Meet Kassem Eid
 

Meet Kassem Eid. Kassem is a survivor of the August 21, 2013 Syrian regime chemical attack. Doctors had given him up for dead but he woke up 30 minutes later screaming in agony and surrounded by corpses. He relates the emotional trauma he experienced watching video of Assad's latest sarin gas attack on his people.

Kassem relates that an even worse moment came when Obama cancelled his red line. Kassem escaped Syria in 2014 and came to America hoping to persuade Obama to stop the genocide. He spent 2 years speaking at think tanks, universities, the State Department, Congress, the Pentagon, and the National Security Council only to conclude that nothing would change Obama's mind.

He now resides in Germany and explains that the Syrian people did not rebel against Assad to gain entry to the United States. They rebelled he explains because they wanted to live as equals in their own country.

Kassem says that Trump did more with one strike against ISIS than Obama did in the previous six years. He thanked Trump for his brave action of striking back against Assad and holding him accountable for his latest massacre of civilians. Kassem holds out hope and encourages Trump to do more to rid his nation of Assad and ISIS.

WSJ 4/12

Personal Best Regards:

Maybe you should read the history about why Obama did not do more. We will see what happens. I have little faith in the wisdom of the Donald Trump Administration on Foreign Affairs. The main one of these is Trump's personal history and ties with Putin which is under investigation.

All Trump did is send a warning shot-- probably a $125,000,000 one-- across Assad's ship of state. That's while Putin and his regime support Assad.

Maybe you should listen to the CNN clip of this gentleman from Syria. It's always refreshing to hear some truth. Unfortunately, the only truth came from Kassem Eid's mouth, not from CNN, but it is a real lesson in how our media continually attempts to manipulate the minds of Americans.

And what about the Syrian refugees? What is Trump doing about them?

Wait this may be good news. Trump Admitting Syrian Refugees At Quicker Pace Than Obama | The Daily Caller

****ed off Ann Coulter-- even better.

Did you even check out the CNN clip that I mentioned??? I think not, or you wouldn't even be asking me that question!! Google Kassem Eid and the clip will come right up......sorry, but I can not link with this device.

Ok, so you edited/added to your post while I was responding to your original post. But if you view that CNN clip, you will see/hear that the Syrians do not want to be refugees, much like we would not want to flee our homeland by force. This Syrian is grateful for the strike by President Trump because he wants his country back, not have it taken from him and his fellow countrymen and women.

CNN's Brooke Baldwin Gets Schooled By 2013 Syrian Gas Attack Survivor

I see and how is Donald Trump going to do that? At least, Obama and Clinton had some realistic assessment of the problems involved. Trump does not. Show boating with this missile attack which resulted in more planes continuing their bombing of Syrians the next day.

Donald Trump does not know what the $#@^ he is doing. Obama and Clinton actually did and do.

Some of these journalists know a great deal more than Trump about the problems in Syria.

Thank you for linking that, but sadly I think you have become hopeless. Despite all the efforts on other threads where posters have tried to explain to you the purpose of that attack, you still don't get it. It's not that I think you couldn't get it, but that your hatred for another human being has caused you to think without reason, logic, and your God-given intelligence. You have succumbed to purely ideological thinking.

That's horse****. What was the purpose of the attack? To say we will make an effective missile attack in the future? Good luck with that as Russian forces will now be alert to this and may even shoot down these missiles. Trump showed his hand which is week to begin with as far as Syria is concerned especially because of the Trump campaign's now very real connections to Putin.

Your love of Donald Trump blinds you.

And as to the US invading Syria to get rid of Assad I really do not see that happening any time soon nor did Obama nor Clinton. Helping refugees is the better option.

Surely, you have heard of peace through strength. So it was an attempt at such, I believe. After so many years of seeing the US in a position of weakness, this was not an illogical move to make. Making homes for these refugees in other countries is not going to solve any of the problems we are facing. Maybe help in other ways as Eid suggested, but the solution is not taking in refugees and then ignoring the problem causing it. The President is responsible first, to protect our country and our people. Since we have troops over there,we need to let Syria and others know that this cannot be tolerated. Of course, it is also a human rights stand and if other countries have the guts they should join in. It is the right thing to do. We can only hope and pray that the current refugees being allowed in to the US are being vetted more stringently. I'm sure this strike was not intended to start a war, but to let others know that we will not continue the path of weakness and backtracking of the last 8 years. Again, all this has pretty much been said on other threads, but you continue to ignore that and instead regurgitate the same old stuff - "your love of Trump", "Trump and Russia", etc. Love for Trump does not blind me. I will admit that my vote was more in opposition to the other candidate than for him. I knew a third party vote would not hold water (this time around anyway- maybe some day) and could not in good conscience vote that way. However, I still believe your hatred of him does blind you, as you will not even acknowledge the statement of a Syrian who previously was a victim of a chemical attack.

By the way, to the OP, thank you for posting this. It is a very revealing bit of information from someone who knows from first-hand experience. Great to hear directly from the horse's mouth instead of always having to defer to the opinions of talking heads. Sad that news is just not news anymore.

For the most part I agree with the above analysis, except he did not "become hopeless"...he was born HOPELESS...

We can not reason with a Wackadoodle!

I am puzzled as to what the meaning of this little story exactly is.

As BUCCO, I began a thread on this specific subject Aug 21, 2013 and was appalledat our failure to act, so I support anything we do, HOWEVER....

Our President has stated very clearly he has no intention of ever trying to topple Assad...EVER.

Thus explain the purpose of this thread.....unless our President changes totally on this subject, Assad is there until he or Putin decides he will go.

Of course the Syrians want some kind of response, but Assad knows he is totally backed by Iran and Russia and he is only going where they tell him.

You can share all the stories you want and it does not even offer up the chance for discussion unless you want a change in US policy. So what is the purpose ?

I do not advocate entering Syria but I surely advocate recognizing that Russia is his prop and as long as we give them a pass, Assad is there to stay and he knows it.

Really? That is your thoughts with no copy and paste paragraphs all bolded??

Allow me to unravel your puzzled mind; the meaning of the story is the guy is appreciative towards Trump and the bombing of the Syrian airbase. I know it was tough to figure that out.

Bucco?? You remind me of the Wackadoodle with his 234-567 project, you just love to talk about your PAST. You whine if someone mentions Obamma or Crooked Hillary, pointing out that is the past, and then you go and drag up Bucco...

It might be foolish of us to remove Assad, we could end up with worst. Of course any idiot could surmise that, BUT, you are non stop "Negative Nancy" with regard to Trump, so continue to search out things to whine about.

Yes, Assad is currently backed by Iran and Russia. They don't necessarily agree on all matters (possibly they have different views on gassing their own people, or maybe they like different genres of music), so support can change.

Are you suggesting we should bomb Russia and Iran too? That might be a bit taxing, seeing how we really don't have a reason other than they are supportive of Assad. I doubt that would cause Russia and Iran to be less supportive of Assad...

I noticed you do not have much negative whiny things to say about Iran...

A few notes on your post....

.....I mentioned Iran...did you want a link or a copy paste to read...oh, never mind....READING is asking quite a bit.

.....I posted a thread and a few posts supporting the bombing, I said in that post that I supported it and I defended it.

.....The President in about 72 hours said we did not want to remove Assad, then he changed it and said he must go, and now I think he is back to allowing him to stay. I might add that in the first statement he said he supported Assad

.....I am not sure where you get to say what I suggested. i suggest nothing. I simply do not understand the reason for a thread about what happened FOUR years ago. Of course, the bombing whether symbolic or not was appreciated.

I suspect it was posted to give props to Trump and he got those props...no more necessary.

I noticed your post and it appears you have a sincere anger problem. Are you angry at Trump, frustrated with the lies he told you.

I brought up BUCCO because I have advocated SOMETHING be done for years and years. I am not a late comer to this subject at all. I was met with resistance then when I criticized Obama, and find no worthwhile reason to talk about the past on this at this point. I went back and read that thread this morning and noticed that some who post here now were also around at that time and had NO OPINION on that thread.

I hope I covered all your rantings and I assure you I do understand the reason and logic behind the bombing and have said so.

The only thing I am confused about is the reason for a thread about this poor man. I get it, as does everybody.

Just wondering, why does there have to be a reason given? I, for one, found it very intriguing which is what made me google his name and research further. That's when I came across the CNN clip where he was interviewed. I found his comments to be very interesting and would not have known about this man had the OP not posted it. Personally, I prefer news where a person who has direct experience is interviewed versus so many programs that are based purely on opinion and supposition. This Syrian gentleman gives us a firsthand look at what the people of that country are thinking and really want. Now to me, that's news worth watching.

Just google Syria and read.

In 2013, I was very motivated but nobody much cared at that time. It was horrible then....and there was not much interest.

This is that OP from 2013....I think the link is dead now

"Bucco Bucco is offline
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Default Syria
Ok...even though it has been happening for a year or more, CNN is now broadcasting actual film of a chemical weapon attack in Syria, where the massacre of people has been continuing and ongoing.

Redline has been crossed...many times. Now that we can see it..what now ?

"Activists and rebel fighters accused Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces of killing hundreds of civilians - including many women and children - in chemical weapons attacks on Wednesday.

Video clips apparently showing the graphic and disturbing aftermath of the alleged attacks on the rebel-held eastern Damascus suburb of Ghouta were posted to social media but could not be independently verified. The clips showed children choking and vomiting, while adults writhed in agony.

If confirmed, it would be by far the worst known use of poison gas during the country’s deadly civil war, which has claimed more than 100,000 lives."

Newsvine

If you really care, here is a item from the dreaded CNN from last year....

What Syrians want you to know

Also from last year....

"Five years into the war in Syria, most reporting focuses on the ebb and flow of the fighting, incessant foreign meddling in the conflict, and the spectacular brutality of extremist groups such as the Islamic State (ISIS). Aside from the occasional human-interest story on the plight of the refugees, however, ordinary Syrians have largely been lost in the shuffle."

What Syrians Want | Foreign Affairs

ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN OUT THERE.....takes someone to want to make a political point to get you to read it.

This is not new...what we need is stronger idea of what IS our policy and stronger actions against those who prop this up.

A selected tape for the media is not something that iimpresses me much.

I may seem a bit jaded and I suppose I am....I have been talking about this for years, on here and off.....this is Trump discussing Syria.....quote from debate....

"During the campaign, Trump discussed Syria principally in the context of refugees, whom he viewed as a potential danger to the U.S., fighting ISIS and as a way to criticize President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

During the second presidential debate on Oct. 9, Trump and Clinton, his then-Democratic rival, were asked what they would do in Syria if they won.

Trump said "Aleppo is a disaster, humanitarian wise" and said that Mosul had "basically fallen." Rather than proposing any specific plan for how he would handle the situation, he went on to slam "the stupidity of our foreign policy" and criticize the Obama administration's tendency to announce planned attacks in advance.

"Why do they have to say we are going to be attacking Mosul within the next four to six weeks, which is what they’re saying. How stupid is our country?" Trump said.

What Trump has said about Syria and Assad - ABC News

We need a FIRM PUBLIC POLICY....IF we really have feelings for these people, then show it.....in words and actions. Sanctions, review our policy on immigration....or we are just talking much like 2013.

Allow me to add this. It bothers me that people get so steamed up with this gas attack when almost 1/2 million have died there, and millions are refugees and starving.

We bombed a runway, shut down Syrians from coming here, so I do have a bit of a jaded view of this. Obama had a good chance....this country voiced loudly their disapproval along with congress.

These missles do not make us great humanitarians.

The point of this thread was to give voice to the people who matter. We can all sit here and hypothesis, place blame, play politics but Kassem and his people are living at ground zero.

as an individual I care not about politics when considering the effect political leaders omissions and commissions have on people's lives here and abroad.

Its clear that aggressive nations have been testing our will and resolve for a long period of time. As an individual peace through strength resonates with me. I don't care if it is a Democrat or Republican I am going to support the leader who shows backbone.

My experience growing up is that if you don't back a bully down he will view it as weakness and become unrelenting

America can't save everyone but we have to focus on those situation from a past, present and future perspective and work toward solutions to keep this nation secure. What is happening in the middle east and Asia threatens our existence.

Personal Best Regards:

I agree with all you say.

My point was.....this has been going on for years, with not a mention. Even in this "sort of" political forum, on Apr 4, I began a thread, and your voice was not present.

This terrible situation is years old...the "Fake news" (as you call them) media has covered it, and I posted a number of stories written about these poor people, so again I am a bit jaded because suddenly it seems we are to care because Trump sent missles to an airfield.

Sorry...I, personally, am not impressed. I support what he did...I understood it....

The care you mention is expressed by you for the first time I have seen, both here and on the old political forum. Nobody said a word when Trump changed policy this past weeks to "support" Assad (of course he changed that. Never heard You or anyone criticize Trump for his loving words on Putin during the campaign while children died in Syria, all orchestrated by Russia.

So excuse me if I misunderstand you, because it is new to me. The hands off Russia, Syria including sanctions (actually Trump wanted at one point to reduce them) was supported by you.

You support banning any Syrian refugees any haven, and use those who take them as examples of what not to do. So excuse me if I am looking at your sudden change as political.

“I don’t like Assad at all,’’ Trump said in a Presidential debate in October. “But Assad is killing isis. Russia is killing isis and Iran is killing isis.”

Trump’s Moment of Terrible Truth in Syria - The New Yorker

Just to be clear, I wasn't saying that I didn't know about what happened in 2013. I did, and I also remember very clearly you (as Bucco) were very upset about it. You were obviously very well read at that time and I enjoyed your informative posts. I was not posting on the political forum back then, but it was mostly your posts that intrigued me enough to start watching things more closely. Anyway, what I was saying was I wouldn't have known about this particular survivor if not for this thread. I thought the interview was very revealing about how the Syrian people feel not so much about Trump, but about their homeland and the action or inaction of the US regarding it.

Hard to believe a guy so well read wasted his vote on a candidate that garnered less than 1% of the nation's votes...they say the mind slips with age.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

Sorry if my response was harsh.

I just am annoyed..not a strong word, but trying to cool it a bit...at people who are so shallow and narrow minded as many on here. Suddenly people have hearts when it is convenient.

I am wrong a lot, but pride myself in admitting it, and take great pride in trying hard to stay balance. Been a loyal Republican for years (Democrat for awhile and that gave me a thirst for politics), but left and became independent when Trump got the nomination. I recall the Republican putting morals and values first and could not support the party any longer as they seemingly abandoned that. The move to extremism, which ironically Trump's hypocrisy is moving him away from, was not a trip I could take, but who knows, Trump is whatever the last person told him to be ������

But sorry if I was harsh...Syrian folks have suffered more than we spoiled Americans can even imagine. They simply want their country back.

Russia, who pulls the strings needs to be seriously held accountable.

By the way, Syria is tough situation. Obama's lack of action allowed Russia to get involved, although it could have been worse if he acted in error. That said, why we are not putting the pressure on Russia escapes me. We cannot get involved there without body bags, but when I hear of the Republican Party dropping increased sanctions on Russia on behalf of Putin, I get ill. When I DON'T hear talk of increasing pressure on Russia, it really irks me. They have taken over 2 countries, are trying to break NATO to pursue more, tried to influence a USA election, are strong allies of Iran, so what are we not really applying pressure.

Thanks for your response. I understand what you are saying and agree. It is a tough situation indeed.