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The United States Strike in Syria: Local Damage, Global Message
Entrenchment of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria, as the Assad regime relies on them more heavily
Canada Free Press
by INSS -- Amos Yadlin , Assaf Orion
4/13/2017
Excerpt:
On the afternoon of April 4, 2017, the Assad regime launched a chemical weapons attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in northern Syria, murdering dozens of civilians, including children. On the night of April 6-7, the United States struck the Syrian air force base in Dardaghan-Shuayrat, from where the attack was launched, with dozens of cruise missiles. This was the first deliberate American attack against Assad regime targets. What follows is an analysis of the key implications of these events and the repercussions for Israel.
On the physical and techno-tactical levels, the attack’s impact is insignificant. About 60 cruise missiles fired from destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea struck the air force base’s infrastructures and, as reported, caused few fatalities and destroyed a few aircraft. Other aircraft had been evacuated from the base earlier, following an advance warning issued by the United States to Russia, in order to avoid hitting Russian forces. Therefore, the attack did not significantly deprive the Assad regime of a significant capability to continue fighting, as can be seen from the subsequent resumption of the air strikes on Khan Sheikhoun itself. Nevertheless, the United States strike demonstrated the Assad regime’s vulnerability when the United States decides to take action against it, and neither Syria’s air defense systems, nor Russia’s, intercepted the cruise missiles, either out of choice or inability. Therefore, it is important to analyze the purposes of the US military action and its repercussions on the strategic level, which are expressed in terms of reputation, image, balances of power, rules of the game, deterrence, and the impact on decision making and on players’ calculus.
On the American domestic level, the US strike enables President Donald Trump to differentiate himself from his predecessor
On the American domestic level, the US strike enables President Donald Trump to differentiate himself from his predecessor, who refrained from attacking the Assad regime, even when it launched chemical attacks and crossed the red lines Obama himself had drawn; to position himself as a decisive leader who is unafraid of employing military force and a swift decision maker who nevertheless, remains level-headed and measured (the operation was defined as proportional and limited, while the course of action did not entail risking American combatants). Concurrently, Trump showed the US legislature that he is willing to employ military force even without obtaining the Congress’s approval. Perhaps most importantly, against the backdrop of the extensive public discourse about Russia’s interference in the last US elections and about prohibited contacts between personnel in Trump’s administration and Putin’s government, Trump demonstrated that he is unafraid of challenging Russia.
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View the complete article including image and comments at:
http://canadafreepress.com/article/t...global-message
Entrenchment of Iran and Hezbollah in Syria, as the Assad regime relies on them more heavily
Canada Free Press
by INSS -- Amos Yadlin , Assaf Orion
4/13/2017
Excerpt:
On the afternoon of April 4, 2017, the Assad regime launched a chemical weapons attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in northern Syria, murdering dozens of civilians, including children. On the night of April 6-7, the United States struck the Syrian air force base in Dardaghan-Shuayrat, from where the attack was launched, with dozens of cruise missiles. This was the first deliberate American attack against Assad regime targets. What follows is an analysis of the key implications of these events and the repercussions for Israel.
On the physical and techno-tactical levels, the attack’s impact is insignificant. About 60 cruise missiles fired from destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea struck the air force base’s infrastructures and, as reported, caused few fatalities and destroyed a few aircraft. Other aircraft had been evacuated from the base earlier, following an advance warning issued by the United States to Russia, in order to avoid hitting Russian forces. Therefore, the attack did not significantly deprive the Assad regime of a significant capability to continue fighting, as can be seen from the subsequent resumption of the air strikes on Khan Sheikhoun itself. Nevertheless, the United States strike demonstrated the Assad regime’s vulnerability when the United States decides to take action against it, and neither Syria’s air defense systems, nor Russia’s, intercepted the cruise missiles, either out of choice or inability. Therefore, it is important to analyze the purposes of the US military action and its repercussions on the strategic level, which are expressed in terms of reputation, image, balances of power, rules of the game, deterrence, and the impact on decision making and on players’ calculus.
On the American domestic level, the US strike enables President Donald Trump to differentiate himself from his predecessor
On the American domestic level, the US strike enables President Donald Trump to differentiate himself from his predecessor, who refrained from attacking the Assad regime, even when it launched chemical attacks and crossed the red lines Obama himself had drawn; to position himself as a decisive leader who is unafraid of employing military force and a swift decision maker who nevertheless, remains level-headed and measured (the operation was defined as proportional and limited, while the course of action did not entail risking American combatants). Concurrently, Trump showed the US legislature that he is willing to employ military force even without obtaining the Congress’s approval. Perhaps most importantly, against the backdrop of the extensive public discourse about Russia’s interference in the last US elections and about prohibited contacts between personnel in Trump’s administration and Putin’s government, Trump demonstrated that he is unafraid of challenging Russia.
.................................................. ..........................
View the complete article including image and comments at:
http://canadafreepress.com/article/t...global-message