Essex County Reacts To Military Strike In Syria; Protest Planned

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Damascus is about 5,700 miles from Essex County as the crow flies, give or take. But last week’s missile strikes on the Syrian capital city have nonetheless inspired a range of emotional reactions from residents in Essex County, both in support and opposition to the attack.

U.S., French and British military forces launched missile strikes in Damascus last week against government targets in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack against civilians in the war-ravaged country. President Donald Trump and France's foreign minister have blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for the chemical attack, which killed more than 40 people near Damascus. Assad has denied involvement.

• See related article: U.S. Military Attacks Targets In Syria

The day after the missile strikes, Trump tweeted that they were “perfectly executed” and wrote “Mission Accomplished,” an apparent reference to a similar claim associated with President George W. Bush following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

• See related article: 'Mission Accomplished,' Trump Declares After Syria Strike

But some Syrian-American families in Essex County have said that they’re fearful for their family members in Damascus and don’t want to see more violence tear the nation apart.

“As soon as Trump came up, I put the television on and I've been frozen sitting here with tears in my eyes," Huda Shanawani of Millburn told NorthJersey.com.

"I don't know what to do,” added Shanawani, who came to the United States in 1969.

Meanwhile, a coalition of anti-war groups in Essex County are planning a protest against the Damascus attack – and any future military actions against Syria – from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 5 at 465 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard in Newark. (See more details here)

REACTIONS TO THE LATEST STRIKE

Immediately after Trump announced news of the decision to launch the latest missile strikes, U.S. Senator Cory Booker – the former mayor of Newark and an Essex County resident – expressed worry about the “strategy” behind the military action.

“I’m deeply concerned that President Trump continues to conduct military operations without any comprehensive strategy or the necessary congressional authorization,” Booker said. “Every American, and particularly our men and women in uniform and their families, deserve far better than action without debate, accountability, and a Constitutionally-required authorization for the use of military force.”

Booker’s fellow U.S. Senator Robert Menendez said that the Assad regime and its backers “must be held accountable for the use of chemical weapons,” but added that more details about the military strategy behind the strikes is needed.

“[The] announcement of airstrikes in cooperation with the British and French military underscores the importance of partners and alliances in achieving shared objectives,” Menendez said. “But we should be clear: military strikes are no substitute for a real strategy.”

Menendez added:

“While we are still learning the details about these strikes, the Administration has not provided sufficient details about its military plans. The President has asserted authority under Article II of the Constitution for these strikes, but any sustained military action in Syria would require Congressional authorization. I expect the Trump Administration to promptly brief Congress on these strikes, their plan for Syria, including countering Russian and Iranian support for the regime, and any future use of military force.”

However, Nutley Commissioner Steven Rogers, a former commander with the U.S. Navy Office of Naval Intelligence and the leader of the New Jersey Trump 2020 team, offered strong support for the president on the evening after he announced the attack on Damascus.

“Now is the hour for all of us to stand with [President Trump] and our military, no matter who we are,” Rogers wrote. “Let’s us keep our nation in prayer.”

Rogers also offered comment on the Syria attack on an April 13 Fox News segment:

“Vladimir Putin and Assad are challenging the will, the might and the strength of the United States of America. And under the leadership of this president, they’re going to find out very soon that they made a mistake, an error in judgement regarding this president’s will to respond.”

Goutam Jois, a Democratic candidate running to represent New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District – which includes Millburn – took a strong stance against the military strikes, labeling them “illegal.”

“Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s chemical weapons attack last weekend that killed innocent children in the Damascus suburb of Douma was indefensible and atrocious, but that does not give the President the authority to act illegally,” Jois said. “The Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war, and there has been no declaration of war or other authorization for the use of military force that would justify these air strikes.”

Jois added:

“The Donald Trump/John Bolton air strikes are illegal under U.S. and international law. If the President can attack Syria without authorization, where does it end? Could he attack North Korea without authorization, too? All Americans -- regardless of party -- should be defending our basic democratic institutions, including the checks and balances that the Constitution provides. I’m disappointed in those who would claim to defend our democratic values and institutions while supporting these illegal air strikes.”

However, Tom Malinowski, another Democrat challenger for U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance's seat in New Jersey's 7th District, offered a different take on the strikes.

Malinowski wrote on Twitter:

"On Syria I’m willing to give Trump the support many GOP reps, including @RepLanceNJ7, refused President Obama when he asked for it in 2013."

He added:

"But this will be effective only if part of a diplomatic effort to end the war. It will be moral only if we also lift ban on Syrian refugees."

Community organizers with the Newark-based People's Organization for Progress denounced the attack on Damascus.

“The People’s Organization for Progress condemns the attacks on Syria in the strongest possible terms at the behest of Donald Trump,” said founding chairman Lawrence Hamm.

Livingston High School Hall of Fame member Shiva Ayyadurai – who holds the copyright for “EMAIL” and is running for the U.S. Senate in Massachusetts – said that the reason for the attack in Syria can be linked to long-running conflicts over natural gas resources and pipelines in the area.

“That’s what this is really about,” Ayyadurai claimed in an April 16 campaign video. “Poor Americans – the working people of this country – have no interest in this war. The only people that have interest in this war are the Romneys, the Obamas, the Clintons, the Bushes… we as a country should not be involved.”

In a discussion with NJ Revolutionary Radio, New Jersey Peace Action organizer Madelyn Hoffman offered her opinion on why “the U.S. should not attack Syria.”

Are you an Essex County resident with an opinion about military action in Syria? Share it in the comments section below!

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File Photo: Newark protest against Syria missile strike, 2017