Posted on Oct 9, 2019
Commentary: Trump Syria withdrawal decision immoral and short-sighted
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Posted in these groups: 
Office of the President (POTUS)
Syria
Office of the President (POTUS) Syria
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 10
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Lots of words on both sides. Trump promised to get us out of the middle east and he is trying to do that.
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MAJ Byron Oyler
SSG Robert Mark Odom - Our reputation is as the world's bitch, no other way to put it and the only ugly stain Trump has done to our reputation is to say no more of that. Every where in the world US tax dollars pay for other's freedom, from Korea to Europe to the Middle East. We should not be spending a dime in Germany to keep forces there, we are the reason the Soviets never took the rest of that country. Same for South Korea and there is a good chance US forces in Saudi Arabia keep the Iranians from taking over. To hell with other's that use us as their military and bank.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Getting us out and abandoning allies are two different things. If his intent is to bring troops home why are we still in Japan?
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I can't fathom the logic of folks who say we should endlessly occupy space - largely wasteland - in order to prevent something bad from happening that may or may not even materialize. I don't think ISIS is coming back in the area. They might pull a Lazarus or have other entities out there re-brand themselves as ISIS, but ISIS as we know it are well and truly defeated.
There are over 200 factions actively engaged in combat in Syria, all with different ideas about what "winning" looks like. Picking a side to back has confounded two administrations for over six years now. The only realistic solutions in that country involve either a shitload more blood (likely) or a political rapproachment involving three or more of the big factions - Assad/ Govt forces (backed by Russia), Iranian backed militias (largely Hezbollah), Free Syrian Forces (backed by US), Al Qaeda/ Khorasan, Turkish-backed militias, and the Kurds. The ones with foreign patrons are unlikely to do so unless their patron-nations get together and do so. I don't see the US, Turkey, Russia, and Iran agreeing on much of anything, much less this. Those are pretty disparate national interests.
So blood it is, and shedding more American blood is the morally questionable choice.
There are over 200 factions actively engaged in combat in Syria, all with different ideas about what "winning" looks like. Picking a side to back has confounded two administrations for over six years now. The only realistic solutions in that country involve either a shitload more blood (likely) or a political rapproachment involving three or more of the big factions - Assad/ Govt forces (backed by Russia), Iranian backed militias (largely Hezbollah), Free Syrian Forces (backed by US), Al Qaeda/ Khorasan, Turkish-backed militias, and the Kurds. The ones with foreign patrons are unlikely to do so unless their patron-nations get together and do so. I don't see the US, Turkey, Russia, and Iran agreeing on much of anything, much less this. Those are pretty disparate national interests.
So blood it is, and shedding more American blood is the morally questionable choice.
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SSG Robert Perrotto
1SG (Join to see) - Personally, I hope the Kurds give them hell, and make the political cost to Erdogan to high to bear. The US cannot actively support the Kurds against Turkey, but absolutely must condemn this act by Erdogan.
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
So I gather you fathom the logic of troops still in Japan, Germany, England, etc.
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1SG (Join to see)
Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen - All of those countries have mutual defense treaties with the United States, and we are there at their invitation.
Big difference.
Big difference.
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While I feel for the Kurds, we need to ask ourselves a few questions. Why are we there and what are we trying to do. Did we accomplish it? If not, why not and how can we resolve it. If so, then why are we still there? I honestly think we've accomplished what we came to do, ISIS is a shadow of it's former self and has been all but forced underground. Keeping people in Syria isn't going to accomplish much of anything.
If anyone really cared, they would call for Kurdistan to be formed, but, some are worried about getting their political blue star for the day.
If anyone really cared, they would call for Kurdistan to be formed, but, some are worried about getting their political blue star for the day.
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