US murder Syrians

The report on the BBC has it that this was a 'raid' - like some raid that male undergraduates iinflict on their fellow female students in American colleges. But, of course, it was, instead, a deperate act of a desperate administration whose foreign policy has failed catastrophically and is now lashing out with mindless violent glee on those it regards as its enemies but whom it has been unable to get round to invading or bombing proper in the past eight years.

The US action took place five or six miles inside the Syrian border and the US soldiers murdered eight civilians. Gunned down just like that. Lives shattered in an instant. The incident will be forgotten about in a couple of days of course. There will be far far less coverage on this criminal outrage than the average Mall shooting in Kansas or where ever.

A crucial part of the political forgetting process, after the maddeningly angering denials, is the bland statement that an "investigation" will be undertaken. The MSM takes its cue every time from this. The news is couched in modalities and scepticism of 'native' sources - in this case Syrian - and is always quick to introduce malignant hints that those on the receiving end either brought it all on themselves or were just really unlucky, as if they had been hit by lightning or swept away in a flood or the like. Then, without fail, when the reports are finally confirmed, the news story is reintroduced fourth or fifth item down the itinary and quickly passed over.

But this killing is of a different order. It's the first time the US have attacked anywhere in Syria. Today as well, further deaths in Pakistan at the hands of these out of control butchers. Sure 'Taliban' members get killed to, along with 'innocent' civilians. But when you describe resistance fighters as Taliban, then even that cover story instantly evaporates. And it's no use hoping for a change of tactic when Obama gets in. Just more of the same.

The boot has kicked the face in for long enough now surely. Beware out there, there will be a response to this.