Facing growing complaints from Senate hawks about not having made a decision yet on troop levels in Afghanistan, President Trump has decided to abandon making such a decision entirely, and has given Defense Secretary James Mattis full, unilateral authority to decide on the Afghan war escalation.
President Trump has been keen to delegate future authority on troop levels in other conflicts to the Pentagon, but this is the first time he’s done so without a perfunctory announcement of sending a bunch of additional ground troops first to put his personal stamp on the escalation.
All indications are that Mattis, and the other former generals in Trump’s cabinet, are all in favor of the larger escalation proposals among the options presented to Trump, while Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was among the few skeptics.
Mattis had told the Senate Armed Services Committee earlier today that a decision on Afghan troop levels was still weeks away, but it is unclear if that was based on the assumption that Trump was still going to have to decide. Now that he gets to decide himself, such a decision is likely to be faster.
There are currently 8,500 US troops in Afghanistan, and proposals are expected to add between 3,000 and 5,000 more troops to the war, now in its 16th year.
Congress gives its authority to the President. The President passes his authority to the Pentagon.
What happened to democracy?
I keep hearing conservatives labeled as “libertarian” when opposing war. Alex Jones (not my favourite guy) was recently condemned as a “libertarian” for example. (Something connected to his recent interview; I don’t have link.)
No one even considers how real conservatives do not support these wars, because they do not serve legitimate American interests.
Real liberals also do not support these wars. Unfortunately we have very few of either making decisions.
One “Reagan conservative” just told me at Breitbart how (paraphrase), “Globalists want a multipolar order.” How is multipolar, globalism?
And then he attacks me as a “libertarian”. I couldn’t be less libertarian. I’m not even a capitalist.
Due to Trump is Ignorant and should be in a prison of his own.
He’s not worse than most up there. The Republicans wanted even more defence spending, and Trump tried to be less aggressive early on – or gave the appearance. Then he jumped into Syria. I dunno what happened.
Hillary of course was a hawk. The Dems just don’t market the war stuff. When Trump appeared relatively noninterventionist, they were ready to attack him on it.
Trump made that weird statement on 2/16/17 at a press conference that if he attacked the Russian ship that was off the coast of Connecticut at the time that he’d become wildly popular. He also condemned McCain as a warmonger in a tweet about that time.
Then everything changed.
This IS representative government. You asked what happened to representative government… nothing at all ! It is what makes this and worse possible ! The Constitution is a deeply flawed document.
“But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain — that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.” — Lysander Spooner
Spooner died in 1887, if he thought it was bad then… look what’s happened since. We are pigs in a poke in this country.
I don’t love the Constitution. Congress is supposed to declare war. And war really has not been declared against the Taliban. Congress issued a murky declaration after 9/11.
And the President is still responsible, as is Congress, for what happens. They can’t simply shirk responsibility. Voters should still see them as responsible, is what I mean to say.
Sure send some more terrorist over there. Remember though that the USA does Not allow Terrorism. Sorry that the US MILITARY isn’t welcome in the US due to them being full BLOWN TERRORIST just like Mattis. Trump is too much of a coward to make the call. Even though he is now the BIGGEST TERRORIST in the WORLD! Selling the TERRORIST Saudi Arabia more weapons. Are they going to attack our country with those same weapons that they used to arm their Terrorist that MURDERED over 3000 people? No bombs are better than box cutters. You can murder more people at once. US GOVERNMENT OF TERRORISM, they created it and are FORCING AMERICANS to pay for it! Stop killing in my name! I am 100% AGAINST the US GOVERNMENT on selling arms to TERRORISTS! Impeach the sleaze.
It’s so strange, bc Trump condemned Obama for aiding terrorists in Syria during the campaign. And he threatened to reveal who was behind 9/11.
Afghanistan is unwinnable. Everyone knows that.
We have a friend in the dumbest state in the nation MS, but I must say he came up with one of the most clever lines I have heard in a long time and I quote “Face it folks, the only thing to say is that WE ARE F**KED!”
I had no idea how true that saying would become sadly.