There is a theory of psycho-history that suggests that we collectively yearn for a blood letting during the third year of a President's term (mimicking the anger of our developmental terrible twos, with the President seen as a surrogate parent). It this collective unconscious rage is not somehow appeased, the President's popularity supposedly falls. Perhaps Trumps withdrawal from Syria will not sit well with the electorate.
We went into Afghanistan get those responsible for 9/11. But the ideology of the Taliban remains. It’s hard to defeat an ideology. So after we leave within months the Taliban will take over the country again.
On the other hand we do have an ally in Syria in the Kurds. A mistake to leave them holding the bag against Isis. However, Trump should give the EU an ultimatum put troops in to assist the Kurds or get ready for more refugees including ISIS members to flood into Europe.
Trump missed another opportunity again.
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Link: https://twitter.com/MSH3RIDAN/status/1181363912291356679
They are redeploying to the south. Merely getting out of the way for the Turks to attack.
Although, based on reports today, they might not even be doing that.
He never shows restraint with his mouth, but he does show restraint in foreign policy when others have a chance to talk to him.
Both times right after talking to Erdogan. Now, there’s a transcript I’d like to see.
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them about the Kurds.
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I'm ok with leaving at various times. But, we need to understand that this is the New Hundred Years War. Just because we bring troops home to rest and train for the next set of battles doesn't mean the war with radical islam is over. It's certainly not over for them.
But it is a question of how it is done.
I think it is possible that there is more to this than we know. Maybe he has some sort of pledge from Erdogan (although he certainly would have been tweeting about it).
I don't think you can leave without security guarantees for the Kurds. I don't think it would be too hard to get them, either.
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Obviously, you are correct that the withdrawal from Iraq does not justify anything today.