Is Regime Change in Syria on the Table for The Trump Administration

The world is waiting to hear the details from meetings between U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson and his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Last week President Bashar al-Assad launched a chemical attack on his own people. President Donald Trump responded swiftly by sending 59 tomahawk missiles to hit the air base that Assad used to launch the chemical attack. Russia has troops and military equipment stationed on the airfield hit by the tomahawk missiles.

This obviously has escalated tensions between the two countries than the Cold War era. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called the strike on Syria an aggressive act against a sovereign state and violated International Law. Russia and Iran along with other Syrian allies vowed to retaliate against any further strike against Syria. Although Russia denied any knowledge of the gas attack; U.S. Intelligence claims Russia was aware of Assad’s intentions to use chemical weapons.

Recent comments from U.S. UN Secretary, Nikki Haley followed up by Rex Tillerson, leaves many to wonder if The Trump Administration just retaliated for the gas attack or is planning regime change. Tillerson, before leaving to meet Lavrov, made several statements that may lead many to believe that regime change is the only option that Trump will accept.

 

“It is clear to all of us that the reign of the Assad family is coming to an end,”

“But the question of how that ends and the transition itself could be very important in our view to the durability, the stability inside of a unified Syria.”

“That’s why we are not presupposing how that occurs,”

“We want to relieve the suffering of the Syrian people. Russia can be a part of that future and play an important role,”

“Or Russia can maintain its alliance with this group, which we believe is not going to serve Russia’s interests longer term.”

Tillerson’s quotes obviously state Assad needs to leave along with what I would perceive as an ultimatum for Russia.

Also in our opening monologue today we discuss the tension with North Korea. While we wait to see how China will respond the U.S. is sending the USS Aircraft Carrier Carl Vinson toward the Korean peninsula. Trump has no other choice but to handle this situation considering North Korea’s threats of nuclear attack on America’s western cities.