Reacting to alleged use of chemical weapons against opposition forces in Syria, President Donald Trump has ordered a U.S. military strike on the Syrian government. A number of cruise missiles were launched from ships against Syrian targets Thursday night. I can’t believe the American public is about to fall for another neocon plan to do in Syria what we did to Iraq and Libya. We should be chastened by the horrific results of those wars.

Since the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, which killed half a million people based on a lie about weapons of mass destruction, over a million people died due to ongoing violence in the region resulting from that decision. Results of the U.S. action to topple and kill Moammar Gadhafi in Libya are no different. Two large, relatively stable states were reduced to rubble and left in chaos and tribal violence.

If the Western agenda was to make the region better and safer for its people and to protect civilians, then wars in Iraq and Libya have been colossal failures. On the other hand, if the true agenda was to destroy, kill, destabilize, divide and conquer, the wars were a great success.

Either way, the American public is responsible for the outcome as it elects and supports the government that acted. One thing is sure. As H.L. Mencken said way back in 1926, “no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”

The poison gas incident in Syria killed approximately 70 people, including some children. We don’t have evidence or proof yet regarding who is responsible, but we have allocated blame and launched an attack anyway. By comparison, in 2014 Israel killed over 1,400 civilians in an attack against Gaza. According to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, 462 of those killed were women and children. That’s far more than the total number of people killed in the Syrian gas incident. Did Congress call for investigation, regime change or military intervention? No. Instead, Congress immediately sent Israel more weapons. It is an amazing double standard.

For Syria, we must acknowledge President Barack Obama’s carefully weighed determination that there is no credible leadership available to replace the current government. Besides, history shows that we didn’t care or bother to plan appropriately for the day after in Libya or Iraq. We didn’t bother to install credible, stable leaders and governments in either place. This suggests our true agenda was to destroy, kill, destabilize, divide and conquer.

If the United States is supposed to stand for truth and justice, we must treat all these incidents fairly and consistently, and with blunt honesty. First investigate to determine and establish the truth, then act appropriately. No more lies. No more hypocrisy. No more double standards.

Here’s the question you must now ask: Are the U.S. charges against Syrian President Bashar Assad any more legitimate and credible than the WMD charge made against Saddam Hussein in Iraq that was later proven to be completely false?

Bruce Vandiver
Lula

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