Syria

Silverfiddle Rant!

Our political discourse is a bedlam of concern trolls, ignorami, partisan rage addicts, and yellow journalists with tankers of gasoline fanning the flames.

President Trump's precipitous withdrawal from Syria was a blotch-stained end to ten years of US policy incoherence.  Our strategery, such as it is, was a congeries of mutually-exclusive goals and conflicting aspirations sitting heavily on a shoddy framework of criminal ignorance, venal Do-Something-ism, and cynical, fatalistic diplomatic puffery and posturing.

We wanted to topple Assad, while also protecting the minorities he was protecting, while also defeating the jihadis who were trying to topple him, while keeping the Russians and Iranians out (who were already in), while being buddies with both the Kurds (our fighting partners) and Turkey (a NATO ally), despite the fact they have a hateful, murderous feud going back centuries.

Anyway, here is a good article on the subject. If you're interested, please read it and tell us what you think. Despite the title, the authors do not like President Trump and make no defense of his actions.

What Trump Actually Gets Right About Syria

Syria

Surface to air missile fire over Damascus during the US-led raid on Syria.Photograph: Hassan Ammar/AP

A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018

U.S., UK, France strike Syria in first coordinated action against Assad

Wise move?

Necessary move?

Related reading... Timeline of Syrian Chemical Weapons Activity, 2012-2018

and

Commentary: In Syria strike, the real danger is Russia.

Maxine Waters Hotly Rejects Reporter's Question

At Los Angeles March for Truth on June 3, 2017, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the Democratic Party's Representative for the 43rd District of California, once again declares her mission to impeach President Trump because of his supposed collusion with Russia to undermine our elections.

Same old, same old.  Yawn.

What is interesting in the video below, however, is Congresswoman Waters's reaction to the reporter's question about President Obama's policy with regard to Russia (about time marker 1:04ff):


The Washington Post's article about the above-mentioned portion — and much more — below the fold.

FEATURED QUESTION: Missile Strikes Against Syria

Last night, President Trump ordered our military to launch 59 Tomahawk missiles to strike Al Shayrat Airfield in response to chemical weapons having been deployed in Syria.

The complete text of President Trump's post-strike statement....

Text: Trump statement on U.S. military strikes in Syria

My fellow Americans: On Tuesday, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians. Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror.

Tonight, I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched. It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons. There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, and ignored the urging of the U.N. Security Council.

Years of previous attempts at changing Assad's behavior have all failed, and failed very dramatically. As a result, the refugee crisis continues to deepen and the region continues to destabilize, threatening the United States and its allies.

Tonight, I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types. We ask for God's wisdom as we face the challenge of our very troubled world. We pray for the lives of the wounded and for the souls of those who have passed. And we hope that as long as America stands for justice, then peace and harmony will, in the end, prevail.

Goodnight. And God bless America and the entire world. Thank you.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

For his part, Bashar al-Assad has long claimed that he is quelling a dangerous uprising within his nation.

And, as we would expect, Putin Calls U.S. Syria Strike Aggression, Stops Air Cooperation.

FEATURED QUESTION (in two parts): 
(1) Was this military strike the right move? Why or why not?   
(2) Are you in agreement with the above statement by President Trump?

Flashback: Iraqi Refugees In 2011

Likely, Obama will unilaterally open the floodgates to the Syrian "refugees" — never mind that in 2011 he significantly curtailed the flow of Iraqi refugees because of national security concerns.

From the Navy Times back then:

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has dramatically slowed the resettlement of Iraqi refugees — including former U.S. military translators and embassy workers — in the midst of growing concerns about al-Qaida's potential ties with some asylum seekers, an administration official says.

More information at the Federalist.

So why is Obama so determined to bring in the Syrian refugees even after the recent jihad attack on Paris?  So detemined that he Tweeted this on November 18:

Slamming the door in the face of refugees would betray our deepest values. That's not who we are. And it's not what we're going to do.

An executive order even if Congress passes a refugee bill over Obama's veto?

If so, checkmate.

Recommended Reading

Once in a while, along comes a moment of jaw-dropping clarity, albeit during an episode of a popular cable-television series. See It's all in the book by my good friend Jason Pappas, who tells us what Homeland's CIA Agent Peter Quinn had to say about ISIS and Islam after the agent's two-year stint Syria.

Money quote below the fold.

The Migrant Crisis (With Addendum)

Flashback to February 2015: Islamic State threatens to flood Europe with refugees

NOW

Train to Germany at the Keleti Railway Station in Budapest, Hungary

As "the world" clamors for Western nations to take in the four million (mostly Muslims, as Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary has pointed out) fleeing Syria and the Magreb, the Arab world's wealthiest nations — the Gulf states of Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain — are doing almost nothing.

The West is blamed for not doing enough for these millions. Meanwhile, the wealthy Arab world largely escapes blame for doing nothing.

Additional reading, which includes a photo essay: We can't cope with this tide! Europe's despairing leaders bring back border controls with free-movement zone on brink of collapse.

Thousands of migrants emerge from the hold of a ferry onto the streets of Greece's capital, Athens 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3220341/We-t-cope-tide-Europe-s-despairing-leaders-bring-border-controls-free-movement-zone-brink-collapse.html#ixzz3klI0bdj6
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

ADDENDUM: Collapsing Immigration Policies and the Rise of Global Nationalism by Tammy Swofford at The Last English Prince.

The Jihad Caucus

Click directly on the graphic below to enlarge it:

From the DC Independent Examiner (hat tip to Gulag Bound):

...[A] group of 14 U.S. senators, led by the indefatigable Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, have written a letter to Obama urging him to allow 65,000 Syrians in as refugees. This would require a dramatic expansion of the refugee program, and virtually guarantee that a sizable number of ISIS fighters would slip in among them. Frank Gaffney’s Center for Security Policy has given them the moniker “Jihad Caucus” because practically speaking, Jihad is what this request will bring.

The 14 senators demanding this massive influx of Syrians are:

Dick Durbin (D-IL)

Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

Al Franken (D-MN)

Patrick Leahy (D-VT)

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

Patty Murray (D-WA)

Robert Menendez (D-NJ)

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)

Christopher Coons (D-DE)

Tim Kaine (D-VA)

Edward Markey (D-MA)

Sherrod Brown (D-OH)

Mazie Hirono (D-HI)...

Read the entire article HERE.

The FBI has previously warned that there is no reliable way to determine whether or not ISIS embeds might be among the Syrian refugees.

The Great Flight Of The Kurds

The desperate attempt of 60,000-100,0000  [revision: possibly 200,000] to flee Syria as the onslaught by the Islamic State (ISIS) continues (Click directly on images to enlarge them):

More information about the above exodus HERE.


The Islamic State's map of their Five-Year Plan:

Nincompoopery — And Worse

(Weekend roundup post.   For the definition of nincompoop, see THIS in the Urban Dictionary. Commenters are encouraged to post links that tell of more nincompoopery)

Links to read (more possibly added as the weekend progresses):

Former Canadian Idol contestant’s dinner chat moves from ice cream to ‘violent jihad’ on secret tapes, terrorism trial hears

Geraldo Attacks O’Reilly Over Racist Obama Interview: “What You Did Was Strip Him of His Majesty” (Video)

Accenture, hired to help fix HealthCare.gov, has had a series of stumbles

Breivik’s Confession and the Media’s Silence

Muslim Tries to Apply for Spousal Benefits for 12-Year-Old Wife… in Australia

Nincompoopery — And Worse

(Weekend roundup post. For the definition of nincompoop, see THIS in the Urban Dictionary. Commenters are encouraged to post links that tell of more nincompoopery)

Links to read (more possibly added as the weekend progresses):

IRAN DISSES OBAMA: Gov’t TV Broadcasts ‘Down With America’ to Mark Nuclear Deal

Exclusive [ABC News]: US May Have Let 'Dozens' of Terrorists Into Country As Refugees

The horrific and savage details of the slaughter of Drummer Lee Rigby on the streets of London [Reuters]

Paramedic sent to treat horrifically injured soldier Lee Rigby 'saw killer sharpening his meat cleaver' in aftermath of attack

Nincompoopery — And Worse

(Weekend roundup post somewhat shorter than usual as explained in my post of October 11 and my post of October 18. For the definition of nincompoop, see THIS in the Urban Dictionary. Commenters are encouraged to post links that tell of more nincompoopery)

Links to read (more possibly added as the weekend progresses):

CBS News: Obamacare Website Failed Every Test Just Before It Went Live

Could the Kenya attack happen here? It did [in 2007]

Scotland shuts down childhood immunization program after Muslims complain

IMF Proposal to Tax Bank Deposits

UNREAL: Senate Deal Changes Rules For Future Debt Ceiling Increases, Congress Would Need Two-Thirds Majority To Stop Obama From Raising Borrowing Limit

Future Barbarians At Play

Filmed in Syria and posted to YouTube on September 22, 2013 (hat tip to Infidel Bloggers Alliance):