# American missiles fired at Syria **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 7, 2017, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944 "2017-04-07T02:03:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/1 "2017-04-07T02:03:01Z")
I guess Trump likes red lines better than Obama. > [@](#): > > President Trump ordered a cruise missile strike against Syria early Friday local time in retaliation for the chemical weapons attack that killed 86 people on Tuesday, according to the Pentagon. > > The attack, the first conventional assault on another country ordered by Trump, comes a day after he declared that the chemical weapons assault had “crossed many, many lines,” including the deaths of 27 children. > […] > The attack essentially follows the plan that the Pentagon had set in September 2013, according to a senior Defense official not authorized to speak publicly about the operation. That plan was devised after President Obama had set a “red line” on the use of chemical weapons. Syrian President Bashar Assad had used the weapons that killed 1,400 civilians, but Obama did not order an attack. Instead, Assad agreed to turnover his stockpiles of chemical weapons, > **[U.S. launches cruise missile strike on Syria after chemical weapons attack](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/06/us-launches-cruise-missile-strike-syria-after-chemical-weapons-attack/100142330/)** > > President Trump ordered the attack after sarin nerve gas was dropped Tuesday on a Syrian town. Well, I whatever you think, this will work against “in the pocket of Russia” narative. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/2 "2017-04-07T02:04:52Z")
Between 50-60 Tomahawk cruise missiles have been fired into Syria by US warships in the area. > **[Trump launches military strike against Syria | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2017/04/06/politics/donald-trump-syria-military/index.html)** > > The United States launched a military strike Thursday on a Syrian government airbase in response to a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians earlier in the week. Personally, I think Trump had it right the first time, when he tweeted his opposition to getting involved in Syria back when Obama was in office and Trump was just a private citizen. This is a bad move which can’t lead anywhere a rational person would want to go. It stinks of desperation to get the media talking about anything but Trump’s scandals and, goddamn it, it’s working. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/3 "2017-04-07T02:07:37Z")
Similar threads merged. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/4 "2017-04-07T02:09:36Z")
So, nuclear war over the weekend? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/5 "2017-04-07T02:14:07Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I guess Trump likes red lines better than Obama. > [U.S. launches cruise missile strike on Syrian military airfield after chemical weapons attack](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/06/us-launches-cruise-missile-strike-syria-after-chemical-weapons-attack/100142330/) > > Well, I whatever you think, this will work against “in the pocket of Russia” narative. I wondered for awhile what could be the use of such a narrative. But months ago I did figure out that not doing anything about it would had the also very bad result that the unethical efforts of the Russians give them in the end a puppet in the white house. The “narrative” IMHO has had the effect of letting the Russians know that they did not gain what they wanted. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/6 "2017-04-07T02:14:30Z")
I posted it on the other thread, but maybe someone can explain it to me here. I don’t understand - it clearly does not make sense for Assad regime to use chemical weapons right now. Assad is winning. Chemical weapons are, due to the obvious reaction to their use, a weapon of last resort. Assad is not at the “last resort” stage, he is about to win. Why did he use those weapons? It’s completely irrational. Is there any possibility at all that this was a false flag thing? I know it is very CP etc. but it would make sense whereas Assad using chemical weapons doesn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Mosier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ea924/32.png) [@Mosier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mosier)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/7 "2017-04-07T02:14:55Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > So, nuclear war over the weekend? If that’s the position you want to argue against, by all means don’t let me stop you. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/8 "2017-04-07T02:17:18Z")
During the press conference, Trump also invoked god and prayers. He’s checking off the demagogue boxes one by one. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/9 "2017-04-07T02:17:30Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > I posted it on the other thread, but maybe someone can explain it to me here. I don’t understand - it clearly does not make sense for Assad regime to use chemical weapons right now. Assad is winning. Chemical weapons are, due to the obvious reaction to their use, a weapon of last resort. Assad is not at the “last resort” stage, he is about to win. Why did he use those weapons? It’s completely irrational. > > Is there any possibility at all that this was a false flag thing? I know it is very CP etc. but it would make sense whereas Assad using chemical weapons doesn’t. Not being a murderous dictator, I don’t have much insight into that line of thinking. However, it could be a ‘I want this done, gas the bastards till they surrender’ type thinking. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/10 "2017-04-07T02:19:39Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > I posted it on the other thread, but maybe someone can explain it to me here. I don’t understand - it clearly does not make sense for Assad regime to use chemical weapons right now. Assad is winning. Chemical weapons are, due to the obvious reaction to their use, a weapon of last resort. Assad is not at the “last resort” stage, he is about to win. Why did he use those weapons? It’s completely irrational. > > Is there any possibility at all that this was a false flag thing? I know it is very CP etc. but it would make sense whereas Assad using chemical weapons doesn’t. Did it make sense the first time he used chemical weapons when Obama drew that red line? ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/11 "2017-04-07T02:21:30Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > So, nuclear war over the weekend? Or maybe not, per CNN, they told Russians before they attacked. I doubt Russians did not tell SyAF. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/12 "2017-04-07T02:28:35Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Did it make sense the first time he used chemical weapons when Obama drew that red line? It didn’t then either (although at the time maybe Assad felt cornered. He definitely didn’t now - by all analysts’ opinions, he’s about to win decisively in Syria’s civil war). It also doesn’t make sense, if you’re using chemical weapons, why use them once in a blue moon only? What in the world is the rationale there? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/13 "2017-04-07T02:30:33Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > I posted it on the other thread, but maybe someone can explain it to me here. I don’t understand - it clearly does not make sense for Assad regime to use chemical weapons right now. Assad is winning. Chemical weapons are, due to the obvious reaction to their use, a weapon of last resort. Assad is not at the “last resort” stage, he is about to win. Why did he use those weapons? It’s completely irrational. > > Is there any possibility at all that this was a false flag thing? I know it is very CP etc. but it would make sense whereas Assad using chemical weapons doesn’t. Who’s false flag are you suggesting? U.S.? Russian? ISIS? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/14 "2017-04-07T02:30:58Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > I posted it on the other thread, but maybe someone can explain it to me here. I don’t understand - it clearly does not make sense for Assad regime to use chemical weapons right now. Assad is winning. Chemical weapons are, due to the obvious reaction to their use, a weapon of last resort. Assad is not at the “last resort” stage, he is about to win. Why did he use those weapons? It’s completely irrational. > > Is there any possibility at all that this was a false flag thing? I know it is very CP etc. but it would make sense whereas Assad using chemical weapons doesn’t. One has to remember here that Saddam had also little to fear from the Kurds, but he also dropped chemical weapons on them. Back then the excuse was that Iran could still get the upper hand in the already winding down Iran-Iraq war, but IIRC there was recently a recognition by the Iraqi courts that Saddam did want to kill two birds with one chemical stone back in the 80’s. Saddam already did had it against the Kurds and they were expendable to him. The scandal was that Ronald Reagan knew about it but not much was done then as Saddam was one of the “[son of a bitches](http://washingtonmonthly.com/2006/05/16/but-hes-our-son-of-a-bitch/)” of America back then. > **[Exclusive: CIA Files Prove America Helped Saddam as He Gassed Iran](https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/08/26/exclusive-cia-files-prove-america-helped-saddam-as-he-gassed-iran/)** > > The U.S. knew Hussein was launching some of the worst chemical attacks in history -- and still gave him a hand. ---
**Author:** ![Okrahoma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90db22/32.png) [@Okrahoma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Okrahoma)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/15 "2017-04-07T02:33:35Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Who’s false flag are you suggesting? U.S.? Russian? ISIS? If there is one, I’d suggest ISIS. They are definitely ruthless enough for it. Question is, the type of weapon used - is it something that it was possible for ISIS to obtain? Are there chemical markers that some inspectors can use to trace its origins? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/16 "2017-04-07T02:33:47Z")
Anything to push his criminal administration and treasonous ties to Russia off the front page. “We can’t take in these refugees! They’re Muslim!” “Oh, let’s avenge their deaths with our mighty weapons!” Just a wee bit of hypocrisy here. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/17 "2017-04-07T02:36:56Z")
So if they told the Russians the place and time of the attack won’t that tip off the Syrians? Even if the only thing they are told is that that the Russian attaché Ivan and every one else has to leave right now? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/18 "2017-04-07T02:40:35Z")
Funny how Trump felt Obama doing anything about Assad was not in the best interests of America, but now he’s in charge, it is. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/19 "2017-04-07T02:43:40Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > Not being a murderous dictator, I don’t have much insight into that line of thinking. However, it could be a ‘I want this done, gas the bastards till they surrender’ type thinking. > > Slee IMHO more to do with the future, where dictators fall to their old “rule books” that tell them that even in peacetime they should use fear to control the population. Fear is the key to obedience for them. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944/20 "2017-04-07T02:44:47Z")
> [@Okrahoma](#): > > I posted it on the other thread, but maybe someone can explain it to me here. I don’t understand - it clearly does not make sense for Assad regime to use chemical weapons right now. Assad is winning. Chemical weapons are, due to the obvious reaction to their use, a weapon of last resort. Assad is not at the “last resort” stage, he is about to win. Why did he use those weapons? It’s completely irrational. > > Is there any possibility at all that this was a false flag thing? I know it is very CP etc. but it would make sense whereas Assad using chemical weapons doesn’t. What sense does it make for Assad to run hospitals where random Syrian are detained for sometimes no reason, tortured, and forced to murder other prisoners? CNN reported earlier that the Pentagon is releasing radar tracks of aircraft leaving this base, circling the locations where the CW was used, and returning to the base. Assuming this evidence is released, would you still be inclined to think this is a conspiracy attempting to wrongly accuse Assad of an atrocity? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-missiles-fired-at-syria/783944.md?page=2)