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

[Yeah, Right]

"These reports strongly suggest that victims of the attack on Khan Sheikhoun were exposed to at least two different chemical agents."

If that is true then Assad's forces are exonerated.

The jihadi eyewitness to the bombing - and who was used repeatedly by the MSM as the go-to man for sound bites - was quite clear about what he saw.

And what he said he saw was a single SU-22 bomber that dropped three (3) high-explosive bombs and one (1) bomb that resulted in a "white cloud" that smothered the area and resulted in all those deaths.

I'll repeat that: the rebels themselves insist that the chemicals that killed all those people was released from a single, solitary bomb.

Now, excuse me for lacking imagination, but I fail to see how one bomb can contain within it "at least two different chemical agents".

But I *can* conceive of a situation where a single bomb lands smack-dab in the middle of a chemical weapons stockpile, and the resulting BOOM would certainly cause the (unintended) release of "at least two different chemical agents".

Indeed, maybe many more than two, depending upon what was in that stockpile.

You know..... just like the Russians have been claiming since the very beginning.

Two chemical agents exonerates the Syrians.
Didn't you realize that?

[Serge]

Influential Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr on Saturday called on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, also calling on Washington and Moscow to stop intervening in the conflict.
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2017/04/donald-trump-is-an-international-law-breaker.html

Thoughts????What effect would this have on Iran-Iraq relationship,if any? The character of Sadr is a deep mystery to me. "he's a prophet and a pusher, partly truth, partly fiction. A walking contradiction."

[Serge]

Wrong link in my last post. Please edit if you can
http://www.france24.com/en/20170408-iraqi-shiite-cleric-sadr-urges-assad-step-down

[Bacchus]

Looks like plenty of hits
https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4392962/amp/Satellite-images-destruction-Assad-s-air-base.html

[Karen widner]

I was beginning to wonder if i read the WHOLE article wrong! How in the hell did he come up with that "verdict"!!

[Larry Kart]

I see the photo and the sign but not any indication of where the photo was taken. Was it in the vicinity of the alleged gas attack, and does the sign the indicate that the area was Jihadi controlled?

[John_Frank]

fyi The fifth report of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons - United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism dated February 13, 2017.

On page 3 of the report we learn:

"4. In the Mechanism’s third and fourth reports, the Leadership Panel reported that it had reached a conclusion as to the actors involved in the following four cases: Talmenes (21 April 2014), Sarmin (16 March 2015), Qmenas (16 March 2015) and Marea (21 August 2015). In relation to the first three incidents, the Panel had determined that the Syrian Arab Armed Forces had been involved in the use of toxic chemicals as weapons and that their helicopters had been used to drop barrel bombs in those three cases. It had also identified the Hama and Humaymim airbases, both controlled by the Government, as the airbases from which the helicopter flights had originated. In relation to the incident in Marea, the Panel had determined that Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had conducted an attack in Marea, using several artillery shells filled with sulfur mustard, a chemical weapon."

Also read:

The forty second monthly report of the Director General of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), submitted pursuant to paragraph 12 of Security Council resolution 2118 (2013) dated March 27, 2017.
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2017/260

It is worth citing the entire cover letter of the UN Secretary General António Guterres to the President of the Security Council.

"The present letter covers the period from 23 February to 22 March 2017. As before, the situation with regard to the destruction of the chemical weapons production facilities declared by the Syrian Arab Republic remains unchanged, with the destruction of three remaining sites yet to be verified by OPCW.

The Director General, in his note to the OPCW Executive Council, affirms that the prevailing security situation continues to prevent safe access to these sites. With respect to the initial declaration by the Syrian Arab Republic and subsequent submissions, I note that, on 2 March 2017, the Director General submitted to the Executive Council a report on the work of the Declaration Assessment Team.

In this regard, I further note that the Director General has sent an invitation to the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic to resume, in early May 2017, high - level consultations to address the unresolved issues related to the declaration by the Syrian Arab Republic.

I reiterate the need for the Government to work with the OPCW Technical Secretariat with a view to resolving all outstanding issues.

The continuing use of toxic chemicals as weapons, as well as the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic, imperils the long established norm against such weapons. Their use is intolerable and impunity must be stopped by identifying and holding those responsible to account.

The OPCW fact-finding mission in the Syrian Arab Republic is continuing its efforts to investigate allegations of the use of chemical weapons, including through studying all available information relating to such allegations.

As the Director General states in his note to the Executive Council, the fact-finding mission is currently preparing a report further to its investigation of four reported incidents of the use of chemical weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic.

It also continues to investigate eight additional incidents of the use of chemical weapons, all of which have been recorded since the start of 2017.

The OPCW - United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism continued to build up its capacity. An investigations office has been reopened within the OPCW headquarters, and its work has commenced for the Mechanism.

The Mechanism also continued its cooperation and coordination with OPCW, Member States and other stakeholders."

The full report is attached to the letter at the provided link. The reader may wish to review that document.

Whether or not what took place on April 4 was a chemical weapons attack carried out by the Syrian Air Force, or an attack on a militant controlled weapons depot that went horribly wrong, maybe the purpose of the strike was not to signal that the Trump administration was going to pursue regime change, but rather was a signal that the use of chemical weapons had to stop, those responsible for past attacks had to be held to account, the Syrian Government had to fulfill its obligations concerning the destruction of chemical weapons and the Russian Government had to be more forceful in policing compliance?

The Syrian Government led by Bashir al-Assad may vehemently deny that they launched a chemical weapons attack on April 4, and rather what took place was a horrible tragedy, but does that completely exonerate them and what about the multiple occasions in the past when they did launch air borne chemical weapons attacks?

As an aside, what about the UAV attack on the hospital treating the injured hours after the original attack took place on April 4?

The AQ threat in Idlib province needs to be addressed.

The opposition forces, along with some aligned with AQ and ISIS may have celebrated the US strike, however will they and the Turkish Government be in such a celebratory mood when the UN OPCW joint investigative mechanism finds the weapons depot which was destroyed contained chemical weapons, so exposing the people they were purportedly helping to grave danger?

How will such a finding look on those advocating for the removal of the Assad Government, particularly in the United States?

Could be all wet, but people may want to read the release posted on the website of the Iraqi Prime Minister of the read out of the telephone call that took place on April 7 between VP Mike Pence and Iraqi PM Al-Abadi
http://pmo.iq/pme/press2017en/7-4-20171en.htm

Also read the read out of the telephone call that took place on April 7 between the Russian and Turkish Foreign Ministers as published on the TASS website. http://tass.com/politics/940204

Lastly read the following statement issued by the Russian Ministry of Defense on April 7 concerning the shutting down of the so called "hotline:"
https://www.facebook.com/1492252324350852/photos/a.1492313031011448.1073741828.1492252324350852/1905072536402160/?type=3

Yes, that is a set back for the nascent co-operation between Russia and the United States concerning taking out ISIS, along with the US launching air strikes against AQ positions. However, Secretary of State Tillerson and his team are scheduled to be in Moscow on April 12 for meetings with Foreign Minister Lavarov and his people to discuss a number of issues, including counter-terrorism matters. One can anticipate the Syrian situation will be high on the agenda.

[John_Frank]

Link to copy of letter sent earlier today by the President to the Congress setting out his justification for the strike on the Syrian airbase https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C86VewqW0AEk-Bd.jpg

[mia]

I am sort of thinking the same thing....

[mia]

I read that only 23 of the missiles made it and that the runways were only mildly affected. Betcha the others were shot down by Russia.

[mia]

You give the elites too much credit. They are successful only with our cooperation. The tide is turning....

[TryPeace]

I stated this in my twitter feed and I'll state it here. Regardless of our sentiment, America had lost initiative in the Syrian theatre, and needed to increase its leverage before any opening talk with Russia. The Tillerson meeting is still on the table, and the strike has massively strenghtened America's position. I think we are all being irrationally hasty in our judgment of the attack (which applies to myself as well), because there is a good chance this is a necessary gambit.

That said, if it turns out that it is not, and that the neocons have triumphed, perhaps it is time for a genuine revolution in America, in which the establishment is finally dethroned.

Ironically, it will now be up to Putin, to "anoint" Trump, and make us "forget" his errors.

[John_Frank]

Since Publius Tacitus cited Sundance, who blogs at theconservativetreehouse.com, in support of an earlier post, people might find the following post by Sundance of interest:

Syria – It Doesn’t Matter Who Used The Chemical Weapons, The Issue is Extremism and Stability…https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017/04/08/syria-it-doesnt-matter-who-used-the-chemical-weapons-the-issue-is-extremism-and-stability/#more-131064

[John_Frank]

When I wrote:

"How will such a finding look on those advocating for the removal of the Assad Government, particularly in the United States?"

I should have added "through the use of force."

In saying that it is up to the Syrian people to decide the future of Bashir al-Assad what does that mean?

To my understanding it means that while the Trump administration has ruled out regime change through the use of force and is supporting a political solution, which will include his future, reached at the negotiating table, and ratified through the ballot box.

[Bacchus]

Satellite images show destruction of Assad's air base as US says 58 of 59 Tomahawk missiles hit their target - but Russia insists more than half of them MISSED

https://www.google.com/amp/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4392962/amp/Satellite-images-destruction-Assad-s-air-base.html

These pictures don't lie.

[MG]

This has to be looked from a much bigger picture ... this is all about Israel (Trump is their boy like every President since JFK). Through this timeline I will show what I mean:

1 - Early to mid March Trump starts sending in new American soldiers into Syria mostly into strategic areas which affect Iran's forces inside Syria (Israel has never kept it a secret they consider Iran it's number one enemy and rival in the region); "the initial deployment of 500 US troops in Syria was followed on March 9 by a further 400, with the Washington Post announcing on March 15 that another 1,000 are on the way." https://www.rt.com/op-edge/381243-iran-mosul-iraq-us-trump/

2 - Around March 17th Israel airplanes shoot missiles into Syria and Russia responds by asking their diplomat for a talk and letting Israel it's time to stop doing this. http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2017/march/21/israel-precipitates-new-tensions-in-syria/

3 - A couple days later Netanyahu tells Putin in a phone conversation he will continue attacks. https://www.rt.com/news/381696-israel-syria-netanyahu-putin/

4 - About a week later Netanyahu meets with Putin in Moscow and offers him some kind of a deal which would involve Russia stabbing Iran from behind and siding with Israel. Putin laughs off this deal.

5 - A couple days ago we have a terrorist attack in Saint Petersburg (I'm putting my money on this being a MOSSAD operation; Jews don't react well to their offers being laughed at)

6 - Then of course we have the false flag chemical attack

7 - Finally we have best friend of Israel, Trump doing what he did

So to me it looks clear like the real joker in the deck is Israel and Trump is just another one of their pawns. By the way who is Trump's right hand man ... the Jewish psycho in a suit Kushner.

[Momasay]

Here is another missing piece of the puzzle. Days before the chemical attack in Idlib, 250 people were kidnapped by Alqaeda from a nearby town. So it seems as though those in the deep state who have been wanting to take down Assad for years informed Alqaeda of the location of the upcoming airstrike, giving Alqaeda enough time to place chemicals at the site and civilians by the site to be affected by the chemicals. They created the perfect storm to blame the Syrian Government with and apparently also to take down President Trump via impeachment, who they've been looking to take down as well.

https://mobile.almasdarnews.com/article/jumping-conclusions-something-not-adding-idlib-chemical-weapons-attack/

[William R. Cumming]

Kissinger is the GREAT DENIER when it comes to his involvement in destroying the AMERICAN CENTURY! STILL HIS THOUGHTS AND WRITINGS AND
INTELLECTUAL PROGENY DO MATTER. BUT NEVER BELIEVE HE IS A REALIST!

HIS IS THE TRAGEDY OF romantic idealism AS IS MARX!

David Hume and Adam Smith feared the destruction of CAPITALISM by GREED! And so it seems. Unable to internally reform IMO!

[Kathryn]

You are correct
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/04/09/trump-humilated-syria-shoots-down-34-of-59-cruise-missiles-russia-to-upgrade-system-soon/

[TimPietersen]

impeaching trump does not help lol, ya get zionist pence...............

[Postkey]

Turkey has 'found' sarin?

“Concrete evidence of the use of sarin gas in Syria’s Idlib attack on April 4 has been found, Health Minister Recep Akdag said Tuesday.
“Sarin gas metabolite, isopropyl methylphosphonic acid, has been detected in blood and urine samples of the Syrian victims Sait Huseyin, Esme al-Hasan, Mohamed Avat and Ahmed al-Salih, who is still getting medical treatment in Hatay,” Akdag told Anadolu Agency.
Akdag said the evidence had been confirmed by the Public Health Institution’s Chemical Warfare Agents Diagnosis and Verification Laboratory.”
http://aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/turkey-says-evidence-of-sarin-gas-in-syria-attack-found/794620

[Ralph Rackstrawe]

Trump might be impeached for defying the gods of Political Correctness, or perhaps removed under the 25th Amendment (kind of a streamlined impeachment, with no hearings and no trial); but for a US president to be impeached for trampling on the constitution, for lying us into a war, and for exercising dictatorial powers? If it didn't happen to any president in the last 100 years it ain't gonna happen today.

[Postkey]

“But here's a little secret from 20 years of teaching and doing research in the neurosciences: trust the biology.  It doesn't matter what the politicians and CIA, and MSM, and OPCW, and WHO say, if the biology does not show a sarin attack, then there wasn't a sarin attack. And in the case of sarin, the biology -- meaning symptoms and  the absence of symptoms -- is not debatable, certainly when there are multiple supposed-victims. If the videos did clearly show victims exhibiting the symptoms of sarin intoxication, my position would be somewhat less certain because most of the symptoms of sarin poisoning can be easily faked. But when the videos FAIL TO SHOW the diagnostic symptoms of sarin, then you know two things: 1) it was not sarin, and 2) the terrorists were too stupid to fake the sarin symptoms.”
http://logophere.com/Topics2017/17-04/17_017-BLA-Sarin.htm