By Eric Pearson
On April 6 the United States bombed an airfield controlled by the Syrian government in response to a chemical attack that was launched against civilians from there, according to President Trump’s speech on that same day.
On April 13 the United States dropped a GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast in Afghanistan. This was widely reported as the most powerful non-nuclear bomb used in warfare by multiple news outlets.
On April 20 a terrorist attack in France cost the life of a policeman as well as wounding others.
On April 21 an attack on a military base in Afghanistan killed at least 140 people according to both the Washington Post and New York Times.
However, World War Three is not beginning.
All of these events are in some way connected to the continuing War on Terror and are not necessarily indicators of a new conflict. While this in no way detracts from the magnitude or horror of these events, it is important to frame understanding.
The bombing in Syria was both surprising in that it was the first time that the United States had taken action directly against the Syrian government and understandable in that the chemical weapons being used on civilians is a reprehensible war crime that influences leaders. President Trump spoke of the “beautiful babies” that were “cruelly murdered” by the attack before announcing the military strike he had launched in response. He also said that there was a “vital national security interest” to deter chemical warfare.
The large bomb dropped in Afghanistan carried the acronym MOAB and many that attempt to guess what the letters stand for may stumble upon the GBU-43/B’s nickname - ‘Mother Of All Bombs’. While this bomb is indisputably big (and carries an impressive price tag of around $16 million according to CNBC) it is certainly not the first bomb the US has dropped on ISIS.
The terrorist attack in France was claimed by ISIS and may have been an attempt to sway the election on April 23. President Trump tweeted, “Another terrorist attack in Paris. The people of France will not take much more of this. Will have a big effect on presidential election!” on April 21, implying that he believed there would be a political effect from the attack.
The attack on an Afghan military base perpetrated by the Taliban is the latest bloodshed in an ongoing conflict that has claimed thousands of lives. Soldiers continue to combat the Taliban in Afghanistan and terrorism around the globe.
Violence can inundate headlines and warp our perspective of a world that is marred by tragedy, but sometimes smoke doesn't mean fire.
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