Trump on Syria: Bombs can never be a humanitarian response to war crimes

The US, its allies and Russia could best help the Syrian people by stepping up genuine humanitarian assistance in response to the refugee crisis, coming clean about their real intentions in the wider region, ceasing arms sales and engaging in a genuine peace process, argues Jim Roche. 

THE international outrage caused by the chemical attack on Khan Sheikhun in Idlib province last week which killed over 80 people, most likely carried out by the Syrian regime, is justified and understandable as are calls that something must be done to end the horrific six year war in Syria.

The use of internationally banned chemical weapons against civilian targets is rightly and widely condemned but why does their definition not include such equally awful weapons as depleted uranium and white phosphorous or even 'conventional' weapons like the MOAB bomb dropped on Afghanistan just this week?