Posted on 04/10/2018 6:23:27 PM PDT by ethom
US President Donald Trump’s “major decision” on Syria is contingent on the rallying of sufficient air and naval strength and allied participation. Military sources report that the only US warship immediately available for the promised US military response to Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Douma is the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook, which sailed from Larnaca Monday, April 9, on its way to the eastern Mediterranean. The USS Iwo Jima strike group, which visited Haifa last month, is now cruising in the Arabian Sea, days away from the scene, whereas the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group only departs the US port for the Middle East on Wednesday, April 11, and is not due in the Mediterranean before next week.
The Trump administration is negotiating with Britain, France and other allies, including Arab governments, for their roles in the Syrian operation. Our Washington sources report that the commander-in-chief is looking at a major operation in Syria, to unfold over several days and lead to a concerted allied assault on the Iranian military presence embedded in that country. This extended goal may give US allies pause.
Trump’s line to UK Prime Minister Theresa May is this: You owe me for supporting you against Russia in the spy poisoning affair; now, back me up in holding Russia and Iran to account for the chemical attack in Syria. Britain maintains an air base in Cyprus. France’s only aircraft carrier, the FS Charles de Gaulle-R 91, is in dock for lengthy repairs. On April 6, 350 French airmen started a joint training exercise aboard the USS George HW Bush in the West Atlantic. Bringing them over would entail complicated, time-consuming coordination between their two headquarters. Trump has promised to reach a decision on the Syrian operation by Thursday after consulting his security chiefs and allies. What he has in mind is much more than a one-off strike like the Tomahawk assault he ordered on a Syrian air base a year ago to punish the regime for a chemical attack that left 80 civilians dead. This operation is likely to be sustained and continue well into the second half of April.
> anyone associated with the mullahs, the Revolutionary Guard or the present government
Oh, I see. What about the majority of the sitting Iraqi “democratically elected government”, should they be sent there? What about the Shia militias which performed the brunt of the work in driving out ISIS from Iraq, more than the conventional army (still supported by Iran)? The Kurds? Everyone involved in Iran-Contra?
Who’s going to take over when Iran gets taken out then? Communists? Royalists from a dynasty that Iran’s young population largely despise and do not remember? A “democracy” made up of the subversive factions we supported? Communists? When will America learn not to overthrow governments it does not like? It is costing us, and it is going to cost my generation when the older ones get to invade and mess up anyone they like.
WW-III began with Operation Masterdom
in Vietnam
on September 13, 1945
That's well put. Did removing the Shah, Hussein, and Gaddafi make things better? Egypt was one step away from the Muslim Brotherhood taking power. Removing Assad is pure insanity.
When we break things we own it. When we forcibly remove or help remove a leader, albeit a despot or dictator of a country, history has proven that the replacement leader or regime is worse.
There seems to be a scale of escalation possible that we haven’t seen in a long time, imho.
I don’t see an upside to removing Assad either. Russia will surely try to undermine any effort to remove Assad and interfere is Assad is removed. Iranian forces will definitely try to take advantage of any vacuum with Putin backing them. Time, this is next level stupidity.
Thought I would ask. Are the gas pipelines that Europe needs in the Sunni Syria area.. I just remember the pipeline negotiations several years ago and thought.. why do we care? It is ridiculous to be at war with Russia because the Europeans are dragging us in to serve them.
I don’t know how many hundreds of posts I read here claiming Iraq had no wmds... after the gas attack there..
I wonder where those creepers are now?
FR has been hijacked by people that now want trillions of dollars in shovel ready jobs, people who blindly support an administration that has imposed more 2A restrictions than Obama and the use of military force within our borders.
This time the Russians have said publicly they will respond - taking out incoming, platforms, planes, and ships. Hold onto your hats and find the nearest fallout shelter.
Remember that the East of Syria and south of the Euphrates is majority Sunni. Iran's pipeline goes across Sunni lines
The Western part is mixed -- and remember that it's not that simple that all Sunnis hate Assad - in fact the majority of his army are Sunni. These guys despise the Saudi version (School) of Sunnis, the Wahabbi/Salafi school
The southern pipeline from Qatar goes across mixed lands
It's not "the Europeans" dragging in the USA. It is primarily Saudia. For the Brits and the French I don't see what they gain except breaking a Russian potential monopoly (though the Baltics are already doing this by importing American oil and gas)
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If the west wanted to act against the use of gas in warfare, it's a bit late to be getting excited.
us says they have chem samples...
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