Thread by @LookNoFurther4

1 As the nation fixated on Trump's pardon/commutations yesterday the Assad gov't in Syria, supported by Russian forces, accelerated its assault on the province of Idlib. Idlib is the last remaining rebel-held area. It is the home of 700,000 people. Boston's population=700,000.

2 The Assad assault consists of ground forces, tanks and aerial bombardment . As of last night, it was presumed Assad intends to surround Idlib to starve the rebels out. The @nytimes filed a report on the assault yesterday. It tracks my recent thread on this subject.

@nytimes 3 The aerial bombardments of villages in Idlib province have been devastating.The White Helmets are working with bare hands combing thru rubble to pull people out.The @nytimes article quotes survivors asking for American help, but then noting that they know America will not come.

@nytimes 4 As my prior thread noted, hundreds of thousands of refugees-mostly women and children-are trapped in the hills near the Turkish border. The @nytimes article puts that number at 900,000. That's the size of Jacksonville, FL. The UN has given 5,000 tents; they need 60,000 tents.

@nytimes 5 The refugees have neither food nor shelter and it is still winter in northern Syria. Erdogan doesn't want them in Turkey's refugee camps. He already has over 3 million Syrian refugees. And today, the Assad/Russian assault on Idlib continues. And we are talking about debates.

@nytimes 6 The events of the past several days are a case in point as to why Putin wanted Trump to win the 2016 election. Trump doesn't necessarily have to "take orders" from Putin to do his bidding. The chaos Trump creates so completely distracts. Just look at cable tv this morning.

@nytimes 7 The US has given Putin virtually a free hand in Syria. The US has held back in providing Ukraine with robust support against Russia's territorial aggression. And McCain, and the others who used to scream about Russian aggression, are gone or AWOL. We need to walk and chew gum.

@nytimes 8 Those of you who read our journal know that we prepared a report on the 1939 NY World's Fair yesterday. In preparing the report, we researched the state of WWII at the time the Fair opened. Neville Chamberlain's "peace for our time" agreement w/Hitler was just a few months old.

@nytimes 9 Hitler had reinstituted the draft and occupied the Rhineland. He had annexed Austria. The Allies had squawked, but done nothing meaningful. So Hitler kept going. Czechoslovakia was sliced/diced within months. Do we need to keep relearning these lessons?

@nytimes 10 I am one who saves baby birds that fall from their nests. Armed aggression & armed defensive action rub me the wrong way; but when you study 20th century history as I do you recognize that with bullies, there is no other response that they will understand. It's PLAYGROUND 101.

@nytimes 11 The people who built the '39 world's fair, and most who visited it, had an attitude that is missing now. We need to get it back.

[Syria; Ukraine]

@nytimes 12 There is new information this afternoon about the clash between Assad's forces in the Idlib province of NW Syria and rebel forces who are under seige there. The @AP is reporting that Turkish forces attacked Assad's troops in Idlib today and Russian warplanes struck back.

@nytimes @AP 13 Two Turkish soldiers were killed. Turkey has now lost 15 guys in Idlib in the past couple of weeks in battles with Assad/Russia. Turkey has today asked the US to station Patriot missiles along the Turkey/Syria border to defend against Russian warplanes.

@nytimes @AP 14 As I have mentioned before, Erdogan doesn't object to the loss of his troops; he wants to stem the flow of Syrian refugees across his border. He's got a wall there but you know how little good border walls do. Refugees from Idlib -- about 900,000 people -- are living outdoors.

@nytimes @AP 15 No food, no shelter, paltry international aid. So now Trump gets to decide whether to give Erdogan Patriots. To shoot at Russian planes.

My somewhat cynical sweetie would say, " Hmmm... What could go wrong?"

Time to send in some BRAIN POWER!!

@nytimes @AP 16 These are Roman ruins near the village of Jabal Zawiya, a town in Idlib province, NW Syria. It was the site of a clash today between aTurkish armored convoy of 65 vehicles moving south into Idlib & Syrian govt forces.Russian warplanes supported the Syrian attack on the convoy.

@nytimes @AP 17 As you will recall, Idlib province is the last remaining anti-Assad area in Syria. Assad would end the 9 year Syrian civil war if he could conquer Idlib province. But his offensive, believed to be prelude to a seige, is driving Syrian refugees north, into Turkey.

@nytimes @AP 18 Erdogan had 3.7 million Syrian refugees already. About 900,000 more are at his southern border -- literally -- sleeping rough, w/o food or shelter, and attempting to cross over his little border wall to get in. Erdogan wants the US to install Patriot missiles at the border.

@nytimes @AP 19 There is no word this morning on whether the US will comply w/ Erdogan's request for the Patriots. If manned by trained people, the Patriots would take out Russian warplanes. Secs Pompeo and Esper: Is this a good idea?

@nytimes @AP 20 We have no Syrian policy. Many argue we have no foreign policy at all. So we have no ability to shape outcomes that favor US interests or assist in humanitarian crises. Our blood and treasure invested in Syria and elsewhere seem forgotten.

But Trump is tweeting about Bernie.

@nytimes @AP 21 There is new information about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Idlib province, the last rebel stronghold in NW Syria. Yesterday, SecState Pompeo called for a permanent ceasefire in the region and UN-backed negotiations w/Assad govt to end the Syrian civil war.

@nytimes @AP 22 Remember that Russia is supporting Assad's military assault in Idlib&Russia has a veto in the UN Security Council. The UN has been unable to mount Syria negotiations since the civil war there broke out in 2011. Pompeo's call for UN sponsored negotiations is all hat&no cattle.

@nytimes @AP 23The UN has been able to provide humanitarian assistance but they have requested more international $$ to do so. Pompeo didn't promise any new US $$. Pompeo also didn't address Turkey's recent request for US Patriot missiles, which would be used to shoot down Russian warplanes.

@nytimes @AP 24 Syria experts say a call for a "safe zone" in Idlib province is required, not a pie-in-the-sky demand for a cease fire/negotiated settlement. Baby steps are needed. Some have called for Trump-Putin discussions on Syria, but who really thinks that could turn out well.

@nytimes @AP 25 Meanwhile the DOD says the US forces remaining in Syria are guarding "critical infrastructure." That's code for oil fields. The US has relinquished its ability to shape the outcome in Syria. Where is a strong voice that is willing to call out the Trump admin on this failure?