By Clifford D. May, The Washington Times: “Can we at least agree that President Trump’s decision to strike three chemical weapons facilities owned and operated by Bashar Assad — vassal of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia — was consistent with American values?”
quoting Fabrice Balanche via AFP
The capture of Eastern Ghouta is a significant milestone for Syria's regime and paves the way for government troops to shift south to where the seven-year uprising first began: Daraa.
- Former U.S. Amb. Ryan Crocker & Brookings’ Michael O’Hanlon: A Syria strategy
By Ramesh Thakur, The Strategist (ASPI): “Others will discuss the strategic context and consequences of the allied air strikes on Syria. As a student of UN-centric global governance, I want to make the larger ‘structural’ argument that—considered in its totality—the strikes reflect and will further contribute to a broken system of international order.
(War On The Rocks) In 1987, Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger told Congress, “Wherever possible, we should adopt strategies that make obsolete past Soviet defense investments. We should devise programs for which an effective Soviet response would be far more costly than the programs we undertake.”
And it does not involve a commitment to change the horrible and predictable outcome of the civil war.
- U.S. seeks Arab force and funding for Syria
- Trump still intends to get U.S. troops out of Syria ASAP, White House says
- How Trump’s Syria alliance came together
- Russia accused of tampering with site of alleged Syrian chemical attack
- How Syria airstrikes hit targets before Assad’s missile defenses fired
- WaPo’s Michael Gerson: The real mission in Syria was never attempted
- EU support grows for new Iran sanctions
- WINEP’s Patrick Clawson: Tactical issues surrounding U.S. withdrawal from Iran deal
- WSJ editorial: Erdogan’s American hostage
- Inside Marines’ new mission in Afghanistan: Taking back territory previously won
- U.S. bans American companies from selling to Chinese phone maker ZTE
- AEI’s Dalibor Rohac: Misdiagnosing the Western crisis
Brent Eng and Jose Ciro Martinez write: It is worth remembering that the imminent downfall of Assad’s regime was proclaimed several times since the onset of violence in Syria in late 2011. Each time, Assad defied such predictions. How has his government, which several times looked so close to being toppled, weakened its rivals and ensured its continuity? - Washington Post