Anybody else hear what happened in Syria this evening ?

[scooperhsd]

50-60 Tomahawks (sea launched) to a small Syrian airbase (about 2 squadron's worth) to, uh "take out the aircraft" for a good long time.  - This is 50-60 thousand pounds of high explosives  - timed to hit within a minute or so....  in the middle of the night in Syria.

[Hook#3287]

Wow, that was kinda fast. 

[old2soon]

T C B that someone else shoulda taken are of!  Or am I bein too indirect?  This will show zackly where Russia wants to be. Hope we did't accidently eliminate a russky. RIDE SAFE.

[Serk]

I'm just gonna leave this here:

[Hook#3287]

So you're good with the sarin gas attack on civilians?

[Serk]

So you're good with the sarin gas attack on civilians?

False equivalence.

Assad is crazy, but he's not stupid. There is no good reason for him to have launched that attack, I'm not convinced he did it. Something doesn't smell right about this whole situation to me.

[The emperor has no clothes]

So you're good with the sarin gas attack on civilians?

False equivalence.

Assad is crazy, but he's not stupid. There is no good reason for him to have launched that attack, I'm not convinced he did it. Something doesn't smell right about this whole situation to me.

From what I understand Assad's forces had been losing ground. A crazy man losing ground doesn't always make rational decisions. It made no sense for them to gas their people years back either. But it seems pretty irrefutable they did.

[Hook#3287]

So you're good with the sarin gas attack on civilians?

False equivalence.

Assad is crazy, but he's not stupid. There is no good reason for him to have launched that attack, I'm not convinced he did it. Something doesn't smell right about this whole situation to me.

I'm not convinced he didn't, hasn't he been killing civilians for the past 3.5 years after those tweets that Donald Trump issued and you just left here?

Maybe times have changed?

Who else would have the ability to do the sarin bombing?  Russia?  ISIS?  Al-Qaeda?  Israel?

Are you of the opinion someone did it to draw us into war?  Who and why?

Or, maybe Assad wanted to test the waters with the new US administration.

He already knew he could get away with murder with the last one.

[Jersey mike]

59 Tomahawks launched and no word if any were shot down, seems like Syria has no missile defense even with Russia backing them up but now that may change.

Hope they don't continue with crap like this or they may get a visit from a few B2's loaded with 2000LB incentives to stop.

[phideux]

From what I see, we just spent a billion or so blowing a bunch of holes in a small air force base. Didn't really do much damage.
Why are we even there??? A country where the head Muzzie in charge is killing the other Muzzies. The Muslims have been killing each other for thousands of years, does anyone think we are going to stop it???
We need to GTFO of there or send them all to Allah, stop this little Tit-for-tat crap.
A statement would have been taking out the head muzzies compound, along with several thousand of them.

[Hook#3287]

From what I see, we just spent a billion or so blowing a bunch of holes in a small air force base. Didn't really do much damage.
Why are we even there??? A country where the head Muzzie in charge is killing the other Muzzies. The Muslims have been killing each other for thousands of years, does anyone think we are going to stop it???
We need to GTFO of there or send them all to Allah, stop this little Tit-for-tat crap.
A statement would have been taking out the head muzzies compound, along with several thousand of them.

Don't know the monetary cost of that bombing, but heck, they just found a trillion or more missing from the previous administration, so we're good.

I feel, as the first military action by the new administration, it was appropriate.

Take out the vehicles used in the gassing and show Assad we won't stand by and let him murder more civilians.

The big stuff can wait, plus we need to see what Russia does.

We need to be friends with Russia and China.

[Reb]

Maybe this will get the attention of that chubby little bastard in Pyongyang.

[Ramie]

So you're good with the sarin gas attack on civilians?

False equivalence.

Assad is crazy, but he's not stupid. There is no good reason for him to have launched that attack, I'm not convinced he did it. Something doesn't smell right about this whole situation to me.

I guess I'm some what with Serk on this, I would like to know they at least had good intelligence that Assad's people did this.  If were just guessing or making a statement for some political points not sure it was a good idea.

[Serk]

Don't know the monetary cost of that bombing

The cost of the Tomohawks is about $93.31 million (About $1.59 million each times 59 of them.)

As to the greater issue, other than my obvious fulfillment of pointing out hypocrisy wherever I find it, of course I'm not in favor of chemical attacks against civilians.

I am VERY worried about us getting dragged into another quagmire with no clear way out.

Assad is an evil dictator, but one of the main forces fighting against him is ISIS. If we take out Assad, there's a decent chance we just gave ISIS a larger homeland and more resources to build their base and strike out from.

When we attack Assad, we're helping ISIS. When we attack ISIS, we're helping Assad. Is that REALLY a situation we want to be in? (We've literally attacked both sides in this civil war now. On September 23rd 2014 we fired 47 Tomahawks at ISIS targets in Syria)

(Yes, there are other rebel forces fighting against Assad besides ISIS, but they're one of the big ones and would definitely gain a lot if Assad were taken out.)

I just get very worried about us risking WWIII over a situation like this where there really aren't any "good guys" to back.

Read up some on the Syrian Civil War, the whole region is a mess, it's one snake pit after another, but Syria is REALLY messed up, and I don't want to see us wasting American blood for something with no clear way out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Civil_War

(Disclaimer - After I've slept on it, IF we just stick to a few token bombings to remind Assad to not be a COMPLETE dick I'm mostly okay with it, but any escalation beyond that, especially if it involves US personnel being put in harm's way, I'm not so okay with it, and stand behind the stance that it would require congressional approval first.)

And that's of course assuming we have real, good intel that Assad really did use chemical weapons... I mean, according to John Kerry and the obviously unbiased Politifact, he didn't have any chemical weapons to use:

[baldo]

Don't know the monetary cost of that bombing

The cost of the Tomohawks is about $93.31 million (About $1.59 million each times 59 of them.)

As to the greater issue, other than my obvious fulfillment of pointing out hypocrisy wherever I find it, of course I'm not in favor of chemical attacks against civilians.

I am VERY worried about us getting dragged into another quagmire with no clear way out.

Assad is an evil dictator, but one of the main forces fighting against him is ISIS. If we take out Assad, there's a decent chance we just gave ISIS a larger homeland and more resources to build their base and strike out from.

When we attack Assad, we're helping ISIS. When we attack ISIS, we're helping Assad. Is that REALLY a situation we want to be in? (We've literally attacked both sides in this civil war now. On September 23rd 2014 we fired 47 Tomahawks at ISIS targets in Syria)

(Yes, there are other rebel forces fighting against Assad besides ISIS, but they're one of the big ones and would definitely gain a lot if Assad were taken out.)

I just get very worried about us risking WWIII over a situation like this where there really aren't any "good guys" to back.

Read up some on the Syrian Civil War, the whole region is a mess, it's one snake pit after another, but Syria is REALLY messed up, and I don't want to see us wasting American blood for something with no clear way out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Civil_War

(Disclaimer - After I've slept on it, IF we just stick to a few token bombings to remind Assad to not be a COMPLETE dick I'm mostly okay with it, but any escalation beyond that, especially if it involves US personnel being put in harm's way, I'm not so okay with it, and stand behind the stance that it would require congressional approval first.)

And that's of course assuming we have real, good intel that Assad really did use chemical weapons... I mean, according to John Kerry and the obviously unbiased Politifact, he didn't have any chemical weapons to use:

That was four years ago......a lot of traffic into Syria in those four years.......just sayin'

I'm not saying he was correct and/or truthful, but let's not make it a tit-for-tat talking point either.

[cookiedough]

I think, not 100% sure,  only 6 people over there died in the attack on the airfield.   I am o.k. with that as long as it saved 100's of 1000's of lives of innocent civilians. 

I sure hope this sends a message to the entire world that Trump is for real and not a wuss like Obummer was.  His intelligence better be right though that that person was behind the chemical attack or _hit will hit the fan. 

I still have no idea on why with today's intel and radar,  bomb the piss out of the ISIS since there has to be satellites in outer space that can see villages of ISIS up close depicting known ISIS people.  BOMB the entire village of ISIS rebels fine with me as long as a few ISIS rebels get killed, blow up the entire village if hanging around with ISIS evil in same village, both women and children.  HIT them hard and not wait for more US bombings to happen.  There has to be small villages in/around Afghanastan with ISIS in them to just take out.

[baldo]

I think, not 100% sure,  only 6 people over there died in the attack on the airfield.   I am o.k. with that as long as it saved 100's of 1000's of lives of innocent civilians. 

I sure hope this sends a message to the entire world that Trump is for real and not a wuss like Obummer was.  His intelligence better be right though that that person was behind the chemical attack or _hit will hit the fan. 

I still have no idea on why with today's intel and radar,  bomb the piss out of the ISIS since there has to be satellites in outer space that can see villages of ISIS up close depicting known ISIS people.  BOMB the entire village of ISIS rebels fine with me as long as a few ISIS rebels get killed, blow up the entire village if hanging around with ISIS evil in same village, both women and children.  HIT them hard and not wait for more US bombings to happen.  There has to be small villages in/around Afghanastan with ISIS in them to just take out.

It's common knowledge that they purposely house themselves with common village populations to deter any large scale attacks of the explosive kind.

[3fan4life]

I'm just gonna leave this here:

There are a couple of things that you aren't taking into account here:

#1: Things change

#2: As President Trump now has access to Intel that he didn't have when he posted those tweets

With that said, This has to be the biggest catch 22 situation that any US President has ever faced.

As someone else pointed out there are NO GOOD GUYS in Syria.

But, for some reason EVERY bleeding heart liberal in the world wants to save them!

President Trump tries to ban the bad guys from coming here and people scream bloody murder.

He tries to develop good relations with Russia which is the one thing that might lead to a diplomatic solution to this mess and they scream bloody murder!

He bombs the bad guys that are using chemical weapons against civilians and they scream bloody murder!



Personally, I'd probably call Putin and tell him that he has 48 hrs to get his people out of Syria.  

Because, after that we're nuking the whole damn country!!!!!!!

Yeah I know it's not the PC thing to do.

But you have to admit that it would eliminate Syria as a problem.

And would put ISIS and the entire Middle East on notice.

[dinosnake]

The only thing I'll say is that I always find it interesting: "Bleeding heart liberals"

While the conservatives hold their Bibles to their chests, they browbeat the liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others.

Ironic.

[old2soon]

Housing the bad guys with the local civilian populace-didn't the commie bad guys do that In Nam? Didn't the former administration also work out some nuclear "deal" that wuz the furthest thing from a "deal"? If in Fact the clips I saw on the news networks were chemically attacked people AND my sources of intelligence were at least an 8 on a scale of 10 I'm certain I would have fired the rockets also. Some-hell-most of these folks that have their knickers in a wad need to remember WHAT they were tellin us when zero was in charge-you may not like him BUT he's in charge. Or are those particular shoes just a bit too tight? Tween the press the dems and some repubs surprised the Current P O T U S is able to accomplish AYTHING. Would that EVERONE in deception central would make OUR COUNTRY and It's PEOPLE Priority ONE!   Gotta say this about President TRUMP-at the very least he IS doing something. Was it the Right Something? The BEST assad can do is bluster. Putin on the other hand IS Dangerous. Far as the little fat f--- in n korea goes-he may have to consider how well the attack went. RIDE SAFE.

[old2soon]

My M S N home page has a question and a voting option on the recent missile attack by the U S of A. Do you support the attack on Syria. Yes-70% No-18% not sure-12%. The poll did Not indicate the number of people casting votes. I'm in that 70% number. Added my vote just prior to this post. RIDE SAFE.

[Patrick]

It seems that there are 21 Syrian military air bases. So, we hit 1 ?  And , we throw 59 Tomahawks at it ?!

That doesn't compute to me, but, what the heck do I know.

[Chrisj CMA]

It seems that there are 21 Syrian military air bases. So, we hit 1 ?  And , we throw 59 Tomahawks at it ?!

That doesn't compute to me, but, what the heck do I know.

We don't know the details.  WE SHOULDNT! Trump showed some strength here, he has good advisors.  They know what they are doing.

GO USA.

Make our friends respect us again and our enemies fear us again!

Peace through strength has been our best posture.

[Hook#3287]

(Disclaimer - After I've slept on it, IF we just stick to a few token bombings to remind Assad to not be a COMPLETE dick I'm mostly okay with it, but any escalation beyond that, especially if it involves US personnel being put in harm's way, I'm not so okay with it, and stand behind the stance that it would require congressional approval first.)

This    Glad you got a good night's sleep

I don't believe anyone in the US wants to enter Syria.  But if every time Assad gases civilians, he lose a major military asset, maybe he'll smarten up.

I've got to believe the intelligence given to President Trump was the best available, truthful and strong enough to make him decide to act strongly, purposefully and timely.

Something the world has not seen from this county since 01.

"You're either with us, or against us" works for me.

Even Rubio, who I thought had crawled under a bridge with his tail tucked, stated he noticed President Trump was visible shaken, by the images of the civilians killed by the gas.

[3fan4life]

The only thing I'll say is that I always find it interesting: "Bleeding heart liberals"

While the conservatives hold their Bibles to their chests, they browbeat the liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others.

Ironic.

I  find it interesting that when someone throws a rock that it is the dog that gets hit by it that barks the loudest.  

[Chrisj CMA]

The only thing I'll say is that I always find it interesting: "Bleeding heart liberals"

While the conservatives hold their Bibles to their chests, they browbeat the liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others.

Ironic.

As Christians we are not commanded to accept murdering children with gas.  Jesus said if you harm the children it would be fitting to be thrown into the sea with a  millstone around your neck.

We should love all people and hate all sin.  When evil people do evil things they need something called Justice.  Its not un loving or unkind.  Its just the right thing to do!

[Savago]

>Read up some on the Syrian Civil War, the whole region is a mess, it's one snake pit after another,
> but Syria is REALLY messed up, and I don't want to see us wasting American blood for something
> with no clear way out.

This! I say we don't need Iraq II or Vietnam II. Things can escalate pretty fast and then it will be American soldiers loosing their life for what? A shithole in the middle of the desert?

Let's focus on helping America and taking care of the country.

The ruskies can kill ISIS just fine (and deal with the consequences, like it happened in St Petersburg).

[Jess from VA]

We don't know the details.  WE SHOULDN'T!

 

I don't know what was on that airfield, but somehow I have the notion that our POTUS listened to the advice of his politicos and military and intelligence people, and did a rational cost benefit analysis, and made his decision with US national security in mind.

Unlike our former POS, who made all his decisions with the Saul Alinsky handbook as his guidance.   

[Gryphon Rider]

The only thing I'll say is that I always find it interesting: "Bleeding heart liberals"

While the conservatives hold their Bibles to their chests, they browbeat the liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others.

Ironic.

I'm not entirely sure what you are referring to, but okay.  Governments have a God-given responsibility to impose justice.  I believe this also applies in an international context, but it can be a very difficult thing, both to determine what is right, then to do what is right.  Romans 13:3b-4 (ESV) speaks to government authority over individuals, but I believe it has international application as well:

Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

[3fan4life]

>Read up some on the Syrian Civil War, the whole region is a mess, it's one snake pit after another,
> but Syria is REALLY messed up, and I don't want to see us wasting American blood for something
> with no clear way out.

This! I say we don't need Iraq II or Vietnam II. Things can escalate pretty fast and then it will be American soldiers loosing their life for what? A shithole in the middle of the desert?

Let's focus on helping America and taking care of the country.

The ruskies can kill ISIS just fine (and deal with the consequences, like it happened in St Petersburg).

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868

You couldn't be more correct in your assessment.

It's just that in the real world political solutions are rarely ever cut and dried.

The biggest problem here is that there are NO GOOD GUYS in this fight.

From the article:

A UN commission of inquiry has evidence that all parties to the conflict have committed war crimes - including murder, torture, rape and enforced disappearances. They have also been accused of using civilian suffering - such as blocking access to food, water and health services through sieges - as a method of war

I really don't think that ANY other country wants to be in the middle of this fight (not even Russia).

But, the fallout from this conflict is being felt worldwide.

Additionally, the human rights violations are hard for civilized nations to ignore.

This is a brutal conflict in a brutal part of the world.

Any REAL solution requires extreme brutality as well.

Much more brutal than the civilized world can accept.

Since, none of the three main factions are good guys then they all must be eliminated.

To do so would most likely result in many more civilian casualties.

To date more than 250,000 people have died in this conflict.

I have no idea how many more will die before it ends.

[Savago]

Long article, explains the history around Syria in the last 60 years and why there are so many interests in there: http://www.ecowatch.com/syria-another-pipeline-war-1882180532.html

I will just post what I think is the most important part:
"The only winners have been the military contractors and oil companies who have pocketed historic profits. We have compromised our values, butchered our own youth, killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people, subverted our idealism and squandered our national treasures in fruitless and costly adventures abroad. In the process, we have turned America, once the world's beacon of freedom, into a national security surveillance state and an international moral pariah.

America's founding fathers warned Americans against standing armies, foreign entanglements and, in John Adams' words, “going abroad in search of monsters to destroy." Those wise men understood that imperialism abroad is incompatible with democracy and civil rights at home. They wanted America to be a “city on a hill"—a model of democracy for the rest of the world.

The Atlantic Charter echoed their seminal American ideal that each nation should have the right to self-determination. Over the past seven decades, the Dulles brothers, the Cheney Gang, the neocons and their ilk have hijacked that fundamental principle of American idealism and deployed our military and intelligence apparatus to serve the mercantile interests of large corporations and particularly, the petroleum companies and military contractors who have literally made a killing from these conflicts. It's time for Americans to turn America away from this new imperialism and back to the path of idealism and democracy."

[Moonshot_1]

The only thing I'll say is that I always find it interesting: "Bleeding heart liberals"

While the conservatives hold their Bibles to their chests, they browbeat the liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others.

Ironic.

I am considered a conservative. Unusual one perhaps because never had much use for the Bible or religion. You are welcome to them and I'll respect one's religious views if it gives one peace and strength in their life.

As for browbeating liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others, we are not browbeating you for that. It is just we wish you would use your own money to do it.

[Moonshot_1]

Long article, explains the history around Syria in the last 60 years and why there are so many interests in there: http://www.ecowatch.com/syria-another-pipeline-war-1882180532.html

I will just post what I think is the most important part:
"The only winners have been the military contractors and oil companies who have pocketed historic profits. We have compromised our values, butchered our own youth, killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people, subverted our idealism and squandered our national treasures in fruitless and costly adventures abroad. In the process, we have turned America, once the world's beacon of freedom, into a national security surveillance state and an international moral pariah.

America's founding fathers warned Americans against standing armies, foreign entanglements and, in John Adams' words, “going abroad in search of monsters to destroy." Those wise men understood that imperialism abroad is incompatible with democracy and civil rights at home. They wanted America to be a “city on a hill"—a model of democracy for the rest of the world.

The Atlantic Charter echoed their seminal American ideal that each nation should have the right to self-determination. Over the past seven decades, the Dulles brothers, the Cheney Gang, the neocons and their ilk have hijacked that fundamental principle of American idealism and deployed our military and intelligence apparatus to serve the mercantile interests of large corporations and particularly, the petroleum companies and military contractors who have literally made a killing from these conflicts. It's time for Americans to turn America away from this new imperialism and back to the path of idealism and democracy."

All that wasn't done in the last 3 months. Seems, in fact, that the last election was about bring this ship around, back to that very course.

Unfortunately our Founding Father's wise words have become outdated as we no longer need to be “going abroad in search of monsters to destroy."  They know where we are and have come to us. And their ideology is one fit for monsters. Monsters that kill with no mercy, destroy without thought, and are  bereft of any compassion for those in misery. The oceans that were once great buffers and obstacles for these monsters are buffers and obstacles no more.

So the question now is now that the monsters have found us, do we fight them here? Or fight them there?

[Reb]

The only thing I'll say is that I always find it interesting: "Bleeding heart liberals"

While the conservatives hold their Bibles to their chests, they browbeat the liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others.

Ironic.

I am considered a conservative. Unusual one perhaps because never had much use for the Bible or religion. You are welcome to them and I'll respect one's religious views if it gives one peace and strength in their life.

As for browbeating liberals for showing the very love, acceptance and concern for fellow man that Jesus himself was trying to teach others, we are not browbeating you for that. It is just we wish you would use your own money to do it.

You are not the only Conservative with views as such my friend  

[Gavin_Sons]

Seems the liberals girl Hillary is in agreement with Trump.     the way she responded makes me glad I don't like her. She wanted to destroy all of Syrias airfields and start a war with them. Talk about someone with their finger on the nuke button 

[scooperhsd]

The whole Middle East region is an area where I as an American would never set foot in short of being under government orders - military or civilian.  There is no good way to clean that mess up permanently short of killing a huge amount of  innocents as collateral damage.  The only redeeming feature of the area is that fact that a large number of pre-historic dinosauers died there and became petroleum.

I can agree with the idea of what Trump ordered - if we were lucky, maybe some chemical weapons released as well and the Syrians have that mess to cleanup as well (serves them right if it happened).

I don't know how many more of these attacks we can afford, and it may come to a point of diminishing returns on their effects to the Syrians and their state of mind. I'm not sure what the effects of bombing them repeatedly will have either. All I'm really sure of is that we should not be sending forces in there (boots on the ground) without a long range plan to really stabilize the region without our forces being involved.

[Oss]

Shia and Sunni are mortal enemies

Yes the Saudi's and gulf trillionaires throw their $ at those against Assad
The Iranians with their $ throw their children and money against anyone against Assad

They are all reaping the fruits of their harvest

From what I understand Trump warned the Russians that he was going to bomb a target so as not to start WWIII. What is the cost of losing the lives of our brothers sisters and children against a few dollars   A billion is just an Obama first lady shopping trip to Hawaii
I can live with it. It sent a message that is important with Chinese negotiations coming up. That message is unlike Obama the current POTUS is for real in acting against "monsters" who would gas kids. If he did the same to the dictator in Korea I would not shed a tear.

How about taking one from the Godfather, invite assad and every Mullah out there advocating kids blow themselves up to kill others to a dinner at the UN in NY and then just kill the beasts without killing millions in the process?   I dont buy safe zones for killers. Yeah I know, the people who sell guns oil and run the world wouldnt like that would they but I bet I would?

[baldo]

    A billion is just an Obama first lady shopping trip to Hawaii

Really ????????

[The emperor has no clothes]

Don't know the monetary cost of that bombing

The cost of the Tomohawks is about $93.31 million (About $1.59 million each times 59 of them.)

As to the greater issue, other than my obvious fulfillment of pointing out hypocrisy wherever I find it, of course I'm not in favor of chemical attacks against civilians.

I am VERY worried about us getting dragged into another quagmire with no clear way out.

Assad is an evil dictator, but one of the main forces fighting against him is ISIS. If we take out Assad, there's a decent chance we just gave ISIS a larger homeland and more resources to build their base and strike out from.

When we attack Assad, we're helping ISIS. When we attack ISIS, we're helping Assad. Is that REALLY a situation we want to be in? (We've literally attacked both sides in this civil war now. On September 23rd 2014 we fired 47 Tomahawks at ISIS targets in Syria)

(Yes, there are other rebel forces fighting against Assad besides ISIS, but they're one of the big ones and would definitely gain a lot if Assad were taken out.)

I just get very worried about us risking WWIII over a situation like this where there really aren't any "good guys" to back.

Read up some on the Syrian Civil War, the whole region is a mess, it's one snake pit after another, but Syria is REALLY messed up, and I don't want to see us wasting American blood for something with no clear way out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syrian_Civil_War

(Disclaimer - After I've slept on it, IF we just stick to a few token bombings to remind Assad to not be a COMPLETE dick I'm mostly okay with it, but any escalation beyond that, especially if it involves US personnel being put in harm's way, I'm not so okay with it, and stand behind the stance that it would require congressional approval first.)

And that's of course assuming we have real, good intel that Assad really did use chemical weapons... I mean, according to John Kerry and the obviously unbiased Politifact, he didn't have any chemical weapons to use:

If memory serves correctly, we made a deal with the Russians for them to get the chemical agents out.

[phideux]

>Read up some on the Syrian Civil War, the whole region is a mess, it's one snake pit after another,
> but Syria is REALLY messed up, and I don't want to see us wasting American blood for something
> with no clear way out.

This! I say we don't need Iraq II or Vietnam II. Things can escalate pretty fast and then it will be American soldiers loosing their life for what? A shithole in the middle of the desert?

Let's focus on helping America and taking care of the country.

The ruskies can kill ISIS just fine (and deal with the consequences, like it happened in St Petersburg).

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868

You couldn't be more correct in your assessment.

It's just that in the real world political solutions are rarely ever cut and dried.

The biggest problem here is that there are NO GOOD GUYS in this fight.

From the article:

A UN commission of inquiry has evidence that all parties to the conflict have committed war crimes - including murder, torture, rape and enforced disappearances. They have also been accused of using civilian suffering - such as blocking access to food, water and health services through sieges - as a method of war

I really don't think that ANY other country wants to be in the middle of this fight (not even Russia).

But, the fallout from this conflict is being felt worldwide.

Additionally, the human rights violations are hard for civilized nations to ignore.

This is a brutal conflict in a brutal part of the world.

Any REAL solution requires extreme brutality as well.

Much more brutal than the civilized world can accept.

Since, none of the three main factions are good guys then they all must be eliminated.

To do so would most likely result in many more civilian casualties.

To date more than 250,000 people have died in this conflict.

I have no idea how many more will die before it ends.

Remember one thing, the vast amount of those "civilians" hate us too. So why do we worry about the "civilian casualties"?????
There wasn't a whole lot of terrorists or ISIS running around Iraq until we went over there and screwed crap up. Sure Hussein was a ruthless dictator, but if that crap started when he was in charge he would have sent a squad of SCUDS up at them and blown ISIS to Allah. If we keep messing around in Syria and take out their dictator it will be just like another Iraq. Assadd is in there killing Muslims that hate us, so what if he hates us too??? We need to either GTFO or make a major statement and just lay a carpet bomb siege on a major city like the old WWII days. Either go to war, with no rules to us except to kill them,  or let them keep killing each other. Remember they have been killing each other over there for several thousand years