This is going to go badly when Russia accidentally shoots down an American plane.
“I’m not really a diplomat, but I did eat at an International House of Pancakes once.”
"Once upon a time, Donald J. Trump, the New York City businessman-turned-president, berated then-President Barack Obama back in September 2013 about the fallacy of an American military strike against Syria. At that time, the United States was considering the use of force against Syria in response to allegations (since largely disproven) that the regime of President Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons against civilians in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta. Trump, via tweet, declared “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!”
One week ago the policy articulated by this administration was that Syria was a problem that Syrians had to resolve by themselves. The fact that the Syrian government had been committing chemical (mustard gas and calorie gas) on civilian populations made no difference. The policy went further to prohibit any Syrian refugees from coming into the USA.
This was our policy until it was not. It appears that the administrations “need” was to do something to improve their job approval numbers. It will not be too long before Little Donnie Trump will see a need to "adjust his poll numbers again with another military action be it consistent with the publicly stated policy of the USA or not.
This is a recipe for disaster.
Haley said that Trump’s administration has “multiple priorities”
Trump’s priorities aren’t just “multiple”-- they’re random, which means they’re not really “priorities” in the usual human sense of the word.
The WĂ´rd: Capricious.
And it’s pointless theater for Tapper to ask what the administration’s positions are. It doesn’t have positions. It occasionally has reactions, like any barroom loudmouth yelling at the TV, but positions require skills and knowledge it doesn’t collectively possess.
Can we start here first, please?
On the other thread I was trying to put a good face on things, saying that when the Russian stuff gets too well documented we might be able to cite his dangerous Foreign Policy strategery as a reason to get rid of him. We’re gonna need everything we can find. Nerve-racking right now, though.
“Nimrata’s Magical Thinking.”
Putin and Trump deserve each other, but what have the rest of us done?
It’s the Green Lantern school of international diplomacy. All we have to do is will it to happen and it will.
Look, it was a horrific chemical weapons attack, no question, but there are no good options in Syria. I can’t think of a single action or set of actions that we could take that would bring order and peace to that country, other than installing our own strongman. And, with Russia and Iran supporting Assad, I doubt we have the capability to do that.
I wish I was wrong, I really do, but I haven’t seen any signs from the Trump administration that they have the foggiest idea what to do other than bomb shit. Nor have I seen any signs of Russia or Iran abandoning Assad. So what’s next? And has anyone in the Trump administration given any real thought to this?
Not one of these numbnuts that calls for regime change has a clue as to what comes after Assad. Not one. They really haven’t thought that far in advance…That’s how devoid of understanding they are about the Syrian civil war and the factions that exist there. If they really think democracy will suddenly break out as a result, they’re fooling themselves and lying to the rest of the world.
The bigger concern here is that Trump is basking in the positive attention of the media who are now calling him presidential - why in America is starting wars considered presidential???, The positive feedback from the Syria action will spur Trump to even more military action, as he desperately seeks accolades & improving ratings. .This is truly a nightmare! How does the media not understand the consequences of their coverage, esp re Trump?
If and when Trump “takes down” Assad, does the administration have a plan for the aftermath? The Trump admin doesn’t even have a strategy for dealing with Syria as of now, so I’m curious about the “multiple priorities” Trump and gang envision in the difficult, complicated, and dangerous situation in the country.
And she stayed at a Holiday Inn Express…I wonder what Putin thinks about all of this. He can’t be pleased.
It does not make any sense that the Assad regime carried out this chemical weapons attack. Assad is now winning the war. Chem is no more lethal than conventional explosive munitions. All this attack has done is provoke the US.
Investigation of the 2013 chem weapons attack in Goutha, Syria revealed that it was impossible to determine whether the Syrian government or the Jihadists had deployed the Sarin gas. This caused the Obama administration to back off of its “red line.”
Back in 2013, Trump vociferously opposed lobbing cruise missiles at Syria over the chem weapons attack tweeting : “What I am saying is stay out of Syria.”
War porn for the win:
Five Top Papers Run 18 Opinion Pieces Praising Syria Strikes–Zero Are Critical