• Latest
  • Trending
No, US strikes on Syria will not start World War III

No, US strikes on Syria will not start World War III

April 17, 2018
4 dead, 52 arrested after Donald Trump supporters storm US Capitol

4 dead, 52 arrested after Donald Trump supporters storm US Capitol

January 7, 2021

China criticizes US order against dealing with Chinese apps

January 6, 2021

US has dual policy on Afghan peace process: MPs

January 5, 2021
‘Good riddance,’ says China snub Germany leaving UN Security Council

‘Good riddance,’ says China snub Germany leaving UN Security Council

December 25, 2020
Sharon Osbourne reveals she tested positive for COVID-19

Sharon Osbourne reveals she tested positive for COVID-19

December 15, 2020
Apple Adding Privacy Fact Labels to App Store Items

Apple Adding Privacy Fact Labels to App Store Items

December 15, 2020
More Republicans finally accept Biden win after U.S. Electoral College certifies vote

More Republicans finally accept Biden win after U.S. Electoral College certifies vote

December 15, 2020
Rhode Island casts 4 Electoral College votes for Biden

Rhode Island casts 4 Electoral College votes for Biden

December 15, 2020
Rhode Island School To Stagger Return After Holiday Break

Rhode Island School To Stagger Return After Holiday Break

December 15, 2020
Twitter, Facebook face labeling test on Trump’s election posts

Twitter, Facebook face labeling test on Trump’s election posts

November 4, 2020
Democratic hopes to flip US Senate dim as red wall holds for now

Democratic hopes to flip US Senate dim as red wall holds for now

November 4, 2020
US election: What happens next?

US election: What happens next?

November 4, 2020
Sunday, March 7, 2021
No Result
View All Result
  • Region
    • Delaware
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
  • U.S. News
  • National Security
    • Defense
    • Politics
    • Terrorism
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • China
      • India
      • Japan
      • North & South Korea
    • Canada
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • Russian Federation
    • Latin America
      • Mexico
    • Middle East
    • United Kingdom
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Science
  • Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Cycling
    • Golf
    • MLB
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Mets
    • NBA
      • Boston Celtics
      • Brooklyn Nets
    • NFL
      • New England Patriots
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • New York Giants
      • New York Jets
    • NHL
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Soccer
    • Tennis
    • Water Sports
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books & Literature
    • Fashion
    • Health
    • History
    • Lifestyle & Family
    • Music
    • Religion
    • Television & Movies
    • Theatre
    • Travel
      • Great Outdoors
      • Rhode Island Travel
    • Women
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Green News
    • Greenpeace
    • Oceans & Marinelife
    • Wildlife
  • Region
    • Delaware
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
  • U.S. News
  • National Security
    • Defense
    • Politics
    • Terrorism
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • China
      • India
      • Japan
      • North & South Korea
    • Canada
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • Russian Federation
    • Latin America
      • Mexico
    • Middle East
    • United Kingdom
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Science
  • Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Cycling
    • Golf
    • MLB
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Mets
    • NBA
      • Boston Celtics
      • Brooklyn Nets
    • NFL
      • New England Patriots
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • New York Giants
      • New York Jets
    • NHL
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Soccer
    • Tennis
    • Water Sports
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books & Literature
    • Fashion
    • Health
    • History
    • Lifestyle & Family
    • Music
    • Religion
    • Television & Movies
    • Theatre
    • Travel
      • Great Outdoors
      • Rhode Island Travel
    • Women
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Green News
    • Greenpeace
    • Oceans & Marinelife
    • Wildlife
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result

No, US strikes on Syria will not start World War III

April 17, 2018
in Defense, Featured, National Security, Politics
0
Home National Security Defense
Post Views: 189

 

Once upon a time, when Barack Obama was US president and after the Assad regime gassed over 1,000 civilians to death in August 2013, Donald Trump tweeted, “Why do we keep broadcasting when we are going to attack Syria [sic]. Why can’t we just be quiet and, if we attack at all, catch them by surprise?”

Yet, when faced with a similar chemical weapons attack perpetrated by the regime and its allies this month, Trump took to Twitter once again, doing exactly what he warned against, this time tweeting, “Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’ You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal [sic] who kills his people and enjoys it!”

So, just for the record, according to President Trump, foreign policy under Obama should have been masked in secrecy. But with Trump as president, foreign policy should be formed and announced on Twitter, giving Assad, Russia and Iran a heads up that a vague “something” was coming.

RelatedPosts

China criticizes US order against dealing with Chinese apps

US has dual policy on Afghan peace process: MPs

Azerbaijan, Armenia on war footing after casualties in heavy fighting

US carbon dioxide supply is a bottleneck for Covid-19 vaccine distribution

Full Statement of US Secretary Pompeo at IAN opening ceremony

Not unexpectedly, various commentators in the West again jumped at the opportunity to declare the start of World War III on social media. Interestingly enough, Kremlin-controlled media was also in a WWIII mood, instructing Russians on what supplies to buy before they hide in a bunker.

Perhaps to the dismay of the scaremongers on both sides, the joke of an attackthat Trump ordered and Theresa May and Emanuel Macron joined in on, will not change anything, whether in Syria or elsewhere. Nor will it result in an open confrontation between the US and Russia.

These strikes, like the 2017 strike on Shayrat airbase, carefully avoided Russian presence in Syria and will do nothing to dislodge the Syrian regime from its place. Furthermore, they will not change US priorities in Syria, which are simply a continuation of the Obama administration’s “war on terror” policy.

Assad is ‘bad’ only when he’s using chemicals

It is positively ridiculous to hear grown men and women pontificating on the horror of gas attacks against Syrian civilians without the mere mention of the multitude of other ways Syrians are being killed by the regime, Russia and Iran.

It is even more ridiculous for someone like Trump to be criticising Russia in one breath for allying with Assad, and then in the next breath claiming that the “fake and corrupt” Russia investigation is the primary cause of bad blood between the US and Russia.

To be fair, the Obama administration is primarily responsible for this rhetoric of limiting the Syria red line to chemical weapons (and even then, not enforcing it), as well as for handing the Syrian “file” over to Russia and Iran.

When it came to the removal of Assad (a primary demand of the Syrian revolution), Obama instead preferred to prioritise the US’ rapprochement with Iran and the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Under Obama’s command, the US formed the “Syrian Democratic Forces”, comprised mainly of Kurdish fighters with links to the YPG (People’s Protection Units), a group that has continued to receive US support under Trump, includingseveral hundred marines sent to Syria early 2017 after Trump was sworn into office.

US-led air strikes on so-called ISIL targets, which began in 2014 and number over 15,000 and counting, have killed thousands of Syrian civilians, including children, as well as contributed to the decimation of Syrian cities such as al-Raqqa and Deir Az Zor.

The bottom line is that Trump’s Syria policy hasn’t deviated much from that of Obama’s, and it isn’t likely to do so now as a result of these strikes.

Trump is not a friend of the Syrian people

One of the biggest ramifications of Trump’s empty promises on Twitter has been the false hope it gave to people who have lived atrocity after atrocity at the hands of Assad and his allies. Social media platforms were full of Syrians welcoming the strikes on regime-held targets. They were quickly disappointed when Secretary of Defense Mattis declared, “Right now, this is a one-time shot, and I believe this has sent a very strong message to dissuade [Assad], to deter him from [using chemical weapons] again”.

A US-Russia military confrontation is unlikely in Syria, as Washington and Moscow have coordinated militarily since the Russian intervention in 2015.

But just as a refresher, someone who bans Syrians from his country could not possibly care about them as they die thousands of miles away. It would do us all well to remember that Trump’s administration is still fighting to make it much harder for Syrian (and other) refugees to come to the US, as well as to ban Syrians(along with citizens of several other nations) with valid visas to study and work in the US.

Perhaps most importantly, it is prudent to remember Trump’s Islamophobic 2013 tweets against US intervention in Syria, in which he described the people who rose up against Bashar al-Assad, “Remember, all these ‘freedom fighters’ in Syria want to fly planes into our buildings”, claiming that, “Many of the Syrian rebels are radical jihadi Islamists who are murdering Christians. Why would we ever fight with them?”

US-Russia coordination, not confrontation

Most analysts are concentrating on what will happen now that the US and its allies conducted strikes on the Syrian regime, ignoring other significant political events which impact Syria policy on an international scale.

Last week, Israel carried out several strikes on a Syrian airbase near Homs, killing at least three Iranian Revolutionary Guard members. On Friday, an Iranian-backed brigade in Syria announced it would begin operations against US forces in eastern Syria. It would be far more likely for the US to respond to such Iranian actions than it would for the US to pursue a policy of “regime change” at this point, as many of the regime’s western-based supporters purport.

At the same time, Russia has remained remarkably “neutral” during these and previous Israeli air strikes in Syria, limiting itself to fiery rhetoric rather than substantive action. It is also important to note that during the strikes, the US, the UK and France did not enter Syrian airspace that is currently controlled by Russia. That, along the fact that during this and the previous air strikes, there was coordination with the Russians should be enough to dissipatescaremongers’ illusions of an imminent World War III.

A US-Russia military confrontation is unlikely in Syria, as Washington and Moscow have coordinated militarily since the Russian intervention in 2015. And whatever happens in Syria in the future will surely involve a settlement between the US and Russia.

Meanwhile, a public that believes the situation is escalating serves both sides.

Domestically, Trump currently finds himself facing less than favourable conditions. While the Russia collusion investigation may not result in any actual consequences for Trump, it was quite uncomfortable for his administration when Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, was the target of an FBI raid earlier this week.

The frenzy with which US media was covering the possibility of attacks on the Assad regime has served as a welcome distraction from this latest development in the case being built against Trump.

And in Russia, the Kremlin is facing an economic crisis which is about to worsen as a result of Western sanctions. The narrative of Russia standing up to the US and regaining its superpower status comes at the perfect time to keep the population distracted from these problems at home and abroad.

Source :
aljazeera
Tags: StartStrikesSyriaUSWarWorld
ShareTweetShare

Related Posts

4 dead, 52 arrested after Donald Trump supporters storm US Capitol
Featured

4 dead, 52 arrested after Donald Trump supporters storm US Capitol

January 7, 2021
Business

China criticizes US order against dealing with Chinese apps

January 6, 2021
Featured

US has dual policy on Afghan peace process: MPs

January 5, 2021
‘Good riddance,’ says China snub Germany leaving UN Security Council
Asia

‘Good riddance,’ says China snub Germany leaving UN Security Council

December 25, 2020
Sharon Osbourne reveals she tested positive for COVID-19
Culture

Sharon Osbourne reveals she tested positive for COVID-19

December 15, 2020
Next Post
What do the US, UK and French airstrikes mean for Syria’s war?

What do the US, UK and French airstrikes mean for Syria's war?

Translate

Popular Post

4 dead, 52 arrested after Donald Trump supporters storm US Capitol
Featured

4 dead, 52 arrested after Donald Trump supporters storm US Capitol

January 7, 2021
0

The chaotic and violent scene unfolded at the US Capitol as supporters of President Donald Trump swarmed the building to...

Read more
Mattis to Reassure Nervous Asian Allies

Mattis to Reassure Nervous Asian Allies

October 13, 2017
Asian Company Invest In America As Trump Takes Office

Asian Company Invest In America As Trump Takes Office

October 13, 2017
Trump lost: 9th Circuit Court declines restoring travel ban

Trump lost: 9th Circuit Court declines restoring travel ban

October 13, 2017
Central Intelligence: Gina Haspel new Deputy chief

Central Intelligence: Gina Haspel new Deputy chief

October 13, 2017
  • About Us
  • Creative Commons
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Contact Us

Topics

Follow Us

About Us

Varnum Continental is part of Varnum Continental Media Group LLC, which daily news around the globe.

© 2011 Varnum Continental

No Result
View All Result
  • Region
    • Delaware
    • Maine
    • Massachusetts
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • Vermont
  • U.S. News
  • National Security
    • Defense
    • Politics
    • Terrorism
  • World News
    • Africa
    • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • China
      • India
      • Japan
      • North & South Korea
    • Canada
    • Europe
      • Germany
      • Russian Federation
    • Latin America
      • Mexico
    • Middle East
    • United Kingdom
  • Economy
    • Business
    • Science
  • Sports
    • Auto Racing
    • Cycling
    • Golf
    • MLB
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Mets
    • NBA
      • Boston Celtics
      • Brooklyn Nets
    • NFL
      • New England Patriots
      • Philadelphia Eagles
      • New York Giants
      • New York Jets
    • NHL
      • Boston Bruins
      • Buffalo Sabres
      • New Jersey Devils
      • New York Islanders
      • New York Rangers
      • Philadelphia Flyers
      • Pittsburgh Penguins
    • Soccer
    • Tennis
    • Water Sports
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Books & Literature
    • Fashion
    • Health
    • History
    • Lifestyle & Family
    • Music
    • Religion
    • Television & Movies
    • Theatre
    • Travel
      • Great Outdoors
      • Rhode Island Travel
    • Women
  • Environment
    • Climate Change
    • Green News
    • Greenpeace
    • Oceans & Marinelife
    • Wildlife

© 2011 Varnum Continental