WATCH: Asked if He’ll Change His Policy on Syria After Chemical Weapons Attack on Kids, Trump Says ‘You’ll See’
This Is Foreign Policy?
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad stands accused of using chemical nerve agents, possibly sarin gas, on his own citizens. Dozens, reportedly at least 75, and including babies in diapers, have died horrific deaths, and there are many more victims struggling to live.
At a press event in the Oval Office early Wednesday afternoon with the King and Queen of Jordan, President Donald Trump was asked by a reporter if he now plans to change his policy on Syria.
“We’ll see” was Trump’s response. Moments earlier, the President condemned the attacks in Syria, which included airdropping of chemical weapons of mass destruction on the very hospital victims of the first attack had been taken to. He called it “unspeakable” and a “terrible affront to humanity.”
Q: Syria attack. Plan to take action?
Trump: “It’s a terrible affront to humanity…â€
Q: New policy, Mr. President?
Trump: “You’ll see.†pic.twitter.com/HZClL9bR4y
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) April 5, 2017
Late last week Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had signaled the Trump administration has no intention of intervening in Syria, and will allow the Syrian president wide latitude to continue his attacks on his people.Â
“The ‘longer-term status of President Assad,’ Tillerson said, ‘will be decided by the Syrian people,’ a euphemism used by Damascus, Moscow, and Tehran to indicate that he isn’t going anywhere,” The Daily Beast reports.Â
White House press secretary Sean Spicer used almost identical language the next day, saying, “Well, I think with respect to Assad, there is a political reality that we have to accept in terms of where we are right now.â€
Tuesday afternoon, asked to respond to Assad’s attacks, Secretary Tillerson walked away from reporters. It took President Trump about 15 hours to issue a statement condemning the attacks, which he used to blame President Obama for what many consider a war crime.
Tuesday night, in response to North Korea launching another missile, Tillerson drew concern when he said, “The United States has spoken enough about North Korea. We have no further comment.”
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