On Friday, Joe Biden announced the nomination of Brett McGurk, an outspoken proponent of the US presence in Syria, to serve as the Middle East coordinator on the National Security Council.
McGurk served as the US envoy to the international anti-ISIS coalition under both President Obama and President Trump from 2015 to 2018. In December 2018, McGurk resigned after President Trump announced his plan to withdraw from Syria.
In January 2019, McGurk penned an op-ed for The Washington Post where he slammed Trump’s Syria policy and warned the US withdrawal would leave a vacuum for ISIS, Iran, and Russia. In the piece, McGurk said since there will be fewer US troops in Syria, Washington’s goals should be narrowed down to supporting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and supporting Israel’s bombing campaign in Syria against “Iranian threats.”
While President Trump never fully withdrew Syria, he did drawdown the presence. In 2018 there were approximately 2,000 US troops in the country. Now there are an estimated 600 US soldiers in Syria, although it’s tough to know the real number. The former US envoy to Syria, Jim Jeffrey, who resigned in November, admitted in an interview that he was “always playing shell games” to hide the real number of US troops in Syria.
McGurk is also a staunch critic of Turkey’s role in Syria, and Turkey is no fan of him. The Turks see McGurk as the mastermind behind arming Kurdish forces in northern Syria. Specifically, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), who lead the SDF and are affiliated with the PKK, a group Ankara sees as a terrorist organization.
In 2017, Turkey called for the removal of McGurk from his position as envoy for the anti-ISIS coalition over his support for Kurdish forces. “Brett McGurk, the USA’s special envoy in the fight against Daesh [ISIS], is definitely and clearly giving support to the PKK and YPG. It would be beneficial if this person is changed,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at the time.
“McGurk served as the US envoy to the international anti-ISIS coalition…”
…to ensure ISIS continued to destabilize Syria.
harris–a fascist ruling class trollop w a demented senile pet poodle biden for VP
liberals always the most fascist/racist
You wouldn’t know what a liberal was if he/she bit you on the ass.
I suspect u r the typical self uglified racist/fascist US liberal
And you’re a one trick pony poster who doesn’t know shit.
More wars from the Democrats. That is what they campaigned on?
Really, yes it was for anyone listening. So they just talked about Trump.
I don’t recall either party talking about foreign policy. Trump was fixated on Hunter Biden and acting like a petulant child during the debates. His TV commercials were all about the radical left’s socialism and their rioting. Trump had a perfect opportunity to try and show the difference between he and Bide but choose to be his typical self and act like a spoiled brat.
The string pullers are above the elected class and their voters.
Ater a phony impeachment attack, who would not be?When Trump wanted to halt flights from China to try to contain Covid, the democrats yelled racism
Maybe someone that wants to discuss real issues. The impeachment was long over and Trump was just looking for dirt on Joe Biden.
Trump only halted flights from China because his trade advisor, Peter Navarro, returned from China saying the Virus was going to be devastating. Trump was pissed Navarro put out a memo that had let that information out because Trump thought he was close to a trade deal with China.
The real issue was that a legally elected president was destroyed not for his actions, but for the threats he posed to the powers that be. When Trump suggested during his pre nomination debates that he wished to sit down with Putin and work out a settlement over Syria, one that would have eased much human suffering, what happened? He was attacked by the democrats, the republicans, and the media That was and is “the real issue”. The war still goes on, Mr antiwar.
Shortly we will see more fake news from theWhiteHelmets. of “barrel bombings, chlorine gas attacks and killing his own people, Iran proxies” etc, etc echoed in the corporate news outlets.
For those unfamiliar with Syria’s recent history of fighting off foreign invaders.
A typo: “Biden Appoints”
Should be: Bibi Appoints
It should be obvious by now that the War Party is in complete control of Washington DC.
Business as usual.
Some of the more serious warmongers returning to the Swamp./
They smell the decay and are attracted to it. Like flies are attracted to a pile of shit.
numerous Marxists and others have long observed amerikan liberals, the most fascist and racist—trump wasn’t racist or fascist enough for them
Stalin referred to the america left as “useful idiots”
The problem with “troop withdrawal” is that bodies in uniform is only one facet of the imperial jewel. There are also: mercenary forces (e.g. Blackwater), air forces (aerial bombing), secret assassination squads (CIA, special forces), drone rocket attacks, etc. The list goes on. Along with his troop withdrawal Trump has greatly increased aerial bombing (called airstrikes) against the poor people of Afghanistan (which of course recruits more opposition AKA terrorists).
McGurk masterminded the establishment of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which became a US ally in the fight against Daesh, in 2015. The SDF was led by the YPG, the Syrian wing of the PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by both Washington and Ankara.
current news:
WASHINGTON – A town in northern Syria is increasingly becoming a battleground between Turkish-backed groups and U.S.-backed forces amid fears of a new large-scale Turkish offensive in the area.. .Ain Issa is largely controlled by the Kurdish-led SDF, a major U.S. partner in the fight against Islamic State (IS) terror group. .. . Russia, a staunch supporter of the Syrian government, has a significant military presence in the region.. . .
. .here
There was no withdrawal. We still have troops and bases there