[Zamuel]

“The president needs to lay out our goals, not just with regard to ISIS, but also the ongoing conflict in Syria and malign Russian and Iranian influence in the region,” said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who praised any effort to send Mr. Assad the message that chemical attacks would not be tolerated.

“Airstrikes disconnected from a broader strategy may be necessary, but they alone will not achieve U.S. objectives in the Middle East,” he added in a statement issued Friday.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/14/us/politics/congress-syria-trump.html?partner=msft_msn

I agree, we have a basic outline - America does not wish to be involved in Syria's civil war (even though we have 2,000+ troops in country). And the US will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons. It fails to address the presence of Russia and Iran or the involvement / cooperation of France, Britain, and Israel.

What specific policy(s) should America adopt? And should they be specified by Trump or Congress?

-Trolls beware-

Zam

[One Degree]

Everyone knows my position based upon my ideology so I will dismiss with that and take a different view.
Any intervention in another country today is based upon liberal ideology. You are saving them. This requires a belief in your own righteousness. We go in and set up a government that agrees with our liberal ideology. That is the goal.
We then have the contradiction of saying they are autonomous after just demonstrating we do not respect their autonomy. We withdraw and more than likely they reject our benevolent guidance.
So, the path to follow to accomplish bringing liberalism to the world is conquest and death to all that opposed you. It is self defeating to leave them alive.
Strategically, to avoid risking a rear attack. We should subjugate the Americas, then Africa, and then the ME.
This is the only rational path. The current patchwork method obviously isn’t working because you leave yourself surrounded by insurgents. You must clear the field as you go.

Edit: I am not trolling. To be successful in Syria or anywhere else, you have to be honest about what you are trying to do. We want to convert the world to liberal democracy or we would not be there. Quit making nice sound bites and admit what you are doing. We are liberating the world through conquest. Currently, we are repeating the mistakes of Vietnam. We are fighting a war with no defined goals.

[Atlantis]

If we can get rid of the "malignant American influence in the region" peace will prevail.

These people are sick. US-sponsored regime change will never work.

[skinster]

McCain should be tortured in a prison for the rest of his life, for his part in the destruction of Syria.

[layman]

Macron claims he had to persuade trump to keep troops in Syria.

There is no coherent western policy there and so no traditional state sponsored imperial adventure. There are thousands of mini groups operating in the Middle East. From oil company’s to individual jihadist groups to Russian mercenary’s.

The only state players with a unified stance seem to be Russia, Israel and Iran. These three also seem to be the most effective right now.