Syria Attack: Is America a Superpower Again?

Just a few short months after Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States, he was faced with having to deal with former President Obama’s infamous “red line in the sand” failure in Syria. This came about because President Assad of Syria used chemical weapons against his population once again, ignoring international conventions and treaties on their use.

President Trump’s response to that attack was to send 59 missiles into Syria, attacking the air force base where the chemical attacks originated. It was a measured response to the Assad government’s misuse of these weapons and fully in line with enforcing the Chemical Weapons Convention.

One can easily lay at least part of the blame for this attack at Obama’s feet and his failures in regard to teaching Assad a lesson. Obama had threatened Assad with crossing the red line in the sand and using chemical weapons on his own population. But when Assad crossed that line, Obama did nothing. This hurt United States credibility abroad, showing other countries two dangerous things:

  1. The word of the American President, in regard to maintaining world peace, was meaningless.
  2. America was abdicating her role as the world’s police.

Rather than punish the Assad regime for their actions, Obama and his Secretary of State, John Kerry, negotiated an agreement with Syria and their sponsor, Russia. In that agreement, Syria remove or destroy 600 metric tons of chemical weapons, assenting to the Chemical Weapons Convention, even though they were one of the few countries who never became a signer of it.

Obama and Kerry declared this a diplomatic win, even though there was no proof that Syria didn’t have any chemical weapons left.

There are many reasons for Obama’s lack of action in this case, not the least of which was his poor understanding of the proper use of military force.

But apparently the biggest reason was because Iran (which supports Syria) threatened to back out of the nuclear deal they were negotiating with the United States and other countries. As this “deal” was to be part of Obama’s legacy, he had to protect it.

This then became part of what Donald Trump inherited when he was sworn in as president. US credibility on the world stage was at an all-time low. The question was, would Trump follow in Obama’s footsteps or would he act more like former President Reagan.

One can see that first chemical weapons attack as a test on the new American President, amongst other things. This was Trump’s first real test in such circumstances, and there were many people around the world waiting with bated breath to see how he would react.

While I am sure there were some who were disappointed (rogue governments and despotic dictators), those who believed in the rule of law were probably breathed a huge collective sigh of relief.

The Syrian government paid a price for that test; one which many would think should have been high enough that they wouldn’t be quick to repeat it. But alas, rulers such as Assad rarely learn from their mistakes. When they are backed up in their actions by imperialistic powers like Russia, who has often been a bad actor on the world stage, it gets even worse.

So, Assad’s military attacked his civilian population once again, this time killing at least 42 people. This required a response and Trump made it clear that there would be one.

The response came in the form of coordinated air strikes by the US, Britain and France, targeting three specific targets in Syria; a chemical research center, storage facility and an equipment facility and command post. All three of these locations were selected because they are key elements in Assad’s chemical warfare machine.

Before the bombing, Russia publicly declared their support for Assad, saying that they would defend the Syrian President and retaliate against any attack by the United States.

However, they also pulled their naval assets out of Syria, either as a precaution to protect those assets or to signal that they wouldn’t really take any action and that their declaration was for nothing more than show. Now, four days later, we are still waiting to see if there will be any response out of Moscow.

How Could This Have Happened?

We must understand that Syria has a deadly history with chemical weapons. Since 1972, there have been 73 chemical weapons attacks. To believe that a piece of paper would keep them from continuing in this vein might be just a bit naïve.

Like any other such agreement, the Chemical Weapons Convention is an imperfect document, created by imperfect people. While I am sure that it was crafted with the best of intentions and the greatest of care, the reality is that any such document is only good for show.

Signing it makes the participating countries look like good world citizens. But people who are willing to break such an agreement will do so, just like mass shooters will bring firearms into a gun free zone.

However, it is possible to work your way around many such agreements as well. The Convention identifies three categories of “controlled substances” for control:

  • The first includes chemicals which have little to no use outside of being chemical weapons.
  • The second includes chemicals which have small-scale industrial applications.
  • Finally, the third includes chemicals which have large-scale applications, other than being chemical weapons.

There are a several chemicals which are highly deadly yet fall into this third category due to their industrial uses. All the Convention requires for the creation of such chemicals or their precursors is that the chemical plants which produce them report to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), telling them that they are producing those chemicals and in what quantity.

Since there are deadly chemicals in the Schedule 3 list which have major industrial uses in pharmaceuticals, pesticides and even toiletries and detergents. Syria, like many other countries, can produce as much of them as they like. Identifying legitimate production for these uses and stockpiling these chemicals as weapons is almost impossible to identify, let alone control.

Chlorine gas, which has been used by Syria in their more recent attacks, is extremely common. This is the same substance which is used for purifying water, keeping swimming pools clean and whitening clothes. Since chlorine is a naturally-occurring element, it would be virtually impossible to prevent any country from manufacturing or using it.

Even so, the Chemical Weapons Convention still outlaws the use of such chemicals against people or animals. Of courses, Syria can claim that they never signed the Convention, which would be true, even though they have agreed to abide by the provisions of it.

It is the fact that they broke this provision in the Convention which forced President Trump’s hand. If such international agreements, accepted by the community of nations as being law, are not upheld by the member nations, to include punishment of those who break them, they don’t mean a thing.

Law is only law when it is enforced. This is true of a municipal prohibition on public spitting and it is true of international treaties and accords. Someone must enforce the law, or it may as well not exist. On the international stage, that someone is the United States of America; preferably working together with allies, but even if we must act on our own, taking it upon ourselves to by the world’s police.

The Unites States as the World’s Police

There is some disagreement as to when the United States became the world’s police. Perhaps that’s because it wasn’t so much an event, as a process. We can see the roots of this process starting in the 1800s. But it wasn’t until the rise of communism that it became a major issue.

In the first half of the 20th century, the United States was called on to intervene in two World Wars, protecting Europe from aggression in both. In the process, we protected much of Africa in World War I and much of Asia in World War II. But another important thing happened in World War II, with the British Empire largely broken up by the war, domination of the free world changed from British hands to American ones.

This truly came to fruit during the early days of the Cold War, as the United States found itself having to protect the world from expansionist Soviet Union. President Truman declared to the world that the United States would support any country which stood against the spread of communism.

Had he not done this and had the United States not stood against the Soviet Union, the world would probably be communist today.

This alone was enough to make the United States the world’s police, even though we weren’t really looked at that way. Rather, we were the prime country standing against Soviet aggression and their intent to annex the third-world countries. In many cases, it was US support and at times involvement (this was the prime mission for Special Forces), which kept those countries from being overrun by communist forces.

With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disbanding of the Soviet Union there was no longer a “red menace” for American military and political might to stand against. For a time, we were the world’s one true superpower; a grave responsibility, which the United States rose to.

Granted, the United States has not always used its power perfectly. There have been times when we have used our military prowess and political clout with less than perfect motives. In many other occasions, our political leadership picked the wrong foreign leaders to support. Time after time, groups which presented themselves as democratic turned out to be something quite different, when they got into power.

But the United States stands alone in the world for going to the aid of and protecting countries which were faced with aggressive takeovers, genocide, and despotic rulers. While we have not done so perfectly, what we have done is aid these countries even when it was not in our best interest to do so. In this, we defended the people of those countries, even when we did not stand to gain.

With that kind of history for our nation, President Trump had to act to punish the Assad regime and protect the people of Syria. As the world’s most powerful country, it is our responsibility to protect the weak, even when we don’t stand to gain. Just as we they done countless times in the past, our military rushed to the defense of the Syrians people, against an unjust government.

Sadly, Obama didn’t understand this grave responsibility that our country holds. Perhaps if he did, this attack would not have been necessary. The problem could have been solved several years ago, rather than having to be solved today.

But apparently Obama didn’t understand the unique place that the United States holds in the world; not as the world’s masters, not as the world’s slaves; but as the world’s police.

While this might not be the most enviable position to have to fulfill, there is no other country which is as well prepared by both temperament and strength to do so. Thank God that we are; for the other options (Russia and China) do not appear to be such good choices.

Written by

Bill White is the author of Conquering the Coming Collapse, and a former Army officer, manufacturing engineer and business manager. More recently, he left the business world to work as a cross-cultural missionary on the Mexico border. Bill has been a survivalist since the 1970s, when the nation was in the latter days of the Cold War. He had determined to head into the Colorado Rockies, should Washington ever decide to push the button. While those days have passed, the knowledge Bill gained during that time hasn’t. He now works to educate others on the risks that exist in our society and how to prepare to meet them. You can send Bill a message at editor [at] survivopedia.com.

Latest comments
  • Our World is in Cahoss and World leaders have mixed motivations concerning their role on the World Stage. As the World’s peacekeeper and Global Policeman, the USA is constantly drawn into World Affairs including Multi National Conflict. Eventually we will be attacked and many will die, either immediately or over a period of months as our power grids are decimated by EMP Energy either Natural (circa 1859 Carrington Event) or from a man made, high altitude Nuclear Event targeted over Nebraska. Man has once again moved away from God and if Muslim have anything to do with World Affairs, He will be replaced by one Mohammed created to rule the Earth. Obama furthered that cause significantly. True American Allies are abandoning our Ship of Hope and as Albert Eienstien once said: “Earth will not be destroyed by those who do Evil but by those who watch and do nothing”.

    Bill, I wrote a ‘White Paper’ about this in 2004. No one listened then and few will listen now i.e. coming from me, one of 7 Billion people on our Planet today. Want to give it a whirl? I will gladly share that paper and let you publish it under your name. For me, I’ve been called to go Prepare a Place of Refuge for when disaster strikes. That place is in Colombia South America. If interested contact me via email: chosenrescue82 @ icloud.com
    My name is Fred

  • @Bill White, very nice post, but you desperately need an editor.

    • For my continuing education, why does Fred need an editor ?

    • Avatar photo

      Paul, we are deeply sorry and we will make de changes as soon as possible. Plus, will take care never to happen again!

  • I bring peace and love.
    Ex-President Obama did exactly what he was told to do by the Zionist’s. The Zionist’s want control of all the banks on the planet and the ones left to control are Syria, Iran, N. Korea and Cuba. The plan is to usher in the New World Order.
    Mr. Assad did not and never gassed his own people, it was by designed to appear he did, so we the US and other’s would rush in and save those poor children. It’s all a lie, staged to control Syria and its resources. Two pipe lines run through Syria and they want control of it. Three countries left to seize, Iran, Cuba and N. Korea. Zionist’s financed every war in history since the 1700’s starting with the first German Jewish banker Mayer Amschel Rothschild. Money is the tools, the prize is total domination of the planet, to enslave the planet.

    • Thanks Jimi for laying the truth out about Zionist domination!

  • Excellent article – thank you!

  • WAIT A MINUTE. Obama made the mistake of following the constitution and went to congress for action. Guess what happened. COGRESS told him NO (don’t believe me, look it up).
    Stop the blame game and let us get together and find some SOLUTIONS to problems.
    Everyone has the right to say what is on their mind. I have no problem with that.
    But can we PLEASE focus on possible solutions.

  • Bill,
    I agree with Paul’s comment. The content is worth reading and I agree with most of it, but the number of typos and/or spelling errors and perhaps some syntax and grammar errors are overwhelming for such a publication that is so well-read by so many.

    • Avatar photo

      Geoff, we are deeply sorry and we will make de changes as soon as possible. Plus, will take care never to happen again 🙂

  • The United States should not be assuming the role of the world’s policeman. It is a violation of our Constitution to do so. It is in conflict with the advice of the founding fathers who warned against foreign entanglements. To top it off, there is no evidence that Assad used gas on anyone. There are a multitude of problems to solve here in the US. Our military would be put to better use guarding our borders. This country should get the hell out of the middle-east and cease actions that could well trigger a nuclear war.

  • Jimi: So, “peace and love” in your book actually means “I hate Jews.” Are you the head of Orwell’s Ministry of Love, by any chance?

    • I witness behavior and make an informed decision, not by anything else.
      The facts doesn’t care about your feelings.
      And how you feel about me is not my concern.
      Yes ma’am I send peace and love.

  • Assad did NOT attack his own people! If you understood the situation you would realize the common sense of that statement.

    Assad may be a dictator but he is not stupid and is NOT mindlessly cruel. He also would not do something like that to his own detriment.

    I am sick of people writing long Op Ed’s on topics they know nothing about.

    • I think in the near future were going to have something bigger to contend with. Keep God Close.

    • Taylor, I’m curious were you there as an eyewitness, or are you just relaying your personal opinion? In any event, I believe the US is much more capable of knowing exactly what is taking place in Syria than any of us. You are witnessing a strong president Trump vs. a weak President Obama like it or not.

      • I agree with Taylor, Assad is winning against the rebels, is illogical and counterproductive for him.. Media, fake news.

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