A senior US State Department official declared Friday that the US “do not intend to have an indefinite military presence in Syria,” but also confirmed that there is no definite timeline for actually leaving.
This is roughly in line with what other US officials have said over the
course of the past week, with some reports of a four month timetable
being quickly disavowed by President Trump. Trump has made clear he very
explicitly never set any timeline for the process.
Which realistically leaves the US roughly where they were before Trump
announced the pullout in the first place, with an effectively open-ended
deployment in Syria fighting a shrinking ISIS presence.
While the administration seems keen to keep all the specifics of what
they’re doing out of public view, despite polls showing a narrow
majority supporting the US withdrawal from Syria, officials so far
haven’t even addressed the big questions this ever-slowing process is
raising.
In particular, the not-indefinite US presence in Syria very much looks
to interfere with Turkey’s planned invasion of eastern Syria, which was
originally supposed to be on hold pending US-Turkey coordination of the
pullout. There has been no indication in recent days that such
coordination is even considered anymore.
I guess this was fake news from Trump.
Does he know any other kind?
In other words, bait and switch.
Turkey will nit buy it. For a while, yes. But if Kurds continue to be deployed in far flung areas far from their home base, they are likely to find an excuse to strike. Sych excuse may be dithering with Manbij plan. Another, Kurds abuse of power in Raqqa — plenty of examples of that already. All Turkey needs to do is move its forces from Al-Bab to Raqqa. Then there are border villages and towns abutting Kobane region. Or move from Jarabulus to Manbij. Even without major invasion if YPG home base in Kobane, there are si many other optins, and all will result in the weakening of YPG positions.
Bait and switch for us, for Trump it’s always been called “leverage”.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
The timeline will continue to change until a surge is needed.
Bolton just loudly warned against it, so now I’m expected a “chemical attack” that will “require” we stay.
If that is the way to fight few gangs, no longer financed, supplied or sheltered — let us hope we do not need to fight a bigger war, with an organized and well armed enemy.
On the more rational side, this is to be expected. Our hysterical political scene can be spun around by a bit of ambvivalence. But the order has been signed. Ligistics cannot be simple. There are plenty of small basis around, agreements with YPG, issues of heavy weapons. Then taking over control of territory. This is a highly unusual situation. The territory is vast, with very litttle physical control by armed forces. Kurds are thin on the ground, but population has been kept in check by the threat of bombing. But most people are just waiting — and hoping for eventual withdrawal of both US and Kurds, and end their isolation.
Just another batsh-t crazy distraction.
Or tangent…every direction at once. The distraction is “withdrawal”. The word we are looking for is disengagment.
Deep State wins again. Trump always backs off his good ideas. Maybe if he didn’t surround himself with neocons and militarists…
He didn’t back off of his campaign promise to level ISIS cities and kill “terrorist” families.
The US doesn’t need troops in Syria to destroy it or any other ME country for that matter.
It’s past time to end the CIA and assign its duties off onto separate existing entities. They have acquired more power than all three branches of government and the constitution put together.
It’s really just an extension of Wall Street which is nothing more than a giant fraud at this point.
The Deep State is fighting furiously to stop Trump, and to stay in Syria. This story is basically a sign of some success in that fight.
So we see Trump is a clown, and those against him on foreign policy and wars are truly evil. Great options.
“So we see Trump is a clown…”
In your colonic vistas.
Of course we’re getting out of Syria… someday?!
“The U.S. has no timeline for the withdrawal of American troops from
Syria but does not plan to stay indefinitely, a senior State Department
official said…” (from the linked story)
Even the original story understood the bizarre nature of the assertion. I guess all it’s saying, as usual, is that our hearts are in the right place regardless of the policies or internal contradictions, including contradiction of the president’s stated policy (which he is no longer standing behind).
Ain’t it grand to be the leader of the free world?
Their free world not ours.
Bolton was in Israel yesterday to get Trump’s orders from Netanyahu. Today Bolton said that US withdrawal is conditioned on meeting two objectives: the defeat of ISIS and guarantees from Turkey to safeguard Kurdish fighters protected by the US. This is reminiscent of Nixon’s “committment” to withdraw from Vietnam provided the North Vietnamese and the NLF guaranteed the security of the Saigon government.See:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/john-bolton-israel-turkey-discuss-syria-pullout-190106060645545.html
But Bibi is not committed to protecting the Kurds. The Zionists have one paramount goal for the US military in the Middle East. They are afraid that US withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan could undermine the Zionists’ plans for a US role in the coming war with Iran which is Israel’s main foreign policy objective.
Okay, let’s get real.
Eight months ago Trump said, “We’re getting out of Syria soon.” His advisers/experts flat out ignored him. So finally Trump took control, GAVE THE ORDER, and said, “We’re getting out of Syria ***NOW***!”
His advisers/experts said “Holy shit! He’s out of control!” By which they actually meant that he was out of ***THEIR*** control, and taking control himself. The President decided that he had waited long enough, and did the “I’m the boss, bitches!” thing, and issued Commander in Chief marching orders. Orders which, because he ***IS*** the boss, The Commander in Chief, actually had to be followed.
Now yes, those advisers/experts will be working hard to obstruct and prevent. No surprise there. But the effort to exit Syria is now actually underway, no longer ignored or ignorable.
It’s not going to happen as rapidly as Trump’s initial order suggested, because those who ignored it eight months ago, are not going away, and will now, again, work to obstruct and delay, but “the President has spoken” and the ship of state is in motion, and its direction is the of ***OUT OF SYRIA*** direction.
Here is Scott Adams explaining it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GrKWBEipL8
Who cares if he (or any other) president has spoken ? When was the last time a president had say in wars or regime change operations ?
What difference does it make if he rearranges the troops from Syria to Iraq if we are still going to attack Iran, which is the goal of this ill conceived strategy in the first place ?
This also says nothing about his war mongering in Yemen via our Saudi proxies or support for Israel’s apartheid regime, Africa, or South America, where our violence and deceit is still killing people to this day.
You’re pushing a BS narrative that our government somehow still works as intended or that removing the troops he installed into Syria will reel in the MIC and stop the goal of global hegemony.
It’s funny how some of those people who ignored his order are still around to further obstruct his orders going forward. It would make one think he’s keeping them around for excuses.
Trump will as he is told, as he has been advised there are fates worse than death.
The clueless clown will in the end say he Tried, But the truth is he is
no better than the worst of them. Which in a way I do not blame him
as nobody truly offered or wanted to help him fix the country anyway.
The President is Commander-in – Chief of the military not the state department.
Maybe President Trump should have “A senior US State Department official” arrested?