Opinion: Trump Doesn’t Care That American-led Airstrike Kills 18 Syrian Allies

During the Obama Administration, the President insisted that military operations were carefully scrutinized to avoid civilian casualties and the worst form of collateral damage, friendly fire deaths. Trump severely condemned that kind of scrutiny because since Muslims are the predominant group in the Middle East, there is no reason to exert care in who gets bombed and who dies as if there is no such thing as “innocent” Muslim lives. Trump’s savage plan was turning all operational decision-making to the Defense Department and field commanders who apparently have as little regard for “collateral damage” as their incompetent commander in chief.

The New York Times reported on Thursday that mounting questions and concerns over Trump’s refusal, or inability, to “exercise sufficient oversight” as commander in chief are being answered with an alarming increase of innocent deaths of Muslims. This time the incompetence at the White House took the lives of 18 Syrian Muslim troops allied with the United States in fighting the dreaded extremist group the Islamic State (IS, ISIL, Daesh, ISIS). Although war mongers have openly welcomed Trump’s hands-off approach and willingness to bomb first and never question the results, it is fairly certain that the friends and families of the 18 slain Syrian allies, like the 1,472 innocent civilians killed by America in March, are not impressed or welcoming this country’s blatant disregard for innocent civilians or its allies helping America to defeat ISIS.

The air strike actually happened on Tuesday in a place called Tabqah in Syria, and it was also the third time in a month that American-led air attacks have killed civilians or allies. The latest collateral damage, this time “friendly fire,” occurred while the Pentagon is “allegedly” investigating two previous airstrikes responsible for killing or wounding “scores of civilians” in a complex where a mosque was located and a building west of Mosul, Iraq.

The NYT reports that the U.S. Central Command overseeing combat operations said the air strike was requested by coalition allies who were on the ground near Tabqah. Apparently, the airstrikes were “called in” after forces on the ground “identified the target location as an ISIS fighting position.” Obviously that was not the case leaving one to imagine that even a tad more “scrutiny” may have identified the target as what Central Command discovered “turned out to be a fighting position” for the Syrian Democratic Forces; an anti-Assad rebel group that has been fighting alongside America to defeat ISIS.

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Central Command issued a statement calling the careless “accidental” attack on American allies a tragic episode and the Pentagon said the cause of the 18 Syrian rebels’ deaths is under investigation; like the growing number of other “tragic episodes” that claimed the lives of innocent civilians.

“The coalition’s deepest condolences go out to the members of the S.D.F. and their families.”

American military officials said that innocent civilian deaths and friendly fire tragedies “is to be expected as Iraqi forces try to retake Mosul.” Since ISIS has been weakened in Syria during the Obama Administration, retaking Mosul is regarded to be “the last big urban hurdle to defeating the extremist Sunni militant group in Iraq.” Other forces, including rebel forces in the Syrian Democratic Forces, allied with America “are moving in on ISIS’ de facto capital of Raqqa in Syria.”

The Times reported that military commanders enjoy having free reign, reduced scrutiny and an absent commander-in-chief in their war operations; something glaringly obvious if they say innocent civilian and friendly fire deaths is “to be expected.” But one wonders what kind of good will toward America is being squandered with the mounting civilian deaths and now 18 American allies.

One thing is certain, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Assad are likely not disappointed that the American-led coalition is responsible for killing 18 of the rebel forces seeking to oust Assad from power.

Rmuse

Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.

Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.

Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.