monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

President Trump came into office promising big disruptive changes in the way America defined its role in the world. American foreign policy would no longer be aspirational — it would be transactional. "What's in it for us?" would guide the new "America First" approach. Human rights? Downgraded. America as an idea, a beacon of freedom to tired, huddled masses? Been there, done that. Promoting democratic values as a way to strengthen America's own economic and national security? Nope. Trump just didn't see the connection. But as the new president is finding out, things happen. Chemical weapons are used. Missiles are fired. And the world's greatest superpower has to respond.

'STEPS ARE UNDER WAY' Coalition forming to target Syria's Assad: Sec. of State Tillerson

America’s top diplomat addressed the Syria crisis a day after Trump declared in the Rose Garden that the chemical strike would not be tolerated. Tillerson pointedly said Russia should “consider carefully” its support for the Assad regime...

“It's a serious matter, it requires a serious response,” Tillerson said, adding the recent attack “violates all previous U.N. resolutions, violates international norms and long-held agreements.”

There are currently two U.S. Navy warships in the eastern Mediterranean -- the USS Ross and USS Porter -- which could be called upon to strike in Syria if requested, multiple defense officials told Fox News.

On Thursday, McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., issued a joint statement asserting that “the latest use of chemical weapons” by the government of Assad requires action, calling for Trump to take out Syria’s air force.

U.S. Launches Missiles at Syrian Base After Chemical Weapons Attack

The United States launched dozens of cruise missiles Thursday night at a Syrian airfield in response to what it believes was the Syrian government's use of banned chemical weapons blamed for having killed at least 100 people on Tuesday, U.S. military officials told NBC News.

Two U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea fired at least 50 Tomahawk missiles intended for a single target — Ash Sha'irat in Homs province in western Syria, the officials said. That's the airfield from which the United States believes the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fired the banned weapons.

There was no immediate word on casualties. U.S. officials told NBC News that people were not targeted and that aircraft and infrastructure at the site, including the runway, were hit.

NBC News reported Thursday that Defense Secretary James Mattis briefed President Donald Trump on U.S. military options, which included carrying out targeted strikes against those responsible for Tuesday's attack.

There was no immediate reaction from Russia, which Tillerson and Haley have accused of turning a blind eye to Syria's transgressions.

"Russia cannot escape responsibility for this," Haley said at the United Nations. "They chose to close their eyes to the barbarity. They defied the conscience of the world."

Two U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea fired at least 50 Tomahawk missiles intended for a single target--the airfield from which the United States believes the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fired the banned weapons.

U.S. officials told NBC News that people were not targeted and that aircraft and infrastructure at the site, including the runway, were hit.

Indeed it does. Just announced the Navy has launched a number of Tomahawk cruise missiles at selected targets in Syria. More will likely follow, and I expect we will see the insertion of spec ops teams into Syria as well, perhaps even a carrier deployment for sustained ops.

Big contrast with the hapless, anti-Western-Civilization, racist Obama.

As far as I am concerned, no president I could name was worth a crap in that part of the world. Each one compounds the mistakes of the last.