justchecking123 Posted September 4, 2018 Report Share Posted September 4, 2018 https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-warns-syria-idlib-russia-navy-massive-retaliation-2018-9 President Donald Trump on Monday warned Syria, Russia, and Iran against "recklessly attacking" the last rebel stronghold in Syria, but Russia started airstrikes by the next morning. Trump has ordered strikes on Syria in response to chemical-weapons use in the past. But this time Russia looks to have forecast its use and made plans to fight back against a US strike. The US can probably still attack Syria, and Russia wouldn't do anything about it, but hope for Syria's civilians has long gone. Russia, Syria, and Iran seem close to ending the war on their terms. The best the US can offer now is punitive strikes in response to chemical warfare, and thoughts and prayers for the families caught in the cross fire. President Donald Trump on Monday warned Syrian President Bashar Assad, Russia, and Iran not to make a "grave humanitarian mistake" by "recklessly attacking" the last rebel stronghold in Syria's seven-year war — but Russia started airstrikes by the next morning. Trump's warnings carried echoes of the past two Aprils, when the US acted with missile strikes against Assad in response to information that Syrian or Russian warplanes had used chemical weapons on civilians. While chemical attacks credibly linked to Assad have become common in Syria, this time Russia seems intent to fend off further US military intervention with an impressive mass of military assets. Russia has a small armada in the Mediterranean conducting military drills. In the air, Russia has long-range and naval aviation drilling to police the skies. At the same time, Syrian and Iranian ground forces are preparing to attack Idlib, the last foothold of rebel fighters in the country. Russia, Syria, and Iran hope to end the war with a decisive victory over the rebels in the town. But if history is any indication, the fighting will drag on, and civilians are in danger. Russian and Syrian jets have a reputation for carrying out airstrikes that bring many civilian casualties and look indiscriminate at best or like war crimes against hospitals and schools at worst. But the US has largely turned a blind eye to civilian suffering in Syria. The international community gave a muted response to Assad's lethal repression of pro-democracy protesters in 2011. By 2015, Russia and Iran had stepped in to back up Assad while killing off a significant share of the rebels considered moderate by the US. Today's Syrian conflict takes place mostly between Russian, Syrian, and Iranian forces and jihadist groups with some connection to Al Qaeda. But Assad still doesn't have the ground strength to beat the rebels outright, nor the political support to run them out of town after seven years of brutal attacks on his own people. So out of those weaknesses, Syria and its Russian backers have repeatedly turned to the horrors of chemical warfare to terrify the Syrian government's enemies. And it's there, with chemical weapons, that Trump has responded with missile strikes in the past. Russia trying to scare off the US A Russian warship taking part in a Navy Day show in Vladivostok in 2009. Reuters Russia says that it has knowledge of an impending chemical attack in Idlib but that it will take the form of a US false-flag attack used to justify military intervention in Syria. But Russia has made that claim before, and credible reports and inspections consistently link chemical weapons use to Russian or Syrian warplanes rather than anybody else. After telegraphing this flashpoint, the Russian navy deployed in impressive numbers to the Mediterranean, where the US has twice fired on Syria. By establishing dominance in the eastern Mediterranean, Russia may be trying to ward off another US attack, but this possibly mistakes the nature of US strikes on Syria. The US has never made a full-on effort to depose Assad or turn the tide of the war. At this point, seven years into the war, such an effort wouldn't make much sense. Instead, neither US strike had much of an impact on Syria's ability to conduct chemical warfare, much less its ability to bomb hospitals or other civilian targets. Even with Russia's ships in the Mediterranean, the US, with its impressive airpower in the region, could most likely land a few clean shots on some noncritical targets and again embarrass Syria and Russia, should Assad cross Trump's line. Would a humiliated Russia use its state-controlled media to simply try to spin the strikes as a failure, as it has before? Or would it use its unprecedented navy presence in the Mediterranean to attempt to strike back at the US? Russia has a worse bark than bite in military retaliation, and has backed down over Syria before, so a full-on war between the world's two biggest nuclear arsenals seems unlikely. But Trump is right. Civilian suffering at the hands of Russians, Assad, and Iranians looks inevitable. "The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy," Trump tweeted on Monday. "Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don't let that happen!" 2 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umbertino Posted September 4, 2018 Report Share Posted September 4, 2018 Yep...We'll see how this thing develops....I hate to foresee anything... But , as usual, lots of civilians will die ( most likely lots of children)......God forbid! But .....It always ends up that way.......Unless some last second miracle....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sage449 Posted September 4, 2018 Report Share Posted September 4, 2018 Amazing how the US is always the bad guy. Russia gave the 3rd finger here. I agree, the helpless and the innocent are paying. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umbertino Posted September 4, 2018 Report Share Posted September 4, 2018 4 minutes ago, Sage449 said: Amazing how the US is always the bad guy. Russia gave the 3rd finger here. I agree, the helpless and the innocent are paying. To me the superBAD guy is dictator Assad...With the excuse of terrorism ( only partly true) he takes advantage of the situation in order to get rid of ALL the opposition....In this he gets the "brotherly" help " of good-hearted Putin....JMHO..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umbertino Posted September 4, 2018 Report Share Posted September 4, 2018 Let's not forget that the Assad family has a solid tradition when it comes to lack of Democracy and iron fist with their own People ie.dictatorship...His dad Hafez and then him, Bashar https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Assad_family https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2011/10/201110279954762656.html 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umbertino Posted September 7, 2018 Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 Idlib on Brink of “Humanitarian Catastrophe” As Syrian Military Threatens to Invade Rebel-Held City September 07, 2018 https://www.democracynow.org/2018/9/7/idlib_on_brink_of_humanitarian_catastrophe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new york kevin Posted September 7, 2018 Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 27 minutes ago, umbertino said: Idlib on Brink of “Humanitarian Catastrophe” As Syrian Military Threatens to Invade Rebel-Held City September 07, 2018 https://www.democracynow.org/2018/9/7/idlib_on_brink_of_humanitarian_catastrophe Its part of their own country, so it would be a retaking of rebel held territory. Kind of like what Iraq did to ISIS. There is just no need to use chemical warfare there. Those US backed Syrian Freedom Fighters , if they cant over run Assads forces, are useless. Trump should stop spending money on them. And cut our losses. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umbertino Posted September 7, 2018 Report Share Posted September 7, 2018 Quote There is just no need to use chemical warfare there End Quote Exactly and thanks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
umbertino Posted September 8, 2018 Report Share Posted September 8, 2018 Syria: Idlib braces for assault as Russia and Iran dismiss ceasefire calls Putin and Rouhani ignore Turkish efforts to avoid mass casualties as US warns of possible chemical weapons attack Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor Fri 7 Sep 2018 18.42 BST Syrian children at a camp for displaced civilians near the village of Sarman in Idlib Photograph: Omar Haj Kadour/AFP/Getty More pics https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/07/iran-russia-turkey-leaders-meet-talks-syria-idlib-putin-rouhani-erdogan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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