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

[ISL]

OfficiallY the base was destroyed

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/04/06/initial-reports-indicate-syrian-airbase-almost-completely-destroyed-after-us-strike.html

However, RT has drone footage that shows craters, but little damage. For example, the hardened hangers all appear to be undamaged.

I speculate that EW caused the missiles to go dumb over Syria with 50% glitching their trajectory (23 didnt hit the airbase), and the others following a ballistic trajectory (and not last minute course correcting to actually hit structures - I cant believe that properly guided missiles would be that inaccurate.

https://www.rt.com/news/383912-russia-mod-drone-syria-airbase/

If my speculations are true, this was a massive strategic mistake.

[toto]

Thank you for this concise summary of the Russophile position

[FB Ali]

"... people like Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and NSA Director General McMaster went along with this charade.....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".

This made me smile! PT's indignation is obviously genuine, and does him credit, but this betrays a strange innocence. The persons referred to didn't "go along", they pushed Trump into making the strike. They are key parts of the Borg (aka the Deep State) that runs US policy.

As for "war crimes", these are only committed, legally, by defeated opponents (eg, the Nazi leadership, Saddam Hussain, Qaddafi, various African warlords, etc), or, for propaganda purposes, by the opposite side.

[Robert C]

He told people what they wanted to hear. Grifter.

[Sam Peralta]

I voted for and supported Donal J. Trump. I am very disappointed with his decision to attack a Syrian government airbase on the basis of a false pretext. Some of us supported and voted for him because he fought the Borg. He won because enough of us showed up. The fact that Hillary, McCain, Graham, Schumer, et al were cheering this and Rand Paul and Tulsi Gabbard were panning it says it all. The Borg has rolled him. I wouldn't be surprised to see Bannon on his way out. With this one boneheaded decision he's overturned a lot of what he achieved during the long election campaign as he ridiculed the Borg for their damaging interventions in the ME. Now that the Borg know he can be easily bent by a false pretext, they'll keep pressing. There's no chance he'll be impeached as those that need to convict have him where they want.

[fred]

Swamp,

I'm not responsible for Trump's behavior. Had I worked for him I would have resigned. I feel the same way I did before, he's not Hilary and I don't trust him. Now I trust him even less.

[CulturalHusbandry]

Agreed, I am not seeing significant damage here. My eyes show me an airfield operable within hours if not immediately were the need to arise however limited in nature.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwfDRoDmsxA

[robt willmann]

ancient archer, Babak Makkinejad,

The explanation that Trump ordered the missile strike to placate the Borg media, the neocons, and some in Congress is a possible interpretation. However, once he did it, he has created a "precedent", as we say. The next time there is some dramatic event, the war promoters will say that he took action before, and so he "has to" take action again. From their standpoint, the next, or second, or third event in the future should be a false flag operation designed to make it look like Iran did it. Then the contrived cry will be that he "must" take action against Iran. After all, he said what he said, and did what he did, with respect to Syria. I hope the future does not come to that.

ECM,

Correct. This morning on the boob tube an announcer said that representative Nancy Pelosi (former Speaker of the House) and senator Charles Schumer approved of what Trump did. We remember Pelosi's words when the misconduct of George W. Bush (Bush jr) got so bad that people began to speak of impeachment. Said Nancy, "Impeachment is off the table."

Also, this morning, a senator Cory Gardner (Repub. Colorado) appeared on CNN and surprisingly, the questioner (whose full name I did not get) actually pressed him about how there could be any legal justification for the strike on Syria. The silly Gardner cited the 2001 authorization to use military force as a basis! I kid you not. You know, the one that limited action to those involved in the events of 11 September 2001--

http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/07/politics/tim-kaine-donald-trump-syria-cnntv/index.html

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell, believed to be a lawyer, supports what Trump did, and in a statement of today, further informs us that: "Additionally, for the attention of all Senators, we will have a briefing on this matter later today.” Will that be a public briefing for the voters and taxpayers, Mitch?--

https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=5773CAF6-51C8-43F0-A570-EA962B96EF50

[fred]

Emad,

Had MAGA man waited a day ISIS would be the news not Syria. Then a different news cycle would be news:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/07/truck-crashes-crowd-people-stockholm/

[robt willmann]

FB Ali,

Yes.

[Hood Canal Gardner]

Agreed. Unfortunately your diversion reading isn't where the discussion is going, yet.

[Kooshy]

"As for "war crimes", these are only committed, legally, by defeated opponents"

Well said

[Kooshy]

Archer was Arash, Babak was a revolutionary against Arabs invaders of Iran.

[Swamp Yankee]

Fred,

Thanks for your response. Didn't mean to imply you were responsible for what Trump does by any means. I also distrust him (I distrust Clinton, too).

[Nancy K]

I think he might have liked that quote.

[Babak Makkinejad]

I agree; Trump, and indeed the entire Fortress West, have to decide what is the most important to them since Iran will not abandon Assad and will fight back - having sunk so many equities in Syria.

Last night's attack, in the light of this morning's terrorist attack in Stockholm, looks to me even more foolish.

[Sam Peralta]

LondonBob

Unfortunately, the Scott Adams scenario didn't happen, although that would have been a very good option for Trump to continue with some ambiguity. Instead, he signaled with his decision that he can't any longer withstand the Borg and rolled over. The Borg now taste weakness. Bannon leaving will be the final nail. Kushner is now the man about town. America First is likely done. It will continue to be Israel First.

[Thirdeye]

SOP per flight deconfliction agreement between the US and Russia. Which is now suspended.

[Fred]

robt,

"You know, the one that limited action to those involved in the events of 11 September 2001--..."

I think you need to read the AUMF again. While I agree it shouldn't apply the lawyers have been playing fast and loose with its interpretation for some years now.

[Thirdeye]

Even worse (or better, depending on how you look at it) 23 was the number that did hit the airbase. That's a tad under 40% efficiency, which puts these $1.7 million weapons in a league with good old iron bombs. I share your suspicion that it's the result of ECM. Maybe the original intent was to launch a smaller number, revised as the attackers got feedback on the sorry performance while the attack was in progress, opting for saturation to overcome getting queered by ECM.

[Ante]

fatsamurai

It's the most important airbase in the efforts against ISIS whether in Palmyra, Deir e Zor, or the road to Raqqah. This looks like a continuation of the slow rolling partition plan, where the Kurds and Sunni tribesman take Raqqah with heavy us support and enact a de facto partition.

It's a signal that the siege of Deir e zor will not be allowed to be lifted. That's certain

[different clue]

Albano Pina,

A major war with a major thermonuclear power? How will that work out? What will be the fruits of victory?

[different clue]

Tel,

Activist Democrat judges? Activist over what? This attack was pure Clintonism on parade. We are watching the Clintification of Donald Trump.
This attack is exactly what the House and Senate Democrats always wanted.
There will be no impeachment now. The House Freedom Caucus may try to get hearings started, but Pelosi and her Democrats will Support The President now that he has done what they wanted.

[Serge]

First post-strike satellite imagery released a couple hours ago:
http://www.imagesatintl.com/us-strike-syria/
Website might not work due to traffic(I presume),I had difficulty.

"ISI very high resolution satellite imagery was able to reveal the results of the Tomahawk cruise missiles attack on the Al-Shayrat Air Base. According to ISI experts, the total of 44 targets hit. Several targets may have hit twice. Photo and analysis of the attack were carried out within 10 hours of the attack."

Conflicts with russian MOD that over half of the tomahawks failed to land

[different clue]

iowa steve,

I agree with you. Every House and Senate Clintocrat will support Trump now. Now that he has become a foreign policy Clintocrat. Hillary must be so pleased and proud right now.