US Strike on Syria Escalating Tensions
- Simon. B
- Apr 8, 2017
- 4 min read
At 4:40 EEST (11:40am AEST) on the morning of the 7th of April, the United States Navy launched a targeted strike against the Syrian Arab Republic’s Air Force Shayrat Air Base on the command of US President Donald Trump in direct response to the Khan Shaykhun chemical attack which occurred a few days prior on the 4th of April and is suspected to have caused, according to US military intelligence. The attack was directed at the refueling areas, defenses and aircraft bunkers of the Shayrat base, destroying multiple aircraft and dealing a harsh blow to the joint Syrian-Russian ability to maintain standing air force capabilities in the area, which has now been reduced to simple landing and takeoff use. Earlier claims after the assault by Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis that “Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line. U.S. military planners took precautions to minimize risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield.” have been widely reported, yet conflicting reports continue to come in that not only were multiple Syrian soldiers killed in the strike itself but Russian soldiers were stationed at the base during the time of the attack. However it wasn’t just military personnel under the pummel of the up to 60 Tomahawk missiles fired by the US Navy warships, the USS Ross and USS Porter, while they sat in the Mediterranean sea; reports of civilian deaths (including women and children) have emerged following the attack by Russian state media and International sources, indicating that as many as nine civilians were killed in the strike, including those reportedly struck in the nearby village of Al-Manzul. The response from Syria and the Russia has been swift condemnation; Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin declared the military strike an act of “aggression against a sovereign nation”, while the Russian Defense Ministry has suspended its communication hotline with the Pentagon, the very hotline used to notify Russian forces of the impending attack on Shayrat, while the Kremlin has begun sailing one of its own warships to the same sea as a tactical safeguard against future responses. A shocked Syrian President Bashar al-Assad strongly defied the attack as a “conspiracy against Syria”, responding "We are not surprised today to see the supporting parties interfering directly after the failure of terrorists in targeting Syria". International responses have been mixed; Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended Trumps decision, stating “Israel fully supports President Trump’s decision and hopes that this message of resolve in the face of the Assad regime’s horrific actions will resonate not only in Damascus, but in Tehran, Pyongyang and elsewhere.”, mirroring support from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, while Iran shared Syria’s condemnation echoing that “such measures will strengthen terrorists in Syria”.
Bolivian Ambassador to the United Nations Sacha Llorenti compares Syrian chemical attack claims to US Secretary Colin Powell’s 2003 speech to the UN Security Council where Powell presented fabricated evidence of WMD’s in the leadup to the Iraq War
China has taken a respectful but neutral tone to President Trumps military action, with China's UN Security Council delegate Liu Jieyi saying "A political solution is the only way out for the Syrian issue. Military means will not work.", while President Xi Jinping has not yet released an official response. At home, Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has thrown his complete support behind the strike on Shayrat, stating "We can say that the Australian government strongly supports the swift and just response of the United States" and reiterating Australia’s long term relations with the US with "Australia was not involved in the strike but we remain fully committed as a coalition partner to our ongoing military operations in Iraq and Syria". Opposition party Labor leader Bill Shorten has also expressed his and his parties support for the strike. Indonesia has expressed its apprehension over the attack, re-affirming Indonesia’s wish to find a peaceful solution to the conflict, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir told reporters on Friday that "At the same time, Indonesia is concerned about unilateral actions by any parties, including the use of Tomahawk missiles, in response to the chemical weapons attack tragedy in Syria,". What remains to be seen is whether the rising tensions in Syria and among Russian-American relations may escalate the conflict into further military action. Russia’s Foreign Ministry has already suspended its flight safety memorandum, a memorandum signed in 2015 to ensure no mishaps or conflict incidents would occur between US and Russian air forces during the Syrian civil war conflict. Though President Trump has not specified if any further military action or increased presence over this or potential incidents will occur, there is mounting calls for action both from Democrats and Republicans at home and US allies.
In any case, there are already International economic waves being felt over the suspected chemical attacks in Khan Shaykhun and the US led response in Shayrat, with oil prices rising over the instability. If this resettles and calm returns to the region, only time and foreign diplomacy will tell.
