Trump Thread

[rory_20_uk]

Which is why this was a strike and not an invasion. A smack on the jaw to dispell the idea that US will ignore the use of chemical weapons without setting a foot into the quagmire.

Obama's retreat was talking tough on chemical weapons and then doing nothing when ghouta was gassed. It compromised america's credibility.

Planes, helicopters and ships, but no tanks or front line infantry. Russia like us doesnt want syria to turn into another afghanistan and is using Assad's men as a proxy while supporting them from a point of relative safety.

Putin does not want to have to invade properly and every strike against assad makes it more likely he will have to if he wants to secure his naval bases.

I do find it odd how the red line is one method of indiscriminate killing.

Smack to the jaw? Making Assad closer to Iran and Russia is smacking who in the jaw? Assad was killing civilians within a day or so - but thank goodness with conventional munitions. Surely Vietnam showed if nothing else that dropping vast amounts of ordinance by itself doesn't win a war. Yes, the bombs these days are more powerful and targeted, but so few in number.

Obama shouldn't have mentioned red lines as he was outplayed by Russia.

Troops on the ground are courtesy of Assad, Iran and Hezbollah. They are doing a decent job of crushing the rebels in all the main centres whilst Russia bombs any things that are too tough. Given they have few qualms about overuse of force it'll probably continue to work.

A few cruise missiles made a very small local difference tactically - planes now have to use other bases until they rebuild. Russia might even give some some army surplus to help get it all up and running.

If Russia has troops in the ports they want, why need they go further? America has a base in Cuba that the locals didn't allow them to have.