@moonbus saidThe Islamic State is a Sunni coalition reacting to a Shiite ban on Sunnis from being in government. IS was the only group that Sunnis could turn to and that is why IS became a once powerful force. It was either that or be the Shiite's bitches.
I agree that invading Iraq was stupid. If George W Bush had not invaded Iraq, the world would not be confronting IS now in Iraq and Syria. IS filled the power vacuum created when the US toppled Saddam. Before toppling a dictator, make sure that what follows is not worse. IS is worse. IS is like a malignant tumor; if not completely eradicated, it will come back.
You are demonizing a group for doing what anybody would. MBS is worse, so why don't you call for his eradication?
@metal-brain saidBut illegal campaign payments are.
Hush money payments are not a crime.
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-arter/[WORD TOO LONG]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cohen_(lawyer)
@moonbus saidIt is just another case of Trump kissing Putin's ass. How does it feel to see Putin running the US now? What do they call that? Wait wait, don't tell me.
Removing troops unilaterally from the Syrian anti-IS coalition force is a bad idea. Such decisions should be taken in consultation with one’s allies.
Regarding Afghanistan, the Taliban control 50% of the territory and show no sign of weakness. On the contrary, if the US were to withdraw, the Afghan forces would be overrun by the Taliban in a matter of months. That mission is not only not complete, it’s moving retrograde.
Treason.
Just further proof of the decline of the US as a world power.
Even if we get a total hawk as next POTUS, we can never fix the damage already done on the world stage by our treasonous present POTUS.
This is REALLY treason this time, aiding and abetting an enemy in real wartime.
That is THE definition of treason.
@no1marauder saidThe problem is that so called "internal power struggles" become
The idea that the US has to permanently occupy a country to prevent the inevitable outcome of a country's internal power struggles is insane.
proxy wars for other powerful countries. Since WW2 the US has
always been an enthusiastic player in this game. To turn its back
on that strategy and become increasingly isolationist is a risk.
Now I'm no advocate for the US unilaterally sticking its nose into
other people's business but they should at least clear up the mess
they have made. Leaving Syria like this is ridiculous - the major
cities are mostly rubble, no electricity, no water. Just from an
humanitarian pov they should stay let alone the geo-political repercussions.
@wolfgang59 saidHow exactly are troops going to "clear up the mess"? They are trained to kill people not perform "humanitarian" tasks.
The problem is that so called "internal power struggles" become
proxy wars for other powerful countries. Since WW2 the US has
always been an enthusiastic player in this game. To turn its back
on that strategy and become increasingly isolationist is a risk.
Now I'm no advocate for the US unilaterally sticking its nose into
other people's business but they should ...[text shortened]... o water. Just from an
humanitarian pov they should stay let alone the geo-political repercussions.
Please be specific and not merely use empty platitudes.
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@no1marauder saidNobody's saying that. But if you crash in and make a mess of things, it is your responsibility (a word conspicuously missing from the USA's political dictionary) to at least clean up and leave behind a workable situation before swanning out again. Behaving like a diarrhaeic rhino, crashing in, breaking everything, leaving liquid s&!t all over the place, and crashing out again with nothing but unintelligent grunts, is not something a civilised country does.
If that happens, it happens.
The idea that the US has to permanently occupy a country to prevent the inevitable outcome of a country's internal power struggles is insane.
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@metal-brain saidLying about them to Congress is...
Hush money payments are not a crime.
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/melanie-arter/[WORD TOO LONG]
Remember, Watergate didn't get Nixon out. Lying to Congress about Watergate is what did for him.
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@sonhouse saidEven!?!?
Even if we get a total hawk as next POTUS, we can never fix the damage already done on the world stage by our treasonous present POTUS.
You USAliens really do have a completely backwards view of what's honourable, don't you? It's almost as if you're children of the English...
@kazetnagorra saidThat has not been proven.
But illegal campaign payments are.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Cohen_(lawyer)
@shallow-blue saidYou have proof DJT lied to congress in the same way?
Lying about them to Congress is...
Remember, Watergate didn't get Nixon out. Lying to Congress about Watergate is what did for him.
@shallow-blue saidYou think the present POTUS is doing a great job?
Even!?!?
You USAliens really do have a completely backwards view of what's honourable, don't you? It's almost as if you're children of the English...
@shallow-blue saidHow exactly is the presence of US troops helping to "clean up" Syria?
Nobody's saying that. But if you crash in and make a mess of things, it is your responsibility (a word conspicuously missing from the USA's political dictionary) to at least clean up and leave behind a workable situation before swanning out again. Behaving like a diarrhaeic rhino, crashing in, breaking everything, leaving liquid s&!t all over the place, and crashing out again with nothing but unintelligent grunts, is not something a civilised country does.
That you made a policy mistake is not a reason to continue that mistake indefinitely.
Not to worry; Trump was easily talked out of his "plan" for a quick withdrawal of US troops from Syria:
National security adviser John Bolton said Sunday that U.S. forces would not leave Syria until the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is fully defeated and the Trump administration receives assurances that U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters will be protected.
The Associated Press reported that Bolton laid out the conditions during a trip to Israel for a full U.S. withdrawal.
"There are objectives that we want to accomplish that condition the withdrawal,” Bolton said. “The timetable flows from the policy decisions that we need to implement.”
The comments provide the clearest indication yet that U.S. forces will not imminently withdraw from Syria, despite President Trump previously stating troops were "coming back now."
Bolton said Sunday there is no concrete timetable, explaining that U.S. forces "won't be finally pulled out until ISIS is gone." He added that he intends to meet with Turkish officials to discuss their objectives in the region and to warn against any attacks on the Kurds, the AP reported.
U.S. support for the Kurds in Syria has been a point of tension in U.S.-Turkey relations, as the NATO ally views the Kurdish forces in Syria as a terrorist group.
Bolton's comments break with Trump's original plan for the withdrawal. The president tweeted on Dec. 19 that the U.S. had "defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there." He posted a video the same day in which he said troops in the war-torn country are "all coming back and they're coming back now."
"We won, and that's the way we want it and that's the way they want it,” Trump said in the video, gesturing to the sky.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/424074-bolton-no-troop-withdrawal-from-syria-until-isis-contained-kurds-protected