Hillary Clinton: US should 'take out' Assad's air fields

[deminks]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/hillary-clinton-syria-assad/index.html

Hillary Clinton called on the United States to take out Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad's Air Force on Thursday, days after a chemical attack killed more than 70 people in the war-torn country.

"Assad has an air force, and that air force is the cause of most of these civilian deaths as we have seen over the years and as we saw again in the last few days," Clinton said in a speech at the "Women in the World" summit in New York City. "And I really believe that we should have and still should take out his air fields and prevent him from being able to use them to bomb innocent people and drop sarin gas on them."

The former secretary of state and Democratic presidential nominee against Trump in 2016 reiterated her support for a no-fly zone over Syria and more direct support for protesters.

(snip)

Clinton blamed Russia for backing Assad, arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin "has basically weighed in, particularly with air power, to support this fight to the death policy the Assad has."

And in a bit of psychological analysis, Clinton compared Assad and the Russian president.

"He is absolutely a prisoner of his family's expectations, his dead father's looming presence and his delusion, that I believe he now probably could pass a lie detector about, that everyone who oppose him is a terrorist," Clinton said of Assad, before adding, "That is how Putin thinks."

(end snip)

Finally, someone speaks with authority and experience.

[LisaM]

1. Interesting choice of words that could apply to someone else in the mix:

"He is absolutely a prisoner of his family's expectations, his dead father's looming presence and his delusion, that I believe he now probably could pass a lie detector about, that everyone who oppose him is a terrorist," Clinton said of Assad, before adding, "That is how Putin thinks."

[Boomerproud]

13. That is a very sly smackdown of 45, she knows well.

She was in his crosshairs and survived. She is also correct.

[iluvtennis]

25. +++ agree

[Cha]

2. Mahalo Deminks.. An intelligent response to assad

somewhere gabbard has a sad

[Eliot Rosewater]

3. But those emails. That laugh. Those pantsuits.

Thank god we dodged that bullet, eh 3rd party voters?

[nikibatts]

6. +1,000

[ismnotwasm]

11. No shit

They don't want to own it, either. Chickenshits.

[VOX]

23. "Must vote for Jill Stein, my vote is PURE and unsullied!"

"Because DOCTOR Jill is progressive enough to be seated at the big kid's table in Moscow with Mike Flynn and Vlad."

[JI7]

4. she was always right about this

[still_one]

10. The airforce, to try to prevent further sarin gas attacks.

[guillaumeb]

5. An act of war?

Should any response not be from the UN?

[still_one]

12. The use of Sarin gas is a war crime. What happens when Russia vetoes any action against Assad?

What Hillary has suggested is to take out their transport mechanism to try and prevent another Sarin gas attack.

The question is what should the involvement if any, of other countries, including Russia and the United States, in a countries Civil War?

[guillaumeb]

18. And that is indeed the question.

If the world body that is, at least theoretically, charged with enforcing International Law and that body cannot do its work due to a Security Council veto, what should be done?

The US has also used its veto power, generally to block actions directed against Israel, but I agree that this Syrian action is a war crime.

But if the US acts and Russia opposes, what consequences might there be?

[still_one]

31. true. I don't have an answer, and I am very mixed on this, but one thing I am not mixed about, and

that is we should be doing our part with the Syrian refugee crisis

[Chakaconcarne]

7. Well now that Hillary proposed an option.....

You can be sure that is now off the table.....

[HoneyBadger]

26. It sounds like everyone is basically in agreement

With the details the only issue at this point. The main issue for me is that attacking Syria will result in the death of more children. It is totally predictable, which makes anyone that participates a murderer, from the POTUS to the contractor serving fried chicken in the cafeteria. So find a way to hit back without endangering a single child's life. Or step back.

[sarah FAILIN]

46. Actually..no

He did it just like she said

[still_one]

8. and because of racists, sexists, and foreign interference what we have instead is a disgrace

[chelsea0011]

9. A few cruise missiles will be launched and trump will proclaim it

the greatest military response ever.

[AngryAmish]

17. I could live with that.

That war is not worth one American Life.

[chelsea0011]

22. Me too. That's a quagmire of epic proportions waiting to happen.

[kacekwl]

35. You think it's going to stop there ?

American lives will be lost along with many others.

[HoneyBadger]

28. And what if a single child dies because of that

An avoidable death. It would be horrible for their family.

[uponit7771]

41. +1

[caroldansen]

14. I know just about everyone would feel a lot better about it if she were in charge instead of

you know who.

[riversedge]

50. I know many also. Sigh.

[AngryAmish]

15. Mr. S 300 may want a word.

Very dangerous.

Stay out of this stupid war! There are no winners. No one deserves to win.

[SirBrockington]

30. Ya

Not sure she should have waded into this one.
If things go bad, they'll simply say, "Hillary thought we
Should too" and try to pass the buck. It's all about
The execution, but they and the MSM aren't really
interested in nuance any more than they are reporting that Republicans in the house voted against Obama
having the ability to intervene in 2012. In the MSM all I see is that Obama should have intervened, while leaving out that key nuanced detail w/re to Rpublican house.

[AngryAmish]

32. Nobody wanted to go in other than the neocons

And they are trying to get us in again.

This war is horrible. The twenty year war in central Africa is horrible too. The famine in West Africa is horrible.

AND WE CANT DO A FUCKING THING ABOUT IT, OTHER THAN GETTING OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS DEAD.

[roamer65]

16. Dump isn't going to do jack shit.

He will just bluster, but then Pootie will remind of the kompromat and the issue will be over.

[trof]

19. If yer gonna fight a land war...

The very first thing you want is Air Superiority.
Period.
Destroy the enemy's air capability.

[David__77]

20. I strongly disagree with this viewpoint.

Do United States should not do anything to degrade the military capacity of the Syrian state, which is the most powerful force on the ground in Syria confronting the forces of the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

[Blue_true]

29. Syria isn't confronting Islamic State, it' using it's resources

To attack moderate forces.

[David__77]

39. I disagree. Who do you think is "moderate?" Al qaeda?

Is HTS/JFS/Nusra "moderate?" Is Ahrar al-Sham "moderate?" I don't think so. There's good reason that religious minorities have fled to areas controlled by the Syrian state or the pro-Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (which are NOT in conflict with the Syrian state).

The Syrian army recently took back wide areas in Aleppo state from Islamic State, and also again took Palmyra from Islamic State.

Many soldiers in the Syrian army have lost their lives in combat against the Islamic State. I can understand being opposed to Bashar Assad. At the same time, there are many patriotic Syrians fighting with the state's armed forces.

[Blue_true]

56. ISIS is the only real terrorist threat in the region.

Those other groups are small and basically hate ISIS also, but can't match ISIS militarily. The only forces that have consistently taken on ISIS have been the SDF, why don't you mention the fighters that they have lost, because their losses have been substantial.

Refugees fleeing to Syrian Army held ground? That is a new one, I guess the massive Syrian refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan and Northern Israel don't exist. Yes, the Kurds have taken in Syrians, those innocents fleeing slaughter at the hands of Assad's army.

[David__77]

59. Yes, a lot of Syrians fled from Islamist-held territory to government-held territory.

See, for an example, this: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2016/09/syria-internally-displaced-latakia-idlib.html

Harem is a town in Idlib province with many pro-government citizens. They managed to escape to Latakia. Never did I say that it doesn't work the other way around as well, or negate the many have fled the country entirely. The majority of the people in Syria live in government-held areas, followed by the SDF.

I think that the core of SDF in particular has had a very positive impact on the situation. I'm glad that SDF and the Syrian state have allied, particularly in Aleppo, to foreclose advance by Islamist forces. I also think it would be good for the Syrian government to accept the federalism promoted by the SDF, and to acknowledge that Syria is a state of its people and not an "Arab" state.

[BainsBane]

21. If she were president, Assad would not have used chemical weapons

He did it because Trump communicated that he would let Assad do what he wanted. Assad also knows Trump is afraid to cross Putin. This crisis is of Trumps own making. Those deaths are on him.

[HoneyBadger]

27. Chemical weapons are not the real issue

The death of children is what matters, not how.

[BainsBane]

48. Chemical weapons matter because they are prohibited

by international law.

[HoneyBadger]

49. Vs killing kids?

Because I can see what matters more, can you?

[kcr]

52. Right, it's so obvious the person you're responding to doesn't care about killing kids!

[HoneyBadger]

53. 4 children were murdered

Horrible. What is the difference between the US and Syria?

[kcr]

57. Do you know what a strawman argument is? n/t

[HoneyBadger]

58. Do you know the difference between us murdering children and anyone else doing it?

If so, please explain to the murdered children..... Since that is no longer possible. To their families.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. Assad could still use helicopters. . . nt

[panader0]

33. There are many Russians working at those air fields

What happens when there are Russian casualties?

[radical noodle]

34. So is trump finally admitting that she knows more than him

by doing almost exactly what she suggested.

[SCVDem]

36. Watch what you wish for

60 cruise misses are on the way to the airfield.

[kacekwl]

37. BOMB is always the answer.

Good God.

[Stinky The Clown]

40. Your bus is due here in a few minutes. Have a pleasant ride outta town.

[elmac]

43. I just paid for his or hers ticket

in rubles

[Cha]

47. It must have

been a simultaneous buy.

[George II]

42. And just hours after she suggested this, we did it. Thanks Hillary!

[elmac]

45. Well, he bombed one base

but 1 is better then nothing. Now we will hear him brag about it for a few weeks.

[bullwinkle428]

44. That would be funny if #thankyoupresidenthillary starting trending on Twitter.

Just saying...

[Jonny Appleseed]

51. Little tinfoily but it'd be funny if one of her contacts tipped her off on the strike so she

could use it to crush his far-right base who propped up those "warmonger" stories about her.

[chelsea0011]

54. "take out"...something that trump failed to do

I am sick of hearing by media this AM that this has "put on notice" to Assad that the US will use force. The use of military action should be decisive and complete. Taking out an airfield didn't happen. It could of and should of if you are going to use military action. Or why bother? Want to put Assad on notice? Drop a tomahawk on his head. That's notice. You want military action. Then use it. This trump charade is BS and he should be called out on it. Not this tepid response from the media I am hearing. HRC, right or wrong, would have made a decision to "take out" the military field. I am sure of that.

[Vinca]

55. Are Trumphumpers paying attention? Dear Leader is following Hillary's lead.