Last night (as I am writing this) the US again launched a barrage of cruise missiles at targets in Syria. Again, the reason was because of alleged use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.
Based on the last time we did this back in April of last year I estimated the cost to the US tax payers to have been at least $50,000,000.00 (that we don’t have). According to the press reports we launched double the number of missiles this time so the cost was upwards of $100,000,000.00 (that we still don’t have).
Some will say that it was worth it because we can’t let Assad get away with such vile acts and that if we do it will be the Holocaust all over again, yadda, yadda, yadda…
First, a question I have for those who support this attack is this; what difference does it make if dozens are killed or maimed with poison gas? I mean seriously, tens of thousands have been killed in this war by bombs, bullets, torture and starvation. Why is it OK to kill people that way on not with chlorine gas? Chlorine gas is horrible, yes, but so is watching your children starve to death before your eyes. If the various sieges within Syria follow historical precedent there was probably some degree of cannibalism in order to survive. Is chlorine more horrible that putting people in the position of sacrificing and consuming a weak child or family member so that others can survive? Is it more horrible for a child (or any civilian) to slowly rot from the inside out from an abdominal wound when there is no medical care to be had or medicines?
Second, the Syrian civil war is a horrendous situation with at least half a dozen sides and all sides have committed these same atrocities. In fact, the group Assad’s forces allegedly attacked using chlorine gas are the likely culprits in two other uses of chlorine against their opponents. In fact this group, Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam), has stated as one of their goals to cleanse Syria of the “filth” infecting the land (non-Sunni Muslims, Christians and Jews) by crushing their heads and making them “taste the painful torment of hell” before they are sent there. They were aligned with al Qaeda.It is entirely possible that the bomb we have evidence of the Assad forces dropping merely released the stockpiles of chemical weapons this group had on hand. This group is also known keep captured enemy soldiers AND THEIR FAMILIES chained in cages placed around their strongholds to discourage attacks. This group of murderous thugs is now gone from this particular suburb of Damascus.
No side in this war would be anything we could call “good guys.” None of whom like the US and most of whom are every bit as bad as ISIS or the Taliban. Assad is no good guy either. When the term Nazi is thrown around there is some level of truth to it with him. The secret police force that has kept his family in power for the last three generations was formed, trained and run by ex-Gestapo officers. Most of whom were wanted war criminals who received sanctuary in return for their services. He is most definitely guilty of repression and torture. He conspired and supported terror attacks throughout the region including the brracks bombing in Beirut. He is most definitely an evil dictator but on the other hand his same heavy handedness protected minority groups like Jews, Christians and Druze form the genocidal tendencies of the Islamic fundamentalists who oppose him.
Third, this is no longer a civil war. It is much more complicated than that. Yes, it is a still a civil war with several factions vying to control the future of the country. It is also a proxy war between Shiite Muslims (backed by Iran) and Sunnis (backed by Saudi Arabia). Beyond the Islamic sects (Druze, Alawite, Sunni and Shiite) there is a sizeable Christian population in Syria. Ethnicity also plays into the equation as Kurds, Yazidis, Turks, Arabs and other ethnic groups contend to protect their populations and position themselves for increased autonomy. Various nations including the US, Turkey, the UK, and Russia all have troops in country and are backing different factions for various reasons. All of this makes the risk of escalation extremely serious. It would not take much for this to spark into another World War.
The best hope for those who truly are innocent in this mess, those just trying to survive, is for the war to end as quickly as possible. Regardless of who wins they will be better off than they are now. Unfortunately, with all the outside involvement (including our own) there is no end in sight…
Take care and God bless.
The US (in)justice department is creating a specialized task force focused on the growing threat of domestic terrorists. Specifically on those Americans who “are motivated by racial animus” or “ascribe to extremist anti-government and anti-authority ideologies.” In other words, conservatives, patriots and don’t forget soccer moms at school-board meetings .
Welcome To The Resistance! 