This wasn't much of a rebuke. The message to Assad is that killing innocent people is fine--just don't do it with chemicals.
I find Trump's sudden reversal on this very suspicious. This seems to be mainly a politically motivated action that 1 - makes him look tougher than Obama on the 'red line' issue and 2 - deflects from the Russia investigation.
Things will get interesting (in a very bad way) if Assad calls the bluff.
Bearing in mind Assad has already previously used chemical weapons, and Trump's campaign vow not to intervene was well after that, one really has to wonder what his thinking is on this.
I'm not saying we shouldn't intervene, I don't see how the international community can let something like this stand, but how can he justify being against intervening after the previous chemical attacks when he was a candidate, but order intervention after chemical attacks as president? Russia and China are going to have a field day arguing this point in the Security Council. It seriously weakens the US position.
Comments
This wasn't much of a rebuke. The message to Assad is that killing innocent people is fine--just don't do it with chemicals.
I find Trump's sudden reversal on this very suspicious. This seems to be mainly a politically motivated action that 1 - makes him look tougher than Obama on the 'red line' issue and 2 - deflects from the Russia investigation.
Things will get interesting (in a very bad way) if Assad calls the bluff.
Bearing in mind Assad has already previously used chemical weapons, and Trump's campaign vow not to intervene was well after that, one really has to wonder what his thinking is on this.
I'm not saying we shouldn't intervene, I don't see how the international community can let something like this stand, but how can he justify being against intervening after the previous chemical attacks when he was a candidate, but order intervention after chemical attacks as president? Russia and China are going to have a field day arguing this point in the Security Council. It seriously weakens the US position.