Syria ~ Trump addresses the Nation

[MisterVeritis]

Its still associated with oil. That would be the free flow of Oil throughout the region to the rest of the world. So that is a National Interest to not have our enemies gain control of the flow of oil in the ME. Also, there is the Interest of Constraining the Russians. Then the Iranians.




Washington has a vested interest in Syria. The United States has maintained global security through its expansive military presence and its almost instant strike-force capability across the world. This has translated into a monopoly of deploying force abroad, often legitimized by UN resolutions or “coalitions of the willing.” That no other great power has been able to rival U.S. military capabilities—at least conventional capabilities—has deterred the likes of Russia and China from engaging in foreign adventures of their own. Russia’s intervention in Syria—the first outside of the geographical area of the former Soviet Union—is a precedent in the post–Cold War era, and is a direct challenge to America’s leadership in managing global security and maintaining a monopoly on the use of force. Should the United States allow Russia to dictate the outcome of the Syrian conflict, and expose American weakness, it could encourage a repeat in behavior elsewhere. Indeed, an increasingly assertive China is already testing America’s willingness and ability to confront its claims to the South China Sea. It also threatens to diminish the role of the UN Security Council, should great powers no longer deem it necessary to pursue UN channels to mandate military action. In terms of global security and great power relations, Syria should absolutely matter to Washington


But neither of these interests—confronting terrorism or containing Russia—necessarily equates to greater US military involvement, or war with the Assad regime. Determining interests is one matter, arriving at outcomes is another.....snip~

http://nationalinterest.org/feature/...t-18037?page=2

If all the things you cite are true then let's get the Congress to declare war and go win it.

[MisterVeritis]

Yep that's two more interests in Syria. No doubt about it.

Tahu does not know what Tahu is talking about. He may be the perfect person for you to follow in your folly.

He clearly does not understand the simple term of art "vital national interest".

And neither do you.

[Dr. Who]

I think that is questionable at this point.

http://www.newsweek.com/photos-syria...killing-278894


At least one set of legal and forensic experts has analyzed Caesar’s story and the photos. An inquiry team that included former United Nations war crimes prosecutors Desmond de Silva and David Crane, who both served as prosecutors for the Special Court for Sierra Leone; Geoffrey Nice, former lead prosecutor of ex-president Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia at The Hague; as well as a forensic pathologist, forensic anthropologist, and a forensic imaging expert, were tasked with determining Caesar’s credibility and that of his photos.

“The inquiry team found him, for its part, to be a truthful and credible witness,” they wrote in the January report saying Caesar’s photos—which show roughly 11,000 dead detainees—were “clear evidence, capable of being believed by a tribunal of fact in a court of law, of systematic torture and killing of detained persons by the agents of the Syrian government.”

I'm under no illusions about Assad's propensity for monstrous acts. However, he's not a moron. He would have been far too well aware that perpetuating a gas attack would invite recriminations from the international community, which he doesn't need at this point.

On the subject of recriminations, the international community picks and chooses between what it acts upon and what it ignores based on self-interest. Similar acts of torture were completely ignored in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was a US asset. It continues to go ignored in central Africa. Saudi Arabia routinely uses torture to obtain admissions of guilt not to mention the war crimes they continue to commit in Yemen, all of which go unsanctioned.

Here is a list of just the top ten countries that routinely use torture. https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/p...torture_happen

[MisterVeritis]

Originally Posted by Tahuyaman
Actually we do have a vital national interest there. It would be to prevent the reemergence of ISIS or Al-Qaeda. The only way to do that is to maintain a military presence there.

Not only do you fail to understand the simple term of art, "vital national interest" you display an inability to follow the thread arguments.

I don't expect much from you lil buddy.

[Grokmaster]

Tahu does not know what Tahu is talking about. He may be the perfect person for you to follow in your folly.

He clearly does not understand the simple term of art "vital national interest".

And neither do you.

Once again...your OPINION presented as the Undeniable Definition.

It's not.


Everyone, including Pres.Trump, are not required to accept YOUR OPINION of what constitutes "vital national interests". Sorry.

[MisterVeritis]

The 2,000-4,000 US personnel on the ground there absolutely are.

Are you stupidly making the argument we can invade a country then use the presence of the invaders to justify further attacks?

Do you believe the loss of 4,000 American troops would end the US?

[Grokmaster]

I'm under no illusions about Assad's propensity for monstrous acts. However, he's not a moron. He would have been far too well aware that perpetuating a gas attack would invite recriminations from the international community, which he doesn't need at this point.

On the subject of recriminations, the international community picks and chooses between what it acts upon and what it ignores based on self-interest. Similar acts of torture were completely ignored in Iraq when Saddam Hussein was a US asset. It continues to go ignored in central Africa. Saudi Arabia routinely uses torture to obtain admissions of guilt not to mention the war crimes they continue to commit in Yemen, all of which go unsanctioned.

Here is a list of just the top ten countries that routinely use torture. https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/p...torture_happen

Your list is nothing but an irrelevant attempted distraction from the point. Syria is , without a doubt, the logical suspect in using chlorine gas, etc., And since when has Assad cared about "international recrimination"?

[MisterVeritis]

Once again...your OPINION presented as the Undeniable Definition.
It's not.
Everyone, including Pres.Trump, are not required to accept YOUR OPINION of what constitutes "vital national interests". Sorry.

Have you read any of the Alice in Wonderland books? You have, haven't you?

A phrase can mean whatever you want it to mean, no matter what it meant in the past. If the president can declare that something is a vital national interest to justify blowing things up and murdering another nation's citizens then the President is a dictator.

It also indicates that you are a herd animal.

[The Xl]

He could have been emboldened by Trump's announcement that we will soon be leaving Syria.


Again, seeing that we know the gas attack did happen and we know the means of delivery, who else could have done it?

He would have certainly waited for us to leave before doing this, if he were to do it in the first place.

I don't know who did it. All I know is the burden of proof is on those asserting Assad did it to prove it.

[Dr. Who]

How many US troops are in Syria...right now?

About 2,000, mostly in the northeast - a long way from Damascus. The Russians are in Damascus. So if anyone should have an issue with a gas attack, it should be the Russians.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...ssia-iran.html