[Niamh.]

Classy.

The scale and horror of Tuesday’s gas attack on civilians in Idlib highlighted the vacuum in the Trump administration’s foreign policymaking: the incident was met first by silence, then by criticism of Barack Obama.

Donald Trump described the attack, which killed scores of victims, including many children, as a direct “consequence” of his predecessor’s Syria policy.

“These heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime are a consequence of the last administration’s weakness and irresolution,” he said in a statement. “President Obama said in 2012 that he would establish a ‘red line’ against the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing.”

The reflex illustrated Trump’s enduring sense of being in his predecessor’s shadow, reinforcing the impression given by his obsessive tweeting of unsubstantiated claims that Obama wiretapped him.

As with healthcare, Trump’s policy on Syria has been defined by the desire to unpick Obama’s legacy – without a clear picture of what would replace it.

In the absence of a clear vision, the initial response to on Tuesday was silence.

The Idlib attack was swiftly condemned by western capitals and congressional leaders, but the US secretary of state, Rex Tillerson – who was visiting neighbouring Jordan at the time – ignored a press question about it, retaining his customary silence in the face of daily world events.

He recently described himself as “not a media press access person”.

On Tuesday morning, Trump addressed a builders’ conference, but made no mention of the attack.

It was only later in the day that the White House spokesman read out a statement from the president, in which Trump used the occasion to score a domestic political point against the Obama administration.

He pointed out that Obama had set down a “red line” in 2012 on the use of chemical weapons in Syria, but argued that Obama then “did nothing” when the Assad regime carried out a mass gas attack against the town of Ghouta in August 2013.

Obama did not carry out air strikes but organised with Russia to move Syria’s declared arsenal of chemical weapons out of the country to be destroyed.

There was nothing in Trump’s statement to indicate how the US might respond differently from the Obama administration.

After the Ghouta attack in 2013, Trump had argued vociferously against US military action in Syria. On 7 September of that year, he tweeted: “President Obama, do not attack Syria. There is no upside and tremendous downside. Save your ‘powder’ for another (and more important) day!”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...licy?CMP=fb_gu

[Livia]

He's a scary, scary man. I can still barely believe he is president.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Livia

He's a scary, scary man. I can still barely believe he is president.

He really is.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

He really is.

I feel like it's SO unlikely to have happened that I am going to wake up and Hilary will be president.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Livia

I feel like it's SO unlikely to have happened that I am going to wake up and Hilary will be president.

Not that she's much better mind but atleast she might just listen to advisers etc and isn't a giant narcissistic man child who doesn't care about anything other himself and getting pay back on celebrities and ex presidents who people liked more

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Not that she's much better mind but atleast she might just listen to advisers etc and isn't a giant narcissistic man child who doesn't care about anything other himself and getting pay back on celebrities and ex presidents who people liked more

I Agree, and that's a fair description of him. I was never a Hilary fan, but she looks pretty good next to Trump.

[MTVN]

tbf lots of people think Obama was very weak on Syria though. The fact he set out a clear 'red line' over the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing when they were used is one of the most infamous moments of his Presidency

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by MTVN

tbf lots of people think Obama was very weak on Syria though. The fact he set out a clear 'red line' over the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing when they were used is one of the most infamous moments of his Presidency

So the attack is his fault?

[MTVN]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

So the attack is his fault?

Not his fault but the fact that the Syrian government continues to use chemical weapons is partly a failure of US policy

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Not his fault but the fact that the Syrian government continues to use chemical weapons is partly a failure of US policy

I didn't think so

[MTVN]

Someone has to play devil's advocate while LT is away

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by MTVN

tbf lots of people think Obama was very weak on Syria though. The fact he set out a clear 'red line' over the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing when they were used is one of the most infamous moments of his Presidency

Yes.I said exactly the same in another thread yesterday but in relation to Britain doing nothing back when we had the chance in 2012 before Russia fortified the Assad regime.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by MTVN

Someone has to play devil's advocate while LT is away

I'll be waiting patiently for your "Kate McCann is innocent" thread

[Brillopad]

Originally Posted by MTVN

tbf lots of people think Obama was very weak on Syria though. The fact he set out a clear 'red line' over the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing when they were used is one of the most infamous moments of his Presidency

I think that as president he had some accountability for his policies and if he did nothing when they went ahead and used them anyway it gave out the message that such a policy is all bluster and no action. Governments' have to back such policies with action or they will be abused.

[Niamh.]

Just going to leave this here.........

Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
The only reason President Obama wants to attack Syria is to save face over his very dumb RED LINE statement. Do NOT attack Syria,fix U.S.A.
12:13 PM - 5 Sep 2013

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...hemical-attack

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Just going to leave this here.........

Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
The only reason President Obama wants to attack Syria is to save face over his very dumb RED LINE statement. Do NOT attack Syria,fix U.S.A.
12:13 PM - 5 Sep 2013

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...hemical-attack

Yep,He's obvs having a shot at Obama.However i think he's right now.

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Yep,He's obvs having a shot at Obama.However i think he's right now.

He's a hypocrite though and is only doing it because he's jealous of how much everyone loved Obama, because he's a big child

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

He's a hypocrite though and is only doing it because he's jealous of how much everyone loved Obama, because he's a big child

Ok

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Northern Monkey

Ok

Spoiler:

[Tom4784]

He's spiralling, he'll quit or be forced out before Christmas.

[Northern Monkey]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Spoiler:

[Tom4784]

Complaining about the mistakes of the past is pointless when Trump has the power to fix flawed policies if he so wished to.

[Withano]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

Just going to leave this here.........

Donald J. Trump ✔ @realDonaldTrump
The only reason President Obama wants to attack Syria is to save face over his very dumb RED LINE statement. Do NOT attack Syria,fix U.S.A.
12:13 PM - 5 Sep 2013

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/...hemical-attack

Hes painful. Its like the USA all just decided to prank the rest of the world for a laugh.

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Complaining about the mistakes of the past is pointless when Trump has the power to fix flawed policies if he so wished to.

Theresa May loaned him the Tory handbook. "If anything is good, it was us! If anything is bad, it was the fault of the previous leader and / or government and there's nothing we can do about it now!"

He's taken credit for things that the ball was already rolling on before he came into office. Yet blames anything negative or unpopular on Obama, also.

[Northern Monkey]

I think the prank was putting Hilary Clinton up as a viable opposition to Trump.Trump would never have got in office against an even half decent opponent.