It is time to ask ourselves, is Trump acting like a Russian puppet?

[Sandy Shanks]

Trump claims to want to end “endless wars” while doing nothing of the sort. His surrender order in Syria started a war. "It's time to bring our soldiers back home." — Trump said at a news conference on Wednesday. He was lying.

Fox News reports, "All U.S. troops leaving Syria as part of the withdrawal plan recently announced by President Trump will be stationed in western Iraq, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Saturday."

The U.S. departure from Syria will take “weeks not days,” Esper said, and involve both aircraft and ground convoys as about 1,000 troops relocate, Reuters reported.

Does this mean there won't be any pullout at all? I am a retired Marine officer and a amateur military historian. It does not take weeks to withdraw 1,000 troops and their equipment. Is the Pentagon countermanding Trump's order? It has happened before.

Suddenly, Trump changed his mind, or the Pentagon changed it for him. The Times reports, "Trump is leaning in favor of a new Pentagon plan to keep a small contingent of American troops in eastern Syria, perhaps numbering about 200, to combat the Islamic State and block the advance of Syrian government and Russian forces into the region’s coveted oil fields, a senior administration official said on Sunday."

Fox added, "In addition, the U.S. military will continue its efforts to prevent a resurgence by Islamic State group (ISIS) terrorists, he said."

More evidence Trump is backing down from his dishonorable surrender order that betrayed an ally. Trump's order resulted in the Turkish invasion of Syria to annihilate the Kurds and forcing the survivors to leave their homes. In the process, thousands of ISIS terrorists were allowed to escape. Now because of Trump's order, we are forced to fight them again.

It doesn't take genius to figure out that the U.S. can't fight ISIS terrorists in Syria if our C-in-C foolishly orders our troops to go to Iraq.

Conclusion: As a result of the Pentagon's order to the troops and Trump's belated change of heart after much of the damage has already been done, the troops are staying for the reasons provided by Esper.

Trump's obvious attempt to turn the region over to Russia was a bit too obvious. Trump has about as much discretion as a pit bull.

 

[g5000]

The Middle East is all yours, boss.

You are the best return on investment I have ever made, tovarishch.

 

[Dragonlady]

Screw Trump. If this is off topic, sue me, but the damned Democrat liberals that give sanctuary to illegal aliens from Mexico? They sure as hell aren't looking out for Americans either, for Christ's sake. And THAT is on the record rock solid truth. And they (Democrats) have done more damage in the long term to Americans than anything Trump has done regardless his involvement with foreign powers . So how about we address THAT one of these days?

We would address these things if ANYTHING you posted was true in the slightest. “Sanctuary” for illegals aliens means that criminals can’t prey upon them because they are illegals. They can report crimes committed against them to police without fear of deportation. That keeps all of your citizen Safer from criminals.

The Republicans have crashed your economy twice in the past 40 years and given you endless wars. Your manufacturing jobs are gone because of corporate greed, and you’re focused on illegals from Mexico.

At home and abroad, Trump has alienated and abandoned you friends, trading partners and allies, bestowing favours on dictators and doing their bidding. Corrupting the office and the power of the United States for his own personal gain.


What Trump has done of your behalf is to destroy the standing and respect for your nation the world over. Millions of people are now in danger of being slaughtered because Trump broke America’s promises to its allies.

Did I hit a nerve? Lets examine the illegal aliens thing. In the last 25 years Democrats deliberately and without the consent of the American populace gave SANCTUARY to people that violated federal immigration laws. Nobody is above the law. Not even poor poor Mexicans. And Democrats didn't do this for humanitarian reasons, either. Purely in the pocket of those assholes that exploit cheap Mexican labor. And the facts of that are undeniable. So not only are democrats corrupt but they are colluding in this instance...with contractors and with Mexicans to the detriment of the American populace.

Except that your assertions about Democrats are proveably false.

Bill Clinton oversaw a crackdown on illegal immigration in 1982:

Trump is following Bill Clinton's lead on removing undocumented aliens

And Obama deported more illegals than Trump has:

Why Trump Has Deported Fewer Immigrants Than Obama

Every time Democrats have asked for stronger enforcement against employers who hire illegal immigrants, Republicans have refused to punish employers. In fact, the Trump Administration has yet to lay a single charge against any employers, since he took office. That's because the Trump Corporation has always hire and exploited illegal immigrants:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/poli...59014a-b3ab-11e9-8e94-71a35969e4d8_story.html

In fact, Donald Trump has been hiring illegal immigrants and abusing the H1N1 visa programs bringing in hotel maids and cooks from Mexico for his Florida resorts, because he can pay them less than minimum wage. And yet so many service workers are unemployed in Florida.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Once again, Trump supporters should be commended for not using Trump's statements to defend Trump. In defense of his Syrian decision, Trump's statements are filled with lies.

Among numerous lies, he imagines what his critics are saying, then he criticizes them based on what he imagined. "We never agreed to protect the Kurds for the rest of their lives," Trump said today in a cabinet meeting. That is quite true. On the other hand no one has ever said that. His detractors have said he betrayed the Kurds who eliminated ISIS terrorists for us and the Western democracies.

With this and other nonsense, Trump totally embarrassed himself at his cabinet meeting. At one point, like the promoter that he is, Trump bragged about the amenities at his Doral resort, confirming that he is profiting off his Presidency, confirming that he is in violation of the emoluments clause of the Constitution.

He further embarrassed himself by saying a part of our Constitution is phony. “You people with this phony emoluments clause,” Trump said as he took questions from reporters during the Cabinet meeting.

It should be noted, however, that Trump supporters rarely defend Trump. They largely avoid what Trump says and does. Can you blame them?

At a news conference Wednesday, Trump claimed that Kurdish insurgents in Turkey (the PKK), who are linked to Kurdish forces in Syria and are locked in a decades-long separatist battle with Turkey, were “probably worse at terror and more of a terrorist threat than ISIS."

Turkey watchers were quick to point out two things: One, that’s just not true, and two, Trump’s comments were suddenly strikingly similar to Turkish government talking points.

Erdogan said on Monday Turkey would take “necessary” further steps in northeastern Syria after his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, the day that a five-day Washington-brokered ceasefire expires.

“We will take up this process with Mr Putin and after that we will take the necessary steps,” Erdogan told a forum in Istanbul hosted by broadcaster TRT World, without elaborating.

"Thank you, Mr. President, you are doing a great job," Vladimir Putin.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

With the exception of Trump's followers who support his cooperation with Vladimir Putin, Trump has accomplished the impossible. He has made Americans feel ashamed of being an American.

He betrayed an ally. He has proven, that under his stewardship, America cannot be trusted. He has ceded power broker status in the Middle East to Russia.

"Russia Assumes Mantle of Supreme Power Broker in the Middle East," proclaimed Britain's Telegraph. "Russia's status as the undisputed power-broker in the Middle East was cemented as Vladimir Putin continued a triumphant tour of capitals traditionally allied to the US."

"Donald Trump Has Handed Putin the Middle East on a Plate," according to the Telegraph. "Putin Seizes on Trump's Syria Retreat to Cement Middle East Role," said the Financial Times.

The conservative leaning Washington Examiner writes, "The awful and obviously predictable outcome of President Trump’s surrender in Syria has now come to pass.

"Turkey and Russia have announced an agreement to remove Kurdish fighters from northern Syria, a horrible development for the forces of freedom and Middle Eastern stability. This agreement supersedes the Kurds' earlier attempt at an agreement with Russia and the government of Bashar Assad. Now, Turkey will move against YPG Kurdish units in northern Syria from one side, while Russia and its Syrian government clients will move in from the other. Crucially, all Kurdish fighting “elements and their weapons” will “be removed from Manbij and Tal Rifat.”

"Those towns, especially the large town of Manbij, are strategic linchpins. Without them, the Kurds can be essentially starved out. There could be an immense humanitarian crisis."

If Russia ends up effectively dominating Turkey, the damage it can do in the eastern Mediterranean region is immense.

The conservative Examiner concludes, There is not a single strategic or tactical gain for U.S. interests that has been gained from Trump’s order of withdrawal. In fact, more U.S. troops will be in the Middle East than before, but nations traditionally hostile to the U.S. are now ascendant.

This is disastrous, pure and simple.

Of course, none of this bothers Trump's fans.

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

With the exception of Trump's followers who support his cooperation with Vladimir Putin, Trump has accomplished the impossible. He has made Americans feel ashamed of being an American.

He betrayed an ally. He has proven, that under his stewardship, America cannot be trusted. He has ceded power broker status in the Middle East to Russia.

"Russia Assumes Mantle of Supreme Power Broker in the Middle East," proclaimed Britain's Telegraph. "Russia's status as the undisputed power-broker in the Middle East was cemented as Vladimir Putin continued a triumphant tour of capitals traditionally allied to the US."

"Donald Trump Has Handed Putin the Middle East on a Plate," according to the Telegraph. "Putin Seizes on Trump's Syria Retreat to Cement Middle East Role," said the Financial Times.

The conservative leaning Washington Examiner writes, "The awful and obviously predictable outcome of President Trump’s surrender in Syria has now come to pass.

"Turkey and Russia have announced an agreement to remove Kurdish fighters from northern Syria, a horrible development for the forces of freedom and Middle Eastern stability. This agreement supersedes the Kurds' earlier attempt at an agreement with Russia and the government of Bashar Assad. Now, Turkey will move against YPG Kurdish units in northern Syria from one side, while Russia and its Syrian government clients will move in from the other. Crucially, all Kurdish fighting “elements and their weapons” will “be removed from Manbij and Tal Rifat.”

"Those towns, especially the large town of Manbij, are strategic linchpins. Without them, the Kurds can be essentially starved out. There could be an immense humanitarian crisis."

If Russia ends up effectively dominating Turkey, the damage it can do in the eastern Mediterranean region is immense.

The conservative Examiner concludes, There is not a single strategic or tactical gain for U.S. interests that has been gained from Trump’s order of withdrawal. In fact, more U.S. troops will be in the Middle East than before, but nations traditionally hostile to the U.S. are now ascendant.

This is disastrous, pure and simple.

Of course, none of this bothers Trump's fans.

Our NATO ally sure is getting comfy with the evil Russian authoritarian. The world notices.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Trump and his SecDef, Mark Esper, are without shame as they try to defend Trump's decision to surrender to Turkey and Russia.

Recently, Esper was interviewed by Christiane Amanpour. In that interview our secretary of defense said, The United States "didn't sign up to fight a war to defend the Kurds against a longstanding NATO ally."

So, according to Esper, if the Turks wish to eliminate an American ally, that is okay with him and U.S. forces won't get in the way. That, or course, is what the military ignorant Trump said. Trump and Esper think it is their job to prevent our troops from getting hurt.

He added later that Turkey "is a longstanding NATO ally," saying, "we're not going to go to war with a NATO ally and certainly not ... with regard to a border that we didn't sign up to defend in the first place."

"We're not going to go to war with a NATO ally." Did our secretary fo defense think Turkey would engage U.S. forces? Did he not know that a small U.S. force has been in Syria for over two years as a buffer to prevent going to war.

It worked until Trump removed that buffer and war began immediately as Turkey invaded Syria. Now the region is controlled by Turkey, Russia, and the butcher, Assad.

The gutless Esper was hired by Trump to be his mouthpiece in the Pentagon. Esper is doing a great job of doing just that.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Trump defended his dishonorable surrender decision to betray our Kurdish allies today. To properly understand Trump's statements one must know two things.

First, directly as a result of Trump's decision, hundreds have died and over 100,000 people have been forced to leave their homes. Secondly, Trump speaks only to his base, not Republicans in Congress and not the American people as a whole. Only his base will believe his statements.

“This was an outcome created by us, the United States, and nobody else,” Trump said. “No other nation. Very simple.” No, this was an outcome created by Trump and his unconditional surrender to Turkish and Russian goals. For example, Russian troops now occupy former American bases.

Trump announced that the United States had brokered a permanent cease-fire in northeast Syria, taking credit for a tentative deal that was worked out between Turkey and Russia. He lifted the sanctions he had imposed after Turkey invaded Kurdish-run areas south of its border. The President cast the announcement as a triumph of diplomacy.

In other words, this is complete capitulation to Turkey and Russia, and Trump is telling his base this was a diplomatic victory and a proud moment for America.

“Let someone else fight over this long bloodstained sand,” Trump said. It is Trump's wish to abandon Israel, leave the Middle East and its strategic oil deposits, and turn the whole region over to Russia, Turkey, and Iran. Trump even said it. “Others have come out to help and we welcomed them to do so; other countries have stepped forward,” referring to the hours of negotiations in Sochi, Russia between Putin and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. “They want to help and we think that’s great.”

Good grief, this is our President. Has he lost his mind? Is this another one of his stupid jokes?

“The government of Turkey informed my administration that they would be stopping combat and their offensive in Syria, and making the cease-fire permanent,” Trump said. Doesn't the idiot know Erdogan stopped the fighting because he has gotten everything he wanted and more.

Trump calls this a diplomatic triumph???

Erdogan and Putin have to be laughing their fool heads off at the American President. Putin picked a good one when he picked Trump to run our country.

Now to top everything off, there was a ruckus in the capital today as Republican representatives stormed the meeting room for the impeachment hearing, delaying testimony for about five hours.

No doubt Trump's fans are quite happy with all this.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Still true, every report we are getting is coming from Trump or the White House. Taking into account their propensity to lie, the convenience of Baghdadi's demise considering the strong criticism Trump has received from Republicans and others, I am not willing to accept Baghdadi's death until we hear from an independent source, any source other than Trump and the White House.

However, the irony of this operation -- if it happened -- is palpable.

Trump was criticized heavily by members of his own party, members of his own staff, and our military leaders for his cowardice after making the dishonorable decision to betray in important ally in Syria. Matters got only worse as Erdogan and Putin decided things for him, and Trump characterized his unconditional surrender to Turkey and Russia as great diplomatic victory.

Making matters worse, the Pentagon countermanded Trump's decision and upped the ante. The Pentagon decided to send in tanks, armor, and the requisite number of troops to guard the oil fields and deal with the ISIS terrorists who escaped as a consequence of Trump's decision to retreat.

In other words, contrary to what he said on Oct. 7 -- "We want to bring our troops back home” -- more troops than ever will be sent to Syria.

Amidst all this Trump proudly declares a military victory, the exact opposite of his intentions a few weeks ago.

Trump proudly described the military operation by the Joint Special Operations Command's Delta Team. He imagined Baghdadi's final minutes for his audience.
"He died like a dog. He died like a coward. The world is now a much safer place.".

Trump then described the situation as if he was there, saying the ISIS leader "spent his last moments in utter fear, in total panic and dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him." Trump loves melodrama to enhance the viewing pleasure of his audience, his gullible base.

No doubt Trump was enjoying his military victory.

The only question is, is it real or imagined?

Baghdadi has been killed many times in the past.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has only appeared in public once since he declared himself emir (leader) of the Islamic State in June 2014.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi: Everything you need to know about the leader of the Islamic State

 

[Lesh]

With the exception of Trump's followers who support his cooperation with Vladimir Putin, Trump has accomplished the impossible. He has made Americans feel ashamed of being an American.

He betrayed an ally. He has proven, that under his stewardship, America cannot be trusted. He has ceded power broker status in the Middle East to Russia.

"Russia Assumes Mantle of Supreme Power Broker in the Middle East," proclaimed Britain's Telegraph. "Russia's status as the undisputed power-broker in the Middle East was cemented as Vladimir Putin continued a triumphant tour of capitals traditionally allied to the US."

"Donald Trump Has Handed Putin the Middle East on a Plate," according to the Telegraph. "Putin Seizes on Trump's Syria Retreat to Cement Middle East Role," said the Financial Times.

The conservative leaning Washington Examiner writes, "The awful and obviously predictable outcome of President Trump’s surrender in Syria has now come to pass.

"Turkey and Russia have announced an agreement to remove Kurdish fighters from northern Syria, a horrible development for the forces of freedom and Middle Eastern stability. This agreement supersedes the Kurds' earlier attempt at an agreement with Russia and the government of Bashar Assad. Now, Turkey will move against YPG Kurdish units in northern Syria from one side, while Russia and its Syrian government clients will move in from the other. Crucially, all Kurdish fighting “elements and their weapons” will “be removed from Manbij and Tal Rifat.”

"Those towns, especially the large town of Manbij, are strategic linchpins. Without them, the Kurds can be essentially starved out. There could be an immense humanitarian crisis."

If Russia ends up effectively dominating Turkey, the damage it can do in the eastern Mediterranean region is immense.

The conservative Examiner concludes, There is not a single strategic or tactical gain for U.S. interests that has been gained from Trump’s order of withdrawal. In fact, more U.S. troops will be in the Middle East than before, but nations traditionally hostile to the U.S. are now ascendant.

This is disastrous, pure and simple.

Of course, none of this bothers Trump's fans.

Our NATO ally sure is getting comfy with the evil Russian authoritarian. The world notices.

And Putin smiles

 

[lennypartiv]

Another delusional Democrat creates a bizarre thread.

 

[lennypartiv]

Trump bowed to a second rate military power, Turkey, because he wanted to aid his mentor, Vladimir Putin. He offered this ludicrous excuse for his decision, but, then, he is not too bright.

So you were a fly on the wall when this was discussed in DC? You Democrats really are delusional.