Stephen Lendman

McCain, Graham and numerous other bipartisan neocons infest Washington - deploring peace and stability, supporting endless US wars of aggression.

Ahead of Trump’s Friday attack on Syria’s Shayrat airbase, they issued a joint statement, calling for a US-led “international coalition to ground Assad’s air force” militarily.

They deplorably urged escalating war to resolve it, claiming “(t)his is a test of the (Trump) administration, but also for our entire country.”

“Assad is trying to see what he can get away with. The rest of the region and the world is also watching to see how our country will respond, and what that means for them.”

Compare their statement to Putin’s, issued by his press office, following Trump’s aggression, saying:

“The President of Russia regards the US airstrikes on Syria as an act of aggression against a sovereign state delivered in violation of international law under a far-fetched pretext.”

“The Syrian Army has no chemical weapons. The fact of the destruction of all Syrian chemical weapons’ stockpiles has been recorded and verified by the OPCW, a specialized UN body.”

“Vladimir Putin believes that complete disregard for factual information about the use by terrorists of chemical weapons drastically aggravates the situation.”

Trump’s aggression against Syria “has dealt a serious blow to Russian-US relations, which are already in a poor state.”

“Most importantly, this move will not bring us closer to the ultimate goal of combatting international terrorism but will instead create a major obstacle to the establishment of an international counterterrorist coalition and to effective struggle against this global evil, something that US President Donald Trump declared as one of his main goals during his election campaign.”

“Vladimir Putin regards the US strikes on Syria as an attempt to draw public attention away from the numerous civilian casualties in Iraq” - referring to the rape of Mosul, US terror-bombing and Pentagon-directed government forces, massacring civilians indiscriminately.

US military operations in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere support terrorism instead of combating it.

Anti-war protests in US cities and abroad followed Trump’s Friday aggression. Activists denounced his lawlessness.

So did Russia’s deputy UN envoy Vladimir Safronkov. In an emergency Security Council session, he called Trump’s action a “flagrant violation of international law and an act of aggression,” adding its “consequences for regional and international security could be extremely serious.”

Numerous times earlier, Trump called attacking Syria a bad idea, risking greater war than already.

In June 2013, he tweeted: “We should stay the hell out of Syria, the ‘rebels’ are just as bad as the current regime. WHAT WILL WE GET FOR OUR LIVES AND $ BILLION? ZERO”

In September 2013, he tweeted: “The Arab League stated that it wants nothing to do with an attack on Syria, but they want us to attack. Are our leaders insane or just stupid”

In numerous tweets, he said “(s)tay out of Syria.” “Do not attack Syria.” “IF YOU DO MANY VERY BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN.”

“The terrorists in Syria are calling themselves REBELS and getting away with it because our leaders are so completely stupid!”

Et tu, Donald? You betcha!

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at http://www.sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.