For those who don’t think I give credit where credit is due when it comes to Donald Trump:
I want to acknowledge that after the Syrian regime’s latest horrific chemical weapons attack on civilians, he has finally tweeted something critical about Vladimir Putin.
Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
Given Trump’s willingness to publicly humiliate his own attorney general, among countless others, his readiness to overlook or downplay Putin’s role in undermining American democracy and murdering opponents seemed rather suspicious. It was almost as if Putin had something on Trump. (It’s entirely possible that Putin does have something on Trump, so stay tuned.)
The Assad regime’s atrocity (which of course it denies) comes a year after Trump ordered a cruise missile assault on a Syrian military airfield in retaliation for an earlier chemical massacre.
If that one-time response was an effort to deter Assad from launching similar attacks in the future, it clearly did not have the desired effect.
Of course Barack Obama’s decision to back off from his “red line” on Syria’s use of chemical weapons was one of the low points of his administration. And Trump may have a point here:
If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
But Obama at least made a half-hearted effort to arm and train anti-Assad Syrian rebels (a program which Trump ended). And Obama stopped being president more than 14 months ago. What if anything will Trump do to make “Animal Assad” history?
What will the “Big price” be?
Update: And of course Corbyn can’t bring himself to assign blame.
The horrific deaths and injuries in Douma point to a chemical attack which must be fully investigated by the UN and those responsible held to account. The need to restart real negotiations for peace and a political settlement in Syria could not be more urgent.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 8, 2018
Strangely he has no problem doing so when it comes to Israel.
The killing and wounding of yet more unarmed Palestinian protesters yesterday by Israeli forces in Gaza is an outrage.
I have asked for this statement to be read at today's demonstration supporting the Palestinian people in Gaza: https://t.co/KzxZU83cIg
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) April 7, 2018
It’s a telling commentary on Corbyn that in this instance, he manages to make Trump look good by comparison.
