Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
Politics and Religion
U.S. Attacks Syria–Has Trump Become a Neoconservative?

U.S. Attacks Syria–Has Trump Become a Neoconservative?

Last updated on: April 16, 2018 at 5:45 am by Gene Veith

0 Comments

U.S. Attacks Syria–Has Trump Become a Neoconservative? 2018-04-14T18:23:19-04:00 Gene Veith

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

U.S. forces fired over 100 cruise missiles at Syria in retaliation against President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons against rebels to his regime. The chemical attack killed some 40 people in the city of Douma, including a number of children. President Trump had threatened to punish “Animal Assad” and ordered the missile strikes with the support of France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and other allies.

From NBC News:

President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the United States military — in conjunction with France and the United Kingdom — to launch strikes on Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad on a Damascus suburb last week.

The president said the U.S. would aim to hit sites “associated with the chemical weapons capabilities” of Assad’s regime.

“We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents,” Trump said in remarks from the White House, adding that the U.S. and its allies had “marshaled their righteous power.”. . .

Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the U.S. and its partners launched the attack at 9 p.m. ET and struck multiple targets associated with Syria’s chemical weapons program. Those targets included a scientific research center in Damascus, a chemical weapons storage facility near Homs, Syria, and a chemical weapons equipment and military outpost close to the second target. . . .

At a news conference at the Pentagon after Trump spoke on Friday night, Defense Secretary James Mattis described the strikes as “a little over double the weapons” used by the Trump administration to carry out a similar attack one year ago. That April 2017 attack consisted of 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

A number of Trump supporters are criticizing his military intervention. .

During the election, despite the way he is generally portrayed in the media, Donald Trump was the peace candidate. He spoke against the Iraq War and America’s recent habit of getting involved in unnecessary military incursions in the futile effort to spread democracy. Trump opposed the “neoconservatives” in the Republican establishment who promoted an interventionist foreign policy.

And yet, Trump also decried the “weakness” that he saw in America’s foreign policy, especially that of President Barack Obama. Trump wanted America to stand up against countries that have been pushing America around by projecting an image of toughness and military strength.

Some may say that those two impulses–don’t get involved militarily, yet be tough–are contradictory. But perhaps they reflect a good balance.

At any rate, in the revolving door of the president’s administration, the appointment of John Bolton as National Security advisor to replace H. R. McMaster, has many “paleo-conservatives” worried. Bolton is a neoconservative who has been a strong advocate of military intervention, including in Iran and North Korea. Also, Trump’s firing of Secretary of State Rex Tillerman and his plan to replace him with CIA director Mike Pompeo, also an interventionist, has some pro-Trump anti-war conservatives concerned that the president has become a neoconservative. (See this in The American Conservative, as well as subsequent articles about Bolton.)

I think it more likely that President Trump is not following any particular ideology. Just days before ordering this strike, he announced a complete withdrawal of our military advisors embedded with rebel units. But the president watched the video of the chemical attacks and saw the bodies of little children who had been gassed. He resolved to punish the “animal” who would do such things. Again, contrary to the way Trump is portrayed in the media, in the words of his close associates, he “has a big heart.” And you could make a case for intervention in response to atrocities that falls short of nation-building.

But what comes next is hard to say. This attack is “part of a sustained response” until Syria gives up its chemical weapons? That would be a formula for something like the Iraq war, except that Saddam Hussein didn’t have chemical weapons after all.

“When I take action,” said George W. Bush, “I’m not going to fire a $2 million missile at a $10 empty tent and hit a camel in the butt. It’s going to be decisive.”

Maybe firing those $2 million missiles and hitting a few camels in the butt will be the extent of our attack on Syria. Or maybe the administration will choose to be “decisive.”

Photo of last year’s cruise missile launch targeting Syria, U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ford Williams/Released. Public Domain

interventionist foreign policy

John Bolton

Neoconservatism

President Donald Trump

Syrian chemical weapons

Trump and Syria

war in Syria

Previous Post

April 13, 2018

How Social Media Is Designed Around Sin

Next Post

April 16, 2018 Backpage Knew It Was Trafficking Children for Sex

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"VCRs, tape decks, and cassette players are all having a revival among a segment of ..."

Tom Hering

Luther on Tools

"As a (retired) lawyer I see potential liability from sharing things like power or sharp ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"I am not sure the items you mentioned, though disused, discontinued, discarded, could be considered ..."

reg

Luther on Tools

"“Friend, use me in your relations with your neighbor just as you would want your ..."

DakotaLutheran

Luther on Tools

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category America Apologetics Art baseball Bible Blog Christ Church crime Culture Economics Education Ethics Family Food Football Government History Holidays Holy Week Humor International Islam Language Law Life Issues Literature Media Medicine Movies Music Nature News Personal Philosophy Politics psychology Reformation Religions Sacraments Science sex Social Science Sports technology television terrorism Theology Uncategorized Vocation war

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who said: "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Moses Peter James Paul

Books by This Author Books by Gene Veith

See All Titles »