Tillerson: Steps Already Underway for US Removal of Assad

[twomp]

Not long after officials began confirming that President Trump was “considering” military action against Syria to remove President Bashar Assad from power, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has confirmed that “steps are under way” in the administration for Assad’s ouster.

Exactly what those steps are isn’t totally clear, but Tillerson talked up the idea of an “international community effort” that would both defeat ISIS and remove Assad from power, in additional to “stabilizing” Syria as a whole. Comments from officials familiar with the situation suggest this is almost certain to be military action.

Tillerson went on to say that Assad could have no role in the future government of Syria, and that the US would take an “appropriate response” against him to ensure that this does not happen. Tillerson has insisted only a few days ago that the US was not seeking regime change.

But while seemingly every political figure in the Trump Administration is on board for this war, military and intelligence personnel are said to be increasingly concerned with the narrative line of the government, saying they have major doubts about the Assad gas attack narrative, and are concerned this will escalate into war on a false pretext.

Former CIA officer Philip Giraldi was interviewed on the matter, saying many US intelligence officials believe the Russian narrative that the Syrian airstrike was a conventional bomb that hit an al-Qaeda chemical cache. He added that the US narrative made no sense because Assad would have no motive to launch such a strike.

http://news.antiwar.com/2017/04/06/t...oval-of-assad/

[merkelstan]

Do the elites even need public support to do stuff?

[pao]

Another view...

https://southfront.org/swedish-medic...attack-videos/

SWEDISH MEDICAL ASSOCIATIONS SAYS WHITE HELMETS MURDERED KIDS FOR FAKE GAS ATTACK VIDEOS

Originally appeared at*Veterans Today

Introduction by Gordon Duff

President Trump is now threatening to take America into a war against Syria, Iran and even Russia, a war he says is justified by “evidence” he has received from the Syrian White Helmets. *We will prove beyond any doubt that this is a “Deep State” organization, a melding of CIA, al Qaeda and Britain’s intelligence services. *We now have “slam dunk” proof that Trump and the “fake news” MSM are and always have been in lockstep, playing us all.

Continued at link.

[NorthCarolinaLiberty]

And nobody will even give a f*ck later. Just like when they cooked up Hussein's "WMD":


Former Central Intelligence Director Michael Morrell apologized to General Colin Powell, saying, "We said he [Hussein] has chemical weapons, he has a biological weapons production capability, and he is restarting his nuclear weapons program. We were wrong on all three of those."


Morrell is even bullshitting, but again, nobody cares. The beat goes on with more home delivered pizza to the couch of fat f*ck Americans.

[dannno]

Amazing, just a couple days ago Tillerson said:

Tillerson says Assad's fate up to Syrian people
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp...an-people.html



Now false flag, and boom, he changes his mind?


Here's the actual quote

“Assad’s role in the future is uncertain, clearly, and with the acts that he has taken, it would seem that there would be no role for him to govern the Syrian people.” On what steps the U.S. is prepared to take to end his rule over the country, Tillerson said: “The process by which Assad would leave is something that I think requires an international community effort—both to first defeat ISIS within Syria, to stabilize the Syrian country, to avoid further civil war, and then to work collectively with our partners around the world through a political process that would lead to Assad leaving.”

[69360]

Bull$#@!. There is no path to removing Assad that doesn't end in WW3 with the Russians. Putin is having none of that.

I've watched several interviews with Assad in english. He seems reasonable. He's no angel, but nobody is in a civil war as nasty as this one. There is no reason to remove him, it's none of our business.

[misterx]

If Russia is not a part of this "international effort", and doesn't choose his successor, then it's going to get ugly.

[misterx]

Bull$#@!. There is no path to removing Assad that doesn't end in WW3 with the Russians. Putin is having none of that.

I've watched several interviews with Assad in english. He seems reasonable. He's no angel, but nobody is in a civil war as nasty as this one. There is no reason to remove him, it's none of our business.

Basically he's the Syrian version of Abe Lincoln. One we worship, the other one must pay for war crimes.

[Zippyjuan]

Amazing, just a couple days ago Tillerson said:

Tillerson says Assad's fate up to Syrian people
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp...an-people.html



Now false flag, and boom, he changes his mind?


Here's the actual quote

Actually that is not inconsistent with what Inforwars says.

“The process by which Assad would leave is something that I think requires an international community effort—both to first defeat ISIS within Syria, to stabilize the Syrian country, to avoid further civil war, and then to work collectively with our partners around the world through a political process that would lead to Assad leaving.”

Infowars:

Exactly what those steps are isn’t totally clear, but Tillerson talked up the idea of an “international community effort” that would both defeat ISIS and remove Assad from power, in additional to “stabilizing” Syria as a whole. Comments from officials familiar with the situation suggest this is almost certain to be military action.

This is basically what Russia has said they want too.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minut...bill-whitaker/

Vladimir Komoyedov: If you cut off the head, you get chaos. There's chaos in Libya, chaos essentially in Iraq. Half the country is under ISIL. And the head was chopped off there, you see. So, if you want to so stubbornly remove the leaders of Syria, it's an enormous mistake.

Bill Whitaker: I'm just wondering if you believe that Assad has a role in the future of Syria?

Vladimir Komoyedov: The problem is that he has lost some of his authority. The people themselves must figure out, in elections, whom to follow and how to build their lives, which have been essentially ruined in Syria.

Ruined, in large part, by President Assad's own military. We got the sense Admiral Komoyedov is not crazy about the Syrian president, who has dropped bombs on his own people. The admiral used a derogatory term to describe Assad, then asked that we not repeat it on TV.

Vladimir Komoyedov: We know why the opposition was formed. It was formed due to the mistakes of the president of Syria himself.

[misterx]

Actually that is not inconsistent with what Inforwars says.



Infowars:


This is basically what Russia has said they want too.

It's not Russia's ideal, but they proposed it, so long as it's not a western-backed, al Qaeda stooge that replaces Assad. That is what we need to wait and see to know just how bad things are going to be. Is Russia going to be a part of this international effort, or not? If not, I doubt they are going to stand by and let it happen.

[Zippyjuan]

It's not Russia's ideal, but they proposed it, so long as it's not a western-backed, al Qaeda stooge that replaces Assad. That is what we need to wait and see to know just how bad things are going to be. Is Russia going to be a part of this international effort, or not? If not, I doubt they are going to stand by and let it happen.

Nothing will happen in Syria without Russia approving of it. They want their access to the Mediterranean.

[JK/SEA]

Amazing, just a couple days ago Tillerson said:

Tillerson says Assad's fate up to Syrian people
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp...an-people.html



Now false flag, and boom, he changes his mind?


Here's the actual quote

i'm starting to agree. Perhaps it was a false flag. The solution is for everyone around the world to ignore this fake news, and for the US to pull out of the middle east ...

now.

[dannno]

i'm starting to agree. Perhaps it was a false flag. The solution is for everyone around the world to ignore this fake news, and for the US to pull out of the middle east ...

now.

That is correct.

[Zippyjuan]

http://observer.com/2017/03/dennis-k...ops-war-syria/

Dennis Kucinich Blasts Illegal US War in Syria as Trump Adds Boots on the Ground

For the duration of the war in Syria, which began in 2011, the United States’ involvement has been limited to drone strikes and airstrikes, supplemented with special forces operations. Under the Trump administration, U.S. involvement is quietly escalating with the announcement that another 400 heavily armed marines will be deployed to Syria. The Washington Post reported on March 8, “The deployment marks a new escalation in the U.S. war in Syria, and puts more conventional U.S. troops in the battle. Several hundred Special Operations troops have advised local forces there for months, but the Pentagon has mostly shied away from using conventional forces in Syria. The new mission comes as the Trump administration weighs a plan to help Syrian rebels take back Raqqa, the de facto capital of the Islamic State. The plan also includes more Special Operations troops and attack helicopters.” On March 15, the Washington Post reported that the Trump administration planned to deploy 1,000 more troops to Syria in the coming weeks.

During a presidential debate in March 2016, Trump cited that there may need to be 20,000 to 30,000 troops deployed in Syria and Iraq to defeat ISIS. Though the latest boost in troop deployment contradicts Trump’s repeated stance against an interventionist foreign policy, his critics have remained silent and war hawks on both sides of the aisle likely support the decision. Trump’s announcement should warrant concern from both parties that the U.S. is getting dragged into another war in the Middle East and continuing its disastrous record in the region.

Russia, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, terrorist groups, and other countries have participated in varying extents in the war in Syria, which began six years ago as an uprising against Syrian President Assad’s oppressive regime. As was the case with similar regimes (for example, Iraq and Libya), the U.S. and other governments saw the political instability as an opportunity to engage in a geopolitical proxy war to gain influence and resources in the area. Toward the end of his presidency, Obama said that the war in Syria “haunts him constantly.”

“The more people we send over there, the more dead Americans there are going to be. And we have to stop funding the war. That’s what Tulsi Gabbard and Rand Paul are trying to do. We have to realize where the money is coming from,” said former Rep. Dennis Kucinich in an interview with the Observer.

[merkelstan]

"Add it up!" - The Violent Femmes

[juleswin]

Bull$#@!. There is no path to removing Assad that doesn't end in WW3 with the Russians. Putin is having none of that.

I've watched several interviews with Assad in english. He seems reasonable. He's no angel, but nobody is in a civil war as nasty as this one. There is no reason to remove him, it's none of our business.

When people say he is no angel, what does that mean? Are there any leaders who are angels? and if the answer is yes, please give me their names and I would find something not angelic/devlish that they have done. I think people judge the man with ridiculously high standards. Also do you know of anything particularly evil that he has done that deserves putting that disclaimer every time his name is mentioned?

[dannno]

Interesting.. Donald Trump is literally on his way right now to meet with the China's President at Maralago. China supports Assad/Syria.

[Zippyjuan]

They don't necessarily support Assad but are concerned about what removing him could mean. https://www.theatlantic.com/china/ar...-syria/279191/

There's really no evidence that China has any special affection for Bashar al-Assad or views him as essential to Syria's future, but Assad is a known element, and China believes that his departure will be chaotic. Syria lacks a unified opposition, a shadow government, or any other institution that could step in should Assad's regime collapse, so a military endeavor that decapitates the government might just make everything a whole lot worse. Plus, Beijing fears that an Islamist movement in Syria may radicalize China's Uighur population, a Sunni Muslim group which occasionally clashes with the Communist Party government.

Also:

China and Russia feel burned by what happened in Libya

On March 17, 2011, the UN Security Council voted 10 to 0 to establish a no-fly zone over Libya in order to protect Benghazi civilians from mass slaughter. Expected to veto the resolution, China and Russia instead abstained, and two days later a Western-led intervention began. When the skirmish eventually brought about the end of Muammar Gaddafi's presidency, beyond the original mission of the resolution, China made its displeasure known.

"The Chinese felt that the UN Resolution was essentially used to overthrow Gaddafi, and that it was far more expansive than what they envisioned," said Bonnie Glaser, an East Asia Senior Advisor at Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Ever since, it's safe to say that China no longer trusts American intentions in cases of foreign intervention.

[misterx]

They don't necessarily support Assad but are concerned about what removing him could mean. https://www.theatlantic.com/china/ar...-syria/279191/



Also:

And they know that if Russia is forced into a conflict with the US they have to get involved. China won't allow the US to subdue Russia and completely surround them.

[misterx]

When people say he is no angel, what does that mean? Are there any leaders who are angels? and if the answer is yes, please give me their names and I would find something not angelic/devlish that they have done. I think people judge the man with ridiculously high standards. Also do you know of anything particularly evil that he has done that deserves putting that disclaimer every time his name is mentioned?

He goes against US/Israeli interests. That's all that is required to designate a person as evil.

[phill4paul]

Rand needs to call him out and demand that he addresses the House as to what exactly his remarks mean. Ask him if he means that the administration is unilaterally acting without Congressional approval.

[eleganz]

Rand needs to call him out and demand that he addresses the House as to what exactly his remarks mean. Ask him if he means that the administration is unilaterally acting without Congressional approval.

The phoenix will rise

[ronpaulhawaii]

[misterx]

Come on now. Like anything else Trump has done is the same as Hillary. On this one thing he appears to be going down the same path, that doesn't mean we wouldn't be worse off with Hillary. For one thing, we'd have Justice Merrick Garland.

[nikcers]

Come on now. Like anything else Trump has done is the same as Hillary. On this one thing he appears to be going down the same path, that doesn't mean we wouldn't be worse off with Hillary. For one thing, we'd have Justice Merrick Garland.

I know right Hillary was against safe zones which is the opposite of what Trump is doing

[misterx]

I know right Hillary was against safe zones which is the opposite of what Trump is doing

There are issues beyond Syria you know.

[charrob]

If this country gets in a war with Russia over this, I'm routing for Russia. Millions of innocents since 9/11 dead-- tens of millions maimed for the rest of their lives. Entire countries blown apart. Just makes me sick to my stomach. And now this?

[ronpaulhawaii]

Come on now. Like anything else Trump has done is the same as Hillary. On this one thing he appears to be going down the same path, that doesn't mean we wouldn't be worse off with Hillary. For one thing, we'd have Justice Merrick Garland.

Trump has been escalating interventions all along. And has he done anything about the last minute troops that Obama sent to Poland to provoke Russia?

[nikcers]

Come on now. Like anything else Trump has done is the same as Hillary. On this one thing he appears to be going down the same path, that doesn't mean we wouldn't be worse off with Hillary. For one thing, we'd have Justice Merrick Garland.

There are issues beyond Syria you know.

I know right Trumps gotta secure Syria because they are cool with Iran. Why do you think Trump and Clinton are the opposite on Iran if they aren't on Syria Lol

[misterx]

I know right Trumps gotta secure Syria because they are cool with Iran. Why do you think Trump and Clinton are the opposite on Iran if they aren't on Syria Lol

Why do you think foreign policy is the only thing a president does? I'm actually more concerned with the domestic agenda, which has been a significant improvement over the Bush/Clinton/Obama policies.