Getting out of Syria

I am tempted to suggest Trump erred in the Syrian troop withdrawal, given that Turkey then saw it as open season on the Syrian Kurds.

I concur we should not have been there in the first place: A civil war is a civil war: Let the citizens duke it out. But we ARE there and those people are (or have been) depending on us and I don’t think Turkey cares about Trumps sanctions... I’m pretty sure Soros’ Open Society Foundation will make up any economic loss Turkey suffers, as long as they can maintain the constant flow of refugees into Europe.

On the other hand, we have to draw the line somewhere and, as Credo said, Trump DID promise to pull us out of these interminable wars.

I think Trump fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia," but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line!"

Apparently the ass hat has not yet figured out I don’t see his posts.

You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is "never get involved in a land war in Asia," but only slightly less well-known is this: "Never go in against a Sicilian when DEATH is on the line!"

yet you still consider him ignorant. seems like a tough spot between a rock and hard place.

And notice how here is yet another issue that Trump--by simply tapping into the desires of the American people--has taken away from the Democrats. Politicians on the Left, who spent the first decade of this century railing against foreign adventurism, are now fuming that Trump wants to get American out of another Asian quagmire. And where were their cries that Obama was "risking our alliances" when he withdrew troops from Iraq against the advice of his military advisers? Apparently their former anti-war stances were nothing more than political posturing.

And somewhere George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Bill Kristol, and various and sundry war profiteers are smiling....

Those interested in what is actually happening in Syria should read this whole article from the Military Times:

US, Turkey agree on Turkish cease-fire with Syrian Kurds
(Although in the Military Times, it was written by the Associated Press, in their noticeable bias... still good information)



A couple things I noticed from the article, though:

1. The Kurds, who have said they will not abide with any demands to withdraw, have apparently told Pence they will... and were not present when the deal was struck...
2. The deal seems to give Turkey, who stated Trumps proposed restrictions/sanctions didn’t bother them, pretty much everything they wanted.
3. Trump uttered some words I don’t recall a Republican ever uttering, “let them fight their own wars.  If Turkey goes onto Syria, that’s between Turkey and Syria, it’s not between Turkey and the United States,” 

Short answer is, it didn’t.

this has been going on for awhile.  There is apparently a “demilitarized” zone about 20 miles wide, along the border.  The Kurds from Syria refuse to leave the demilitarized zone, the Turks think they want to invade Turkey and allegedly it was only the U.S. troops who kept Turkey from pushing them out.

im still not clear why Pence and Pompeo had to go over there to craft a “deal” that was basically what Turkey wanted anyway... but did not include the Kurds.

I don't have any problem with getting the hell out of Syria or any other godforsaken Third World wasteland that we seem forever to be wandering into. I remember thinking when my son went out for his deployments in Afghanistan "How important really is that place to us?" It gives you a whole different perspective beyond the theoretical.

But I do have serious reservations both ethical and practical if we do in fact abandon the Kurds, with whom we've been allied and have counted on for many years. I cannot trust a damned thing I read in the newspapers or see on the news anymore because it's so predictably ideologically and politically biased. So I'm reserving judgment until I see for myself what happens...................................Luca