Accused of being a “Russian puppet” by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and backed by the media, 70-year-old President Donald Trump proved he doesn’t fit the narrative hitting Syria with 59 Cruise missiles. Ordering the strike in response to Syria’s April 4 Sarin nerve gas attack the rebel-controlled village of Khan Sheikhoun, Trump defied the false claim that he’s in bed with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Democrats and the liberal media accuse Trump of colluding with Putin to win the Nov. 8 election, something not supported by any facts. Shooting Cruise missiles at the Al Shayrat air base in Syria, Trump antagonized the Kremlin, calling the attack reckless and illegitimate. “We strongly condemn the illegitimate actions by the U.S. The consequences of this for regional and international stability could be extremely serious,” said Russian Deputy U.N. Amb. Vladimir Safronkov.
Since investigated by the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, the rolling narrative pegged Trump as backing the Kremlin, especially when it came to Syria. Trump’s order to attack Shayrat air base risked injuring Russian military personnel, working in lockstep with the Syria together with Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia. Showing that Moscow walks a razor’s edge defending al-Assad, press reports indicated that Putin cancelled the “deconfliction” protocol, allowing U.S. and Russian air forces to coordinate flight paths to avoid possible mishaps. When the dust settled after the Tomahawk strike, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova confirmed Russia’s intent to reestablish the hotline. “Today everyone heard the statement of the Defense Ministry, which gave a clear assessment of this step and what motivated it,” said Zakharova, reestablishing the hotline.
Beating the war drums on Capitol Hill, Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, hoped yesterday’s strike was Trump’s commitment to continue the Saudi proxy war against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian opposition forces backed by Saudi Arabia, U.S. and Turkey hoped the Cruise missile strike was a change in Trump’s policy. “I would not in any way attempt to extrapolate that to a change in our policy or posture relative to our military activities in Syria today,” said Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. “There has been no change in that status,” responding to calls from McCain and Syrian rebel groups to escalate the U.S. war to change regimes in Damascus. When Russia softened its tone, they realized that the White House had not changed its Syrian policy. Trump said during the campaign he had no intent of opening up a new front in Syria.
Trump’s focus has been on disposing of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS], not battling Russia to evict al-Assad from Damascus. Whatever happened April 4 with what looked like a Sarin gas attack, Trump had enough evidence to justify a Cruise missile attack. Seeking to contrast himself from former President Barack Obama, Trump acted decisively when confronted with al-Assad’s use of poison gas, a recognized weapon of mass destruction. When the U.S. and Russia agreed, after al-Assad’s March 19, 2013 poison gas attack in Ghouta, killing 281, injuring 3,600, to remove all of al-Assad’s poison gas, al-Assad promised not to do it again. Reports of al-Assad’s continued use of chemical warfare prompted Trump to act. Whatever Obama didn’t do, Trump decided that it was time to send al-Assad, Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un a message.
With all the talk of Trump trying to mend fences with the Russians, it’s clear it must be for the right reasons. U.N. Amb. Nikki Haley blasted the Kremlin April 5 for aiding-and-abetting al-Assad’s use of poison gas. Despite protests from Moscow and Tehran, Trump’s received almost universal praise for sending a loud message to al-Assad. Whether admitted to or not, the real message goes to Putin, letting him know that there are limits to U.S. patience. When Putin invaded Crimea March 1, 2014, Obama did nothing other than complain in the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly. Three years later, Russia still controls Ukraine’s Crimea Peninsula, with little sign that Putin’s about to give it back. Hitting the Syrian air base lets al-Assad know, despite Russian and Iranian backing, that any more use of WMD will result in more draconic military consequences.
Meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping today at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago golf resort in Miami, the Syrian strike reminds the Chinese leader he must do more in reining in North Korea’s nuclear program. Trump’s already indicated that North Korea has crossed too many lines, raising the specter of unilateral military action. Unlike Syria that poses no real threat to U.S. national security, Kim has threatened the U.S. and its allies with nuclear annihilation. Watching events it Syria, Xi knows that Trump’s no Obama and won’t hesitate to use the military to protect U.S. national security. Syrian and Russian denials of using poison gas have zero credibility, considering al-Assad’s past track record. What’s different now is that Trump won’t tolerate the use of WMD, even where it involves standing up to the Kremlin. Trump’s critics, alleging his Kremlin ties, find themselves tongue-tied.
