We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
After historic victories against ISIS, it’s time to bring our great young people home! pic.twitter.com/xoNjFzQFTp— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
Reuters: In Syria retreat, Trump rebuffs top advisers and blindsides U.S. commanders
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump overrode his top national security aides, blindsided U.S. ground commanders, and stunned lawmakers and allies with his order for U.S. troops to leave Syria, a decision that upends American policy in the Middle East.
The result, said current and former officials and people briefed on the decision, will empower Russia and Iran and leave unfinished the goal of erasing the risk that Islamic State, or ISIS, which has lost all but a sliver territory, could rebuild.
Trump was moving toward his dramatic decision in recent weeks even as top aides tried to talk him out of it, determined to fulfill a campaign promise of limiting U.S. involvement militarily abroad, two senior officials said.
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WNU Editor: When President Bush started and President Obama continued the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq (2007 - 2011), I believed at the time that it was a mistake. What shaped my opinion was the overwhelming consensus among U.S./Iraqi/coalition commanders, the intelligence community, allies, and many in the Arab world (including many Iraqis) who believed that it was too early to leave. Sadly .... it was too early to leave. The Iraqi government within a year dissolved into political sectarianism, and the rise of ISIS quickly followed. Flash forward to today .... I heard a lot of concerns today from military and political leaders on President Trump's decision to leave Syria, but that consensus to stay is not as intense as it was in 2011. One probable reason for this lack of intensity is that no one has proposed a timetable on when U.S. forces will leave. Even though President Trump said he wanted U.S. soldiers back home now, it may be months (if not more) before such a withdrawal starts to take place. There is also disagreement with President Trump's assertion that ISIS has been defeated. IMHO they are not, as explained by this analysis .... Analysis: The Islamic State hasn’t been defeated (Thomas Joscelyn, Long War Journal). I doubt that the U.S. will leave while ISIS remains a threat, especially since everyone else is not in a position to challenge and defeat the remaining ISIS forces in eastern Syria. My guess is that in the coming weeks/months a plan will be put together on what will be the exact conditions and timetable for U.S. forces to leave, and it will then be implemented. But for now .... everyone is just speculating.
15 comments:
Fake news
Basically leaving the Kurds to the wolves, is what this does.
Kurds get screwed by everybody. I’d love to see Israel develop close ties with them. Erdogan would go mental.
fake turfy77
a xmas gift to Iran and to Russia...our military and many if not most in GOP angry over this selldout and betrayal of our allies and those who served...ISIS delighted
Fake Anonymous.
fake faux phache
I understand this abandonment for budgetary reasons. What most bothers me is once again we are abandoning one of the best allies we have ever had.
Such decision making is not presidential. Does this abandonment include Iraq. Again.
We are not involved in a board game with no consequences over there.
People ought to take their xanax and chill.
So far the withdrawal is Syria while the US remains with significant military presence in Jordan, Iraq and Kurdistan Iraq. Why? Because those people want the US there and provide substantial support.
Syria was all about ISIS and nothing about Assad and supporting the Syrian state. Every life lost and dollar spent killing ISIS directly does the work Assad wants done. Same for Russia and Iran.
Now the US is leaving what little remains to those creeps. It's there problem now, a problem nearly solved. ISIS can never be defeated as it is an ideology but it can be cleared from the field in a military operation. That Trump has done.
Dude it was actually a campaign promise to get out of perpetual wars and permanent deployments. I don't agree with this early removal, but I do agree that there's no point to stay much longer. The US was never really clear on the mission there other than getting rid of ISIS. As it's a combination of people ideology money and territory the best next thing is to get the money - that was the oil - under control. This was accomplished. The other thing was the land. This was accomplished. Also the fighters were decimated. So that's accomplished to. I'm not American, but I'm against American soldiers risking their lives over there for an ill defined mission beyond what I stated. Also, realistically, the US hands were tied. They cannot kill Russians or risk a world war. They cannot kill Assad or risk something similar. What are they supposed to do??? I agree with what wnu wrote. They won't leave tomorrow. Not next week. It'll take months and months. And that's OK to stay a bit longer. But only if there's a good reason like safely leaving. Leave this mess to Russia and assad to clean up. They will of course kill thousands in the progress but it's all our fault for not insisting on stronger UN resolutions and actions. You and I and everyone else is responsible for this.
If Trump does not listen to his advisors, his military professionals, his intel, then who does he listen to?
Our empire in Syria is tenous and potentially dangerous in an alamo like way. We are surrounded by unfriendlies 360 degrees. Iran is likely supporting the efforts covertly.
Turkey will invade their border area shortly in a big way where our advisors are.
If when we need to go back in, it will be in a BIG way where we can have both strategic and tactical advantages.
Trump is throwing in a bad poker hand for a better one in the future without alliances made during civil war.
I pray the Kurds don't get hung out there once again. This has to be fake news, did I hear timetables? Good grief
Well Stated! Ya'all just chill. I believe this is just a scheme by Trump to have a conversation. Loud, but necessary! Cheers.
Hopefully, this maneuver will be another Trump "head-fake", which will lure-out the ISIS fighters into the open so that Russian army, etc can neutralize them more easily. As we stand down, it forces others to stand up. Also, Trump is NOT myopic - this is part of a much bigger picture.
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