Posted on 04/06/2017 5:09:02 PM PDT by Tours
The case for attacking the Syrian government remains as weak and unpersuasive as ever, and the reasons not to do it make much more sense. Regardless, Trump appears to be seriously considering launching an illegal attack on the Syrian government on the dubious grounds that “something should happen.” I have talked about the potential dangers of such an attack for years, so regular readers will already be very familiar with what I’m going to say, but I will offer a quick summary of why the attack shouldn’t happen.
The U.S. has no authority or right to strike at the Syrian government without U.N. authorization, and that authorization won’t be forthcoming. Despite the conceit that the U.S. is the world’s “policeman,” our government has no right to launch a war against another government because of its alleged war crimes. Possible strikes are being described as a punitive measure, but our government is not the world’s appointed executioner and our military should not be used for that purpose. Put simply, attacking the Syrian government would be illegal, which would be all the more ridiculous when the attack is being carried out ostensibly in the name of upholding international order.
The U.S. cannot pretend that it is enforcing any U.N. resolutions, and it is not acting in self-defense or the defense of a treaty ally. An attack on the Syrian government would also be difficult to justify in other terms. There is little likelihood that an attack would deter further use of chemical weapons, and it is more likely to help drag out and intensify the current conflict rather than hasten its end. If the ultimate goal is or becomes regime change, that will produce even greater evils than the ones the attack is supposed to prevent. Even if regime change is not the goal, it is difficult to see how killing more Syrians makes anything better. Joining in the carnage in Syria will not help the civilian population, but will most likely subject them to additional suffering. Insofar as an attack significantly weakens the regime, it would benefit only jihadists and their allies, and doing that makes no sense.
No U.S. interests are threatened by the Syrian government, and at present the Syrian government’s patrons are to some degree on the same side as our government in their hostility to ISIS. Attacking the Syrian government would be a boon to jihadists, the start of a new and unnecessary war for the U.S., possible direct confrontation with Iran and its proxies in Iraq and Syria, and a potentially disastrous provocation of a nuclear-armed major power. Trump is always emphasizing how the U.S. gets nothing from its foreign wars, so it bears repeating that the U.S. would most certainly get nothing from picking another fight in the region except increased costs and new enemies.
If Trump were half the realist or even the ‘Jacksonian’ that some of his supporters have claimed him to be, this intervention would not be under consideration, but then Trump is first and foremost a militarist and seems inclined to favor military options to the exclusion of everything else. If Trump were remotely serious about his “America first” rhetoric, the obvious lack of any threat to American interests would ensure that there would be no U.S. military action taken against Syria’s government, but his use of that phrase has always been opportunistic and it has never meant that he is interested in staying out of foreign wars or minding our own business.
Deeper intervention in Syria seemed to be something that Trump was unlikely to do as president based on what he said during the campaign, but he could never be trusted to do what he said and his foreign policy views have always been unformed (and uninformed) and can be easily changed. Trump’s lack of foreign policy experience and knowledge make him much more susceptible to bad advice, and his lack of any firm convictions means that he is more likely than most to yield to demands that he “do something” in response to an ongoing conflict.
seems to be bait in a trap for Trump
“seems to be bait in a trap for Trump”
If he goes for the bait, his Presidency is finished.
The left are already working to take him out. If he gets us involved in another foolhardy Middle East escapade then he will lose the support of at least 1/2 that voted for him.
I pray Trump avoids this mess. It will ruin his Presidency.
“I pray Trump avoids this mess. It will ruin his Presidency.”
In the past, Trump has clearly said the U.S. should stay out of Syria.
However, he has the flaw of many Alpha males. He will feel the need to impress people with “decisive action”, even if it may go against his better judgement.
If they were shelled by mortars or artillery, then move along those lines.
Someone needs to be held accountable. Ya just can't go around gassing innocent civilians, particularly kids.
Everyone knows war is hell and innocents will die. This type of death is horrible. Over 500 thousand people have died in this civil war. Folks....FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND.
Maybe we don't have a strategic bone to pick, but we do have a humanitarian. We have the assets to cripple Assad's air force, navy and much of his land assets.
If it's proven Assad carried out this attack using chemical weapons, America should not just stand by and do nothing.
Just my take. Oh, and Ron Paul is a freakin nut.
So you prefer Nuclear Holocaust with Russia to America first?
I have decided that Trump is very noobie in foreign policy ( good man , I love him) and being persuaded like and old woman with emotion and no facts. I have never seen a weaker case for illegally invading a sovereign nation since bush did it in Iraq. But the Bear in the bathroom is a fricking RUSSIAN BEAR!~== Not only are there no facts to support Assad Gassing his own people but ARE WE GOING TO BOMB RUSSIANS ON THE AIRFIELDS in SYRIA??, for God sakes !! have you lost your fricking mind? Over a false flag lie? This story is falling apart. Assad did NOT gas his own people!!v HE IS WINNING. THERE WAS NOTHING TO GAIN!! WAKE UP!!!!Conservatives are not buying this.
It would be incredibly stupid. This is on Russia’s tab, let them deal with it. There is nothing to be gained.
There will not be nuclear holocaust with the Russians. Russia already came out today softening it’s support for Assad. They know he crossed the line.
Yes. WW3 with 2% support on the homefront would be stupid.
Wishful thinking neo-con.
Then who did? Pretty obvious there was a chemical attack. Where did it come from? What was the delivery method? Air/artillery?
Genocide against civilians is a crime against humanity. If Assad did this, he should be tried. Everyone knows ISIS is a bunch of wicked a-holes and they will be dealt with as well.
Assad is just as evil as his dad was.
What are we doing? Assad had done nothing?
It is a trap for Trump.
Where in the kcuF do we get off intervening in a their Civil War?
Who intervened in ours?
Would we like to be invaded and bombed by another country(Mexico don’t count)?
What happened to non-intervention?
How is this America first?
The rest of the world doesn’t see this is as human rights violations so, why is this our problem?
kcuF the EU
kcuF NATO
This is closer to being their problem than ours and I have heard nothing from those Apeholes....
“We must abandon the failed policy of nation-building and regime change that Hillary Clinton pushed in Iraq, in Libya, in Egypt and in Syria. Instead, we must work with all of our allies who share our goal of destroying ISIS and stamping out Islamic terrorism and doing it now, doing it quickly.”
“Hillary Clinton has made bad judgment not only on taxes. She’s made bad judgments on Libya, on Syria, on Iraq. I mean, her and Obama, whether you like it or not, the way they got out of Iraq, the vacuum they’ve left, that’s why ISIS formed in the first place. They started from that little area, and now they’re in 32 different nations, Hillary. Congratulations. Great job.”
Donald Trump
I don’t care if Assad strangled every ISIS baby to death with his bare hands. Means nothing to me. Nothing.
Bull crap. It was ISIS!!! This is madness. Do you not have a clue that this was a Chemical warehouse in a populated area belonging to Isis? .That is not Assad’s fault!!What are we doing!! There is no proof— where is the investigation on the warehouse before we violate international law again???
“Where in the kcuF do we get off intervening in a their Civil War?”
Again, I have to empahsize, that the powerful Saudi and Israeli Lobbies want Assad out, by any means.
When these lobbies speak, the Beltway crowd jump.
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