Intervention in Syria NOW

[Len J]

Ready; Fire; Aim is always a good strategy when deciding to attack.

There is way more to this story than the initial knee jerk. Another perspective.

Wag The Dog -- How Al Qaeda Played Donald Trump And The American Media | The Huffington Post

But let's "react" before all the facts are in. Is anyone surprised this is how this administration behaves?

Len

[bigbill]

Now a US Carrier force is sailing to Korea, I rest my case.

All politicians know the worst sin in America is to appear unpatriotic, so with a simple missile strike, Trump was able to silence his critics, bump all the bad news off the front page and get to be seen as tough.

If anyone thinks this is not about Trump, you are mistaken.

This does not end well.

There's always a carrier strike group within a few days of sailing to North Korea. It's why the US has a carrier homeported in Japan. When the carrier in Japan is in a maintenance period and unable to deploy, another carrier is in the area. I guess the media is making a big deal out of a standard operation to up their viewership.

[colker]

There's always a carrier strike group within a few days of sailing to North Korea. It's why the US has a carrier homeported in Japan. When the carrier in Japan is in a maintenance period and unable to deploy, another carrier is in the area. I guess the media is making a big deal out of a standard operation to up their viewership.

Good post. Why shouldn´t be a carrier be there?

[bigbill]

Ready; Fire; Aim is always a good strategy when deciding to attack.

There is way more to this story than the initial knee jerk. Another perspective.

Wag The Dog -- How Al Qaeda Played Donald Trump And The American Media | The Huffington Post

But let's "react" before all the facts are in. Is anyone surprised this is how this administration behaves?

Len

That's a totally false article with regards to the facts. Satellite, radar tracks on AWACs assets, and intel on ops at that particular base provided undisputable proof that it was the Syrians. Government attack aircraft were over the target during the time of the attack. The Syrians came out with a statement that they didn't launch any aircraft until hours later and that was a lie. The US and others have the technology to identify every aircraft in the air over Syria including times, flight paths, and their origin. The Russians quickly said it was a weapons cache that was shelled and that's a lie, chemical weapons are stored in two parts and mixed before delivery. The Russians also had a drone over the city within minutes of the attack, how did they know to do that?

In response, the Russians have cut off the hotline meant to coordinate and de-conflict air ops over Syria. We didn't need that, they did. We have AWACs aircraft that can do that, the Russians don't. The bottom line is the Russians can do as much as the Iranians, be pissed off. Additionally, we have F22's out of Turkey that provide air cover for our forces on the ground. Syria and Russia know that if they retaliate against US forces, they'll lose every aircraft and their runways will get cratered this time.

[Corso]

Ready; Fire; Aim is always a good strategy when deciding to attack.

There is way more to this story than the initial knee jerk. Another perspective.

Wag The Dog -- How Al Qaeda Played Donald Trump And The American Media | The Huffington Post

But let's "react" before all the facts are in. Is anyone surprised this is how this administration behaves?

Len

With the author stating this----"For a man who placed so much emphasis on defeating ISIS, President Trump’s actions can only be viewed as a self-inflicted wound, a kind of circular firing squad that marks the actions of a Keystone Cop, and not the Commander in Chief of the most powerful nation in the world.”----how is one to take his writing seriously?

What a piece of "fact-based” reporting garbage. Another prospective indeed.

Most world leaders are praising Trumps action. That’s the fact.

[ides1056]

Turkey has already made the point to Russia with their own aircraft supplied to them by the US.

The US has the biggest and baddest military in human history, but as Thomas Hobbes observed centuries ago, " there's no man so big that a smaller man with a little bit of cunning can't bring him down."

[jclay]

That's a totally false article with regards to the facts.

The article contained dozens of statements offered as fact and near the end a disparaging conclusion or two about Trump's action. Only the future will render an accurate verdict on the latter but it's difficult for me to believe that all of the component statements in the article were false. Some of the foundational statements seem reasonable so I think it's a mistake to paint the whole article as rubbish.

I hope good things come of this but recent history doesn't make me optimistic. If we learned anything over the past two or three decades it should include a serious understanding of the limitations of military intervention and a keen appreciation of the ease with which the "cure" can be worse than the ailment. It's also obvious that we must work with others even if that means we don't always get our way.

[GrantM]

So, please tell us what Trump should do, since you seem to know what he shouldn’t.

Accept Syrian refugees.

-g

[bigbill]

The article contained dozens of statements offered as fact and near the end a disparaging conclusion or two about Trump's action. Only the future will render an accurate verdict on the latter but it's difficult for me to believe that all of the component statements in the article were false. Some of the foundational statements seem reasonable so I think it's a mistake to paint the whole article as rubbish.

I hope good things come of this but recent history doesn't make me optimistic. If we learned anything over the past two or three decades it should include a serious understanding of the limitations of military intervention and a keen appreciation of the ease with which the "cure" can be worse than the ailment. It's also obvious that we must work with others even if that means we don't always get our way.

I stated which "facts" were false and why. Remember a while back when the Turks shot down a Russian jet that was over Turkish territory? The Russians complained loudly that they were not over Turkish territory but a reconstruction of all the tracks taken by the aircraft in the air demonstrated conclusively that the Russians were over Turkish territory. That same type of information was used to prove it was the Syrians who dropped the chemical weapons. The Russians have a direct interest in this because they supposedly took custody of Syria's chemical weapons several years ago. They didn't.

[colker]

How many posts mention the US as a deestabilizing agent in other nations but no one ever mentions how good the russians are when it comes to propaganda and deestabilization. They are really good at feeding lies to newspapers and establishig media support. Way better than the US. WE never see US propaganda stand up.. it always falls apart while the anti imperialist campaign has been a hige success all these years. NOt even the Rolling Stones have successfull that long.

[Corso]

Accept Syrian refugees.

-g

Thank you for at least giving a sideways answer.

All these post after my simple question, yet no one takes it on directly?

Interesting.

Maybe next time I’ll just ask Susan Rices’s opinion. That way I’ll at get at least 3 different answers.

[davids]

Love to hear the anti-Trump crew’s arm-chair quarterbacking on what the President should have done in Syria and N korea.

President Obama talked a lot, made threats, which changed nothing. Assad still using gas (which Susan Rice-John Kerry told us he “gave it all up”--and N Korea still testing anything he wants.

So, please tell us what Trump should do, since you seem to know what he shouldn’t.

Hey, if I say I don't see the Huffington Post as an objective analytical news source, will you stop the ad hominum arguments against the President's critics?

[davids]

Yeah, you've all agreed to agree on everything with little thought. Echo Chamber perfection with no room for unapproved ideas. Whoever this quote is referring to should join the team and 'get' with it.

I haven't followed this thread but I glanced in and saw this quote. Frightening.

You admit you only glanced at this thread, and you can still characterize it as echo chamber perfection? C'mon. Either jump in and respond to individuals or stay on the sidelines. But please don't lump us all together.

[Corso]

Hey, if I say I don't see the Huffington Post as an objective analytical news source, will you stop the ad hominum arguments against the President's critics?

That’s reasonable. The media can be quoted to fit any side of this argument.

I’m more interested in what fellow Salon members have to offer up as an alternative to our missile strike.
So far only one reply: take in refugees.

Maybe we’ll have to if Turkey shuts the door. I see the UN passing resolutions, but not taking heavy actions.

Folks here clearly don’t like Trump, but few have offered pointed, positive alternatives to the action taken. Is it so hard to admit he may have done the right thing to protect civilians from future chemical weapon attacks?

This thread has drifted around the moon.

[bigbill]

That’s reasonable. The media can be quoted to fit any side of this argument.

I’m more interested in what fellow Salon members have to offer up as an alternative to our missile strike.
So far only one reply: take in refugees.

Maybe we’ll have to if Turkey shuts the door. I see the UN passing resolutions, but not taking heavy actions.

Folks here clearly don’t like Trump, but few have offered pointed, positive alternatives to the action taken. Is it so hard to admit he may have done the right thing to protect civilians from future chemical weapon attacks?

This thread has drifted around the moon.

I don't know if there is another path besides striking when Asad uses chemical weapons. We had the red line during the previous administration but it wasn't even symbolic, it was just a sound bite. Then we had the solution of Russia taking custody of Syria's chemical weapons and that was our response. Everyone patted themselves on the back because we had prevented Asad from using chemical weapons again. But he still had weapons and it's likely that the Russians figured that out and to save face, had to help Syria by denying, blaming the rebels, and covering evidence of use.

Trump is obviously listening to his military advisors and cabinet members who are retired military. I don't know of any military leader that wants to fight a war, war is a failure of diplomacy, but part of the US military strategy is to have plans to fight wars in the event it is necessary. I'd be willing to bet that the entire airfield strike in Syria was written years ago. This past week was about execution of training and planning. Diplomacy is the best route, but you have to have a military plan to back it up. I believe this strike has put the US in a position of strength with diplomatic actions moving forward.

Syria is a mess, we don't want Asad in power but Russia does. Russia wants their warm water port and access to the Mediterranean that doesn't involve the Black Sea. ISIS needs to be eliminated or isolated so they no longer pose a threat. Who knows if the rebels would form a better government and what kind of government would we want versus what the Russians or Arab coalition want? We could end up with another Iraq. Do we force the Shia and Sunni together or let them form their own territories? What about the Kurds? Part of me wants to eliminate ISIS and just let the Syrians fight out their civil war, but I don't think that's possible.

[colker]

I don't know if there is another path besides striking when Asad uses chemical weapons. We had the red line during the previous administration but it wasn't even symbolic, it was just a sound bite. Then we had the solution of Russia taking custody of Syria's chemical weapons and that was our response. Everyone patted themselves on the back because we had prevented Asad from using chemical weapons again. But he still had weapons and it's likely that the Russians figured that out and to save face, had to help Syria by denying, blaming the rebels, and covering evidence of use.

Trump is obviously listening to his military advisors and cabinet members who are retired military. I don't know of any military leader that wants to fight a war, war is a failure of diplomacy, but part of the US military strategy is to have plans to fight wars in the event it is necessary. I'd be willing to bet that the entire airfield strike in Syria was written years ago. This past week was about execution of training and planning. Diplomacy is the best route, but you have to have a military plan to back it up. I believe this strike has put the US in a position of strength with diplomatic actions moving forward.

Syria is a mess, we don't want Asad in power but Russia does. Russia wants their warm water port and access to the Mediterranean that doesn't involve the Black Sea. ISIS needs to be eliminated or isolated so they no longer pose a threat. Who knows if the rebels would form a better government and what kind of government would we want versus what the Russians or Arab coalition want? We could end up with another Iraq. Do we force the Shia and Sunni together or let them form their own territories? What about the Kurds? Part of me wants to eliminate ISIS and just let the Syrians fight out their civil war, but I don't think that's possible.

It´s not possible. It was not possible in Lybia.

[ides1056]

I have no military experience, but I would have bombed that airfield back to the stone age without prior warning. Lincoln said, "make it so plain they cannot not know what you are thinking."

[ron l edmiston]

-- i don't have the answer..
i am not left, right or wrong..
i have the purple heart, bronze/silver star with so many torturous memories created by political ideology..

our world is to small, to technically advanced and to susceptible for a mistake that can take us beyond a point of no return..

people are starving, ceo's are making mega m's, world citizens see the haves and know they are the have nots with no means to climb out of their living hell..
they see their families suffering and dying while they wait for a savior.. that savior will never exist as long as we fight our greed and political ideology on other's land..
we spent $50m+ sending rockets --- who gives a rat's ass when the line was drawn and by who/whom or who is being the hard ass know..

isn't about time we just try the no-cost golden rule we were all taught at home.., "treat others like we want to be treated" with respect in order that they might achieve dignity and self respect too..

i lost good men dying over political ideologies & right and wrong run by armchair commanders --- no right or wrong.., my men are dead..

ronnie with maybe.., just maybe diplomacy by educated objective thinkers possibly could work

sorry.., just how my bones marrow now..

love you all

[GrantM]

Folks here clearly don’t like Trump, but few have offered pointed, positive alternatives to the action taken. Is it so hard to admit he may have done the right thing to protect civilians from future chemical weapon attacks?

Is it clear that a few missile strikes have accomplished anything at all?
(besides make Trump supporters feel better).
Suggesting that civilians are now protected is naive wishful thinking.

-g

dtdt.jpg

[BBB]

I'm not sure anyone pretends to have the answers. That goes for Trump, his military advisers and commentators on a bike forum.

How do you solve a civil war which is riven with religious in-fighting, which itself can be seen against the backdrop of regional religious in-fighting, much of which has been going on for centuries, with some of it being intensified by western meddling post-WW2, which in turn gets exported to various western countries in the form of terrorism as well as throwing in the interests of larger more powerful countries and none of those interests properly align? Then there is a buck to be made in there somewhere (military contractors) and all important popularity for western leaders.