Quote:WASHINGTON – The Trump administration will soon withdraw all of the approximately 2,000 American troops from Syria, a U.S. official said Wednesday as President Donald Trump declared victory in the mission to defeat Islamic State militants there.

US to withdraw all American troops in Syria, official says

And he's apparently leaving Senate leaders in the dark as well
Senate leaders blindsided by Trump's Syria withdrawal

And and analysis from the ground is quite worried about this new strategy.

Quote:I just returned from my fifth trip to Northeast Syria in 18 months. If the US quits now, there are four winners: ISIS, Assad, Russia, and Iran.

KOBANI, Syria — Last week in Northeast Syria, one thought struck me when it came to the battle against the so-called Islamic State: If the ISIS fight is over, no one has told ISIS.

I have been watching Raqqa closely since April, including from the ground. A shift in U.S. policy that would remove American troops from Northeast Syria would jeopardize the gains U.S. troops and their partner Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, have fought — and sacrificed — to achieve.

Raqqa’s stability exists because of that partnership, but it remains extremely fragile. ISIS sleeper cells are trying to find footholds, take advantage of Raqqa’s shortage of services, and make it harder for the U.S.-backed coalition stop their reemergence. So far, U.S.-backed forces have been able to keep the pressure on enough to allow moms and dads I have met to push forward with their lives. If Raqqa is not to become Baghdad in its worst moments, the pressure must be continued. If those U.S.-backed forces are forced to go it alone, there will be four winners: ISIS, the Syrian regime, Russia and Iran.

ISIS Is Not Defeated. Pulling US Troops From Syria Would Jeopardize Everything

#amateurhour

and here I thought that the libtards wanted us to stay away from Middle East affairs...

USA has zero legal authority to be in Syria, no self defense justification no UN Security Council resolution etc.

We need to get out of Afghanistan while we are at it.

(12-19-2018 02:52 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  

Quote:WASHINGTON – The Trump administration will soon withdraw all of the approximately 2,000 American troops from Syria, a U.S. official said Wednesday as President Donald Trump declared victory in the mission to defeat Islamic State militants there.

US to withdraw all American troops in Syria, official says

And he's apparently leaving Senate leaders in the dark as well
Senate leaders blindsided by Trump's Syria withdrawal

And and analysis from the ground is quite worried about this new strategy.

Quote:I just returned from my fifth trip to Northeast Syria in 18 months. If the US quits now, there are four winners: ISIS, Assad, Russia, and Iran.

KOBANI, Syria — Last week in Northeast Syria, one thought struck me when it came to the battle against the so-called Islamic State: If the ISIS fight is over, no one has told ISIS.

I have been watching Raqqa closely since April, including from the ground. A shift in U.S. policy that would remove American troops from Northeast Syria would jeopardize the gains U.S. troops and their partner Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, have fought — and sacrificed — to achieve.

Raqqa’s stability exists because of that partnership, but it remains extremely fragile. ISIS sleeper cells are trying to find footholds, take advantage of Raqqa’s shortage of services, and make it harder for the U.S.-backed coalition stop their reemergence. So far, U.S.-backed forces have been able to keep the pressure on enough to allow moms and dads I have met to push forward with their lives. If Raqqa is not to become Baghdad in its worst moments, the pressure must be continued. If those U.S.-backed forces are forced to go it alone, there will be four winners: ISIS, the Syrian regime, Russia and Iran.

ISIS Is Not Defeated. Pulling US Troops From Syria Would Jeopardize Everything

#amateurhour

Well....we arent really there fighting---we are mainly advising and doing air strikes. What your forgetting is there IS a Syrian government and we arent invited. We simply allied with Syrian Rebel forces because we needed them to win against ISIS rebels--who we were using Syria as a base from which to strike at Iraq. So---now you want change our mission from combating ISIS to the extended occupation of Syria for an undetermined period in defiance of both the Syrian government and their Russian allies? Ok. So what would be the goal of that move? When will it be ok to leave? And, what exactly constitutes "victory" in Syria? Are we going to engage in direct conflict with Syrian and Russian government troops?

Please explain, because I really want to hear a foreign affairs expert like yourself sell this one. What you dont understand is now that ISIS is basically gone, these rebel groups intend to go back to fighting the Syrian government and their Russian allies. We want no part of that.

(12-19-2018 03:44 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  

(12-19-2018 02:52 PM)Redwingtom Wrote:  

Quote:WASHINGTON – The Trump administration will soon withdraw all of the approximately 2,000 American troops from Syria, a U.S. official said Wednesday as President Donald Trump declared victory in the mission to defeat Islamic State militants there.

US to withdraw all American troops in Syria, official says

And he's apparently leaving Senate leaders in the dark as well
Senate leaders blindsided by Trump's Syria withdrawal

And and analysis from the ground is quite worried about this new strategy.

Quote:I just returned from my fifth trip to Northeast Syria in 18 months. If the US quits now, there are four winners: ISIS, Assad, Russia, and Iran.

KOBANI, Syria — Last week in Northeast Syria, one thought struck me when it came to the battle against the so-called Islamic State: If the ISIS fight is over, no one has told ISIS.

I have been watching Raqqa closely since April, including from the ground. A shift in U.S. policy that would remove American troops from Northeast Syria would jeopardize the gains U.S. troops and their partner Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, have fought — and sacrificed — to achieve.

Raqqa’s stability exists because of that partnership, but it remains extremely fragile. ISIS sleeper cells are trying to find footholds, take advantage of Raqqa’s shortage of services, and make it harder for the U.S.-backed coalition stop their reemergence. So far, U.S.-backed forces have been able to keep the pressure on enough to allow moms and dads I have met to push forward with their lives. If Raqqa is not to become Baghdad in its worst moments, the pressure must be continued. If those U.S.-backed forces are forced to go it alone, there will be four winners: ISIS, the Syrian regime, Russia and Iran.

ISIS Is Not Defeated. Pulling US Troops From Syria Would Jeopardize Everything

#amateurhour

Well....we arent really there fighting---we are mainly advising and doing air strikes. I mean---there IS a Syrian government and we were really only there to take out ISIS. So---now you want change our mission from combating ISIS to the extended occupation of Syria for an undetermined period in defiance of both the Syrian government and their Russian allies? Ok. So what would be the goal of that move? When will it be ok to leave? And, what exactly constitutes "victory" in Syria? Are we going to engage in direct conflict with Syrian and Russian government troops?

Please explain, because I really want to hear a foreign affairs expert like yourself sell this one. What you dont understand is now that ISIS is basically gone, these rebel groups intend to go back to fighing the Syrian government and their Russian allies. We want no part of that.

Speaking of amateur hour. ISIS is confined to a tiny sliver on the Iraq border. We are advisers, not fighters. The Iranians and Kurds and Iraquis have the remainder of ISIS trapped. There's nothing we do that will stop a revival, only what local government does.

Is Russia pulling out?

I will say one thing--you can criticize Trump if you like---but every time he makes a move, he is attempting to do exactly what he promised the American people he would do during the the campaign.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-46623617

BBC has good maps on this sort of thing. Assad's Iranians could have eliminated ISIS by now if they wanted. They are bottled up. One sliver completely surrounded by Assad, the other sliver completely surrounded by Assad, Kurds and Iraquis.

(12-19-2018 04:02 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Is Russia pulling out?

Is that a sound basis for committing combat troops? If so, we better start loading up transports bound for the Ukraine. We were helping the Syrian rebles for a specific purpose. That purpose is done. Had Oblunder any sense, we could have been dealing with a free Syria instead of a Russian client state. But thats water under the bridge. For some reason, rather than call it a Barry Blunder---you want to double down and start a hot war with Russia....over friggin Syria???

Apparently, Mensa aint what it used to be.

(12-19-2018 04:02 PM)Marc Mensa Wrote:  Is Russia pulling out?

They have a naval base there. And they were never fighting ISIS.

It was a weird war. There was a tacit truce between Assad and the Kurds and Assad and ISIS. There was a tacit truce between the Kurds and the non-Turkish rebels. But the Kurds and non-Turkish rebels fought ISIS. The Turkish rebels fought the Kurds. The rebel groups all fought each other.

Not surprising. Paul loves it. Graham hates it.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/42206...from-syria
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/42206...from-syria

Quote:ISIS, the Syrian regime, Russia and Iran.

There are no good guys there. Let them fight over it. I'll pop the popcorn.

Thank you President Trump.

(12-19-2018 04:09 PM)bullet Wrote:  It was a weird war. There was a tacit truce between Assad and the Kurds and Assad and ISIS. There was a tacit truce between the Kurds and the non-Turkish rebels. But the Kurds and non-Turkish rebels fought ISIS. The Turkish rebels fought the Kurds. The rebel groups all fought each other.

Six whiny kids in a sandbox.

Nun our business, nor interest

I have no problem with US troops getting out of Syria, but his tweet definitely smacks of another time things were "done."

(12-19-2018 04:03 PM)Attackcoog Wrote:  I will say one thing--you can criticize Trump if you like---but every time he makes a move, he is attempting to do exactly what he promised the American people he would do during the the campaign.

exactly.

Trump the un-politician keeps his word That's why a lot of people love the guy...and will not tolerate the coup d'état that Mueller and the socialist progressive extremists are attempting.


Washington D.C. will burn to the ground before we allow it to happen.

(12-19-2018 04:27 PM)tigergreen Wrote:  I have no problem with US troops getting out of Syria, but his tweet definitely smacks of another time things were "done."

You STILL don't know/understand how and why that banner was flown?

Damn. Just damn.

(12-19-2018 04:27 PM)tigergreen Wrote:  I have no problem with US troops getting out of Syria, but his tweet definitely smacks of another time things were "done."

Good thing there is no red line to cross on the way home......

ISLAM is not defeated.