US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joe Dunford issued a statement Monday denying weekend media reports that the US plans to leave around 1,000 troops in Syria, saying the reports are “factually incorrect.”
Dunford presented the current planned “residual force” as 200, saying
that this hadn’t changed since February. The US announced 200 would stay
on February 21, but on February 22 officially increased that number to 400.
It’s not clear from Dunford’s statement where the “incorrect” aspect of
the new report, which came out of a Wall Street Journal, exists. That
report suggested that the 1,000 figure was not yet finalized, but was
being discussed. Dunford’s comments didn’t include any details on what
is actually being discussed, but just that nothing was finalized.
This could mean the calls for more troops, doubtless coming from
administration hawks, aren’t the slam dunk the Wall Street Journal is
presenting them as. It could, on the other hand, mean the administration
isn’t ready to announce the new figures publicly yet, and will just
insist the media is lying until some future date when it is more
convenient to make the numbers official.
Either way, it seems certain discussions are ongoing, as the 400 figure
was based on assumptions of Western European troops staying as well, and
so far the US has failed to convince any of those countries to do that.
Jason deserves a lot of credit for counteracting the reckless propaganda of the “1000 troops to stay in Syria” put out by the Bolton faction slithering around the corridors of power in the WH.
We need to praise Trump’s promise to get all US troops out of Syria and hold his feet to the fire until he does it.
Enough of saying the withdrawal is a gift to Putin or Assad. It is a gift to piece. No-brainer.
How do you know trump’s “promise to get all US troops out of Syria” isn’t the “reckless propaganda” ?
You know Dave, it’s time you stop with your constant criticizing of this principled man of “piece”.
I guess, but then again, simply describing what he does is considered “anti-trump”
Actually Dave, describing what he does is now considered a “syndrome” when you don’t consider it to be MAGA via winning bigly.
Could be. You seem to know the future.
I have to wait and see.
And where can I buy a Crystal Ball just like yours?
Because he promised it in a stump speech during the campaign Dave, Gheez !
Sure. I see nothing either.
https://www. youtube. com/watch?v=OsXrpxo4uC0
And what exactly will be they doing in Syria? Occupying? Hanging around to be a trip wire supporting YPG grab power from Kurdish political parties, and do some light nation building? After all, State Department already wrote the Constitution,. Just copying Kosovo scenario. But Assad never threatened Kurds, just fhe opposite, they were in good shape prior to “rebel” action.
But who cares for facts. There is always some court in Hague ready for a stitch up job, and accusse Assad of being a butcher of …. who exactly?
Seriously it us hard to imagine what will thise soldiers do. It is even harder to imagine WHAT ARE KURDS GOING TO DO. Do they seriously plan to remain the lords of the chunk of Syria with over 95% of population are Syrians, Turkmen, and some Iraqi refugees? Does US think Kurds can declare state there, and rule over them Palestine style? These may be neocon dreams, but both Turkey and Iraq made it very clear that they will not allow another Israel. So, keeping US soldiers there serves really no purpose, other then to find a way to keep hysterical neocons from having to be peeled from the ceiling.
Perhaps that is the purpose – just shut up the neocons.
And I think we should leave the neocons stuck to the ceiling like so many lifeless flies.
Good point. They tend to scream and
hyperventilate, and best not peel them off the ceiling. This might be more effective, as otherwise trying to save them from themselves results only in avoidance of any responsibility.
Pentagon policy is that they don’t have to report troop deployments, so they can lie. This is Trump’s level of transparency.
“Officially” there won’t be that many. How many the lying sacks of s#!+ in our government really keep there, will likely NEVER truly be known.
lol The usual mess.