This strike was deserved and a long time coming. Early indications are it was restrained.

[Stinky The Clown]

I know . . . . MISSLE STRIKE . . . . WAR . . . . . ESCALATION . . . .

In my view this is what had to be done. It is a shot across Assad's bow.

That said, if we had a normal president and a competent administration, I would be feeling a lot better than I do right now. We have no choice but to wait and see. To be sure, these was a degree of Wag The Dog here. The infantile man in charge needs some wins. His ego needs stroking. So he goes out and levels a patch of dessert that is home to some airplanes and a few troops. Not sure of the casualties, but most indications thus far seem to point to no innocent civilians.

[Agschmid]

1. I can't tell you I know what the right thing to do is...

But I know that enough hasn't been done on this issues over the past few years.

[sheshe2]

25. I will say to you, Agschmid...

By his hand, many, many people will die. Civilians and soldiers. They are going to die.

this....

[div class="excerpt"]So, let’s follow this timeline:
◾In 2013, Assad uses chemical weapons on civilians.
◾Obama almost immediately threatens military action in response to the use of those monstrous weapons.
◾Assad then surrenders stockpiles of chemical weapons and doesn’t use any for nearly four years.
◾Trump enters office as “president,” making it clear that he’s not going to say anything negative about Russia or Vladimir Putin — Assad’s most powerful ally.
◾A few days ago, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson essentially makes it clear that the U.S. will not be involved in any attempt to force Assad out of power.
◾On Tuesday, after not using them during the last 3 1/2 years of Obama’s administration following a threat of military force, and shortly after the Trump administration says they’ll not push for his removal from power, Assad uses chemical weapons on civilians.

But Trump, Republicans, and his supporters are trying to claim this is because of the “weakness” of the Obama administration — nearly three months after he left office?

Trump escalated the violence with HIS RHETORIC.

[onenote]

43. Your timeline is flawed.

2012: Assad appears to use chemical weapons, Obama administration states use of such weapons is a "red line" the crossing of which will result in consequences.

2013: There are reports of new use of chemical weapons in Syria. On September 10, 2013, President Obama gives speech to nation acknowledging that Assad regime has again been using chemical weapons. In speech, Obama acknowledges that the US should not get drawn into another military conflict with boots on the ground, but nonetheless states that he is asking Congress to authorize military force while the administration continues to seek a diplomatic solution for the Syrian crisis. Several days later, with the request for authorization to use military force facing opposition from members of both parties (and specifically from a certain Donald J. Trump) and possible defeat if put to a vote, the US and Russia reach a deal resulting in a UN Resolution under which Syria was required to turn or destroy its stockpiles of chemical weapons by mid 2014.

2014: While Syria more or less complies with the 2013 resolution, that agreement does not cover chlorine- based weapons. Before the year is out, there is strong evidence (acknowledged by Secretary of State) that Assad is using chlorine gas.

2015: The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons/UN Joint Mission in Syria continues to report that chlorine gas is being used by Assad and there are additional reports that mustard gas has been used.

2016: Obama administration issues statement acknowledging OPCW/UN findings, stating that "It is now impossible to deny that the Syrian regime has repeatedly used industrial chlorine as a weapon against its own people." The administration condemns the Syrian use of chlorine gas, but reports of use of chlorine gas continue through the end of the year. There also are reports that the rebels are engaging in chemical warfare, possibly using mustard gas.

Efforts by Trump to blame Obama for the most recent chemical weapon attack are crap. But the timeline is not as neat and simple as your post suggests.

[Idoru]

2. If this was a normal, sane administration

I would say it was long overdue and support taking their whole fucking airforce out.

But this is Trump and God knows where this is going or what will happen.

[Dorian Gray]

50. That's essentially where I"m at....

So conflicted.

Waking up to 10 notices on my phone about this action made me feel really really unsettled.

And it's the Trump factor.

I don't have any idealistic notions about Assad being a good hearted human. He's evil. He intentionally hurts his own people, and he's deserved to be strong armed for a long time.

Having said that, it's the Trump factor that makes me queasy.

[jberryhill]

3. The problem was Rex Tillerson pulling an "April Glaspie" green light last week

I agree there can be no tolerance for the use of chemical weapons.

This particular action is warranted.

How we got here was not.

[Stinky The Clown]

8. Tillers is a clueless SoS who seems to say nothing . . . because he KNOWS nothing . . . of diplomacy

We really don't need an on-the-job SoS with a learner's permit to drive.

[TXCritter]

4. It was still wrong

The right thing would have been to get a proper, legal declaration of war from congress.

But why break 76 years of tradition now?

[golfguru]

11. Congress approval is not needed

for a quick and limited and urgent response by the commander in chief in response to aggressive use of prohibited weapons by a foreign regime.

OTOH an authentic and long term war with a sovereign nation would require a resolution for declaration of war from congress.

[TXCritter]

14. Obviously, that law needs to be repealed and replaced

How many more instances of Executive overreach do we need before that damn law is repealed or severely limited? The constitution was quite clear on this. I believe the spirit and intent was clear. Congress has abdicated its power and responsibility for 76 years on this and damn every single one of the cowards to hell for it.

They love this law because they can have their cake and eat it too. They don't have to take a political risk by declaring war and they can criticize or back the president who does it as pleases them.

[Baconator]

20. Sometimes shit has to happen fast...

[TXCritter]

22. yes, but not this, not Afghanistan, not Iraq - most of the time it's been premature n/t

[golfguru]

41. Consider this scenario...

Assume that a missile with nuclear bomb lands in San Francisco, and our military intel determines it came from North Korea. Should we then wait until congress debates and passes a declaration of war? It could be recess time in congress and they all could be out of DC visiting their home districts.

This is why we have the executive branch with one commander in chief. He/she must order the military to immediately retaliate to prevent Los Angeles and Seattle being next to be nuked.

[TXCritter]

42. That's a very different scenario

That scenario involves an attack on our own soil and defensive action taken by the president.

That is wholly different than an unprovoked attack on another sovereign nation.

We have committed an act of war on another nation. We are not defending ourselves. It may be that such an act my be part of a "just war". Whether or not to start such a war, however, is for congress to decide.

[KittyWampus]

13. This isn't a war. However, Congress needs to weigh in.

[TXCritter]

16. Legalities. Cowardly legalities.

It's a cowardly legality to hide behind. Later, congress and the VA will use that legality to deny benefits to veterans because their injuries didn't occur "in war."

[JTFrog]

24. You think vets only get medical care for injuries that occur during a war?

What the fuck?

[TXCritter]

51. There have been instances when congress and the VA made rule changes to that effect to save money

Generally speaking, yes, Vets have a right to care for their injuries. But in times when the public is not watching, Congress and the Bureaucrats pull some heinous shit and deny treatment because we weren't at war.

[JTFrog]

58. Vets have a right to more than just their injuries. It's freaking healthcare, not war care. nt

[BeyondGeography]

5. It's not an easy call, by any stretch

Every action causes a reaction. Assad has Russia and Iran on his side. We have inserted ourselves into the Sunni-Shia divide and the Sunnis are split between Free Syria and ISIS. It's a cluster.

[yallerdawg]

6. We made a military strike against a sovereign nation...

because of something the twitter-in-chief saw one evening on TV, contrary to what he promised the American people (America First)?

"Babies. Little babies."

Assad has been killing babies for years. We have seen children washing up on shore trying to escape the horror.

And now - finally - we have our Savior?



No. I don't think so.

What we have is a sociopath.

[ismnotwasm]

7. Yup.

[bullwinkle428]

9. The same babies his FUCKING SPAWN called "poisoned Skittles" as a justification

for not allowing Syrian refugees into the country.

[uponit7771]

10. +1

[herding cats]

15. This is the same man who would not let those little baby refugees in.

Just to be clear, it's not real to him until he sees it on FOX news. He's unstable and a danger to the world.

[anneboleyn]

18. Yep, no Syrian refugees, those babies don't matter in Trumpland.

[sheshe2]

31. Babies that he turned away!

Babies he would not give shelter to, because he was to busy making America White and 1% again.

[yallerdawg]

34. Bush, Bush 2.0, and now a Reagan-like 'Wag the Dog' (Grenada for Reagan).

We knew this was the insanity the deplorables were flirting with.

I wake up each day wondering what happens next.

Tonight, after the missile-launch, our cable TV went to Emergency Broadcast shutdown. I told my family we may have to get out of here - we live between two air force bases in Montgomery, Maxwell and Gunter - we are probably the prime target location for a Russian strike!

It was 'just a test' - but I haven't felt like this since I was a kid in early '60's.

[sheshe2]

40. Jesus C!

Stay safe.

Please stay safe.

[leftstreet]

33. +1

[gratuitous]

38. And if the Syrians strike back at the U.S.

By the same logic, Syria will be entirely justified, and perhaps even moreso. After all, the U.S. struck inside Syria today; Syria never struck inside the U.S.

We can say "vital interests" all we want, but the fact is that Syria is pretty remote from the U.S., and didn't Candidate Trump say that the U.S. can not be the world's policeman (July 25 and again on September 26, 2016)? Seems that once again President Trump is doing something entirely different from what Candidate Trump said.

[onenote]

44. We've been launching military strikes against targets in Syria for years

It doesn't really matter whether those strikes were against Assad, the rebels, Isis. They were made by the US (and allied nations) within the borders of a sovereign nation.

[yallerdawg]

45. Against Assad's enemies.

You understand why this is dominating the day's news cycle, right?

This is not the same!

[onenote]

46. we supported the rebels not assad.

The US military has been providing arms and training to anti-Assad rebels for a number of years. We've deployed American military advisors in Syria and while we've generally stayed away from directly engaging with Assad's forces, we've made it clear we want him gone. In short, we've hardly respected Syria's "sovereignty".

[yallerdawg]

48. We have not been making military strikes against Assad's forces...

in support of the rebels.

Unlike Russia which has been targeting rebels who oppose Assad.

I guess you're suggesting this is no big deal because we blow up shit in Syria everyday.

And that the US targeting the legitimate, internationally recognized government of Syria which is engaged in a civil war and has also abandoned vast tracts of its land to psychotic extremists - and all this doesn't sound exactly like the preludes to Afghanistan and Iraq and another cycle of endless war for us?

On the whim of a dipshit sociopath.

[HoneyBadger]

12. If no children die, then it is reasonable

If a single child dies, it is murder

[malaise]

17. It was illegal

That is all

[Stinky The Clown]

21. Actually, its not.

[atreides1]

28. Explain?

Under what law was this unprovoked attack, legal?

[Renew Deal]

29. The same that made the chemical attack legal

None of this stuff is legal and it never will be.

[Stinky The Clown]

30. Emergent circumstances

[Stinky The Clown]

39. More

The War Powers Resolution requires the President to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing armed forces to military action and forbids armed forces from remaining for more than 60 days, with a further 30-day withdrawal period, without a Congressional authorization for use of military force (AUMF) or a declaration of war by the United States.

~Wikipedia

[marked50]

19. Just a coincidence for everyone

April 6,1917 is when the US entered one of those other Cluster....s over there---WWI ya know.

[GulfCoast66]

23. So anytime a president gets pissed at the actions of a country we can bomb it?

The entire EU is disgusted with our use of the death penalty. Can France send some of their fancy missiles over here to blow up our death houses?

At the end of the day, many countries commit atrocities. A president can willy nilly decide who to bomb and who not to bomb?

President Obama asked for congressional approval to attack Syria and when congress refused to give permission, he backed off. The GOP controlled congress I might add.

This is grounds for impeachment.

[KingCharlemagne]

26. You had bwtter read up on the origins of World war I. - nt

[Rhiannon12866]

37. I still remember the MAIN causes of WWI from 10th grade World History

Militarism
Alliances
Imperialism
Nationalism

Mr. Sullivan would be proud I remembered...

[KingCharlemagne]

49. As for cause #2, Syria and Russia are allies. -nt

[Rhiannon12866]

60. Exactly. And it's just as true today.

It's my belief that he thinks this will raise his approval ratings, Americans will always support a "wartime president." I'd much rather have Jimmy Carter who did all he could to wage peace.

[KingCharlemagne]

63. Carter still has a lot to answer for, imo, for Indonesia and East Timor. And it was Carter's Nationa

Security Advisor, Zbig Brzezinski, who got us into Afghanistan in the first place, backing the Mujahedeen against the USSR-backed Afghan government. So Carter's record as a "peace president" is decidedly mixed.

[Diorj]

27. Wag the dog

Wow everyone is so happy about this... great timing for Twitter. The Russian scandal is now over. Watch his approval numbers grow. Even MSNBC was drooling.

[BannonsLiver]

32. Justified?

Sure. But let's keep in mind "the little babies" wouldn't be allowed sanctuary here under Shit for Brains policies. So this is more Show than go.

[Rhiannon12866]

35. Excellent point!

So much for doing everything possible to help the Syrian people...

[bathroommonkey76]

36. Trump on Syrian child refugees, Feb 2016: "I can look in their faces and say 'you can't come here.'"

Link to tweet

[G_j]

47. the great humanitarian..

actually the furthest thing from it

[LanternWaste]

52. No doubt, violence is often the only solution many people

No doubt, violence is often the only solution many people are either willing or able to arrive at, whether an ideologue, a hack or simply surrendering to that sweet, blissful bias a rational mind attempts to avoid. It's also short-sighted (at its very best) to pretend we have no choice.

We demonize "them" for it, rationalize "us" for doing it, and hope our honor, character and righteousness is seen by God.

[Demsrule86]

53. It did nothing but waste money...the Russians knew in advance so chemical weapons could be moved.

If we had taken out their planes....Air force....now that would have been useful... Congress and Trump whined about just such an attack when Obama was in the White House after civilians were gassed . They said Obama needed approval from Congress...Trump made his usual isolationist noises. This is a wag the dog operation. Trump had to get permission from Putin too...it makes me throw up in my mouth...to think this madman is in charge during this dangerous time for the US and the world.

[alarimer]

54. No, it wasn't. And it was done without the involvement of Congress

Lots of people are all orgasmic over this and it needs to stop.

[WoonTars]

55. Strike at what? Operationally this did nothing to diminish Syrian forces...

...but it did allow for a whole bunch of patriotic chest-thumping...

[workinclasszero]

56. Trump repeatedly to Obama in 2013: Don't attack Syria

Trump repeatedly to Obama in 2013: Don't attack Syria
CNN Digital Expansion 2017 By Dan Merica, CNN Updated 9:38 PM ET, Thu April 6, 2017

(CNN)As Donald Trump, the President, weighs how to respond to a chemical attack in Syria his administration blamed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, he may want to consult Donald Trump, the reality TV star and prolific tweeter, who had countless strong opinions about not going into Syria in 2013.

Link to tweet

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/trump-tweet-syria-obama/

[janx]

57. Hillary Clinton agrees:

[0rganism]

59. this "strike" was 100% bogus, coordinated with Russian and Syrian governments

the airfield that we spent $100MILLION$ bombing with expensive cruise missiles was just used to launch more attacks against Syrians, so i guess you're right about the "restrained" part.

this is not a shot across anyone's bow. it's a desperate play for legitimacy by a very unpopular leader, supported by foreign interests.

[ecstatic]

61. +1000. nt

[bhikkhu]

62. That's pretty much what I see as well

On first glance, I was in agreement with the OP - it was the right call, a proportionate response, and basically what Hillary or any other reasonable US president might have done. On second glance - wait a minute - he told the Russians about it in advance, and they told the Syrians about it, and then they moved their planes and anything they needed out of the way?

We may as well have set $100 million on fire in the middle of an empty desert. It doesn't show resolve or leadership, or a shot across Assad's bow, it shows that Trump is a nitwit at the game. It shows Assad that Putin has his back, and is the one really holding the cards.

[Vinca]

64. Agreed. The runways are still in use and the planes were removed from hangars.

I'm betting Pootie convinced his Syrian buddy to take one for the team. The team being Pootie and Trump.