Trump Faces Backlash After Airstrike on Syrian Military
Trump Faces Backlash After Airstrike on Syrian Military
Amiti Sharma
On April 13th, 2017, United States President Donald Trump issued a missile airstrike against the Syrian military under the Presidency of Bashar al-Assad. This action has elicited much controversy among international governments which try to analyze whether the attack was justified or not, and what the defining reason was. While Trump stands confident in his decision, he has gained much criticism from spectating countries. David M. Tafuri, international lawyer and former State Department Official has spoken about the event, that the ACLU national security lawyer Hina Shamsi clearly expressed her agreement with the Russian government’s perspective that act was a clear, “violation of Syria’s sovereignty.” Much cause for the critics’ disapproval relates to the fact that the airstrike was not issued in defense of the United States, any of their allies, or the United Nations Security Council resolution. Therefore, the Security Council was surprised and taken aback by Trump’s decision.
Despite the controversy and general confusion that arose in response to the attack, many supporters have also stated that this may be the first truly Presidential action taken by Trump so far into administration. After many mainstream domestic and international news channels had broadcasted the events, is was discovered by the R2P doctrine that Trump’s actions were deemed justifiable and legal. The R2P or Right to Protect doctrine, issued under the UN, developed after the significant genocides were committed in Rwanda and Bosnia killing millions of citizens. The doctrine declares that “bordering states have the duty to protect and prevent crimes against humanity within their borders, and if these duties are neglected by the bordering states, it comes under the responsibility of international communities to intervene”.
As the conflict in the Middle East has spanned into a chaotic and violent international conflict over the last several years, many bordering countries of Syria have become independent from their allies and focus on the protection of solely themselves and their citizens. Thus, after Bashar al-Assad attacked citizens of his own country, the United States stepped up, under the control of Trump, and issued the landing missile airstrike. While many are still at unease with Trump’s decision to promote violence, especially with the use missile weapons, it does remain noted that the United States President fulfilled his duty as declared by the internationally recognized R2P doctrine.
