Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Syria … Post the US Strike! | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Porter conducts strike operations against Syria in the Mediterranean Sea.

Ford Williams/Courtesy U.S. Navy


All over the six years of the Syrian crisis, all parties involved never took former US President Barack Obama seriously. Moderates didn’t believe him and extremists realized he couldn’t go into battle. Damascus criminal Bashar al-Assad understood that Obama wanted to pass time until the arrival of the next president for the Syrian crisis to become the latter’s issue.

Like Assad, Iran and Russia decided to use their power in the crisis after it became certain that Tehran had failed in protecting Assad who was about to be ousted back then. Moscow was aware that the best time to intervene in Syria would be during Obama’s presidency to impose the status.

The right moment for Russia to enter Syria was in 2013 after Assad used chemical weapons. It was then that he had crossed all the “red lines” set by Obama. When Obama did nothing about the chemical attack, Russia understood they are facing a weak and hesitant president.

Today, we are under Trump’s presidency, and for Trump’s administration to have a value and significance in the Syrian crisis, the president must establish a strategy different from that of his predecessor. Trump also had to send a message to all parties supporting Assad that he won’t resort to Syrian talks only, but he will be part of the joint strikes in Syria. Such a message that can make it clear to every party that they are not faced by an incompetent hesitant president, but rather with one who can launch strikes against the Assad regime.

Iran and Russia target Syrians in Syria. Even Moscow targeted the opposition which accepted the political solution.

We all remember how Russia manipulated Obama for a long time to determine the definition of opposition and extremists.

In Syria, too, Israel targets Assad regime and the terrorist Hezbollah. Even when Turkey downed a Russian plane, there was no war, and then the Turkish-Russian relations were even revived.

Therefore, everyone is fighting in Syria and striking points, except the US. The Russian-Iranian contempt with the US powers reached an extent to call for Astana talks during which Assad allies mocked that neither Washington nor Saudi Arabia are worthy; not even the western powers.

Now, President Trump proved to everyone that he is ready to act and target the Assad regime and the White House spokesperson, addressing Assad, said: “If you gas a baby, if you put a barrel bomb into innocent people, I think you will see a response from this president.”

Clearly Trump decided to intervene in the Syrian crisis through a strong and influential strike not through an envoy. We will be able to see that in the Syrian talks no matter what Russia or Iran might say.