Trump starts withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria, claims victory

[Prissana Pescud]

Damn computer. I get Thai, France, German, Australian and internet news. I got Putin saying he welcomed US leaving Syria before you did.

 

4 minutes ago, Prissana Pescud said:

I get 

Damn computer. I got the news that Putin welcomed US withdrawal before you did.

I loathe Trump as a normal man. He is a rotten man.

That US republicans and most of US voters love him can be translated by ALL US agencies kow towing before him.

I only get news from France, Germany but they are more up to date than you are

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, Prissana Pescud said:

Damn computer. I get Thai, France, German, Australian and internet news. I got Putin saying he welcomed US leaving Syria before you did.

 

Damn computer. I got the news that Putin welcomed US withdrawal before you did.

I loathe Trump as a normal man. He is a rotten man.

That US republicans and most of US voters love him can be translated by ALL US agencies kow towing before him.

I only get news from France, Germany but they are more up to date than you are

Are you having a laugh? We didn't need to hear Putin say he was happy to know he would be happy. Please desist from such silly games directed at me.

[Redline]

17 hours ago, JAG said:

If the USA's military ventures since 1945 have proved anything it must be that bombing seven shades of sh*t out of anyone does not lead to victory. Boots on the ground do. Boots on the ground however mean casualties, and you have to be prepared to accept them when you decide to deploy. If you withdraw your troops, because of casualties, or because you no longer wish to be involved, then you have been defeated.

This is political, plain and simple 

Edited December 20, 2018 by Redline

[Hummin]

6 minutes ago, Redline said:

This is political, plain and simple 

Nothing learned from pulling out to early in Iraq? 

[bendejo]

Russia is portraying that the US pullout is in response to fear of new Russian weapons being deployed in the region.  This is being picked up by Western media.

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-forcing-us-out-syria-new-weapons-1262207

 

Gotta love DT's "reality is what I say it is" arrogance.  I've seen corporate execs pull it, one of those things that is horrible and hilarious at the same time.

 

Cue Rudy Giuliani, who goes off his meds on Sundays and does his Fox appearances:

"Cowardness is not a crime!"  The funny part is when the apologists come up with something he'll agree without thinking about, and may later regret it; e.g. one fine Sunday before Cohen was indicted Hannity inadvertently got Rudy to admit to the payoff. 

 

Today's unlucky number is 464, that's how many points the market fell today.  That's nearly 4,000 points off this year's peak, and down 2,000 for the year.

MAGA, baby!

 

 

[keemapoot]

5 hours ago, lannarebirth said:

I can still remember when Democrats were the anti war party. Getting old I guess.

Yup, and I and I can still remember when all of my circle of democrat friends were Reagan Democrats because the Republican party was pro global trade. Getting old too.

[Nilats]

Americans must have run out of their soybeans... not looking good... They'll be back when they get some more....

[lannarebirth]

31 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

Yup, and I and I can still remember when all of my circle of democrat friends were Reagan Democrats because the Republican party was pro global trade. Getting old too.

Hey, I thought you might have stroked out and died on election night! Glad to see you back.

Anyway, I never really understood Reagans appeal. Yeah, someone's got to keep the military from being obsolete which he did, while cutting taxes and his supply side nonsense. Of course he ran up massive debt to do it. Looks like a piker now compared to these recent pretenders.

 

As for global trade, it is well to remember Tip Oneills aphorism that "all politics is local". If the benefits are unequally distributed and not much trickles down to the middle class, which it apparently has not, well then they're going to raise a fuss.

 

I see this latest pro Russia move by Trump in Syria has Mattis resigning. That's a shame. Not too many adults left in the room.

Edited December 20, 2018 by lannarebirth

[keemapoot]

6 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

Hey, I thought you might have stroked out and dies on election night! Glad to see you back.

Anyway, I never really understood Reagans appeal. Yeah, someone's got to keep the military from being obsolete which he did, while cutting taxes and his supply side nonsense. Of course he ran up massive debt to do it. Looks like a piker now compared these recent pretenders.

 

As for global trade, it is well to remember Tip Oneills aphorism that "all politics is local". If the benefits are unequally distributed and not much trickles down to the middle class, which it apparently has not, well then they're going to raise a fuss.

 

I see this latest pro Russia move by Trump in Syria has Mattis resigning. That's a shame. Not too many adults left in the room.

Good observations and centering regarding military moves and the political of economics, which is needed now. Yeah, I took two years off from online forums, and came back because I smell blood...Individual-1's blood. haha.

[bristolboy]

6 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

You need to watch up to date news

You need to learn what up-to-date means.

And to specifically answer points with evidence instead of unsupported assertions.

 

[bristolboy]

3 hours ago, Hummin said:

Nothing learned from pulling out to early in Iraq? 

In the interests of accuracy, the USA was kicked out of Iraq. It didn't pull out of its own accord.

[sirineou]

21 hours ago, Andaman Al said:

In a bid to change the news cycle and  distract from all things concerning the Russia Investigation, Trump is now willing to play with many peoples lives. ISIL will now be emboldened and the 30 000 or more fighters they have in Syria and Iraq will be dancing in the streets and ready to consolidate forces. Turkey will now more than likely start their long awaited offense on the Kurds who have been loyal allies of the US (Hmm didn't the Turks just pay a whole load of money for Patriot air defence systems this week? - with the promise to buy a lot more).

 

The Iranians, Russians and Bashar will be having their own party and all this done by tweet with no consultation or co-ordination with the Pentagon, Mattis or the National Security Advisor. Trump just woke up and tweeted it. What a CinC ! Mattis must resign as to follow this order by Trump will definitely make the USA's position much weaker and put American lives at risk. This has shocked many Republican politicians who were behind Trump. This is what happens when you put an incompetent real estate agent in charge of your Nation. Merry Christmas Vlad. The US just put the entire stability of the MIddle East in jeopardy and by all accounts, whilst Israel remains silent it is very unamused.

Mattis just resigned. 

Trump says  that he is retiring, but if you read Mattis letter to the president where he says "because you have a right to have a Secretary of Defense whose views are better aligned with yours” on a number of subjects, “I believe it is right for me to step down from my position. " it is clear that he is resigning because of his disagreements with Trump.

[Hummin]

9 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

In the interests of accuracy, the USA was kicked out of Iraq. It didn't pull out of its own accord.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withdrawal_of_U.S._troops_from_Iraq

[bristolboy]

5 minutes ago, Hummin said:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withdrawal_of_U.S._troops_from_Iraq

I'm assuming you cited this in support of my contention that the US was kicked out of Iraq:

"The Bush Administration later sought an agreement with the Iraqi government, and in 2008 George W. Bush signed the U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement. It included a deadline of 31 December 2011, before which "all the United States Forces shall withdraw from all Iraqi ^[11][12][13] The last U.S. troops left Iraq on 18 December 2011, in accordance with this agreement.^[1]"

 

^{That agreement was the most that the Bush administration could achieve. The Iraqi government was obdurate in its refusal to give the Bush Administration the open-ended agreement it sought.}

 

[Jingthing]

Things fall apart.

Chaos reigns.

 

Quote

 

Trump isn’t playing five-dimensional chess

The days of Republicans praising President Trump as a Svengali of politics, a master of the media and distraction, are surely over. Around Trump there is simply destructive — and self-destructive — chaos. Instead of celebrating the passage of a criminal-justice reform bill, Trump lurched into a disastrous withdrawal from Syria, which makes sense only if you imagine it’s a Christmas present for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

 

(Headline and first three sentences only included.)

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2018/12/20/trump-isnt-playing-five-dimensional-chess/

Edited December 21, 2018 by Jingthing

[lannarebirth]

So, it looks to me like Trump's on the countdown clock to resignation and he's hurrying up Vlads to do list prior to exiting. I wonder if exile is in the cards.

[Tug]

Donald is quite the asset for the Russian federation not for the USA Donald I think you are quite possibly a straight up traitor 

[Thakkar]

On 12/20/2018 at 6:02 AM, webfact said:

leaving strengthened the hand of Russia

 

The man, in favor of whom Russia launched cyber hacks and multi-pronged social media campaigns and who is accused of colluding with Russia to get elected is enacting policies favorable to Russia.

 

Well, You don’t say.

 

I am shocked. ????

[Becker]

1 hour ago, Tug said:

Donald is quite the asset for the Russian federation not for the USA Donald I think you are quite possibly a straight up traitor 

 

[Thakkar]

2 hours ago, lannarebirth said:

So, it looks to me like Trump's on the countdown clock to resignation and he's hurrying up Vlads to do list prior to exiting. I wonder if exile is in the cards.

 

If Trump seeks asylum in Russia to “escape the long arms of the Deep State”  his MAGA dumdums will still support him and and send the poor fella money to continue living in the manner to which he has become accustomed. 

 

We always knew he was a con man, a chronic narcissist devoid of empathy, not very smart, but just smart enough to fool the MAGAheads. We also knew that a portion of the electorate are racist idiots. We just didn’t realize there were that many of them, or that their idiocy and racism goes so worryingly deep. And we didn’t realize GOP politicians were so hungry for power that they would completely abdicate thier oversight reponsibilities.

 

Will America recover from this? With those 61m voting idiots still out there in the wild? I’m not so sure anymore.

[lannarebirth]

3 minutes ago, Thakkar said:

 

If Trump seeks asylum in Russia to “escape the long arms of the Deep State”  his MAGA dumdums will still support him and and send the poor fella money to continue living in the manner to which he has become accustomed. 

 

We always knew he was a con man, a chronic narcissist devoid of empathy, not very smart, but just smart enough to fool the MAGAheads. We also knew that a portion of the electorate are racist idiots. We just didn’t realize there were that many of them, or that their idiocy and racism goes so worryingly deep. And we didn’t realize GOP politicians were so hungry for power that they would completely abdicate thier oversight reponsibilities.

 

Will America recover from this? With those 61m voting idiots still out there in the wild? I’m not so sure anymore.

 

I'm really surprised that some folks haven't come to terms with the fact that Trump was a protest vote for many. Sure, there are some misanthropes about that dig each and every thing he says and does, but not many on a percentage basis IMO.

 

Trumps victory is on the Dems for fielding such a horrendous candidate and trying to cram it down the public's collective throat. And it could happen again.

[keemapoot]

10 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

I'm really surprised that some folks haven't come to terms with the fact that Trump was a protest vote for many. Sure, there are some misanthropes about that dig each and every thing he says and does, but not many on a percentage basis IMO.

 

Trumps victory is on the Dems for fielding such a horrendous candidate and trying to cram it down the public's collective throat. And it could happen again.

Yes, for sure a protest vote for many, and for sure this is on the Dems for fielding Clinton, and yes it appears they are going to try to push another old skool dem geriatric, no matter how benign Joe Biden. However, what I have realized is just how sizable a block the true Trumpsters are, and their views aren't going away or going to lend themselves to be softened by a more moderate candidate from either party. I'm afraid the polarization in US politics is here to stay. It also appears Trump has redefined the limits of acceptable behavior and being uninformed as a Presidential quality, so I'm not optimistic at all for 2020. Meanwhile, the GOP potential younger candidate like Ryan, have shown themselves to be completely weak, milquetoast and eviscerated by Trump, so both the Dems and GOP have little to offer in 2020 at this point.

[lannarebirth]

3 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

 It also appears Trump has redefined the limits of acceptable behavior and being uninformed as a Presidential quality, so I'm not optimistic at all for 2020.

Agreed.

 

3 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

Meanwhile, the GOP potential younger candidate like Ryan, have shown themselves to be completely weak, milquetoast and eviscerated by Trump, so both the Dems and GOP have little to offer in 2020 at this point.

Also agree.

[Cryingdick]

23 hours ago, DeaconJohn said:

Let's hope this move is a prelude to a similar disengagement from the quagmire in Afghanistan and a full withdrawal from Iraq.

The US doesn't need Middle East oil anymore and Israel is strong enough to defend itself.

Declare victory and leave.

Enough lives have been lost and money wasted for no good reason.

 

Yeah as people point out time after time the USA isn't the world's police force. We should be protecting our own borders not foreign territories. Russia can have it. I am not sure what they would do with it that it actually matters.

 

We keep on disputing places that simply don't matter to the interest of the USA. We have the world's only fleet of carriers, can simultaneously defend our homeland and engage any country from afar, We have all the nukes we need. I sometimes don't understand why we even give a rat's ass about these places. No country is capable of even attempting an invasion of the USA. We would devastate their country and they would have no locations to stage an invasion against us.

 

Mexico might allow an invasion to use it's territory I suppose. 

 

Oil is no longer a factor. Everybody keeps saying the Saudis will rape us on oil. It's trading at $46 a barrel today. In the future the demand for oil will begin to decrease anyway.  For months people on here have been saying just wait. It won't budge we are still swimming in oil and technology is reducing how much we need to keep fracking. Awhile ago it was $80 a barrel now it is under $50 and headed towards $40.

 

So why shouldn't the USA go home and let Europe worry about how many more refugees they are forced to take? 

 

I am a big believer in coming home and minding our own business. Use the money to pay off our debts as much as possible and let Europe worry about their wack job neighbors.

 

 

[Odysseus123]

On 12/20/2018 at 1:03 PM, JAG said:

If the USA's military ventures since 1945 have proved anything it must be that bombing seven shades of sh*t out of anyone does not lead to victory. Boots on the ground do. Boots on the ground however mean casualties, and you have to be prepared to accept them when you decide to deploy. If you withdraw your troops, because of casualties, or because you no longer wish to be involved, then you have been defeated.

Actually boots on the  ground post Korea have proved absolutely worthless-except in the case of limited colonial operations such as Grenada and Panama.

 

If one quotes the Gulf War-then one would have to say that President Bush (1) recognized this and established objectives and then stopped.He was right to do so.

 

All the other interventions have proved a Clausewitzian nightmare..

 

 

 

 

[JAG]

1 hour ago, Odysseus123 said:

Actually boots on the  ground post Korea have proved absolutely worthless-except in the case of limited colonial operations such as Grenada and Panama.

 

If one quotes the Gulf War-then one would have to say that President Bush (1) recognized this and established objectives and then stopped.He was right to do so.

 

All the other interventions have proved a Clausewitzian nightmare..

 

 

 

 

Mmh, yes: selection and maintenance of the aim.

 

Bush (senior) understood that. But then of course he had served. For most of the rest, our own (UK) included, the use of troops has been a political football - and of course, for Mr Trump, politics is all about him!

Edited December 21, 2018 by JAG

[Hummin]

6 hours ago, bristolboy said:

I'm assuming you cited this in support of my contention that the US was kicked out of Iraq:

"The Bush Administration later sought an agreement with the Iraqi government, and in 2008 George W. Bush signed the U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement. It included a deadline of 31 December 2011, before which "all the United States Forces shall withdraw from all Iraqi ^[11][12][13] The last U.S. troops left Iraq on 18 December 2011, in accordance with this agreement.^[1]"

 

^{That agreement was the most that the Bush administration could achieve. The Iraqi government was obdurate in its refusal to give the Bush Administration the open-ended agreement it sought.}

 

Interesting, right? Because Obama was blaimed or is blaimed by republicans for leaving this behind, and loosing Iraq and create Isis. 

[Jingthing]

Vlad says thank you.

 

I wondering what the proper etiquette is now for Americans greeting Russians on the Pattaya baht buses? Congratulations on your great victory! I surrender my seat to you. Or perhaps bowing? 

(Headline and first three sentences only included.)

Quote

 

Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria marks a win for Putin

President Trump’s surprise decision to withdraw forces from Syria presented a rare and unmistakable victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose relationship with the Trump administration has been anything but predictable.

With the departure of U.S. troops, Moscow would become the undisputed international power broker in the war-torn country and win an opportunity to consolidate a countrywide victory for its ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The frenzied and disorganized nature of the U.S. withdrawal announcement — in leaked remarks to the news media followed by a terse tweet and a slapdash soft-focus video shot on the White House lawn — also bolstered Putin’s efforts to undermine Washington’s network of alliances.

 

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trumps-withdrawal-from-syria-marks-a-win-for-putin/2018/12/20/59c685e8-0491-11e9-b5df-5d3874f1ac36_story.html

[bendejo]

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I wondering what the proper etiquette is now for Americans greeting Russians on the Pattaya baht buses?

 

Tovarich!

 

 

[Hummin]

12 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Vlad says thank you.

 

I wondering what the proper etiquette is now for Americans greeting Russians on the Pattaya baht buses? Congratulations on your great victory! I surrender my seat to you. Or perhaps bowing? 

(Headline and first three sentences only included.)

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trumps-withdrawal-from-syria-marks-a-win-for-putin/2018/12/20/59c685e8-0491-11e9-b5df-5d3874f1ac36_story.html

Putin will have his hands full in Middle east now. Remember how Afghanistan weared them down, and we will see now. A human catastrophe it is, and I guess it will be worse. Europe will have a flow of refugees the next decade as well.