Pentagon and State Department officials feigned ignorance when President Trump told a rally Thursday that US troops could soon be leaving Syria. They really shouldn’t have, however, as officials have indicated that Trump has been talking to them about it for at least the last two months.
Trump’s comments reflect his view that the US war in Syria is about ISIS, and with ISIS effectively defeated, it’s time to start bringing the troops home. His advisers are said to have been hectoring him about how the war needs to keep going, trying to sell it to him as being about other non-specific terrorists, or regime change, or just fighting Iran.
The officials apparently believed they’d convinced Trump to keep the war open-ended, which is why other officials have been publicly presenting it as such. Despite thinking this, the signs are that Trump has kept bringing up the idea of leaving Syria in private.
Trump did not provide a specific timeline of leaving Syria, and other officials suggested no decision has been made. With the possibility now publicly out there, it may be that there will be some public debate on US goals in Syria, something that has been absent so far.
This reporting by Jason Ditz is pure gold because he is covering the entire story not simply the part dictated by the Hate Trump crowd. Once again Antiwar.com covers the whole story not just the part approved of by the MSM and the “intellectuals” and pundits on both Right and Left.
Imagine, Ditz here told the whole story without once getting into the psychobabble of Trump’s “narcissism, ” “boorishness” etc. Certainly not fit copy for the NYT, New Yorker or, the very bottom of the pit, NPR.
Great job by Jason.
I do think he should have mentioned Trump’s womanizing though.
Good try.
I do not think it is of much consequence so long as it was consensual – any more than Bill Clinton’s Lewinsky shenanigans were of importance to public policy although the power gap between them was troubling.
And most people do not really care. Trump’s ratings have gone up during the “Stormy” publicity.
But your comment is funny.
Yes Trump loves women and he sure has a classy women now . Looking at her , I think he has nothing to complain about
Right, except the day before, Ditz reports additional troops into Syria. What trump says, versus, what actually happened.
That is a good point.
But Ditz does report the entire story – and does not simply assume like the unthinking Hate Trumpers that the worse of two alternatives is always true.
Decoding all this is difficult because Trump is trying to move toward his own foreign policy and keep the Deep State at bay and his base, many of whom are hawkish, on board. Those who do not acknowledge this tension are not examining the full reality. Raymondo especially and Ditz both give a full picture – to their credit.
AND there is a simple action that we can take based on this. Support the good and oppose the bad in what Trump does. Not hard.
Unfortunately there is almost none of the former by the old antiwar groups that derive from the 60s and 70s. That leaves Trump’s antiwar positions with less support. How does that help antiwar goals? It does not, but it sure helps the Dem and GOP Establishments, the neocons, Hillarycons and their buddies.
This antiwar type only supports what is done, not said. When Obama picked Biden as VP, I became suspicious, when he approved his first cruise attack a week after inauguration, I was over him. Sorry, no support for trump here.
It is not the person but the policies. I find little of worth in Obama BUT he did refuse to go to war on Syria and instead cooperated with Russia on eliminating chemical weapons. I supported that. And instead of heading into conflict with Iran, he joined the P5+1 agreement. I supported that.
I do not find that in the real world one can deal meaningfully with personalities.
And when stated goals of Trump’s are to get out of Syria where he has already ended CIA support for the anti-Assad jihadis, to “get along with Russia” and to talk directly with Kim, we should support those things. Is that really hard?
On the other hand his anti-Iran policy mainly derived from his crazy attachment to Israel should be vigorously opposed.
Is that hard?
“stated goals”, as I said, doing things, not stating things get my support. Obama stated in 16 he would declare the war on terror, over. But, he didn’t do it. The percieved end to dark money in Syria is not verifiable, most trump supporters believe the “deep state” is thwarting trumps “peace plan” in Syria, how do they do that without any money ? Further, the mercenaries receiving Cia support were dead, or soon dead before the 16 election. As for getting along with Russia, US units killed 300 russian mercenaries just weeks ago in Syria.forgot ?….trump is so far, a gonna be. I’ll wait till the check clears thank you.
We may all be dead by the time the “check clears.” Given the stakes, all anti-Russian propaganda must be doubted unless solidly proven. And all rays of hope must be supported – with demands that words be followed by actions. Not hard to do really.
You can stand by and proclaim your purity as so many have done before. But it is not good enough given the mortal threat we face.
Sorry, but your words seem to be all about you and not about the fate of all of us.
Bye-bye as the man used to say.
Talk is cheap. Deep state is deep.
Yeah; no big surprise U.S. troops were killed near Manbij right after Trump’s speech.
Who runs the Manbij Military Council, whose HQ was near where those soldiers died? The State Department/CIA, assuming they follow the same pattern as the Deir Ezzor Military Council, run parallel to, but not under the command of, the Pentagon’s YPG/J-SDF.
Public discussion of our goal(s) in Syria? That’s crazy talk.
This article points out just how “out of the loop” Trump really is. The Deep State has total control of the Syrian situation. CIA/Mossad and the Saudis have been supporting ISIS all along, training them, arming them, etc. just to keep the Syrian pot boiling. US troops, planes, and ships are only there as “trip wires” that will eventually draw the USA into a war with Iran and Russia. That’s the whole point of our being there. Someone should tell Trump that so he doesn’t keep going on about pulling out of Syria.
We would think that trump was told in his daily brief that Manji was sent additional troops, prior to the speech. So, what is it ? He forgot, didn’t listen, lied, spoke randomly….?
Maybe all of the above.
Trump did not say he was going to take troops home today he said he thought it would be soon .that does not mean he has to let Turkey have North Syria before we leave .
Help us, Mr gropey, racist, corrupt President, you’re our only hope…
We will ‘leave Syria’ when hell freezes over… These wars are being fought over oil pipeline and natural gas routes. If the US pulls out, it will create a geopolitical vacuum for US hegemonic goals, thus leaving the field wide open for Russia, China and others to to fill it in and the US will not allow that.
Forgive the pun but all of this is a ‘pipe dream’:
http://stephenlendman.org/2018/04/good-bad-news-syria/
US involvement is for israel. Oil is an ancillary benefit.
I concur. Long term goal for sure…
Why not let Russia and China have something , I’am in favor of letting them prosper too
I just read your Lendman story It was right on what the establishment wants but Trump is a anti establishment man .Lets hope Trump is what he says he is .