Donald Trump Is An International Law Breaker by Publius Tacitus

Donald Trump's decision to launch cruise missile strikes on a Syrian Air Force Base was based on a lie.  In the coming days the American people will learn that the Intelligence Community knew that Syria did not drop a military chemical weapon on innocent civilians in Idlib. Here is what happened:

1. The Russians briefed the United States on the proposed target. This is a process that started more than two months ago. There is a dedicated phone line that is being used to coordinate and deconflict (i.e., prevent US and Russian air assets from shooting at each other) the upcoming operation.
2. The United States was fully briefed on the fact that there was a target in Idlib that the Russians believes was a weapons/explosives depot for Islamic rebels.
3. The Syrian Air Force hit the target with conventional weapons. All involved expected to see a massive secondary explosion. That did not happen. Instead, smoke, chemical smoke, began billowing from the site. It turns out that the Islamic rebels used that site to store chemicals, not sarin, that were deadly. The chemicals included organic phosphates and chlorine and they followed the wind and killed civilians.
4. There was a strong wind blowing that day and the cloud was driven to a nearby village and caused casualties.
5. We know it was not sarin. How? Very simple. The so-called "first responders" handled the victims without gloves. If this had been sarin they would have died. Sarin on the skin will kill you. How do I know? I went through "Live Agent" training at Fort McClellan in Alabama.

There are members of the U.S. military who were aware this strike would occur and it was recorded. There is a film record. At least the Defense Intelligence Agency knows that this was not a chemical weapon attack. In fact, Syrian military chemical weapons were destroyed with the help of Russia.

This is Gulf of Tonkin 2. How ironic. Donald Trump correctly castigated George W. Bush for launching an unprovoked, unjustified attack on Iraq in 2003. Now we have President Donald Trump doing the same damn thing. Worse in fact. Because the intelligence community had information showing that there was no chemical weapon launched by the Syrian Air Force. 

Here's the good news. The Russians and Syrians were informed, or at least were aware, that the attack was coming. They were able to remove a large number of their assets. The base the United States hit was something of a backwater. Donald Trump gets to pretend that he is a tough guy. He is not. He is a fool. 

This attack was violation of international law. Donald Trump authorized an unjustified attack on a sovereign country. What is even more disturbing is that people like Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and NSA Director General McMaster went along with this charade. Front line troops know the truth. These facts will eventually come out. Donald Trump will most likely not finish his term as President. He will be impeached, I believe, once Congress is presented with irrefutable proof that he ignored and rejected intelligence that did not support the myth that Syria attacked with chemical weapons.

It should also alarm American taxpayers that we launched $100 million dollars of missiles to blow up sand and camel shit. The Russians were aware that a strike was coming. I'm hoping that they and the Syrians withdrew their forces and aircraft from the base. Whatever hope I had that Donald Trump would be a new kind of President, that hope is extinguished. He is a child and a moron. He committed an act of war without justification. But the fault is not his alone. Those who sit atop the NSC, the DOD, the CIA, the Department of State should have resigned in protest. They did not. They are complicit in a war crime.

Comments

[bernard]

hmmm.... I take your point that the Democrats may indeed have Trump cornered and trapped over this issue, but do you really expect them to use this weapon?

He's doing exactly what the borg/deep state wants - endless war for no reason.

I think I can well understand that many members of the frontline troops/ military officers/ intelligence community/ average bloggers/ anyone with a brain might be angered and outraged by these events but do you really think the deep state cares what any of you or even the good Col. Lang himself thinks?

Kissinger is famous for a notorious statement that “Military men are dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns for foreign policy.”

Invest in infrastructure, not the military.

[Cee]

That he is.

How the terrorist got the chemicals

http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2016/04/28/seymour-hersh-hillary-approved-sending-libya-sarin-syrian-rebels.html

A reminder of how we were lied to in the past from BBC.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU5taO5vRDo

[The Beaver]

Unfortunately, six died on the airbase including a Brig. General plus 9 civilians in the surrounding village. Read that some of the locals living nearby are Arameans.

[LeaNder]

The Russians and Syrians were informed, or at least were aware, that the attack was coming. They were able to remove a large number of their assets.

Hmm? A fake for public consumption? Sounds interesting, but is it true?

I wonder, if this is a shift in your impeachment contributions, Tacitus. I wish I could see something like that happen, let alone ever expect high position resignations in such a context. ... But that is no doubt a scepticism deeply rooted in my own psyche.

[iowa steve]

"These facts will eventually come out. Donald Trump will most likely not finish his term as President. He will be impeached, I believe, once Congress is presented with irrefutable proof that he ignored and rejected intelligence that did not support the myth that Syria attacked with chemical weapons."

I think that scenario is now less likely than ever. Trump has joined the team.

[Barish]

Thought crossed my mind too: by the token logic adopted by the war party consensus now - not just of the US, but EU as well(!)* - the IAF should have been flattened after their last action in Gaza city in '14 at the latest and permanent NFZ established in Israeli air-space.
Needless to say, quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi applies here.

As to the fallen in and around Shayrat airbase, I just can say, şehitlere rahmet, onların ailelerine huzur ve yaralılara geçmiş olsun.

*I particularly note the interventionist tone the so-called "head-of-state" of my country, madam Merkel, has chosen...apparently wants to have her very own "humanitarian intervention" to go with being first dame in that office.

[A. Pols]

Cooptation didn't even take the first 100 days...

[Sylvia D]

If what you write is correct, and I trust it is, surely all manner of intimidation and prosecution will be used to keep this information quiet and to silence everyone who knows. Too many important highly placed people are complicit in this crime. I have watched this happen too many times and history documents that these crimes can be covered up, at least long enough for the nation to move on. When the truth comes out, no one cares any more and all are willing to fall for the same pack of lies again and again. All of this will be declared "highly classified" anyone who speaks up will be prosecuted--what they say will be discredited. The media will go along and the highly paid talking heads will help with the coverup.
We have essentially become al Qaeda's air force and navy. For some reason the borg will not allow these terrorists to be defeated. Every time they are on the ropes--either the US or Israel, or Turkey, or more arms and money intervene. Has anyone else noticed that these terrorists do not seem to lack for arms and money?
From what I can see, Trump's base is NOT on board with this and are very upset. This is not what he campaigned on and this is not how we "Make America Great Again".

[John Minnerath]

I was surprised to see the "Impeach the War Criminal" headlining here.
I didn't like what Trump did and I think it was a bad move, But I want to see how this plays out over the next few days.

[Prem]

Now that people know how to push Trump's buttons, what's next? A USS Liberty courtesy of Erdogan?

[Prem]

Agreed. Rand Paul, Tulsi Gabbard and who else?

The Trump "revolution" has no machine behind it.

[LeaNder]

My 2c, probably based more on hope than anything else.

Yes, we should never give up hope. ;)

A pretty hard thing to do for this cynic on human matters outside the church or religion.

[wisedupearly]

If a USAF plane is shot down in Syria are we at full on war?

[Erika]

I agree. The attack happened just as he was dining with President Xi. This was a threat.

It puts President XI in an awkward situation. If no Chinese statement is given, it shows weakness. If statement is given, it goes against their cultural teaching about being a good guest and politeness. He is screwed either way.

As for Putin, if there is no Chinese reaction, it tells him he has a weak partner.

I honestly, thought Trump was going to be better.

[Lars]

What is truly scary is a commander-in-chief who reacts to what he sees on TV. That cannot end well. The ensuing uncertainty has increased exponentially.

So: What is next?

[r whitman]

Nobody in Congress is going to vote for DT's impeachment over a bunch of dead people in the Middle East.

I suspect that all this will be forgotten by the news media within 2 weeks

[Degringolade]

An aside:

Southfront has published a interesting piece where they cite a Russian statement that only 23 of the missiles hit the target.

https://southfront.org/russian-defense-ministry-only-23-out-of-59-tomahawk-missiles-reached-their-target-in-syria/

Now, if only 23 hit a target where 59 were laid on, That pencils out to around 2 million per bomb crater.

I am fairly certain that the actual performance of the weapons system in question will be tightly classified.

I have never, ever trusted "smart" weapons

[ann]

The only way this ends badly for Trump is: if enough Americans pick up their phone and dial their representatives and say "no".

[AndreL]

Let's see what this does to the price of oil (not olive). Cui Bono, PT? Exxon, Putin, The Kingdom & Gulfies?

[b]

Al Sha'irat was NOT an insignificant target. It is the main base to support and supply Deir Ezzor. It is also used to hit ISIS in the fighting about and around Palmyra.

This means more trouble for the besieged government enclave in Deir Ezzor where the U.S. wants to establish its "Salafist principality" proxy - obviously by all means.

[BillWade]

I hope Bannon resigns today and maintains his dignity and reputation. I'm surprised the Chinese dude is still around, thought he might have flown out this morning.

[Priam's Crazy Daughter]

Publius Tacitus, thank you for being here to help some of us remain sane. If this is not turned around and soon, we are lost as a nation. The Republic seems dead now after a last effort to revie itself, and the Empire will fail. We don't need Caligula and Nero, we have McCain and Graham. Can't figure out how Trump fits in this analogy, except maybe he's Incitatus.

[Babak Makkinejad]

LeaNder and All:

He bombed Syria in a minimal way, throwing a few bones to the Dogs of War in US to keep them quiet.

I wonder if he had already advised Russia (and Iran) of his intentions.

[Patrick Armstrong]

What puzzles me is how militarily useless the operation was. To fire 59 missiles with 1000lb warheads at a single airfield is just making the dust bounce. (And that's assuming the Russians are wrong about more than half not getting there at all). On the other hand, I'll bet every talking head in the USA is on TV right now babbling about decisiveness, standing tall and proud, sending a message and all the other macho BS of the "fernbar Napoleons" (as Fred calls them); generals solemnly saying every target destroyed and all the rest of the bombers' creed. Completely new subject to blat about for weeks and the Trump is a tool of Putin meme will disappear.
So are we looking at some theatrical gesture to distract the Borg?

[Nancy K]

Kissinger denies the quote.