s a good one. A better one would be if tonight’s targets included the S-300 surface to air missile batteries that Russia has provided to Syria to use against our planes.

    nk (dbc370)

  6. Dana, you might want to update your post– it’s already old news– the tomahawks have been fired.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  7. I couldn’t agree more, nk. To what end, if we go in? Nation building? An continual presence of troops to keep the peace? Would we declare war, or would it just be a “surge” or “escalation’, or some other euphemism for war to bypass Congress?

    Dana (023079)

  8. He’s giving his speech. What’s this obsession with ‘little babies.’

    Has the stink of Ivanka on it.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  9. at best this is a last ditch effort at curing Meghan’s coward daddy’s chronic ED

    but ask yourself, is that really a sufficient justification?

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  10. Has the stink of Ivanka on it.

    Other than you making noise what does that mean?

    Rev. Hoagie® (785e38)

  11. An attack like what happened in Idlib can and should have been prevented much more easily.

    All that is or was necessary is to bomb (or destroy with cruise missiles) all the airfields from which the Syrian Air Force can take off, and while you’re at it, destroy most of their planes
    as well. Theer was almost zero risk of U.S. casualties or geetting any kind of retaliation.

    Obama didn’t do this because of worries about legality, especially from the point of view of U.S. law, and because he had this pipe dream of a negotiated settlement. He wanted a balance of power, and then, supposedly, the warring factions would settle. Don’t ask me where this ridiculous idea came from.

    It is possible that the only policy you need to prevent this is one no more terrorial gains on the part of the Assad regime, and some other bad actors. Even maybe including recovering territory from ISIS. Maybe that last one depends.

    As for safe zones: A safe zone can be created any place you are willing to shoot down Russian planes, and keep put terrorists. If that place is within the international borders of Syria, then it can be in Syria. If there is no such place in Syria, the safe zones will have to outside of Syria.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  12. he’s right this reeks of ivanka-stank

    but how’s he supposed to pass the time when pervy mitt romney’s sex toy paul ryan only wants to work 8 days this month?

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  13. @11. You’re behind the curve, Hoagie. But then, so was Mr. Pike.

    Try and keep up w/current events.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  14. Thanks, kishnevi, for pointing this out. Post updated.

    Dana (023079)

  15. Drop a Greek Ranger squad in there behind the lines. Call ’em “the Bunger Squad”… they could take up positions in the rear… sneak sapper attacks from the rear.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  16. Hopefully Assad is a fast learner.

    Rae (2fd998)

  17. * A safe zone can be created any place you are willing to shoot down Russian planes, and are willing and able to keep out terrorists.

    If that place is within the international borders of Syria, then it can be in Syria. If there is no such place in Syria, the safe zones will have to be outside of Syria.

    I don’t know what this business of babies is. The Syrian government killed plenty of other babies.

    The real core oof the crime here is an attack on a hospital, but they attacked 300 hospitals before. Maybe it’s the combination.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  18. The real core oof the crime here is an attack on a hospital, but they attacked 300 hospitals before. Maybe it’s the combination.
    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:12 pm

    ****************

    Well true–and a change in The Watchmen.

    Rae (2fd998)

  19. Assad is reaching out to his friend Sting as I write this…

    I hope teh Russians love their children too.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  20. You’re welcome…but in fairness to everyone else, when I turned to the Quick Hits thread, the missile strikes were already being discussed. I was actually a latecomer.

    kishnevi (1ac7b0)

  21. Sammeh the redline pantomime was about Iran, check the mosaic piece in the other thread, there were similar strikes from that airbase as recent as three weeks ago.
    https://medium.com/@x_TomCooper_x/air-strikes-in-khan-sheikhoun-kfar-zita-latamina-area-16-march-2017-abbfd865f67b

    narciso (d1f714)

  22. What I’d like to see is a simultaneous MOAB to the HQ of each of the factions.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  23. Message to the world–don’t mess with McMaster and Mattis.

    Rae (2fd998)

  24. Now Marco is crying in his beer on the TeeVee about being ‘moved’ by TeeVee images of 100 dead Syrians.

    No, young master Rubio, a lot of us aren’t so easily suckered and don’t give a damn about wailing idiots living in rubble raising future vest bombers and terrorists. Next youll want to airdrop more PopTarts to them. [And yes, that’s part of the free food we give them– frigging PopTarts.]

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  25. there is no such thing as bunger squad

    not in freakshow mattis’s mostest sticky dreams

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  26. If it stops with this, it ois probably too much like what President Clinton used to do.If they destroy ALL and all the planes out in the open, then the U.S will have done something.

    17. Rae (2fd998) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:12 pm

    Hopefully Assad is a fast learner.

    This is also a message to China and North Korea.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  27. Proposition
    Kim Jong 3 was a secondary target of this strike.

    kishnevi (1ac7b0)

  28. @24- Message to the world: if you want to jerk America’s chain, put it on TeeVee.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  29. Assad knows you canNOT successfully prosecute a war with a weak chin like he has. He’s panicky 😱 .

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  30. president stinkypig woulda sprinkled 60+ tommywhatevers i bet

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  31. @28. Nah. Light off anything toward NK and SK is gone in an hour. That would be bad for business at the Trump Doral Seoul.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  32. This is also a message to China and North Korea.
    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:15 pm

    **************

    True–although just like the policy of MAD relies on “rational actors”–not sure if Little Kim is “teachable.”

    Gonna have to think positive on that one as well.

    Rae (2fd998)

  33. Assad knows you canNOT successfully prosecute a war with a weak chin like he has. He’s panicky .
    Colonel Haiku (2601c0) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:16 pm

    ************

    A chin like that probably makes him hard to hang.

    Rae (2fd998)

  34. 28… that makes sense, kishnevi.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  35. Don’t be surprised if Putin dresses up what left of a lot of dead Syrians in tattered Russian uniforms and call foul at killing his countrymen.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  36. o Stu is very annoying, ks is a nusra hayt Al tahir stronghold
    (that means alqueda) why did they feel the need to escalate at this time?

    narciso (d1f714)

  37. Sounds good, Kevin M.

    mg (31009b)

  38. He’s too bad to just hang. Being he’s a dentist, root canal his sorry ass to death!

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  39. 33. Trump is not trying to reach Kim. He’s trying to reach Xi. Let him know that if China doesn;t shut down North Korea’s missile program, AND IT CAN, the United States will. And soon.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  40. 59 tomahawks.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  41. This is also a message to China and North Korea.
    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:15 pm

    And to Iran.

    Dana (023079)

  42. If America fired off even one tomahawk into North Korea Jong-In will obliterate South Korea, starting w/Seoul as well as the thousands of American troops stationed within minutes.

    North Korea isn’t Syria.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  43. 28. Actually, I think, China was a secondary target of this strike – if they don’t want to risk seeing the end of North Korea. The dictatorship is actually maybe rather fragile.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  44. 43. That’s why it may have to be an all assault on North Korea’s command and control.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  45. Trump is not trying to reach Kim.

    **********

    So you consider him an irrational actor? Hell if Kim gets a message what could it hurt?

    Rae (2fd998)

  46. we should pull our hapless tatted-up troops out of south korea as a surprise easter gift i think

    they have people that love them you know

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  47. Just isolate Kim from his army, and his military from its orders. Might have to isolate any Chinse military units in Noth Korea, too..

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  48. 39.
    Assad is an opthalmologist.
    Cataract surgery with no anesthesia?

    kishnevi (1ac7b0)

  49. North Korea is now a nuclear power within the definition of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. A legitimate target for a nuclear first strike.

    nk (dbc370)

  50. No need to fire any missiles at teh NoKos. Just isolate them even more than they are. Make ’em ronery… ronery enough to reach out to Dennis Rodman… who can accept his mission to take the fat kid out.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  51. A legitimate target for a nuclear first strike.

    all the more reason to repeal obamacare if you ask me

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  52. Candidate Trump was right that attacking Syria is foolish.

    Assad is a nasty Cold War relic but Russia aren’t going to let him lose and so weakening him will further prolong a war that is an ongoing humanitarian disaster. To compound things the only opposition still standing look suspiciously like our enemy.

    I don’t see any angle from which this serves American interests.

    Bob (22230e)

  53. Seems like an infrastructure stimulus for Syria and a boost to the Russian Military Industrial Complex.

    Pinandpuller (16b0b5)

  54. Well it’s interesting this all went down essentially–while The Donald was dining with Xi.

    I suspect China was let in on events.

    Rae (2fd998)

  55. No more U.S. boots on the ground. Let the locals torture each other.

    mg (31009b)

  56. I don’t see any angle from which this serves American interests.
    Bob (22230e) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:29 pm

    *******************

    We have troops in Syria.

    We don’t tolerate WMDs near our damn troops–ever.

    Rae (2fd998)

  57. Russians were on the base and forewarned per CNN. Tillerson was due to visit Moscow next week. We’ll see.

    Dana (023079)

  58. president trump and his off-the-leash poodle general mattis

    they been watching way too much cable i think

    this is just gay, what they done tonight

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  59. cindy sheehan and 6 lit candles will be coming round that mountain.

    mg (31009b)

  60. I always wondered about that. Our primary nuclear alert systems, and I imagine the Russians’ and maybe the Chinese too, are satellites that detect missiles being launched. Do we give them warning every time we launch a nuclear-warhead capable missile so that they know it’s not at them? And vice versa?

    nk (dbc370)

  61. “The President must get Congressional approval before attacking Syria-big mistake if he does not.”

    Guess who?

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  62. the propaganda sluts at abcnews started their coverage with a wide lens that showed how cheap and tatty the american president’s set looked against the garish backdrop of his tacky country club

    beautiful babies lol

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  63. Any intervention in North Korea would have to almost amount to staging a coup. Which maybe can be done with the help of some people in South Korea who have many details right now about the North Korean government. They get defectors.

    If that is the case, though, they don’t know how much longer that would remain possible. By the time you decided you had to act, it might no longer be so possible.

    Now first, Trump will let China handle it, if it wants to, and maybe even let it try cutting off Kim’s supply of money and his Internet.

    If Kim makes one wrong move, I mean does anything lethal, that’s the end, at least if he does that before a new South Korean president is elected.

    The top military people in the U.S. are never certain it can’t be a nuclear Pearl Harbor any time a missile gets laucnhed by North Korea. They have no idea what it might be, although best guess is theres’s nothing in his inventory that would give him that capability yet. Now it turned out that the missile he just tested was an old one, and it didn’t work. But still.

    Nobody is that confident in Star Wars, and Kim seems to be trying to defeat it by trying to develop the ability to launch several missiles at one time. They don’t know if maybe he’s made a secret advance or will try something before testing it. They have to assume that Kim might try to fire off a missile at California. Although he probably can’t sucessfully deliver one.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  64. 46. Kim may not be so irrational, He probably has the backing of some parts of the Chinese military, who would like to see if soemone can get away with the use of nuclear weapons.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  65. Now it turned out that the missile he just tested was an old one, and it didn’t work.

    Do you sometimes suspect that North Korea has neither nukes nor ballistic missiles and what it has been “testing” is obsolete or depleted stuff that China was about to destroy but instead gave to North Korea to “test”, in order to f**k with the West? Because that is a very Oriental way of thinking.

    nk (dbc370)

  66. Any intervention in North Korea would have to almost amount to staging a coup. Which maybe can be done with the help of some people in South Korea who have many details right now about the North Korean government. They get defectors.
    If that is the case, though, they don’t know how much longer that would remain possible. By the time you decided you had to act, it might no longer be so possible.
    Now first, Trump will let China handle it, if it wants to, and maybe even let it try cutting off Kim’s supply of money and his Internet.
    If Kim makes one wrong move, I mean does anything lethal, that’s the end, at least if he does that before a new South Korean president is elected.
    The top military people in the U.S. are never certain it can’t be a nuclear Pearl Harbor any time a missile gets laucnhed by North Korea. They have no idea what it might be, although best guess is theres’s nothing in his inventory that would give him that capability yet. Now it turned out that the missile he just tested was an old one, and it didn’t work. But still.
    Nobody is that confident in Star Wars, and Kim seems to be trying to defeat it by trying to develop the ability to launch several missiles at one time. They don’t know if maybe he’s made a secret advance or will try something before testing it. They have to assume that Kim might try to fire off a missile at California. Although he probably can’t sucessfully deliver one.
    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:44 pm

    *********************

    We just sent in a THAAD system to South Korea–about two weeks ago.

    There is also some capabilities in Japan–but I can’t remember exactly what they are. Not THAAD.

    Rae (2fd998)

  67. 🦑’s World… http://i.imgur.com/ntlE6SZ.gif

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  68. you wanna know what’s really thaad is how trump poopied all over his gorsuch confirmation news cycle

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  69. @45. Sammy, the route to Kim is through China. 90% of NK’s trade is w/China. They cannot survive w/o China. Chinahas NK by the balls. President Dealmaker has to get China to squeeze. Thing is, what can he trade for it– withdrawal of all U.S. troops from South Korea to denuke the North? Put yourself in China’s place as they’re in the Cat Bird seat on this one.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  70. @41. 59 seems like an odd number. Wonder if #60 was a misfire or lost someplace.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  71. 46. Kim may not be so irrational, He probably has the backing of some parts of the Chinese military, who would like to see if soemone can get away with the use of nuclear weapons.
    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:47 pm

    ***********

    Well it’s interesting I do think China started –a satellite program–shortly after 2002 IIRC.

    The Chinese have oligarchy class that is very, very materialistic (you’ll see them running around Hong Kong) and they are also the party hierarchy–they are interested in economic stability because they have become very, very accustom to the good life.

    Xi was trying to get less interdependent on the global economy by trying to increase domestic demand but I don’t think that has worked –yet. And their GDP has fallen lately. do there is that.

    Rae (2fd998)

  72. Japan has the Aegis Combat System.

    Rae (2fd998)

  73. We have troops in Syria.

    We don’t tolerate WMDs near our damn troops–ever.

    Rae (2fd998) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:31 pm

    Huh?

    So we bomb an air field that does not target the stock piles when those stockpiles were not being used against us to being with?

    This is asinine reasoning.

    Plus now is there no incentive for the Syrians and Russians to behave with our troops.

    Blah Blah (44eaa0)

  74. After tepid trading before the news, Brent crude futures LCOc1, the international benchmark for oil, jumped by around $1 per barrel, or almost 2 percent, to $55.78 per barrel by 0237 GMT.

    U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 also climbed around $1 per barrel, or almost 2 percent, to $52.64 a barrel.

    It was the highest level for both benchmarks since early March.

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  75. Plus now is there no incentive for the Syrians and Russians to behave with our troops.

    Don’t worry, we notified the Russians prior to the attack.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  76. We blow up all your potato every time you attract our attention is very good incentive to stay quiet as mouse I think. Is Politburo way.

    nk (dbc370)

  77. Perpetual fake news. Brian Williams keep telling the American public the cost of a tomahawk is about $500,000.

    Wrong. Back In FY 2014, the cost per unit of a tomahawk cruise missile was $1.59 million. By 2017 it’s closer to $1.7 mil./unit.

    So do the math– we just blew roughly $90 million worth of cruise missiles off to make more rubble out of rubble.

    “If you wanna send a message, try Western Union.” – Frank Capra

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  78. @55. LOL and as a gracious host, he likely let his guest ‘push the button’ so he could claim he really didn’t do it. China did.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  79. Dems proxy fake Russian War on Trump leads to real American War with Russia in Syria.

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  80. North Korea is now a nuclear power within the definition of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. A legitimate target for a nuclear first strike.

    YEs. As an inducement to sign the thing, the nuclear states promised not to use nukes against signing non-nuclear states. A signing state that obtains nukes on the sly is in the extra-special “other” category.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  81. Over the last couple of decades, the City of Chicago has paid more than $500 million in damages for skags the Chicago police took off the welfare rolls. More recently, $5 million for Laquan MacDonald who was not worth a plugged nickel while alive. It’s all relative.

    And, besides, we can recoup every penny of the Tomahawks if Trump gets Melania to move into the White House and stop paying for her security in New York.

    nk (dbc370)

  82. The most interesting aspect to me is that there are different elements of DJT’s national security apparatus telling opposite stories on advance notification to Russians. It’s one or the other. Did we, or didn’t we?

    The true long game here is Putin. Keep your eyes sharp and your ears glued to this playing out.

    Ed from SFV (3400a5)

  83. all ur potato are belong to trump or he do tommywhatever on u head

    america!

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  84. While I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t want 59 cruise missiles headed my way, a WWII bomber carried more ordnance. Of course, they did go where we told them to, and perhaps the aim was extra-special.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  85. Oh for God’s sake. They didn’t even hit the airfield runways proper, just the ‘assets’ around it. Gee, guess they’ll just have to fly in replacement planes and truck in repair parts after the smoke clears.

    Feel better now, Donald? Strawberries and ice cream in the Ward Room!

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  86. “Benjamin Netanyahu will never be popular in America’s major newsrooms. Or among most of the think-tankers who set the tone and parameters of foreign-policy debate. His name is a curse on college campuses. So it’s worth asking whose vision of the Middle East has held up better under the press of recent events.”

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/benjamin-netanyahus-told-you-so-moment-1491506086

    harkin (dde7a8)

  87. The more precise the bombs, the less psychological value they add to ending wars.

    Blah (44eaa0)

  88. UPDATE BY PATTERICO: Unconstitutional and stupid. I would have expected nothing less. Back to my hiatus. See you around April 10.

    Patterico (64f0df)

  89. Obama drew a red line.

    Trump enforced it.

    AZ Bob (f7a491)

  90. During the gulf war,there was a strike at a depot in khamisayah, that’s one of the location Libby explored in trying to pinpoint ‘gulf war syndrome’, so whenever possible we try to avoid a sarin cloud

    narciso (d1f714)

  91. There would be a lot fewer complaints about PDJT’s travel expenses to MAL if he bestrode a Tomahawk missile like a. Colossus.

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  92. Unconstitutional, HOW?

    Congress has PERMANENTLY authorized presidential use of the military for short periods, under the War Powers Act. Or do you beleive there is some kind of “Simon Says” clause in the Constitution, where Congress has to pass a resolution for every shot of every war?

    The Libertarian Party is totally out to lunch on this; so far it isn’t funny. It was the main reason for my break with them after 9/11.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  93. yeah unconstitutional how trump and his little dog mattis sprinkled some tommythings on some rubble this ain’t exactly a constitutional crisis lol just a couple gay boys

    doing sprinkles

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  94. The satin was an uneccesary escalation, they probably could have continued launching aurstrikes on idlib, like they did three weeks ago (from my medium link)

    narciso (d1f714)

  95. Who just bought a boatload of Ratheon stock?

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  96. no wonder bannon wanted off the nsc these people are goof-asses

    with their gay and feckless sprinkles

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  97. When Falun Gong attacked we didn’t shoot a Tomahawk at a Tokyo subway car.

    We are the false flag we’ve been waiting for.

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  98. Are we putting our trust in the same intelligence community who is stonewalling PDJT in the investigation of leaks and other malfeasance?

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  99. Obama’s foreign policy is being replaced by Clinton’s.

    crazy (d3b449)

  100. Tokyo would be surprised, bannon is still on the Nscd

    narciso (d1f714)

  101. bingo

    christmas came early for Meghan’s coward daddy

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  102. And he was a surface warfare and aide to con.

    narciso (d1f714)

  103. So we bomb an air field that does not target the stock piles when those stockpiles were not being used against us to being with?
    This is asinine reasoning.
    Plus now is there no incentive for the Syrians and Russians to behave with our troops.
    Blah Blah (44eaa0) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:58 pm

    **********************

    We have US troops in the area–and that started under Obama, they have been significantly increased recently–by President Trump.

    Are you so out of it –that you think they are there to support Assad?

    Now–with our troops in Syria –Assad violates multiple war crimes–the primary one being the use of sarin gas.

    Does that show a brazen lack of respect for the US–and our troops in the area?

    Now–if you allow Assad to use sarin gas a WMD–and to break international law, and commit various war crimes–and you let that go unanswered–what would happen–next?

    Is it possible he is emboldened by the lack of response and does it again?

    As you realize we asked the Russians to get out of the area–would Assad do the same with our troops that have been increased in number by Trump?

    Could our troops not be incidental or direct targets of the next chemical weapons attack?

    Then what happens?

    No we didn’t directly attack the supply of sarin gas–that would be stupid–but we did attack the methodology and capability of delivery–and it might not all be over yet.

    Meanwhile Assad got a real lesson in what his limitations are–and yet, another lesson –there is a new sheriff in town.

    Rae (2fd998)

  104. Hey, let’s see what happens when the 9th Circuit throws a cruise missiles injunction on PDJT. Sometimes they go off course.

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  105. plus remember the beautiful babies factor these were not ugly babies

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  106. The more precise the bombs, the less psychological value they add to ending wars.
    Blah (44eaa0) — 4/6/2017 @ 8:31 pm

    **********************

    Again–the target was runways and probably air assets.

    You really can’t take off and land most planes without a good runway.

    Rae (2fd998)

  107. Bannon has a no-show job on the NSC like The Sopranos-he just needs the insurance. That’s where SAMCRO has trouble recruiting.

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  108. Oh for God’s sake. They didn’t even hit the airfield runways proper,

    ****************

    You know that already–in your living room. Do you live in Syria?

    Rae (2fd998)

  109. edit:Now–with our troops in Syria –Assad *commits* various war crimes–the primary one being the use of sarin gas.

    Rae (2fd998)

  110. Reminds me of my dad’s old boss:

    We’ve got a million dollars of liability insurance! Let’s get out there and use some of it!!!

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  111. I can’t emphasize enough how profoundly unimpressed I am by this nonsense

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  112. Rae, so your position is that the US should commit troops to a war zone in which both sides are its enemies and then act surprised and affronted that those troops are in harms way?

    It’s certainly a viable option when a casus beli is needed for a war that it’s strategic to be part of but it’s a profoundly stupid reason to wade into this one with no clear end goal in mind.

    Bob (22230e)

  113. It’s also possible that several Senators and House members were advised and agreed with the action. Supposedly a couple of Democrat senators came out with statements of support.

    When a rapid response is needed there has to be some mechanism for speed, and secrecy.

    If you had troops involved in the area–out of your family numbers you would appreciate the ability to maintain operational secrecy and for an evil bastard like Assad getting the message that the use of sarin gas will not be tolerated anywhere near our troops.

    Go google sarin gas–it is truly nasty stuff.

    If that got used anywhere near our troops–then you really would have an ALL. OUT. WAR.

    Rae (2fd998)

  114. Rae, so your position is that the US should commit troops to a war zone in which both sides are its enemies and then act surprised and affronted that those troops are in harms way?

    ******************

    To sarin gas?

    You’re gosh bloody right.

    That should not be tolerated. We’re damn lucky Assad showed his hand–played his card and wasted his wad like this–on his own civilians.

    Assad doing that –right after Trump tried to throw him a get out of jail free card–and after Trump had increased troops to support the Special Forces that Obama had already committed to the area–shows that Assad was getting ballsy and/or irrational.

    All the past efforts he has missed. And–if this had not been responded to–who is to say that he doesn’t aim it at our troops next? Or even claim that–oopsy–he accidentally did that? Assad was looking just that irrational here.

    Rae (2fd998)

  115. Ot, bsteen chris Evans and scarjo i am losing interest in infinity war.

    narciso (d1f714)

  116. I got a couple Youtubes for this situation.

    DO the right thing.

    Don’t make me get emotional

    papertiger (c8116c)

  117. This one foot in, one foot out, garbage is a travesty and it is tragic.

    DJT is now caught in playing the game of the world elites on their terms.

    Why do we have thousands and thousands of our boots on the ground in Syria?

    WHAT IS THE END GAME?????

    Candidate Trump was quite clear he was against maintaining the absurd status quo. Now, he exhibits delusion in believing he can make a strike like this and that 1) It will serve to scare off the actual enemies, and 2) That he can do it without major cost to his political and strategic credibility.

    Ted’s statement was excellent. Tell us, Donald. What national interests were served? What threat was/is Assad to US?

    Ed from SFV (3400a5)

  118. Why do I have the feeling that some people like Trump because they thought he’d be good for Putin?

    Seriously? Feeling sorry for some baby-killing Syrian thugs and their military bases or some piddly few Tomahawk missiles whose purpose was to fly somewhere and blow up?

    nk (dbc370)

  119. Anyways–I am off but I do not recall in history a time when–with our troops in the area– we essentially allowed and tolerated the use of sarin gas in an organized attack–committed by a state actor.

    You let that genie out of the bottle and then—you really have a mess on your hands.

    Rae (2fd998)

  120. This one foot in, one foot out, garbage is a travesty and it is tragic.
    DJT is now caught in playing the game of the world elites on their terms.
    Why do we have thousands and thousands of our boots on the ground in Syria?
    WHAT IS THE END GAME?????
    Candidate Trump was quite clear he was against maintaining the absurd status quo. Now, he exhibits delusion in believing he can make a strike like this and that 1) It will serve to scare off the actual enemies, and 2) That he can do it without major cost to his political and strategic credibility.
    Ted’s statement was excellent. Tell us, Donald. What national interests were served? What threat was/is Assad to US?
    Ed from SFV (3400a5) — 4/6/2017 @ 9:46 pm

    ********************

    Well it would just be great if the situation remained frozen and static–right?

    Ghee–did something huge happen–like the use of sarin gas…

    Go google how many times that has taken place.

    And now I am really off for the night.

    Rae (2fd998)

  121. Seems like a binary choice to me. You either tolerate nerve gas attacks/baby killings, but moralize about them, or you act. Maybe there’s a third option, come to think of it. The Obama option: do nothing/say nothing, because history is on the side of the baby killers.

    ThOR (98fee1)

  122. Ted Cruz thinks too much. He should get a job as a philosopher or something.

    nk (dbc370)

  123. Rae – Did you not note my belief that this attack is, essentially, “doing nothing,” and worse? I want the USA OUT of Syria NOW. Failing that, I want total annihilation of those we identify as the enemy. No more tit for tat. No more “proportionality.” No more empty gestures paid for by our brave military.

    ThOR – It is not a binary question. It is crucial that if one chooses to act, that one does so effectively and is not perceived to be making an easy gesture.

    Ed from SFV (3400a5)

  124. How long would it take to process 6,000 Syrian refugees through Ft. Jackson, Ft. Sill etc?

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  125. I got a YouTube for Fox News pulling Shepard Smith off his boyfriend’s lap everytime the USA lays down the law somewhere on the planet.

    I’m asking the questions, Private.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  126. Now–if you allow Assad to use sarin gas a WMD–and to break international law, and commit various war crimes–and you let that go unanswered–what would happen–next?

    We don’t know, just like we don’t whether the missiles we launched tonight will actually deter Assad or embolden him. And if it’s the latter, then what?

    Further, if we’re concerned about Assad breaking international law, shouldn’t we be even more concerned about whether President Trump broke the law by ordering the air strikes, which could be seen as a declaration of war, without Congressional authorization first?

    Dana (023079)

  127. Rae

    Muslim fight school emphasizes taking off more than landing.

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  128. I blame the Wounded Warrior Project. Trump hung out with them for a spell, and their gung ho is contageous.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  129. Just forty dollars a month can buy your adopted Syrian rebel five boxes of 7.62 ammo and a kabob.

    Pinandpuller (3c8e31)

  130. We know one thing. The Syrian Air Force will be building a new airport, or at least making a deal on a used one.

    I’m betting $500 that Donald doesn’t build it for em.

    Any takers?

    papertiger (c8116c)

  131. You know taste are real russian contractors that operate like they pretend Halliburton contractors.

    narciso (d1f714)

  132. It’s 60 tomahawk missiles now. President Trump doesn’t believe is sparing the rod.

    That has to leave an impression when you’re sitting on the ground near by.

    Gave a heads up to Putin over the phone. Ask Obama’s deep state operatives at the NSA for details.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  133. After the anything-but-easy gestures of Bush Jr. and Sr. – just look where they got us – I’m good with easy gestures.

    The strike sends a message that many need to hear. And Trump got to send the message down from the highest of moral high ground, without losing a drop of American blood, and for chump change. That’s my kind of hat trick.

    ThOR (98fee1)

  134. Fared zakaria 450 made my concern in the worst possible way.

    narciso (d1f714)

  135. What happened to that crazy guy who was going to go after OBL? The guy they detained at the airport with camping supplies and a sword.

    I feel like Assad could be his starting the slow clap moment.

    Pinandpuller (18e34b)

  136. To find the base using Google Earth, search for Ash Sha’irat, Syria. The detail is amazing. You can see what looks like older MIGs parked in front of hangars.

    ThOR (98fee1)

  137. Again–the target was runways and probably air assets.

    You really can’t take off and land most planes without a good runway.
    Rae (2fd998) — 4/6/2017 @ 9:20 pm

    Ask Harrison Ford about that.

    Pinandpuller (18e34b)

  138. Harrison Ford never made a clean landing in his spaceship (without help from the empire’s tractor beam) as I remember.

    He’s always had that problem. [jpg]

    papertiger (c8116c)

  139. I note that DJT’s actions are being given near-universal praise on MSNBC and that Chucky S. voiced full support, as well.

    Ed from SFV (3400a5)

  140. @116 Rae

    Could be Assad’s Operation Barbarossa. Could be Mossad, CIA or a joint venture. Could be Iran. If some crazy cultists can come up with sarin I’m sure plenty of people can.

    Pinandpuller (18e34b)

  141. Then there’s the 6 days and 7 nights movie. Crashed another one.

    A week with Anne Heche and she’s suddenly discovered guys. So that’s to Ford’s credit.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  142. @133 papertiger

    Why weren’t there any TSA agents at the Syrian airport?

    Nobody knew we were going to bomb it.

    Pinandpuller (18e34b)

  143. papertiger

    If I’m not mistaken HF has landed on a golf course and a taxiway.

    Many years ago my dad and two buddies flew their Super Cubs from WY to AZ. At one airport they were cleared for a runway but they literally took off from the taxiway.

    Pinandpuller (18e34b)

  144. @144 papertiger

    Ellen might be strapped but she’s not much of a D slinger.

    Pinandpuller (18e34b)

  145. Just heard Trump met with President Ping or Chow or whatever his name is from China just before launch.

    Imagine that conversation.

    “Say Ping, do you have any friends in Ash Sha’irat, Syria?”

    papertiger (c8116c)

  146. DCSCA (797bc0) — 4/6/2017 @ 8:27 pm

    They didn’t even hit the airfield runways proper, just the ‘assets’ around it.

    That sounds like they used an off-the-shelf contingency plan that dated from the Obama era. It could have been worse.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  147. Iran is calling the missile launch “dangerous and destructive”.

    I got a YouTube for the Iranians. True Grit court scene. [YouTube- sorry for the quality. Too many flea bag ventures use the name “True Grit” to get a clean search.]

    papertiger (c8116c)

  148. 104. Rae (2fd998) — 4/6/2017 @ 9:15 pm

    Could our troops not be incidental or direct targets of the next chemical weapons attack?

    Then what happens?

    Not an issue. The United States never sends its troops into an area where it does not have air superiority. And when it starts an attack, it always starts by first eliminating any possibility of hostile fire, either from the air or from the fround. That’s ben true at least since 1991.

    Before any Syrian plane culd drop any poison gas, it would be shot down, unless it was some sort of violation of a ceasefire ageement

    No we didn’t directly attack the supply of sarin gas–that would be stupidb–but we did attack the methodology and capability of delivery–and it might not all be over yet.

    Whether this artack was more than symbolic, we will see.

    Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f)

  149. I’m liking the symbolism. Especially the message “our missiles fly all the way to the target Lil’ Kim”.

    Not hap hazard splashes in the ocean.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  150. Trying to wrap my head around Patterico calling this unconstitutional and stupid.

    That’s a tough case to make.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  151. Big winner, Susan Rice.

    Congrats honey. You’re off page one.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  152. Now they’re saying Putin and his government were not informed. Russian military assets on the ground were given fair warning enough to clear the target, not Putin.

    Putin is whining. So what. It’s his stupid fault. If he had been playing straight regarding Syrian chemical weapons, it never would have happened.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  153. ‘Big winner, Susan Rice.

    Congrats honey. You’re off page one.’

    ———

    She isn’t the one who changed the news cycle before that story could progress…

    Bob (22230e)

  154. I notice the Democrat media are pushing this as an airstrike. The CNN talking heads are pushing the false thought that we have aircraft carriers in the Med. How dangerous it would be for American pilots, and the like.

    All along trying to align with Patterico’s position.

    Guess again dudes. Obama hobbled our carrier fleet. They’;re parked up in Virginia.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  155. CNN has one of their British import for the accent fake Americans forlornly passing on the intel that Putin is responding by sending over a lawyer with a strongly worded letter.

    CNN is positively crestfallen.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  156. Guess again dudes. Obama hobbled our carrier fleet. They’;re parked up in Virginia.

    papertiger (c8116c) — 4/7/2017 @ 12:23 am

    The USS George Bush is deployed in the middle east right now.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  157. So much for an America-first foreign policy.

    I always knew Trump wouldn’t be the kind of president he said he’d be, but I never predicted this. Let’s call it Operation We’ve Learned Nothing.

    Alan (f6f239)

  158. So, Trump has the newer, kinder, more compssionate Tomohawks that don’t kill women and children?

    They have been killing each other there for thousands of years. 50 or 100 cruise missiles won’t stop that.

    WarEagle82 (2b3d34)

  159. This may be the first thing Trump has done to vindicate the dignity of the Office of the President of the United States.

    Assad and Putin fooled Obama and Kerry over the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons, but Obama was not just Barack Obama and Kerry was not just John Kerry. They were, respectively, the President and Secretary of State of the United States. (Such as they were. For our sins.) When Assad and Putin fooled them, they fooled the United States.

    It’s not nice to fool the United States.

    Tillerson cannot be too unhappy about this, either. Now he can speak softly but the people he’s speaking to will know they better speak honestly.

    nk (dbc370)

  160. good lord but how these corrupt dumb-ass pentagon piggies love squandering these super-expensive armaments we buy them

    mattis is like a kid in a candy store

    a big gay stupid squirrelly butt-munching sissy-kid

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  161. while america’s pansy showgirl military spreads its butt cheeks like a slut in syria

    donald can’t create a job to save his life lol

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  162. Tomahawk missiles were made to fly up in the sky and blow themselves and other things up. It is their raisson d’etre. Their karma. Their fulfillment in life. They go into deep depression and become sad and listless and stop bathing and brushing their teeth when they’re locked up in some arsenal. “Freedom!”, they cry. “Freedom!”

    nk (dbc370)

  163. i can understand that Mr. nk but to everything there is a season

    and it would appear that maga season has come and it has gone

    president hillary has a different agenda now

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  164. Why on earth would we want to interfere in a moslem civil war? What’s in it for us? Do our fearless leaders realize Islam preaches death to Christians, death to Jews and death to America? I read last week we “took in” 168 moslem Syrian refugees. Why? Are there no Christian (read actually persecuted) Syrian refugees to “take In”? And with all that land over there why is it necessary for them to be brought here? What’s wrong with Yemen, Oman, UAR, Mecca for crap sakes? Mecca ONLY takes moslems.

    We have no dog in this fight. And bringing moslems into America today is like bringing Germans into America in 1943. We don’t need any immigrants and if we did they wouldn’t be from the butt hole of the world. What the hell is wrong with this country? We can’t even make an immigration/refugee policy that benefits us.

    When did doing something for the benefit of America become un American?

    Rev. Hoagie® (785e38)

  165. U 6 went back to march 2016 level, so mcturtle get cracking on tax reform

    narciso (d1f714)

  166. “MATT LEWIS: While the focus is on a few high-profile losses and messes, the president is quietly, steadily racking up big wins.

    While the media focuses on sexy topics—Russian spy intrigue, botched Muslim bans, White House palace intrigue, emerging foreign policy challenges, and the health care bill’s collapse—Team Trump has been quietly rolling back job-killing regulations and appointing a boring (by design), yet highly competent, Supreme Court Justice who almost certainly will be confirmed on Friday.

    Despite evidence to the contrary, President Trump is making changes in his first 100 days that will affect America for decades to come.

    One of his key weapons has been the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a 1996 law that allows Congress to repeal recent regulations. Before Trump took office, this law had been used just once. Since taking office, however, President Trump has signed 11 of these CRAs into law, effectively reversing several last-minute Obama-era regulations.

    The window for using this tactic is closing; the CRA can only be used within 60 days of Congress being informed of a new regulation. But here’s where things have the potential to get very interesting: Once a regulation is repealed, agencies are also banned from issuing new rules that are “substantially similar” to the one that was just vetoed.

    Use of the CRA isn’t news to Instapundit readers (or to Bill Whittle fans), but Lewis omitted one important detail. Whether due to spite or laziness, many Obama-era agencies never bothered to notify Congress of new regulations — so the 60-day clock has yet to start ticking on regs going back years.”

    https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/261925/

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  167. Hopefully, just a severe b*tchslap that will serve notice.

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  168. Yes!!!

    “PUNCHING BACK TWICE AS HARD: Freedom Watch files ethics complaint against Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA). He must recuse himself immediately. The precedent has already been set. This investigation is too important to be sullied with the involvement of members with an ethics complaint hanging over their heads.”

    https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/261896/

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  169. 98. Pinandpuller (3c8e31) — 4/6/2017 @ 8:58 pm

    We are the false flag we’ve been waiting for.

    The only way this was a false flag is that it was probably really Vladimir Putin and Russia, and maybe some other allies of Syria besides Russia, and not Bashar Assad, who wanted to do this (for the precedent) and Assad was basically told to carry this out.

    Ot doesn’t make too much sense for him, except to reinforce his indispendability and irremovability.

    They were doing just fine wth barrel bombs.

    Sammy Finkelman (96f386)

  170. Why can’t we just eat our waffle, Hoagie?

    A country on the decline huddles behind a wall. A country on the ascendancy sends out its navy to make its power felt across the world.

    nk (dbc370)

  171. * It doesn’t make too much sense for him {Assad to do this] except to reinforce his indispensability and irremovability. But he doesn’t need to reinforce that.

    Tomahawk missiles and the like are always the first weapon used in a military theatre by the United States. Their principle purpose is to knock out an air defense system.

    They werren’t used for that purpose here, partly because the United States is still following the Obama-era policy of being afraid of triggering the military defeat of Bashar Assad. The actual Obama-era policy goal was to achieve a standoff, after which Assad will agree to leave power commit suicide.

    In a war like Iraq, affter the air defense system has been knocked out, planes would come in and bomb until the point is reached where there is not much effective resistance to an invasion.

    Sammy Finkelman (96f386)

  172. Rev. Hoagie® (785e38) — 4/7/2017 @ 5:56 am

    Do our fearless leaders realize Islam preaches death to Christians, death to Jews and death to America?

    That can’t be standard Islam. After all, nobody in the sphere of Islam had even heard of America in the time of Mohammed.

    Sammy Finkelman (96f386)

  173. Trying to wrap my head around Patterico calling this unconstitutional and stupid.

    That’s a tough case to make.

    papertiger

    “Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war. The President, meanwhile, derives the power to direct the military after a Congressional declaration of war from Article II, Section 2, which names the President Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.”

    See how tough that case was to make?

    Whether it was stupid or not depends on your goals and motivations, but Trump’s oath was to our constitution and our citizens so we need to start there.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  174. The problem was escalation, khan sheikhou ,as with east , moved to the nghouta

    narciso (d1f714)

  175. I think that all the U.S. and international law that authorized Trump to do this was already in place. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_Syria%27s_chemical_weapons

    nk (dbc370)

  176. the approval of the nasty sleazy ryan-pigs in congress doesn’t really confer legitimacy on anything

    that ship has long sailed

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  177. Ghouta moved to the next level, sorry.

    narciso (d1f714)

  178. Hmm… I did not read any “declaration of war” made by Trump or Congress.

    It was a police action. Hopefully, it will have the desired affect.

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  179. A long-term military deployment is something else again.

    narciso (d1f714)

  180. Agreed, narciso.

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  181. Now return the focus to elimina annihilating ISIS.

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  182. Chickenhawks gonna chickensquawk

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  183. I wish subway would hire Jared and his wife and all the liberal trash they have brought in the white house.

    mg (31009b)

  184. That can’t be standard Islam. After all, nobody in the sphere of Islam had even heard of America in the time of Mohammed.

    You’re kidding Sammy, right? Did they ever hear of Patrick Adams at the time of Mohammad? Moslems murdered him at the WTC on 9/11. Any questions? Any doubts? Same doctrines for 1400 years:

    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XRDWlFASYig/VC9QvbLU0qI/AAAAAAAAu4c/tITL399P7Sc/s1600/1%2B10385276_910543118973850_1080372368530073630_n.jpg

    Rev. Hoagie® (785e38)

  185. Teh bi+ches gonna bi+ch… and use teh language the far-left was famous for using during 2002-2008.

    How rootless some have become.

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  186. The USA – and by extension the West – can’t allow the use of CW to become normalized. Let’s hope the message was received.

    Colonel Haiku (49aad2)

  187. @174 nk

    Susan Rice said Syria got rid of all WMD’s right?

    Pinandpuller (95f443)

  188. @191 Colonel Haiku

    I think you brought up Roundup but give Syria Roundup ready corn andMonsanto

    Pinandpuller (95f443)

  189. Ug…and Monsanto can sue Syria back into the Stone Age.

    Pinandpuller (95f443)

  190. we can also give them some cornbread mix and some eggs and milk and butter for so they can make corn muffins the trick is to add a little sour cream and honey to the batter

    the butter’s for after they’re ready

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  191. Correction: Sammy Finkelman (ca4c0f) — 4/6/2017 @ 7:12 pm

    The real core of the crime here is an attack on a hospital, but they attacked 300 hospitals before. Maybe it’s the combination.

    This is something of an error, because it’s not clear what were their targets. They do attack hispitals, in fact the biggets hospital in that city was destroyed two days before. There was also a follow-up attack on one the small hospitals. Maybe a better word word would be clinic. Many died or were pronounced dead at hospitals, but they could have been taken there. There are internatuonally affiliated peo[le working there – Idlib is the last province before the Turkish border.

    What exactly the Syrians were initially attacking that day with chemical weapons isn’t clear. Maybe a road, too. Some people died when they got too close to the first victims. It was not like the chlorine gas attacks which they have gotten familiar with. This was probably sarin. The chemical attack created a yellow mist – probably the same thing as the “yellow rain” that was dropped in Laos almost 40 years ago and don’t think the Russians weren’t behind that either. This is, I think, entirely circa 1970s Russian military doctrine as to how deal with areas that have slipped out of government control. Don’t try to rule the people there again; it’s not worth it. Just write them off and kill them all. It’s only happened with Russian allies or countries that were close to Russia. At least chemical weapons have only happened there.

    There’s some proof actual Russians were involved in this attack because the day afetr the chenical weapons attack a drone appeared to evaluate the damage. That could either by a Russian operated drone or it could be Syrian but from the fact it was mentioned they suspect Russians more.

    They bombed the town again today only without using chemical weapons.

    Vladimir Putin is now using Russians as human shields. The United States does not want to kill any Russians. To prevent that there had been a system set up so that the U.S. and its allies and Russia would not get in each other’s way. Putin now stopped it, so now they’ll have to worry some more about killing Russians. A sharp manuever, isn’t it?

    These Russians are not all members of the Russian army = Putin has sent alot of people theer as civilians doing military type things.

    The ship that did it was around 1,500 miles away (it neede to be within 1,000 miles) and was turned around and told to begin planning on Tuesday. Later, Trump was offered three options and he liked two of them.

    Russia was notified at about 7:10 pm eastern time, Thursday night, and the missiles were launched at about 7:40. There were 60, one fell into the water and there were 59. They reached the target area about 8:40. One missile missed its target and there were 58.

    It all happened in 5 minutes. The U.S. believes 20 planes weer destroyed and facilities at the airport were damaged or destroyed including the runway, Russia claims onl;y 5 Migs, all being repaired, were destroyed and the runway wasn’t damaged. Russia claims it was agaiat intenrnatonal law and also that theer was no chemical weapon attack. They tried saying the rebels did it and also that a bomb they dropped hit ammunition.

    China wasa notified in person by Donald Trump just as the dinner was concluding, just as the strikes were taking place or just before. Trump pulled Xi aside. Then he had a meeting in a secure place at Mar a Lago, then made an announcement on TV about 9:43, but the news organizations were not prepared for it and the sound quality was poor.

    Sammy Finkelman (1df645)

  192. Some of what’s being going on is European countries not wanting to be complicit in murdr, and if they try to force Syrians to stay in Syria (and they have, thanks to Putin) they are no longer even neutral but complicit unless they can lie to themselves and claim Syria can be safe place for human beings to be in.

    Putin during the last year was upping the fear of refugees, because he knows that if European countries force people to stay in Syria taht means they don’t care what happens to them (the tolerance actually needs to raised in smalldoses)

    So what that means he can kill more of them, as Russian military/political doctrine for their third world allies, since the days of “yellow rain” in Laos, * is, I think, not to attempt to rule again an area with too much rebel support, but simply to get rid of the population, preferably by killing them (because dead people do not actively advccate bad relations with the regime that killed them, so dead people are better for the regime than refugees.)

    * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_rain

    A 1997 textbook produced by the U.S. Army Medical Department asserted that over ten thousand people were killed in attacks using chemical weapons in Laos, Cambodia and Afghanistan.[2] The descriptions of the attacks were diverse and included air-dropped canisters and sprays, booby traps, artillery shells, rockets and grenades that produced droplets of liquid, dust, powders, smoke or “insect-like” materials of a yellow, red, green, white or brown color.[2]

    Secretary of State Alexander Haig announced in September 1981 that:

    For some time now, the international community has been alarmed by continuing reports that the Soviet Union and its allies have been using lethal chemical weapons in Laos, Kampuchea, and Afghanistan. … We have now found physical evidence from Southeast Asia which has been analyzed and found to contain abnormally high levels of three potent mycotoxins—poisonous substances not indigenous to the region and which are highly toxic to man and animals.

    The Soviet Union described these accusations as a “big lie” and in turn accused the US government of using chemical weapons during the Vietnam war.

    The Sovet Union got away with that one, more or less, at least by stopping it before too much evidence accumulated. They got away with it so much it’s not generally accepted that it happened.

    Why shouldn’t Putin think that denial will work here, too??

    Sammy Finkelman (1df645)

  193. You can be against refugees, you can be against military intervention, and you can be against killing innocent people, but you can’t be against all three.

    Sammy Finkelman (1df645)

  194. Putin and the Iranian mullahs. One would have to look far and wide for years to find any more despicable, inbred mutts.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)


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