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Whoa: This Is Why A Former Obama Adviser Is Praising Trump

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By Townhall. A former national security adviser for President Obama is giving his successor some kudos for his foreign policy.

“The Trump administration has had some success in defeating ISIS, which I think is commendable,” said Jim Jones during an interview with The Hill.TV. . .

Jones coupled his praise of Trump with some criticism of his old boss. Obama’s “red line” warning for Syria was a “mistake,” Jones said. In that infamous speech in 2012, Obama said the U.S. was placing a red line in the sand. If Syria encroached it, they would feel our wrath. Well, Syria did just that. The military attacked rebel-controlled areas of the Damascus with chemical weapons, killing 1,500 civilians. It was horrific and an obvious breach of that “red line,” but the U.S. failed to follow through on its threat. There would be no military retaliation. . .

Contrast that with Trump’s response to Bashar al Assad’s second use of chemical weapons against his own people. When we found evidence to suggest Assad had been behind the latest attack, Trump promptly ordered airstrikes on Syrian military sites. A majority of Americans supported the aggressive action.

Over the weekend, the U.S. requested that Israel and other Western nations help rescue White Helmet workers from Syria. The White Helmets are credited with saving thousands of people in rebel-held areas. (Read more from “Whoa: This Is Why A Former Obama Adviser Is Praising Trump” HERE)

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White House Seeks to Clarify Trump ‘Hoax’ Tweet on Russian Interference

By The Guardian. Donald Trump was “obviously” referring to allegations of collusion between his campaign and Russia when he tweeted on Sunday night about “a big hoax”, the White House said, after critics said the president was yet again casting doubt on whether Russia interfered with the 2016 US election.

The White House press secretary, Sarah Sanders, said: “Obviously the president is talking about the collusion with his campaign. He’s been very clear that there wasn’t any. I think he’s said it about 1,000 times.”

Trump tweeted that Barack Obama “didn’t tell our campaign” about Russia, “because it is all a big hoax”.

That came after a week of criticism over his handling of his Helsinki summit with the Russian president, Vladimir Putin. In Finland, Trump sided with Putin, who denies that Russia interfered. In Washington, Trump confirmed his acceptance of US intelligence conclusions about Russian interference but also said it “could be other people also. There’s a lot of people out there.” (Read more from “White House Seeks to Clarify Trump ‘Hoax’ Tweet on Russian Interference” HERE)

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International Group Confirms Sarin, Chlorine Used in Attack on Syrian City

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By The Blaze. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons released a new report on Wednesday that said sarin and chlorine gases were “very likely” used as chemical weapons in a Syrian city on March 24-25, 2017.

The OPCW is an international organization that serves as the “implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention” of 1997. The OPCW is made up of 192 member states, including Syria, which signed the the agreement in 2013. . .

The report from the OPCW Fact-Finding Mission confirmed that sarin gas was “very likely used in the south of Ltamenah, Syrian Arab Republic, on 24 March 2017.” It also concluded that chlorine was “very likely used as a chemical weapon at Ltamenah Hospital and the surrounding area on 25 March 2017.”

Ltamenah, or Latamneh, is a village in northern Syria. According to reports, at least three people were killed and 32 were injured by the attack on March 25, in which a helicopter belonging to Syria’s air force dropped a barrel bomb containing chlorine gas on a hospital.

Under current rules, the OPCW can only tell if a chemical attack has taken place and not speculate on who caused it. The OPCW used to be able to assign blame, as part of a joint UN-OPCW mandate, but Russia vetoed the mandate’s renewal in November last year. (Read more from “International Group Confirms That Assad Likely Used Sarin, Chlorine in Attack on Syrian City” HERE)

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Syria War: OPCW Says Sarin Was Used in March 2017 Attack

By BBC. The global chemical weapons watchdog says the nerve agent Sarin and chlorine are very likely to have been used in attacks on a Syrian village last year.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons concluded Sarin was used as a weapon in the south of rebel-held Latamina on 24 March 2017, and chlorine at its hospital the next day.

It did not assign blame for the incidents, in line with its mandate.

But activists said at the time the area was under attack by government forces.

The government has repeatedly denied ever using chemical weapons. (Read more from “Syria War: OPCW Says Sarin Was Used in March 2017 Attack” HERE)

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Massive Explosion Rocks Syrian Military Base, Registered as an Earthquake on Seismographs, Raises Fears of Russia Retaliation

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A 2.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded close to Taqsees, Hama, Syria at 10:40 PM local time (3:40 NY time) Sunday, at the same time Syrian TV reported several explosions in the same area.

Moments later, videos of an intense set of explosions, reportedly at a Syrian military base at Jabal al-Bukhut 47, some 10 miles south-east of Hama, began to pop on the social networks.

One report cited a hostile strike (Israel) that targeted an ammunition depots in the Hama area which is one of the depots used mostly by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. . .

Early Sunday morning (before the explosions), Syrian sources reported that an Iranian military plane from Tehran landed in the Hama airport. It was unusual enough event that the Syrian sources felt it important to report at the time.

(Read more from “Massive Explosion Rocks Syrian Military Base, Registered as an Earthquake on Seismographs, Raises Fears of Russia Retaliation” HERE)

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Report: U.S. Plans to Create Arab Force to Replace American Troops in Syria

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By The Daily Caller. The Trump administration is seeking to raise an army of Arab soldiers from Syria’s neighboring countries that would take over for American troops and help stabilize the northeastern part of the country after the defeat of Islamic State, according to U.S. officials.

John Bolton, President Donald Trump’s new national security adviser, has called Egypt’s acting intelligence chief to ask if Cairo would contribute troops to the effort, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday.

The plan comes as the Trump administration searches for a way forward in Syria after launching punitive strikes against targets associated with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons program. There are about 2,000 American troops deployed inside Syria, and Trump has expressed a desire to withdraw at least some of them this year.

Still, top administration officials say American troops will remain in Syria until the U.S. accomplished three goals: The total defeat of ISIS, ensuring chemical weapons can’t be used in any way that harms U.S. interests, and establishing a vantage point to watch what Iran is doing in the country.

As he mentioned in his address announcing the allied strikes, Trump is seeking to enlist the help of regional governments to accomplish those objectives. (Read more from “Report: U.S. Plans to Create Arab Force to Replace American Troops in Syria” HERE)

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U.S. Seeks Arab Force and Funding for Syria

By CNN. President Donald Trump’s newly minted national security adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo are among those spearheading a push to build a coalition of Arab military forces that could replace US troops in Syria and serve as a stabilizing force in the region once ISIS is defeated, according to sources familiar with internal discussions.

While convincing nations like Saudi Arabia to join the cause is sure to come at a price, the Trump administration is considering an offer that includes putting a compelling reward on the table, a source close to the White House told CNN.

A similar concept was initially floated in 2013 as part of the Obama administration’s anti-ISIS strategy, but the idea of establishing an Arab force aligned with US interests recently picked up new momentum after President Donald Trump declared that he wants to withdraw US troops from Syria and have other countries “take care of it.”

Specifically, the US is pursuing contributions from Egypt, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to help counter Iran in Syria by filling the void should the US significantly reduce its footprint in the country. (Read more from “U.S. Seeks Arab Force and Funding for Syria” HERE)

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Syrian Survivor Praises Trump, Says the One Thing Liberals Don’t Want to Hear

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By Bizpac Review. A Syrian refugee praised President Trump for his decision, unlike his predecessor, to “do something” about the chemical attacks in his country.

Liberals may be fainting or fuming over Trump’s decision to carry out a missile attack on Syria, but one Syrian refugee is extremely thankful that it is Trump and not former President Obama who is in office.

“I just want to tell Mr. Trump directly: I’m a Syrian refugee who survived chemical weapons attacks, who lived under two years of siege and bombardment by the government,” Kassem Eid told CNN.

Eid, who survived the 2013 Syrian chemical attack, celebrated Trump’s intervention which was the opposite of Obama’s lack of action against Syria.

He hoped to be able to tell the president that he “proved once again, yesterday, that you have a big heart. At least a lot more bigger than Obama because you actually tried to do something. We need real, long-term commitment to bring peace to Syria.” (Read more from “Syrian Survivor Praises Trump, Says the One Thing Liberals Don’t Want to Hear” HERE)

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Syria Air Strikes: Russia Denies Tampering With Suspected Chemical Attack Site

By BBC. Russia has denied interfering with evidence at the site of the suspected Syrian chemical attack, which led to Western air strikes on Saturday.

In an interview for BBC’s Hardtalk, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: “I can guarantee that Russia has not tampered with the site.”

The US raised concern at the international chemical weapons agency.

International inspectors will be allowed to visit the site on Wednesday, the Russian military has announced.

A nine-strong team from the agency, the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons), has been waiting nearby in the Syrian capital Damascus for the green light. (Read more from “Syria Air Strikes: Russia Denies Tampering With Suspected Chemical Attack Site” HERE)

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Russia Heeds Trump Warning, Possible Syria War

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By WND. Russia has moved at least 11 navy ships deployed in Syria out to sea in the event of a U.S. military strike, which appears to be imminent in the wake of an exchange of threats between President Trump and Russian officials.

Trump replied early Wednesday to a Russian threat to shoot down any U.S. missiles in Syria with a tweet: “Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’”

The threatened military strike is a response to an alleged chemical attack last week on civilians blamed on the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The Israel-based commercial organization ImageSat International provided satellite images to Fox News showing 11 Russian naval craft in the port of Tartus have departed, leaving only a single submarine.

The Syrian army also is evacuating military bases and transferring aircraft to bases with strong Russian support. (Read more from “Russia Heeds Trump Warning, Possible Syria War” HERE)

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Syria War: Trump Says Missiles ‘Will Be Coming’

By BBC. Senior Russian figures have threatened to meet any US strikes with a response.

President Bashar al-Assad’s government denies mounting a chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Douma.

In one of his tweets on Wednesday, Mr Trump called the Syrian leader a “gas killing animal”.

In another, he painted a dark picture of US-Russia relations but said it did not have to be that way.

The US, UK and France have agreed to work together and are believed to be preparing for a military strike in response to the alleged chemical attack at the weekend. (Read more from “Syria War: Trump Says Missiles ‘Will Be Coming'” HERE)

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Mattis Says U.S. Hasn’t Ruled out Action Against Assad

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By CNN. The US has not ruled out launching airstrikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime in response to the weekend’s suspected chemical gas attack on civilians, Defense Secretary James Mattis said Monday.

“I don’t rule out anything right now,” Mattis said while hosting Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, at the Pentagon.

“The first thing we have to look at is why are chemical weapons still being used at all when Russia was the framework guarantor of removing all chemical weapons, and so working with our allies and partners from NATO to Qatar and elsewhere we are going to address this issue,” Mattis continued.

President Donald Trump strongly condemned the “atrocious” chemical weapons attack in Syria during a Cabinet meeting at the White House Monday and said a decision on US action would be made over the next 24-48 hours. (Read more from “Mattis Says U.S. Hasn’t Ruled out Action Against Assad” HERE)

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‘I Don’t Rule Anything Out’: Mattis on Taking Action in Syria

By AFP. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Monday pointed toward Russia’s role in a suspected poison gas attack on the Syrian rebel-held town of Douma, and said he would not rule out a military response.

Russia was supposed to guarantee the disposal of Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons in September 2013, but President Bashar al-Assad’s regime is suspected of conducting repeated gas attacks since then.

“The first thing we have to look at is why are chemical weapons still being used at all when Russia was the framework guarantor of removing all the chemical weapons,” Mattis said at the Pentagon in a meeting with his Qatari counterpart.

“Working with our allies and our partners from NATO to Qatar and elsewhere, we are going to address this issue … I don’t rule out anything right now.”

Syria has been accused multiple times of using toxic weapons including sarin gas in the country’s seven-year war, which has killed more than 350,000 people. (Read more from “‘I Don’t Rule Anything Out’: Mattis on Taking Action in Syria” HERE)

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Syria Chemical Attack: France’s President ‘Has Proof’

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By BBC. France’s President Emmanuel Macron says he has “proof” that the Syrian government attacked the town of Douma with chemical weapons last weekend.

He said he would decide “in due course” whether to respond with air strikes.

Urine and blood samples from victims of the attack have tested positive for chlorine and a nerve agent, media reports quote US officials as saying.

Western states are thought to be preparing for missile strikes. Russia strongly opposes such action . . .

He did not give the source of his information but said: “We have proof that last week chemical weapons, at least chlorine, were used by the regime of Bashar al-Assad.” (Read more from “Syria Chemical Attack: France’s President ‘Has Proof'” HERE)

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France and UK Prepare Syria Response as Assad Warns West to Stay Out

By CNN. President Bashar al-Assad is warning the West against attacking Syria as President Donald Trump’s international allies make preparations to join the United States in any military action against the regime in response to last week’s suspected chemical attack.

British Prime Minister Theresa May’s senior ministers agreed on the need for action against Syria at a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, but Downing Street did not specify what measures the UK would take.

May spoke with Trump on Thursday night about the international response to Syria, and they “agreed that the Assad regime had established a pattern of dangerous behavior in relation to the use of chemical weapons,” according to a statement a Downing Street spokesperson shared with CNN.

“They agreed it was vital that the use of chemical weapons did not go unchallenged, and on the need to deter the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime. They agreed to keep working closely together on the international response,” the statement said. (Read more from “France and UK Prepare Syria Response as Assad Warns West to Stay Out” HERE)

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Syria Turns Kurds Over to Turkish Forces for Slaughter

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Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse in Syria, the government in Damascus appears to be turning over the Kurdish city of Afrin to the Turkish military and pro-Turkish militias.

Turkey has a long-standing grudge against the Kurds who have long fought for an independent state of their own, including for a large population of Kurds in and around Turkey.

The Turks took control of the city following an air and ground campaign last month, displacing some 137,000 people. The remainder of the population, somewhere between 50,000 and 70,000 people, according to United Nations estimates, now find themselves trapped in the devastated city, with little food and clean water, no power and sealed off by Syrian military forces as well as Turkish . . .

In addition to the humanitarian crisis in Afrin, the U.S. military says the Turkish offensive is disrupting the ability to defeat ISIS forces in the area, permitting them to regroup and return.

Colonel Ryan Dillon, the U.S. military spokesman on the ground there said military leaders have noticed a fall in the number of airstrikes against ISIS targets – not because the terrorist group has been eliminated, but because a stall in ground operations caused by the Afrin offensive allowed ISIS fighters the time and space to regroup and dig in. (Read more from “Syria Turns Kurds Over to Turkish Forces for Slaughter” HERE)

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Civilians Massacred in Syria Town Taken From ISIS

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The Islamic State militants came into the Syrian town with a hit list. By the time they left three weeks later, more than 70 civilians had been killed — shot or beheaded, their bodies dumped in farms and ditches.

The apparent revenge killings in the town of Qaryatayn underscore the ability of the extremists to inflict heavy losses even when they’re in retreat — and portend more violence as they fight to hang on to their last strongholds in Syria.

News of the gruesome slayings began to emerge late Sunday, after IS militants were driven out by advancing government troops.

Terrified residents said they watched the slaughter from their windows or in the streets.

One former resident said his surviving family members walked for miles to find cell phone coverage so they could tell him of the deaths of his uncle, two cousins and a fourth relative. Another uncle remains missing. (Read more from “Civilians Massacred in Syria Town Taken From ISIS” HERE)

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