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You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition - April 7, 2017
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This is the April 7, 2017, edition of an email sent from November 2016 to September 2017 that covered Donald Trump's presidential transition, cabinet appointees, and the different policy positions of those individuals who may have had an effect on the new administration. Previous editions of "You're Hired" can be found here.
On Tuesday, more than 70 Syrian civilians were killed and hundreds more injured in a chemical attack on the rebel-held area of Khan Shaykhun. The Trump administration responded by launching 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles against an airfield in western Syria on Thursday night.
Today, we will review the roots of the Syrian conflict, how the United States first became involved, President Donald Trump’s policy positions on Syria over the years, and why the Trump administration has taken action now.
The Syrian conflict
How did the conflict begin?
Following the rise of pro-democracy protests across Syria in early 2011, civil war broke out in the country as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's security forces began to violently clash with anti-government activists. Some opponents of Assad armed themselves for self-defense, while others formed rebel brigades with the purpose of seizing control of territory.
The conflict, which has resulted in the death of more than 400,000 Syrians, has been further complicated by the growth of the Islamic State in the region. The jihadist group captured large portions of the country and established headquarters in the city of Raqqa.
In addition to the Islamic State, the Assad regime, and anti-Assad rebels, other factions engaged in the conflict are Hezbollah and Kurdish fighters. Russia, which has been directly involved in the conflict since 2015, supports the Assad regime.
How did the United States first become involved in Syria?
In August 2012, President Barack Obama said the red line for U.S. involvement in Syria was the use of chemical or biological weapons. “We have communicated in no uncertain terms with every player in the region that that's a red line for us and that there would be enormous consequences if we start seeing movement on the chemical weapons front or the use of chemical weapons,” Obama said.
The United States agreed to send food and medical supplies to Syrian rebels in February 2013. After the Obama administration became convinced that the Assad regime was using chemical weapons, it decided to also send military aid to Syrian rebels in June 2013.
Obama’s first request to take military action in Syria came in August 2013, after hundreds of Syrians were killed in rebel-held areas near Damascus. The joint resolution never reached a vote because Syria said it would relinquish its chemical weapons per a disarmament agreement crafted by the United States and Russia.
The Islamic State, commonly referred to as ISIS, ISIL, or Daesh, began to expand its control of Syrian territory in 2014. The United States took its first military action in Syria when it joined a coalition of Arab countries—Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan—in bombing Islamic State targets in the country in September 2014. That same month, Congress approved Obama’s plan to arm and train Syrian rebels to combat the Islamic State.
Trump’s early comments on Syria
Trump’s comments as a private citizen in 2013
Trump was initially opposed to American involvement in Syria because he believed doing so would aid al Qaeda. He said in an April 2013 interview, “Who knows what weapons they have? Who really knows what weapons they have? Wouldn’t you think maybe it’s time to stay out of one of these?”
In August and September of that year, Trump tweeted several times that Obama should not take military action in Syria. “Let the Arab League take care of Syria. Why are these rich Arab countries not paying us for the tremendous cost of such an attack?” Trump wrote.
Trump’s comments as a political figure in 2015 and 2016
As a political figure, Trump's comments on the Syrian conflict have generally focused on military action against ISIS rather than the Assad regime. In October 2015, Trump expressed support for Russia’s military intervention in Syria. "I like that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is bombing the hell out of ISIS, and it's going to be ISIS. I'll tell you why — Putin has to get rid of ISIS because Putin doesn't want ISIS coming into Russia," said Trump. He added, however, “I'm not justifying Putin, but you watch — he'll get bogged down there. He'll be there, he'll spend a fortune, he'll be begging to get out.”
The Wall Street Journal reported on November 11, 2016, that Trump "suggested a sharper focus on fighting Islamic State, or ISIS, in Syria, rather than on ousting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad" in an interview with the newspaper. Trump said, "My attitude was you’re fighting Syria, Syria is fighting ISIS, and you have to get rid of ISIS. Russia is now totally aligned with Syria, and now you have Iran, which is becoming powerful, because of us, is aligned with Syria. … Now we’re backing rebels against Syria, and we have no idea who these people are.” He said that if the U.S. attacked Assad, then "we end up fighting Russia, fighting Syria.”
The Trump administration on Syria after the chemical attacks
Donald Trump
Trump placed some blame for the chemical attack on the Obama administration, saying in a statement on Tuesday, “These heinous actions by the Bashar al-Assad regime are a consequence of the past administration’s weakness and irresolution. President Obama said in 2012 that he would establish a 'red line' against the use of chemical weapons and then did nothing. The United States stands with our allies across the globe to condemn this intolerable attack."
During a joint press conference with Jordanian King Abdullah II the following day, Trump again condemned the attacks. "These heinous actions by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated," he said. When asked about his mention of the Obama administration in his first statement, Trump said, "I now have responsibility, and I will have that responsibility and carry it very proudly."
Trump declined to say, however, how the U.S. would respond. "I'm not saying I'm doing anything one way or another, but I'm certainly not going to be telling you," he told reporters.
Nikki Haley
Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations (UN), criticized Russia for supporting the Assad regime on Wednesday. She then suggested the United States could act in Syria independent of the UN. "When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action. For the sake of the victims, I hope the rest of the council is finally willing to do the same," she said.
Rex Tillerson
On Thursday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also questioned Russia’s support of Assad. He said, “There is no doubt in our minds, and the information we have supports, that Syria, the Syrian regime under the leadership of President Bashar al-Assad, are responsible for this attack. And I think further, it is very important that the Russian Government consider carefully their continued support for the Assad regime."
Cruise missiles launched against Syrian airfield
On Thursday night, Trump indicated the United States might take action in Syria. He told reporters, “I think what happened in Syria is a disgrace to humanity. [Assad is] there, and I guess he's running things, so something should happen.”
He met with Secretary of Defense James Mattis and other national security officials to discuss military options in Syria. One proposal includes a saturation strike on Syrian military targets that could lead to Russian casualties.
Trump ultimately authorized 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles be launched at an airfield in western Syria—from where the chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun originated—targeting fighter jets, military equipment, and storage facilities there. “Tonight, I ordered a targeted military strike on the air base in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched. It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons,” Trump said during a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said, “The strike was a proportional response to Assad's heinous act. … The strike was intended to deter the regime from using chemical weapons again.”
What comes next
The Russian government continues to deny that the Syrian government used chemical weapons and condemned the U.S. strike.
A spokesman from the Kremlin said, “President Putin considers the American strikes against Syria an aggression against a sovereign government in violations of the norms of international law, and under a far-fetched pretext.” He continued, “This step by Washington is causing significant damage to Russian-American relations, which are already in a deplorable state.”
Tillerson heads to Moscow on Tuesday as part of a previously scheduled visit. When he meets with his Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the chemical attack in Syria and U.S. strikes against the country are likely to be discussed.
See also
- You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition
- Donald Trump presidential transition team
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