Legitimacy, Constitutions, International Law

View 787 Wednesday, August 28, 2013

“Transparency and the rule of law will be the touchstones of this presidency.”

President Barrack Obama, January 31, 2009

 

“Build your enemy a golden bridge to retreat across.”

The Art of War

Sun Tzu

 

“Never do any enemy a small injury.”

Niccolo Machiavelli

 

"President Obama believes there must be accountability for those who would use the world’s most heinous weapons against the world’s most vulnerable people."

John Kerry, Secretary of State

We are abuzz with speculation about what act of war the United States will commit against Syria, apparently without any Congressional resolution or any United Nations consent, in order to teach the Syrians that they must not ignore international law. Apparently this is agreed to by France, but there is parliamentary debate in Britain; and of course Russia disagrees entirely.

The common consensus is that sometime in the next day or so – possibly as early as this evening – the Navy will launch Tomahawk missiles, targeting Syrian airfields. One presumes that the Syrian military authorities will have dispersed their aircraft and fuel assets to other places; craters in runways are easily fixed. Assad would do well to be in a bunker well outside his usual sphere of travel. As to what other targets are “legitimate” when the United States bombards a barbarian port as Great Powers frequently did in the 19^th Century we can only speculate. The United States is serving as the al Qaeda Air Force, but whether we are allowing al Qaeda Syria any consultation in target selection I can’t say. Since President Obama is aware of the reaction to President Clinton’s symbolic bombardments, we can assume that this will be at least symbolically more effective. Craters in runways and perhaps the destruction of a few fire fighting and search and rescue aircraft conveniently left exposed may have to do.

It is of course the very definition of doing your enemy a small injury.

Of course there are those who advocate doing Bashar al-Assad a severe injury. Bomb hell out of them. Blow up his palaces, destroy his home. Reagan scared Khadafy into abject submission and deference. Perhaps it will work with Assad. The problem here is that having frightened Khadafy into being more willing to cooperate, we built him no golden bridge when his country exploded into revolution. The lesson being taught in the 21^st Century is that dictators ought never to let go, because you will be hounded to your death, and your children killed. And if you can get nukes, get at least one, and quickly. It is a lesson easily learned even by a stupid man, and actually few dictators got their position from being stupid – or at least didn’t keep them long. Claudius was elevated to the purple by a drunken sergeant who discovered him hiding behind an arras and was elevated to command by officers convinced that he was elderly and befuddled: they learned better. Most of those elevated to supreme command have to be a lot more bloodthirsty. Claudius learned early that you have to be ruthless – don’t do enemies a small injury – as Messalina discovered.

It does seem certain that we are about to become involved in another war in the Middle East. It will cost ten times as much as is estimated, and will have unintended consequences. It will also have grave implications concerning constitutional government in the United States of America.

The New York Times discusses the legality of bombarding Syria from the safety of the sea:

Bomb Syria, Even if It Is Illegal

By IAN HURD

Published: August 27, 2013 345 Comments

EVANSTON, Ill. — THE latest atrocities in the Syrian civil war, which has killed more than 100,000 people, demand an urgent response to deter further massacres and to punish President Bashar al-Assad. But there is widespread confusion over the legal basis for the use of force in these terrible circumstances. As a legal matter, the Syrian government’s use of chemical weapons does not automatically justify armed intervention by the United States.

There are moral reasons for disregarding the law, and I believe the Obama administration should intervene in Syria. But it should not pretend that there is a legal justification in existing law. Secretary of State John Kerry seemed to do just that on Monday, when he said of the use of chemical weapons, “This international norm cannot be violated without consequences.” His use of the word “norm,” instead of “law,” is telling.

Of course pelting people with missiles has some consequences. It is an act of war and presumably make all the members of your armed forces legitimate targets of retaliation. One supposes that no one is very concerned about that.

Nerve Agents

Jerry,

I looked at some of the victim tapes and they sure were twitching in a familiar way. Admittedly, my personal experience is with demo goats. A bit of neurotoxin in the eye; twitch,twitch; a syrette of atropine in the haunch; artificial respiration by the modified chest pressure/hoof pull method. About five minutes later the star staggers off the stage back to the pen. Survive three shows and you are off to Pelham Range to live a feral life.

Folks around Anniston might be able to tell us how the herd is doing these days.

Since the MSF doctors did not bring anybody back from the brink and there is plenty of atropine available in the area, it looks like somebody came up with old(probably) Russian rockets loaded with GD. Atropine won’t help with that.

As to whodunit, now there is plenty of room for speculation. May not even have been any of the serious participants.

Val Augstkalns

I presume that someone used nerve gas in Syria and killed between 100 and 300 people in an incident that changed nothing about the course of the civil war – except to enlist the United States to serve as al Qaeda air force.

a very short guide to the middle east

http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/a-short-guide-to-the-middle-east

 

Jerry,

Just received

What if anything do you know about this? I’m looking for confirmation or discreditation.

http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2013/01/leaked-emails-prove-obama-backed-plan-to-launch-chemical-weapon-attack-on-syria-and-blame-it-on-assa.html

I know nothing about it nor does anyone else I have asked. It seems enormously unlikely: unlikely that there was such a plot, and even less likely that anyone involved in such double dyed villainy would ever use an e-mail for any part of it. In any event no one I know considers it likely, and few consider it possible.

 

Senator Cruz of Texas is trying a direct experiment in this Internet age: he is seeking support for withdrawing funding from ObamaCare when the next continuing resolution – there won’t be a budget of course – comes up this fall.

http://www.dontfundobamacare.com/

 

No intervention in Syria

Dear Dr. Pournelle,

Having read on your site, I was inspired to create a white house petition urging restraint in Syria. 100,000 signatures will force SOME kind of a response, even if it’s nothing more than a pat on the head.

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/say-no-war-syria/cr4tYvSG

Feel free to sign and pass on if you agree.

Respectfully,

Brian P.