President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to launch a missile strike on Syria's military air field in April 2017 after Syria was accused of using chemical weapons against his own people. Then in April of 2018, just last week, the President ordered another missile strike against Syria for using chemical weapons once again against his people. This time the strike was against Syria's manufacturing and their warehouse storage facilities used for storing those weapons.
Last years April strike did not prevent Syria's president Assad from using chemical weapons again last week so what will last weeks strike accomplish? Some of our own military leaders said Assad had enough time to move some chemical weapons out of the cites that were attacked and moved them to a safer location. Prior to the latest chemical attack President Trump said publically he wanted all American troops out of Syria very soon. So what will be the President's policy now concerning our troops and our position on the Syrian situation.
Syria has been in a civil war for over five years and the uprising faces a brutal dictator which is not uncommon in that part of the world. There are a number of opposing forces in the country and in the border region which are involved along with the U.S. and Russia. Another Iraq is not the answer.
This writer believes the U.S. needs a policy and not a reaction response after the fact. The middle east is different but the U.S. does have qualified people who know the area and are capable of drawing up a new policy to deal with the situation as it is . Unfortunately, knowledgeable people are excluded from the Trump administration and the President himself has no real respect for the responsibility that goes with being President.
Our men and women in uniform have been in the middle east long enough and have paid a bitter price. They and their families deserve more respect and thought from our leaders.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
