Federal Court Makes Major Ruling on Ballot Verification in Pennsylvania
Jon Stewart's Skewering of Trump in New York Civil Fraud Cause Just Blew...
Did the Hosts of 'The View' Do Their Homework When They Invited This...
Actually, Kate Middleton Does Have a Body Double...Sort of
Checking the Black Box
Trump, Biden Will Both Be in New York on Thursday...but for Very Different...
Democrat Flips Republican District in Alabama Special Election. Here's What She Campaigned...
Here's What Trump Had to Say About RFK Jr.'s VP Pick
VDH Explains What Any 'Normal' President Would Do About Border That Would End...
Yes, a Terrorist Attack Is Coming to America
An Illegal Alien Encouraged Others to Invade American Homes. Here's What Happened Next.
Time For Another Bizarre, Easily-Disprovable Lie From Joe Biden
Did Jamaal Bowman Just Help His Primary Challenger?
Fani Willis Calls Jim Jordan's Investigation Into Her Office 'Politically Motivated'
Tyson Foods Fires U.S. Workers, Exploits Illegal Aliens for Profits
Tipsheet

CNN: Did We Act As ISIS' Air Force Last Night?

Last night, the U.S. launched a massive missile strike against the Shayrat airbase, where the sarin gas attack against the town of Khan Shaykhun in the Idlib Province of Syria was reportedly carried out. At least 80 people, including women and children, were killed in the horrific chemical weapons attack. In response, President Trump ordered 60 tomahawk missiles to be fired at the airfield.

Advertisement

As networks covered this event, CNN’s Fareed Zakaria said he agreed with the moral imperative of this action, but worried about the political strategy. Are we going to take out Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who reportedly ordered this chemical attack? If so, that is going to require a ground invasion. In the absences of clarity, Zakaria said that we might be acting as ISIS’ air force with this military action. Newsbusters clipped the exchange the CNN host had with colleague Don Lemon:

FAREED ZAKARIA: There is a civil war in Iraq [Syria] between Assad essentially and ISIS and a bunch of other jihadis. Are we now saying we’re against Assad? Do we want to strengthen ISIS? Do we want the Assad regime to fall? If so, are we willing to commit ourselves to that goal? If not, we've just thrown bombs in the middle of one of the most complex civil wars in the country and now we're going to step back and say, “Well that's it, we're done.”

DON LEMON: And the reason it's hard to answer many of the questions you're asking is because this is such a young presidency and we really don't know what the foreign policy is, especially when it comes to Syria.

ZAKARIA: Well, and there is this bizarre incoherency at this point, right? As you said there are 24 tweets that Donald Trump made in 2013 when there were worse chemical attacks than this one in which he said “do not get involved in Syria, do not bomb Syria this would be a big mistake.” Sean Spicer said two days ago reacting to this very chemical attack, “We shouldn't be trying to get Assad out, that's not realistic.”

So, if that's the case, what have we just done, and what is the purpose of it, and what will we do tomorrow? So I said, there's a tremendous feel good -- I don't mean that in a superficial sense, there is a kind of morally affirming element to this act—this military act that I applaud. But what is the political strategy behind it? Are we now going to try and topple the Assad government? If so, that means tens of thousands of troops on the ground. If not, what exactly have we active?

There is a danger -- Ben Wedeman mentioned it on Anderson. There is a danger that we effectively acted as ISIS’s air force. Because anything that weakens Assad in a strategic sense in Syria, strengthens ISIS. Those are the two principle players on the ground.

Advertisement

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Townhall Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement