US President Donald Trump wants a retaliatory military strike in Syria to be “more sweeping” than the options given by his military advisors, with an eye to “exact a price” from Russia and Iran, the Wall Street Journal is reporting on Friday.
The US administration has been deliberating on whether and how to respond to an alleged chemical attack, which the US, along with Britain and France, have accused Syria’s Bashar al-Assad regime of carrying out.
One White House official said that Trump “wants [Defense Secretary James] Mattis to push the limits a little bit more.”
According to defense officials cited in the report, Mattis halted several proposed strikes over the past few days, wary of escalating the broader conflict with anything other than a “show strike.”
As the world braced for possible US military action, Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said Friday that even a small strike would have dire consequences, and would lead to “developments that aren’t at all needed, either by us or our European neighbors.”
Lavrov also said that the alleged chemical attack was “staged” by a malicious country, which the Russian military later identified as Britain.
Trump’s emphasis on Russia, and Mattis’ caution, highlight the great power competition dimension of the Syrian conflict, which many fear could spiral into an all-out conflict between the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia on one side, and Russia and Iran on the other. As Israel’s Haaretz newspaper put it on Fiday, “there’s only one show in Syria right now: a battle between two superpowers.”
“Britain is moving its submarines, Russia and Syria are relocating their war planes and Saudi Arabia eyes joining the game,” the headline continues. “World waits for Trump to decide on Syria strike; Jerusalem determined to block Iran and not get bogged down in Syria — but at what price?”
Missile strikes are not really an option this time.
The time for action is long over unless you want to prolong the suffering. This strike, should it happen, would not alter the calculus on the ground. Instead Russia would see it as a direct assault on it interests, will harden its stand and responce in kind. This is what the US is trying to avoid. In a way the longer you waited to strike the meaning and effectivene for such a strike decreases. Maybe a few meaningless strike to be able to go home as a hero.
US is a lawless criminal bully breaking international law all the time. Please see the video by TheRealNews on illegal US strike on Syria. US struts around as if the whole world belongs to it. Some very serious damage should be inflicted on the US mainland to make the US people experience the damage and suffering they are inflicting on others.
Mad Dog Matthis is not so mad afterall. He knows Russia would give him a bloody nose if he did anything more than a just a show strike.
Trump will make him really Mad by kicking Matthis out ,
So far there is no evidence Assad’s government has been behind chemical attacks. Some say it is a classical “false flag” to ignite a bigger war in the region.
According to Blackstone Intelligence Network, Israel and John Bolton has identified 40 Iranian targets in Syria to be bombed shortly, so there will be more war actions.
While our focus is on Syria, do not forget the crimes committed by Saudi/US in Yemen and the massacres in Gaza on demonstrators. Europe must prepare for more Syrian refugees. US is reluctant to take care of refugees, this despite they are the main culprit in this tragedy.
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