U.S. shoots 50-60 Tomahawk Missiles at Assad's Airforce

[Guy Threepwood]

I've gotta say, I'm happy with Trump for this. I'm glad we attacked and I'm glad we acted quickly.

But, Russian military was most likely there, so this could erupt into a bigger conflict.

What are your thoughts?

Hopefully there was an agreement with the Russians on this. Taking action is never without negative consequences and may escalate matters.., but the same can be said for turning a blind eye to evil dictators, your avatar would remind us all of that!

 

[idav]

I've gotta say, I'm happy with Trump for this. I'm glad we attacked and I'm glad we acted quickly.

But, Russian military was most likely there, so this could erupt into a bigger conflict.

What are your thoughts?

Not a bad decision in my view, too bad it is hypocritical in that Trump was not accepting refugees trying to escape tyranny. Also hypocritical in that Trump changed his mind while blaming previous administration for not taking care of something he wanted to stay out of originally.

 

[sun rise]

I'm conflicted about this so I can't vote either yes or no. It's a gesture but one that I don't think will change anything in the region. Assad is evil and so is ISIS. I'd more likely think that helping the Kurds is the way to go because both Assad and Isis hate them.

There is a secondary comment, though. I suspect Russia is starting to change their mind about the outcome of the US election. They might have been better off with Hillary Clinton after all at least when it comes to the Middle East.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

Well, for starters, they aren't localized nearly as much as conventional weapons. Their effects are tantamount to torture, and it is unavoidable that large populations of civilians will be affected by them, no matter how carefully they are aimed. I mean, not even the nazis used them ... actually no one did during WWII because of how devastating their effects were in WWI.

I think they should be off limits no matter what. And, Assad is not just using chemical weapons, he is using them against civilians. When we drop bombs, we do what we can to minimize civilian casualties. There are, obviously, unavoidable civilian casualties, but the point is that they are avoided as best we can. The use of chemical weapons means that civilian casualties are not being avoided at all.

In regards to leaving them leaderless, I'm not sure what you mean by that. We didn't assassinate Assad. He is still alive and kicking. We just sent him a message that the use of chemical weapons will have consequences militarily.

In the words of Thomas Paine:

“To argue with a man who has renounced the use and authority of reason, and whose philosophy consists in holding humanity in contempt, is like administering medicine to the dead, or endeavoring to convert an atheist by scripture.”

I highly doubt this is going to 'let Asaad know' anything. It's just going to escalate into another drawn out campaign similar to Sadaam and Osama et all, which will end in a failed dummy government or the rise of another terrible power from the vacuum. Either that or it'll just be an anemic gesture because Trump doesn't want to **** off Russia. I basically see nothing good coming from this.

 

[columbus]

I suspect Russia is starting to change their mind about the outcome of the US election. They might have been better off with Hillary Clinton after all at least when it comes to the Middle East.

I don't know about that. If what Putin wants is to be the biggest player in the Middle East, keeping Assad on his side and aware of how much Syria needs Russian backing is more important than any minor battle. He pretty much has Iran on his side already. So, a weak president floundering around for a few years mucking up sounds ideal for Russian ambition.
Tom

 

[Deathbydefault]

Using military force to solve these issues has amounted to throwing water on a grease fire.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Why does chemical weapons matter more than any number of horrible ways people are killed by their governments?

It's a violation of the Geneva protocol over gas used in warfare but I understand your point.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

We also thought going after Saddam was a good idea.
Hindsight, anyone?

 

[Valjean]

Yep, get in first, and knock em down before they know what's going on.

And how's that worked out in the past?

 

[ShivaFan]

Well, it looks like Assad went too far this time, using chemical gasses to literally choke to death babies and children, I never actually could get myself to even look at the pictures as I cannot take seeing children or animals suffer even though I can easily kill an adult if I have to. So when President Trump saw the pics - he had no choice but to look at them - it really impacted him emotionally and he took a 180 and the next thing you know, 59 Tomahawk missiles reigned down on one of Assad's airbases about 330am Syrian time located in SW Syria to send Assad a message.

Well, each Tomahawk is the size of a telephone pole, and 59 of them definetly sent a message to anyone sleeping at that airbase or up late playing gin rummy but they will not be conveying their thoughts on what message they got because they are now sand dust.

So, like every American, I am a bit worried about this thing, but what is becoming obvious is many of these politicized Muslim "nations" (a nation of tribes) are freaking messed up in the head and each of their factions be it gov or reb or otherwise will eat each other alive and gas their own kids and blow up each other's sects mosques and burn their women alive as witches and no one is "good", they are all monsters and only reminds me why mixing politics with religion is a real bad idea and thank God the secularist Trump won the Republican primaries and not Ted Cruz.

So I am not taking any "official" position on this missile strike (yet), there ARE things to worry about this BIG TIME, but - being that I am an official "lieutenant" in the Trumpster boots, I guess I will just have to trust my Leader and take it one day at a time.

I sure hope this all turns out ok. Nothing for sure in this world other than death and taxes and that you will always have the poor. So let's see what happens next, just so long as Trump gets the tax cuts and his poll numbers up from 47 to 50+ again, I will be "happy" for the DOW as we got to get past the 20 idiots of the F Caucus who are turning the Reps into the Do Nothing Republicans and if we don't get the friggin tax cuts by end of August the DOW will tank 1,500 points. So we need to get past the Ted Cruz 2020 cult. Who knows, maybe this Tomahawk attack will get Trump's poll numbers up 7 points but I don't have a clue what is going to happen in that regard but by Friday night I think we will have a feel as to where this thing takes us as far as poll numbers.

I have a daughter, and to be honest, I am worried. I just got a bad gut on this mixing it up too much in Syria. Now if we were bombing Raqqa that would be ok by me. Not sure what to say about Assad's airbase other than that guy really blew it by doing another gas attack while Trump is in charge of missiles.

I CAN say one thing for sure, however.

That fatso in Norky Korea better think twice about shooting another missile at Japan if it by chance works, because I have no doubt in my mind that Trump is going to kill that fatso, and blow his fat head off with a big ol charlie and I bet the Norky military will thank Trump for doing it.

Hope we can avoid world war 3. But if not, I will be there along with a few pretty good jokes.

 

[ADigitalArtist]

It's a violation of the Geneva protocol over gas used in warfare but I understand your point.

That's true, and I understand that. I just don't see it particularly more comforting to the civilians whether they die by chemical agent or being starved to death or other gruesome, painful and violent deaths.

 

[Jumi]

Hopefully there was an agreement with the Russians on this.

There wasn't. It looks like the cold war is started again in earnest.

 

[psychoslice]

Is Australia racing to the rescue?
Tom

They will if they have too, Dho !.

 

[psychoslice]

And how's that worked out in the past?

Stuff the past, lets do it here and now.

 

[Valjean]

Those who forget history.....

 

[psychoslice]

Those who forget history.....

Stuff history, it never was any good lol.

 

[Augustus]

Is Australia racing to the rescue?
Tom

"... in response to this latest atrocity, the Australian PM ordered a robust response. 5 fat men wearing singlets and shouting "Aussie Aussie Aussie, oy oy oy" thew boomerangs at a cardboard cutout of Assad for 2 minutes. Russia has described this as a dangerous escalation. "

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

But, what other dictators have used chemical weapons on their own people recently?

Israel and the US have dropped white prosperous and DU munitions on civilians, among other very nasty things. So let's not act like we're superior. Plus, it hasn't been proven that Assad's forces actually did that attack. It seems pretty convenient, after all.

 

[Flame]

So now I wonder if we do remove Assad and install our own puppet ruler if it will go the way of Iran.

 

[HonestJoe]

I've gotta say, I'm happy with Trump for this.

In which case the strike was a complete success. I doubt it will make the slightest difference to what actually happens in Syria, especially if there is no follow-up of any kind, but it’ll be popular among American voters and that’s what counts.