According to al-Masdar News, today — Thursday, May 18th — United States forces launched airstrikes on a government convoy in Homs, Syria, which left 6 people dead, 2 T-62 tanks, & 1 bulldozer destroyed, as well as some construction equipment. The US-led coalition issued a statement on Twitter claiming that Syrian forces entered a “de-confliction zone” and “pos[ed] a threat to US partner forces.” Contradicting the coalition statement, Syrian military sources say that the convoy received no warning before the attack.

May 18 #Coalition struck #Syrian pro-regime forces advancing in a de-confliction zone near At Tanf posing a threat to #US partner forces1/3 — Inherent Resolve (@CJTFOIR) May 18, 2017

US Attacks Syrian Forces

( Again )

After Trump ordered a missile strike on a Syrian air base in April, the May 18th airstrike was the United States’ second attack on Syria — a country the US is not at war with — in less than two months. The “US partner forces” mentioned by Operation Inherent Resolve’s Twitter seem to be the Maghawir al-Thawra, a militant, anti-government, anti-ISIS faction of the CIA-backed New Syrian Army. Or they, at least, are the group who called in the airstrike.

In any case, the Syrian government, which has been under a 6-year siege by ISIS & other so-called “rebels,” correctly views the US military presence in Syria as illegal since the US has not been invited by Syria or declared war. In spite of the airstrike, according to al-Masdar, the Syrian Arab Army ( SAA ) sent more troops into Homs to help the Syrian forces who were targeted by the US earlier. Beside Syrian, Iraqi, & Lebanese paramilitary forces, the SAA plans to reclaim areas held by the FSA, or the “Free Syrian Army,” who Human Rights Watch accuses of torture, kidnapping Iranian civilians ( as well as US journalists ), & using children as soldiers.

And now — thanks to the United States — the SAA is 2 tanks lighter.

If the US Has Not Declared War on Syria ,

Why Is the US Attacking Syria?

So — are we not doing that thing where the US declares war before attacking other countries, anymore? You know — the part of the US constitution which limits the power of a commander-in-chief to wage war by requiring the people’s representatives in congress to vote about whether to send US soldiers to kill people & die in far away places?

[Congress shall have Power] …to declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures of Land and Water;

— Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the US Constitution

And — even if the US were going to declare war on Syria — would it not be smarter for the US military to wait until after the Syrian government defeats ISIS before they kick in the saloon doors, pistols drawn & blazing?

The most crucial question, however, is this — are US citizens really going to stand there while the US military – the most powerful in all of human history — discards all pretenses of goodwill & becomes a law-unto-itself, prancing across the earth as it likes & murdering whomever it pleases? If they will tolerate it or not, no one yet knows. I hope not.

If the good people of the United States of America allow such a thing to happen, which of them can then stand in amazement at such darkness on the face of the earth or ask for what reason the nations curse our name or wonder how a terrorist — how anyone — hates them?

In solidarity,

John Laurits