SYRIA UPDATE:  UN SECURITY COUNCIL VOTE, THEN THE MILITARY OPTION

Later today the UN Security Council is expected to vote on a resolution that Russia will cast a "NO" vote on setting the stage for likely military action.

President Trump told reporters at the White House last evening that the United States was getting "good clarity" on who was responsible for what happened in Syria on Saturday.

Trump spoke of "Syria, Russia and Iran" in connection with the incident.

In February Trump spoke at a news conference with the then visiting Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

"what Russia and what Iran and what Syria have done recently is a humanitarian disgrace.  I will tell you that.   We're there for one reason, we're there to get ISIS and get rid of ISIS and go home.   We're not there for any other reason and we've largely accomplished our goal.   But what those three countries have done to people over the last short period of time is a disgrace....."

While President Trump has repeatedly denied any other purpose for the United States to be in Syria, any decision to act militarily would point to what Peter Hitchens has posted on his blog in the last 24 hours about the situation.

"Two major powers, Saudi Arabia and Iran, are irreconcilably hostile to each other.  One of them by aggressive diplomacy in proxy states, has created a state of grave tension between them which, if it goes much further, threatens to draw the great powers into open conflict.  A single incident, by providing the basis for aggressive diplomacy, unacceptable demands and perhaps actual warlike violence, could trigger that war.  If so, it will not be confined to the Middle East, because of the involvement of Russia in the dispute.  Indeed, it may be Russia's involvement in Syria, where it has frustrated Saudi Arabian designs and those of Saudi Arabia's allies, such as the USA, this country and France, which triggered the considerable increase in tension in Ukraine........"

President Trump visited Saudi Arabia last year, performing the "sword dance" with its leaders and receiving promises of Saudi investment in the United States and Saudi purchases of American weapons.

The Saudi Crown Prince met President Trump at the White House recently and toured the United States making financial deals along the way.

The United States relationship with Saudi Arabia goes back to 1945 and regardless of Saudi associated terrorist activities that culminated in the 9/11 attacks and the Saudi use of jihadist Al Qaeda fighters in Syria to achieve its aim of overthrowing the Assad regime, the close US-Saudi relationship is firm and solid and very much behind any decision President Trump is about to make and the consequences of that decision.

The Israeli propaganda-disinformation website "DEBKAfile" published a report today pointing to a long military campaign involving the US, UK, France and Arab countries aimed at driving Iran out of Syria.

President Trump spoke of the "best fighting force in the world" as he talked to reporters last evening at the White House, evoking memories of General George S. Patton speaking to soldiers training to go into battle during World War II.