This will probably surprise the tribal partisans on both sides, but my only problem with this strike by the US, UK and France is that Trump the Big Mouthed telegraphed (now spelled "tweet") it to the entire world a week in advance.
Those who complain about Obama's "red line" that came and went are right. Those who complain that Obama's "red line" only came and went because congress blocked his request are right. The US President, Obama then and Trump now, spoke for us as a nation, and does by judicial review and precedent, have the right to issue strikes in response to certain conditions... use of chemical weapons being one of them.
I'd be lying if I said I didn't believe this attack was absolutely necessary, because that deliberate chemical attack was a test on the USA's resolve and Trump's willingness to do anything whatsoever that Russia didn't want him to do. Other than wishing his staff had duct-taped his tweeting fingers together, I support what was done tonight, which was limited to three areas actually researching, developing, storing and using chemical weapons.
That said, I'm also nervous that our troops in eastern Syria might be subjected to retaliatory strikes. Until there is regime change in Syria, or a truce brokered and enforced by a strong coalition of global military might, there will be slaughter and retaliation until the entire country is in ruin, Assad ends up dead, and the Russian flag flies over Damascus. Nobody on the planet wants to see that happen (outside of Moscow), so we and our allies have to either pay the price to stop it or wave a white flag and direct our attention solely on our own floundering, truly ****ed up government. Surely we as a people can manage to walk and chew gum at the same time.
