Steelie: The fact that the damage on the Syria targets was only minimal, that the runway was left completely intact and that the Russians did not use any of their anti-aircraft assets to prevent the bombings means for me at least I just don't buy it.

For once I agree with you Steelie. The Russians were warned 24 hours in advance. Two Civies & 3 Syrian Soldiers killed. During the raid. I’d say that the Base was cleared out & a number of civies went in to see what they could steal & the Soldiers were trying to chase them out, as a result two Civies & three Syrian Soldiers killed. Besides, it cleared out some 60 (old tech) Tomahawks. Time to update the inventory. (My take).

It was mentioned when it first happened that the Bombs hit a Warehouse where the Rebels were holding Chemical Weapons. This has been downplayed to the Rebels advantage. The Rebels have also been known to use Chemical. Weapons. Actually, all three sides have used Chemical Weapons at some time.

What a wonderful War. ISIS, The Rebels & Assad, all fighting each other in a Round Robin. The Rebels are made up of a number of factions, who also hate/fight each other in a Round Robin. There are no innocent moslim Civilians in this War, everybody backs one side or the other. The moslim fighters keep their families close to them because they don’t trust their fellow fighters not to Rape them (Women & Children). That’s why they get killed & used as propaganda.

The only lot we should be tasking is ISIS. Leave Assad & the Rebels fight it out among themselves. I’m inclined to favour Assad a bit, at least he did have some Religious Freedom in Syria. The Rebels & ISIS want to illiminate that aspect of Syria.

Anyway, who cares moslims killing moslims can only be a good thing. Now if only we can ship the ones that escaped back to whence they came, that would also be a good thing. At least for the West.

The moment Trump entered the White House he was taken in hand by the Yank deep state to drive its long term programme. Google PNAC and Monroe Doctrine for the outline and authors of that programme. The events in Syria have been perfectly choreographed: Shock the world with a horrific false flag atrocity, raise a howl to punish the chosen target - Assad and the Syrians who elected him, restore faltering demand for regime change.

The essential part of the regime change is nail it down with external force to disallow the Syrians from choosing who should lead their country. Surest is the way they did it in Libya and Iraq - kill the deposed leader.

It doesn't always work. Look at Vietnam, where they disallowed an election because the US President feared "the commies would win". Countless deaths later the commies won!

If the gas weapons were delivered by aircraft there is a very very
limited number of airfields possible. If the Wedgetail was in the air
or another similar aircraft then they will know for certain where it was from.

It is six of one and half a dozen of the other whether it was a wise move or not.
It has at least one positive result.
Those that thought he was all talk & waffle, will now realise that
what he says he might do.
That at least is a move to reality.

Bazz.

What reality are you referring to?

Reality at the moment is that Trump is moving a strike force into Western Pacific waters near North Korea.
Reality is that Donald Trump could provoke North Korea and China and Russia and start a nuclear war.

Dear Bazz,

You wrote;

“Those that thought he was all talk & waffle, will now realise that what he says he might do.“

Good lord mate, where did that come from? Trump has been very explicit in wanting to keep the US out of the Syrian conflict. He was also very vocal about Obama possibly taking action without congressional approval. His actions are diametrically opposed to the very things he said he would do so how on earth are you putting this in the plus column for him?

Dear Loudmouth,

You wrote;

“And over-arching Syria is of course, the Sunni-Shi'ite fracture.”

You naturally, given your ideology, are keen to reduce this to Islamic feuding. That is not what the facts support. Here is a documentary from Al Jezeera of “The Boy who started the Syrian War”. What was telling was the example of true democracy on display, one that took courage and resolve, one that had people from that city protesting on the streets for the release of these teenagers despite the risk of injury and death.
http://video.aljazeera.com/channels/eng/videos/the-boy-who-started-the-syrian-war---featured-documentary/5318377073001;jsessionid=07DB0F611C37E0422F42C08AFFA64D0C

Have other actors imposed themselves into the conflict? Of course, as with any war, but first and foremost this has been a resistance movement against a tyrannical security apparatus.

Dear Foxy,

Thank you but I'm not sure my link really helped since it poses far more questions than it answers, at least in my mind. Not that this is a bad thing. If you get the chance please look at the link above and tell me what you think. This is the thing about the Syrian conflict, whenever you seem to be getting closer to solidifying your appraisal of it something else comes along to point you in another direction. What is indisputable though is the death and misery it has wrought on a beautiful people. Terrible.

A lot of people though Trump was all a big bag of wind.

Now the US Pacific Fleet was at Singapore but having been diverted to
near Korea the shortest path is through the Sth China Sea.
Now that is something to watch VERY closely.

If China does nothing then it totally undermines their claim to
sovereignty of that ocean. If the fleet goes the long way round it
will undermine the US's objection.
I wonder if that was the conversation with xi in Florida ?