Senator (Graham) Says Trump Is Re-Evaluating Quick Syria Withdrawal
Source: WSJ
Trump is re-evaluating a rapid pullout of U.S. troops from Syria, an influential Republican senator said Sunday, signaling White House concerns that a withdrawal could allow Islamic State militants to regain a foothold in the country.
The presidents decision earlier this month marked an abrupt shift in U.S. Middle East policy and helped prompt the resignation of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Critics have warned the exit of more than 2,000 U.S. forces could also strengthen Irans power and fuel worries about U.S. commitment among other allies around the world. A day after the defense secretary resigned, Brett McGurk, the senior U.S. envoy to the international coalition fighting Islamic State, resigned as well.
(snip)
Im going to ask him to sit down with his generals and reconsider how to do this, Mr. Graham said, saying he wants the administration to slow this down, make sure we get it right, make sure ISIS never comes back.
The White Houses National Security Council declined to comment and referred to a Dec. 23 tweet by the president. I just had a long and productive call with President @RT_Erdogan of Turkey, Mr. Trump wrote. We discussed ISIS, our mutual involvement in Syria, & the slow & highly coordinated pullout of U.S. troops from the area. After many years they are coming home. We also discussed heavily expanded trade.
Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/senator-says-trump-is-re-evaluating-quick-syria-withdrawal-11546194357
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djacq
(1,634 posts)Read Bob Woodwards Fear;
[link:https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjR9rPotcjfAhVoUd8KHWklD0wQzPwBegQIARAD&url=https%3A%2F%2Fslate.com%2Fnews-and-politics%2F2018%2F09%2Flindsey-graham-advice-to-trump-bob-woodward-book-fear.html&psig=AOvVaw1Fvg_ouxuDKt-qxa-PgnHh&ust=1546289072603835|
SergeStorms
(19,204 posts)apparently running our domestic policies as well. Why don't our Democratic leaders just talk to Ann, Rusty and Sean instead of trying to deal with the biggest jackass on the planet? Trump doesn't seem to have any original ideas of his own, so why not talk to the people he gets his ideas from directly? Cut Trump right out of the picture, since he doesn't seem to have any real power anyway?
How do you think that suggestion would go over with his assholiness? That's what got Bannon fired.
McCamy Taylor
(19,240 posts)Has threatened to release it if Trump goes through with the plan PLUS tell America that Trump gave in to foreign blackmail.
Scarsdale
(9,426 posts)so he could have access to the orange tRump? Nobody to interfere. Just little Lindsey and the orange blob. He loves to be on TV as much as tRump does. Notice the permanent smirk on his face? So he is the WH spokesperson now, I guess. Unless he has an ulterior motive, like seeing the vile Stephen Miller???
TeamPooka
(24,254 posts)AlexSFCA
(6,139 posts)deplorable
Bernardo de La Paz
(49,036 posts)winstars
(4,220 posts)JERKOFFS!!!
FreepFryer
(7,077 posts)nclib
(1,013 posts)as soon as Putin talks to him.
politicaljunkie41910
(3,335 posts)Xolodno
(6,401 posts)...You have the Kurds already rejoining Assad's government. Some countries in the Arab league signaling they will re-open embassies, etc.
Those who fought against Assad no doubt are moving their families, etc. to other nations as they know the silent reprisals will eventually come.
Our best bet was a negotiated settlement where Assad steps down immediately or at a specified time. That's pretty much gone and the status quo remains. Massive amount of lives, destruction, etc. and things stay the same.
keithbvadu2
(36,906 posts)Did Donald discuss the pullout with anyone other than Erdogan and Putin?
Certainly not his own main representative McGurk nor the Pentagon.
Or even his cabinet/national security teams?
watoos
(7,142 posts)The US has been behind a Sunni plan to ship natural gas through Syria, through Turkey I think, to end up in the EU. Assad won't allow that pipeline to go across his country. There are huge natural gas deposits in Qatar.
Natural gas has also been found in Homs. Putin wants Gazprom to be the investor/operator of an Iran-Iraq-Syria pipeline. This is why Putin has befriended Assad. This is why there is a civil war going on in Syria, follow the money. "War is a Racket," by General Smedley Butler.