{While Assad is killing his own people, his Russian and Iranian buddies protect him and in return are allowed to establish a military foothold in Syria. Need I say more? Not good for the region. Not good at all. – LS}
President Donald Trump said he had approved military strikes on Syria in retaliation for an apparent chemical attack by the regime of Bashar al-Assad on a rebel town.
“A short time ago I ordered the United States armed forces to launch precision strikes” on targets associated with Syria chemical weapons, Trump said in remarks Friday night.
Trump said the strikes would be carried out in coordination with France and the U.K.
Trump’s statement on U.S. policy toward Syria came after days of speculation that the U.S. would launch a strike against Syria in retaliation for an apparent chemical weapons attack last weekend that killed scores of civilians.
An assault has been expected since Trump vowed last Sunday to respond forcibly to a “horrible attack” on Douma, a town outside Damascus that was among the last strongholds for rebels opposed to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Estimates of civilian casualties ranged from 21 to more than 78.
Trump ordered a cruise missile strike against a Syrian airbase last April after a similar chemical weapons attack on civilians. That was the first direct American assault on Assad’s forces since the conflict in Syria began in March 2011.
WarSclerotic 
April 14, 2018 at 3:53 AM
Thanks again for being there during these times involving Israel!
April 14, 2018 at 4:15 AM
You’re most welcome, Jay. Stay safe.
April 14, 2018 at 4:24 AM
LS…..here’s google earth image of port of tartus. a major port. as you will note, it can accomodate a good 20-30 large vessels simultaneously. hopefully they blew it up!
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.9085864,35.8731817,1671m/data=!3m1!1e3
April 14, 2018 at 9:00 PM
Thanks, AB.
April 15, 2018 at 12:25 AM
LS, if one looks at google earth for the other Mediterranean ports that Syria has…two other locations…..Baniyas, and Latakiya…it becomes readily apparent that Tartus is the main port. Tartus has the most docking berths, and Tartus has CRANES for unloading vessels.
I suppose that we wouldn’t destroy the entire port, initially, since doing so likely would further cripple Syria, beyond the point of any possible redemption.
Taking out one wharf, demonstrating that the other two could easily be destroyed, thereby denying the entire nation berthing for major vessels. no more seaborne imports or exports would be possible.
There are three wharves in Tartus, with cranes, electricity, storage, and connection to land transport. Latakiya and Baniyas do not have the accessory infrastructure, it appears. Those ports may need their entry channels dredged, as well, in order to accommodate 1 or 2 international maritime vessels, at a time.
April 15, 2018 at 12:28 AM
It’s not over yet, AB. We still have a carrier group on its way. Russia is blustering about consequences, so we’ll see.
April 15, 2018 at 12:43 AM
agreed, LS, it’s not over yet. things are dicey, at this time.
UK and France should be watching their homelands closely. asymmetric response (terror attack) is most likely.
I think that Russia will do everything to avoid all out war. I think that Iran is largely a paper tiger that snarls, and hisses and makes other noises.
If Russia can negotiate a place for themselves in the Eastern Mediterranean, so be it. Otherwise, they’d be best advised to pack up, and go home, especially if Trump wisely allows them to save face while doing so.
I think that there may be a place for Russia in Syria’s future. Assad has to go, and be put in the dock in Hague, for war crimes.
I envision Syria being partitioned. Kurds, Sunni, Alawi, Christians, others? The Islamic Jihadist snarling dog must be brought to heel. Erdogan’s Turkey should be included in the pack of dogs brought to heel.
A nice Kurdish state, protected by US airpower, on Turkey’s southern flank would be great. Then, let Turkish Kurdistan break away from Turkey, and whittle Turkey and Erdogan down to size.
Look, the Turks and Iranians have both made it plain that they seek hegemony, and expanded power and influence, at the expense of others, including US!
It’s them, or us! I say, hooray for us, and screw them!
April 15, 2018 at 1:03 AM
It’s them, or us! I say, hooray for us, and screw them!
Top, lets nuke them all , and that 5 times over !
April 15, 2018 at 1:02 AM
There is always an USA carrier group underway you guys have 24 of them and 11 TOP notch, always underway or parked at the front door of some country .
For world peace and humanity of coarse .
April 15, 2018 at 12:29 AM
I was wrong. Latakia is a significant port.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Latakia,+Syria/@35.5250914,35.7640789,1865m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x1526ac2d61d4607d:0x8e325bf8a14195de!8m2!3d35.5407103!4d35.7952667
April 15, 2018 at 12:59 AM
Are you asking for WW III , that harbor is Russian soil .
April 14, 2018 at 4:34 AM
and….i don’t think ANY of this would be going on if Barak Hussein Obama would have left 15,000 US troops garrisoned in Iraq.
April 14, 2018 at 10:49 AM
https://t.co/6VLQYAlcto
https://www.pscp.tv/w/1vOxwANPEPMGB
April 14, 2018 at 2:27 PM
winning in this way make me puke .
This is NOT MAGA but the same old same Yankee gangster tactics .
April 14, 2018 at 2:55 PM
Are not the tactics of Iranh, (creating a landbridge from Teheran to the Merditerranean, to Bab al Mandeb), and then manufacturing instability throughout the middle east, REAL, “gangster tactics”?
What else is to be dine? What would YOU doi if you were President of the United States, and you saw your country’s geo-strategic interests being gobbled up by messianic mullahs?
April 14, 2018 at 10:47 PM
Declare freaking war and bomb the living day light out of them,
But what have you former administration done ??
You give them the path to nukes and a whole bunch of money..
And now bombing under false premises, so freaking coherent foreign politics ,
Trump blows the change to let the world watch that righteous USA is back, he just showed Chicago gangster tactics .
April 14, 2018 at 3:00 PM
A publicized, pre-announced cruise missile launch doing minimal damage that does nothing to change the new emerging realities in the region. Sounds more like a publicity trick than a military action to me.
April 14, 2018 at 4:13 PM
Trump saving his face with the permission of Putin.
Not impossible. what was hit, 2 rusty bicycles ?
April 14, 2018 at 7:47 PM
Does nothing to change the equation? How can we be sure that you are correct? We can certainly afford to wait a few days before reaching the conclusion that you have offered.
April 14, 2018 at 10:49 PM
But we could not wait a couple of days more for proof of the gas attack because Trump with is :in 24 till 48 hours we will have a strong response.
April 15, 2018 at 2:17 AM
Thats what I hear :
Assad had about 2 days to empty all the targets ( C-weapon storage facilities/military airfields). The russians told him the targets.The european money loving/jew hating cowards told the russians. BHO’s crew at the pentagon forced president Trump to just run a show. Macron (typical french / BHO’s buddy) is lying to the world by saying that assads C-weapons are destroyed – they were just relocated).
Israel is on its own.
Not really : The Almighty / the God of Israel / the ONLY God – HE is with HIS firstborn, Israel. HE will cut down all of Israels enemies !
Those who fight Israel – they fight the God of Israel. You fight God – you have lost !
Bless the Jews and you will be blessed !
You curse the Jews – the God of the Jews will cut you down !