CNN:
Planning is underway for a "full" and "rapid" withdrawal of US troops from Syria, a US defense official told CNN Wednesday. The decision, which would be a reversal from previously stated US policy, was made by President Donald Trump, who has long signaled his desire to get out of Syria, the official added....
Even though the US will continue to maintain troops in Iraq with the capability of launching strikes into Syria, a US withdrawal of ground forces would fulfill a major goal of Syria, Iran and Russia and risks diminishing US influence in the region.
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106 comments:
Please leave that shit hole Afghanistan. Please.
I have no problem with this, but outright stating something like "We have defeated ISIS in Syria" seems a little silly.
risk diminishing US influence in the region.
hasn't that been THE GOAL of the left, for my Entire Life?
Not sure what the alternative would be. Are we at war with the Syrian gov't? If no, it's their country. I don't think we should prop up the PKK, which is communist, in opposition to the legitimate gov't. Assad is a horrible bad man, but we made the decision to leave him alone (Well, Obama did). We shouldn't offer an open-ended commitment to fight the Syrian army for the PKK.
There's also Turkey, which is theoretically our ally. They don't want us there.
So why stay? What's the best outcome? A kurdish state, I suppose, but they already have one in Iraq. Carving more territory out of Syria for the Kurds is possible, but would require a long-term commitment of the US military to fight for them. Can we afford that? When did we agree to that?
We were going to leave sometime. Sooner is better than later.
No doubt Ghuck will be along shortly to explain that Trump wants to build a hotel there, and then we'll hear from Igna that Putin is blackmailing him.
Apparently there's about 5000 ISIL fighters left around Hajin, Syria, aka Scumbags' Alamo. They have submitted a written response to the FSA and Kurdish commanders that they intend to "die fighting" and they have no intention of allowing evacuees of civilians (most of whom are likely supporters anyway).
This is a rare opportunity in my view. Rare in the sense that seldom you get a concentration of truly evil, death-deserving people in such an easily targetable location (roughly 250sq/acres roughly).
"Die fighting." No problem. 3 B-52s with about 2 MOABs a piece ought to do the trick. The ISIL chapter is over. Turn the page.
Who exactly is saying would should stay in-country there?
And why?
Trump's gonna use the money saved to BUILD THE WALL. You watch.
and risks diminishing US influence in the region.
I guess CNN wants US troops everywhere.
Good to know.
At least it wasn't announced years in advance.
Sorry for an off-topic post Ann, but did you read/listen to any post-reform commentary this morning?
I was listening to NPR on my drive in this morning and they had Cory Booker on touting it as a personal success, positioning him as the one with "firm demands" of the white house that he got, and saying he worked on it for 5 years.
They asked another contributor "if Trump deserves any credit" (Note the positioning)
Notably absent: Any comments from the white house, credit to kushner, or even representation from a member of the current majority party.
Now on topic:
Am I wrong for despising the news nowadays? Look at this:
"The decision, which would be a reversal from previously stated US policy" - really? When was that stated and by who? What was previously stated? Guess we'l skip over all those pesky details.
"a US withdrawal of ground forces would fulfill a major goal of Syria, Iran and Russia and risks diminishing US influence in the region" - Really? It would seem to fulfill a major goal of the UNITED STATES. Should we keep troops in Syria because Syria doesn't want us there?
Any notes about why there were originally there, since when, or what their mission is/was? Not really. Nothing specific; no objectives.
You read this type of news article to be uninformed.
Media spin as anti-Trump
If lord king deity Obama made the same decision - media would swoon and applaud.
Agreed Lucid Ideas.
Back load some ISIS death on the way out. If they are all in one spot, Why not?
We all now Hillery and John Kerry were so freaking successful in their secretary of state roles in the region. Tax payer funded deluxe travel, re-set buttons and mega bucks for Uranium oil speeches to Bill.
Well, that's a handy excuse! Why even use an excuse? Just leave! Leave all the other countries where we have military forces, as well! Don't make justifications, which will be as much BS as the justifications for our being there in the first place. Just leave.
@TreeJoe:
really? When was that stated and by who? What was previously stated? Guess we'l skip over all those pesky details.
The US policy hitherto had been an open-ended commitment to remain in Syria and counter Iran's presence there. John Bolton stated that explicitly back in late September.
In any event, putting an end to the open-ended forever war in Syria is a good decision and hopefully the goal will actually be realized. Next up, Afghanistan.
But, but, we haven't yet established Syria as a thriving Jeffersonian democracy as we accomplished in Afghanistan and Iraq. What will The Weekly Standard say? Oh, right.
The hypocrisy, it burns. BTW want US troops out of the ME. Publish the rules of engagement our guys and gals live (and die) by every day. And under which president the rule was issued. Oh say, on the front page of every major newspaper in the country. I dare you.
Jupiter said...
No doubt Ghuck will be along shortly to explain that Trump wants to build a hotel there, and then we'll hear from Igna that Putin is blackmailing him.
No, Jupiter; I think the Iranians want to build a hotel there. And in this deal it will be the Iranians, instead of Trump, who offer Putin the penthouse condominium.
@glenn:
The hypocrisy, it burns.
What hypocrisy? And who is being hypocritical?
@TreeJoe - I totally agree. I find it annoying that there isn't a least links to information about what the official stated reasons for us being there were, and why and how this represents a clear "reversal" of whatever this policy was. If you're going to declare things like that in what oestensibly is a news article, something that is presented as objective fact and not just some hack's opinion, at least provide all the information to the readers. To be clear, it's not that completely doubt that it really is a reversal, I just want something more than a throwaway line.
People on the Left are upset that Trump and his supporters are always complaining that CNN and other MSM outlets are "fake news". But it's this sort of reporting, where things that seem like opinions (whether they really are or not) are presented as fact that seem's dubious.
DBH: "Media spin as anti-Trump
If lord king deity Obama made the same decision - media would swoon and applaud."
Remember, it was LLR Chuck's "magnificent" obambi and John Kerry that literally, formally, officially, invited Putin into Syria to help "stabilize" the situation and to "help us" control the chemical weapons!
That had to be the right decision because according to the lefties and the LLR's and the NeverTrumpers obambi is a "magnificent", "light-bringer" "sort of a God".
It would literally be impossible for LLR Chuck to be more in alignment with the most insane lefty feverswamp narratives.
Literally.
Unexpectedly.
@Drago:
The Russians needed no invitation, formal or otherwise, to intervene in Syria. Syria is an allied government of the Russians, and it hosts an important Russian naval facility in Tartus. Russia entering the Syrian War was actually not bad news for the US, except for our ridiculous notion that Assad stepdown in favor of some ragtag team of Sunni jihadists. In the case of Syria, the US should have been on the side of Assad, Russia, and Iran in favoring the Assad government over the various jihadists groups are close regional partners like Saudi Arabia and the UAE were arming and funding.
We have what, 2000 troops there?
I mean, c'mon. I feel like he's just trying to save money for the border wall.
@eric:
I mean, c'mon. I feel like he's just trying to save money for the border wall.
Because he's demonstrated such amazing maneuvering at getting the wall funded? Trump has been rolled and outmaneuvered on the wall for two years now. See the commentary of people who have been advocating for a wall long before Trump, like Ann Coulter or Mickey Kaus. But I am guessing Scott Adams as a video in the queue explaining how Trump's total wall failure is part of some seven-dimensional grand strategy.
Farmer: "@Drago:
The Russians needed no invitation, formal or otherwise, to intervene in Syria."
Irrelevant, ahistorical, who cares?
The facts of what actually occurred are not in dispute.
Feel free to conjure up whatever other alternative histories/circle jerks you'd like.
Criminal justice reform no Wall no Shutdown and pulling troops from ME. Like I predicted after the Blue Stomp in November, Trump will be going over to the Democratics to save Javanka and Jr from Club Fed
Instead of border wall $10Billion to Central America Shitholes to pay them not to send us more gardeners so they will remain Being There
And deplorables continue to suck Trump's Chubb despite his doing Inga's bidding
Howard thinks pulling troops from the Middle East was NOT part of the Trump platform.
Seriously, you are in Inga/LLR Chuck territory with that one.
Criminal Justice Reform is also somefthing a populist would do, not to mention the senate vote totals conveying something interesting.
Now the wall....he better get real creative on that one because I do believe that is the single most critical agenda item, which is why the far left/left/Dems/LLR's are so deadset against it.
@Drago:
Feel free to conjure up whatever other alternative histories/circle jerks you'd like.
Funny, that is precisely what I was thinking about you.
The facts of what actually occurred are not in dispute.
Agreed. For example, "obambi and John Kerry that literally, formally, officially, invited Putin into Syria to help "stabilize" the situation and to "help us" control the chemical weapons!" are not actually "the facts." The adverb "formally" is particularly ludicrous.
Howard: "Instead of border wall $10Billion to Central America Shitholes to pay them not to send us more gardeners so they will remain Being There"
We are watching very closely to see if the reports AMLO is using aid to close his southern border (which makes alot of sense from the socialist perspective: see Cesar Chavez).
They didn't do anything to stop it, because of the Iran deal,
Farmer: " The adverb "formally" is particularly ludicrous."
The word you are looking for is "hilarious".
Hang in there Tiger. I'm sure you can find sone new Althouse blog visitor to jump down the rabbit-hole with you for a scintillating all-day navel-gazing rambling discussion on Little Known Facts Of The Peloponessian War And Its Parallels to Neo-Colonial Policies Of The French In North Africa and Its Parallels to USGrants Military Strategies In The US Civil War And Why That Matters To 19th Century Mercantilist Policies.
Immigration control and bringing troops home is popular with Americans. Everything else Trump focuses on serves his opponents.
Blogger Drago said...
Howard thinks pulling troops from the Middle East was NOT part of the Trump platform.
Pretending to know what Maverick thinks will get you killed, Goose.
@Drago:
The word you are looking for is "hilarious".
Or fake. Obama and Kerry did not invite Russia in. That is 100% wrong. And the chemical weapon operation, which was conducted under the auspiece of the OPCW, occurred two years before the Russians began directly intervening in Syria, at the request of Assad.
Howard: "Pretending to know what Maverick thinks will get you killed, Goose."
Trump only railed against our commitments in the ME everyday for 2 years.
Besides, you know darn well its past time for a high speed pass over an Admirals daughter AND to buzz the tower....despite the pattern being full...
Farmer: "Or fake. Obama and Kerry did not invite Russia in. That is 100% wrong."
Its 100% true.
"my only reason for being there"?
Trump was in Syria during his Presidency? When that did happen? This is a great example of his speaking of himself in first and third person that doesn't work. The troops were there. Trump is wrong by not recognizing the troops as the one's being there.
For the Trump supporters... I like the guy, but if you can't see the flaw in that sentence, then you are just another type of sycophant for your favored politician. Don't be a zealot.
Yes we accomplished our goal of killing and uprooting millions of syrians. Well done Obama, well done US.
We have to quit this neocon treadmill we have been on for almost 100 years now.
@Drago:
Its 100% true.
Okay, please provide a source for when the US "literally, formally, officially, invited Putin into Syria to help 'stabilize' the situation."
Its shorthand, look jacksonians is you go in, and get out, progressives have other ideas
To the sane readers of this blog; do not take seriously the rantings of Drago as regards me.
I happily voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004, and McCain in 2008, and Romney in 2012, and was a Republican National Lawyers Association volunteer in every one of those elections.
I never supported Obama or voted for him, as Ann Althouse did. I never supported or voted for John Kerry, as I think Althouse did.
Back then, there was no need to think about being "Never Trump." I was not "Never Trump" then, because there was no Trump candidacy. I was not "Never Trump" in the 2016 general election. I voted for Trump, as the least-worst alternative. I've written all of this many times, but Drago keeps cluttering these pages with false claims to the contrary. And why he is so persistent in that regard, is something I don't understand. It must be an annoyance to many of you. I understand from Althouse that it is an annoyance to her. But from her perspective, it is more trouble for her to ban Drago than it is to ignore Drago. Which is sort of easy for her to say, when Drago isn't posting a dozen of more comments every day in which Drago is making false claims about her.
"Declare Victory and leave!". Trump has and it's a great move. I assume that the withdrawn troops are just going over the horizon to bases in Iraq. Mattis has already declared defeat in Afghanistan so we should be out of there soon. Let the ragheads kill each other. Should we really care, say compared to what's going on on the Pacific side? How about a little concentration of force where it counts? I suspect Israel is pretty much okay with the 5th fleet handy.
> I like the guy, but if you can't see the flaw in that sentence,
Oh, oh, pick me, pick me...
The flaw it that it sounds like Obama.
One downside leaving Syria is the loss of opportunity to embarrass the Russians, like when they thought they could roll over a US infantry platoon or something with their "Russian Mercenaries" earlier this year.
To quote the Russian commander: "The *bleep* Yankees made their point!" 400 dead Russians later, of course. And Putin had to grin and bear it, since they were "mercenaries" not regular Russians.
So, yeah, I'll miss that. But certainly glad to pull our men out of harms way there, for little reason.
--Vance
Shorter Ghuck; "Let me read you once again, the biography my handler gave me when Team Soros hired me back in 2016".
Shorter Drago; "Delenda est Ghuck".
And he wept for there were no more world's to conquer.
Oh, and Chuck's tears are delicious, just saying. I suspect that Drago is far less of an annoyance to our. gracious host than certain posters who are constantly emailing her telling her how to run her blog and what to post on. Drago can get a bit annoying, yes, but it's far less than Chuck's constant "The conservative thing to do here on this issue is to do whatever Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and CNN want--that's how we advance conservatism! Inga, please save me!" style posts.
--Vance
Overlooked in all the pro and con, are the Kurds. The US forces are likely the only thing keeping Erdogan and the IranoMuzzies from wiping them out. They are going to have to make a deal with someone. Maybe the Russkis?
Well, good. I hope we can do Korea next.
Its hardly surprising that LLR Chuck would want to run from his many earlier comments which demonstrate completely what he is all about.
Doesnt serve his purpose here, which was stated quote clearly and explicitly: smear Trump to drive down his support.
The continuous and reflexive parroting of lefty narratives is just gravy.
When it comes to chuck, I'm with Drago.
I also enjoy those precious moments when LLR Chuck ceases, again momentarily, haughtily lecturing Althouse as to her blogging choices and analyses to assume the role of Althouse spokesperson in order to piggyback his lack of credibility onto her established credibility.
Nation building is a neocon conceit that I used to reluctantly agree with (as in: it worked with Japan and Germany... so... I guess?). I'm no longer convinced such activities can work universally, but most especially in the tarpit trap that is the ME. In regions and cultures that aren't heavily industrialized, with values systems that are completely opposed to our Western egalitarianism, and without an excellent work ethic that's already baked into their national DNA, I find I'm skeptical of the efficacy of trying to win "hearts and minds" with interminable occupations that seem to do nothing but get civilians killed in crossfires, get our own soldiers maimed by IEDs or shot dead during training sessions in so called "insider attacks". Not to mention trillions of dollars such things costs. The is especially true now that we don't rely so heavily on ME oil.
Instead of border wall $10Billion to Central America Shitholes to pay them not to send us more gardeners so they will remain Being There
The $10 billion is a mixture of private and public funds and does not require Congressional approval. It does appear to be a bribe to Southern Mexico and Northern Central America to try and keep people from emigrating. I think Trump should divert $5 billion of it to build the wall. That would help prevent those people from emigrating also, and would allow Trump to make the argument that Mexico was paying for it.
Chuck said...
"I am afraid you are mistaking me for someone who has an interest in fair treatment of Donald Trump. I'm not your guy. I am interested in smearing him, hurting him and prejudicing people against him."
3//16,
Don't be a zealot.
But DO improve your reading comprehension. There is an implied royal “we” in Trump’s statement, common enough phrasing for leaders like him. Like so: “The reason for [us] being there.”
FIFY
Does anyone think that Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio or Hillary Clinton would be withdrawing our troops from Syria if they were in the White House?
Mike
Gahrie,
I wish Trump would give Mexico $15 billion and have Mexico promise to give $6 billion back to the U.S. to build the wall.
That would be glorious.
I am interested in smearing him, hurting him and prejudicing people against him
Often by lying--like the "shithole countries" porky or Michelle Field's arm amputation. We know you are an asshole, but thanks for self-identifying.
I wonder if anyone in the media will ask the soldiers if they're willing to die in Syria.
With the ability to send troops everywhere without a declaration of war, our so-called betters have turned them into nothing more than highly trained mercenaries to do their bidding.
This is what happens when we ignore the Constitution.
Darrell, its clear that LLR Chuck immediately regretted that moment of honesty which exposed his lifetime of lies pretending to be operating on conservative principles (which no one believed of course due to the avalanche of direct and irrefutable commentary evidence to the contrary).
Hes been trying to walk it back since and reestablish some semblance of conservative "street cred" to make his lefty/dem cuckery more palatable to readers of this blog and effective in advancing lefty interests.
We will just go ahead and categorize that effort as a fail.
But DO improve your reading comprehension. There is an implied royal “we”
Hahahah BS. He used "We" on the won. Then he said "my". There is no royal "my". Besides, troops, who have been there protecting us, get annoyed with royal we's taking credit for their action. That's something royals have been doing for a long time, and we supposedly rebelled against that nonsense. Syria 2018 isn't WWII where "we" as a nation all sacrificed for the war effort. Trump should have recognized the troops.
"Our" would have worked. Better would have been "my reason for having our troops there".
It is good news, to me, that the US is getting out of Syria. As others noted, let's do Afghanistan next.
3 B-52s with about 2 MOABs a piece ought to do the trick.
"a good start." -- philosophy prof Todd May
Didn't President Trump promise to never send ground troops into Syria in the first place?
“And deplorables continue to suck Trump's Chubb despite his doing Inga's bidding.”
Wow, who knew I had such power?
This is 100% good news. The room is now open for a Saudi-Turkey joint military force to block Iran. The USA has kept Carrier Aviation and the Special Forces close by to rescue the area if Iran starts beating that coalition. But the Saudis and Turks have learned to fight just as well as the US Military fights with our shared air power and intelligence data.
The USA loses no more young men. The Saudis pay for the weapons which they buy from us. Peace between Russia and the USA breaks out while the CIA's secret army that wanted WWIII to start here withers away.
Hahahah BS. He used "We" on the won. Then he said "my". There is no royal "my"
Or maybe I could care less about semantics and more about results?
Inga: "Wow, who knew I had such power?"
I did. Of course its Inverse Power: see Merkel, May, Macron and Trudeau.
Trump threw the Kurds under the bus in his haste to please Putin and Erdogan. Pentagon and NSA are not agreeing with his unilateral decision. Why is Trump saying he’s going to do this ahead of time, signaling to ISIS. Didn’t Trump say Obama was wrong for doing this very thing?
Lindsey Graham: "an Obama-like decision"
Inga bitches if Trump keeps troops in Syria.
Inga bitches when Trump announces he's pulling troops out of Syria.
Seems all she does is bitch.
Or maybe I could care less about semantics and more about results?
Yes, that's an option I already addressed.
Except for killing ISIS, what was the purpose of U.S, military personnel training the locals to fight?
What is America's purpose, except as it benefits America?
(And the more direct the benefit, the better!)
"Yes, that's an option I already addressed."
I so many words. ; )
Chuck said,
"To the sane readers of this blog; do not take seriously the rantings of Drago as regards me."
I would caution readers against taking seriously the rantings of Drago on anything.
Chuck: To the sane readers of this blog; do not take seriously the rantings of Drago as regards me.
Nobody cares, Chuck. Even if this smack talk was not about you but about some guy who actually *was* the center of the universe, nobody sane would be taking it either seriously or unseriously.
"Why is Trump saying he’s going to do this ahead of time, signaling to ISIS. Didn’t Trump say Obama was wrong for doing this very thing?"
The withdrawal is immediate in the sense of the process beginning. Obama announced a date well into the future while ongoing combat operations were still under way.
ISIS has few peeps and little territory remaining in Syria. Unless Inga and CNN want to fight Assad or Erdogan directly, there is little point in staying.
...and of course CNN takes the negative view. After all, they should prefer to continue Hillary's war. Look at the bright side, we did wipe out some Russian mercs along the way.
Lydia:
Lindsey Graham: "an Obama-like decision"
It's usually (always?) a good sign when neocons are unhappy about a foreign policy decision.
Cookie: "I would caution readers against taking seriously the rantings of Drago on anything."
Advice from our preeminent October Surprise conspiracy theorist and lead marxist commenter.
Discuss.
Inga: "Trump threw the Kurds under the bus in his haste to please Putin and Erdogan."
LOL
Go ahead and lay out the "logic" of that one!
Hilarious.
While you are at it, try explaining how Trump having our troops in Syria whacking 400 Russian mercenaries plays into Putins plans.
Dont worry Inga. No one expects a cut and paster such as yourself to actually be capable of explaining her pasted thoughts of others.
Lgv: "The withdrawal is immediate in the sense of the process beginning. Obama announced a date well into the future while ongoing combat operations were still under way."
In the future, you should at least make Inga work a little bit before explaining the obvious to her.
Lyndsey Graham won't be happy until America is fighting as many wars as John McCain wanted to be fighting.
His hawkishness is a terrible beard.
Apparently, no one told the Pentagon this was happening.
Mike believes the Pentagon is a co-equal branch.
Mike is a fool.
@@traditionalguy:
The room is now open for a Saudi-Turkey joint military force to block Iran.
A joint military force to block Iran from what? And what makes you think Saudi Arabia and Turkey want to be part of such a coalition?
The USA has kept Carrier Aviation and the Special Forces close by to rescue the area if Iran starts beating that coalition.
Starts beating that coalition in what?
But the Saudis and Turks have learned to fight just as well as the US Military fights with our shared air power and intelligence data.
The Saudis have surely proven that they can get bogged down in foreign adventures just as easily as the US. See the 3-year-long dead-in in Yemen that has drained them of money and gotten them no closer to their state goal 3.5 years ago.
The USA loses no more young men.
We have lost 14 US service members in Afghanistan this year.
The Saudis pay for the weapons which they buy from us.
And then hand them to groups like AQAP.
Peace between Russia and the USA breaks out while the CIA's secret army that wanted WWIII to start here withers away.
There is already peace between the US and Russia.
Parents and loved ones across America are thrilled to have their soldiers out of harm's way in that rat hole.
Can we stop taking refugees now?
Little Miss Trumpet say on her Buttet throwing the Kurds away. Along came a KGBer who sat down beside her and scared Miss Trumpet away.
well it's a Saudi emirate Jordanian alliance against Qatar turkey and iran, you heard about that at some point, yes I can't see the logic in the afghan strategy, I see this negotiation with the Taliban, which regards ghani as illegitimate as equally bonkers,
Howard: "Little Miss Trumpet say on her Buttet throwing the Kurds away. Along came a KGBer who sat down beside her and scared Miss Trumpet away."
Written just months after US forces in Syria obliterated 400 Russian mercenary personnel in Syria and where the surviving Russians stated publicly that the US forces "kicked our a**" and also that against the US forces "we never had a chance".
Also after Russulia warned the US not to respond to Assads reported use of chemical weapons...whereupon Trump orders a significant missile strike on locations where Russian troops are housed.
Also after Trump sends military weapons into Ukraine and places missile systems in Poland, actions which Putin opposed and obambi capitulated on.
I guess that Putin really does want an expanding US military, increased defense spending, increased US energy production and the US publicly opposing the Russia-Germany gas pipeline.
Careful Howard, you are now inside the Inga/LLR Chuck Bubble.
I suggest you call for evac immediately before it gets even worse.
I've been reading this blog for 3 years. Man has it gotten boring. Bye.
well he can't hold ideas simultaneously either, now those mercs were on the far eastern side of the country, presumably close to Iraqi bases, if needs must, however nusra front, are in the northwest corner of the country,
this is why the afghan policy doesn't make any sense:
https://dailycaller.com/2018/12/19/wife-army-green-beret-murder/
I'm unsure of how I feel about this but it is entertaining seeing the sheer hypocrisy of some of the people attacking Trump.
"I've been reading this blog for 3 years. Man has it gotten boring. Bye."
Insert Powers Boothe "Well ... bye" GIF here.
Nonapod said...
Nation building is a neocon conceit that I used to reluctantly agree with (as in: it worked with Japan and Germany... so... I guess?). I'm no longer convinced such activities can work universally, but most especially in the tarpit trap that is the ME. In regions and cultures that aren't heavily industrialized, with values systems that are completely opposed to our Western egalitarianism, and without an excellent work ethic that's already baked into their national DNA, I find I'm skeptical of the efficacy of trying to win "hearts and minds" with interminable occupations that seem to do nothing but get civilians killed in crossfires, get our own soldiers maimed by IEDs or shot dead during training sessions in so called "insider attacks". Not to mention trillions of dollars such things costs. The is especially true now that we don't rely so heavily on ME oil."
I have no idea what's going on in the MidEast but the above pretty well summarizes my current attitudes. And I think if Assad is going to stay we should leave. We can only support him with our soldiers - ugh - or attack his regime - which is what was just going on. And why should we do either?
Todd Roberson: "I've been reading this blog for 3 years. Man has it gotten boring. Bye."
We have a 4 year and 3 amazon portal purchases minimum before we care.
So much worry over the "JV" terrorist op.
I'm sure the U.N. is on on it.
One downside leaving Syria is the loss of opportunity to embarrass the Russians, like when they thought they could roll over a US infantry platoon or something with their "Russian Mercenaries" earlier this year.
To quote the Russian commander: "The *bleep* Yankees made their point!" 400 dead Russians later, of course. And Putin had to grin and bear it, since they were "mercenaries" not regular Russians.
This is complete fiction. Nobody attacked the illegal US base. The US murdered about 100 Syrian militiamen from the Russian-trained "ISIS Hunter" paramilitary (the ones who liberated Palmyra) along with about 20 of their Russian merc advisors, by attacking them from the air without warning, as they were in pursuit of retreating ISIS fighters.
It was similar to an incident months earlier where the US also murdered about 100 Syrian soldiers in airstrikes, as they were heroically fighting to defend the besieged city of Deir Ezor from ISIS, allowing ISIS to advance and capture a strategic mountain. However, in that incident there were no US ground forces nearby that the US could falsely claim were being threatened by the Syrians, so the US had to admit its wrongdoing (but of course it never apologized or paid compensation to the families of the murdered Syrians).
I thought no president in my lifetime could be worse than Richard Nixon, but I was sadly wrong.
There is nothing like tweeter impulse from Trump to steer our forgrein policy.
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