It’s becoming increasingly clear that the Assad government of Syria is now using chemical weapons on its own people. During a recent escalation of its attacks on allegedly rebel areas (the term “allegedly” being applied as loosely as it ever was), at least 355 or up to 1,300 civilians died due to the use of deadly chemicals. Civilians… think about it… a government perpetrating the mass murder of its own people, in an ever-weakening attempt to keep itself in power! This would be the equivalent of Mr. Obama bombing entire towns into oblivion because he heard a few tea-party members live there.
What can be done to stop Assad and his murderous regime? Well, quite a lot actually. Regarding those chemical attacks, the Assad government lamely allowed international inspectors in to the site of the attacks only after bombarding the area for several additional days to destroy chemical evidence. The British appear to be the first nation whose patience has run out over the ongoing lies and tragedy in Syria. Their Royal Navy reportedly has a nuclear submarine stationed in the region while some of its other warships recently departed Britain in order to perform exercises in the Mediterranean. Now that the UN unsurprisingly has made it clear it isn’t going to take any meaningful action in Syria, partly thanks to head-in-the-sand Russia, the British appear to have finished their own private deliberations. None other than Foreign Secretary William Hague has stated “We cannot in the 21st century allow the idea that chemical weapons can be used with impunity, that people can be killed in this way and that there are no consequences for it”. In other words Assad, your time is up, having ended when you decided to quit fighting rebels and began murdering your own innocent men, women and children.
Now that the British seem on the precipice of trying to stop these atrocities, what is the United States, Britain’s closest ally, prepared to do? Many citizens wish to avoid further involvements, citing the decade-plus long commitments made in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, the situation in Syria doesn’t require nation-building, it simply requires a show of force to run Assad and his lunatics out from power. This does not require a massive ground army with an open-ended tour of duty. This is not a campaign based on lackluster evidence or hearsay… its a matter of stopping madmen bent on murder. It’s clear the current regime cares not one iota for its people, who will be all too happy to take back their country once the US and Britain use their collective power to do what will undoubtedly go down as a great victory for humanity.
Currently, the United States has four guided-missile destroyers in the area. A combined missile strik
e by British and U.S. Forces, reminiscent of the 2011 Libyan campaign against Muammar Gaddafi, could make for a crippling blow and the beginning of the end to the mass-murder, an ongoing event which should outrage any citizen of the world. It’s time for the United States, the standard-bearers of freedom and liberty, to make another stand in the name of all humanity.
Are you advocating killing more citizens in order to “protect” them from Assad? Have you checked in to see how the citizens of Iraq are doing lately…. after we “liberated” them from Hussein? http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/officials-26-killed-iraq-suicide-bombing-20051476
Are you ready to write a personal check to fund this “humanitarian intervention?” Do you know anything about the Muslim Brotherhood? When and if Assad is ousted…who will take his place?
actually we are a nation of cowards…are you willing to send you or your kids over there to fight a Holy War? Its easy to wear a yellow ribbon or slap a “support the troops” bumper sticker on a car…but how many are willing to give up their comfy lifestyles by rationing like they did in WWII? Are Americans willing to pay more in taxes to cover all the war debt we are racking up? Our government can’t do anything about our domestic problems…so what do they do? Stick their noses in someone else’s problems…telling them the USA knows how to run a country. Its all smoke and mirrors. The media/government might not tell us what to think…but they are good at telling us what to think about.
Ryan, the trouble is that one small step invariably leads to another. I really don’t have a lot of confidence that anybody in Washington knows what is going on.
Syria is a mess; Iraq is a mess, Egypt is a mess, Yemen is a mess, etc,. etc. And right in the middle of it sits Israel, the strongest lobby (apart from the NRA) in the Capitol.
What is the national interest?
actually the US media is very good at fear mongering, not me…try tuning in to RT television…they disclose many thing our mainstream, corporate owned media do not.
All countries are guilty of this…they need to keep their populations in fear…then giving them the false sense of security that gov. will take care of them.
What is good about listening to American news stories from another country’s perspective is that, their news will give more information that is conveniently omitted from our news sources. Our media is about rallying the troupes.
and the news out of Syria is brought to you by the same reliable sources who said Hussein had weapons of mass destruction…
I’m not sure there are any reliable new sources in Syria. Our media has amply demonstrated their ability to conjure up a reality congenial to (somebody’s) government.
“news sources”
David, I was being facetious…its hard to express ones true meaning via a blog. I don’t trust either side and their conflict won’t end anytime soon…but the Muslim Brotherhood wants to take Syria back to the 4th century and Syrian progressives aren’t going for that plan… so what happens? bloodshed… because the TMB says they take orders from you-know-who. Its the same story over in Egypt.
“actually we are a nation of cowards…are you willing to send you or your kids over there to fight a Holy War?” Clearly Inge is not a person of color or of limited economic means.
I would love to have you explain to Maria Bustos, a Mexican immigrant who worked tirelessly at the shittiest hotel on First Street in Santa Ana from 1989 – 2006 (I think it’s a Ramada now) cleaning shit of the floor so her kid could attend Orange High School and eventually join the Army, where he was subsequently killed for his service as a reward for her hard work.
I can ask Chayo (Maria) and her group of service member Mom’s in Santa Ana to host a lunch where you can explain your comments. I suspect it would be Inge cowering afterward. There is NOTHING more valiant than these newly minted Americans sacrificing their lives.
Now, If you want to argue that a group of assholes sent these kids to a premature death to further their own interests, I am on board with you. But, please just because your kids were too affluent are you were too insistent to volunteer to serve, don’t call these people cowards. That’s what you just did.
I am not taking about those who serve. I am an “Air Force brat”… I am referring to the other Americans who do not serve their country…for example… how many members of Congress have kids who serve, or who served themselves? BUT they are quick to send other people’s kids off to get maimed, killed, etc. and then cut back $$$ to help them.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/20/congress.veterans/index.html
My nephew served in Iraq and his family is dealing with the PTSD he now has from his tour. Some recruiter fed him a bunch of bullshit about how he will get $$ for college and blah, blah, blah…now college is the last thing on this kids mind…getting through the day without drinking is.
Our President(s) are too quick to decide that bombing another country is the way to stop them from killing their own people. As for being affluent, you are funny! My kid did not serve because he marched with me back when Bush #1 was in office and threw his weight around. He is no dummy and can see that the military is not what it was intended to be. He is not about to kill someone in another country just because he is ordered to.
The way I see it, the military is supposed to protect us on our own shores, but what happens over and over is that they are used to fight wars for the Plutocratic Oligarchy. They are being used and it has nothing to do with national security.
I listened to Obama explain to NPR why we need to strike Syria and he sounded like Bush #2… claiming that we need to go because of our own security.
After all the recent news about how our government spies on not only us but the UN…which is illegal…I do not believe anything he has to say.
The “rebels” who are fighting for their freedom have no problem killing those who do not believe their way. The Muslim Brotherhood wants Syrians to be under their laws and have no desire to live peacefully among non-believers…they are not innocent here either… as usual we probably will go in and make a bigger mess than it is now.
The US cannot even fix its own domestic problems and this whole thing is a diversion from that. The government/corporate/media do not tell us what to think…they tell us what to think about.
Notice how the lack of full time jobs has dropped out of the conversation?
In closing… war and the use of military power is so last century…when will we “evolve” and see that violence to stop violence does not work?
“I am referring to the other Americans who do not serve their country…”
Thank You For Your Service.
Is hoping for the re-establishment of the Ottoman Empire doing something?
Really, now? Any empires out there of which you don’t hope for re-establishment?
Gee, the Hapsburgs also maintained a comparatively long peace in their portion of the Balkans an area eponymous with division, rancor, and petty fueds.
Some folks just don’t seem to want to get along.
see what I mean? http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/08/cia-files-us-aided-iraq-with-iran-gas-attacks.html
Frankly it only seems fitting that the British and French handle this little adventure. Since all of this is essentially their mess to clean up anyway.
After WW1 and then again after WW2 they had another shot at it and so far they haven’t gotten it right. Lets give it another go shall we, Rally round the flag boys and all that, while we teach theses people how to run a country…or maybe not.
Don’t forget that France and England had a huge hand in setting the stage for today’s merry bands of misfits in the middle east who are running amok right now.
Say whatever you want about the US and it’s lack of ability in nation building, we aren’t the champs in this little division of the world elite, we haven’t had as many failures, yet…and we do actually have some success stories too.
This!
Not all the British are going to Syria. This is an analysis in The Independent, a British newspaper:
“Only a peace conference, not air strikes, can stop further bloodshed
Could the US and Russia force their respective allies to at least agree to a ceasefire?”
.
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/only-a-peace-conference-not-air-strikes-can-stop-further-bloodshed-8784836.html
The Henry Kissinger’s endorsed think tank is arguing for intervention to send a strong message to Iran’s nuclear war plans.
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/forget-red-line-engage-syria-article-1.1435524#ixzz2d0QHiDNn
Zbigniew Brzezinski, another prominent foreign expert: My view is that that action, if it is to be taken, should be part of some broader strategy. Otherwise it may be an appropriative punitive response, but would it solve the problem? Is there a strategy for the solution of the problem? And who is part of that strategy and who is not? Those are the questions which I think people have to think about seriously before plunging into a military action which – while perhaps morally justified in view of the nature of the offense involved, namely the anti-human acts – still will have consequences that may not be all that desirable.
http://www.dw.de/brzezinski-syria-strategy-is-a-well-kept-secret/a-17045802
According to the British’s newspaper report, the rebels are conducting an ethnic cleansing against Syrian Kurds, the Alawite sect supporting Assad is fearful of the Sunny sect. The civil war has become a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. One of the most powerful rebels group is said to be inked to al-Qa’ida . As awful as the criminal use of chemical weapons is, the response may not be an armed intervention. A peace conference could be a better option.
*Right now you have three major groups: (1) Assad Supporters – Christian Allowytes
(2) Al-Qaeda Affliliates (Sunni-Pashtuns) and (3) Muslim Brotherhood Affiliates (Shia).’
“What we have here …is a failure to communicate!” Our job as a nation: Be huge heroes and feed the refugees that are in the millions on the bordeers of Syria….clogging up the other countries infrastructure…. No cruise Missiles….no air strikes on Command and Control Centers. No Covert Action utilizing our Seal Team 6 to blow up Assad WMD:s. No thanks…..leave that for some other Arab/African countries.like maybe those Somali Pirates….They are just in for the money! Not even the Oil…….
Muslim Brotherhood affiliates are Shia? Since when?
I am all for helping the refugees fleeing that country…wasn’t UNICEF just saying they are out of money and things they need to help these people? Our tax (borrowed) tax dollars will be better spent helping them…not helping the MBH take control…
Americans are being chemically bombed all over the place with Corporate Food poisoning. Stay out of Syria.
Chemicals are dropped on my neighborhood in Anaheim every night and nobody cares.
Me and Fitzgerald care.
Oddly, I feel no better about it.
We’re working on it, Zenger.
Who is “we”?
Excellent question.
Looks like the British are not coming after all and neither are the French…
D’oh!
To late
Just watched John McCain say (with a straight face) the rebels in Syria are just like him…they want freedom to live as they choose…. that is until they are in power and kill or force others to convert to their idea of Muslim faith. (my words)
another point of view… http://rt.com/usa/us-syria-al-qaeda-092/
John McCain is a putz!
Yeah, and?
Airstrike on Syria will cost US taxpayers MILLIONS of dollars and that’s if everything goes alright… are we ready to open our wallets even wider????
http://money.msn.com/now/post–what-would-a-strike-against-syria-cost
UPDATE… Obama administration claims it fired a “test” missile at Syria…no coverage on American media news sources…