NYT’s Wong: Trump’s Policy on Syria Is Not That Different than Obama’s Policy

EXCERPT:

EDWARD WONG (The New York Times/@comradewong): Well, the Trump administration officials say that the various people like Pompeo, Mattis have spoken to their counterparts and to Russian officials about this. But if you look at the Trump policy, it’s not that different than Obama’s policy. And so far we haven’t seen any action that would really push back against a large Assad military action or backed by Russians and by Iranians. And so I think that Assad won’t feel a compunction to really hold back. I think Idlib province is the very last holdout of the rebels, and he’s going to push ahead with whatever offensive he has lined up.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So, despite the tough rhetoric against Iran the group they’re backing and Assad is winning this war and the U.S. is not doing anything to stop this slaughter.

EDWARD WONG: Right. I think that we saw Trump do a symbolic action earlier in his administration, he fired the missiles on the airfield in Syria, but that didn’t hold Assad back. And unless there are tougher actions on Assad and on his allies we won’t see him holding back at all.