Foreign Policy expert Daniel McAdams of the Ron Paul Institute for Peace asks whether an atrocity near the Turkish-Syrian border was an act of reprisal by the French government for last week�s terror attack.





On Wednesday, the Syrian government demanded that the UN take immediate action against�France and the United States, after�the US-led anti-Daesh coalition in�Syria killed at�least 140 civilians, following�reports of�between 20-65 dead from�a US airstrike in�Manbij on�Monday, and at�least 120 dead in�the village of�Toukhan Al-Kubra, near�the Turkish-Syrian border, following�a French airstrike on�Tuesday.

The Syrian government has called on�the United States to�remove itself from�the country and immediately suspend all airstrikes, following�the attack in�Manbij, with�similar words for�the French government.

"The government of�the Syrian Arab Republic condemns, with�the strongest terms, the two bloody massacres perpetrated by�the French and US warplanes and those affiliated to�the so-called international coalition which send their missiles and bombs to�the civilians instead of�directing them to�the terrorist gangs,� said the Syrian Foreign Ministry in�a statement. �Syria also affirms that those who want to�combat terrorism seriously should coordinate with�the Syrian government and army."

Many in�the international community wonder whether Tuesday�s deadly airstrike by�the French government was an act of�reprisal for�the deadly massacre in�Nice, France, last week that killed 84 and injured hundreds of�others after�a 31-year-old French-Tunisian, loyal to�the Daesh terror network, drove a large delivery truck through�a crowd of�people celebrating Bastille Day, a national holiday marking the 1789 French Revolution, and also opened fire on�the crowd.

In the wake of�the Nice terror attack, French President Francois Hollande vowed for�the country to�intensify anti-Daesh bombing in�an effort to�degrade and destroy the terrorist network that has claimed responsibility for�a series of�gruesome attacks across�the country.

On Wednesday, Daniel McAdams, the Executive Director of�the Ron Paul Institute for�Peace and Prosperity, took Washington and Paris to�task for�the deadly assault on�Syrian civilians, during�an interview with�Radio Sputnik.

"There has not been any punishment for�these types of�strikes in�the past. This might be a terrible accident rather than�a specific strike on�the people, but�it is part of�a broader policy and that is what should be put on�trial," stated McAdams. "The entire anti-[Daesh] operation in�Syria is illegal. We haven�t been invited by�the legitimate Syrian government, so every action we undertake on�their soil is illegal."

Why haven�t US-led airstrikes causing civilian deaths received condemnation in�the past?

"Unfortunately, the US media, by�and large, is propaganda. Where is the reporting on�this massive death toll? I have seen the pictures. Even the pro-opposition outlets, like�the Syrian Observer, said this is what is happening," said McAdams.

"To many this looks like�the French retaliation for�Nice. 84 civilians die, so they ramp up�strikes so that they can let their citizens know that they are protecting them,� said the analyst. �Then they go and kill 120 or 140 civilians, but�the media doesn�t cover it."

"The Intercept is a fine publication, but�it is not the New York Times. Who is covering it? And they won�t cover it, because to�cover it would be to�question the policy. They won�t cover it because the US has been propagandized that they must hit [Daesh] everywhere or they aren�t safe in�their beds. It is a big propaganda lie," argued McAdams.

"They are creating a big danger by�going over�there and bombing in�the Middle East and that is the danger of�blowback which we are seeing more and more."

Assuming the airstrike was an accident, why do these types of�accidents keep happening?

"The US is not only at�war with [Daesh] in�Syria, they are also at�war with�the Assad government and this entire airstrike has been to�the benefit of�the US-backed opposition which would be able to�take this territory if they are able to�run [Daesh] out�of it," said McAdams.

"It would be occupied by�groups of�rebels who are involved with�and not all that different than [Daesh] so there is no way to�adequately protect these people because the US is at�war with�the government that could give them the intelligence to�stop killing so many people there."

By Sputnik News