Posted on 04/10/2017 6:33:43 PM PDT by BenLurkin
U.S. officials say they are reaching the consensus view that Assad was simply acting out of desperation. The embattled Syrian leader is facing a major rebel offensive in Idlib province, led by radical Islamic groups, that his depleted and exhausted army is ill-equipped to counter by conventional means. Chemical weapons were a response of cold-blooded convenience, they believe.
That Trump and his team couldn't initially decide what may have motivated the strike complicated the decision-making on how to move forward, one administration official said, but "not to the point of stopping us from doing anything.”
...Aides and friends say the lack of clarity seemed to worry Trump, who is impatient and has sometimes expressed distrust of the intelligence community, while he faced his first military test.
"No one really knew exactly why," a senior administration official said Saturday. "And Trump wanted to know why.”
Trump continued to ask questions about Syria's motive even after the strike, mentioning the lack of a clear motivation to friends and aides at Mar-a-Lago, according to people who spoke to him.
...
While many Syria experts in Washington endorse the official consensus that Assad is desperate to fend off even a weakened rebel opposition, they are still entertaining other theories.
... They include the possibility of a rogue military commander — perhaps loyal to Iran, which has sent troops and funding to prop up Assad — was trying to sabotage the possibility of a U.S.-Russia-Assad alliance that could isolate Tehran.
Another is that Assad was trying to psychologically terrorize his opposition through a so-called demonstration effect. This school of thought holds that “he’s showing the rebels, ‘I can get away with this,’” Salem said.
(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...
He bought a few years and we didn’t have much to do with his removal, it was the French who were the prime movers there and Hussein couldn’t resist following.
Fewer years than fat Kim, so I rate it as unwise from his point of view.
“Since you’re just going to sit there and wait for someone to give you something ... here you go...”
Typical bigoted assumption on your part, to assume I haven’t been looking, and just waiting for someone as virtuous as you to “givsmedat.”
Kind of weird we haven’t been given any actual number on the wounded.
The ones with the most to gain by such an attack is ISIS. I thought Trump was smarter than to get suckered into doing the globalists’ bidding by keeping us in perpetual war, but it sounds like he may be falling into their trap.
Your response assumes the opposite of what I said.
I’m nonplussed.
According to most report Assad just got done slaughtering the rebel offensive days before the chemical weapons where used. The rebels lost over 2,000 troops and were in retreat. Someone is lying to Trump.
US Special Forces Obliterate ISIS Fighters Trying To Assault Base
U.S. special forces obliterated an entire Islamic State attack team assaulting a base in southern Syria Saturday, military officials said. “The enemy got crushed,” a U.S. military official told NBC News.
Exactly. Now you’re whining that I gave it to you.
It really is a tinfoil rich environment. Sensitive tinfoil at that. lol.
Butthurt tinfoil! Can’t stand to have the conspiracy challenged tinfoil.
I don’t remember asking you for anything, so you can take your condescending assumptions and use your imagination as to what to do with them.
Want some whine with that cheese? LOL
Damn, you just about made me fall over with that!
Whatever you say Buttercup.
If we were concentrating on destroying ISIS that would be a good thing. Bombing Syria over what may have been a false flag operation is just helping ISIS.
Yes, the evidence says it’s helping them die. 30 at a time!
Bullshit. That's just your hysterical and unfounded opinion.
On the contrary, the President—who has been given ample reason to doubt the US intelligence community—made extra damn sure of the facts, getting additional confirming intel form other countries such as Israel.
So either you're letting your NeverTrump impulses get the better of you, or you're allowing some other kind of bias to overcome your rationality.
By all accounts, the President—in part because of the aforementioned problems with the intel community—went out of his way to verify the truth of Assad's use of chemical weapons in this instance. He made extra sure, inasmuch as that's even possible.
If you took the time to read the details about the intelligence that was gathered, you'd be aware of that fact.
So it appears to be you who are being lied to—by yourself, and in the face of all available facts.
Why don't you just admit that you'll never trust any intel that comes from this administration. After all, if you don't have access to classified info, how will you ever know the truth?
LS was right when he told me that for those who refuse to believe that the intel was good, nothing will ever convince them.
You either trust this President, or you don't. If you don't trust him, then you probably never will. In that case, you should just openly admit your NeverTrump sentiments—because that's exactly what they are—and prepare to face the rough years ahead...
Assad could go on live TV worldwide and give a full confession and many here would say he was coerced by “Russia” or “Trump” or “Russia and Trump.”
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.