In the course of almost meeting the Taliban as part of his almost peace deal, President Trump overruled a number of cabinet officials in scheduling the meeting at all. Opponents, including the usual hawks and even Vice President Mike Pence, warned against meeting the Taliban.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo apparently objected to the idea of using Camp David, saying it is “an important place,” while perennial hawk John Bolton argued Trump could keep his promise to draw down troops without making any peace deals at all.
Broadly these were officials who were never on board with peace in the first place, and arguments against the meeting seem to have been intended to serve that opposition, ensuring peace wasn’t reached.
With Trump having scrapped not just the meeting, but the peace process, they seem to have gotten their way. Trump is denying that there was any resistance to him, however, and that he could’ve definitely had talks and made peace if he’d actually wanted to.
It has started to feel like Taliban actually pulled out as their key objective was not met — withdrawal on a schedule without conditions. But besides first 5,000, the rest of it had a “trust me” clause. Taliban are warriors not party goers, they could care less about a prestigious venue.
Thus it all feels like a tempest in a teapot. Totally inside Beltway concern.
“while perennial hawk John Bolton argued Trump could keep his promise to draw down troops without making any peace deals at all.”
Holy sh*t, John Bolton made sense. Just fu*king LEAVE.
Maybe why he is out.