GLOBAL POWERS ARE WARNING AGAINST A CONFLICT BETWEEN THE US & RUSSIA

….NATO headquarters in Brussels was on red alert after Trump’s tweets about Syria’s chemical attacks

Once again, Trump tweets before engaging his brain

The idiot in the White House is bound and determined to get the US into the same kind of “stupid war” that he campaigned against before the election.

Based on his latest tweets about warning Russia that missiles were going to be on their way to Syria, the Kremlin warned that if missiles hit any Russian citizens or soldiers in Syria, there could be a direct conflict between these two nuclear nations.

Finally, in Moscow, the Kremlin has started tamping down the fears of a conflict with the United States.  They did this by signaling for the first time that it might not carry out threats to retaliate against a US strike.

The truth appears to be that Russia is not the strong powerful force in Syria that they have been trying to present to the world.  In addition, it appears that the Syrian Air Force has been moving some of their planes over to the Russian bases to protect them from potential American Tomahawk missiles.

All of this brouhaha is only because of the ill-advised tough talk from Trump about a US-led military strikes in retaliation for the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons against its own people.  (Why Trump telegraphed this potential attack was just another major screw-up.)  The chemical attack was in a Damascus suburb where hundreds of innocent people, including children,  were killed with chemical weapons that have been verified by blood and urine samples from the bodies.

There are global indications that efforts are in process for heading off a serious confrontation, and those global powers are gathering momentum.

Here are some examples:

In Britain, Prime Minister Theresa May met with her top leadership team Thursday to discuss backing military action in Syria. A statement after the cabinet meeting was limited, saying that Britain believes the use of chemical weapons should not go “unchallenged.” The British government “agreed on the need to take action to alleviate humanitarian distress and to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime,” the statement said, and this was without committing to any form of military involvement.

Another tweet from President Trump, kind of backtracked from his previous warning that missiles soon would be heading toward Syria.  This further contributed to the sense that the threat of a confrontation was receding. “Never said when an attack on Syria would take place,” Trump tweeted. “Could be very soon or not so soon at all!”

Syrians who had been bracing for US missile strikes for three nights in a row said the mood in the capital of Damascus was somewhat relaxing, with residents increasingly lessening the threat as the days have passed.

French President Emmanuel Macron gave the strongest indication that France is ready to join the United States if necessary, in striking Syria, saying that France has “proof” that some form of chemical attack occurred.

 “But right now, the talk is about the necessity of de-escalation,” said Alexander Golts, an independent military analyst in Moscow. “However, we did practically come to the brink of war.”

The real fears that a major war could be imminent eased a bit across the Middle East on after the flurry of tweets and statements by world leaders suggested that they are looking for ways to de-escalate the tensions of recent days.

“We still believe that it is very necessary to avoid any steps which can trigger an escalation in tensions in Syria,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “We believe that this could have a very destructive impact on the entire Syrian settlement.”

US government supporters said they took Trump’s latest tweet on Syria to mean the United States was backing down, just as President Barack Obama did not carry through on his threat to strike Syria in 2013 in retaliation for a chemical attack in Eastern Ghouta.  (Interesting that this was the same Damascus suburb that was the target of Saturday’s attack….?)

“This shows that the dog that barks doesn’t bite,” said Ammar Ismael, speaking from the Syrian coastal province of Latakia, an Assad government stronghold. “America knows that Assad is winning.”  Unfortunately, that appears to be a true statement because of the Russian and Iranian support of Assad.  The rebels are losing.

But Assad has still remained defiant, telling reporters in Damascus that the US allegations of a chemical weapons attack were “based on facts fabricated by their accomplices.” Assad has made public appearances throughout the week, dispelling rumors that he had gone into hiding, escaped to Iran or sought refuge on a Russian base.  He was seen on local TV along with those supporters from both Russia and Iran.

The Russian Kommersant newspaper quoted an anonymous Defense Ministry sources as saying that Russia’s General Staff was in touch with the US Joint Chiefs of Staff and expected to receive coordinates on airstrike targets from the Pentagon to avoid Russian casualties.  But there was no comment from the Joint Chiefs to confirm that statement.

Thursday’s statements by Trump and Macron represent a growing recognition that strikes without a strategy will not work and that, if they are to be conducted, it should be in tandem with a broader effort to end the Syrian war.  This was stated by Nicholas Heras of the Center for a New American Security.

“This entire crisis is about forcing Russia to put a leash on Assad,” Heras said. “What the United States and France are aiming to do is get Russia to the table and to force Russia to take ownership for Assad’s behavior.  The United States has tried diplomacy for diplomacy’s sake, but now the mood is to use military force for diplomacy’s sake,” he added. “Russia can play ball, or it can watch as the US and its allies drive down the field on Assad.”

But does the maniac in the White House have what it takes to make the proper moves, or will he once again make quick decision without any real strategy behind them?

I guess only time will tell.

Copyright G.Ater  2018