Ignorance is not at all innocence, it’s a sin. A sin that gives you counterproductive results, always. Even if it doesn’t affect you immediately, it paves the way for potential threat. No country is innocent enough that it cannot see what others are going through. Sometimes, nations purposefully ignore international affairs as they do not see any profit. And sometimes, it just happens, and the reasons remain a mystery.

The United States of America is also ignoring some strong facts about Syria. Some of them are a part of the super power’s strategy, while there are some facts the US simply ignores and no one really knows why.

President Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Bashar al-Assad as the three principals, are fighting the same enemy in Syria. But everyone knows the catch as the war in Syria is not as easy as it seems. Former President Obama once called the war of Syria one of the hardest issues he faced as a president of the United States of America.

Now, when every day millions of Twitter and Facebook users confirm the beginning of World War 3, the media is filling internet and server space with thousands of stories every minute.

A majority of these mainstream media tales are about what everyone is saying and how the blame game is taking place between the world leaders. But now you’ll be reading 15 facts about Syria the United States still ignores. No one knows the results of such ignorance, but it is obviously not good for the whole of mankind.

15. THE WAR IS NOT JUST ABOUT SYRIA AND RUSSIA

The United States may ignore the fact that Russia and Syria are not alone in the war, but it should not ignore the silence of North Korea, China and Sweden. The US has a long list of supporters who will probably support the country in case the so called nuclear war takes place. But in the war against Assad, not only Russia but Iran and Bolivia are also standing against the United States.

If the Trump administration believes that having a large number of supporters is going to help in the conditions of war, White House must know the fact that the countries that appear friendly at this point of time, not all of them are happy with America’s intervention in Syria. Aggression against chemical bombing on innocent people is one thing, but changing the entire political equation in Syria is not going to bring much love from allies.

14. THE US HAS HELPED ASSAD SO FAR

All the deliberation over the US intervention in Syria is bringing two major facts. First thing is that the United States is now actively involved in Syria and is more vocal than ever before. The second chapter of this story highlights the United States military forces as just a small group of patriots when compared to Russian and Syrian military forces. But in this battle against ISIS and other groups, the United States is killing Assad’s enemies and civilians. Meaning that the US is doing what Assad wants to happen in Syria. As a part of the bombings, the United States is also destroying the protestors that left Assad and formed a new group called the Free Syrian Army.

Assad, who emulated his father, has been using the force to tamp down all the protests against him. Bringing the entire military under himself was not possible for Assad and he knew this very well. Ultimately, he made people lift weapons and fight. And eventually it took the shape of a war Assad always wanted to see.

13. TURKEY IS HELPING AL-QAEDA IN SYRIA

Now when we look at the list of US supporters, Turkey appears to be a good friend. However, Turkey is not as powerful as the US, but Saudi Arabia will also not support Trump’s administration under several conditions. Both Turkey and Saudi Arabia are supporting multiple groups in Syria, which are fighting against Assad and even ISIS. But this backing is doing more harm than good to the United States.

Ideologically, the Wahhabists and Salafists these two countries are supporting are not very different than ISIS. These small groups that turned out to be some of the leading forces in Syrian regions are dangerous for US operations in Syria.

The US is ignoring the fact that Turkey, who appears to be a good friend, is supporting Ahrar Al Sharm. At the same time, Turkey is also being very supportive to Al-Qaeda in Syria, known as Jabhat Al Nusra.

It’s a complex situation because the United States would not want to turn down Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but at the same time, these countries are supporting America’s biggest enemies. These things will probably never go hand in hand.

12. ATTACKS ON SYRIA MAY LEAD TO NUCLEAR WAR

The United States has intervened in Syria multiple times, but not as strongly as how far the Trump administration took the recent chemical bombing issues. Although there is no solid evidence available against Assad about the April 2017 chemical bombings in Syria, Trump led US government attacked the landlocked Syria causing damage.

The United States is receiving mixed reactions from around the world, but most importantly, it has opened the doors for nuclear attacks on its own people. When the talks about the World War 3 began to increase, Russia and Iran, in a joint statement, warned the US of ‘Real war’ and said they will respond with force if they repeat these attacks.

Anyone with even a little understanding of international affairs can feel the rising heat in the Middle East.

11. SYRIA IS PARTLY LANDLOCKED

If a war takes place against the US, more specifically, if Syria, Iran and Russia together start attacking the US, the Trump-led government will only have to deploy its forces on the ground and in the air. The country shares its border with Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Israel. The US Navy will only play a role of spectator in such conditions as Syria is partly a landlocked country. This won’t be the same case for the rivals as there are many countries the US is exposed to from sea coasts.

The US Navy is the most capable in the world and is the largest force available on sea for any country. But at the time of war, the US will have no other option than putting its Navy on standby mode.

In such cases, attacking Syria will not be so easy and even if it seems easy, the US will have to invest a lot in military and air force attacks. Syria does not have a lengthy coastal area like other countries in Western Asia. It has a coastline with the Mediterranean Sea, but such a narrow coastline will not help the US in entering Syria.

10. TRUMP’S ANTI ISLAM POLICIES

Trump has always been a face of hatred against Muslims. At present, the tension in the Middle East is rising, and Muslims around the world and especially in the region, will think before supporting the US. Ignoring the fact that a common Muslims’ love for America is fading away is not right. The discrimination against Muslims and racism in the country has divided the world.

Gone are the days when people, especially the Muslim population, didn’t have any bad experiences with the United States or its citizens. America has already banned visas for seven Muslim-majority nations including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen.

Trump is stimulating this fear because it gets many of his supporters excited about the Muslim ban and gigantic walls. And such moves are made to distract people from the other promises Trump will not be able to keep in the long run. Nothing is new, as Trump has become famous because of such actions.

However, ignoring communities and targeting colour is dangerous for the United States because the country will be left alone at times when it will be in need of support from its allies. This self-reliance will probably be washed away by the blood of its own citizens in case of a war.

9. NORTH KOREA’S WARNINGS

It is too easy to ignore the constant stream of threats coming from North Korea. But its young leader, Kim Jong Un, is making progress on all fronts that include possession of longer-range missiles, nuclear power, land-based missile launch systems and small weapons. There’s so much more going on inside the secretive state the world is unaware of.

North Korea is preoccupied with threats to its own security, but the way it is acquiring nuclear power gives reason to consider North Korea’s efforts a bad signal for the US. North Korea is undoubtedly a very difficult foreign policy challenge the United States is facing. But if the US continues to hope for the downfall of Kim Jong Un, this unrealistic strategy will be going to cost them a lot more than what anyone can expect. The price of continuing to ignore the threats from North Korea may be very high.

8. THE BODY OF LIES

The United States has given a strong message to its allies who are directly and indirectly involved in the war in Syria. But Trump’s government has ignored the fact that the real friends are not the ones who released statements in support. There are countries who praise the United States’ actions in Syria, but at the same time, they are vocal against the way they attacked Syria.

French president François Hollande supports the US’s fight against ISIS and other militant groups in Syria. Recently, after the missile attack on Syria, Hollande supported the strike, but his joint statement with German Chancellor Angela Merkel has some advice for the Trump administration. The duo asks the US to stay within the limits of the framework of the United Nations.

“France and Germany, together with their partners and within the framework of the United Nations, will continue their efforts to hold President Assad responsible for his criminal deeds,” reads the joint statement, The Local reported.

Right-wing candidate Marie Le Pen also supported Trump’s actions, but she also expressed some advice of her own. She urged Trump not to do something in Syria that will make us witness what we had to see in Iraq and Libya. “It would have been no problem if we waited to see the results of investigations first,” said Pen as quoted by the Daily News Egypt.

7. NO ONE IS IRREPROACHABLE

The United States feels the pain of the children, women and every innocent being killed in Syria regardless of who the killer is. But what happens to the country when the Trump-led government doesn’t let the refugees in? There are also many innocent lives who are seeking shelter on American land.

Isn’t it an irony that the heart of Trump’s administration melts down just after watching some videos on television, YouTube and Facebook? But it’s normal and not at all painful for the same government to block the entrance when people from Syria request to let them in.

Syria is an opportunity for Trump to tell the world that he is the man of action, and he did it very well as the administration successfully justified the recent strike. But it is also an opportunity to tell the world that the US remains clear about what it does and plays the same role on its own land as well.

6. SYRIANS ARE NOW EVERYWHERE

Many Syrians in Turkey and everywhere else in the world would want to return home once everything gets under control. But there are many families in Syria who have someone in foreign land. Refugees are helping their families living in Syria. The financial aid is also a thing the United States is ignoring.

The US should not forget that with Syrian refugees all over the world, Syria is getting stronger with their foreign money. Although it is not a major part of Syria’s actual earnings, somehow Syria is getting money and no one knows how the money is being utilized, as there is no control or monitoring.

Seeking asylum, many Syrians moved to different countries and they had to pay a lot during their journey. It’s not just about money, Syrians have paid more than what money can get them.

The conditionS in foreign land is also not very favourable for many. When some of the Syrians have found their ways to make a living for their families, some of them like Thaer Al Nahir, want Greece to give him money so that he can go back to Syria because even after coming to Greece, he has found nothing.

5. LEAVING ASSAD ALONE IS HARMFUL

The United States has never made its stance clear on Syria. Former president Obama said several times that Assad must leave, but nothing happened. The US government also never brought up the issue in mainstream politics, which eventually made everyone feel like the US had decided to leave Assad alone. The recent strike shows just the opposite, as the Trump administration ordered missile attack on Syria and the United States again jumped into the war, with Trump stealing the show.

No matter how many times the United States ignores and leaves the Assad family alone to their fate, the US will still be in trouble. The money the US has spent on its operations against ISIS and Al-Qaeda will be in vain if it leaves Assad alone.

Assad and the United States both are fighting for different purposes, but their enemy is the same. Even Russia is in the same boat in terms of fighting ISIS and other extremists.

4. LACKING A CLEAR PLAN

Not even the US government knows what it is holding in store for the future of Syria. Conspiracy theories are at their peak, but the random actions by the US government have left its own citizens clueless.

Before April 2017, the US administration had no problem with Assad ruling Syria, but suddenly the Trump administration has rolled out many different policies for the Assad-led Syria.

It was very clear to everyone that Assad will remain in power until March 30, 2017. After the chemical attacks in April, Assad was asked to go and Trump conveyed the same message through 59 Tomahawk missiles. As the days passed, the US government suddenly shifted its focus to attacking ISIS and left Assad’s chapter open with no final plan or policy. Ignoring the need of a plan and not updating its own people about the situation is not a wise move on the part of the United States.

3. ECONOMY OF SYRIA

The United States has resisted government’s involvement in Syria. The killings and the plight of thousands of refugees have failed to gain much sympathy from Washington. The US aims to lower Syria’s importance in international politics, but Syria is still standing strong. Even after the massive damage to its economy, the liabilities are less and financial support from places around the world is strengthening Syria. The country, and Assad in particular, is being backed by Russia.

Syria is in need of political and military support, especially the Assad family. Vladimir Putin, the President of the Russian Federation, also started providing direct military involvement in Syria in Assad’s support. Russia doesn’t want to lose an ally in the Middle East region and the purchase of weapons is also one of the major motivations behind Russia not leaving Assad. Russia is not alone, as Syria is being backed by many other countries as well.

2. SYRIA IS THE WRONG PLACE TO FIGHT

Now, after the US’s attack on Syria, North Korea and even Moscow have strong reasons to possess nuclear weapons. The ad hoc response from the US on the Syria issue has given Moscow a chance to tell the White House that Russia is not the country the United States wants a war with. When Trump says that he has the responsibility of Syria, he is involving the United States in a war which was always an afterthought for Americans.

If Trump is serious about doing the right thing for humanity, why is the government silent about Yemen where Saudi Arabia is responsible for the deaths of many civilians? A war in the wrong land may lead Americans to extremely negative results. The White House has already tried entering a war in Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan and the results didn’t come out the way Washington was expecting.

1. AMERICANS ARE AT RISK

How is America going to put all this together in the end? This is one of the questions everyone is still trying to find an answer for. It seems that the Trump-led administration is still clueless or maybe everyone is just trying to understand where the war is going to end. Since almost everyone is new in the office, they are doing whatever they see fit at this point.

Why Americans are now at risk is because the responses from Russia, Iran and other potential adversaries make it clear that they won’t hesitate in using force, even at times when the US will not be in any condition to confront them. Trump is in fact showing the world that he needs no one, and the US alone can solve all of its problems.

North Korea is looking for trouble. If China decides to help, that would be great. If not, we will solve the problem without them! U.S.A.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2017

No matter how secret the plans will be, ignoring open debates will no longer help the US government build a stable support for their new policies. Not today, but someday, the United States will have to explain to its citizens how the nation is going to deal with Syria, what the plans are and how the president aims to end it all.

Source: Al Jazeera, Fox News, The Local, Daily News Egypt, GPI, The Guardian,