US Launches Airstrikes In Syria

[DoD1776]

Russia isn't so thrilled...

Russia says US missile strikes on Syria came 'within inch' of triggering military clash

We told russia to get out of that airfield, we told them we were gonna bomb the shit out of it

 

[Truebeliever]

Except we attacked the wrong side as we ALWAYS do.

Fox News is reporting that the defense department has video of the gas attack by Assad's planes.

It was a limited strike in part because we do not want to get rid of Assad. He keeps the Islamic fanatics in check and they fight him instead of us. But we don't want him to win either.

 

[Mosinitis]

Fox News is reporting that the defense department has video of the gas attack by Assad's planes.

It was a limited strike in part because we do not want to get rid of Assad. He keeps the Islamic fanatics in check and they fight him instead of us. But we don't want him to win either.

They don't deny they bombed. They say it hit the stockpile of chemical weapons held by the rebels. What will the video show to disprove it.

 

[Drinkthekoolaid]

Fox News is reporting that the defense department has video of the gas attack by Assad's planes.

It was a limited strike in part because we do not want to get rid of Assad. He keeps the Islamic fanatics in check and they fight him instead of us. But we don't want him to win either.

How's this for a warped world.

A- Assad kills a bunch of people. Some of them are innocent civilians, others are ISIS members or supporters. Were not mad he killed them, but the manner in which he did so.

B- so we attack Assad assets that he would need to launch future chemical attacks. Retaliating for and coming to the defense of people in a village that there's a good chance in the future we will be fighting some of them ourselves as ISIS members.

This is such a messed up country.

 

[Catskillkid]

This is such a messed up country.

And their "best and brightest" are going to Europe and North America to reap the benefits of...government benefits.

 

[holdover]

"""Fox News is reporting that the defense department has video of the gas attack by Assad's planes.""


"""Fox News is reporting""

Show me the money.

 

[prambo]

Some negative views on this event from sources that I, at least, take seriously.

From OK - NavyJack - Has President Trump Been Blackmailed by the NEOCONs? - Oath Keepers

From The Havok Journal - most authors are former SOF/Ranger types - http://havokjournal.com/politics/international/syria-gas/ - often go there, but interestingly this article was sent to me in an email from Special Operations Speaks, a PAC. And, no, I'm not claiming to have been an "operator" - I was a USAF pogue. Support Special Operations Speaks PAC | Special Operations Speaks

 

[Mosinitis]

There are specific signs of Sarin gas poisoning. None of them were displayed in the videos of this chemical attack. The gas which is believed to be responsible is chlorine, which is easier to get and known to be used by the rebels in the past.

 

[Celt]

Im glad he didnt make a line and not back it up, but i dont have enough info to decide if i support the act or not. Id like to think he has more info/better intel, than us peons, but i still dont have much faith in our govt.

 

[pjzwtl]

Im glad he didnt make a line and not back it up, but i dont have enough info to decide if i support the act or not. Id like to think he has more info/better intel, than us peons, but i still dont have much faith in our govt.

Which is a far better attitude then assuming were always right or like many assuming were always being douche bags. The only real fact in all this is that things are so fubar all over from the press, politicians and the rest of the world for that matter you never know what info to believe. I do know for me personally I don't take the word of a former KGB guy as the gospel truth.

 

[ArmedCorgi]

Everything about Trump's presidency has been, in one way or another, provocative. When is the last time we had a leader like this? I can understand the fear that maybe TPTB got to him on this, but the more I look at this the more I see a move that simultaneously sent messages to all our adversaries and was something nice and shinny for our MSM friends to focus on, lol. Showmanship...

 

[holdover]

Ill give you even one more, It completely destroys the democrats allegations of conspiring with Russia during the elections and takes a lot of heat off of Trump. We really put Russia in a tough spot. They were almost forced to respond. The Russians now look like weak allies who will not stand up to the west. That is hardly working with the Russians as the Assholes in DC continue to say. How much credibility does the trump putin connection have now?

Secondly, it absolutely gives N Korea pause that China will automatically save them from the US and decide to have a nuclear war with them. Maybe they just wont. Kim jong ding dong has to consider that.

 

[Mosinitis]

There is no justification for helping Jihad AlNusra, NONE.

 

[Mosinitis]

For 40 years US government sided with militant Islamists in every foreign conflict. Here is a reminder to those who forgot.

 

[John Stark]

"The President must get Congressional approval before attacking Syria-big mistake if he does not!"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2013


"President Obama, do not attack Syria. There is no upside and tremendous downside. Save your "powder" for another (and more important) day!"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2013


"AGAIN, TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA - IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING!"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013

 

[Phazer]

$1,410,000 per missile x 59 = $83.19 million

Raytheon must be thinking, "Great! We'll build as many as you'd like you buy."

Just making more jobs in the Raytheon assembly facilities.

BTW, 60 were launched. One failed and probably ended up in the ocean. Does Raytheon replace that one under warranty?

 

[Phazer]

What Assad did was not an attack upon the US, it's territories or possessions, or it's armed forces. Trump definitely didn't get the consent of Congress before he authorized the attacks.

However, Assad is a known conspirator and benefactor of enemies of the U.S., and American allies, such as Hezbollah. Assad has continued to use illegal chemical weapons that he'd supposedly destroyed after a deal Obama had brokered through the Russians in 2013.

Since Assad could provide chemical weapons to American enemies, this is an issue of national security.

 

[pjzwtl]

"The President must get Congressional approval before attacking Syria-big mistake if he does not!"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2013


"President Obama, do not attack Syria. There is no upside and tremendous downside. Save your "powder" for another (and more important) day!"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2013


"AGAIN, TO OUR VERY FOOLISH LEADER, DO NOT ATTACK SYRIA - IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN & FROM THAT FIGHT THE U.S. GETS NOTHING!"

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2013

John I hear what you are saying here but the words of a civilian with out the details a civilian has are simply a partially informed opinion. As POTUS it is safe to assume he has more info now.

 

[holdover]

Not how it works. the people the congress and the American public better be god dammed informed of the facts before launching a war with OUR blood and OUR treasure. ""We think"" ""sources say"" is not good enough in American court , and it isn't good enough to begin bombing another country.

 

[holdover]

However, Assad is a known conspirator and benefactor of enemies of the U.S., and American allies, such as Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is an Israeli enemy, They haven't killed any Americans . It was the American intelligence who pushed and armed the Arab spring , the muslim brother hood, the ""moderate "" rebels in Syria , It was America, Saudi Arabia Isreal who armed them to overthrow Syria.

Assad has continued to use illegal chemical weapons that he'd supposedly destroyed after a deal Obama had brokered through the Russians in 2013.

That is an allegation not a fact,

Since Assad could provide chemical weapons to American enemies, this is an issue of national security.

My little sister can provide chemical weapons to the enemy's of America . Its world war 1 technology, and its very simple to make , chlorine and one more ingredient . (not saying) Russia can provide chemical weapons , China, North Korea Iran ect

 

[holdover]

why would Assad choose this moment — only days after the US granted him a pass on remaining in power — to do the one thing guaranteed to bring the wrath of the US down him, namely, kill a lot of civilians, including women and children, with poison gas? Either Assad is inconceivably stupid or possibly the gas attack is not exactly what happened.

Russia has claimed that Assad’s air force attempted to bomb a “rebel” (al Qaeda? Al Nusra? Isis?) ammunition depot that apparently contained supplies of Sarin nerve gas. Neither the US government or the American media has presented any arguments to counter that hypothesis. The New York Times banged the war drum as loudly as possible in the days after the incident. And now, of course, Trump Central has fired $60 million worth of cruise missiles at Assad’s main air force base. Assad’s spokesmen denied responsibility for the attack and the Russians are still asking for conclusive evidence via the UN Security Council.

The current incident appears to be — or was engineered to be — a replay of the August 2013 gas incident that left President Barack Obama looking weak and indecisive for not carrying out retaliation against Assad “crossing a line in the sand” against human decency.

And so you have Mr. Trump, who may feel now that he cannot afford to appear weak and indecisive — above all other considerations, including the truth about what really happened at Khan Sheikhoun, Idlib province of Syria. So he bombed an airport, after warning the Russians to remove their personnel from the vicinity.

Confused About Syria, You Should Be | Zero Hedge

 

[spat]

I won't address your other points, but this one I think misses wide of the mark, at least in a philosophical sense.

The decision to go to war is, and always has been, a moral choice, just as all choices that are made are moral, one way or another.

The only question when it comes to a moral choice is whether it is a good one, or an evil one.

As I stated, going to war does fall under the authority of our representatives, given to them by us supposedly through our Constitution and US Code. We may not like it when they do so, and we might vote them out for doing so, but our government certainly has the authority to do so under our system of government.

The question, legally, was whether the authority exercised in a proper manner, whether the "checks and balances" were followed. If our representatives jumped through the proper Constitutional hoops, then they have satisfied the moral legal requirements in terms of so-called "good government."

This does not take away from the fact that the People have an obligation to determine for themselves whether using that authority, in the proper manner (jumping through the hoops), was the morally right thing to do.

In our system, even if our so-called representatives decide for whatever reason what they are doing is "morally correct," and even if they jump through the proper political hoops, they are supposedly still accountable to us, We the People, at election time.

The fact that our government has become one gigantic farce of staged theater rests squarely upon the shoulders of the American People.

It is right and proper that dictators get what is coming to them; that is morally indisputable. Dictators by their very nature are a great moral blight upon mankind, and have been since ancient times.

The question for us living in a so-called "Republic" is whether we have any duty to involve ourselves in it, and whether such action might have other moral (and hence, political/diplomatic) implications that will cause more evil down the road, for us and those we are "helping," or less evil if we fail to intervene.

One thing we can rest assured on is the fact that even if our so-called "leaders" offer moral justifications for the things they do, they will be lying much of the time.

"Do not trust in princes, In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation." Psalm 146:3

Our Founders knew that Psalm, and other moral imperatives and teachings on good government from the Bible like it, very, very well, which is why they attempted to put the power of government into the hands of the People, rather than an elite ruling class.

Its truly not their fault that we have failed to heed their advice, and insist, time and again, to install plutocrats and globalists who do not have our national interests to heart.

We are led by the people that the average American deserves, and as the quality of the average American declines, so does that of our leaders.

As for Trump's authority, congress has long since ceded their responsibility in this to the executive. They do not want to make hard choices as they inevitability piss off voters. They would much rather give the executive the authority, then second guess them after the results are known.

I'm not really sure the constitution allows them to delegate that authority, but they have.

 

[spat]

Syria is not a failed state. They are winning where we failed, not only we failed, we made a mess. Why hold back the truth?

If you are in the middle of a prolonged civil war, you are a failed state.

It could be argued that the original USA failed, and a new one was born out of our civil war. Certainly many things had changed as far as the structure of the country goes.

 

[Mosinitis]

If you are in the middle of a prolonged civil war, you are a failed state.

It could be argued that the original USA failed, and a new one was born out of our civil war. Certainly many things had changed as far as the structure of the country goes.

We destroyed Syria, it didn't fail on its own. Standard CIA operating procedure is to escalate ethnic/religious tensions and arm militant opposition groups. This was done in many places and well documented, while American public is being fed "world policeman" bullshit.

 

[spat]

We destroyed Syria, it didn't fail on its own. Standard CIA operating procedure is to escalate ethnic/religious tensions and arm militant opposition groups. This was done in many places and well documented, while American public is being fed "world policeman" bullshit.

You're probably right. Doesn't mean they aren't a failed state, just that we're responsible for them being that way.

 

[Burzum]

Please don't speak of assad in any sort of a positive way; everyone in this thread could combine our scat into a big tub and it would have more value than him. He is responsible for mass torture and execution of his people. This is indisputable. He is a very naughty person.

I'm under no illusions about the rebels. The entire country is doomed IMO. I'm pretty sure assad did the 2013 attack but I never read the final UN report.

As for the timing of this, in your own words if tillerson has just said the syrians can keep their leader, assad misread this (reminds me of saddam back before 1991 war) that hey I can do whatever I want, and this war sucks, let's just get this done. Well, he misread.

EDIT: Oh, now i kind of remember--assad didn't initiate the attack, but it was his forces, not necessarily with his approval.

Blimey, I REALLY do appreciate the way you state your case in a very civil manner, I do totally disagree with your assessment, and would cite just about every credible journalist who studied the 2013 incident, IT WAS NOT ASSAD.

If you believe in the moral aspect (and some do) then you may want to change your avatar, as Churchill was a mass murderer (the Bengal massacre) and he supported mass murderers: like Stalin and Tito.

Assad has to rule over people who want Americans dead, Assad and the Russians are killing rebels who want Westerners dead, every time Assad kills one of those Sunni fanatics regardless of gender or age, Assad and the Russian are making the world a better place.

As for US intelligence, our history is littered with fudged intelligence like that bitch testifying how Iraqi soldiers pulled babies out of incubators in Kawait before Operation Desert Shield/Storm, that NEVER happened, how about Saddam and his yellowcake,,,,, yeah that never happened, how about "American Blood on American Soil" to touch off the 1846-1848 Mexican-American War, yeah that never happened either (though I like president Polk), ONLY believe what you can see, it is too easy to be duped.

 

[GuyMontag]

Blimey, I REALLY do appreciate the way you state your case in a very civil manner, I do totally disagree with your assessment, and would cite just about every credible journalist who studied the 2013 incident, IT WAS NOT ASSAD.

Thank you for that reality check Burzum, I wish more folks had your grasp of the actual facts before engaging in this debate.

 

[NirvanaFan]

However, Assad is a known conspirator and benefactor of enemies of the U.S., and American allies, such as Hezbollah. Assad has continued to use illegal chemical weapons that he'd supposedly destroyed after a deal Obama had brokered through the Russians in 2013.

Since Assad could provide chemical weapons to American enemies, this is an issue of national security.

Even if that is all true, it doesn't matter. The War Powers Act doesn't allow the President to start bombing other countries because they might do something bad or they don't abide by an agreement. Simply citing national security doesn't make it OK. Are you really in favor of persecuting people because they might do something bad? How do you rationalize that as a gun owner?

 

[Frankly]

Bottom line is that we don't have the same information that Trump does, so it's impossible to decisively call the shot. I also think there is more at play than just Syria in the thinking that an attack on the air base was a positive thing.

Still, I can't help but wonder why Assad would do this? and that John McCain and worse people like that it happened. Combine that with the RyanCare debacle where Trump forcefully backed it and I am starting to have my doubts whether Trump is going to be a positive force and anything more than a status-quo "At least he's not Hillary" president.

 

[holdover]

""Bottom line is that we don't have the same information that Trump does, so it's impossible to decisively call the shot.""

The shot should not be called with out properly informing the public . Secret information is not grounds for a war .

If you cant prove what your saying to the public then it shouldn't be done.