Conditions for U.S. Pullout from Syria
U.S. military convoy in Manbij, Syria. Photo by Delil Souleiman/AFP (via Getty Images).
Conditions have been listed to accommodate U.S. pullout from Syria. First, what’s left of the Islamic State must be defeated. Additionally, we need the ability to ensure the success, and safety, of our Kurdish allies during the remainder of the battle against ISIS… As well as their safety afterwards.
From Military Times:
John Bolton said there is no timetable for the pullout, but insisted the military presence is not an unlimited commitment.
“There are objectives that we want to accomplish that condition the withdrawal,” Bolton told reporters in Jerusalem before heading to Turkey on Monday, where he will be joined by the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford. “The timetable flows from the policy decisions that we need to implement.”
Those conditions, he said, included defeating what’s left of ISIS in Syria and protecting Kurdish militias who have fought alongside U.S. troops against the extremist group.
You can read more here.
So I guess we’re not leaving then? News isn’t really covering how well things are/aren’t going over there these days, so I might be under-informed, but that seems like a high bar.
Our NATO pal Recep Tayyip Erdogan wasn’t pleased with National Security Bolton’s position on the Kurds.
CNBC.COM Link
Erdogan is mad…Mad that the USA won’t (hopefully) let Turkey wipe-out the Kurds, and mad that USA backs Israel with their new LNG pipeline to Greece.
Most times Erdogan is just mad, anyways.
If we’d have never gone into that s#*thole country, we wouldn’t have to pull out. Especially ground troops. Pound them into rubble, then bomb the rubble.
Never quite understood why we were there to begin with. Did it just default into becoming the ME country of war de juer? Is this another group of Kurds that we are running out on? Will they become the latest group that can accuse us of not living up to our word? Is there any military or economic advantage for the American Treasure and Blood that is being spent there? Is dTrump trying to live up to one of his campaign promises?
We at least know the answer to the last question. If someone knows the other answers, please school me.
Having seen the way the Kurds are performing, I don’t think we have to worry about their well being too much. Anyone that gets in their way gets walloped.
It will be ironic if this turns into an Operation Northern Watch in reverse type situation…with U.S. forces operating out of Iraq to protect Kurds from Turkey (who is a NATO ‘ally’).
Good gawd, what a mess that place is.
Sounds like we’re not leaving then, too bad.
I can imagine no scenario where the lives of any Syrians are worth the lives of any American Troops…nor can I imagine a scenario where Syria isn’t a shithole when we leave. If we aren’t making it into a bastion of democracy why would we waste time there?
Who gives a fuck if Russia has some power there? The entire Russian economy’s GDP is less than three of our states, maybe four of our states. Russia’s aging military is hardly a real threat despite what Putin would like you to believe.
Our real concern needs to be the economy that is closest to our own, the one nation that has always desired to be the single superpower economically and militarily and we are fucking helping them out pace us thanks to the shitbags we elect from both parties to represent us in DC.
Until we actually address that reality we will continue worrying about a threat that’s only a shadow of its former self.
Hear, hear.
Same old BS from the same old political hacks who think we should be involved in everything. I believe there is a little adage I heard here, “Don’t ever stick your dick in crazy”. The same applies to US troops.
Here are what I consider acceptable, minimal conditions for getting our people out of there: it is either daytime or nighttime in Hoboken.
It totally sucks that we have to go fight outside our own borders.
BUT, my standard response – and maybe it is the company line – better to go kick the shit out of them on their soil than ours.
AND, train their people to police themselves.
I know that’s basic and that never happens.
How about Operation Snake Pliskin?
Escape From New York. Wall off the bad guys and let them eat each other.