The Syrian conflict is escalating at alarming speed.
And while the escalation accelerates, the Commander in Chief is MIA.
After the downing of a Syrian Government Su-22 warplane this week, Russia has announced that it will no longer honor a so-called ‘deconfliction’ agreement between forces aligned to the USA and Russian warplanes. The deconfliction agreement is designed to prevent accidental incidents between the two powers.
Furthermore, Russia has stated it will now ‘track’ US and Coalition warplanes and will defend Syrian forces with lethal force.
I will say it again — the conflict is escalating. This is real world, and it is current.
With this in mind, a key ally of the US has announced it will suspend sorties in Syria.
Following the Russian announcement, The Australian Air Force has now taken the extraordinary step of publically announcing the suspension of all air missions in Syria effective immediately.
Australia has been a staunch ally of the United States for a century.
There is a discussion to be had, about the legality of the action of the Trump administration in shooting down the Syrian warplane, and if the actions violate any number of international ordinances, or indeed the powers of the President. I hope that more knowledgeable people than I might elaborate on these points in the comments. It may add the list of justifiable reasons that may lead to Trump’s eventual impeachment and removal.
- We have the UK government publically slamming and shaming the Trump administration over the selective leaking of sensitive intelligence.
- We have the President revealing sensitive Intelligence to the Russians, in the Oval Office no less — an act that has reportedly compromised allied intelligence operatives in Syria.
- We have a situation where key allies of the United States, who all work together to keep the Western Alliance strong, are being continuously tested, compromised and endangered by a continuing relationship with the Trump administration.
The United States is, increasingly, going it alone, and going it alone into very dangerous territory.
And we are on this journey with an unrestrained madman at the helm.
We do not have the option to stop resisting, no matter the odds. No matter the disappointments.
The safety and the future of all of us is at stake.