Posted on 04/09/2017 1:07:11 PM PDT by Jim Robinson
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says there's no "hard evidence" of Russian involvement in Syria's chemical bomb attack, but charges Moscow's been "incompetent" and "out-maneuvered" by Bashar al-Assad.
In an interview with ABC News' "This Week" aired Sunday, Tillerson said in his visit to Russia this week, he'll call upon Moscow "to fulfill the obligation it made to the international community when it agreed to be the guarantor of the elimination of the chemical weapons."
"Why Russia has not been able to achieve that is unclear to me," he said. "I don't draw conclusions of complicity at all. But clearly, they've been incompetent, and perhaps they've just simply been out-maneuvered by the Syrians."
Also in the interview, Tillerson said there's been "no change" to the U.S. military stance in Syria beyond the missile strike in retaliation for the Assad government's use of chemical weapons on its citizens, yet the action carries a message for other countries acting outside international norms.
The U.S. still hopes to shepherd a "political process that we believe the Syrian people will lawfully be able to decide the fate of Assad," Tillerson said in reference to Syria's president.
This week's airstrike "was a message to Bashar al-Assad that your multiple violations of your agreements at the UN, your agreements under the chemical weapons charter back in 2013, that those would not go without a response in the future," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Who is the side we are HELPING in the Syrian civil war, Jim?
Every one of the combatants hates the women and children of Syria, seems to me.
I think there are NO good guys in that fight. Am I wrong?
BS.
I think it is what Tillerson says. A onetime strike to deter Assad’s use of chemical weapons. No Syrian policy change by Trump. No effort for regime change by force.
I’m not in favor of any US involvement whatsoever in Syria’s civil war.
No good can possibly come out of it.
Pray Trump holds fast.
Regardless, it’s got to stop - if only because it’s the source of all those (mostly Islamist) “refugees.”
I think, if Assad really did do this, that the Russians aren’t happy either, and that’s why there has been a face-saving but fairly muted response.
It’s a very difficult situation, and obviously it was not handled well under Bambi, whose first instinct was to side with whatever group looked most Islamicist. When he couldn’t do that, he basically bailed on the whole project.
The good thing about Trump’s having done this - and with his isolationism, it surprised me - is that the US has taken the initiative and now shows that it’s a force to be reckoned with again. This will be a game changer.
Dang!
The optometrist is smarter than the ex KGB leader
But the NY real estate mogul and the former Exxon CEO will take him down! Just give Mad Dog the codes ..
>All the good people, the Christians, are dead or fled tbe country.
Lots of Christians living in Government controlled areas. In rebels areas not so much.
Good cop/bad cop being played here.
But probably all kabuki anyway.
We’re on the same page.
There are other people besides Assad who have chemical and biological weapons and who would love to use them against America among others. Of course Islamist countries like Iran, terrorists and North Korea are at the top of the list. Trump is sounding a believable warning.
Remember, even President Reagan had the U.S.S. New Jersey shell the Syrian Army in Lebanon to bits.
I agree with that Jim.
I appreciate you stating that too.
Balance...
...Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says there’s no “hard evidence” of Russian involvement in Syria’s chemical bomb attack...
That’s not what they’ve been saying the last couple of days.
Bump!
I believe the new SOS is not the lying political animal that the former two were and believe President Trump will hold fast.
Oh, no chemical weapons? All those ISIS guys have really bad gas, I mean, horrible nasty gas and phart constantly. There's your pretext.
Putin is going to be royally pissed, but Assad will see this message also and take it to heart.
That said, the strike on Assad's airfield was a message to Assad, Putin, Iran, ISIS, China, North Korea, and the rest of the world.
Trump is in charge and the U.S.A. is back.
Ask the Syrian Christians.
Agreed.
Thank you for saying this Jim.
I still don’t think Assad used chemical weapons - the last time around that the claim was made, I believe it was shown that the rebels were more likely to be responsible. That said, anyone using them needs to be called to account at some point. I do not get the warm fuzzies when we lob missiles into a war zone with many competing interests and militaries.
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