Day 443: Trump Apathetic About Civilian Casualties, Has No Strategy in Syria

As William Tecumseh Sherman famously said, war is hell. It’s dangerous and messy and, unfortunately, the fight occasionally and unintentionally overflows into non-military personnel. The Geneva Conventions of 1949, to which the U.S. is a signatory, affords protection to civilians whenever possible.

Trump couldn’t care less.

As the U.S. ramps up bombings in Syria, Trump is wholly unconcerned with civilian casualties, according to a report from The Washington Post.

Later, when the agency’s head of drone operations explained that the CIA had developed special munitions to limit civilian casualties, the president seemed unimpressed. Watching a previously recorded strike in which the agency held off on firing until the target had wandered away from a house with his family inside, Trump asked, “Why did you wait?” one participant in the meeting recalled.

On the campaign trail, Trump often said he would “take out” the families of terrorists.

Last month, when Gen. Joseph Votel, the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East appeared before Congress, he revealed that Trump’s current strategy when it comes to ISIS is amorphous. He stated that he wasn’t sure if removing Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad was still U.S. policy, despite the regime gaining strength.

The exchange offered a rare window into the military’s frustration. And it called to mind [Lt. Gen. H.R.] McMaster’s oft-repeated insistence before entering the White House that simply targeting ­enemies was not a war-winning strategy, but the combat equivalent of, he said, “George Costanza in Seinfeld, ‘leave on an up note’ — just go in, do a lot of damage, and leave.”

Trump’s overall goal seems to be dropping a ton of bombs in the region while remaining unconcerned with civilians or strategy or even actually winning. He just wants the ability to claim a victory, regardless of what the facts bear out.

443 days in, 1019 to go

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