Exclusive: President Trump earned neocon applause for his hasty decision to attack Syria and kill about a dozen Syrians, but his rash act has all the earmarks of a “wag the dog” moment, reports Robert Parry.
By Robert Parry
Just two days after news broke of an alleged poison-gas attack in northern Syria, President Trump brushed aside advice from some U.S. intelligence analysts doubting the Syrian regime’s guilt and launched a lethal retaliatory missile strike against a Syrian airfield.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Porter conducts strike operations while in the Mediterranean Sea, April 7, 2017. (Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ford Williams)
Trump immediately won plaudits from Official Washington, especially from neoconservatives who have been trying to wrestle control of his foreign policy away from his nationalist and personal advisers since the days after his surprise victory on Nov. 8.
There is also an internal dispute over the intelligence. On Thursday night, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. intelligence community assessed with a “high degree of confidence” that the Syrian government had dropped a poison gas bomb on civilians in Idlib province.
But a number of intelligence sources have made contradictory assessments, saying the preponderance of evidence suggests that Al Qaeda-affiliated rebels were at fault, either by orchestrating an intentional release of a chemical agent as a provocation or by possessing containers of poison gas that ruptured during a conventional bombing raid.
One intelligence source told me that the most likely scenario was a staged event by the rebels intended to force Trump to reverse a policy, announced only days earlier, that the U.S. government would no longer seek “regime change” in Syria and would focus on attacking the common enemy, Islamic terror groups that represent the core of the rebel forces.
The source said the Trump national security team split between the President’s close personal advisers, such as nationalist firebrand Steve Bannon and son-in-law Jared Kushner, on one side and old-line neocons who have regrouped under National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, an Army general who was a protégé of neocon favorite Gen. David Petraeus.
White House Infighting
In this telling, the earlier ouster of retired Gen. Michael Flynn as national security adviser and this week’s removal of Bannon from the National Security Council were key steps in the reassertion of neocon influence inside the Trump presidency. The strange personalities and ideological extremism of Flynn and Bannon made their ousters easier, but they were obstacles that the neocons wanted removed.
Though Bannon and Kushner are often presented as rivals, the source said, they shared the belief that Trump should tell the truth about Syria, revealing the Obama administration’s CIA analysis that a fatal sarin gas attack in 2013 was a “false-flag” operation intended to sucker President Obama into fully joining the Syrian war on the side of the rebels — and the intelligence analysts’ similar beliefs about Tuesday’s incident.
Instead, Trump went along with the idea of embracing the initial rush to judgment blaming Assad for the Idlib poison-gas event. The source added that Trump saw Thursday night’s missile assault as a way to change the conversation in Washington, where his administration has been under fierce attack from Democrats claiming that his election resulted from a Russian covert operation.
If changing the narrative was Trump’s goal, it achieved some initial success with several of Trump’s fiercest neocon critics, such as neocon Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, praising the missile strike, as did Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The neocons and Israel have long sought “regime change” in Damascus even if the ouster of Assad might lead to a victory by Islamic extremists associated with Al Qaeda and/or the Islamic State.
Wagging the Dog
Trump employing a “wag the dog” strategy, in which he highlights his leadership on an international crisis to divert attention from domestic political problems, is reminiscent of President Bill Clinton’s threats to attack Serbia in early 1999 as his impeachment trial was underway over his sexual relationship with intern Monica Lewinsky. (Clinton also was accused of a “wag-the-dog” strategy when he fired missiles at supposed Al Qaeda bases in Afghanistan and Sudan in 1998 in retaliation for the bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.)
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at joint press conference on Feb. 15. 2017. (Screen shot from Whitehouse.gov)
Trump’s advisers, in briefing the press on Thursday night, went to great lengths to highlight Trump’s compassion toward the victims of the poison gas and his decisiveness in bombing Assad’s military in contrast to Obama’s willingness to allow the intelligence community to conduct a serious review of the evidence surrounding the 2013 sarin-gas case.
Ultimately, Obama listened to his intelligence advisers who told him there was no “slam-dunk” evidence implicating Assad’s regime and he pulled back from a military strike at the last minute – while publicly maintaining the fiction that the U.S. government was certain of Assad’s guilt.
In both cases – 2013 and 2017 – there were strong reasons to doubt Assad’s responsibility. In 2013, he had just invited United Nations inspectors into Syria to investigate cases of alleged rebel use of chemical weapons and thus it made no sense that he would launch a sarin attack in the Damascus suburbs, guaranteeing that the U.N. inspectors would be diverted to that case.
Similarly, now, Assad’s military has gained a decisive advantage over the rebels and he had just scored a major diplomatic victory with the Trump administration’s announcement that the U.S. was no longer seeking “regime change” in Syria. The savvy Assad would know that a chemical weapon attack now would likely result in U.S. retaliation and jeopardize the gains that his military has achieved with Russian and Iranian help.
The counter-argument to this logic – made by The New York Times and other neocon-oriented news outlets – essentially maintains that Assad is a crazed barbarian who was testing out his newfound position of strength by baiting President Trump. Of course, if that were the case, it would have made sense that Assad would have boasted of his act, rather than deny it.
But logic and respect for facts no longer prevail inside Official Washington, nor inside the mainstream U.S. news media.
Intelligence Uprising
Alarm within the U.S. intelligence community about Trump’s hasty decision to attack Syria reverberated from the Middle East back to Washington, where former CIA officer Philip Giraldi reported hearing from his intelligence contacts in the field that they were shocked at how the new poison-gas story was being distorted by Trump and the mainstream U.S. news media.
Former CIA officer Philip Giradi. (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)
Giraldi told Scott Horton’s Webcast: “I’m hearing from sources on the ground in the Middle East, people who are intimately familiar with the intelligence that is available who are saying that the essential narrative that we’re all hearing about the Syrian government or the Russians using chemical weapons on innocent civilians is a sham.”
Giraldi said his sources were more in line with an analysis postulating an accidental release of the poison gas after an Al Qaeda arms depot was hit by a Russian airstrike.
“The intelligence confirms pretty much the account that the Russians have been giving … which is that they hit a warehouse where the rebels – now these are rebels that are, of course, connected with Al Qaeda – where the rebels were storing chemicals of their own and it basically caused an explosion that resulted in the casualties. Apparently the intelligence on this is very clear.”
Giraldi said the anger within the intelligence community over the distortion of intelligence to justify Trump’s military retaliation was so great that some covert officers were considering going public.
“People in both the agency [the CIA] and in the military who are aware of the intelligence are freaking out about this because essentially Trump completely misrepresented what he already should have known – but maybe he didn’t – and they’re afraid that this is moving toward a situation that could easily turn into an armed conflict,” Giraldi said before Thursday night’s missile strike. “They are astonished by how this is being played by the administration and by the U.S. media.”
One-Sided Coverage
The mainstream U.S. media has presented the current crisis with the same profound neocon bias that has infected the coverage of Syria and the larger Middle East for decades. For instance, The New York Times on Friday published a lead story by Michael R. Gordon and Michael D. Shear that treated the Syrian government’s responsibility for the poison-gas incident as flat-fact. The lengthy story did not even deign to include the denials from Syria and Russia that they were responsible for any intentional deployment of poison gas.
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross fires a tomahawk land attack missile from the Mediterranean Sea, April 7, 2017. (Navy photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Robert S. Price)
The article also fit with Trump’s desire that he be portrayed as a decisive and forceful leader. He is depicted as presiding over intense deliberations of war or peace and displaying a deep humanitarianism regarding the poison-gas victims, one of the rare moments when the Times, which has become a reliable neocon propaganda sheet, has written anything favorable about Trump at all.
According to Syrian reports on Friday, the U.S. attack killed 13 people, including five soldiers at the airbase.
Gordon, whose service to the neocon cause is notorious, was the lead author with Judith Miller of the Times’ bogus “aluminum tube” story in 2002 which falsely claimed that Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was reconstituting a nuclear-weapons program, an article that was then cited by President George W. Bush’s aides as a key argument for invading Iraq in 2003.
Regarding this week’s events, Trump’s desperation to reverse his negative media coverage and the dubious evidence blaming Assad for the Idlib incident could fit with the “Wag the Dog” movie from 1997 in which an embattled president creates a phony foreign crisis in Albania.
A fake war scene in the dark 1997 comedy “Wag the Dog,” which showed a girl and her cat fleeing a bombardment in Albania.
In the movie, the White House operation is a cynical psychological operation to convince the American people that innocent Albanian children, including an attractive girl carrying a cat, are in danger when, In reality, the girl was an actor posing before a green screen that allowed scenes of fiery ruins to be inserted as background.
Today, because Trump and his administration are now committed to convincing Americans that Assad really was responsible for Tuesday’s poison-gas tragedy, the prospects for a full and open investigation are effectively ended. We may never know if there is truth to those allegations or whether we are being manipulated by another “wag the dog” psyop.
Investigative reporter Robert Parry broke many of the Iran-Contra stories for The Associated Press and Newsweek in the 1980s. You can buy his latest book, America’s Stolen Narrative, either in print here or as an e-book (from Amazon and barnesandnoble.com).
It doesn’t take much of an investigation? Clumsiest complete phony job ever. He should have hired dustin hoffman and willie nelson like professionals do. You support the guy, but he calls on you to be a brain addled child and be glad our country, of all people, is handing yet another people that were better off, over to the cruddy moslem brotherhood.
America isn’t any empire, Israel s not about the Jews, and England hasn’t been for the English in centuries. The empire, whose name I don’t know, simply uses these tools until they have served their purpose. Then, like Washington did the Montagnard tribe in Vietnam, it will throw them to some hell. The world is a masked ball.
I have no answer but deep suspicion and prayer, and fasting. The fasting may be inevitable anyway when Daddy cuts up our credit cards.
Is is GW Bush redux
McCain McMaster and Brennen are behind this it is being reported. Recall who was in Syria last month?
Kushner is also being reported as being compromised. It appears he has obtained a security clearance without the usual required polygraph….he may be Mossad.
Trumps money is tied to Russian Chabad Lubavitch money which is tied to Putin.
And Kushner is in that mix ….that is dangerous.
Mr. Parry is perceptive as always, but I think he is overlooking a crucial element in the equation. I think that the neocons and media stooges both had an interest in timing this whole debacle to coincide with Trump’s meeting President Xi, an event of crucial importance for the US. Unlike Trump, Xi is a highly intelligent and capable statesman, and his influence could be key in pointing Trump in the right direction. The neocons fear that.
Some all your comments resonated with me, as I too have learned a lot from Chomsky’s earlier works, but I’d agree that the light has now gone out. That, or, as a well-respected name that people would trust, he received threats to his family from the dark forces behind the facade, and decided to cave in and support the narrative.
As the empire crumbles
My question is: Has president Trump been bought off by the the Zionist neo-cons.
Dumbocrats or repubarats the story remains the same. No hope, no hope at all for the population waking up. I’m leaving the country.
Find the best place you can. This will get every country somehow within 5 years. Its where you think you can weather best.
This is so transparently true that it’s appalling to see the reaction of about 60% of Trump supporters. (I’m in the other 40%) They are effectively indulging in a Cult Of The Personality crusade. Some are espousing a lunatic “4D chess” theory about Trump’s shrewdness beyond the wisdom of Solomon. It’s childish nonsense and it’s doubly galling because precisely the people this 60% despise, viz. the neocon warmongers, are now in control of the White House. One needs only to listen to Nikki Haley at the UN to get the flavor of the neocon rhetoric. Trump supporters seem to forget how much this lady hated Trump during the campaign. Nothing matters to them now except “winning,” whatever to hell that means in this situation.
See also:
“Chemical Attack in Syria: Who Benefits?”: https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/chemical-attack-in-syria-who-benefits-giftgasanschlag-in-syrien-qui-bono/
&
“Syrian Tonkin Gulf – Trumpillary”: https://wipokuli.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/syrian-tonking-gulf-trumpillary-der-syrische-tonkin-golf/
Someone got fooled here. Was it Trump or everyone else ? He must know Assad didn’t do it
even I know that. He’s setting up ISIS and Obama’s Rebels. He and Putin will fix this together.
Russia should take this as what it is – a declaration of war. If they don’t respond it will just encourage more provocations and aggression, first more attacks on Syria itself, then Iran and N.Korea before moving on to China and Russia. Any concessions or any attempt to compromise are just seen as weakness. It is pointless trying to negotiate with the U$A = they break every agreement they enter into. Ask the American Indians. Or ask what happened to the promise to Gorbachev not to expand NATO one inch beyond the German border. The official policy of the U$A is world domination, like some fantasy James Bond villain. Why not just take them at their word? They will do anything to achieve this – economic warfare, propaganda vilification and demonization, subversion and destabilisation, using proxy Islamic or Nazi terror gangs as in Syria and the Ukraine, provocations and outright aggressive war. Look at what has been the result of trying to appease the US over the past 20 years. NATO has advanced hundreds of miles from the Elbe to almost within a stones throw of St. Petersburg,. Missile bases right on Russias doorstep. An endless racist campaign of smear and vilification against Russia at every opportunity, even targeting Russian sport. Millions of Russian people in the Ukraine targeted for ethnic cleansing and murdered or forced to flee their homes. Economic warfare openly intended to destroy the Russian economy. How many times does someone have to spit in your face before you stop wondering if its raining? Look at the 1990s neocon hit list of countries targeted for destruction. Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Somalia. What has happened to them? Russia should break off diplomatic relations. Impose real sanctions. Ban western imports of cars and consumer goods. Produce them at home or get them from China and S. Korea. Ban strategic exports like Uranium fuel, titanium, rare earth, rocket engines. End all cooperation. Freeze all loan repayments to western banks in a blocked Moscow bank account, and listen to them squeal.
Great article. I think your argument would have been even sounder had you included the following 2013 tweet from Donald Trump:
Donald J. Trump?Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
Follow
More
Now that Obama’s poll numbers are in tailspin – watch for him to launch a strike in Libya or Iran. He is desperate.
yuytuStart making more money weekly… This is a valuable part time work for everyone… The best part ,work from comfort of your house and get paid from $100-$2k each week
…•••••••??/
Trump and his advisors are jeopardizing AMERICA’S security and world peace..!
Mr.Trump, you are showing to be an impulsive and a careless President, however you have a unique opportunity to do things right…Obama was a puppet of the Bank& PharMafias, you can transform this to a world of peace, implement the Glass Steagal asap in America, get our troops out of the Middle East, stop all cooperation and funding to the Saudis and the Israely Zionists, recognize Palestine as a sovereign nation, reroute those trillions from the wars into American infrastructures, education, the arts, agriculture, small business funding.
Make lobbying illegal..!
Approve term limit to Congress members..!
End the jail business by private contractors, decriminalize marijuana asap, make first 2 years college tuitions free to high school geaduates, increase taxes on the richest corporate revenues, make Medicare available to all from age 60. Surround yourself with working Americans, not CEO’s looking after their interests.
Remarkable that Amerikans cannot make the connection;
al Qaeda = ‘good’ rebels
But al Qaeda did 9/11?
Oh. Okaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy.
“No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public” ~ H.L. Mencken
This article Is Very persuasive but leaves out a crucial piece of analysis. That analysis relates to the End Games for various political factions in The Syria Conflict. No Article on Syria or the Middle East and North Africa can be offered in a sensible context without at least passing mention in the lede in, to Petro Dollar Hegemony and The Export of Natural Gas via the competing Gas Pipe Line infrastructure projects.It is interesting that Mc Master wrote a book revealing the mangling and distortion of intelligence regarding the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.
http://letthemconfectsweeterlies.blogspot.se/2017/02/jon-ronson-staring-at-goats-and-alex.html
H. R. McMaster
Dereliction of Duty (book)[edit]
Main article: Dereliction of Duty (1997 book)
Dereliction of Duty: Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies that Led to Vietnam is a book written by McMaster that explores the military’s role in the policies of the Vietnam War.
It is both tragic and farcical that he now stands accused of the same subterfuge.
The issue of President Kushner lurks large in the shadow of all of this and the Wurmsley Plan / Planned Greater Israel. Shades of Wesley Clarke…etc.
http://letthemconfectsweeterlies.blogspot.se/2016/09/syria-cui-bono-incitatus-boris-johnson.html
Syria is all about Gas, not poison Sarin Gas but Gas Pipelines. It is also not about Hydro Carbons in themselves but the market for hydrocarbons and which currency contracts of supply are settled in otherwise known as, US petrodollar hegemony.
https://letthemconfectsweeterlies.blogspot.se/2017/04/sand-box-for-carbon-based-currency-end.html
Legitimate question. Does Jared Kushner have any interests in the Leviathan Gas field or any of the Israeli-backed Pipeline projects? #MAGA#Drain The Swamp. Starting to dig around will report back.
https://letthemconfectsweeterlies.blogspot.se/2017/04/the-bortherhood-of-gas-ring-quatar-gas.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clean_Break:_A_New_Strategy_for_Securing_the_Realm
President Trump is surrounded by Neo-Cons and sadly President Kushner is a New York Liberal and Clinton sock puppet, How do those of us who wished to see President trump implement his #MAGA agenda?
President Trump is a smart man and I believe a sincere and good-hearted man, He is clearly a good and capable organiser. A government is about the loyalty of one’s lieutenant’s and with Ryan, Priebus and a host of Goldman Sachs and Bushite Neo-Cons forced into the fold by the Apparatus of bureaucratic stay behind government we see that President Trump needs more than ever, a Washington insider he can trust. Rand Paul springs to mind and of course, we see that President Trump has been reaching out to his base.
I think we must defend President Trumps presidency and his Authority, the Travel Ban needs to be enforced and the Wall must be built, The Federal Reserve must have its wings cut and its Quantitative easing Powers should be commandeered or rather re-claimed as Andrew Jackson once reclaimed power from the Second Bank of the USA.
President Trump is under attack from all sides at home and abroad Those of us that Cherish Liberty and want to see America Great and free of Globalist Fascism and Neo-Liberalism need to Let President Trump know that his Cavalry is Strong and Massed ready for knocking down false narratives and loyal to #MAGA.
http://letthemconfectsweeterlies.blogspot.se/2016/10/why-trump.html
Trump’s ‘Wag the Dog’ Moment
Quote: the prospects for a full and open investigation are effectively ended.
With all due respect, I disagree.
It’s Trumps golden opportunity to expose the neocons in his team and force them to resign.
How? Start a thorough investigation right now! The report, if not rigged, will come without doubt to the conclusion that Assad didn’t do it.
With this report in his hands Trump can stand in front of the American public and declare that he was deliberately misled by his advisers upon he drew the wrong conclusion.
His advisers – aka the Neocons – have no choice but to resign.
It would be a win-win-win-win-win situation for Trump.
Reinstating his strong leadership.
Show the public the real faces of the Neocons and getting rid of the Neocons.
Reinstating his respect in the eyes of the public.
Avoid escalation of the Middle-East tensions.
Reinstalling negotiations with Russia on an honest level.
That is the right play for Trump. I hope he does it. The Silk Road deal,is too big to lose.
Much will depend on the results from Trump’s chess match with the Premier of China this weekend. The culture Xi Jinping represents is so much older than his upstart opponent’s childlike and foolish America, it makes a striking contrast. I don’t think Trump’s boasted art of the deal scamming will defeat this solid and steady Chinese Leader, anymore than he can outdeal and wheel president Putin.
Fake “chemical weapons expert” Dan Kaszeta and fake “citizen investigative journalist” Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat are key deception operatives driving Western conspiracy theories about “chemical attacks” in Syria.
In the past four days, Kaszeta has been cited as a go-to “expert” by the BBC, UK Guardian, CNN, Time magazine, NPR, Germany’s Die Welt and Deutsche Welle, Business Insider, Popular Science, Asia Times and other media outlets.
For several days, Kaszeta, Higgins, Bellingcat and their fanboys have been hurling a barrage of Twitter Tomahawks, predictably agreeing with themselves that Syria and Russia were somehow responsible for the incident. Higgins continues to spew his “the Russians are lying” froth.
Even Joshua Frank, managing editor of Counterpunch, joined the fray. Frank cited leading conspiracy theorist Kaszeta, demonstrating the serious lack of discernment among of “progressive” journalism outlets.
Not content with merely quoting Kaszeta, BBC News online went so far as to publish an essay authored by Kaszeta titled “Syria ‘chemical attack’: What can forensics tell us?”
At the end of his BBC News essay, in a furtive effort to quickly “tie the whole narrative together”, Kaszata mentioned that “In 2013, the chemical hexamine, used as an additive, was a critical piece of information linking the Ghouta attack to the government of President Assad.” This intriguing tidbit links to a December 2013 New York Times article quoting Kaszeta’s own claims about the “very damning evidence” of hexamine.
However, Kaszeta’s claims about hexamine were already debunked in 2014.
http://whoghouta.blogspot.com/2014/04/hexamine-again.html
Kaszeta continues to claim that Hexamine was used in the 2013 Ghouta attack, despite the evidence that Hexamine is not soluble in alcohols, making it ineffective for this purpose.
Accurate analysis of all primary and secondary evidence relating to the 21 August 2013 chemical attack at Ghouta indicate it was carried out by Western-backed forces supplied via NATO-member Turkey.
Higgins and Kaszeta also never mention the fact that both the state of Israel and the US Department of Defense possess advanced chemical warfare capabilities and are known to support Al Qaeda terrorist forces (primarily Al Nusra) in Syria.
The self-referential nature of Higgins and Kaszeta’s signature “Bellingcat method” of propaganda is well established. Higgins and collaborators concoct fake “analysis” of online images and videos from the internet. Then they manufacture “investigation reports” based on their own “analysis”.
Bellingcat’s “online investigation” scams are broadcast via social media and regime change think tanks like the Atlantic Council. Mainstream media cite these self-appointed “experts”. Government officials then cite the mainstream media and these internet “experts”.
Look everyone, to get your heads screwed on straight, just go to Executive Intelligence Review and look over their “hot news” column on the right, and ” LaRouche PAC” on the the left.
This is indeed dog wagging but, more importantly, it shows just how vulnerable Putin is in Syria. The US can lower the boom on him at any time. Best of all, there’s nothing Putin can do but sit there and take it! He can’t pull out of Syria. That would discredit him with his elderly Soviet-generation supporters back home and could well bring him down. Ditto if he does nothing. And if he starts a fight with the US, it will quickly spread to Ukraine, where, as in Syria, he has painted himself into a corner and can neither go backwards, go forwards nor stay where he is!
This chess game against Death (reminiscent of Bergman’s film The Seventh Seal) with planetary existence for humans at stake, is not over yet. And Putin and his Russia still have moves left, and their most powerful piece, the Queen (nuclear weapons) is still on the board. So concluding that Putin’s boisterous and inexperienced opponent, Trump and the USA have him checkmated is premature. And don’t forget that in this Great Game, China and others are also powerful and experienced players with unforeseeable effects on the outcome.
“There are several serious factors being intentionally omitted from this quickly evolving US-driven narrative, including:
“- While the eastern Syrian city of Raqqa serves as the defacto capital of the Islamic State, the northern city of Idlib serves as the defacto capital for all remaining Al Qaeda affiliates in the country;
“- The Syrian government is already winning nationwide using much more effective, conventional tactics and weapon systems. Syria is also under immense scrutiny, thus using chemical weapons would be an egregious tactical, strategic, political and military blunder, serving no purpose besides to incriminate the government and invite US-led foreign intervention;
“- The US has already prepositioned troops in Syria, increasing their number recently and expanding the scope of their operations. It is not a coincidence that they were placed there to exert greater military force against Damascus, and now suddenly have a pretext to do so;
“- The US has a long and sordid history of arraying false accusations against targeted states, specifically regarding the possession or use of chemical weapons and;
“- Militant groups the US and its allies are currently arming, funding, training and providing aid to, have been caught staging serial chemical weapon attacks or fabricating evidence regarding alleged attacks that never took place […]
“Trump, like Obama and Bush before him, has omitted any substantial evidence implicating the Syrian government, and like his predecessors, he is attempting to rush the nation and its allies into a course of action before evidence and reason can be applied to unraveling the events surrounding this latest incident.
“Also omitted from the Trump administration’s rhetoric, as well as that of voices across US-European media, is the fact that Idlib is the defacto capital of Al Qaeda affiliates. In other words, the US is attempting to rush into action in defense of one of the last remaining, and now endangered bastions of Al Qaeda in Syria […]
“A US-sponsored, staged attack, however, makes perfect sense and fits well into a pattern of deceit, murder and mayhem that has punctuated virtually all aspects of modern American foreign policy. Even as the repercussions of American deceit versus Iraq continue to unfold in cities like Mosul, the US appears poised to predicate another entire war and the destruction of another entire nation on tales of ‘weapons of mass destruction.'”
Syria: Trump’s Bush-Obama WMD Remix
By Ulson Gunnar
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2017/04/syria-trumps-bush-obama-wmd-remix.html
Everything stated here is spot on. Of course, 99% of the American public will never hear ANY of it as long as the MSM is the only source of their daily information.
The most perplexing question is why is it prominently and repeatedly stated that all the leaders of the entire Western world are four square behind Trump on this “necessary” response to Syrian AND Russian “war crimes.” That’s correct, Russia is now being equally blamed for the purported deaths of the Syrian kids frolicking in an al Qaeda bunker. If they are really dead, they were murdered by the American-supported headchoppers to provide a false flag pretext for America’s escalation of and entry into the war.
Don’t the Europeans know that if the conflict goes nuclear, they will be among the first to die? Why are the EU and NATO leaders such traitors to their own people simply to kiss American posterior?
Did anyone ever imagine Trump’s election would result in 8 more years of George Bush?
Did anyone ever imagine Obama’s election would result in 8 more years of George Bush?
What’s really freaky is that Bill Clinton’s election resulted in 8 more years of George Bush.
With 2 Trump terms , that’ll be 32 years of Dubya , and counting.
You found the real dynasty that represents the political face of the Deep Srate
They’re also mighty proud of their family lineage that connects them to the House of Windsor…American Tory Royalists, are the bigger problem, not so much the zionistas, who are just one section of the mighty Choir of Empire. This from EIR.
And don’t forget Reagan I (Bush I) and Reagan II (Bush II), then Bush himself (Bush III). Clinton I & II (Bush IV & V). W I & II (Bush VI & VII). A sand-bagged & captured Obama I & II (Bush VIII & IX).
Iraq allover again and the American people, suckers that they are, fall for it.
If this was not a false flag attack then why were the rescuers not wearing gloves?
And of course as Assad was winning the war, he had no reason to gas his own people.
Who does all of this help? The neocons and the billionaires, the banks and the armament industry.
Actually, we do know the facts in regard to the gassing. The Syrians turned over everything they had to the Russians back in 2013. This was a false flag attack. What it really signals is that Trump has already lost in his battle with the Deep State.
We now officially have our “war” President. Once again we have proven that we are indeed an exceptional nation. It was disgusting to see how quickly our “allies” rallied around us in support of this stupid act of war. Not one of them denounced us, fawning at our feet. Another failed state, a la Libya, is almost assured. Time to rejoice and make a lot of money for the warmongers.
Referring to my earlier post today, about the Trump military action against Syria having mainly domestic politics in sight – now we learn that Neil Gorsuch was confirmed on Friday to be the Supreme Court member. Was it worth the millions used on the missile launch?
It appears that Tim Kaine and other democrats are now criticising Trump for bypassing the Congress in the decision. Can you imagine? Now they will impeach him for unconstitutional behaviour!
Thank you for your honesty in reporting. I hope the intelligentsia on the ground will leak the truth to media outlets – just not the WaPo or NYT.
The Kleptocracy has their media interests who propagandize for them, so the people need to know the truth. I loved the photograph of Bolivian ambassador at the UN security council meeting holding up a picture of Colin Powell in a “We’ve been lied to before.” moment.
It’s also been reported that Trump has stock in Raytheon so his decision may have been skewed by typical Kleptocratic thinking – “What’s in it for me?”
It is known that the terrorists in Syria and Irak are in possession of some drones. Could it be possible that they used a drone to drop those chemicals (possibly received from Turkey.s Secret Service, like sarin)?
It the bomb fell on a factory storing chemicals where did the rebels get these chemicals from ?
So infuriating to see how this BS is playing out in the media. It’s not like I haven’t seen this same script played out before, but some for reason this one is really rubbing me the wrong way. I even yelled at my Slavic wife on the night of the airstrikes. She supported The Donald during the campaign because he was seemingly the “sane” one on the issue of Russia-US relations (talk about a single-issue voter).
As someone who has tried to be a bit of an involved observer of geopolitics for a while (at least as compared to other regular American Joes), it’s hard to know whether things are leading to some “big event” where the scales are made to fall off our collective set of eyes or if this is just one more of those “things seemed to happen one way…but do you know the real story?” moments that either Robert Parry or one of his successors continues to remind us about some years down the line (e.g., the Real October Surprise). I suppose the efforts of truth tellers like Mr. Parry are not in vain…?
By the way, I must say I loved the Tomahawk launch videos…Stars and Stripes waving in a Mediterranean breeze while being illuminated by the rockets red glare…quite stirring…my tax dollars at work!
“President Bill Clinton’s decision to attack Serbia in 1999 as impeachment clouds were building”
It was “Operation Desert Fox” and “Operation Infinite Reach.” Serbia was in his first term.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Iraq_(1998)#Distraction_from_Clinton_impeachment_scandal
~
My understanding at least some of the people who voted for Trump thought that he would be more likely than Hillary Clinton to end the unending war policy.
Listen to Col. Larry Wilkerson’s analysis of the Trump hit on Syria. The “sarin gas attack” was just a convenient pretext to hit Syria to gain leverage in the “peace talks” (whenever that happens this century). He’s embarrassed immensely by Nikki Haley at the UN. Hates the entire neocon click that runs this show. Names names. Says it’s all just dancing to Israel’s tune. Finally, both we and Israel will inevitably destroy ourselves. Says we are going down, collapsing due to our own bad choices, but he’d prefer it be gradual (I suppose like the British empire) rather than precipitously which seems likely. Very honest man. You generally don’t hear that kind of talk from retired top brass. (He was Colin Powell’s chief of staff.)
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/04/07/larry-wilkerson-on-syria-false-flag-to-cover-trumps-ass/
Realist – interesting interview. I’ve got to agree with him re Nikki Haley. Who the hell picked her? All she does is talk about Israel, how Israel is such a good friend. They must be paying her off. In fact, just about every single congressman or senator interviewed on TV does not get through an interview without mentioning Israel at least once. Do they get paid by the word? Israel owns the U.S. It’s a shame the people let this happen. If they knew, they’d be up in arms.
Let’s hope that Trump pulled this stupid stunt just to get the neocons off his back. Not much damage was done because of it. I believe that he hates war and wants to concentrate on domestic issues. It comes down to whether they let him, or whether he has to throw the neocons a bone every time he wants to get something done.
And if the U.S. is going down (and I believe that’s true), it’s because another nation, living inside the U.S., has been more concerned about itself than what’s good for the U.S. The country has been hollowed out for lack of interest on domestic issues, and all of the special interest groups have come in to fill the vacuum.
And where was Wilkerson when his boss was committing perjury at the UN in order to justify a new invasion of Iraq???
Like Smedley Butler before him, he thought he was doing his duty to this country. Then he had an epiphany and has been thoroughly anti-US imperialism ever since. The Liberals and Democrats used to love it when he appeared on network television to bash Bush foreign policy, now the MSM hates it that he won’t support the atrocities continued by three consecutive presidents from both parties. Like Stephen F. Cohen, he’s been kept away from the media for much too long. It’s good to hear him ripping the neocons a new one no matter which wing of the American War Party occupies the White House… even if it is just on the internet.
Wilkerson wrote Powell’s infamous UN Speech. He resigned after doing the deed He is an accomplished liar First he was apologetic about his role over his role in Powell’s UN Performance and chalked it up to being a good soldier but subsequently has moved away from his previous equivocation. Wilkerson did a very nasty task for the Neocons and should hate them and Haley too she is obnoxious, Why should he lie. He did his time.
Trump came to drain the swap but instead has become a swamp creature himself. His America first foreign policy that decried Middle East adventurism brought the entire entrenched Washington establishment into conflict with him. Both Republican and liberal neoconservatives and their media lap dogs organized against him He now has completely reversed himself. Perhaps he lied from the beginning, or perhaps the fight was proving too difficult. Or perhaps it was even more basic: This pathetic man might just want to be loved.
Whatever the reason, America will never be great again without strong leadership, and Mr Trump proved himself to not be that leader. Why we have elections at all is becoming more and more a mystery. After all,, there is no way to no way to hold anyone to their promises.
john – I agree. Trump is looking weaker and weaker by the day. Maybe it’s like the Stockholm Syndrome: he’s surrounded and bombarded by these neocons on a daily basis, and he’s now picking up and adopting what they’re saying. After awhile, they just wear you down.
As one guy said, Trump was elected on domestic issues: to bring jobs back home, to stop globalization, to enforce borders, to bring in more affordable healthcare, to rebuild infrastructure. They are fighting him on absolutely everything. Everybody is against him (the pussy hats, the illegal immigrants, television, radio, newspapers, the military industrial complex, the Democrats, many Republicans, corporations who want to continue offshoring jobs, big agriculture who want the cheap illegal labor, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, NGO’s, think tanks, banks, arms and weapons manufacturers, oil companies, special interests galore).
The people who voted for him, the hourly wage folks who have seen a steady decline in their standard of living, people who have been really hurt by the loss of jobs, are again being ignored. Trump must refocus and get back to what got him elected. People do not want more war.
Almost too many special interests to get anything done. The vested interests are so solidly entrenched and they are fighting this President with everything they’ve got. They do not want to lose the nice cushy lifestyles they’ve set up for themselves.
Trump should ignore whether people like him or not. Just do what he was elected to do.
Interview with the Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad. Wow, a very intelligent lady. I haven’t finished the video, but from what I’ve heard so far, she is very dedicated to her country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7KMZexVK7g
At 22:20, she speaks about how the sanctions have hurt the Syrian people and how Russia and other friends have stepped in to help as much as they can. She said the West did this to Iraq, so they cannot say they didn’t know the ramifications.
It sounds as if she drives herself around Syria (all by herself) and tries to help people, talk to them.
“In the coming days the American people will learn that the [US]Intelligence Community knew that Syria did not drop a military chemical weapon on innocent civilians in Idlib.”
Former DIA Colonel Patrick Lang
https://gosint.wordpress.com/2017/04/07/former-dia-colonel-us-strikes-on-a-syria-based-on-a-lie/
Marko – that’s a really good article too. Thanks for posting it. The plot thickens.
Very convincing updating here. I hope everyone reads this information.
Speaking of costs, I saw today that funding for Amtrak service is going to be cut for 220 cities, many which really rely on trains. All the money spent on war is an abomination, what is the hooey about keeping people safe when they are left with such a poorly functioning society? It is just a lie to keep the war machine predominant, which is really what we need to be protected from.
Parry says,
The source said the Trump national security team split between the President’s close personal advisers, such as nationalist firebrand Steve Bannon and son-in-law Jared Kushner, on one side and old-line neocons who have regrouped under National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, an Army general who was a protégé of neocon favorite Gen. David Petraeus.
In NYT 11th april 17, “Back then, Mr. Kushner was a high school basketball player, a Billy Joel fan, a quiz team manager and no one’s guess to become a negotiating partner with Mr. Netanyahu. But unlike other students on the trip, he knew the prime minister, who was friendly with his father, a real estate developer and donor to Israeli causes. Mr. Netanyahu had even stayed at the Kushners’ home in New Jersey, sleeping in Jared’s bedroom. (The teenager moved to the basement that night.) “”.
The advice that Trump gets from Jared, would be so pro Isreal I find it hard to believe he does not support kasos around Isreal as a policy of divided and destroy surrounding countries as a way to “peace”.
” a golden opportunity …to prove ..” spending capabilities. Missing is an apparent or real benefit to Americans.
How can the USA justify to its taxpaying Americans, spending $60 millions, to punish a foreign government in a foreign place? There has to be more to this than Punishment because, unless I am wrong, Americans have no legitimate American interest in Syria?
Recently it was announced to be necessary to gut Obamacare and other social programs because of cost?
Something just does not add up???????
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-how-much-it-will-cost-to-replace-the-tomahawks-used-in-syria-2017-04-07
Here is a link below to an archived article of interest,
——————————————————————————————–
U.S. ‘backed plan to launch chemical weapon attack on Syria and blame it on Assad’s regime’
http://web.archive.org/web/20130129213824/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2270219/U-S-planned-launch-chemical-weapon-attack-Syria-blame-Assad.html
Seymour Hersh also endorsed the “plot” to transfer Gadafi’s chemical warfare materials to Syria to do the same …
http://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2016/04/28/seymour-hersh-hillary-approved-sending-libya-sarin-syrian-rebels.html
A story I (obviously) missed from April last year
Susan – that was a great article. Thanks for posting it.
I’m not surprised by this. I have thought for many years that Hersh is too close to the CIA to be called a “journalist” any longer. “CIA Spokesman” seems more accurate.
Debunked :
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/jun/26/daily-mail-syrian-chemical-weapons-libel
http://www.carter-ruck.com/images/uploads/documents/Britam-Statement_in_Open_Court-100613.pdf
adam curtis’ new documentary “hypernormalization” has a lot of Syrian backstory that I knew nothing about (Gadhafi and Trump also figure prominently — all the way back in the 1980’s and Lockerbie and when we bombed Gadhafi and killed his toddler) … highly recommended, but be prepared because it’s long (3 hours) and intense. featuring, in addition, among others, a very young Patti Smith
http://preview.tinyurl.com/j4v369j
“People within the CIA are so shocked that Trump is misrepresenting what happened, they’re considering speaking out!”
The only thing more ridiculous than Trumps lie is that the CIA cares about the truth. What a crock.
There are good people in these organizations, as with Ray McGovern, William Binney, Philip Giraldi, all previously involved and now speaking out. So it is possible this may happen.
All those people are no longer in the CIA or NSA. McGovern and Giraldi left the CIA 25 approximately years ago. Binney left NSA about 15 years ago.
Good people in a bad organization turns out one of two ways. 1. They quit. 2. They follow orders, becoming bad people
” The only thing more ridiculous than Trumps lie is that the CIA cares about the truth. What a crock. ”
Think how dangerous it would be for the establishment mafia if some in the CIA are , in fact , honorable , and they decided to speak openly or leak documents that exposed the lies.
The establishment would work overtime to discredit them , I’m sure. Maybe even in advance , huh ?
That may be true about Assad, but I suspect his father was far worse, and he, Bashar, took over in 2000 after his father died. He furthermore was reluctant to take over, as his intent was to follow his training as an ophthalmologist. I am going to do further reading on Syria, and I suspect the police and judicial activities were already in place from many years, and he may have been a weak leader to start. The US makes a decision as to who to take out, based on what resources they want from that country, and if that leader stands in the way, giving the “democracy” bogus story to the masses. They don’t seem to be going after Mugabe or Kagame, who certainly aren’t running democracies.
Interesting that Hillary Clinton is really out now, getting air time on this, supporting the no-fly zone. Is she repositioning herself for 2020? Taste of a nice war, she adores! Probably got on the regeneration machine and is recharged for one of her favorite activities.
Jessica K – I just hope that Hillary doesn’t push Trump to create a no-fly zone. He needs to do the opposite. Stay the hell out.
Bingo!
From the article:
One intelligence source told me that the most likely scenario was a staged event by the rebels intended to force Trump to reverse a policy, announced only days earlier, that the U.S. government would no longer seek “regime change” in Syria and would focus on attacking the common enemy, Islamic terror groups that represent the core of the rebel forces.
Detective Class 101. Look for motive and opportunity. Those with both are suspects.
Assad had absolutely nothing to gain from carrying out a chemical attack just days after the USA officially announced it would no longer seek regime change in Syria and would instead coordinate or cooperate or merely allow Russia to attack ISIS.
Trumps offensive move was actually rather muted and perhaps a planned fire drill since the administration warned Russia so an evacuation of the base could be completed in advance of the attack resulting in minimal casualties. The Assad government central command and control targets were not struck.
Trumps move is a gift to the neocons who are blackmailing Trump with official investigations as his means to appease the war hawks while not fracturing the deal to allow Russia to handle ISIS in Syria. Given the trash compactor Trump is in, he made possibly the best move he could. Appease the hawks and neocons and yet not break Russian efforts or directly poke the Russian Bear to the brink of war.
It seems to have worked. Trump is getting high ratings in the news for his tough actions and thankfully no missiles are flying between Russia and the USA over this.
Hopefully, we will soon forget about it and move on. We cant allow ISIS or the military political complex to push us into a confrontation with Russia which the neocons desperately want.
Putin will yell and we will say I told you so and that will be that.
ISIS will not be content at the outcome. They would really like to ignite a war between the west and Islam and they will keep running folks over with trucks and making mayhem just like any terrorist organization would in an attempt to ignite a war.
The real problem is that the neocons would willingly put ISIS on their payroll as employees since they also seek war. Obama was stupid enough to fall for the rouse of an Arab Spring erupting in Syria to supply ISIS with guns much to the cheers of the neocons.
Why did Putin not want Clinton in the White House? For the same reasons I didn’t want her there. She would have gone along with the neocons and their plans for war. So far Trump has frustrated and thwarted their plans. Kicking Bannon off the NSC was a good move. He would have been a dangerous component of National Defense and international strategy perhaps favoring the nuclear option. The real nuclear option.
Kudos also to the Brass for finding a win win with the abandoned airbase strike. It gives the neocons hope but does not start a war. When fifty cruise missiles only kill eleven people you can be assured that the place was cleared out way in advance.
This kind of strategy will only work for a short time frame. ISIS will now focus their attempts on international targets claiming responsibility for every attack in an effort to get the big boys into a gunfight. Perhaps they will also find that gassing people in Syria pays off and do it again in the hopes of creating a clash between Russia and the USA.
The MSM and the neocons will not play fair in the news and just as there was a rush to judgement in this case, we can be assured of future rushes to judgment will follow any similar attacks blaming the Assad government first and asking questions later or more probably never at all.
Here in the USA, we need to realize that we are being led to war on two fronts. The first is ISIS which wants a war and the second is the Neocons who also want a war. The MSM are playing their part as the town criers of the neocons just as they have dutifully broadcast the Russian election hacking non event to hide all the real reasons the election happened the way it did.
When you have a toxic mix of giant military contractors looking to make a killing, a government run by war hawks and a terrorist organization aiming to entice the greedy into the final apocalypse it is a scary time.
Trump is wise to take a give a little, take a little policy to engage but not fully. I think that Obama was involved in the same basic strategy too. He we asked to provide more powerful weapons to ISIS but he refused only giving a little to appease the war hawks but not directly threatening a peace with Russia and the USA by arming them with anti aircraft weapons.
The next incident could likely be the shooting down of a Russian plane by ISIS. The reason is it is an obvious move for ISIS to cause Russia to react. Perhaps it will be another gas attack in Syria to goad the USA into another response.
Just ask a neocon what move they would want to get the USA into a war in Syria. You will probably find the next attack by their answer.
Someone suggested that ISIS is a creation of the neocons but I don’t think so. They are real and are an independent operation. But from a goals perspective each group wants the same thing. War. We have certainly given them wings as was done by Obama and now with Trump they have escalated the moves to outrageous crimes against humanity in the recent light of the USA walking away from a fight.
There is no coincidence that this horrible attack on innocent civilians was real. There is no doubt that ISIS carried it out. There is no doubt that the rush to judgement by the USA to conclude in an instant without any other possible explanation offered was orchestrated by the MSM and the neocons.
As for motive and opportunity? I think we know the two groups who would benefit from this dastardly deed are. Hint. It is not Assad and it is not the Russians.
Yet another Trump is playing a grand chest game theory.
You kind of people are so naive. Trump is an idiot just as much as Hillary. They are drunk on the tools that the Empire has at its disposal and are simply overwhelmed with desire to use them. It is that simple.
Not buying it. Trump was never a militaristic guy. He is being forced into it. I really do not think he wants to use the tools at his disposal. Why do that when he has golf courses and revenue streams coming in from the wealthy. He is getting rich so why blow it by going to war? It would not fit his country club business model.
CitizenOne – I agree that Trump didn’t do much damage, merely trying to appease the neocons. I also believe he wants anything BUT war. The only place I differ from you is that I see ISIS and the neocons as one. I do not believe there is a separation there. ISIS is an arm of the U.S. military, manufactured, armed, trained and funded in order to take out Assad.
I agree. And the intelligence community runs the country of America. We do not know if Bannon left on his own, or left due to exposure from the media. We do know he still lurks in the halls of the White House.
Either way, chemical attack or not, the US bomb strikes are illegal under international law.
My interpretation on Trump’s action was that it was connected more with domestic issues than foreign policy. It may seem idiotic to do things that arouse approval among the McCain-Hillary-gang, but now for a moment the howling pack of wolfs, nagging at his feet, is chased away. The neocons might let him proceed with some of his domestic plans (Supreme Court nomination, health care, tax plan etc).
Another interpretation is that the Establishment finally got the upper hand and the swamp will drain him, not the opposite. Not sure that this is the case, the future will show.
Otherwise he met with fierce opposition at his every move, and his whole administration was under a microscope for any possible “Russian connections” – for saying hello and discussing weather with any Russian citizen at any occasion during their careers. Of course, Obama did all he could to complicate Trump’s future relations with Russia. Is it always like this during “the peaceful transition of power”?
The risk is that this reckless attack may turn back at him, if the MSM would suddenly accept the fact that Assad had nothing to do with “the gas attack”, if there was one. By the way, where did all these close-ups on suffering children come from? In the rebel-controlled area? Many of them look like arranged in Hollywood style.The rebels seem to have a close cooperation with MSM. No pictures ever of the Mosul victims.
There are many informative articles on Zerohedge, but I leave the links out, as it may delay the post. For ex., about a Russian warship nearing the Syrian coast, an ex-UK ambassador denying the gas attack possibility by Assad.
Lisa – good post. I agree with everything you’ve said. Trump has been hammered like no other President. Most people would have folded by now. I’m sure he was trying to appease the neocons. The only thing I worry about is that he will have to roll over and shake a paw every time he wants to get something done, placate the neocons. Not a great way to govern.
Of course, the only reason other presidents didn’t get this treatment is because they pretty much towed the line, didn’t threaten them with “draining the swamp”. Unbelievable opposition that Trump is up against.
And most of the congressmen and senators (especially McCain and Graham) are pretty much nuts. When I hear what comes out of their mouths, I can hardly believe it.
What premises support impeaching Trump and removing him from office? The premises are NOT any of those that have splattered the internet for a bit more than two months. All those other premises are risibly untenable — all expressions of rabid emotion rather than applications of the constitutional bases of impeachment and removal.
U.S. Constitution, Article II § 4 says: “The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Trump has not committed treason; and all that Trump-colluded-with-Russia crap is only crap, utterly devoid of supporting evidence. We have no evidence suggesting Trump has bribed, or been bribed; and all contrary assertions are only crap, utterly devoid of supporting evidence.
Also, “Treason” and “Bribery” are very ambiguous terms — their possible applications being near-always debatable. See http://www.usalone.com/jaffee_on_impeachment2.htm See also MY treason-discussion comments posted at http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/trumps_revised_travel_ban_temporarily_blocked_by_federal_judge_in_hawaii_20
So, Trump cannot be impeached or removed from office for reason of treason or bribery. Therefore, impeaching him and removing him from office must depend on whether he has committed a “High Crime” or “[High] Misdemeanor” OTHER THAN treason or bribery.
What is a High Crime? What is a [High] Misdemeanor? Surely each obtains some meaning by virtue of being analogous to “bribery” or “treason.” But, since “treason” and “bribery” are very ambiguous, so are “High Crime” and “[High] Misdemeanor.”
Still, if one scours scrupulously all the pertinent historical-and-legal considerations, one must conclude: (a) that a “High Crime” or “[High] Misdemeanor” need not be a technical or statutory crime and (b) that most technical or statutory crimes are NOT premises of impeaching and removing him from office any official. See http://www.usalone.com/jaffee_on_impeachment2.htm
Many grave crimes, even grievous felonies, are not premises of impeachment/removal. Some adequate impeachment/removal premises are not technical or statutory crimes. And not all “misdemeanors” are “[High] Misdemeanors.” See Idem. Like treason or bribery, any other “High Crime” or “[High] Misdemeanor” must be conduct that perverts the official’s office or harms — substantially, and intentionally or recklessly — the Republic, our democracy, or the public welfare. See Idem.
So, why is Trump’s Syria bombing a “”High Crime” or “[High] Misdemeanor”?
(a) Trump’s Syria bombing was (or is) a war of aggression (as has been every other U.S. military action occurring in Syria). A war of aggression is not only the WORST international law crime, it is a U.S.-law crime — per international law of which that the U.S. is a signatory, even per treaties to which the U.S. Senate has consented.
(b) Trump’s Syria bombing
(i) is illegal and the worst international law crime and a grave U.S.-law crime and a crime that embarrasses grievously (diplomatically) the U.S. and the Office of the President and harms seriously the U.S.’s position among the community of nations
(ii) cannot claim ANY KIND OF excuse or justification in any EVIDENCE
(iii) threatens, grievously, the safety and welfare of the Republic and its citizens, by risking, seriously, a threat of Russia’s waging nuclear, or horrendous non-nuclear, war against the U.S.
(iv) violates the separations of powers of the U.S. government by presuming to wage war without Congress’s having declared war or having rendered formal authorization
So, Trump’s Syria bombing was conduct that perverts the Office of the President and harms — substantially, and intentionally or recklessly — the Republic, our democracy, or the public welfare. Therefore, Trump’s Syria bombing was a “High Crime” or “[High] Misdemeanor.”
thank you Mr Parry for this truly enlightening piece . I went to bed last night with the news of Trump’s decision and woke to the sad truth that we are still continuing the brutalization of yet another mid-eastern country. We are no better than those we are trying to defeat-(conquer seems a better word). and I really don’t know if we know who that is anymore…
Is Trump “Playing with Nuclear Fire? See link below:
—————————————————————————————-
Russia says US air strikes in Syria came ‘within an inch’ of military clash with their forces
Satellite imagery suggests the base that was struck is home to Russian special forces and military helicopters
• Tom Batchelor
• 19 mins ago
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/russia-us-air-strikes-syria-russia-within-inch-military-clash-war-dmitry-medvedev-prime-minister-a7672791.html
When the Ghouta gas attack went down, I responded to one of CN’s articles – I believe it was by Ray McGovern. In that comment, I outlined all of the pathophysiology, symptomatology, pharmacology and PPE (personal protective equipment) parameters which would characterize a chemical agent “mass casualty” NBC event precipitated by weapon grade sarin. My conclusion was that, based on the photos, reported symptoms and farcical medical treatment protocols reported by fake outfits such as “Bellingcat”, the episode was a false flag hoax. The comment and the explanations obviously went unheeded, because this event is a hoax for the same reasons. Any ex-military member who has had training in such scenarios should know better, but apparently, the Bellingcat got their tongues.
As to the wag, here’s the real deal. The Tomahawk missile response had no tactical or strategic impact on anything. If I recall, 23 0f the 59 fired hit targets. They cost roughly $1.4 million each, so the fireworks display cost close to $80 million to accomplish absolutely nothing…except to irrefutably establish war crime guilt.
The Russians, I would guess, did not bother shooting any of them down, and would not contemplate retaliating against Uncle Sugar’s guided missile cruisers. So far, they are not in, and do not intend to get into, a war with us. So, why the poor performance of those Tomahawks that – I think it was Chuck Todd – said, “Everybody loves?”
Think back maybe two years ago when the NASA B-56 reconnaissance plane mysteriously showed up on a runway in Morocco, or someplace similar. I wrote a comment about that too, and I guess nobody paid attention. I said they were doing contour mapping for cruise missile guidance for the purpose of attacking – I thought – Syria. The problem with contour guidance is that it relies on computer memory and radar. There’s alway the possibility that some phone pole has been put up somewhere or the original scan missed something. Just a guess, but I’m thinking 36 of those Tomahawks hit unintended targets along the way. The onboard data was two or three years obsolete. It wasn’t worth it for the Russkies to waste ammo when all they had to do was check out of that nightclub, if they were even there in the first place.
In the long game, this dog wagging will accomplish nothing geopolitically, but may ultimately provide the Neocons with a pretext to impeach Trump. In the meantime, the Russkies got to find out just how crappy our “first strike” capability really is. When the taxpayers are paying a bundle to update our nuclear arsenal to the new “super fuze” technology, they should keep in mind that the Russkies now know it has a 23/59 = 39% accuracy rate.
Interesting perspective , and thought-provoking.
I can imagine Russian electronic jamming operators sitting at their consoles prior to launch :
Jammer tech #1 : ” We don’t want to bring them all down , that would cause an aggressive research response by the U.S. on countermeasures. We want to do enough to know our stuff is working , and just enough so the Americans say ” WTF ?! ” “.
Jammer tech #2 : ” How about one of every two missiles fired? Fifty percent. ”
#1 : ” Too obvious. Let’s shoot a little lower – say four out of ten. Forty percent. ”
#2 : ” Cool. “
Sorry but your maths sucks, 61% of cruise missiles went MIA, not 40%.
Since 2012, NPR (National Propaganda Radio) has repeatedly turned to UK-based fake “citizen journalist” Eliot Higgins of the Brown Moses and Bellingcat blogs as an “authoritative source” on arms used in the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine, despite the fact that actual experts and scientists have consistently shown Higgins’ analyses to be either inaccurate or irrelevant.
On April 5, NPR featured Higgins collaborator and fake “chemical weapons expert” Dan Kaszeta of Bellingcat
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/04/05/522726068/experts-suspect-nerve-agent-was-used-in-syrian-attack
Despite the fact that Higgins and Kaszeta’s claims regarding the 2013 Ghouta chemical attack have been disproven, both propagandists continue to be cited as “experts” by major US and European mainstream media.
A False Flag yes, although by hoax do you mean people did or did not die?
I think people did die, but many of these radical groups are purposely trying to goad Nations like Israel or the United States to openly attack the Syrian Republic.
In other words, they are doing exactly what they have been doing for years. These radicals are kidnapping and killing civilians and then propping their bodies for their disgusting videos, which then become the “intelligence” the U.S. looks at without verifying any of it.
TruthTime – Tulsi Gabbard, congresswoman from Hawaii, veteran of the Iraq war, said that the U.S. has been waging a regime-change war against Syria for years, “first for many years through the C.I.A. covertly, and now overtly through President Trump’s reckless military strike”.
Tulsi Gabbard is at 11:10 minutes in this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRLXjdJrTyQ
She has said on prior occasions that the U.S. has been funding, arming and training ISIS and Al-Qaeda, along with Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the other Gulf States to take out Assad. Sounds to me like these terrorist groups are just manufactured whenever regime change is wanted, a sort of paid mercenary army for hire. Begs the question: who is goading who?
ISIS recently started putting out threats focusing on Iran. I’d be willing to bet they got an actual memo ( aka marching orders ) describing their expected future operations , with specific locations , date ranges , etc. , directly from the U.S. and/or Israeli neocons.
Marko – yes!
Tulsi is a real American hero, speaking truth to power. She better keep an eye on her six, they’ll be coming after her.
You mean, “Raises the question:” because *Begging* the Question is a logical fallacy (‘petitio principii’) in which the debater uses his conclusion as one of his premises.
F.G. What you wrote about brought back an old memory.
So there we were one foggy Friday morning before the sun come up, and with our six Amphib Mike Boats we were practicing our maneuvers of running our Mike Boats up onto the beach to off load Marines. Once we would finish with this excercise we could go back to our ship, and go on Liberty. The fog was so thick we could see but maybe twenty feet beyond our craft. So here we were us proud Navy Amphib Sailors moving towards the sandy beach in order to complete our mission, when low and behold lazily paddling on a ugly worn out surf board was this hippie looking dude who looked like Norville “Shaggy” Rogers and as our young Ensign who was the commander of our operation yelled into his bull horn ‘to abandon this area immediately by the order of our commander in chief (tricky dicky Nixon)’ the shaggy hippie said, ‘oh wow man have we gone to war, or something?’ Good question since we were attacking Virginia Beach in Virginia.
Enjoyed your appraisal of the cruise missile attack. It would only make sense you are right, since I know for a fact how things in our military can get sloppy at times. I kind of picture a lot of medal galore officers and gentlemen ignoring the ever knowledgeable and faithful Radar O’Reilly’s, or if it isn’t Radar getting the cold shoulder it’s a 27 year lifer chief petty officer getting the elite snub. So if we did use outdated missile path mapping, well then to me, and with the experience I had while serving my 4 years active duty, I would buy what your selling just based on that.
Just like Trump’s failed Yemen special ops mission where women and children, and one Navy Seal died Trump will never admit to his short comings. Although Trump got everything he wanted out of that debacle when he pointed out the deceased Navy Seal’s crying widow while he made himself sound presidential (give me a break)…he thought they may have broke a record for applauds with that little gimmick.
When’s does the impeachment begin?
I had some CBRD training in my last years as a merchant seaman on a MSC contracted ship. We had suits, masks, a decontamination room, etc. etc. And CBRD drills. Even then we knew we were pissing in the wind, like hiding under our desks in school during the Cuban missile crisis.
Or maybe they ran out of fuel. I heard some war pornographer practically cream his pants as he described how the missiles were sent on different routes so they would all arrive within the same minute and make a really big light show.
In other words, the whole attack was about creating a nice spectacle for the home folks, and to prove to the war machine that Trump really has been turned.
Perhaps the war crowd threatened to cut off Trump’s son-in-law’s balls and feed them to his daughter:
“John Yoo publicly argued there is no law that could prevent the President from ordering the torture of a child of a suspect in custody – including by crushing that child’s testicles. ”
(search for “Bush Advisor Says President Has Legal Power to Torture Children”)
Very interesting info. But the cruise missiles undoubtedly cost a lot less than Su22 fighters, and Syria lost something like 14 of their 40 of those. An economic balance would be hard for Russia to maintain on the defensive, so they need retaliation targets that are equally difficult to defend economically. Since they “would not contemplate retaliating against Uncle Sugar’s guided missile cruisers” why not retaliate against Israel? Simply take out several times the Israeli attack forces whenever “red lines’ are crossed, with instant massive escalation in case of reprisals. They could also target Saudi Arabia without offending many, and either one would be taking the Syria war back to its source without risking war with the US..
Sadly he seems to be getting more dupport from the left. Many of his supporters are not happy about it
There is little question about it. The government wants another war that we will not win. The real reason is why.
Well, as George W. said, “War is good for business.”
Before there was Rex there was Johnny boy:
https://joequinn.net/2013/09/03/a-response-to-john-kerrys-syria-evidence-speech/
I was very surprised to see that Noam Chomsky was on Democracy Now on April 5 and stated that “the Assad regime is a moral disgrace. They’re carrying out heinous acts with the aid of the Russians”. He claims to be and is reputed to be such an authority on regimes and interventions, but has this bias on Syria? Does anyone have info on this? I do know he has not looked into holes in the 911 story and has discounted the 911 Truth movement completely.
Jessica: Bashar al Assad is no eagle scout. Not surprising when you consider how his father, Hafez, ran Syria. Kind of like Admiral John McCain of USS Liberty infamy and his spawn, the senator from Arizona. It must be something in the genes.
A few years ago a Syrian-Canadian was detained at a US airport – probably JFK – and shipped to Syria for “interrogation.” Fortunately, he survived.
Bill, I am not sure if in fact that was a Syrian government run detention center where Maher Arar was tortured, or if it was some private contractor establishment. It seems to me that by that time the Pentagon had drawn up the list to “take-out 7 countries in 5 years”, and the ambiguity of the reporting on Arar may have been for the benefit of the “folks back home”, demonizing Assad – preparing us as they do.
It is also possible that I am reading too much into the MSM reporting but am getting better at reading between the lines, thanks to the likes of Robert Parry.
Thank you for this possible correction . I’ll check it out.
Google “Chomsky the gatekeeper” and I suspect you’ll find lots of info.
It would be nice to find some good and wise soul who we could rely on to deliver the truth , the whole truth , and nothing but the truth on all of the difficult issues of the day. Unfortunately , that person doesn’t exist. My next-best suggestion is to aggressively assemble evidence and opinions on any given topic , and then rely on yourself to make the final judgment. You’ve got the right stuff to be your own intellectual hero.
Paul Craig Roberts, William Engdahl, Peter Dale Scott and Michael Hudson have some good stuff but you would never find the Deep State controlled Democracy Now allowing them airtime
Exactly Marko. The essential rule for waking up to reality is to question EVERYTHING and Everybody, especially revered teachers like Chomsky, and wonderful news sites like Democracy Now. i agree with you that we each have the capacity to discern truth, IF we develop and use the critical learning tools necessary.
Jessica, I’m not surprised to hear those views on Democracy Now. That has been its bias on Syria for a good two years, I know this because I wrote to them again and again on how their views on Syria were straight out of The Washington Post. Then they blocked me. She has persistently presented a one-sided, Assad-as-brutal-murderer/dictator view. I had to stop watching her, even though she really seemed in the right place on other topics. As to Chomsky, we might ask him why Assad, who is by the way NOT his father, gets such good reception from Syrians themselves, as indicated above in cmp’s comment on Syrian voting for Assad.
Chomsky reminds me of those old professors that thought they had taken an escalator up to God and students were at best a nuisance to be scornful with. I had an argument with Chomsky by email one time and his usual calm demeanor gave way to a really aggressive type of having to be right on every little thing. But we all have weaknesses of course, with his resistance to alternative views on 9/11 very difficult to understand, on what is so elementary in the questioning, including facts that cannot be denied. So why he’s in a denialist mode on this is strange.
Jessica: Check this: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/syria-syrian-civil-war-bashar-al-assad-regime-war-crimes-prisons-spain-us-state-department-office-of-a7561096.html
Something I have learned in my lifelong search for truth in many venues is that there are no perfect teachers. But on the other hand you can learn really useful things even from the most flawed. So I never condemn anyone, no matter how flawed they may be. I am here to learn, not to judge or condemn. Chomsky may have serious flaws, but I have learned a lot from him: I am grateful for that, and I forgive him for being flawed like me and everyone on this benighted planet.
Thanks, Mike, for this comment, and reminder. I too have learned a lot from Chomsky.
Poor old Noam is going senile. He used to be a logical thinker and a real firebrand, but the light has gone out.
Syria certainly is a moral disgrace. They were (are?) torturers-for-hire, paid by Uncle Sam, while Canada looked the other way. See the story of Syrian-born Canadian citizen Maher Arar for more details.
Of course, the establishment media has completely ignored this out-sourced torture program.
Jessica, in 1999 Noam Chomsky practically sided with the US/Clinton bombing of Yugoslavia. He may be a great language scientist or not, but as a person he leaves much to be desired.
Rep. Thomas Massie will be banned from further appearances on CNN because of his flagrant honesty :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6SnIvQKN1Y
Massie : ” Frankly , I don’t think Assad would have done that. It does not serve his purposes……”
CNN’s Kate Bolduan : ( Piercing death-glare )
CNN’s Kate Bolduan
I never could tolerate that creature for more than a few minutes. It was worse when she partnered with John What’s-His-Name.
CNN asking the hard questions:
“Who, who do you think, who do you think is behind it, you think, you, who do you think is behind it?”
Bolduan was previously co-anchor of The Situation Room alongside fellow “CNN broadcast journalist” Wolf Blitzer.
What I liked best was that first , furtive while still frantic look off-screen – Mayday ! Mayday !
Where does CNN find all these creeps ?
Excellent video exposes the White Helmets as terrorists: Syria War Anon: Tapestry of Terror – White Helmets exposed as FSA Terrorists linked with ISIS https://youtu.be/xR1Vs5fZltY?t=2s
Thank you, cmp, for that electoral information to remind us of the hypocritical crap that comes out of the mouths of American politicians. The Boston “blue-blood” John Kerry, who comes from the illustrious Forbes family, former member of Skull and Bones, graduate of Yale, favored university of US Intel, yep, he would know!
Joe, i suspect that Russians aren’t jumping to judge Putin and their other leaders on their current responses, because they’ve been well exposed to the duplicity of the U.S. in the ’90s and know full well how entrenched terrorists are in ME since Bush-Cheney invaded Iraq.
Hi Jessica! … hahaa!!!
I agree. This guy has been in DC for far too long.. .. And, that blue blood has sure produced a Blue Dog.
I absolutely love the way John Pilger put our predicament back on January 17th.:
~ “.. The obsession with Trump is a cover for many of those calling themselves “left/liberal”, as if to claim political decency. They are not “left”, neither are they especially “liberal”. Much of America’s aggression towards the rest of humanity has come from so-called liberal Democratic administrations – such as Obama’s. America’s political spectrum extends from the mythical centre to the lunar right. The “left” are homeless renegades Martha Gellhorn described as “a rare and wholly admirable fraternity”. She excluded those who confuse politics with a fixation on their navels.” ~
(..Smile..)
Thanks Jessica! Especially in an odd year (2017.. off cycle), we are a small speck on the “far (..hahaa!) left” end of the spectrum. … But, as Bernie proved, if we can get someone in front of a camera, our message is felt with warmth. .. And, I hear that Orwell’s 1984 sales are up again. So, I would guess, that the generation coming up, it is definitely adding things up – real fast.
Say, I saw a post of yours a few weeks ago, where you mentioned possibly moving to Up State. .. That’s where I grew up and spent my first 40 years. I have been in AZ now, for 13 years. But, I visit the family in NY quite often. I will be in Syracuse in June.
Keep Up The Great-Great Work!!
Mike
Jessica what I said earlier I didn’t say with any statistics or prove of, because by any real reality of a political society everyone in high places will have their critics. Like in Putin’s case he may take some heat from the Moscow Times readership. Ziad Fadel who reports for syrianperspective.com wrote something saying that this attack will certainly give Putin some doubt from here on to trust the Americans in the future.
While I’m not there I get the impression that the Russian people by a majority love Vladimir Putin. He seems as though his word is his bond, and because I like to roll that way myself, I can see how Putin’s public would just love him. In fact American politicians could learn a lot if they just studied this one aspect which Putin seems to possess, and that’s his integrity and honesty is something to believe in.
On the other level America’s credibility is sorely lacking. Many a comment here on this site goes into our American history of lying. Why just the other day while waiting in my doctors office I read an article in the Smithsonian describing how President Ulysses Grant illegally took the Black Hills from the Native Americans who our government had previously made a treaty with whereas Grant secretly negated that promise our government had made. So like I said once before our country’s DNA needs an oil change. America needs to come to grips with itself, and by our admitting our past wrongs could be a good way to move forward with, but I don’t know who there is that’s going to get that done.
Ps if you get a chance listen to Tulsi Gabbard stick to her guns when interviewed today by Wolf Blitzer on CNN…now there is a woman I’d love to see break the glass ceiling.
Joe ,
Thanks for the tip on that great Tulsi interview. Here’s the link for others :
http://www.cnn.com/2017/04/07/politics/tulsi-gabbard-assad-chemical-weapons-blitzer-cnntv/
You know that thing on Seinfeld , where Jerry grits his teeth and spits out : ” Newman !” every time he sees the slob ? Well , that’s what I now find myself doing , except it’s ” Blitzer !”
Oh it’s you Blitzer.
Thanks for the link.
“A dangerous neighborhood”
Blitzer’s bona fides and the appropriate response
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Dq2JMSCr-8
“This week, do me a favor. In the wake of our president ordering a missile strike on Syria – let’s not say he did it because of his “heart”. I mean, really. This is a man who said last year about Syrian children, “I can look in their faces and say ‘You can’t come.’ I’ll look them in the face.” So spare us all the disgusting narrative that Trump is a changed man because of the suffering of children. Unless we’re willing – as we should be – to open our borders to Syrian refugees, heart has nothing to do with America’s actions.” By Jessica Valenti – https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2017/apr/07/week-in-patriarchy-trumps-lies-syria
I think Trump has been the worst kind of idiot for doing what he did. But some are suggesting there are other reasons he did it:
China – Trump was having dinner with China (Xi) at the precise moment these missiles were fired. Could be he’s warning China about the South China Seas – or – they want Xi to have a serious talk with his friend, North Korea.
Gorsuch – the vote ended up being 54 to 45 to affirm Gorsuch. Three Democrats voted with the Republicans. Imagine if these three Democrats, along with Senator McCain and Senator Graham, had chosen not to vote for Gorsuch. The vote would have been 49 to 50 against Gorsuch. Just a thought, but maybe this was part of the deal (attack to get the necessary votes).
Accusation that Trump is in Putin’s pocket – who is going to accuse Trump of that now?
Little damage to Syria – some buildings were hit, but not the airstrips. They are still intact. The Russians were warned beforehand that these missiles were coming. The Russians, Syrians and Iranians are back to fighting, as if nothing happened.
I’ve been trying to indicate to Michael above (with my post in moderation) that the damage was more significant than has been made out, with four children dead so far, and the possibilities of surrounding houses to the airport having more damage, not yet reported. I found this info at Edge of Eternity for this date. More details may emerge.
“Accusation that Trump is in Putin’s pocket – who is going to accuse Trump of that now?”
A lot. I’ve actually seen people seriously affirm this is all a ploy so Putin and Trump can continue to scheme. I guess MSDNC’s Lawrence O’Donnell was saying this stuff.
True to form for the U.S. government as many times in the past, there are “good victims” and “bad victims.” The 100 civilians who died in Idlib, Syria by some type of toxic gas are good victims, worthy of our grief and outrage, while the over 1,400 civilian victims killed by U. S.-led coalition military action in Syria & Iraq over the month of March are “bad victims”, not even worthy of significant mention by our government or corporate media.
As Samuel Johnson wrote: “Among the calamities of war may be justly numbered the diminution of the love of truth, by the falsehoods which interest dictates and credulity encourages.”
See here a report from The Independent in the U.K.:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/us-coalition-air-strikes-isis-russia-kill-more-civilians-march-middle-east-iraq-syria-network-for-a7663881.html
Germany’s public international broadcaster Deutsche Welle hosts a wagging Dan Kaszeta, fake “chemical-weapons and security expert” and collaborator with fake “citizen investigative journalist” Eliot Higgins of Bellingcat
http://www.dw.com/en/eu-urges-diplomacy-in-syria-as-ex-weapons-inspector-says-us-acted-without-proof/a-38345413
Right on, Fran. They chomp first, their eyes glaze, and then they ask somebody–am I being consistent y’think?
Where are the tens of thousands of women who donned pussyhats a few mos ago and caravanned to Washington to protest en masse?
Now that Trump has committed by far the worst atrocity of his young presidency I see no protests in the streets of DC nor in any major city across the nation. This is totally opposite of what happened a few mos ago.
I could be wrong, but it seems that when some people feel threatened that abortion could be eliminated [never happen, the GOP knows it’d be the absolute destruction of their party] or they have their sensitivities inflamed by boorish locker room talk they come out in droves, but when it comes to the violent Washington empire I don’t see the massive protests.
Unfortunately, most Americans (men and women) shut their eyes when it comes to foreign policy. Ever since they went to an “all volunteer” army, and got past the “Vietnam syndrome”, and did away with the Fairness Doctrine, the sheeple are blind to the horrors of war here in the US of A. Propaganda rules the day. However, the sheeple still manage to get all riled up over the culture wars, thus the success of the “pussyhat” march. The average American citizen will not wake up to the horrors of war until the mushroom cloud appears on the horizon.
In 2016, the US has a Presidential Election, and only 56% of all eligible voters turned out.
On May 25th, 2014, the Ukrainians conducted their Presidential Election, and 59% of all eligible voters turned out.
*** But, this excluded the Donetsk and the Luhansk Oblasts that have 6.6 million residents.
*** Of the 2,430 planned ballot locations for the Donetsk Oblast, only 426 Polling Stations were in fact open on the day of the election, because the Ukrainian Government didn’t call off or control the fighting in this region.
*** No voting locations were formed for the Luhansk Oblast what so ever..
*** But, the leaders of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Lugansk People’s Republic, who controlled large parts of the Donetsk, and Luhansk regions of the Eastern Ukraine, declared that the regions had already made their choice shown in the results of the their own Status Referendum of March 11th. .. And, therefore they were not going to recognize (vote) in the election of Kiev, before it was even conducted..
Poroshenko (an Independent) won the election with 9,857,308 votes or 54.7% of all votes cast.
On June 3rd, 2014, the Syrians conducted their own Presidential Election, and 73% of all eligible voters turned out.
*** This was with 11,634,412 of the 15,845,575 Syrians eligible to take part voting. This number for Syrians eligible to vote was based on the government’s data of all Syrians living in Syria and abroad who were over the age of 18; this included all Syrians in government-held territory, rebels-held territory, refugees, newly naturalized Kurds, and declared Syrian expatriates.
*** Bashar al-Assad (Ba’ath Party) won the election with 10,319,723 votes or 88.7% of all votes cast.
*** The Syrian election that was recognized and supported by 27 Countries who shouldered the heavy load of refugees/expat’s, and these countrie’s assisted these Syrian expatriates to vote in their local Syrian embassies.
*** The US along with 10 other Western supported Countries did not open or provide any means for local Syrian refugee’s/expat’s living here to vote.. .. So, the Syrian Government called out to the citizens in these Western country’s expat’s to find a way to vote, and they were all counted in the Over All Vote count.
On May 15th, this was Vice President John Kerry’s statement of the legally recognized/supported election that was being conducted in 28 countries. .. (.. and why did we have so many refugee’s?):
“Together, we are unified in saying that Assad’s staged elections are a farce,” Kerry said. “They’re an insult. They are a fraud on democracy, on the Syrian people and on the world.”
So:
The Ukrainian election was declared legitimate, even though half of the Country was never even given nearly enough polling stations. .. And, this same half of Country already had their Referendum vote, so, they said before the Kiev election, that they would boycott the election. … And, this same half of the Country was NOT even Officially recognized in the Over All Vote count.
.. That’s OK with the Ukraine for the West and the United Nations..
But:
The Syrian election with a 73% Over All Turnout (.. better than the US) — it isn’t recognized.
It’s been 6 years of unimaginable suffering. The great people of Syria, they need to have their families and their Country back..
“.. Who was our friend when the world was our foe..”
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes
(..remember, he said this to RU in 1871, after our Civil War)
Thank you for this valuable information! Re-emphasizing, as particularly significant: Assad preferred by 88.7% of Syrians with a 73% turnout.
Thank You D5-5! Your posts – are always spot on!!
And, thank you for summarizing the numbers. I know, that they can get confusing.
But, can you believe, that because of the circumstances, this election was assisted by 27 separate other countries. .. So, not only did the Syrian voters get slapped down, but the 27 assisting countries were also told that their assistance with refugees and democracy, it don’t matter either.
Thanks in turn! Could you give a lead toward source on this? You don’t have to post it, just key words. Thanks again. I am really happy to get this information.
Hey D5-5!
I read “Elections in Syria: The People say no to foreign intervention” by Ajumu Baraka quite awhile ago. It is a fantastic read that was written at the time (June 2014), and he is the one who originally turned me on to the idea of contradictions with the Ukraine election. .. You know, back then we all had the best of hopes for the possibility of democracy to prevail. .. And, I ‘am still frosted over it..
From there, I simply went to the Wikipedia pages for the 2014 Ukraine, and the 2014 Syrian Presidential elections for all the data, and the knowledge of how they were actually conducted., .. Today, I simply did a “Johnny on the spot” analysis from these 2 pages. .. But it’s all there, including the breakdown with the countries Embassies that assisted the Syrian voters (refugee’s) and those who did not.
Earlier when I was typing this, I got a little tired, and I shouldn’t have said “half of the country.” … But, it would be very interesting if we had the numbers detailed for every Oblast with the eligible voters and the actual turn outs of how they voted at the local levels in the Ukraine, and the Eastern Ukraine. .. One can easily predict that the Overall Turnout would go down from 59%; as well as the 54.7% of the whole country that was reported to have voted for Poroshenko.
I got the quote of Kerry’s from a period AP release entitled : “Kerry: Syrian president election a ‘farce'” By Deb Riechmann.
D5-5, Thanks Again!
(ruf – ruff!(..smile!)) Mike
And don’t you just love it when the MSM refers to President Assad’s Government as the “Assad regime”, with all the propaganda value that it can possibly impose upon the masses.
So here we are, delivering democracy via Tomahawk Missiles – and Trump has advanced in rank to War Criminal: a well worn path. Rather gives new meaning to “Progress”, when in fact it is just another abuse of “Responsibility to Protect”.
Hey RMcHewn — You hit the nail on the head.
I ‘am so tired of being told by supposed leaders and the MSM, who I ‘am suppose to prejudice, discriminate and hate today.
(.. and, If I hear one more baseless tirade from McCain)
.. He gets the first call every time – that they are ramping up for tombstones..
I turned off the tv, back in the 80’s. I just couldn’t take being talked too anymore, like an 8 year old.
Responsibility to Protect – and a well worn path. You and Robert, with Wag the Dog, you have both said it all, for this sad day.
Thanks RMcHewn!
Fight fire with fire. Henceforth , wherever we post , consistently use the terms Trump regime , Netanyahu regime , etc.
The MSM grew tired right quick after they’d given alt-media the label “fake news” then had the term fired right back at them with a vengeance. Before long , they were suggesting a truce. Maybe we can get a similar result with “regime”.
That’s a good one, Fran, and alligators have some scary teeth!
“Tillerson said the U.S. intelligence community assessed with a ‘high degree of confidence’ that the Syrian government had dropped a poison gas bomb”
The same “community” that said that Russia overthrew U.S. democracy by blackmailing Trump.
You might think you could drain the swamp, but instead you’re up to your ass in alligators.
There is also an internal dispute over the intelligence. On Thursday night, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the U.S. intelligence community assessed with a “high degree of confidence” that the Syrian government had dropped a poison gas bomb on civilians in Idlib province.
But a number of intelligence sources have made contradictory assessments, saying the preponderance of evidence suggests that Al Qaeda-affiliated rebels were at fault, either by orchestrating an intentional release of a chemical agent as a provocation or by possessing containers of poison gas that ruptured during a conventional bombing raid.
After the Iraq war was underway, Dick Durbin (D-IL and Israel) made a speech on the senate floor in which he revealed that the “intelligence” promulgated for public consumption was different from what he and others on the senate intelligence (?) committee. In other words, the people were fed bullshit, but behind closed doors the more civilized members of the CIA told the truth.
So, choose your source. Trump,his cohorts, the corporate media, and the neocon war hawks or independent reporters such as Robert Parry.
That was a good one, Fran!
Fran:
Some of the worst ‘gators in the swamp are the instigators.
Trumps Bombing of Syria gives new meaning to the words “Suicide bomber.” Is he trying to ignite Nuclear War and “Marching to Doomsday?”
“Marching towards Doomsday in bemedaled uniforms
Are they the NATO-rious war mongers that should be scorned?
Instead they parade and feed off peoples taxes
Bringing death and destruction to many countries masses
“Many people follow and obey the dictators of war
Helping them to facilitate endless blood and gore
Hell on earth rains down from the starry heavens
Napoleon says: “men will… even die, for ribbons”
“War and more war is their crazy reason for being
Are maniacs of militarism, what we are seeing?
War criminals and political gangs, that are a curse on the world
Evil personified with their war marketing banners unfurled…”
[much more at link below]
http://graysinfo.blogspot.ca/2016/05/marching-to-doomsday.html
I think this was an opportunity for DT to order a relatively harmless attack that seeks to accomplish many things at once. Shift the spotlight from the domestic agenda, placate the neocon senators who won’t shut up, give the Chinese premier a present to return home with, reduce the tension in his cabinet, send a message to North Korea and show Europe we are still #1. Mission accomplished…
I’m not sure on “relatively harmless.” Four children killed plus damage to surrounding areas still being assessed. Agreement to “de-conflict” now ended with Russia. Russia on high alert, as with US. All of this within 48 hours suggests Putin’s view is likely accurate–Trump seeking an excuse to attack and jumped the gun. The idea that Trump is a rational, cool, calculating type is I think inaccurate.
http://news.theedgeofeternity.com/syrian-media-u-s-air-strike-on-syria-kills-four-children/
Michael, I replied to you several hours ago with a link and now the comment is hung up in moderation. My link also indicates four children killed via Trump’s missile attack. Perhaps he has more tears in his eyes at this time.
Micheal. This has accomplished nothing . It corralled and Hogtied President Tweetbird to a policy that he campaigned against. He flip flopped over night. (Read my Lips -No more taxes) This will hurt him As for Kissinger, who is an old man, can do his Machiavellian thing all he wants. I’m certain you have heard of the Project for a New American Century? Well Regime Change all the way to Iran is still on the table and there is no Plan B . Maybe you haven’t heard that Chinese believe thny will lead the planet for the next 1000 years. The Belt and Road (OBOR) is a Project for the New Millennia . Trump was elected for two reasons First he was the only one who would touch Immigration which is the Heartland’s #1 issue and he promised a break with the NeoCon Foreign Policy . Well, He lied. Now Trump has alienated his base and marginal protest voters like me. Already he has had to sacrifice his best advisers and is now at the mercy of people who can use his arrogance , self-assuredness and his spontaneous reactionary tendencies against him . He is inexperienced and in over his head it is showing. He is one and done for sure. Assad will outlast Trump like he did Obama.
Trump campaigned on: (1) No “regime change” on my agenda; (2) Nuclear weapons are the greatest danger to mankind, not “Global Warming”. It now appears that once a candidate enters the White House, the Nuclear Warming Syndrome greets the winner.
I couldn’t get through to White House comments line, too busy, suspect getting calls of outrage, I hope, sent e-mail. Told Trump among other things he’ll be a one-termer and that he was obviously a liar about winding down the wars. On Sputnik International interesting, passionate piece by Finian Cunningham, a great writer, “Poodle Trump Runs With Dogs of War”. Common Dreams piece by Nafeez Ahmed says that Kissinger has been advising Trump on Russia and China, and suggests that Kissinger’s strategy for surprise action to throw off balance was employed same time as China’s president was visiting was a power message to China. Kissinger a war criminal advisor, advised Obama and Clinton, that’s what we get here. Why was Hillary getting right out there supporting the no-fly zone and saying she agrees with the attack, apparently salivating like McCain? Putin, Lavrov and other smart Russian advisors will no doubt have effective responses as they strategize right now, they know they are dealing with a pack of insane warmongers, read they will go to UN among other things. Lavrov’s “Managed Chaos” theory about how US government works was good, although I wonder if they really think it is managed? Brian Williams waxing rhapsodic about Tomahawk missiles?
Brian Williams may be waxing about those tomahawk missiles, but over at the Saker posters are saying that Russian government sources claim that only 23 of the 59 tomahawks made it to target. The rest were sent awry (where?) by Russian electronic jamming. Of course, such a porous defense is tantamount to none if the warheads are nuclear. Both sides are going back to the drawing board, I would imagine, having learned valuable lessons.
Trump will lose even more popularity now. This was a reactionary move. He is not stupid enough to believe that Assad would have done this when things were going his way. It looks political as Parry points out, “trying to change the subject” because he is headed towards historically low favorability ratings and his only achievement besides scuttling the Paris accords is forcing the Senate to impose the Nuclear Option to push Gorsuch onto the Supreme Court. That Xi was in town no doubt played into the calculus but this will not stop the bleeding or make China more compliant and less aligned with Russia and Iran and the One Belt One Road project. . Trump has already ruined his Presidency and now he has alienated his base. The American People do not want this and do not support War with Russia or Regime Change and Occupation of Syria. Who will support him ? Only idiots and ideologues who think they can manipulate him because he appears to be a flip flopping fool.. The problem is he can’t back down and Iran- thousands more volunteers well armed “volunteers’ will be in Syria by the summer/ Verdict Stupid in my opinion, the man and the policy.
Sadly, I suspect that this move will actually boost Trump’s popularity. There are too many Americans who buy into the nonsensical and paradoxical idea that we drop bombs out of humanitarian concern.
Trump will lose even more popularity now.
On the other hand, as the Great Skeptic said, “No one ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”
This recent war move by the U.S. is moronic besides being pathetic. So Assad is guilty before proven innocent. Now President Donald Trump is a wartime president, whoopee for him, what a guy. Yesterday’s Trump critics are now his biggest fans, can you hear John and Lindsey jumping with joy? Some question to if this attack upon Syria is one time thing, oh I don’t know maybe we should ask the Brookings Institute. A better place to ask that question would be to ask it in Tel Aviv, but then as always that little problem of a country is never held to account for anything, so why would it matter?
What should concern us Americans, is to how much heat is Putin taking from his hardliners? Add to that how much grief is Putin taking from Syria’s well worn warriors for trusting the Americans in the first place? Should a better question be put to Putin for why he ever thought to trust that Turkish villain Erdogan as well? I feel for Vladimir Putin, whom I feel has been a steady rock of calmness, among a field of unsteady land mines ready to go off. We should not forget how Putin interrupted Obama over the Ghouta chemical attack.
https://syrianperspective.com/2017/04/goofball-trump-announces-support-for-isis-terrorists-american-liars-claim-to-have-informed-russia-of-attack-on-airbase-russia-at-critical-juncture-with-u-s-relations-at-all-time-low-death-to-brita.html
Xi Jing should fly home and get Kim Jong-un to do something that would really piss the Americans at Raytheon off for sure. Kim should disarm all his nukes now, and sit down and end the Korean War with his peoples cousins in the South.
Putin should roll up on the steps of Kiev tomorrow morning, let’s make it tonight instead, and have Petro Poroshenko see what a Russian T14 Armata looks like up close.
Iran better start civil defense drills now, because Iran is the grandest prize of all…if you don’t believe me then go ask Netanyahu.
On a personal note, my wife and I were suppose to go to DC with our grandson who is turning sixteen. But now with this missile attack thing, we thought it better not to go, I mean with all of the high level of security that I’m sure will be around who could enjoy themselves. Although, that’s to bad because my wife had scheduled a White House tour with the grandson, I missed getting on the list since I was a late comer to this travel experience, but I wanted my grandson to go, and I told him to make sure he asked the White House tour guide to show him (my grandson) where the Orangatang exhibit was. Since I wasn’t going with them I also decided to fix the grand kid good and call ahead to the White House and tell them how my grand son was coming to kick Baron’s ass….okay you all know I’m joking right, but we are staying home instead. I rather stay home and help with making the cookies, instead of paling around with the warmongers anyway.
Now President Donald Trump is a wartime president,
Just like every president since and including FDR.
I hear ya Joe…
Another great one Joe, your grandson will have another chance (let us hope) to visit Warmongerers Inc. Loved the humor.
To watch the Democrats respond to Trump’s outrageous act of war is almost surreal. Huffington Post is actually questioning why more congress critters have not criticised Trump’s actions when you know darn well that they would have been giving hosanna’s to Hillary for the exact same moves. As I said yesterday, I would logically expect the MSNBC crew to be praising Trump today for now seeing their side of this conflict vs Assad and Putin. We’ll see this evening if Hayes, Maddow and the other tools have made the logical leap to support Trump, or if we’ll simply see one more side of their hypocrisy. Moreover, as a registered Democrat, I still receive daily on-line pleas for money from them and suggestions to publicly demonstrate and call congress. Today, desperate appeal by the Dems to oppose Trump’s reckless actions in Syria. Neither side has an iota of consistency or shame.
Realist, I look forward to your report on the evening’s views since I do not do TV myself. Plus since you’re a registered DEM, how is Bernie’s renovation of the party coming along with his “our revolution,” in your view of how party members are responding about this supposed reform?
Qui Bono or who profits is clearly the most basic question to ask in this scenario. And obviously there is only one answer – ISIS militants and their allies. As Parry points out there is absolutely no reason why Assad would have done this, and every reason in the world for Al Queda or ISIS to enact a false flag operation. They did it before and it almost worked, why not do it again. They have nothing to lose.
I hope some of those CIA operatives on the ground there that were mentioned in this article WILL come forward and tell the truth. Is there any way they can be encouraged? I fault Obama for not telling the truth back in 2013 and letting the lie hang out there. This is what comes when we citizens are continually lied to – as we have been for the past 50 to 100 years.
Your suggestion re: the UN is excellent realist. We have to use every legitimate venue to get the truth out about these intentionally murky affairs, and counterfeit causi belli.
I strongly second the plug above for Mike Whitney’s piece on Counterpunch today.
http://www.counterpunch.org/2017/04/07/the-impending-clash-between-the-u-s-and-russia/
I’m hoping that the next action the Russian Federation takes against the Trump administration is not on the battlefield but rather in the United Nations general assembly where they demand a thorough investigation of the purported poison gas attack, including autopsies of all the bodies and a thorough search for exploded or destroyed bomb fragments or possibly intact bombs containing putative chemical agents. This, of course, should have been done BEFORE the American act of war against Syria, and potentially against Russia and Iran, should their personnel or property have been hit. But then we have a history of precluding such actions, as the results might spoil our narratives–as in the case of the Malaysian jetliner in Ukraine, the first “sarin gas” attack in Syria, the attack on the relief convoy… the list of American obstructionism is as long as your arm.
Try posting again with a slight word change.
Maybe there are problems on the server Realist, My response to D5-5 above got through. Maybe it’s not just about me?
The Trump administration is as rickety as they come so he’s going to have to keep vigorously ‘wagging the dog’ for the next 4 years.
Or at least until one of these US-Russia proxy wars erupts into full on nuclear confrontation…
Test. (I received a message that the server is down when attempting to post).
I was trying to respond to mike k. I guess that’s a problem today?
***
That’s some mighty goddamn expensive Syrians. It seems like for a fraction of that you could pay a bunch of people to strap on explosives and go out in the desert and blow themselves up in the name of any number of things.
***
FREE AMERICA
MAKE MARTYRDOM OPEN BID
***
I voted for Trump on the dim hope that he would stick to the less warlike foreign policy which he touted in the primary. However, I knew full well that he was a rudderless moron, so his neocon shift is no surprise. I despise Clinton and her ilk but in hindsight, the moral course of action would have been to vote third party, rather than to vote full retard.
Jerad – Your comments are exactly how I feel now.
Many people feel like that now, incl. me, too. Trump just lost a lot of his already few supporters.
Jerad ,
Don’t feel bad , you made the best of a bad situation. I voted for Stein , who had no chance , so I could’ve just as easily stayed at home. Given the chance for a do-over , or multiple chances , I’d still never vote for Clinton.
Yep , I voted for Stein, cuz i couldn’t with a clear conscience vote Trump or Hillary…I feared them both..
We have to get out there and resist this, we have no choice…get these warmongers out of office entirely… keep informed .
thanks to Mr. Parry for another great piece of journalism…real journalism not these mainstream bs
Voted for Jill Stein, the best person running. She would have changed everything.
Completely agree. 95 per cent of the voters had her name on the ballot, staring right at them (Sanders was not on any ballot in the general), but they mostly went for the war criminal or the fumbler-bumbler, so now we got a person who ricochets from detente to WWIII and probably back again (hopefully). Since he isn’t well-informed, he’s easily mislead down the wrong path, kind of like Truman with Churchill’s influence over him, turning us from ushering in the end of colonialism helping develope the new Sovereign Nation-States, via Marshall Plan type policies; to being the guarantors of Empire…been captured ever since. JFK was the first chance at a breakout. Trump is the second chance at breakout (in cooperation with Silk Road partners China, Russia, India, Japan…a Trans-Pacific alignment, displacing our Anglo-American Trans-Atlantic alignment), however imperfect that chance may be. If Trump is removed, there will be no chance with Pence. If Pence is also removed, there will be no chance with Ryan. Only if Trump, Pence, and Ryan are removed, there will be a chance with Tillerson…unlikely.
As I, though my expectations were less exalted. I was, of course, assaulted by my choice. Why not Bernie? I was asked. I felt Jill Stein the most intelligent and the most balanced of candidates on domestic and foreign issues. Persevere.
US Presidents don’t have the power to change everything. The swamp would have eaten Jill Stein for breakfast. I am coming to the conclusion that no POTUS, and particularly one who is a decent and honorable person, could drain the cesspool loosely referred to as “our” country. It’s going to be up to the people to rid the swamp of these firmly entrenched gators.
News today Tillerson is talking about removal of Assad whereas a few days ago he said Assad could stay has suggested to various commenters (as Paul Craig Roberts) that this announcement signaled the need to respond with the gas incident and reverse this attitude by manipulation of Trump. Roberts also reports that supplying the militants by the US is back on, whereas that had backed off following Clinton’s defeat.
The theories I’ve seen on the gas incident:
*a conventional bombing by Syrian air on a rebel warehouse caused explosion of chemical weapons that were being manufactured there and shipped to the east and into Iraq
*the bodies shown in photographs were not killed by current most effective chemical weapons but by something else as with carbon monoxide and had been held aside in a lime pit and brought forward on this occasion
*the gas used had an odor suggesting it was not high quality chemical gas but low quality being manufactured by the militants
*not only did Syria no longer have chemical weapons but such an attack is senseless given the gains made toward defeating the militants and restoring Syria
Trump’s emotional response and use of Obama language on red lines supports Robert’s view that he needed to do a George Bush on the flight deck celebrating his war power sort of moment to become more acceptable and less threatened. So in the space of two months his talk about cooperating with Russia is over and once again he’s done what an opportunist and manipulator does, in shifting his view.
Russia has indicated cooperation is off, and interprets what has happened is in line with the US’s “managed chaos” theory of managing and creating wars. This view is reported by Mike Whitney in today’s counterpunch: “the impending clash between the US and Russia” where he quotes Lavrov on the US view of “managed chaos.”
Some responders are seeing Putin’s response as “weak” and “spineless” although he has taken steps militarily to prepare for more conflict.
The damage at the Syrian air base by the US strikes was pathetically small given the number of missiles launches (and their cost).
I don’t think Putin is going to fall for the “do something macho to show how strong you are'” that Trump has apparently bit on. Trump really is strong, and doesn’t have to do something rash and foolish to prove it. His restraint proves his real power. Trump is like a child compared to him. Russia is lucky to have a leader like him at this dangerous time. He got Russians through the dangerous post Yeltsin times and made her stronger. Let’s all hope he can withstand the madness of the American Empire and it’s crazed leaders.
Damn! I meant to say “Putin is really strong” not Trump. That was my whole point. Typos…..#*&!
Mike: I agree. The Putin’s response is what I expected – he is a very wise and mature leader. He is a Statesman.
Claims made in the course of conflict constantly change. I read during the night that 15 Syrian fighter jets were destroyed and a dozen personnel were killed. Such a loss would be nothing for the U.S., but it is substantial (especially the planes) for them.
Veterans Today had an elaborate expose’ on the alleged sarin gas attack, claiming that the dead babies you see in the al Nusra (I mean “White Helmets) footage were deliberately rendered unconscious with “opiates” before hand and then killed by the procedure (of a syringeful of adrenaline directly into the heart) staged to look like a rescue attempt. They claim none of the symptoms typical of sarin poisoning presented. They often have parallel stories 100% at odds with one another on that site, especially involving Syria, Ukraine and Russia, so I don’t know what to believe from them.
As for Trump’s motives, he’s probably hoping that this gets the monkey off his back on the “Putin’s puppet” thing. Unfortunately for him, he’s committed an impeachable offense here in so many ways. (Reacting militarily w/o evidence or clear-headed deliberation, going to war w/o congressional approval or even discussion, to name the two most obvious.) Expect the Dems to use this as ammo in potential future impeachment proceedings.
My “pathetically small” comment on damage done by the missiles needs updating due to subsequent info that 4 children were killed, with more damage estimates to come due to damage in the neighborhood surrounding the airport.
“The source added that Trump saw Thursday night’s missile assault as a way to change the conversation in Washington…”
And there you have it. You cannot run a worldwide empire according to the whims of the political hack of the moment wishing to avoid domestic political problems. If the world is burned to ashes because of your stupidity, there will BE no domestic politics.
I just wonder how many bombings of Syrian military (at least two under Obama) or shutting down Russian war planes by NATO ally it takes for Putin to understand that US is an aggressor in Syria commanding its terrorist army.
Three, I suspect. Unfortunately for him, Trump has just made the third strike.
I don’t think Putin has any doubt about your point Kalen. But this US aggressor’s power and craziness has to be respected and dealt with carefully. I think we should all be thankful that Putin is not a hotheaded ignoramus like Trump and many of his militarist crew definitely are. Trump is like a crazy guy with a bomb strapped around him.
How about the sudden death of the 56 year old Russian UN diplomat? I just read , high dose of poison was found in his kidneys.
With far too many players on the field this may be far more complicated than we’re being led to believe. Though I hold no brief for Trump – or any other major player in US politics for that matter – he and his closest advisors must’ve been thinking desperately of ways to get the slavishly anti-Trump corporate media on their side.
It being impossible to judge who was responsible the Idlib chemical attack at this moment in time – or even if it actually happened – there is little doubt it has proved a golden opportunity for Trump to prove his mettle and quash media accusations and allegations that he is a Kremlin stooge.
Though the reprisal missile attack appears massive on our TV screens, the casualties were few and the actual damage far less than it seemed. Nevertheless, the gains for Trump have been immeasurable, and the neocons can no longer afford to attack him. It certainly won’t have been enough to ruffle a seasoned leader like Putin’s feathers. Given the extreme circumstances he must always be expecting the worst.
The odd thing is, that if Trump really wanted to prove how intelligent he is, he would further use this opportunity to crush the power of the neocons and all the other warmongers as, ironically enough, he is now in an excellent position to sue for peace in Syria.
But is he really that intelligent and quick-thinking? Somehow,I very much doubt it.
One thing that was brought starkly home, is that there are millions of Americans that like nothing better than seeing a fine old war being brought right into their living rooms.
“It being impossible to judge who was responsible the Idlib chemical attack at this moment in time…”
That turns out not to be the case. The Su-22s that carried out the attacks are incapable of carrying gas-filled bombs. The poison gas must have been on the ground, whether it was released by Syrian bombs or deliberately by the terrorists. The one thing that did not happen is the thing that Trump has assumed.
U.S. President Donald Trump said: “There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons…”
There is a very simple way to get to the truth. What is necessary is for men and women in all nations and regions on Earth, by the millions, to demand – and that means seriously, like lives depend on it (they most certainly do) demand – that Donald Trump immediately produce his “evidence”.
“Show the world your evidence, Mr. Trump…”
“Show the world your evidence, Mr. Trump…”
“Show the world your evidence, Mr. Trump…”
“… there are millions of Americans that like nothing better than seeing a fine old war being brought right into their living rooms”.
If they are not very careful, they will soon see a 125-kiloton detonation being brought right into their living rooms.
They will not like it.
How true.
America who has never had a war inflicted on them by a foreign power seems to regard war as a sport.
Thanks to propaganda the people who went through the wars meat grinders become patriots!
I am 86 years old and have experienced bombing, fire and the loss of our home. It’s like now you see it and now you don’t after crawling out of the bunker. Surely the world should know better after WW1 & WW2. But the old cliche that history repeats itself bodes ill for our future.
Carl :^(
If only you knew,WWI WWII was all about creation of Israel on Palestinian lands.
And USA was the master mind. Sad part today’s killings, WWIII is planned for the security,expansion of Israel .
The sudden flip flops in Trumpenstien’s policy indicate that the “establishment” has “dirt” on him. All that surveillance is not for nought. He will hence forward do what he is told, you can count on it. But for Russian opposition, Syria will be crushed and partitioned, never to threaten Israel again and to make way for the pipeline from the Gulf States to Europe that Tillerson, Mr. Exxon, wants so badly. Trumpenstien says, “Corroboration, I don’t need no stinkin’ corroboration.” Just look at all those suffering babies, just not the ones in Gaza. Oh what a wicked wicked world we live in!
If Trump sued for peace, the neocons would be at his throat again the next second. They want unconditional surrender with Assad gone. The neocons do not want peace, they want chaos. They want Syria to be the next Libya.
Trump may be an idiot, but I think he knows his only chance at surviving his term is to cave to the warmongers.
Psssst! Scottie
What is a Neocon? (New Conservative) What the ***? Fearful of exposing the tribe members?
Here’s the wiki on neocons. It names names and gives a history of the term.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoconservatism
My guess is that the rebranded Nusra Front / al Qaeda types caused the Sarin incident deliberately, and they’ll do it again seeing it worked so well.
Today’s (Apr 7 2017) Moon of Alabama makes interesting points to add to the continuing lack of clarity on the type of gas it was, and damage to the victims. MofA points out that the quality of the gas is low according to the photographic evidence, and this does not indicate the Syrian government’s use of it, since, although the Syrians now have no gas, when they did have it, it was high quality. This view is disputed in comments of this thread by a commenter claiming to be highly expert. All these views indicate the unclear confused nature of the event and how it demands investigation before a child-like tantrum by Tantrum and applause from equally infantile supporters of this idiotic response.
Trump now enters a pathos of ridiculousness that will soon settle into him after his stupidity becomes more and more apparent, and especially if as Giraldi has suggested highly placed intelligence personnel who know better come forward to blow the whistle on the fragility of the case blaming Assad.
Trump behaved like a complete buffoon during his entire campaign, his stupidity has always been readily apparent to anyone with more than a single digit IQ. The problem is that the sheeple are equally stupid, so they saw him as “one of them”. The few rational proposals he made had some of us hoping for some accidental good, and we all knew Killary was a nightmare.
I went out to dinner with some friends last night, who are busy folks who still have to work and raise a family, and none of them had heard the theory that the Sarin belonged to the terrorists and was being stored in a warehouse that the Syrain armed forces blew up with a conventional bomb. That is the real power of the MSM, they flood the environment with lies, and most people are too busy to dig deeper.
Weren’t Bill Clinton’s attack to avoid impeachment on a pharmaceutical company in Sudan?
It won’t cost much – humans will be gone, but cockroaches will survive, and the planet will breathe a sigh of relief.
I’m now wishing the former nearby Loring AFB was still in business. When the A-bombs start falling, I don’t want to be a survivor – they will soon envy the dead.
“The strikes were carried out based on dubious claims unsubstantiated with material evidence – claims made by militants and foreign-funded fronts posing as aid organizations. Similar claims have been made, and verified as false since and including the Ghouta chemical attack in 2013.
“The US decision to rush unilaterally without UN approval and before any form of formal investigation could be carried out verifies the staged nature of the attacks. Were the US confident genuine use of chemical weapons were carried out by the Syrian government, a formal investigation would not only lead to a definitive UN resolution against the Syrian government, but likely also to long-desired regime change in Damascus.
“Knowing that a formal investigation would reveal the staged nature of the attack, the US has rushed into action seeking to provoke a response from the Syrian government that will retroactively justify an otherwise unjustifiable first strike.
“[…] regardless of the alleged ‘pretext,’ the US sought to escalate military action against Syria and as an incremental prerequisite for eventual regime change, the use of stand-off weapons including cruise missiles has been part of a singular agenda since the Obama administration.
“With US policy collapsing both within Syria and around the world, the veneer of partisan politics and convincing narratives used to convince Americans and the world that some sort of legitimate representative government exists in Washington has been peeled away. What is left is a dangerously desperate corporate-financier oligarchy who is pursuing its agenda openly and with little regard to public opinion, international law, or even fear of the consequences of executing such poorly laid plans in front of an increasingly aware and capable alternative ‘international order.'”
US Missiles Strike Syrian Forces Fighting Al Qaeda
By Tony Cartalucci
http://landdestroyer.blogspot.com/2017/04/us-missiles-strike-syrian-forces.html
There is also a tactical component to this attack on Syria, as I wrote in the comment to the previous Parry article.
In a tactical sense, the US attack on the Syrian military airport Al Syairat appears to have “coincided with an Islamic State ground attack east of the airport“, according to b of moonofalabama and based on a report on Sputnik (no links, sorry). This would amplify the suspected coordination between US and ISIS, as the previous “mistaken” US attack on the nearby Deir Ezzor, which killed more than one hundred SAA defenders and coincided with another ISIS ground attack. Like the previous attack, this attack again improves the odds that ISIS will finally take from SAA the desperately defended Deir Ezzor.
Well I finally got my thought through successfully, not in the form I initially wrote it though. I guess the monitor doesn’t like my writing style. I don’t blame him/her – I often feel it really sucks too……..
A valuable addition here:
Russia suspends de-conflict agreement and calls chemical attack pretext for heightened US action against Syria:
http://www.mid.ru/ru/press_service/spokesman/official_statement/-/asset_publisher/t2GCdmD8RNIr/content/id/2717798?p_p_id=101_INSTANCE_t2GCdmD8RNIr&_101_INSTANCE_t2GCdmD8RNIr_languageId=en_GB
Please send CN money.
Mike, this problem is not new. If you added a website that could delay your post as long as 15 hours. Your view might also cause delay or even deletion. Sorry to say I have requested clarification on monitoring guidelines and not heard anything. This is why commenters often do not include links, due to the delays.
Nope. The site monitor must be having a snit about me. Strange……
From this day forward, do not trust the US government, MSM, or intelligence agencies at all. There pronouncements are just lies and manipulations.
From this day forward? Where have you been for the past 50 years. The Gulf of Tonkin ring any bells?
OK I’m still not being published, it must be my message, since innocuous short posts do go through. What the hell is so unprintable about the sentiment I was allowed to express very briefly above?? Enlighten me monitor, be my editor….
Thank you so much, this is another excellent piece. I completely agree with everything you say. The importance of the recent changes within the White House, in particular, cannot be stressed enough. In case someone is interested, I wrote a very detailed blog post, in which I examine the evidence about the recent chemical attack and compare the situation with what happened after the chemical attack in Ghouta in August 2013. I argue that, in that previous case, the media narrative had rapidly unravelled and that, for that reason, we should be extremely prudent about the recent attack and not jump to conclusions. It’s more than 5,000 words long and I provide a source for every single factual claim I make. I really believe it’s the most through discussion of the allegations against Assad with respect to his alleged use of chemical weapons out there. Please share it with your friends if you thought it was interesting.
Great post.
Thanks! Please share it if you liked it, we need more people to know about these things!
OK it still is not being posted. Maybe it’s the content of my post, which basically says don’t trust the government news, trust CN. What;s so unprintable about that??
I was hoping for an answer?
Dear CN monitor My post has been repeatedly said to be posted, and it has not been. What gives?
Great article Mr. Parry.
——————————————-
OH well, at least The Donald, has “made his bones.”
[more info at link below]
http://graysinfo.blogspot.ca/2017/04/the-donald-makes-his-bones-in-syria.html
Those who would like to petition the NYT to make Robert Parry their senior editor may do so here:
https://www.change.org/p/new-york-times-bring-a-new-editor-to-the-new-york-times?recruiter=72650402&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
He may prefer to be independent, and there may be better polling websites, but pressure on the NYT to recognize the superior reporting of their opposition is a good thing. It is instructive to them that intelligent readers know better journalism when they see it. A petition can demonstrate the concerns of a far larger number. I will repeat this post from time to time.
Hi Erik, I feel dumb writing this, but I very much want to SIGN your petition to the NYT, but when I clicked on it I could not see where to sign, only to share it, or on Facebook, which I’m not on, and other options. Would you be kind enough to help a poor non-techie just SIGN it? Thanks, Cathy Orloff, Providence, RI
When I open it, there is a column of text boxes on the right for name, address etc. and a red “Sign” button at the lower right. If you do not see those, you may have JavaScript blocked on your browser or security software. You may have to select the site as “trusted” or enable JavaScript etc. in a way that depends upon your software.
Just now, I signed!
Standard US policy is to ignore foreign lives lost and focus on boosting short term and long term spending. More wars, more conflict, more phony “threats” lead to more spend.ing. Already, a handful of “cyber warefare”, “information warfare” and propaganda psy-ops have been launched in response to the made up and CIA trcked-up story about “Russia hacked the 2016 election”. Even the missiles that were fired off yesterday are pricey: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/this-is-how-much-it-will-cost-to-replace-the-tomahawks-used-in-syria-2017-04-07
US Defense Dept budget figures show Tomahawk cruise missiles cost 1.59 million dollars apiece. Last night’s strikes add up to just under 94 million dollars, plus the costs associated with delivering these missiles (personnel, naval ships, command and control, etc). That ‘s about two-thirds of the annual budget for the National Endowment for the Arts – which is about to be eliminated from the national budget as being “unaffordable” and otherwise not a priority.
My thoughts exactly! What a country…..always plenty of money to waste on military but the people be damned. Wow!
How much will WW III cost?
It won’t cost much – humans will be gone, but cockroaches will survive, and the planet will breathe a sigh of relief.
I’m now wishing the former nearby Loring AFB was still in business. When the A-bombs start falling, I don’t want to be a survivor – they will soon envy the dead.
Donald Trump turned out to be just the empty headed egotistical fool American we thought he was all along. The last shred of commonsense or humanity finally peeled off as just so much window dressing to hide the real stupid dangerous animal hiding behind it.
Most of us here never put much real hope in this fraud called Trump. But now we need to wash our hands and hearts of any respect whatever for this monster pretending to be human. Doing so will clear our heads for what has to be done now as soon as possible: getting rid of this threat to mankind.
Mike K…..my thoughts exactly. I didn’t vote for him as I am a Bernie fan and voted green. I and I’m sure many others clung to his early in the primaries comment about working with the Russians. Unlike HRC comments about a no-fly zone which was potentially dangerous for the world , his words were a ray of hope . Now we know that he’s an empty suit…susceptible to caustic comments and displays a lack of judgement. We all wish we could say, “You’re fired’
How in blue hell can you “find hope” amongst the factual, rational and logical incoherence of a Machiavellian opportunist, narcissist and pathological liar? Too many “believers” in this country and not nearly enough skeptics, plus those with an acute ability to spot a frigging con-man when they see one. Yeah, you voted green with short-sightedness and you also fell for the con with even shorter-sightedness. Good grief…go back to sleep.
And, whose con did you fall for? Hillary Clinton’s? The American people were presented with a lesser of two evils choice. Time to stop berating each other and start holding those who are actually responsible accountable.
Yes, but the monsters are in the DC swamp that remains, and in the zionist controlled Congress, State, intel agencies, and mass media. Trump is the least of it, and the furthest cause of this attack.
Blaming these things on Trump is exactly what the real enemy wants.
I would say he has turned out to be the empty-headed tool of the MIC that all U.S. presidents of at least the last 50 years have been.
That would be Trumpenstien, a President put together out of dying and putrid policy corpses, that didn’t work then and aren’t going to work now. Eretz Israel uber alles!
Michael R. Gordon must have a desk at Langley.
Russia can easily give the zionist NYT a dose of their own medicine. Russia should now simply claim that Israel has crossed red lines in attacking Syria, and take out whatever bases they want in Israel, and take out Israel if there is any retaliation.. Let us see who is allowed to attack whose puppet. Russia should ship ISIS and perhaps AlQaeda down to the Golan or Jordan or Egypt attack Israel. That seems an easier way to get them out of Syria and Iraq.
Nice dreaming.
This unprovoked attack by US on Syria just emphasises the decline of US, because the country is unable to elect any President who is not a war criminal PoS and a faux agent of change. Obviously, this one is worse even than the previous one thus the trend of decline. I always remind US people that if el Presidente de República Bananera Americana cannot resist the pressure of MIC, how will he resists the much more powerful financial interests (the banksters) which are consistently driving US to doom?
Oh yes, but you are too charitable, the US has been fully declined for quite a while now. We just pretend to have elections, to entertain the campesinos.
Russia may well have to move the war to Israel to stay in Syria, and to warn the US that its puppets too can be targeted when red lines are crossed. US politicians (and judges and military and agency officials and mass media) are almost all bribed by Israel, so they will be more dismayed to lose it than Russia would be dismayed to lose Syria. So I think Israel is the natural and proper target when the US threatens Russia in Syria.
Simply put, in the US history this will be remembered as a Make America (Israeli) Garbage Again, that is the MAGA moment.
In fact, perhaps Russia will just give Syria nuclear weapons that Russia must enable, and tell them to go ahead, try a few tests near Israel, and see whether you can install a few close to Israeli cities and military bases. Surely Russia has lots to spare from disarmament days. Perhaps a few patrol boats, nuclear torpedos, and drones to retaliate against the USN for drone strikes. It’s cheaper and more secure than bringing their fleet back.
Lots of red lines can be drawn around the US.
Desperation breeds only more desperation. I just finished reading an article by Tony Cartalucci where he sights that the desperation of an American oligarchy system is in it’s finally days, as this is what we are watching unfold. KIza I remember as a young toddler when my mother warned me about lying, she always said one lie leads to another lie, but she also said how lying will catch up with you, so you better not lie. I think what we are witnessing coming out of Washington is just what my mother had warned me about. If America is in it’s last days of this era of lies, then I hope it comes to validation soon, and then we can move on. America needs to get real with itself, and by admitting it’s wrongs this confession would go a long way to begin making improvements to our American way of life, not to mention what a relief it would be to the rest of the world. If first you need to go down in order to go back up, then so be it.
Nice thoughts Joe. Russia went down (in 1917) to go up again recently, but Russia never intended to run a global empire. Therefore, the cases of US and Russia are not comparable.
For example, I am not familiar that any Russian ruler or any public figure has ever said something like US Senator Rubio just said about Russia: “Russia was ‘complicit in war crimes’ and that we needed to stop worrying about what they thought of all this. They need to fear us.”
US is still an empire, but it is now an empire of delusions. Does a really strong empire need to debate the points of view of some third-rate chest-beating chickenhawk? Also, we need to be optimists that we will survive the US implosion. This is why Russia will do nothing much about yet another US war crime of bombing Syria, after bombing Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya and countless other countries.
There is a dangerous madman on this poor planet.
KIza at this moment I have on Lawrence O’Donnell who is attempting to sell his audience on the idea that Trump’s Thursday night Tomahawk attack on the Syrian Air Base was all scripted by Vladimir Putin. O’Donnell claims that this clever optical illusion trick Putin dreamed up, was all baked on the idea that Trump’s missile shoot would distract the media off of the Russian electoral interference into American elections. People like this MSNBC hack is what gets to come into our American people’s homes, and in airports, etc., so where is there any hope? I know just turn off the tv, but what about the other one billion American TV sets?
Once I read the saker say that this modern warfare would be something like in the range of 80% media. In his view at the time, and forgive me to obit the context, but he put a lot of weight on public information. This is alarming for the simple reason that many of us Americans are being lied too, and having our news censored and heavily edited by the very people who are behind our country’s demise.
I just hope as our empire days come to an end that America will be wise as it falls. I would like to see America join the rest of the world, before America destroys it all.
Dear Joe, some people naively wonder what will happen when the investigation shows that the Syrian Airforce never used a poison gas of any kind. I opened the Australian media today and I found tens of articles how the use of Sarin (note Sarin not Chlorine) gas has been completely proven (notwithstanding that the White Helmet Ubermenschen in the service of Israeli Wehrmacht in Syria are completely immune to its effects, touching victims with their bare hands).
When will people learn that there is no reality any more except the virtual reality of reality shows that Mr Trump is an MC of.
Even the red pill does not exist any more, it has been replaced with a Sarin gas pill.
THE PLEASURE OF KILLING AND POWER
The recent aggression by the US on Syria is given context by Robert
Parry above.
I think of Trayvon Martin and others like him. He is an “other”
and therefore—in the eyes of his killer— a “threat”. What
sublime pleasure it is for the killer to establish his power
by killing the “other”
There are , of course, many other examples.
Since there are so many comments. This writer commends
Robert Parry on his work and his nothing to add.
“Agression is the supreme war crime” it was said at the
Nurenburg trials. See also the .The UN Charter,
Chapter 2, especially point 4.
Beyond legality, basically it comes down to the glory
in killing, a tradition throughout American history.
—-Peter Loeb, Boston, MA, USA
The scariest thing is these elites (bankers, lords of the MIC, bribed/compromised politicians) who have been captured by the NeoCons and who profit from continued war and chaos are like a pit bull with a bloody bone in its mouth; it will not let go. These people are mad. If we cannot disengage them and their wicked ambitions, we will all pay the price.
Its worth pointing out that Assad is in fact an educated man being a qualified doctor. He practiced medicine in London for a number of years over here in the UK. The notion he is some kind of crazed Barbarien as as depicted by the NYC is of course absurd. As I have said, Assad is an educated man, unlike the hacks and goons who wallow in the mire and filth of the New York Times who are little more than louts!
Also, one can’t rule out the possibility of another Israeli false flag attack. Terrorism: How the Israeli state was won
http://mondoweiss.net/2017/01/terrorism-israeli-state
According to civilians living near the airport, the military already knew there was about to be a strike and they were seen moving major assets in anticipation. The Americans said they did inform Russia of the attack so doubtless the Russians immediately warned the Syrian government of what was coming. A Syrian army spokesman said on RT that the airport would be up and running in a few days or weeks. The next day after the attack by the Americans, eight Syrian war planes took of from the airport which was undamaged and flew for twenty minutes over terrorist held areas in a show of defiance .
Naturally, you read the statements of civilians living near the airport in the Syrian media because you read Arabic, right?
Every minute a sucker is born. The jury is still out on whether the story of the warning to Russia was a CIA plant or truth. The more mention about this in the Western media (and I read it as well) the more likely that it was a plant.
The most sensible post I’ve seen thus far.
What an EXCELLENT idea! Of course we know that it ain’t gonna happen. The Zionists can do no wrong and would be covered by the U.S. sheep Israel owns.
Side by side with WaPo’s David Ignitiaus.
I’m reminded of that scene in Gladiator where a disgusted Maximus quickly and efficiently dispatches several gladiators arrayed against him, then raises his hands to the audience and says “Are you not entertained! Are you NOT entertained!?” Then he throws down his sword in disgust and spits into the ground, walking back to the gladiator compound, service rendered as required.
Trump has paid homage to the American military industrial war machine. He has nothing to worry about now as far as him being outed is concerned. The military industrial complex can get on with ordering a whole new batch of missile and keep those dollars rolling in.
Trump, using the de-confliction channel he opened up with Putin over in Turkey: “look Mr.Putin, I’m going to have to get these war-mangers and war criminals off my tail, to get some breathing space so you, me, and Xi can do the Silk Road deal like we talked about today with Xi. So I’m going to have to launch some cruise missiles, pound some sand, about 50 or 60 should be convincing to our oligarchs, God I wish to hell I could collar mine like you did yours…oh yeah tell your guys to clear out of that airport, ok? This close to making the Deal, I don’t want to break that with a lot of dead bodies. Alright, I apologize ahead of time for any collateral damages…tough game we have to play, to break this G.D. Empire that has captured us. With help from you and China and India and Japan we can do it. Tillerson sends regards and looks forward to seeing you next week. I’ll rig up some fake message of toughness to keep the war criminals happy…god the stupid games we Americans have to play, to get around our oligarchs. “
I certainly hope so!
I truly hope this is more in line with what’s happening. Otherwise, this will not turn out well.
It’s the only scenario that makes any sense to me, ESPECIALLY given what has been discussed over on Executive Intelligence Review (EIR), the outfit that sold the New Silk Road/World Land Bridge to China in the first place, decades ago, it being essentially an updated FDR program to “Marshal Plan” the World’s former colonies into developed, fully sovereign Nations, after WWII was over. His Plan died with him, and City-of-London, via their Wall Street assets, took over our country, in post-war forties…and we are The Empire’s enforcer, instead of being a sovereign Nation pursuing its’ own national interests.
Vic to Brad ~ What you’ve stated above is unfortunate, wishful thinking. I wish it was true. But I know it is only a beautiful dream.
Can’t China just hide our checkbook? Or cut up the credit cards?
OH MY GOD. You have hit it right on the nail. You made my day.
I actually had this same thought. The Russians were supposed to have destroyed those weapons 4 years ago. I believe they did and it was a setup that more were smuggled in. The timing of recent McCain visits to the region support that. Russia probably got baited into bombing the facility where they were planted to give the appearance that Assad had used them purposely.
So by bombing them facility, Trump simply destroyed the remainder of this cache, something the Russians would have no beef with. Especially given that they were warned in time to remove critical assets. But the optics of taking a ‘strong stance’ against Assad and Russia puts and end to the ‘Russian agent’ nonsense and looks tough to the Neocon and the world. Strategically this is a win win for Trump. He wipes away a scandal, gets the Neocon off his back, doesn’t hurt Russia’s ego much, destroys weapons that would have ended up in Rebel hands, and only killed a few unsavory characters. I worry about the long term implications, but it was well played otherwise.
Implied confirmation of my guessed-at scenario today, April 13th, on LaRouchePAC: Tillerson talked to Lavrov and Putin, formed working group because we, Russia & America, share a strategic responsibility to the World. The British are furious. Rycroft denounces Russia. Russian U.N. ambassador says back to him that he can’t stand Russia and America being partners, “this is what you lose sleep over, at night”. Trump also had a cordial talk with Xi over the phone. The New Silk Road is back on track. The Great Alliance for World peace and development (The Trans-Pacific Community of America, Russia, China, Japan, India…even has the word “pacific” in it) will probably soon come into existence. FDR can then rest easy in his grave, his post-war policy prevailing.
Over at EIR website, type in their searchbox; “FDR-Stalin correspondence” to get a solid idea on FDR’s post-war vision for the World.
Exactly, trump has a shared interest in Raytheon who builds the tomahawk missiles.
I wouldn’t count on it. Assuming Assad is not responsible, which appears to be a safe bet, Trump’s enemies now have this fraud upon the American people to hold over him. Lie down with dogs get up with fleas.
I just hope it won’t play out like that on a bigger scale, only with the Trumpster and us as the gladiators and President Putin as Maximus…
Why is everybody picking on Trump ??? The Oval office is now controlled by Wall Street/ /Goldman Sachs.
If Trump crossed Goldman, he would be bankrupt within six months.