Go For Broke or Choke

I just finished watching the UN Security Council debate sponsored by that nation known internationally for its abiding reputation for truth, justice and no, not the American way but the Russian bear’s way. The Russian nation with its sterling historical responsibility for upholding all that is wrong, imperialist and unjust, called this meeting to castigate the free nations of the United States, United Kingdom, and the French Republic, for their magnificent military strike on several of the chemical weapons storehouses of the rogue regime that with malice of forethought and incredible savagery, rolled barrel bombs laden with chlorine and Sarin gases upon its own people-the Syrian Arab Republic.

This compendium of barbaric tribal and religious groupings which have delighted itself for the passed centuries in the slaughter of its own minorities-Druze, Circassian, Christian Maronite, Assyrian Christians, Sunni, Shia, Alawite and not too leave out its once vibrant Jewish community, has sunk to a new technological level of murder by employing chemical weapons which have been banned by international treaties since 1925.

Indeed, it was the horrific effect of these weapons upon both sides in the First World War that led to their internationally recognized prohibition both in usage, stockpiling and producing. Unfortunately on the one hand, some of the great powers that would later be killing each other on the battlefields of the next world war, not only did not destroy their own warehouses full of these weapons, but even produced new ones such as the German development of Tabun and the Japanese experiments with both chemical and biological weapons when Japan occupied Manchuria during World War Two.

However, even though extremely bloody battles were fought between the Allied and Axis powers, these weapons were not employed against each other. The murderous and horrifying casualties evinced by their usage in the previous conflict, made each side extremely reticent to use them again. Even when the German general staff urged their Nazi leader to unleash these weapons against the Soviet armies approaching the very gates of Berlin, he refused to do so. No, I am not praising him, far from it because he did see fit to use poison gas in his mad attempt to liquidate the Jews of Europe. Indeed, there was no weapon not utilized to achieve this mad and wicked aim.

Syria’s ultimate master, the mad mullahs of Iran, I am certain would have no compunction to use this weaponry against the Jewish state. Since Iran has become Syria’s latest bedfellow, personally I would not be surprised if, in the eventuality of an outbreak of war between Israel and Syria, that the Iranian generals ensconced in that country today, would not have the slightest doubt about firing missiles with chemical warheads into Israel. After all, if the Syrian regime has no compunction about gassing its own civilians, what would stop it from gassing Israelis? The Israeli response to such an attack would certainly make today’s assault on Syria seem like a tap on the wrist.

This limited blow on the Assad regime by the three powers has a much deeper meaning than the mere bombing of a few factories. It is a message to the Iranians that the current American president, unlike his predecessor, does not flinch when military power is called for. He keeps his word in this respect and his reputation, however sullied by his naysayers, should take note both in his country and in the international arena.

The Russians too, to their surprise and alarm, for all their bluster about their protection of their Syrian acolyte, had the good sense to move their naval assets away from their bases at Tarsus and Latakia. The Syrians also took a hint by removing most of their air force a safe distance away (for the time being) to Iranian territory.

It remains to be seen whether this single strike will force the gangsters in Damascus and their Russian and Iranian comrades to cease the poisonous atmosphere descending from Russian built Mi-8 helicopters paid for with Iranian oil money. Or will we once again be horrified by the sights of little children choking their deaths from lungs filling with mucous and coughing their lives away?

A great man once wrote “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Fitting words that have for too long been ignored on far too many occasions.