IMHO this is Trump's real first test on foreign policy.  We will see how he and his 'team' reacts. Does he even have a full cabinet yet?

At UN, Syria Tries to Divert Chemical Weapons Focus Onto Israel

Hours after Tuesday's deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria's Idlib province, an Assad regime representative in New York said the Syrian government condemned the use of all weapons of mass destruction, and then tried to turn the attention onto Israel and other critics instead.

Speaking at the U.N. Disarmament Commission session, the delegate called chemical weapons use "intolerable and immoral" and pointed out that Syria is party to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

"Ironically," he said, Syria's efforts in support of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction were being blocked by other nations, in their determination to preserve Israel's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

He directed this criticism specifically at France, whose delegate had earlier noted the latest chemical attack in Syria and recalled that international investigators already have blamed the Assad regime and ISIS for previous such "inhuman" attacks....

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/un-syria-tries-divert-chemical-weapons-focus-israel

Quote from: Ms.Independence on April 05, 2017, 05:43:32 AM
IMHO this is Trump's real first test on foreign policy.  We will see how he and his 'team' reacts. Does he even have a full cabinet yet?

At UN, Syria Tries to Divert Chemical Weapons Focus Onto Israel

Hours after Tuesday's deadly chemical weapons attack in Syria's Idlib province, an Assad regime representative in New York said the Syrian government condemned the use of all weapons of mass destruction, and then tried to turn the attention onto Israel and other critics instead.

Speaking at the U.N. Disarmament Commission session, the delegate called chemical weapons use "intolerable and immoral" and pointed out that Syria is party to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

"Ironically," he said, Syria's efforts in support of a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction were being blocked by other nations, in their determination to preserve Israel's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

He directed this criticism specifically at France, whose delegate had earlier noted the latest chemical attack in Syria and recalled that international investigators already have blamed the Assad regime and ISIS for previous such "inhuman" attacks....

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/patrick-goodenough/un-syria-tries-divert-chemical-weapons-focus-israel

Not sure what can actually be done besides add our voice to the denunciation against the use of chemical weapons. I guess we could just glass the whole region and then declare it the International Laboratory for Radiological Studies.

I know I'm going to catch a few spears ... but I was listening to NPR today and they had a couple objective pieces on Syria / Assad and on North Korea / China. Well - more objective than usual.

They were saying that the Russians are keeping Assad in. So the UN's leverage is either to put sanctions on Syria and / or Russia. Seems like a weak approach. Trump and Putin would have a five minute conversation and then Russia would convince Assad that he should make sure he doesn't kill a bunch of folks with chemical, biological, or nuclear ... or he will have a short reign. Tell him that he went over the red line which BO didn't police ... but he shouldn't make that mistake again. Or just punish him for going over the line already. 

Here's where my Christian and Conservative views struggle against each other a bit. As a Conservative, I say we're not the worlds police so Syria should take care of their own business. But as a Christian, I think it's wrong to stand by and watch innocents die if you have a way to help them avoid atrocity by a dictator. I'm not from that part of the world so out of context, but it seems that if Assad has been found to be using Chem weapons then he crossed the red line ... and should face a substantial consequence. If my decision, I would take the action to work the problem with Russia just to protect our nation from terrorists that could get the technology and to help the innocents of Syria.

Such action serves the Conservative side and the Christian side.

Briefly, regarding North Korea, the story basically said that the US can't do much unless China steps in. I don't think China cares - two commie countries. But if the US takes unilateral steps, the ChiComs will see it as aggression against them because of proximity.

Quote from: topside on April 05, 2017, 11:12:48 AM
I know I'm going to catch a few spears ... but I was listening to NPR today and they had a couple objective pieces on Syria / Assad and on North Korea / China. Well - more objective than usual.

They were saying that the Russians are keeping Assad in. So the UN's leverage is either to put sanctions on Syria and / or Russia. Seems like a weak approach. Trump and Putin would have a five minute conversation and then Russia would convince Assad that he should make sure he doesn't kill a bunch of folks with chemical, biological, or nuclear ... or he will have a short reign. Tell him that he went over the red line which BO didn't police ... but he shouldn't make that mistake again. Or just punish him for going over the line already. 

Here's where my Christian and Conservative views struggle against each other a bit. As a Conservative, I say we're not the worlds police so Syria should take care of their own business. But as a Christian, I think it's wrong to stand by and watch innocents die if you have a way to help them avoid atrocity by a dictator. I'm not from that part of the world so out of context, but it seems that if Assad has been found to be using Chem weapons then he crossed the red line ... and should face a substantial consequence. If my decision, I would take the action to work the problem with Russia just to protect our nation from terrorists that could get the technology and to help the innocents of Syria.

Such action serves the Conservative side and the Christian side.

Briefly, regarding North Korea, the story basically said that the US can't do much unless China steps in. I don't think China cares - two commie countries. But if the US takes unilateral steps, the ChiComs will see it as aggression against them because of proximity.

Unless we are being threatened, we have no business going to war, Christian values or not.
As to NK, NPR is full of shit, we could walk right over NK and China will be forced to defend their territory.
China does not want war with the US, they'd lose badly and know it, so they'd kick the little dictator to the curb and install a new puppet if necessary.

Quote from: zewazir on April 05, 2017, 07:11:19 AM
Not sure what can actually be done besides add our voice to the denunciation against the use of chemical weapons. I guess we could just glass the whole region and then declare it the International Laboratory for Radiological Studies.

Right.  Trump needs to put pressure on the UN; it's the UN who is supposed to be monitoring things like this. Secondly, Trump needs to push the UN to set up refugee camps over in the Middle East so people in this area have a place to go rather than to other countries over in Europe and here. I can see it now ... the left is going to push for allowing more refugees into this country.

Quote from: Ms.Independence on April 05, 2017, 11:51:52 AM
Right.  Trump needs to put pressure on the UN; it's the UN who is supposed to be monitoring things like this. Secondly, Trump needs to push the UN to set up refugee camps over in the Middle East so people in this area have a place to go rather than to other countries over in Europe and here. I can see it now ... the left is going to push for allowing more refugees into this country.

No offense, but the UN is too busy licking the sphincters of anti-Semite nations to do a fracking thing. Best thing Trump could do with respect to the UN is tell them to sod off, then get Congress to totally defund our contribution to the organization.

Quote from: zewazir on April 05, 2017, 12:04:06 PM
No offense, but the UN is too busy licking the sphincters of anti-Semite nations to do a fracking thing. Best thing Trump could do with respect to the UN is tell them to sod off, then get Congress to totally defund our contribution to the organization.

UN Who? That should be Trump's response.

Quote from: Solar on April 05, 2017, 12:06:38 PM
UN Who? That should be Trump's response.

We know Trump is not PC, is that the best you could come up with?   

Quote from: Solar on April 05, 2017, 11:41:24 AM
Unless we are being threatened, we have no business going to war, Christian values or not.
As to NK, NPR is full of shit, we could walk right over NK and China will be forced to defend their territory.
China does not want war with the US, they'd lose badly and know it, so they'd kick the little dictator to the curb and install a new puppet if necessary.

In my view, NK is much easier to deal with than Syria. I am in agreement with Solar that advising China we will blast the fat pig into oblivion if they do something will work. China does not want to deal with millions of refugees from NK.

Syria is a totally different situation. Putin has no concern with Syria except for maintaining some warm weather ports. Also, the Iranian connection further complicates the equation.

Quote from: supsalemgr on April 05, 2017, 12:19:39 PM
In my view, NK is much easier to deal with than Syria. I am in agreement with Solar that advising China we will blast the fat pig into oblivion if they do something will work. China does not want to deal with millions of refugees from NK.

Syria is a totally different situation. Putin has no concern with Syria except for maintaining some warm weather ports. Also, the Iranian connection further complicates the equation.

Yep, just the threat of unification alone, will scare the bejesus out of them, NK and China both.

Quote from: zewazir on April 05, 2017, 12:04:06 PM
No offense, but the UN is too busy licking the sphincters of anti-Semite nations to do a fracking thing. Best thing Trump could do with respect to the UN is tell them to sod off, then get Congress to totally defund our contribution to the organization.

No offense taken ... that was my point -- the UN is too busy elsewhere instead of doing any good. Absolutely ... the U.S. needs to get the heck out of the U.N and then I think the 'game' could be played a whole lot differently.

Quote from: Solar on April 05, 2017, 11:41:24 AM
Unless we are being threatened, we have no business going to war, Christian values or not.
As to NK, NPR is full of shit, we could walk right over NK and China will be forced to defend their territory.
China does not want war with the US, they'd lose badly and know it, so they'd kick the little dictator to the curb and install a new puppet if necessary.

Imho what is making all off the hot spots worse, and iran needs to be included in this mess, was the approach taken by "no balls" obama. He put no pressure on china to help in nk, he did little to arm assads enemies and he gave iran the bomb. If one could look at the situation from an outsiders view, one would have to say it is a pretty good time to be an enemy of the U.S.   Guess we'll find out what kind of deal maker trump really is, the stakes are pretty high.