Speaking to the House Armed Services Committee, US CENTCOM Commander Gen. Joseph Votel says he is under “no pressure” to withdraw US forces from Syria, and that there is no date for finalizing the withdrawal by any particular date.
This, along with Gen. Votel’s past statements in opposition to
withdrawing US forces from Syria at all, would explain why there has
been no sign of US troops actually leaving, despite the withdrawal
having been announced months ago.
Already the administration has backed off the pullout substantially,
going from withdrawing all 2,000 troops back in December to, more
recently, leaving as many as 400 troops indefinitely. Gen. Votel still
appears to envision a basically permanent war with ISIS.
In his comments to the committee, Votel said that a lot of the ISIS
fighters remain “unrepentant, unbroken, and radicalized,” saying he
believes that they will reform and start retaking territory as soon as
they are able.
Do not worry. It does not matter what general Votel thinks because the President knows more about Syria than all of his generals.
So Votel says the same about Syria, where it was never invited, wanted or useful, as he says about the Graveyard of Empires, Afghanistan, where there is no end in sight. The USA helps “terrorists” to develop into more experienced and widespread enemies for others to deal with.
How does this guy Votel still have a job? Where are Trump’s balls?
I was thinking of sending him a couple of golf balls in a sock so at least he could pretend.
Damn man, the image made me think about how far my own balls are sagging!
Votel probably knows that once things get hot with Iran, a few hundred troops in Syria will be the least of our concerns. Both Trump and Netanyahu are desperate for a major war to take the heat off them on the home front. The Straits of Hormus is where the real action will happen, with those oil tankers and an aging aircraft carrier hanging around like so many sitting ducks.
If that’s the case, Thomas, both Trump and Nutty&Yahoo are insane and suicidal; only those who’d instigate a major war with Iran are insane and suicidal. Desperation’s similar to lunacy, although not really the same. What they don’t realize is that Iran’s allied with both China and Russia. Do Trump and Nutty&Yahoo really believe those two countries wouldn’t come to Iran’s aid? If so, they’re truly delusional and suicidal. It also means they’d want to bring the whole world down with them.
The American people certainly don’t want war with Iran or any other country; they’re already sick and tired of this country’s endless wars and want the President to adhere to his campaign and Inaugural promises to put an end to these conflicts and work on getting America’s crumbling infrastructure repaired, as well as securing its border with Mexico.
From Anbar to Deir ez-Zor, the middle Euphrates Valley is Sunni tribal territory. But with the overthrow of Saddam, all the Sunnis from the Iranian border with Afghanistan and Pakistan to the Mediterranean, have been disenfranchised. That expanse is now the Shia-dominated “Arc of Shia Islam”.
For the moment, eastern Syria from the Euphrates to the Iraq border is under something like US “control”. That won’t last. The Syrian regime-change war is effectively over. Assad and Russia and Iran have won. As that Neocon criminal venture winds to a close, only some mopping up remains to be done. That mopping up includes the Sunni tribal region, which will remain “in play” for a while yet. (Until the Kurds strike a deal with Assad.) But it’s only a matter of time — and Russian, Syrian, and Iranian patience — before that little chunk of “Sunnistan” is returned again to Syrian sovereign control.
The Sunni who ruled Iraq are particularly unhappy. They have been “brought down” from the height of power and privilege of a ruling class to the status of humiliated and powerless second-class citizens. This, in and of itself, guarantees instability. It’s not about ISIS or al Qaeda or Wahhabism. These are just vehicles — labels — for the inevitable Sunni revolt. That revolt will continue. No doubt characterized by the US as a continuing ISIS insurgency.
Personally, I’m in favor of the expansion of Iranian influence. But for those who are not, you have Cheney and the Bushes to thank — with Israel “behind the curtain” — for winning a fabulous victory for Iran. And it only cost 4500 US lives and 4 or 5 trillion US taxpayer dollars. What a deal!
These generals suck. Trump, take control or GTFO!