Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

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Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby Crimson847 » Fri Dec 21, 2018 4:39 am

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/na ... b6a5d17ed4
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/ ... ys-1072150
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa- ... SKCN1OI2TV

So, as everyone has probably heard by now, Trump abruptly announced the immediate withdrawal of all US forces from Syria yesterday, causing the foreign-policy establishment (Republicans very much included) to collectively shit their drawers. US State Department personnel are to be evacuated within 24 hours (?!), while the troop withdrawal is estimated to be complete within 60-100 days. Lindsey Graham is pissed--I would bet money that his hopes of keeping Trump from doing precisely this are a primary reason he got on board the Trump train, and now those hopes are being dashed.

I'm not really sure how to feel about all that, but I know how I feel about this subsequent news:

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis resigned on Thursday while delivering a stunning rebuke to President Donald Trump, expressing differences on issues including the president's treatment of U.S. allies and the need for a "resolute" approach to Russia.

"Because you have the right to have a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned on these and other subjects, I believe it is right for me to step down from my position," Mattis told Trump in his resignation letter.


https://www.politico.com/story/2018/12/ ... ys-1072150

God help us all.
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Re: Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby cmsellers » Fri Dec 21, 2018 5:28 am

1. Glad he could finally do something for Putin. It's not cool to leave a debt unpaid.

2. I bet this is more 4D chess to win over Jill Stein voters.

Also, I assumed Lindsay Graham hopped on the Trump Train because he was worried about a primary challenge.
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Re: Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby KleinerKiller » Fri Dec 21, 2018 5:59 am

Oh Gooooooooooood it never ends
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Re: Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby Crimson847 » Fri Dec 21, 2018 8:14 am

Correction: now they're trying to get the troops out within 30 days. State Dept is already evacuated. It's like it's last call and the last guy to leave gets stuck with the check....the check most likely being a Turkish invasion of Kurdish territory in Syria.

Military Times article from 3 days ago wrote:
Turkey has vowed to launch a new offensive against the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, which is the main component of a U.S.-allied force that drove Islamic State militants out of much of eastern Syria. U.S. troops are based in the area, in part to reduce tensions.

Turkey views the YPG as a terrorist group because of its links to the Kurdish insurgency within its territory. Ankara views Washington's support as empowering of the Kurdish militia, which is seeking an autonomous region in northern Syria.

Erdogan said Turkey is waiting for the U.S. to keep its promises but could launch a new offensive “anytime.” He said the Turkish army has completed preparations and planning.


According to multiple reports, Trump made the decision to withdraw troops right after consulting with Erdogan, as is mentioned in the links I supplied in the OP. Mattis then resigns, citing Trump's deference to authoritarian leaders like Erdogan and Putin.

If I were in Ukraine or the Baltics right now, I'd be sweating blood.
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"If it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them; but the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"
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Re: Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby Absentia » Fri Dec 21, 2018 8:24 am

So between this and the last-minute reversal on the budget resolution, I've been reading a lot of comments from GOP senators who are pissed off at Trump and I'm starting to wonder (though I dare not hope) if they're finally losing their patience with the guy. It feels like he's gone even crazier than usual, and with the Sword of Damocles Mueller hanging over his head, and the stock market going into the tank...

All I'm saying is it would only take about 20 Republicans to convict on articles of impeachment.
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Re: Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby Aquila89 » Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:10 am

As long as he's popular with Republican voters, Repubican senators won't impeach him, no matter what they personally think of him. And I don't think Trump voters care much about Syria.
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Re: Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby iMURDAu » Fri Dec 21, 2018 2:47 pm

The only reason any Republican is speaking out against this is to hedge their bets. That way when re-election comes around they can say "I supported the President" but still say "I did not support the President". They won't move to impeach him. None of them will support a move to impeach him because then they're out of the party and how do you get a lobbyist job if you're a pariah?

Just look at Marco Rubio's twitter. He's basically hoping that Republicans can get through to their guy and get him on the right path. I mean you can't get rid of the jackass you tied your entire cart to so you just hope he doesn't get everyone killed right?
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Re: Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby Crimson847 » Sat Dec 22, 2018 2:26 am

Absentia wrote:So between this and the last-minute reversal on the budget resolution, I've been reading a lot of comments from GOP senators who are pissed off at Trump and I'm starting to wonder (though I dare not hope) if they're finally losing their patience with the guy. It feels like he's gone even crazier than usual, and with the Sword of Damocles Mueller hanging over his head, and the stock market going into the tank...

All I'm saying is it would only take about 20 Republicans to convict on articles of impeachment.


I actually suspect that's part of what he's doing--all of this stuff, regardless of what else may have contributed to it, is fantastic base-service. He flopped back to his original position on the shutdown because people like Coulter were saying if he gave in on the wall he'd be a "joke president"--agreeing to sign the deal was clearly hurting him with his base, and soon he may need that base more than ever to avoid personal ruin. Ditto withdrawing from Syria (and now Afghanistan as well it looks like).

What I've been wondering is if there's anything he could do that would spur GOP Senators to support his removal even if his base still largely stood by him. Like, if the Kurds get massacred, Iran sets up covert strike bases on the Israeli border, and then it turns out Erdogan bought or blackmailed Trump into letting it all happen, I really don't know if the Graham types could still rationalize supporting him. If he trashes the economy (or appears to), I don't know if anyone up for reelection in 2020 outside a deep-red state could still convince themselves they're better off with him than without him. We'll see, but this outcome is among the worst in my book, because it would pave the way for civil unrest or worse.
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"If it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them; but the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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Re: Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby Deathclaw_Puncher » Sun Dec 23, 2018 6:01 pm

Trump just kicked out Mattis two months early
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Re: Trump Announces Syria Withdrawal; Mattis Resigns

Postby Crimson847 » Mon Jan 14, 2019 4:14 am

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/ ... al-1098798

President Donald Trump on Sunday vowed to “devastate Turkey economically” should the Turkish military attack U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters — a rare direct threat by Trump to a NATO ally as his administration grapples with the execution of its plan to withdraw American soldiers from Syria.

“Starting the long overdue pullout from Syria while hitting the little remaining ISIS territorial caliphate hard, and from many directions,” Trump tweeted. “Will attack again from existing nearby base if it reforms. Will devastate Turkey economically if they hit Kurds. Create 20 mile safe zone....”


Well, finally some public action to defend the Kurds. Of course it's just a Twitter threat of unspecific economic penalties, but it's more of a deterrent than Erdogan had yesterday.
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"If it were all so simple! If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them; but the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
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