Why would Assad use chemical weapons on a small portion of his harmless Syrian civilian population instead of a whole lot of his freakin’ armed enemy? Just asking. Especially as Trump had hinted a few days earlier that the U.S. may in fact be rid of the region in due course.
April 14, 2018, 10:41 PM
Voshterkoff
They were probably family of the fighters. The same families that they got free passage for by trading prisoners for. Don't worry, they will ride off into the sunset, pumping little jihadis out in safety.
April 15, 2018, 07:48 AM
HighZonie
She is Awesome - and she is a very welcome change from the previous Obama folks.
I haven't seen her apologize too much
quote:
Originally posted by David Lee:
quote:
Originally posted by HighZonie: Nikki Haley addressing the UN this morning>
Haley warns US is 'locked and loaded' if Syria uses chemical weapons again.
She is a good Embassador. Tells it like it is.
*********************** * Diligentia Vis Celeritis * *********************** "Thus those skilled in war subdue the enemy's army without battle .... They conquer by strategy." - Sun Tsu - The Art of War
"Fast is Fine, but Accuracy is Everything" - Wyatt Earp
April 15, 2018, 12:12 PM
Il Cattivo
quote:
Originally posted by Voshterkoff: The same families that they got free passage for by trading prisoners for.
And you know the fighters in question are ISIS....how?
It's every bit as likely that Assad figured Trump was getting the US out of Syria and that the US' allies were doing the same, so there was no more reason to show restraint. Syria's one big unhappy bag of different tribes, so gassing the innocent in the hopes of getting any fighters who might (or might not) be there would represent a potential two-fer according to the math we've seen Assad apply since the fighting in Syria began. Google "barrel bombs" if you think I'm kidding.
Then again, maybe you trusted that Putin and Kerry were telling the truth when they said that there were no more chemical weapons in Assad's armory and that it was therefore impossible for Assad to use chemical weapons ever again.
Having previously promoted an Islamic state under Sharia law, since 2015, Jaysh al-Islam has called for the Syrian government to be replaced by a technocratic body that represents the diversity of the Syrian people.
Call me crazy, but that just doesn't sound like ISIS to me. Nor does it tie either the people or the fighters there to the ISIS convoy in any way.
April 15, 2018, 02:18 PM
Gustofer
Perhaps someone can explain to me how, an area of what appears to be around the size of two maybe three city blocks, received 57 Tomahawk missiles and 19 JASSMs and still has parts of structures standing.
With 57 (+19) of these hits, starting at 00:20, how is it that there is anything left but a smoking smoldering hole?
________________________________________________________ "Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton.
April 15, 2018, 02:22 PM
sdy
quote:
We need to make sure they work, that the people the maintain, and use them know how and have confidence in there function and see them work
that is so true. but sometimes little appreciated
April 15, 2018, 04:01 PM
Voshterkoff
quote:
Originally posted by Il Cattivo: Call me crazy, but that just doesn't sound like ISIS to me. Nor does it tie either the people or the fighters there to the ISIS convoy in any way.
So right after we started targeting ISIL they switched from a sharia based caliphate, to the opposite. Hey I got a bridge for sale, little down and little a month and she's all yours!
April 15, 2018, 08:17 PM
Tailhook 84
quote:
Originally posted by Gustofer: Perhaps someone can explain to me how, an area of what appears to be around the size of two maybe three city blocks, received 57 Tomahawk missiles and 19 JASSMs and still has parts of structures standing.
I've been looking for any post-strike overhead target imagery but haven't found any online yet. DOD did this after the strike on the airfield last year. If anybody finds any please post the link. Thanks.
"The Truth, when first uttered, is always considered heresy."
April 15, 2018, 09:11 PM
RHINOWSO
quote:
Originally posted by Tailhook 84:
quote:
Originally posted by Gustofer: Perhaps someone can explain to me how, an area of what appears to be around the size of two maybe three city blocks, received 57 Tomahawk missiles and 19 JASSMs and still has parts of structures standing.
I've been looking for any post-strike overhead target imagery but haven't found any online yet. DOD did this after the strike on the airfield last year. If anybody finds any please post the link. Thanks.
Those swipeable pics in the article Rhino posted are pretty telling about the damage as you can see before and after.
Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity
DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
April 15, 2018, 10:50 PM
RHINOWSO
Why so many missiles?
In short, this shit is chess not checkers.
Targets probably had or were suspected of having underground bunkers.
Targets were potentially defended by advanced Russian SAM systems. How embarrassing for those systems to work and shoot down a handful of Tomahawks, when all you launched was a handful? So they likely decided to launch more than needed to account for potential attrition.
War / Combat is messy, expensive, and in-efficient. In an extended campaign, I can see a lower level of effort exerted, because you can always go bad the day afterwards to clean up targets that were missed, etc - but for these one offs where the world is watching, you don’t want to risk a limp ass strike to keep the civie bean counters happy.
April 15, 2018, 10:54 PM
sdy
some sat pics and a video showing damage at Barzah R&D Ctr
From the video in the previous post there is a lat/long
The pic above is google map at that lat/long
This is Barzah R&D Ctr in Damascus, Syria
You can see the 3 buildings in the middle match to the video, but it appears the arrow in the video is pointing "mostly" south/southeast rather than north.
here is the video still capture rotated to roughly match google map pic
April 15, 2018, 11:55 PM
sdy
after pic roughly aligned w google
April 16, 2018, 07:27 AM
Tailhook 84
RHINO and SDY: Thanks for the links.
"The Truth, when first uttered, is always considered heresy."
April 16, 2018, 08:48 AM
bubbatime
RT ran a story 3 or 4 weeks ago that the Russians believed the Americans would run a false flag operation and would bomb civilian areas with chemical agents to justify an attack. They described the attack as imminent. Interesting.
______________________________________________________ Often times a very small man can cast a very large shadow
April 16, 2018, 08:54 AM
Voshterkoff
My opinion on the subject is obvious, but trusting RT is just downright silly.
April 16, 2018, 09:20 AM
braillediver
quote:
Originally posted by Voshterkoff: trusting RT is just downright silly.
Sadly RT is at least as trustworthy as the msm only with RT we know in advance their bias and agenda.
