[InterceptPoint]

President Trump launched a missile strike to send a message to all Syrians that use of chemical weapons will not be permitted.
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Assume for the moment that it was ISIS that was actually responsible for the attack. Will they quiver in fear from Trump’s message or praise Allah for helping them succeed in their mission. And won’t that success motivate them to plan another similar mission?

I’m thinking yes, it would. The question of WHO launched that attack does matter and should not be trivialized.

[DannyTN]

It does make a difference who launched the attack.

The attack puts the world on notice that the U.S. will respond very forcibly if anyone uses Chemical weapons. And if Syria used them, they just got lesson in how quickly we can degrade their military assets.

But if Jihadists used them, then they got the response they hoped for a major attack on a Syrian base. And it assures them they can prod the US into attacking others. The evidence points to Syria though.

• We know Syrian planes flew and attacked this area in two waves. No one seems to be disputing this.
• If Jihadists did it, then they gassed an area Syria identified as an enemy and had just attacked. Ie, Jihadists gassed themselves. (Not likely).
• One possibility is that the gas was in the arms depot that Syria attacked and that the gas was set off unintentionally by Syria.
• In the past, we have often had communications intelligence. I'm guessing we did this time too. I.e US gets benefit of the doubt.
• The pictures above purport to show Syria with chemical weapons. If current, the burden of proof shifts to Syria.
• Another freeper posted that Syria had been using gas weapons frequently, but most attacks had been ineffective. Don't know their source but if there is a pattern, makes it less likely that Jihadists did it.
• The western nations have lined us behind the US on this. Seems they agree the attack was justified.

[Alberta's Child]

In war, the first casualty is truth.

Always remember this, and never trust anything you hear from anyone -- especially in media outlets that function as de facto propaganda arms of the U.S. government.

[Lorianne]

It only matters in so far as it can provoke us to get entangled in their religious civil wars.

Every side is angling for ways to get us to do their bidding.

And we are stupid enough to fall for it ... every damn time.