111 Notes

  • Obama went right to brink to order military action (would have been almost the same as claim as with Gidaffi)

    • Gidaffi had no precedent of murdering people yet Syria did

  • Why did the US go in?

    • main factor there was no buy-in from other countries, no hope for Russia, un council, or NATO countries

    • Burden sharing is helpful but not essential

    • Can it give Uncle Sam a black eye even if its losing, yes, which is what makes US stand back

  • US confronted Assad regime in 2013 and subsequent years

  • Funneling some arms and training to anti-Assad rebels was fine.

    • striking Assad with American missiles almost out of question 9excpet of what Obama said about redline)

  • Obama focused on usage of chemical weapons specifically

    • Obama implied chemical weapon was against law, yet country needs to opt into it. And even if in it, not another country obligation to make sure they don’t.

    • Its easier to condemn weapons in a diff category than anything US currently using.

    • focus not on lives lost but how

  • how did 1st term trump handle it?

    • chemical weapons kept getting most attention from white house

    • Assad appears to be testing new president.

    • Struck town Khan Sheikoun, largest chemical attack in Syria since joined chemical weapon abstinence

    • Trump sounded outraged next day (talking with another world leader who not threatened by Syria)

    • Trump criticized Obama for not following through on threat. Trump ordered attack to happen unlike Obama.

    • Missiles hit, only change in Syria had changed to normal bombs (still attacking people).

    • Seems to have impacted other countries reaction more

    • Media did 180 from attacking to praising him. (talking about him talking from the heart). US had expectations, he would continue?

    • Became clear he would not do much else. He seems happy with contrast to Obama and did not change strategy.

    • 1 year anniversary Assad’s forces killed 50 people with chlorine gas. He attacked again with France and UK.

    • Big in news, but not any more intervention after.

    • Obama administration kept saying Assad must go. Yet trump administration said not major concern. Basically “we can live with him“

  • Idea of okay with him in power or not. Yet nothing much changed when Biden came in.

  • US receded into background of war between Assad’s and rebels. Did not like Assad but stood aside.

  • Other countries realize he will stay. Trying to make amends, yet US does not want to make amends with Assad or kick him out.

  • Basically the prospect of US military aggression against Assad seemed to grow when Trump joined, yet remained very low overall when Obama called off strike.

  • So even when rebels prevailed US was watching unfold not shaping events.

  • Even tho US wanted to get glory, they hardly played any role.