US media demands full-scale assault against Syria
By
James Cogan
11 April 2018
Large sections of the American and international media are demanding that the Trump administration follow through on its rhetoric and launch a massive military assault against the Russian-backed Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. The recklessness of the editorial agitation is underscored by the fact that the calls for “action” are indifferent to the possibility that an attack on Syria could provoke a war with nuclear-armed Russia.
A selection of headlines conveys the sentiment that is pervading the American establishment press. “A few cruise missiles from Trump won’t stop Syria’s war crimes” (Washington Post); “For a second strike on Syria, Trump will have to go big” (Foreign Policy); “In Syria, Trump faces the limits of bluster” (New York Times).
The pretext for the Trump administration ordering a major escalation of American military operations in Syria is the unverified and dubious allegation that the Syrian army used chemical weapons in an attack last weekend on the rebel-held city of Douma. Lurid video footage released by anti-government forces—which even some media outlets have felt obliged to re-publish with the disclaimer that they cannot verify its authenticity—claims to show children suffering from the effects of a chlorine-based weapon.
Both the Assad government and Russia, which has thousands of military personnel on the ground supporting Syrian forces, vehemently deny the accusations. They have pointed to the obvious issues: from any standpoint, the use of chemical weapons would be both militarily unnecessary and strategically detrimental to their interests. The US-backed Islamist forces had been utterly routed and have since surrendered Douma.
The…