Posted on 04/08/2018 10:46:55 AM PDT by Mariner
Oh, yeah, Assad has almost all the country under his control now...
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/interactive/2015/05/syria-country-divided-150529144229467.html
(Updated 3/28/2018)
/s
IF Assad’s forces did this (chem attack) — the jury IS still out, I believe — the “reason” is that this is how he and his people (and much of the ME) think: They dominate by force and fear. You cannot apply your precepts & logic.
I know the photos exist because I posted them to FR at the time. The Brits released them I believe. You could probably find them on a search for articles related to syria last year. You could even find out what the presidential powers are, too. As for you ‘paying a dime’ last I heard we little people don’t have a lot to say about where our tax dollars go specifically, sorry. And I never said anything about sending anyone anywhere, so I don’t think I need to ‘shut up.’ And you really should be more polite. Noob.
Trump needs to get us out and STOP playing games over there.
Think so. Russia will. Without a doubt. Go read about involvement of Russia and Syria since at least 1950 and the Russian naval Base there.
Thank you. Please tell Trump.
Thank you also.
Right? And why are we not liberating Tibet? Atrocities happened in Rwanda, in far greater numbers, and the west looked away. Since when are we obligated to respond to a supposed chemical attack?
I remember those stories of babies dumped on the floor from their incubators. The first casualty of war is always the truth
I have a great book called The Ruses of War I think. Every war is begun with a lie.
A photo tells you nothing about who did it. Right?
IF Assad’s forces did this (chem attack) — the jury IS still out, I believe — the “reason” is that this is how he and his people (and much of the ME) think: They dominate by force and fear. You cannot apply your precepts & logic.
Trump has said he’s not interested in defending the Kurds, let alone in attacking Assad. Assad’s simply taking Trump at his word. I don’t often agree with McCain, but in this respect, he’s completely right.
Assad is probably figuring that while the war is still on, he’s got a pretty good excuse for slaughtering as many of the Sunni Arab troglodytes currently fighting to establish an Islamist regime in Syria as he can. Because if he loses, the Alawites will be on the receiving end of the same thing. And that’s the reason why he’s using every means at his disposal - economically, Syria is a basket case - like the Kurds, Alawite is dependent on the goodwill of foreign sponsors to survive. The day one of his sponsors ends that aid, he might as well pack up and leave on the next plane. He needs to end the war tomorrow, if possible. And given Trump’s all-clear signal, where he indicated he wanted to end any US presence or efforts in Syria, it’s understandable that Assad figured he had obtained Trump’s tacit approval for the gas attack.
How far will the war party go? I wouldn’t put it past some GOP members of Congress threatening Trump, behind closed doors of course, with impeachment if he pulls out.
Well, we are hitting Syria again, after the chem attack.
After this Russian statement, I would ensure that one of the targets has Russian “advisors”.
Those of you who support Assad are also in support of Iran/Hamas/Hezbollah...and Palestinians.
Just saying.
Russia is the one out Neo-Conning the Neo-Cons with their psychotic empire-addicted antics. Not sure how US should respond but rather sickening that you are so loyal to the Iran/Assad storyline.
Clearly Putin is the one drunk on military aggression and empire-ambitions. And he doesn't care how much the Holy Land is sabotaged.
Confused by the Putin/Assad/Khomeini lovefest present on these boards.
Those of you who jump into any old war without thinking things through are actively working to bring about Erdogan’s dream of a worldwide Caliphate.
Assad wasn’t conquering his neighbors.
I don’t share your desire to help one muslim despot or another conquer the whole mideast chamber pot.
It’s Islam. They will always install one despot or another.
Assad isn’t the one instituting open sex slave markets within his reign. That would be your conqueror hero Erdogan.
Assad isn’t the butcher who committed genocide against the Yazidi. That would be the Islamic insurgency you championl
I fought in the wars over there already. I know who the players are. You are trying to convince me that there is some brand or another of Islam worth supporting. There isn’t.
I am not advocating for war. Only that Russia is more Neo-Con in its behavior than the American ones. Putin has cemented an axis alongside Syria-Turkey-Iran and good grief: throw in North Korea for kicks. (There is exchange going on even between them and Assad supposedly.)
It is the most anti-Semitic alliance forged since the end of WWII.
I don’t disagree with most of that, in some sense, but it still “violates” civilized(?) concepts of how wars are fought. I think fear needed to rule is still the big factor: If Assad kills or drives out most everyone but the surviving Alawites and a few others (some Christians, etc.), he ends up with not much to rule. He needs most of the population alive, but cowed. Otherwise, this never ends, because he winds up with a resentful majority, with plenty of outside players with money who still want to stir up trouble, and all this IS in the ME, after all, where infighting & killing is the regional sport.
As far as “logical” goes, setting aside the in-country fear factor, Assad’s logic is further flawed: While much of the West can’t do much because of those defense cuts you mentioned, the West does recognize that used of “WMD” by 2nd and 3rd world parties just CANNOT be allowed to get out of hand. And we (the US) are still out there as the heavily armed “policeman”, like it or not. SOMEBODY has to take that role. Who else would FReepers prefer? The risk to most of the civilized world of not taking action is just too great to hide from. The Khadafys, Saddam Husseins, and Assads must at some point be shown such actions (chemical attacks, etc.) are intolerable, even if those they are unleashed upon “deserve it”.
Now, the all above IS predicated on proof Assad is to blame. I am not sure of that. Yes, that means that if a US allied group did it... we should smack them, instead. Hard.
Something else occurred to me. What if Trump’s statement about getting out of Syria was a “test” to see if Assad would do something stupid?
LOL! I’ll take that as a compliment. Bolton has long advised against ‘boots’ action in Syria. Not that CNN or MSNBC would mention that in their salivating at the thought of more menchilds dying.
Here are two articles where Bolton gives his perspective on Iraq/Syria. Cliff notes: ‘peace’ will only be accomplished by sitting Turkey, Iraq and Syria down and convincing them to re-carve their countries to make way for a sunni state. The articles are two years apart, but basically say the same thing, ‘boots’ aren’t the answer. I doubt his opinion has changed much:
John Bolton: To Defeat ISIS, Create a Sunni State
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/25/opinion/john-bolton-to-defeat-isis-create-a-sunni-state.html
John Bolton: Trump Silence on Iran-Dominated Baghdad Invasion of Kurdish Iraq ‘a Tragedy’
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3595715/posts
Syria antics serve as test of our response. Especially of Trump's -- given his pullout commitment.
Putin knows we won’t do anything too crazy for fear of nuclear war. But he still needs the attacks to keep coming. Makes Russia the “besieged fortress” feel important.
Same thing reasoning applies to UK Spy poisoning fiasco. Timed just before Russian elections.
As one Russian KGB expert and insider puts it:
"Moscow’s goal is to demonstrate the UK’s weakness and isolation and to drive a wedge between us and other countries. The Kremlin understands how to make these sorts of interventions at just below the level that will trigger a serious collective reaction against them.”
If May fails to react adequately, she would appear weak. If she tries to fight back against Russia, she would discover the limits of collective solidarity..."
- Grigol Chkartishvili (aka Boris Akunin)
And the confusion from all this, often resulting on our part, is also part of the goal.
So: its psychological warfare both against West and Russian people. Putin needs a permanent crisis with the West to maintain legitimacy.
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