Even I at times have trouble defending President Trump ...take his comments yesterday about Syria's wicked President Bashar al-Assad following the gas attack on innocent civilians living in a rebel held city in Eastern Syria:
“My attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much.” said Trump.
Where dear reader has he been for this better part of the last decade?
It reminds me again of the famous line by Captain Renault in the classic movie Casablanca..."I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here" ... as a croupier is about to hand Renault his winnings]
How is it possible for anyone other than say Rip Van Winkle not to have known about the atrocities being committed by the infamous Assad?
Anyway, that's what Trump said and it is consistent with my reading of Trump from the beginning ...when confronted by evil...he will respond even though he professes to be an isolationist.
He is no isolationist rather it was Obama who followed that false ideology. Indeed, had Obama lived up to his Red Line threat to Assad in 2012 the civil war in Syria would likely be well over now and certainly, Russia would not be on the scene as they currently are.
So what to do?
Had Trump left it at the above, he / USA would not need to do a thing...other than voice outrage.
But Trump...as is his want...went on:
“It crossed a lot of lines for me. When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, babies, little babies, with a chemical gas that is so lethal – people were shocked to hear what gas it was. That crosses many, many lines, beyond a red line, many, many lines.”
So there you have it...the chemical attack crossed many lines ...'beyond a red line' ergo it is now too late to impose other red lines but the time has long gone to declare war on Syria.
Trump though has to do something of significance or America will continue to lose face throughout the world and countries like Russia, China will continue to fill the vacuum by sheltering countries that no longer count on the States' for their protection.
And his options really come down to but one and I thank Ret'd Col. Ralph Peters for his suggestion ...
'The USA must bomb the heck out of Syria's ability to launch further gas attacks by air'.
The US has the capacity to do this but the danger here of course is that it could bring Russia into fray and that would be disastrous. Col. Peters does not believe Russia would do this ...nor do I, and it will also send a long needed signal to Putin and his thugs that future aggression on their part will not go unpunished.
One Caveat. Before any action is taken, it must be conclusively determined that Syria did indeed carry out yesterday's gas attack. Peters is sure that they did saying why would the Rebels have stocked piled chemical weapons when they have no way of delivering them to the enemy?
Good point, but with the memory of George W. and his hollow claim the Saddam Hussein had amassed weapons of mass destruction it would be wise to double and triple check responsibility for yesterday's tragedy.
As I see it...
'K.D. Galagher'
