While no one was looking, Trump just got himself re-elected president.
2
The Times is wrong on this. Trump is right. Pick your battles, Editors. We can’t do anything good in the Mideast by military means.
5
Putin should be very happy with this Christmas present from our commander-in-chief.
6
He'll have to get his son-in-law out of bed with MBS if the US is getting out of the Middle East.
2
It is cowardly for the NYT and other members of the main stream media to hide behind the self interested opinions of others. Does the NYT think we should be in Syria forever? If so say so. When the NYT quotes Bolton, a man it regards with great antipathy as a reason why we should stay in Syria, then something is out of wack. All strategy, all common sense flies out the window when it comes to disparaging Donald Trump, the duly elected President and Commander in Chief.
4
This is an extremely shameful editorial by the NYT. After years detracting John Bolton it happens know that he is the best guide that this country has o Syria. This is why liberalism is so discredited nowadays in this country.
2
It’s not going to be ISIS we have to worry about, it’s going to be the Kurds. How many times is the US going to hang them out to dry before a few gather together and retaliate?
It’s unconscionable what we did in the first Gulf War and now again in Syria. Trump has teamed with the same sort of bad actors as he teamed up domestically. Trump is gifting Turkey and Russia - the previous with a Trump Tower and the latter with a wannabe Trump Tower.
This is all for business or fear of blackmail and the Kurds are going to be slaughtered. The Kurds have done nothing but had our back.
8
Thank you Mr President.
If not now, when?
This will be Afghanistan all over again - 18 years later and there is still a "need" for American troops.
This has been mission creep from the beginning.
There will NEVER be an end to this.
5
Trump is methodically weakening our country. He is purposely selling us out to our enemies.
4
On one and the same day, The present occupant of the White House has ordered that our troops be withdrawn from Syria and that sanctions be lifted on a bunch of noxious oligarchs close to Vladimir Putin. Whether he is one or not he is acting just as a Russian agent would act. These are both things on Vladimir Putin's wish list and both are things against which there is nearly unanimous bipartisan support. Yet we are told that "there is no collusion". Perhaps it is because at this rate none is necessary.
3
The United States of America is becoming the personification of Trump's mental illness, lack of morality and incompetence.
5
The common denominator of many decisions takin by our president is that they are pro-Russians. A simple example from today's paper:
- Trump Administration to Lift Sanctions on Russian Oligarch’s Companies
- Putin Welcomes U.S. Withdrawal From Syria as ‘Correct’
... and this is only after an initial reading the titles.
2
Am I confused? Trump said yesterday that Isis has been defeated. Today he said that others should take up the fight against Isis and that Isis better not attack the US.
Sounds like Trump has mental health problems.
4
Somebody doesn't read the NYT or they have selective memory loss. There already was an editorial several months back that Trump had defeated the ISIS Islamic State. Obama actually encouraged the Iranians to pitch In against ISIS rather than commit our military. As far as the Russians go, in 2012, Putin offered to broker a truce in Syria, bring the two sides together to form a government, and ease Assad out. Approximately 10,000 people had died in the conflict at that time. Obama refused to work with him. as ISIS took over a large portion of Syria and Iraq. By 2012, the Washington Post was writing that the result of Obama's decision “Has been a victory for Russia, Iran and the Assad regime, at the expense of the United States and its Arab, Israeli and Turkish friends." Russia increased its military, the Iranians are there, and Assad remains. Who isn't living there are over 5 million refugees and 500,000 dead. What exactly do Trump haters want him to do? Push either Russia or Iran out? It's absurd. One NYT writer today said we had degraded ISIS. That's Obama description. We have defeated the ISIS Islamic State and that's according to the NYT. Are all ISIS members out of there? No, but Russia and the Iranians are there to stay and they can take care of what’s left and they don't have the rules of engagement that we do. We don't have to lose one more soldier there. Trump is right.
3
Nice to see that you agree with a large number of Republicans.
So much for the ruse that Trump is the best friend to Israel. I'm guessing the people who live in Israel (and Jordan and some of the PA) don't want Iran and ISIS just several miles away. And it IS that close.
Imagine the Bronx is Syria to your Manhattan or White Plains, or Parts of Marin and all of Solano and Contra Costa County is Syria to your San Francisco, or the rest of Illinois to your Chicago. Would you feel at ease with ISIS or worse within an hour of your home? Thanks, but no thanks Mr. Trump.
Why does it seem, over and over again, that Evangelical fundamentalist Pence is directing Trump to do all he can to bring on a massive apocalypse? Bring on the destruction and extinctions wrought by climate change; bring on the deaths by illness and injury to millions who won't be able to afford healthcare; bring on the mass shooting of the innocent children; bring on the deadly firestorms as we try the raking of pine needles to prevent them; bring on the proliferation of nuclear missiles all over the world; and bring on the destruction of all but the worshippers of destruction. Oh the glory of mass extinction when nuclear war will vaporize all the non-believers who don't worship the giant gold $$$ coins and when only the super-rich survive in their mile-deep gold-plated bunkers. Oops, they forgot there will be nothing left to sustain them above ground, when they are ready to emerge from the Underworld.
1
Can Trump be accused of treason for putting America in greater danger of attack by retreating from battle in a time of war. Isn't this action an exact example of treason?!
1
Distraction! Don’t look at Mueller, Flynn, etc.
Just Trump doing what he usually does...
1
We are in the endgame now. Just hope there’s of the collusion that’s concrete enough for the Trump cult to understand.
1
Always, always you find an excuse to oppose whatever Trump does. How is anyone to respect your judgement if it is so clearly biased against one individual? If he had announced more troops to Syria you would also have opposed that. Legal judgements the noose around him? Thought you were opposed to the death penalty.
2
The way foreign relations are handled in this White House is a shambles. Just read a couple chapters of Bob Woodward's book "Fear'' and get the flavor. Surround yourself by committed people and then insult or ignore them. Yeah, let your son in law handle the Middle East. Make Jared an ambassador to somewhere. How about Bahrein. No no, better Mauritius.
2
Can anyone doubt that Trump is Putin's stooge? Is it a coincidence that, just weeks before the Democrats take over in January, he's lifting sanctions on the Russian oligarch Deripaska's company and taking troops out of Syria? He is licking Putin's boots at this point.
1
TRUMP.
UN.FIT.
to lead
to decide
to listen
to read
to reason
for truth
for office
for humanity
I wish the US didn’t have to be involved in Syria in the first place. But it became our responsibility as a result of our decision to invade Iraq and disturb the geopolitical balance that existed.
Now it’s really time for the GOP Congress to grow a spine, if they care about American security interests.
Even in the best of circumstances, and there are sound reasons for military withdrawal, it should be gradual, and progressively reevaluated if parameters change as new forces fill the vacuum left behind
3
This retreat - and retreat is the precise military term - is of major importance. It is even less sweet because the Republicans are calling it a victory that includes the complete defeat of ISIS. ISIS is still there, holding territory and likely to move into some of the areas from which we retreated. Our aims in Syria were somewhat muddled, but the main purpose of American troops was not to sally forth against ISIS. Those troops were to protect our allies in the area, who were few and democratic. In our defeat we have abandoned those allies both to ISIS and to others (Turkey, for example) who wish to exterminate them. I do not think we will find new allies easily in that region.
At least Secretary of Defense Mattis has reached his limit. He was near it given how horribly America's military has been used.
2
Now Mattis is gone. What we see here is a real leadership vacuum in our administration. This type of foreign policy decisions has long-term impact to our national interests that spans across multiple administrations.
It is prudent to understand how Trump arrived at the Syria pullout decision. He had an opportunity to bring together experts from his team including the Pentagon, the senators, and our allies. If Russia, Syria and Turkey are the only countries that support this decision to pullout, that speaks for itself. Moreover, if we take Trump’s words that ISIS is defeated, there shouldn’t be a reason for Russia to be there either.
While we don’t want to get stuck in endless wars, the alternative requires building bridges, coalitions and alliances to sustain our credibility as a global leader. Irrespective of policy differences, we need our leaders to be credible, pragmatic, and assured. It is sad that the president can’t express, won’t listen to our friends and allies, can’t heed to his own team or Pentagon, and can’t understand the geography or the ground realities. This is just a one-man army. It is just depressing to see this day in day out with something or other.
2
This is not about Syria or about today's news of your pending government shutdown. It is about distracting attention from the sanctions which were lifted on a certain Russian Oligarch that are a pay off for Manafort. With Trump I am always looking at the back story that is being hidden by these more public diversions. It used to be Hillary's emails and now its this.
11
It is bizarre that Trump's one good move gets bi-partisan condemnation. The end of the US war of aggression against a weak, poor country should instead be celebrated. What is the difference between the slaughter in Yemen and that in Syria, except that one war is being waged by the US proxy, the Saudis, and the other directly by the U.S.? The total lack of any anti-war sentiment demonstrates the stranglehold militarism and imperialism have on both US political parties. Of course our media is always gung ho for the next big war!
7
I, like many others, see a man having a meltdown over the revelation (soon, I hope) of his many years of criminal behaviour. What better way to divert than to let ISIS rise again? Also, Putin loves it. Perhaps he even requested it from his special friend.
11
Can we please please bring up discussion of the 25th Amendment again? The president is either delusional or criminally insane. He is not playing with a full deck.
6
Maybe Trump want these troops home in order to use them in the military parade he keeps fantasizing about?
5
Trump is infatuated with tinpot dictators, autocrats and all sorts of strongmen, such as Putin, Erdogan and Assad and hasn't the faintest idea what a democracy is. He is working overtime to become a member of this nefarious crowd. His latest hairbrain decision to pull our remaining troops out of Syrian will set the entire region aflame and undo all the progress we have made in destroying what remains of ISIS , not to mention throwing the Kurds - our only true friends in the region under the bus. This megalomaniac is throwing gasoline on fire that will engulf the entire Middle East. With this idiotic move he has boldly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
8
@stefanonapoli
The "tinpot" dictators Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi were infinitely better that the vacuum, chaos and destruction created via the American invasions that were supposed to "fix" everything.
It's America's "infatuation" for meddling in other countries that has created most of the present day havoc in the Middle East.
And strange how there's so much condemnation and outcry for Saudi Arabia regarding its proxy war in Yemen, when the U.S. has been doing so in spades in the Middle East and elsewhere.
1
Israel is a true friend to the US, not just the Kurds
This man, somehow, some way, has got to go. World peace and order is at stake. This incoherent, semi literate perhaps psychotic intruder is beyond belief the President of the United States. God help us all....
5
I hate Trump with every fiber of my being and it makes me sick to agree with him. But I do. The Middle east is nothing but advanced tribal warfare that has been going on for a thousand years and any nation that sticks its nose in ends up sacrificing lives and throwing away treasure with nothing being gained. This is between Saudi Arabia and Iran and always has been. So let's pull our troops out of there including out of Saudi Arabia and let them possibly finish it. No amount of diplomacy will end the hatred those two countries have for each other. Keep arming the Kurds to help save them from the Turks but the rest of the Middle East isn't worth one more American life or another dollar.
4
@markd and what would your position do with and about Israel??
"...Mr. Trump’s assertion that the Islamic State is defeated is absurd.." [op cit]
—
Agreed.
But why not go a bit further, by digging a little deeper?
—
Donald Trump’s, “approach” to being President rarely makes sense to anyone. No one in or out of government is able to predict his next move, from one day to the next!
—
If I for one had to summarize, I’d simply say, “that Donald Trump is *not* a rational man.”
***
So let’s take a step back--
—
I think most of us would agree, that individuals who *never* behave rationally, are characteristically *immune* to,
1. Rational advice from others.
2. The rational opinions of others.
3. Any *rational* explanation, “of observed patterns of be behavior,” on the part of the individual in question.
—
This is the type of individual that might, in extreme cases, have to be put away from society, to say, a mental institution—
…And President Trump appears to be an *exact* match…
***
We as Americans, *can’t* allow this type of individual to occupy the Oval Office!
—
It stands to reason then, that President Trump *has to be* Constitutionally relieved of his duties.
3
Syrians get to choose between Assad and ISIS.
I'd be going to Europe, too.
4
@Independent
they can change name at the drop of a hat. what is the difference between al Qaeda, al nusra, fsa, isis? they're all financed/ sponsored by the west.
At this point, Donald Trump removing troops from Syria to deflect attention from his own wrong doing would be the best rationale we could hope for. The worst rationale, and most likely, is that Vladimir Putin insisted. Sadly, the only logical explanation for every one of Trump's foreign policy moves is that Putin has serious compromat on Trump. We'd better see Occum's razor before it's at our thoats.
6
Advantage: Putin. U.S. betrayed once gain by the Manchurian executive. Betrayal now extends, once again, to the Kurds who will recall being left in the lurch before. So much winning. MAGA
4
Hey - Opinion Board, how many of your sons and daughters are in Syria in harms way? 16+ years. It is time to leave. The mid-east hates us. We are not going to solve their problems. Let's defend our shores, not the mid-east. We should completely exit the mid-east.
6
@Ray and what becomes of Israel under your proposition?
1
No reason not to pull out. Syria can only be fixed by....
Syria.
2
@Jim
Syria is a sovereign nation. The Syrian government invited Russia and Iran to fight the so called rebels and ISIS.
the Syrian government never invited the US. why are we there inside Syrian territory?
@ Jim
Right, and when Seattle is hit by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake, the rest of the country can rest easy knowing that the only thing that will fix Seattle is... Seattle.
Proof that you have Trump Derangement Syndrome:
If any other President were bringing the troops home, you'd be cheering. But, because it's Trump...
So, yes, let's stay in Syria, and Afghanistan and the 6+ other countries we're currently bombing, until every Lockheed Executive has put his kids and grandkids through college. And law school.
5
@G.Janeiro
I think you missed the points in the piece that emphasizes the president ignored his advisors, who are experts, undercut U.S. allies, and declared victory where there is none. Not to mention leaving Russia and Assad in control.
6
@ G.Janeiro
You mean all of the international wars and violent conflicts that Republican presidents got us into?
2
I'm not a pacifist, but I can't help notice how immeshed all of this is in a theory that continual war is and must be the only possible "reality"
4
I don't usually agree with USA Today much, but they took a different view than NY Times. They congratulated the President saying he did the right thing, our mission there was over and our troops needed to come home.
4
Follow the Money.
Trump is ceding Syria to Russia
He is a totally compromised individual.
9
@Thinking California
Syria belongs to the Syrians. the Assad government invited the Russians and Iranians. who invited the US?
Sometimes a monkey at a typewriter actually types a coherent sentence, albeit misspelled.
We don't belong in Syria. We don't do any good there. Trump has been convinced by Erdogan that our national interests lie more with Turkey than with the Kurds.
Of course such a sudden withdrawal is a betrayal of the Kurds who fought against Isis. Figuring out a way to withdraw troops who shouldn't be there long term without damaging allies is a subtlety beyond Trump's attention span.
3
I guess the Kurdish soldiers who have done the ground fighting with our support (and taken the casualties) will now be free to release the over 3000 Islamic State fighters they hold to join the over 20000 Islamic State fighters still left at large.
The US, with direct Iraqi and Kurdish support, have been very successful in taking away most of the major cities they once held. But they still have major towns and critical roads and other infrastructure, and can still send terrorists to any corner of the globe. Diminished, yes, but not defeated.
However, Putin owns Trump, and Trump likely also has ties to Erdoğan, Turkey's leader. Both want the US out of Syria so they can work with the Iranians to quash what is left of the resistance left there. Erdoğan also wants to destroy the Kurds as a political force (at least) because of some long-ago attacks a Kurdish group made inside Turkey.
In short, Trump is leaving our partners and comrades in arms to be slaughtered. He is leaving ISIS to regroup, and gain back their fighters captured by the Kurds. He is gifting his owner, Putin, with a massive political gift, and providing a huge gift to the Syrian government.
All so Trump can claim a "great victory" at a key political moment and kiss up to his foreign owners.
6
Where is Congressional oversight? What are the President's conflicts of interest with Russia? Putin was about the only in favor o this move. Republicans don't care if Trump sells out the country so Putin's cronies will buy more Trump Tower condos or fund Trump businesses in Russia. Republicans were changing their party platform to ease up Russia while Trump was negotiating a building in Russia. Trump should be in jail for treason.
3
I think Russia is after much more than a few cheap condos.
Perhaps it's time to take another look at the 25th amendment.
3
How can only 2,000 troops make such a big difference?
December 20, 2018
Trump Atlantic City casino's roll the dice; and call it foreign policy for military operations.
The question is who is at the table and how big the stakes to his gambling with American lives consequentially and agreed to by all in support of this game mechanics theory for Operational Commander and Chief tolerances by Executive Order - whatever the future gains or losses - life is all deal and deal and deal by a very big deal - our little Queens NYC hustler. Call that leadership - not really but keep silent and this is what is a win for thugs on the ground in Syria, Iraq, etc....
1
Attention Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter
Trump tweets voluminously and crazily whenever he gets nervous. He is very nervous now and rightly so. This is undoubtedly only the beginning of his latest ill-conceived torrential tweetstorm.
Mr. Dorsey, for the sake of humanity, please consider closing down Trump’s Twitter account immediately before does even more damage. Seriously.
6
This Democrat agrees with Trump, for once, that we must withdraw our troops from Syria and possibly from the rest of the Middle East as well. But what I don't agree with is the method in which it is done so haphazardly. We cannot just bring our troops home without exploring all military and diplomatic avenues that can back to haunt us down the road. It is time for America to stop putting our men and women in the line of fire for the sake of others. We have gone to war for far too long for reasons that are beginning to be very abstract to the American people.
cede the field to Putin, embolden Iran, and free up money for the wall? failed 45 at its finest.
1
If Lindsey Graham, John Bolton and Marco Rubio are opposed to Trump's decision on Syria, it must be the right one
4
This is perhaps the best decision of Trump's presidency. Now he should do the same in Afghanistan.
2
@Andrew
don't forget the great game. and who will look after the poppy fields?
1
I support the President's decision. Our geo-political situation in Syria is different from that in which we find ourselves in Afghanistan and Iraq....two countries which we invaded, overthrew governments and, as such, assumed responsibility for securing and governing those countries until their respective people are capable to do so themselves. We failed in that responsibility but pulling chocks and leaving would be an admission of defeat. In each, the best for which we can hope is a "Peace With Honor", as Nixon secured and allowed us to withdraw our military from South Vietnam and do so with semblance of national pride/credibility intact. Our stated purpose for putting troops in Syria was to defeat the Islamic Caliphate. That mission has been accomplished, even if ISIS elements are still roaming the countryside and/or have gone into hiding. Unless the US is prepared to publicly expand its military mission (i.e., the overthrow of Assad; seizing Syrian territory, creating a new nation state for the Kurds and guaranteeing we'll protect that state from Turkey), it is time to leave. Syrian military forces (augmented with Russian and Iranian firepower), Iraqi military forces (augmented with Iranian support) and Turkish military forces can and will deal with remaining ISIS elements. As to our Kurd allies in Syria, they need to fend for themselves.
3
As an expert on Syria, I held no optimism about American involvement in this conflict. The historical record shows US involvement in the region has been as destructive as the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. And as an historian, I don't use this comparison lightly. Syria had too many interventions (14 countries by my count), armed men (at least 1,000 militias) and not enough peace makers. Peace makers were smeared for not seeing the reality of how arming militias would bring about democratic transition in Syria. Boy, hind sight is 20/20. At no time in this conflict did anyone call for the cessation of flow of arms and men into the country. It was instead a free for all. Someone profited from the killing of half a million Syrians and the decimation of the country and it wasn't Syrian citizens. We can look to the world's largest arms dealer, the US, for answers.
In short, the United States is not a force for good in the region. And for those feeling bad about the Kurds, this is not the first time the US threw the Kurds under the bus, just look to the long history of CIA meddling from the 70s to see that the Kurds have time and time again been used and discarded. I believe the Kurdish experiments in governance are the best hope for the region, unfortunately, they are only pawns. History is just repeating itself with this most recent betrayal. Time to wake up to the realities of your foreign policy America!
12
Come on NYT. I like many of your readers find much to dislike about this President. This is not one of them. Bring the troops home, stop spending money on a war we are only mildly interested in winning. It's the right the to do. There will always be fighting in the Middle East until those parties figure out how to live with one another without foreign intervention.
Let's be happy that for once Trump did the right thing.
7
@Ben so ceding Syria to Putin is the right thing? how so and what does that do to Israel in the near and longer term?
The debate should not be about Trump. It should be: "Should we get out of Syria now or stay longer?" I advocate get out now. I have advocated get out now since we started in 2014.
5
No one seems to have an explanation other than that the president acted on a whim. Here is what I think is the most plausible one : With Trump everything is personal, usually with some element of personal gain. Consider that the Syria withdrawal announcement comes after a Trump-Erdogan conversation. Erdogan is the big winner--he gets a free hand to deal with his enemies in Syria. Why would Trump agree to this after State and Defense have repeatedly insisted the US will stay? His strongest interest in the region is to save his relationship with Saudi Arabia, and especially with the Crown Prince. He has gone against the CIA and even the unanimous US Senate to stick with the Prince, for reasons that probably have a personal angle. He tried to sway Erdogan to go easy on the Saudis by delivering his opponent Gülen, but that hasn't worked within the US government. He wants to get the Turks to back off on their charges against the Prince (whose guilt for murder is beyond question). Pulling out of Syria is a much bigger gift to Erdogan. We now have to see whether Erdogan softens his position on the murder of Khashoggi. Then again, he may not, as described in the Turkish press, the Turks think they are in the driver's seat.
4
“This isn’t the first time the president and his administration have sent mixed messages.”
Troubling indeed. Message nearly as mixed as when Trump’s Oval Office predecessor:
(A) Said that the potential use by Assad of chemical weapons on his own citizens would cross a red line.
(B) Did nothing when that red line was crossed.
@Chuck
true about Obama but altho does not make what tRump is doing here even close to right
Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio are US Senators, in the majority caucus of that chamber. If they want our troops to fight a war in Syria they should pass legislation to authorize their presence there.
5
Time to invoke the 25th amendment. Individual # 1 is clearly in over his head. Doesn't have a clue when it comes to foreign or domestic policy. He is putting our nation on a dangerous course.
4
The noted political economic analyst Thierry Messan devised the key question as regards peace in Syria. It amounted to the realization that The Muslim Brotherhood's absolutist stance towards those who disagree with it are the enemy, and thus subject to the ramifications of Jihad. ISIS has been, are the foot soldiers of this ideology, and unless they are "defeated" there will be a very tenuous peace in Syria. Reflecting upon how these people were able to succeed to the extent that they did, a further realization comes to the fore, and that is that U.S. and Turkish forces in 2011 just over the border from Syria began to train and arm people who wanted to overthrow the Syrian Government. As this situation developed into a full-blown attempt to do so, backed at least by the arms of the U.S., ISIS, or Daesh, became the beneficiary of this ponderous U.S. policy. Mrs. Clinton was heard to demand that"Assad must go." John McCain was heard to proudly announce: "I know these people.", referring to some of these foot soldiers of the Muslim Brotherhood. As the propagandistic claims of the U.S., KSA, and the Zionist entity regarding atrocities and use of illegal chemical weapons against the citizenry of Syria continued unabated, the RF made the decision to intervene, and it has been largely its efforts at thwarting ISIS, which have prevailed and given the strong impression that ISIS has been defeated. So The President's decision does represent a rational assessment of the situation.
1
Why is his unilateral surrender, I mean, err, withdrawal alarming?
Because he's giving all of Syria to Russia, not just the Russian coastal naval and air bases?
Because ISIS will have a new birth of power?
Because crazy dictator Erdogan of Turkey will now be able to kill off our allies the Kurds, who for some strange reason are only fanatical about gaining freedom from others after centuries without it?
Because now Trump's supposed arch-enemy Iran now has a totally free hand in Syria all the way across to Hezbollah in Lebanon?
What, Trump worry? Well, he should, because all of the above is a total disaster. But at least Vlad is happy.
4
@Porter
You write as if a mere 2,000 US troops were keeping it all together in Syria, preventing the outcomes you envision. Not so. We've had very little leverage in that sad country since the civil war started.
If we really want to control what happens in Syria, then we had better gear up for another Iraq War, only much more complex and dangerous, fighting Assad, Iran, Russian, Hezbollah, ISIS and various other militias. Accept thousands of dead GIs, countless thousands (more) dead Syrians, trillions spent on occupying and rebuilding in a nation made of people who hate us.
Oh, and we might want to bother asking "why?" before we do that.
President Obama had the good sense to resist getting sucked into this, despite the demands of war mongers in both parties.
Trump - perhaps in spite of himself - is finally making a correct move. Let's applaud it, even if Trump made it.
2
"Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards everyone! Oh when will they ever learn?" Mikhail Sholokhov
1
When is enough? The peoples of the Middle East have been at war with each other for over 1,000 years. We have been there for over a decade of war and have accomplished nothing. This is like dealing with an addict, at some point you have to say, "I will go no further, you are on the path of self destruction and I will not go down that hole with you."
The peoples of the Middle East are addicted to violence and retribution. There is no saving them. We need to / must walk away. Now is a good time.
3
There are several layers to this story and why Trump’s actions are ill advised. The opinion alludes to political motives brought on by Trump’s troubles. Perhaps the better question on the politics is whether Trump is in overload and is no longer able to process with a rational and factual understanding what the consequences are of his actions.
If one day Bolton makes representations, and the next Trump does a 180, one must wonder how Trump could have allowed Bolton to “misspeak.” Is it because Trump has become unable to think, to communicate with his staff on executing his constitutional duties? Is this inability because he is mentally unfit? Modern history has examples of leaders who have blundered into bunker mentality and become delusional.
40
@Ben
I strongly disagree. He is doing what he said he would do and why 62 million Americans elected him. He concluded, after giving Mattis 8 months to finish the job, that 2 thousand terrorists blended in with the population was going to take a long, long tnime. He didn't want another protracted war and with Erdogan warning him he might move on the Kurds, he decided not to risk any more U.S. lives. Tough, complicated decision that almost all of his advisors were against. But as Truman said "The buck stops here."
There's a lot of Truman in Trump.
2
@Frank Leibold When this decision goes south, as it most assuredly will, I hope the president will take responsibility for it, as Truman did with his decisions. But past behavior has not convinced me that he will.
10
@Ben
Okay, so Trump is mentally ill for getting U.S. troops out of Syria.
So what was Obama's mental state for getting the U.S. involved in Syria to begin with?
And what does that say for former President Obama's mental state who illegally invaded Libya, thereby adding to the flow of refugees?
For all of Trump's bluster, he's proving to be less of a warmonger than his presidential predecessors.
My version of mental insanity would be the U.S. foreign policies undertaken during the last 50 years in the Middle East and elsewhere.
4
None of the United States' allies will trust the US again after this betrayal of our allies, the Kurds, in Syria.
We cannot survive as a world power without strong allies who respect each other and are willing to law down the lives of our citizens to protect each other.
Trump intends to destroy the United States and live, with his kleptocratic family, very well, as a globalist after he leaves public office.
10
@San Francisco Voter
They'll all live happily ever after? Perhaps not in NYC where they are not generally beloved. More likely, they'll end up in their gorgeous shiny new Moscow Trump Tower. Its just a dream in the planning stages now, but there may be a glorious Russian future.
4
This should make clear that if what we know of Mueller's investigation is merely the tip of the iceberg, then Mueller's investigation is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Trump's manifest unfitness. While I am generally in favor of scaling back our involvement in this region, I sure would be comforted by the knowledge that the commander in chief had some idea of what he was doing at any one moment.
When will the Republicans wake up?
4
The "Great Iraq/Syria War" is always at a "now what" moment, & we have arrived at another one. Trumps stated message on troops in Syria was the same as Obama's, defeat ISIS. They are more or less defeated in the traditional sense, so now what. The power vacuum will be filled, but by whom? Will the next phase of the war be against the Kurds? Will Russia help broker a peace deal. Absolutely nothing is certain, & there is no clear path whether US troops are there or not.
2
It occurs to me that Republicans in leadership were considerably less muted in their alarm for our withdrawal from Iraq under President Obama, a withdrawal negotiated by GWB's administration.
But it couldn't possibly be that their level of opposition varies simply by (D) or (R), right?
4
The U.S. never had any real hope of changing facts on the ground in Syria, at least not within the last ten years or so. We would have to have been willing to dive into the middle of the Syrian civil war, but we were already in the middle of two other Mid-east civil wars.
So, all our efforts since that time have only served to prolong the inevitable victory of Assad with his Russian backers. At this point, the sooner we get out the better. The Syrian government forces backed by Russia should be able to take care of what is left of ISIS on the Syrian side. Meanwhile, we can devote our efforts to helping Iraq finish off the smaller remnants inside their country.
4
After committing a holocaust in the Middle East, revealing its evil core, the government is disengaging. Since the perpetrators haven't received the correct penalties, we can't just let them get away with it, the evil killers in our midst.
The government would have us believe that it represents the people, yet most Americans did not kill children or other innocent people. Keep in mind that the guilty perpetrators include corporations that helped the government. Major stockholders, motivated by greed, have acquired blood money for their evil businesses.
After all, we have the absolute responsibility to apply the correct penalties.
3
Trump is planning for his time after office. Putin can still help him with Trump Tower Moscow.
1
Governing by the latest whim of the Child in Chief.
1
Once again, Trump is acting in Putin’s interest, not the US.
And days after the scathing Senate report was released about Russian cyber warfare on every social media platform in the US, during and after the election, (of which Mueller was attacked), Trump ordered the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) to terminate the sanctions imposed on En+ Group plc (“En+”), UC Rusal plc (“Rusal”), and JSC EuroSibEnergo (“ESE”) in 30 days, companies of Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who is tied to Manafort.
Trump is acting in Putin’s interest, making the US less safe.
https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm576
2
Whether or not The U.S. should be in Syria is a question so much more complicated than most of us can imagine. Anyone with a tiny inkling of the historical imperatives of the middle east will quickly admit that the layers upon layers of enmity, mistrust, exploitation, and centuries of internal and external influences have created a situation that defies any facile understanding or glib soundbite analysis. It's a spaghetti bowl of mess and has been the bane of every administration in this country since the end of WW2. Yet, once again, our president has shown a virtuosity in his impetuousness that one can only marvel at. I only pray that we can survive this delusional man's whims long enough to see him lose the 2020 election. By then even the base should have had enough. The headline I'm looking forward to in Nov., 2020 is: "YOU'RE FIRED!"
2
It's good to see the NYTimes editorial board standing shoulder to shoulder with lovable peacenik John Bolton. It speaks volumes. As does your comment that Trump's decision "sowed new uncertainty about America's commitment to the Middle East." I'm guessing you mostly meant Israel, but even so, it would help if you explained just what America's commitment to the region actually is, and how any "new uncertainly" could possibly be sown.
8
"Trump's Decision to Withdraw...Is Alarming" - who would have imagined such a thing? Like Halloween decorations in the heat of summer and Christmas decorations before the turkey is defrosted, the 2020 campaign is under way.
1
Even a stopped clock is correct twice a day.
This move is fundamentally correct and in the interests of the American people.
It's a defat for the Pentagon, the State Department jihadi enablers, ( remember McCain's "moderates?") warmongers like Graham the Saudis and their friends -- the Israelis.
Time to evacuate Afghanistan as well.
Obama learned something after he destroyed Libya and refugees -- added to those already coming from Syria -- poured into Europe, destabilizing the EU.
Trump is doing this because -- he said so.
Doesn't matter.
Progressives should just remain silent and welcome our people home.
6
"It’s hard not to wonder whether Mr. Trump is once again announcing a dramatic step as a way of deflecting attention from bad news,"
In Spain, when somebody shows to be particularly prepared or astute we say that the person 'knows Latin' ('sabe latín'). A common rebuke is 'not really; just the first person singular: Ego, mei, mihi, me, me.'
That's the POTUS in a nutshell; and, in somebody with governing responsibilities, that is more dangerous than a piranha in a bidet (and there is another Spanish saying for you).
2
Rather than stab the Kurds in the back, typical of a trump, we should establish a backup air base on Kurdish territory while protecting the Kurds from Trukish, Iraqi, Syrian and Russian venom. Every Kurd slaughtered by Erdogan will be on trump's head.
Where is the UN in all of this? Why should Jews be the only ones entitled to land of their own (at the expense of Palestinians already there)? What about the Kurds? They are already on their own land and Erdogan is as petulant and cruel as MBS, Putin, Assad, and trump who has no problem turning his back on everyone just to get another tower with his ignominious name on it.
1
Syria tried to engage the U.S. after the Iraq invasion to create a cooperative effort to combat the crossing of foreign fighters between the two countries but the Bush administration snubbed al-Asad and continued to label the country part of the axis of evil. As did Obama. Then came ISIS.
Russia and Iran are allies of Syria. The US is not. These two countries were invited to help combat the terrorist group, the US was not.
Perhaps instead of demonizing leaders who may have ideological differences, maybe one day the U.S. would rise above the bravado and cooperate with these countries to create better coalitions in the name of peace.
2
Trump's impulsive reaction to withdraw all US forces from Syria while declaring that "We have beaten Isis" is really about something else I think. Obviously Trump has not lived up to his end of the Devil's bargain that he made with Putin because Russian sanctions are still in place. Putin must be signaling to Trump unless you do something for me I am spilling the beans on why I have leverage over you. Therefore, Trump who is a surrogate of Putin's is accomodating him by the ill-advised pullout of US Troops. Russia and Iran now control the area and most experts agree that we are creating a vacuum which will spur the rise of many more Isis fighters. There is no other way to put it then to say, "Trump is the most dangerous person in the world."
1
The NYT sounds like the coach who is worried about falling behind in the score, not knowing the game is already over.
Newsflash: The US does not have "leverage" in Syria to lose. The Russians and Iranians have been running the Syria show for years. ISIS is as defeated as its going to get. The Kurds will remain ever-precarious until the US decides to adopt their territory as the 51st state.
President Obama wisely resisted fantasies of removing Assad, partitioning Syria, or backing "the good rebels." He put the 2,000 troops there as a sop to Hillary Clinton, John McCain and every other hawk to who demanded we "do something!" to show that America hasn't lost its mojo, as if every conflict in the world is a challenge to our American manhood.
Whether Trump's decision to remove our troops from Syria was made impulsively, it was long over due. Now let's bring our troops back home from Afghanistan.
Love or hate Trump, this is a time for bi-partisan celebration.
6
If the US had pulled out during the Obama administration this article would talk about our success in the Syria and how the time had come for us to pull out. Bush goes to war against terrorists and gets pilloried for it. Obama continues the war on terror and people support it. Now Trump pulls the US out a conflict that we have no part in and everyone gets mad.
The US can't be the world's peace keeper. We need to choose our conflicts carefully. When we get involved it is tough to get out without creating a vacuum, why do you think the US is still in Afghanistan?
5
Pulling US troops out of Syria strengthens Putin’s hand in Syria.
Dropping the sanctions against Rusal benefits Putin and his oligarch supporters.
More evidence of Trump’s loyalty and priority.
Maybe he will get his longed for tower in Moscow.
1
This Republican Administration seems to prefer Russian and Turkish interests over American and democratic interests.
1
Mr. President “Only I can fix it” Trump is so short-sighted that he can’t see beyond his own ego. This is the wrong decision (because it hands over Syria to Russia and Iran, abandons our Kurdish ally, and puts Iran right on Israel’s border) for the wrong reasons (ISIS has not been defeated, it will resurrect itself as soon as our troops leave – ask Obama about his withdrawal from Iraq) at the wrong time (ISIS will be making a comeback just in time for the 2020 election campaign).
Trump has repeatedly proven that he is a terrible dealmaker and now he is showing us that he is a very poor strategist as well. That gut instinct and impulsive trait, which might have worked for him in the business world is proving disastrous in his presidency. At least in the business world, the consequences of his careless actions were borne by him and the Trump organization. However, as president, his imprudent and reckless decisions are causing havoc to the nation. How long must the country suffer under this clueless misfit?
1
President Kennedy once thought about pulling our troops out of Vietnam. Instead, he listened to his advisers. And the rest, as they say, is history. When it comes to our military adventures overseas I place no faith in advisers. I am not a Trump fan, far from it, but in this I totally agree with him. Let's get as many of troops as possible out of where they do not belong, especially in the Middle East and Central Asia. Time for them to face the music and solve their own problems without always having us as their excuse to avoid any solutions.
5
The US should not have sent in the troops to Syria. What is wrong here is the abrupt pull out of the troops, with no clear plan in place. By doing so, we have defeated the purpose of the original objective. Whether we have fulfilled the goal is unclear. We have let down the Kurds again, always an ally supporting our troops in Iraq, and here in Syria.
The decision to withdraw from Syria, has been done against the counsel of advisers at home. We do not seem to be learning from our past mistakes.
While we are appeasing an adversary, like Russia, and even Turkey, we are also seen to be withdrawing from our positions of responsibility and leadership.
3
@citizen Citizen, You say "The US should not have sent in the troops to Syria." I would add that there is no reason to keep them there. Forget our feelings about Trump, just be glad that we are finally getting out of Syria.
7
The US, Gulf Cooperation Countries, and to a lesser extent Israel,Turkey and Great Britain funded and armed ISIS to wage war in Syria. Russia a long standing ally of Syria seriously disrupted that plan. Trump is now making the correct decision for the US by declaring victory and leaving Syria. The countries directly accountable for negotiating a livable situation in the area are Syria/Russia, Turkey, Israel, Iran, Iraq. Most definitely not the GCC, Europe and the US.
4
Defeating ISIS will be better accomplished by Russian and Syrian troops and tactics. ISIS is a threat to the US as they are not a nation state, do not have representation when illegally occupying someone else’s land.
Consolidating Russian and Iranian power in the ME is not a particularly positive thing, but it does establish stable state actors in the region and the US can deal with state actors both diplomatically and militarily. State actors have more to lose when fighting us and more to gain by cooperating with us.
US attention should be given to ensuring US relations with Turkey and how they deal with the Kurds. We need to help the Kurds establish their own country. Like pre revolutionary United States, they have an established government with citizen representation. Their presence is mostly positive. Yes, they are rebels to Turkey and want their historic land in Iraq. But they are going about it a responsible way that harkens back to how the Americans won their independence. Diplomatic pressure should be applied to help bring this about.
1
A play right into Putin's hands. Conceding that the US sometimes does have interests that may happen to align with Russia's, this particular play does not appear to be one of those times. And it does not appear to be to the benefit of the US in any measurable degree.
So - at what point does Individual 1's actions finally become so obviously antithetical and even immediately threatening to our country's interests, that serious consideration to impeaching him or taking other action to remove him from office is the only viable move on the table?
... and after all this time, you still expect the Fake of Fakes to be human or normal or something less than insane. The only news that deserves to be published is that that the guy continues to desecrate America's values and destroy any standing in the world. How is it that you keep expecting a different result?
Threereasons Trump did this:
1)He's Putin's compromised lap dog, and has to obey his commands
2)If he brings U.S. troops home from everywhere he won't have to face questions about why he never visits them abroad
3)This move will ultimately increase the chance of a terror attack in the U.S., which Trump craves as an excuse to be even more authoritarian and racist.
1
The Times supported the Obama administration when they elected a hands off policy and leading from behind in Syria and the Middle East. It's appropriate to do the same now. As in Iraq, the US presence will not change tribal, religious and national loyalties. What ever happened to the dictum never to engage in a land war in Asia?
8
I have to agree with multiple other commenters, that Trump is attempting to change the headlines from his corrupt history that is under investigation.
3
President Trump knows he's going down and now we see that he's going to take as many with him as he can.
By the end of the day, the Dow will be down 7 percent for the year and 14 percent over the last three months.
And, by the end of 2020, ISIS will again have arisen as a threat to our national security.
Hurry, please hurry, Mr. Mueller, before it is too late for some of us!
3
You endorse Bolton as an authority on whether America should be involved in foreign wars. However, on March 23rd, you wrote an op-ed entitled, “Yes, John Bolton Really Is That Dangerous.” You correctly stated: “There are few people more likely than Mr. Bolton is to lead the country into war.” I agree, but your two op-eds contradict each other. You now urge Donnie to obey Bolton's passion for violating international law and sovereignty.
Back to today's op-ed, why do we have any commitment to the Middle East? Why do we have any right to be there whatsoever? Wouldn't our willingness to be a global leader be better expressed by America recognizing borders and international laws?
It is bizarre for you to express concern for American soldiers being killed or wounded, because your recommendation is to keep Americans in Syria indefinitely in the trenches of blood and sand. Soldiers aren't confused; they know Donnie is Chief. How could “conflicting” orders put Americans more in danger than their complete removal from the war zone?
Your disdain for Donnie has convinced you to urge foreign policymakers to continue stationing Americans in the midst of bullets and bombs. Our presence and escalation in the Middle East generates more bloodshed of all peoples in the long-run than our immediate withdrawal.
I cannot stand Donnie enough to publicize his last name, however, I believe America must show absolute moral leadership in refusing all endeavors of murder, war, & human bloodshed.
9
I don’t know if this was a good decision or not; my sense is that it was a godawful decision, but I don’t know.
What I do know is, doing things this way is stone nuts. And the isolationism behind it is much, much worse.
2
Why don't the Syrian people stay in Syria and fight their own wars like other developed nations do. The reason is because they are lacking in character and patriotism and support gangsters like isis. The only reason isis survives attacks is because isis has the approval of the Syrian people. If the USA was attacked tomorrow all refugees would be on the next ship out of USA. Time USA paid down some of it's debt instead of being used as a bank for other nations wars and building their infrastructure.
6
Trump's capricious decision is the newest evidence of his unfitness for & inability to perform the duties of President. It's high time to begin removal proceedings under Amendment 25, Section 4 of the US Constitution.
3
If you're looking for the strategic thinking behind Trump's withdrawal from Syria, don't bother. Trump doesn't do strategic thinking.
Trump does what Putin wants, and Putin wants us out of Syria.
What impact will this have in the Middle East? Don't ask Trump. Such conversations bore him. He has neither the patience nor aptitude for policy discussion.
He'd rather fire off a quick tweet, then it's off to the golf club to dazzle his minions with bluster.
1
Amazing. Russia, a country with half the population of the US, controls the insane dictator the deplorable half of this nation elected. Syria, the country needed for a pipeline to reach Europe from either Russia or Bahrain, is the keystone ground that puts Europe under the control of Russia with Putin's hand on the gas valve. Not that Putin would ever coerce a group of nations to his will and whimsy [implied sarcasm font].
This has been what the kompromat has been about the entire time our insane dictator waited for the right moment to pay ransom to Putin. Again, what is America doing surrendering to a country with half the population and probably even less than half the wealth of the US? Oh, yes, Trump gets a hotel with his name on it in Moscow.
2
@splat Calling half the country "deplorable" is what helped Clinton lose the election.
3
NYT editorial condemns Trump's actions. What actions might that be? Irrelevant since we condemn everything Trump does just because we are blind with hate for Trump.
11
Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria is the right decision because congress had not approved involvement in Syria that began during the Obama years. When is a good tome to withdraw? Never or when the mission is accomplished and others can take over from the US troops and receive air support and intelligence? Most of us were surprised by the decision but I am hard pressed to say that now is not a good time.
12
What boggles the mind is not so much the troop withdrawal and abandonment of our Kurdish allies, who are still fighting ISIS, but also Trump calling off air strikes on ISIS, who still have 20,000 - 30,000 fighters in the Syria-Iraq border region.
1
I am of Syrian descent. I don't see what purpose the U.S. troops were serving in Syria other than to further the geopolitical goals of the Israel-Saudi Arabia axis against Iran. They certainly weren't helping the Syrian people. They made no attempt to stop the atrocities of Assad and Trump forbade any money from being used for the reconstruction of ISIS devastated cities in eastern Syria.
170
@Haddad-Thank you. This is what more Americans need to know.
55
@Haddad who are the Syrian people? Sunni? Shia? Alawis? Druze? Maybe you haven’t been to your land of origin for a long time, but there is a civil war going on. What side are you on? The atrocities of Assad are bad, but are the atrocities of the Islamist rebels any better? Why don’t you tell us more about the history that led to this conflagration instead of blaming the US for the mess Syrians created for themselves?
24
@Haddad I so appreciate your comment. As a tourist to Syria in 2000 I saw an intact state that provided health care and education and promoted respect for science,historical monuments, culture and history of Syria.
It is heartbreaking to me that all that stability, civilization and history has been destroyed. We have ruined so many lives there with our prideful interventions!
17
This editorial appears to have been written by the neocons who are supportive of every war that one could imagine. One of the foremost responsibility of the Commander in Chief is to listen to all his advisers and assistants then take a decision based on what is in the National interest of the US. Our national interest may coincide with the national interest of people/countries in the area but if they do not so be it. Decisions by leaders need to be made in the interest of the country.
In my opinion this decision of bringing our troops home from a war theater where there is a growing likelihood of getting into a fight with another NATO partner became a choice between our National interest and the National interest of Israel and the people of Northern Syria, which comprised of Kurds and some Arabs fighting under our guidance.
Bolton, Pompeo et al are known war mongers who are more interested in personal philosophy than the National interest of the US. The job of advisers are to advise the President and not to push the President towards ones point of view in public. In this case Bolton, Netanyahu and MBS were clearly not the winners. The countries of the area should fight their own wars why is it that we foot the bill with our blood sweat and tears.
The other war theater is Yemen. Please pay more attention to end the conflict by pushing these war mongers to end our support of MBS to end human sufferings; the common thread is the ISIS and MBS theology of extremism.
8
The Syrian situation is immensely complicated, both militarily and strategically. Consequently it is not possible for me or any other commenter to make exacting evaluations. But we can make some global observations and they aren't good.
Iran has a significant presence in Syria. The Assad regime is basically a proxy for Iranian power. Russia also has a significant presence and Russian power is what has kept Assad from being toppled. Our leaving gives both the green light to do whatever they want.
Turkey wants to launch an assault against the Kurds in Northern Syria. Our troops stationed near the Kurds have kept them at bay. When we leave, there is nothing holding them back.
Israel is terribly concerned about Iranian troops in Syria and their arming and staging with Lebanon. If Iran pushes forward, Israel may attack.
Iran is fractured and who knows what could happen on their border with Syria if we pull out.
So from my perspective, the danger in leaving the ISIS conflict has little to do with ISIS but everyone else in the region. Whether or not ISIS is defeated, the region has been so destabilized, that if we leave, the whole region could blow up. It is that fragile.
I guess this is what happens when the commander in chief thinks with his gut and not with his head. But then again, he doesn't have much choice in the matter.
445
@Bruce Rozenblit
It's too late to worry about Middle Eastern "fragility".
We do no good there. I think if we really leave -- and who believes the Orange Prez? -- things may even improve, if anything, for most of the people who live on the ground there. We might not like how they improve but we have no business making that decision. And if they don't improve, it will be someone else's fault.
21
@Bruce Rozenblit: Keep in mind that, once again, this is a choice to abandon our Kurdish allies, this time to Erdogan in Turkey, who has vowed to crush them. Just like we did in 1975 to Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and in 1988, when we stood by while Hussein slaughtered them by the thousands with chemical weapons. But, hey, we get to sell more American-made arms, right? To the tune of $3.5B in Patriot missiles to Erdogan.
39
@Bruce Rozenblit-Agree. Very insightful coverage here:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/12/24/iraqs-post-isis-campaign-of-revenge
9
Why worry? As Trump said in a Fox News interview in June, 2015, "There's nobody bigger or better at the military than I am."
As for the Islamic State, Trump declared in November 2015 that "I know more about ISIS than the generals do. Believe me." When one of the generals essentially said in July 2016 that Trump is full of it, he replied "So a general gets on [television], sent obviously by Obama, and he said, 'Mr. Trump doesn't understand. He knows nothing about defense.' I know more about offense and defense than they will ever understand, believe me. Believe me. Than they will ever understand. Than they will ever understand."
No problemo! Like Trump's swooning stock market, his oft-promised, never-to-be "beautiful" healthcare program for all, that promised never-to-be "beautiful" Border wall that Mexico's going to pay for, and his claims of a "great victory" in the midterm elections, in which Republicans suffered the worst House defeat in U.S. history based on the popular vote, this is what "winning" looks in his delusional mind.
I'd advise the Kurds to watch their back.
725
@miller,
Don’t forget the Nobel Peace Prize he says he going to win for making North Korea willingly abandon their nuclear program, without US concessions. That happened, right? I mean, Trump said it did, and the evidence for their recent ramp up in production has obviously been misinterpreted by our “poor” “democratically controlled” intelligence agencies. Right? Right... ?
27
@Mark Hugh Miller
We've cynically used many groups as our proxies over the years; the Kurds must know this superpower trait. They also know that Turkey will never allow a semiautonomous Kurdish province on its southern border.
13
@Ms. Cat Right! Right! Hillary's very unfair intelligence agents!!! SAD! It takes a Very Smart, very Stable Genius Brain to see all this very mean Democrat Sabotage clearly.
9
Adelson, Bolton, Pompeo and the Foundation For The Defense of Democracies have been "managing" Trump in the direction of a war with Iran.
Trump said "I don't think so." Good for Trump.
8
There are of course strong prudential arguments for keeping the troops in place. But isn't anyone pleased that there is now one less Middle Eastern country in which American troops will be killed, even in small numbers?
10
Trump is right. Our engagements in the Middle East have been catastrophic. We are not able to see around the “corners” there so everything we do makes matters worse. And we have lost too many soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines. Times up! Let Putin play the game for a while. Let’s see how he likes it.
10
Much as I hate to agree with anything Mr. Trump does, he is right to withdraw American troops. I can only imagine the real reason the NYT finds his decision "alarming" is the NYT has reached the point they find anything he does alarming and the editorial board has simply stopped thinking beyond that.
The fact is, we should not send American soldiers to Syria or to Afghanistan or, for that matter, to Korea or Europe.
Military careerists will howl, but given the realities of technology in the 21st century, we need to rethink endless war and if Trump is good for anything, he might be good for ending entrenched, ossified thinking in this realm.
No matter how many men in bright uniforms with sparkly ribbons across their chests testify to the importance of ongoing military presence in far flung places across the globe, we have to listen to what folks in humble wool plaid are saying in the hamlets which provide the people who bear the arms there.
Trump won for many reasons, no doubt, but one reason had to be because enough citizens perceived continuing wrongheaded policies like endless war is important.
12
No body should look to people for Syria decision. people are already weary of the wars. So Trump did this, it is not cheering for Trump.
Trump doesn't care anybody's troubles, neither Syrians nor Americans.
So it is murky issue...……...
1
A few GOP members of Congress have the guts to speak out. Zero actually shout NO! What kind of President makes announcements of this import without consulting his advisors? The KING has spoken!!
Trump seems to be slipping into senility with the help of the weaselly members of his own party who don't care what he does as long as they are in power and can continue to tear down what's left of our democracy. Mitch McConnell says nothing.......and that says it all.
1
Withdraw from Syria and Afghanistan. I am now convinced that “liberals” are hypocrites. Both parties are war mongers.
9
Trump must be drooling at the thought of getting out of office and cashing in on the millions the Russians are dangling in front of him to enact their policies. I'm not yet convinced he'll spend the rest of his life behind bars but is there really any doubt that the White house is up for sale to who ever has cash for Trump?
1
Consistency is the key to the Trump reign. He is consistently wrong. Bolton should tell The Donald about the great opportunities for a golf resort in southern Syria - that will keep the troops in place.
1
Not madness but likely treachery. Kurds like so many other allies we've used in the past have been brutally betrayed. Trump sold them out and us out as well to shift the focus of the media and the American people away from his legal peril. Trump First!
I'd be willing to believe all those horrified at this decision (including you, NYT) if they could come up with a more reasonable and just exit plan from Syria for the US. ISIS was our only justification for being there. Iran will always be next door, and Russia has long term plans there. US troops will not change this. Assad will remain propped up by these two allies unless we go to war with them. The decision to get out is timely and proper, regardless of who or what party occupies the White House.
7
When viewing Trump's actions in the aggregate, including Tweets, speeches, and official decisions, it points to a mentally unstable individual who is very dangerous. He must not be allowed to remain in office given the danger he presents to our nation and to the rest of the world.
It now falls to the new Congress to take steps to right the ship of state and that means removing Trump from office via the 25th.
If you watch Trump's behavior before the cameras it is clear that he is impaired. His slurred speech and mispronounced words speak to his impairment, the cause of which is likely a combination of age, senility, and drugs.
1
If only Trump would read or listen to his intelligence briefings each day, but as we know, that would cut into his precious "executive time", causing him to miss watching Fox News or reading the NY Post or even (heaven forbid) cutting back on his ego-boosting rallies. Had he been paying attention, and truly supporting "his generals", he would have realized that withdrawing all troops from Syria on a whim would create a vacuum and place the Kurdish troops fighting the Islamic State in jeopardy. But those people aren't important to him - they don't vote in American elections - so to Trump, they are of no concern whatsoever. MAGA.
1
Trump's decision to withdraw the troops illegally sent to Syria alarms the war crimes perpetrators who are his national security and war complex advisers. The Americans who made the command decision to send troops to Syria should be considered criminals who abuse American power, and the troops who obeyed their commands should be considered war crimes perpetrators, too. These killers for the American empire are much worse than ISIS, which resulted from the crimes these American security state leaders committed in Iraq.
4
Donald Trump is a Buffoon, who thinks he knows more about anything than anyone, military experts, foreign policy experts, General's and all of the professionals; what we are now finding out that he seems to know how to collude with Russia and always seems to side with anything that gives Russian and Putin the advantage.
I only hope Donald Trump is removed from office before he does irreparable damage to our country and our alliances in the world.
Donald Trump is the First Illegitimate President of the United States and the most incompetent one, too.
3
By the time Trump is finally out of office, the credibility of the US in every aspect of foreign affairs will be thoroughly trashed. I don't like having our troops in the middle of dangerous and irreconcilable foreign disputes, but we do have to keep our international commitments and at least try to oppose the spread of ignorance, hatred and cruelty where we can. Trump obviously isn't the right man for the job.
3
Another instance of Trump's incredible gut, unfettered by facts, producing decisions that are better, according to Trump, than those of people who have devoted their academic and professional lives to the study of the complex issues with which a president must deal. Risking the future of the human race with the climate decision his gut produced is another example.
I should point out that since these decisions originate in the gut, there are two ways for them to emerge. I am quite sure I know which of the two exits is in use.
3
Putin doesn't care a bit about controlling ISIS in Syria, he'll let them establish bases and training centers in outlying areas that doesn't affect his military presence in Syria. Would they try to take out the Twin Towers again, just to spite us?
Wasn't it Trump that ripped Obama for removing troops from Iraq, leading to the spawning of ISIS in the first place? There was a point to Trump's argument. Our military presence there keeps a finger on the pulse of the situation. Our observers, not relying on Syrians and Russians to tell us, can at least keep ISIS off balance.
1
This is the smartest decision his administration has made. Syria became a land for foreign powers to show off their power America, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, Israel, and Turkey. Why these countries poked their noses into this very private revolution which turned into a civil war. No nation should decide what leadership is appropriate for its people.
5
It's nothing more than a play for ratings on the "I'm the President and You're NOT" television program. Trump's "base" is losing interest in the "reality" show now that the volume of true facts makes the cry of fake news, just that FAKE. What's very sad is that it appears no action by Trump is foul enough for anyone with ethics, morals and conviction to uphold the Constitution in his entourage to resign in protest. Matthis and Bolton are clearly emasculated to the point of humiliation. I've never understood how a military coup d'etat could occur in a democracy. However, at this point a coup d'etat by the military would be a relief not a shock.
2
The U.S. has a long tradition of making big messes in countries around the world and then abandoning the people who have taken big risks to help us. His Highness Trump is merely following this tradition, and making his BFF Vladimir happy and proud of little Donald at the same time.
5
So the Iraqi Kurds, who have done a lot of the bleeding in the ISIS war, get sold down the river. On the basis of what seems to be little more than a whim. No one, anywhere, will trust the United States again. The Pax Americana is over. On a point of detail, demolibizing US infrastructure will take more than 30 days and if the Mango Mussolini want 'to keep a promise', it means that a lot of valuable equipment will be abandoned, possibly to people that, in the ordinary course, we wouldn't want to see near it. He shows the same regard for financial discipline as he brought to his assorted businesses.
2
Well I for one still support President Obama. Obama grudgingly went to war in Syria to push back ISIS and end a humanitarian disaster. President Obama fought back hard against the generals to prevent the mission creep the NYT advocates here today. Russia was already on the ground in Syria when Obama ordered war. President Trump, to his credit, also pushed back against the generals and maintained the limited scope of the war at precisely what President Obama had set it. ISIS is done except for the gorilla fighting of mopping up the disparate remnants. That is a job for the locals. The humanitarian crisis is at the least stabilized. Syria has been a Russia client for two generations Assad's, the notion we are handing them a victory by this withdrawal is a denial of 40 year old facts.
If Congress wants more war, they have power to declare it. Let them do so.
4
Without being a conspiracist, the question has to be asked again, is it possible that Putin and possibly Saudi Arabia are threatening to expose something on Trump. From the beginning, coming down the escalator, there has been a bizarre relationship with Trump and Putin and MBS. Why all the lying and coverup by Trump and so many of his underlings. There are reasons that hopefully Robert Mueller will uncover. Finally, when will the Republican leadership stop enabling and act as an equal branch of government and demand answers ?
Trump has no experience or knowledge to deal with complex foreign policy issues. He is unqualified by experience, temperament, intellect,and character to deal with any policy issue. He is likely compromised by his business and financial dealings with Russian and Saudi interests. In short, I believe he is the greatest national security risk to American interest and world peace and stability. He needs to be removed from power before he does more irreparable harm to our country and the world. We need foreign affair professionals to make policy decisions until that time.
I often remind my daughter, life is a series of compromises. Nothing is perfect.
Syria is one of those compromises. There will never be a perfect situation for the U.S. to withdraw military forces from Syria. Today is not going to be any better or worse than tomorrow, or a year from now. The situation is contained. And that is the compromised. There are only bad options from here on. The problems with Syria is for Syrians to resolve. The have our support if the ever need it.
Having said that, there is an organization which could play a larger role in the Middle East and anywhere else for that matter, and that is the United Nations. This organization was created precisely for this type of turmoils, yet it has been conspicuously absent from this theater or anywhere else for that matter.
The U.N. useless role was evident in the 1990's Rwanda-Congo human misery and continues in Yemen today.
The U.S. has been charged with too much. We can no longer be the sole supporter of democratic principles and the the constant reminder of human value around the world. We need help. We've extended too much to be effective anywhere.
2
Ordering troops out of Syria, and removing sanctions from Deripaska's companies the same day - and getting approval notices from Putin the day after ... On a whim? I don't think so. Trump is following orders, or else acting to preserve himself against blackmail.
1
By removing American troops from Syria, Trump frustrates the ambitions of John Bolton, who would have expanded their presence as a first step in making war on Iran.
Viewed from the broader perspective, this was a sound move by Trump. The warmongers in both parties have been quick to condemn his decision, but sometimes the blind pig finds an acorn, and in this case we should be glad he did.
4
Trump’s decision on virtually anything and everything is alarming. It’s sickening. Of course we should not withdraw from Syria. And while we’re at it I hope this detested human being realizes he is ruining the retirements of millions of baby boomers with unbelievably stupid trade wars.
He couldn’t get the wall, so he wants to show how tough he is by pulling us out of Syria. Incompetence!
What the heck!!! This move by djt is because: he wants to sell arms to Turkey, be “the man” or what? If this actually comes to pass it will be the worst foreign policy decision? he has made. You people, I mean Ivanka, Jared and the rest of the inner circle STOP the man!
The Editorial Board admits that it has no knowledge of the White House internal deliberations, and simply assumes the process was inadequate. The U.S. had to concede Russia's leadership in Syria. Iran's influence will be limited to whatever Russia allows. There is no indication that Russia will tolerate ISIS in Syria.
As we well know, the Kurds can take care of themselves. Their battle is not our battle and their enemies are not necessarily ours.
Most also understand that Iran is not as bad as portrayed in the media. The world should not judge the U.S. by some inartful words of its President and the same goes for Iran. The wealthy princes of Saudi Arabia, our allies, are no better.
5
Congr is in an uproar over Syria yet (R)’s and (D)’s in Congr told Trump that only Congr can approve such decisions and they wouldn’t unless he explained the purpose and strategy. Congr did nothing and Trump went to war- violating the constitution and War Powers Act. Congr has repeatedly failed to challenge the wars beginning with Obama by doing nothing.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/14/us/politics/Congr-syria-trump.html
Obama went…” to war in Libya in 2011 without asking for congressional authorization. He also disdained the requirements of the 1973 [WPA] — which says the potus has 60 to 90 days after commencing hostilities to get approval from Congr or end the military operation.
“Obama did request Congr’al approval in 2013 for an attack on Syria, but failed… and backed off. In 2015, well after he began bombing [ISIS]… he asked for a resolution supporting the campaign… when lawmakers did nothing, he didn't let that keep him from proceeding as before.
“For too long, presidents have been able to monopolize these decisions because… a looming fight has caused members of Congr — fearful of punishment from displeased voters — to go AWOL. When Obama wanted approval to go after the Islamic State, Congr should have passed a resolution granting it… should have voted the resolution down. Instead, our elected representatives dawdled, dithered and dodged.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-trump-syria-war-Congr-edit-0411-jm-20170410-story.html
4
I am disappointed in this decision primarily because it demonstrates a lack of organized and coherent policy in the region where it's needed the most.
Obama pacifism was also alarming, enabling bullies around the world to overrun Crimea, claim the south pacific, put tanks in eastern Ukraine, and jail journalists in Turkey, Russia, etc etc.
Yes, this move is ill advised.
But given the daily dart throwing at President Trump, the NY Times credibility is doubtful as any excuse is good enough to rake muck. Perhaps the editors could seek intellectual honesty and balance in their reporting, throwing darts at both sides when appropriate?
4
I'm not seeing arguments that the troops we currently have in Syria are accomplishing, or are sufficient to accomplish, specific goals that are important to our national interests. They seem to be there to dissuade other actors from doing things we don't want, but there aren't enough of them to prevent such things militarily, which is always a dangerous position to be in. But the U.S. hasn't been a serious actor in Syria since Obama drew and then fudged his "red line" on gas attacks. We need to stop perpetuating situations where we know we aren't going to accomplish what we want, but don't want to leave because it makes us look bad. That's not an appropriate use of soldiers' lives.
5
I guess the War on Iraq promoted by Judy Miller and Michael Gordon was not enough for The Times, now you want to punish Syria with more war! Americans are fed up with paying for this Hillary Clinton misguided foreign adventure. As a tourist to Syria in 2000 my heart breaks to see photos of the destruction there. Russia has always had a strong economic relationships with Syria, so what if they have access to a port. You are so wrong again. Time to get out of the Middle East, and stay out!
11
Sorry NYT editorial board, this is an absurd editorial. We are not at war with Syria nor are they any kind of threat to the United States, so we have no right or moral obligation to have military personnel on the ground in Syria, period. Have you already forgotten our most recent Middle East success stories, Iraq and Afghanistan? Or have you simply lost the backbone to oppose war for the sake of war.
14
Trump is incapable of making strategic decisions. He bought and sold real estate for Pete's sake, and looks to simplistic solutions and rhetoric to sound presidential. He doesn't listen, does not read, and acts on his "gut" feelings. This isn't informed foreign policy; it's reckless impulsiveness based on his ego. No wonder the rest of the world does not trust the U.S. We have an imbecile in charge, who operates in a vacuum all of his own making.
1
I had this wrong. When Russia first went in I thought they could not sustain themselves there politically or militarily. I thought they would be bounced out with a mix of sides who would resist outsiders and US/European pressure would make it hard on Putin. US involvement would be indefinite due to our support for Israel and our opposition to Russia. I would add that the US could not trust the Turks not to crush the Kurds and that would keep our attention.
I'm not so sure that in the long run this is a 'gift' to Putin and Russia, but it sure looks that way in the short run. I am wondering how this is playing in Israel. How can Trump now be seen as an improvement from Obama for them? Did he even consult with them?
The decision does look very chaotic. Apparently Trump thinks everyone but the authoritarian regimes are expendable.
Without expressing support for our lunatic president, I say you guys should remember he was elected because among other reasons for his intent to get US troops out of Syria.
Yesterday the Russians announced their airwar has almost stopped and its handful of daily sorties are mostly for intelligence gathering. But the Obama/Trump air war continues?
5
“We have won against ISIS.”
I’m waiting for Trump to declare “We have won against cancer,” which would be rooted in reality just as much.
1
Trump troop withdrawal from Syria is something Putin will like. So is lifting sanctions on companies owned by Russian oligarchs—the other thing Trump just did. Smells like a rat to me.
2
Commenters who are ascribing specific motives to Trump’s decision to withdraw troops are merely second-guessing a lunatic.
2
When the going gets tough, Trump beats feet and declares victory.
He of the short attention span and hair-trigger temper is not into anything for the long haul. That’s hard work. That’s for “stupid people.” Trump is smarter than all those fools who believe life is complex; that answers are not simple; that progress demands hard, painstaking work; and that unalloyed victories are few and far between.
Trump need only bend the world to his will and the world will immediately yield. Just ask him. He can tell you all about it. When what is true and what is false melts into an undifferentiated mass of chaos, success and failure are barely distinguishable from one another. And a mass of chaos is all that Trump ever has accomplished - in his personal life, in his businesses, and now in his ‘presidential’ administration.
It’s a fool’s paradise, and millions of fools appear willing to join him there.
Ridiculous lack of planning - soldiers left will be in harms way. No one at the Pentagon consulted, no Senator/Rep consulted. Looks like he got an order from Putin. Russia & Iran win big on this. Kurdish allies betrayed and will be slaughtered en masse.
1
He does?
"If John Bolton has any integrity, and he does have integrity ... "
2
Putin is cashing out. Putin knows Trump will be checkmated starting in January, so he only has a limited time to cash in his chips. Trump is compromised and now needs to pay up. There'll be more "incomprehensible" behavior coming from the traitor Donald Trump.
2
This is the kind of history-blind “real-politic” thinking that leads you into and leaves you in a quagmire for five, ten, fifteen years. If you haven't seen enough of this in this world over the past fifty years - or perhaps from some study of history during the fifty years), you are, quite likely unteachable.
Finally individual-1 assumes his executive power dictatorship. He’ll have that border wall if it kills us. Making matters worse, Individual-1 finally realizes he’s a one “termer”. He’s all messed up with everything for show.
Sad to think individual-1 works for Russia,Turkey and Iran at the expense of the US and Israel.
This is what happens when a reckless, narcissistic, uniformed person who has zero foreign policy is elected President. As many others have said, this is nothing more than a ploy to change the narrative from the increasing legal jeopardy he and his family is in.
Is this what Trump and Putin discussed at their secret meeting in Helsinki ?
With one giant leap he..... changes the news cycle.
When are we going to learn, all Donald Trump cares about is Donald Trump, no matter what negative things happen to US citizens and allies? He is disgusting.
1
The Israelites wanted their "Promised" home land and got it with billions of American dollars.
The Kurds want their home land and we turn our back on them.
What is wrong with this picture ?
As a former Navy officer, I can tell you that current serving members of our proud military think POTUS is a fool and a liar. The military is loyal. We believe in America. We spend our lives for America. We have a solemn code of duty, service and integrity. We stand in harm's way so that others do not have to.
Current POTUS is not someone we can admire.
2
So who will be the next foreign policy personnel to throw up their hands in disgust or confusion, and head out the door?
Well, the Russians and Iranians will be happy.
What do you expect from a "know it all" draft dodger? He's a clear danger to our country because his arrogance makes him believe that only he knows what's right. He's more dangerous than Russia and North Korea combined. Can no one stop him?
Again trump just gives away leverage. I thought Trump was a great deal maker? He asked for nothing from Assad in exchange for troop withdrawal? How about a ban on chemical weapons? Or some security for the Kurds? Additionally didn't Trump say he was smarter than the generals and opine about how stupid the Obama administration was for announcing to the enemy their plan? So now Assad and Iran just wait 30 days before they gas the Kurds and slaughter the remaining population?
He delivers fun to his base. That is all he does, for them, having robbed them blind.
“An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin“
What do you get for the authoritarian kleptocrat who has everything?
"An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin..."
What a surprise.
Trump is dirty. He is immoral. His actions are now and always have been driven by his personal and business corruption. The sooner this grifter is impeached and removed from office the better.
Putin must be stunned at how, with a little online shopping, he bought this gift that just keeps on giving and giving.
1
This is a. Combination of kompromat payback and deflection from Trump’s legal problems.
Will we see Trump flee the country and ask for Putin’s protection?
President Trump, Thanks for not listening to the Neocon and Liberal Hawks including those in your administration like Bolton who has somehow become a newfound fan of the NYT Editorial Board. These Hawks have been wrong for 15 years and had the complete submission of Bush and Obama.
4
If we had a President who was sane I would say hooray! Even Putin doubts Trumps motives and knows he is a liar. We should take our troops out of the middle east because every time we get involved we make matters worse. The Russians, Turkey, Kurds, Iranians, and ISIS deserve each other.
2
Nonsense.
All of Trump's top key advisers agree with this move.
From Benjamin Netanyahu to Vladimir Putin to Ivanka Trump to Jared Kushner to Mike Pence to Kim Jong Un to Recep Erdogan to Mohammed bin Salman there is nothing but love and happiness and smirks and smiles with Trump's" really big brain smart I know more than the generals about ISIS" smooth move.
MAGA!
As many have said, over and over.... he is a CLEAR and PRESENT DANGER.... Congress must act....
1
It is looking more and more like Putin is pulling Trump's strings. Trump is not clever enough to come up with a strategy on Syria by himself, but this seems to have come out of nowhere. Putin certainly must have some big kompromat on Trump. Hopefully Mueller gets to the bottom of this.
I would ask anyone who claimed that there has been no collusion with Russia, prove it to me.
I want any Trump supporter or backer, show me one time where Donald Trump has not done Vladimir Putin's bidding, Trump actions time and time again, are one's as if Putin was his only adviser.
When was that Donald Trump first claimed that he had nothing to do with Russia or no one in his campaign had anything to do with Russia?
Donald Trump is a Traitor!
1
It is high time to call Trump what he perceives himself to be, a ruler with total power over the country. That is clearly the definition of an authoritarian or dictator. The question now is how and when to stop him before he continues on his dangerous path of dominance over us all. Where is the oversight and leadership to act in our best interests?
1
One thing this editorial does is demonstrate that many of Trump’s critics can be as incoherent and unprincipled as he is. You could argue that we should support the Kurds, though if so you should carefully explain how you will deal with Turkish hostility. You should also explain why it is legitimate for the US to send troops into other countries without their permission. Can anyone do this? What happened to that global order we constantly hear people yammering about? It doesn’t seem to apply to us.
But you can’t criticize Trump by citing people like John Bolton and Lindsay Graham, unless you support their desire to impose America’s will by force whenever possible. Bolton has an obsession about Iran— there are many people in Washington who favored the Iraq War and would love to do the same in Iran. So by all means, if you favor our forever war in the Mideast and if anything, want it greatly expanded, then you should keep right on citing John Bolton as some sort of authority figure that we need to take seriously.
5
was against ur intervention in Syria and under most circumstances I would welcome the end of our involvement there. It was ill-advised interventionism without a goal or an endpoint. However, I view this announcement by Donald Trump in the same light as his announcement of a possible middle-class tax cut just prior to the last election. It's an attention diverter - designed to make us look "over there" in order to not pay attention to his mounting legal problems here at home. Foreign policy driven by the needs of the occupant of the Oval Office. What could possibly go wrong?
We cannot occupy and continue to prop up every single troubled country. Democracy is messy and imperfect; e.g. 1861-1865; but each nation and citizens must fight for their own. Our nation has provided monetary relief to this area for decades and some times nature just has to run its course. I know this statement is not politically correct and may offend some but it is the cold hard truth.
4
It’s ironic to see the “ liberal” NYT siding with warmongers like John Bolton. Not surprising, to be honest. But ironic if you didn’t know how often the NYT has supported military intervention.
There seems to be this unspoken assumption that the US has the right to send troops anywhere it wants and to supply weapons to whomever it chooses. We haven’t done anything right in the Middle East for decades now. Our interventions have accomplished nothing except to make money for the military industrial complex and to create reasons for more interventions. That’s probably the real motivation anyway. It never stops. Our fight against ISIS involved a bombing campaign that was as brutal as the Russian bombing in Aleppo— one has to wonder if we sowed the seeds for future terrorist groups wanting revenge. We fed weapons to our “ moderate” rebel friends. A study by the EU showed that many of those weapons quickly ended up in the hands of ISIS.
One reason for keeping troops in Syria was as as a way to counter Iran. Many on the right have an obsession with Iran, including Bolton. This is why the decision to pull the troops out is a surprise. But pointing that out would complicate the narrative. Yes, Trump’s foreign policy is incoherent, but so are the attitudes of many of his critics, who seem to take our endless military interventions as the natural state of affairs.
11
And here I thought our presence in Syria, or at least a significant part of why we were there, was to act as a brake on Assad's and Russia's genocidal (against his own people!?) impulses.
But Trump's bromance with Putin and his proclivity to admire murderous despots in general is in no way a factor in this decision.
No president of the United States has behaved so recklessly in modern times. This should not be allowed to continue.We the people didn't elect this mess of a man,The world stage is shaken by his every misstep. Republicans are derelict in performing their sworn duty to protect the country from foreign adversaries i.e. Russia and Saudi influences on the world stage
Please Mueller hurry up and end this fake presidency.
Right here is where Trump has crossed the line from being stupid, lazy, and crazy to being outright dangerous. I am politically conservative and have no political allies on the left, but this is the breaking point. The primary beneficiary of this is Putin, making it impossible to avoid at least flirting with dark thoughts.
2
This entire editorial (and the entire societal debate) reeks of gangster logic, one group of gangsters (the US) against another (Russia). The stakes are high - it's a corridor of a maze that leads to global empire / domination. I'm reminded of this scene from Catch Me If You Can:
Frank Abagnale Sr.: You know why the Yankees always win, Frank?
Frank Abagnale, Jr.: 'Cause they have Mickey Mantle?
Frank Abagnale Sr.: No, it's 'cause the other teams can't stop staring at those damn pinstripes.
Trump, Obama, Putin, the Times, et al, are always showing us the pinstripes, not the reality under those uniforms. The Syrian people are suffering horribly, pawns in this global chess game (sorry for the mixed metaphor or whatever it the switch from baseball to chess is, which if that bothers you, you are mesmerized by the pinstripes).
4
“We’re going to win so much, you’re going to be so sick and tired of winning.”
--- Donald Trump
Well, he got that right.
Americans are finally sick and tired of winning.
2
There is only one plausible explanation: The President of the United States is Kompromat. As such, he does his handler’s bidding over the objections of his cabinet, his party, his military command and the intelligence community. All in service of
делая Америку великой снова.
Usually it's a sneak attack. But for trump, it's a sneak surrender. Indeed, trump as our commander in chief, he'd surrender immediately to small nation of Grand Fenwick and Field Marshall Tully Bascombe - played by Peter Sellers in the documentary film "The Mouse that Roared."
How can this nation cede it's entire collective intelligence and intellect and hard won experience - not to mention lives in service to our nation - to a dunce in the Oval office???!!! How is that possible?
1
"Trump’s Decision to Withdraw From Syria Is Alarming. Just Ask His Advisers." ----- no. just ask israel.
Trump's declaration to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria hopefully signals the beginning of the end to American hegemony and its ensuing destruction in the Middle East and elsewhere. And while it would be a controversial shift in policy for any U.S. president, it’s especially so for Trump.
And as for concern that American withdrawal from Syria will create a vacuum that paves the way for more Russian involvement, please recall when the U.S. provided support for Afghanistan’s Mmujahedeen rebels to help expel the then-Soviet Union's troops. History bears painful witness to those dire consequences.
But the detractors will counter that this is a different situation and that America’s presence is vital. Sounds very much like the same rationale that was employed regarding the wasted efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and so on.
5
Trump needed a crisis to distract us from his legal perils. Is this it?
Trump thinks he can use the savings for this withdrawal to build his wall.
1
Trump and his administration sending mixed signals?
Trump sends mixed signals all on his own.
If this decision didn’t directly benefit Russia, I would be all for it. It is high time to end our interventions in the Middle East since, aside from creating messes and enriching our industrial-military complex, we have proven that we are not capable of doing anything worthwhile.
But, there is this “if”, and it hangs over Mr. Trump’s head like a whispering little spider.
1
It is about time.. This country cannot continue this imperial American policy of dominating the world with a military that has not won a war since WW II. A military that is siphoning off our assets so that we can no longer support the needs of this country and it's people.
As far as the NY Times editorial writers, remember their support for the Iraq war and their lack of investigating George Bush and his administration with their lies.
Enough said.
5
Since none of our top military and political leaders are backing this, it has to be that Trump is following Putin's orders.
45 is a traitor.
1
What a deeply misleading image you’ve run accompanying this piece.... troops turning their back on a country crushing civilians .... that’s such gross mischaracterization of what’s happening there and what caused it... this conflict was created by religious and ethnic tribalism in a part of the world that is firmly stuck in that paradigm as a the impetus to kill people and commit atrocities . If the Times editorial board thinks the US military alone can heave a nation and populace into secular democratic thought, you’re frankly dangerous and delusional. This is exactly what you pulled 15 years ago and trust me, a lot of us remember that .
4
Hard to know who to trust, a freaky president or the military industrial complex or a congress in the pockets of weapons manufacturers.
3
Democraats: "Business as usual with Trump."
Republicans: "Oh my GOD... everybody scramble! The President is making decisions again!"
Trump must be very confident indeed that the GOP Senate is as amoral and traitorous as himself. In full view of the world, Trump just paid Putin for his election assistance by handing him control of the middle east, without any attempt to dissemble, at the cost of allies, human lives and American power. This is so blatant a gift to Putin that I am gobsmacked. And on the very same day that he released Deripaska from sanctions, in effect easing any pressure on Manafort to cooperate by paying his debts.
When the GOP do their duty and remove this Manchurian candidate from office? Why aren't they? Are they as compromised by Russian money as the president?
1
As if he hadn't done enough damage all over, this lunatic is sending a monkey wrench in the most volatile region in the world, creating a power vacuum at the centre of the powder keg. Stop him!! We humans have nowhere to go for cover.
An emergency session of the Cabinet and Senate should block this mad move and start discussing the removal of this monster from the presidency. Israeli, Turkish, Iraqi and Jordanian governments should send messages of alarm to this administration. Handing over Syria to Putin and Hezbollah is sure to lead to chaos and war. Betraying the Kurds send an ominous message to all present and future allies. Trump is really bent on destroying America! Maybe he is already planning his escape to Russia.
1
Maybe if Mr. Netanyahu got up and said he's been good to us, but not this time.
2
This further shows that Trump is an 'asset' of Putin.
1
I hear Russian music and see Trump dancing. And Putin is clapping.
Meanwhile, DOJ just announced that Whitaker is not ethically required to recuse himself from the Special Counsel’s investigation.
Please Mr. Mueller, hurry!
Trump's supply line is Fox News and that ilk.
The Pro-War New York Times does it again. They are in lock step with the Military-Industrial complex that wants to keep the Middle-East permanently occupied by U.S. troops.
5
"An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, who has been working hard to supplant American influence in the region . . . "
What a surprise.
If it looks like a treasonous puppet, talks like a treasonous puppet, and makes policy decisions like a treasonous puppet . . .
1
Trump's capricious ruling is either a distraction from his legal, and moral, trouble; or 'shooting from the hip' unhinged move from a sick mind trying to make sense of the world. Either way, it is a cowardly betrayal of the Kurds, that were counting on American steadiness to sink ISIS ship (incognito till ready to strike again as the U.S. 'retires' it's troops as ordered by the pseudo-commander in-chief. Irrational, as usual. So, what's new?
It's not hard to understand once you realize he thinks he's King, not President.
On the very same day that Individual -1 presents Vlady Dearest with an early Christmas gift by withdrawing from Syria, he doubles down by lifting sanctions on two Russian companies owned by Oleg Deripaska, Putin’s close associate and former (?) employer of Paul Manafort. With this to-Russia-with-love, win- win, maneuver, at least no one can say that Trump isn’t transparent.
And just how long will this Commander-in-Chief charade continue? He is no leader. As for withdrawing US troops from Syria, other than belly-dancing, Trump has not an inkling of Middle Eastern history, culture or politics. His military experience is limited to his signing of the exemption form disqualifying him for military service. If the Cabinet was not so gutless and incompetent - they would (as they can) remove him from office. And how can the Senate give tacit approval to a remarkably stupid and damaging decision which will please Putin, Assad, ISIS and Iran. This man not only should be impeached - he MUST be impeached.
It’s simple, Erdogan promised Trump that Turkey would build him a new hotel, if he’d remove US troops so Turkey could slaughter our Kurd allies.
1
Trump is a loose canon and Republican Congress is just craven. We are so eft.
Just when you thought it couldn't get ANY stupider...the stable genius gets another whim.
WE can rest easy, however. Vladimir thinks that Donald is absolutely correct. They are friends, you know...
I am in favor of withdrawing all U.S. troops from Syria. Obviously, it needs to be done in a methodical manner. But what’s the alternative — to keep them there forever? For all the pundits and politicians who are condemning this decision, why don’t you volunteer to join the military so you can fight and die for your so-called ideals. War without end is not the answer to any of our global problems.
3
The midterms are over. No more rallies to go to. No pep fests. The drip drip of the Mueller investigation cannot be silenced. This is all about trump needing to make himself the center of attention with a big win. Mind you, a win in his mind only. Give it a few more hours and trump will be proclaiming that he, and only he, won the war in Syria.
Lindsey Graham, "blindsided?" Blind is more like it: he's so busy kissing up to Trump these days that he's forgotten how deep into Putin's hot tub Trump has sunk. I used to believe that Graham could think--yeah, he could come up with a lot of wrong answers, but at least there was some thought usually involved. He's stopped thinking where Trump is concerned. He like virtually all of the GOP are playing deaf, dumb and blind about Trump and his decision-making processes. Ask Putin if he's surprised. I'd bet against that.
The mad king rages and the world trembles. There is no strategy, no foreign policy goal, no reasoned judgement, just a whimsical "look what I can do" from someone who is becoming more and more isolated from his administration, from the country, from reality. Maybe this is just a reaction to the loss of his stupid wall funding. Either way, the real leaders in Congress should take note of the irrationality.
I would not be surprised to learn that this ain't gonna happen. Or that the troops will be sent directly to the U.S. / Mexico border to install "artistically designed steel slats that you can see through". Or that they'll return to star in a Grand Victory Parade down Park Avenue, where Individual-1 will shoot someone, just to prove a point.
Haddad (a Syrian) writes:
"I am of Syrian descent. I don't see what purpose the U.S. troops were serving in Syria ... "
If you ever figure that out, be sure to let us know, OK?
3
Today’s bit of Trump chaos should be no surprise. It’s an everyday thing. In terms of impact, minimal—except maybe to hasten the arrival of his abandonment by his Republican protectors.
Sweet (surprising?) irony here—NYT editors citing John Bolton as a strategic, or is it moral?, authority.
1
Turkey (the country) pay back time.
Ease the pressure on the Saudi crown prince while simultaneously assuaging Turkey by leaving Kurds in Syria on their own.
Brilliant? Only if you're a trickster named Kushner who says "peace" consists of ramming Israeli fantasies down the throats of Palestinians, with the necessary Saudi support and cover.
I have no sympathy for the Kurds. They are just as self serving and devious as Trump/Kushner/Flynn/Cohen/Manafort et al. Leaving them to their own machinations is not the problem. It is the Kushner/Trump (actually Israeli) game plan, that is. Wanna bet I have it right? Wanna lose a bet?
1
Isis is the least of the worries. Assad is the dangerous person. Why doesn't he go out and gas Isis instead of his own people? Why should my tax dollars help a murderer?
And once again, Putin wins. In plain sight, an American president benefits Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah against the advice of the Pentagon, the Military, and Congress. In plain sight, an American president abandons allies and paves the way for the revival of Isis. In plain sight, America follows an erratic, unstable, self-serving fool.
Trump's handing Syria to Putin. Is anyone surprised?
The editorial boils down to “The American withdrawal is likely also to worry Israel...” which apparently needs our military presence in Syria, allegedly to counter Iranian and Russian proxies there. It’s a view that ignores the Chechyan terrorist supporters there fighting Russia and the Israeli supported Syrian terrorist factions fighting Iran.
As in the beginning of our Vietnam military quagmire, our token 500 troops cannot get any “job done” at that level, but serve only to require increasing numbers as in Vietnam until they and their casualties number in the thousands.
That we have no general strategic interests in Syria under Assad means nothing if the concern of the editorial includes Israel’s Zionist ambitions to neutralize the Assad’s autocratic regime. Nor does it bother our think tank and Pentagon’s military intellectuals and the Times that all our token troop presence will do is to buttress another Israeli land claim of Syrian land, the Israeli occupied Golan Heights seized from Syria during the last major war between Israel and Syria.
In addition to Israel’s failure to address the Palestinian grievance against Israel, the other obstacle to peace also generates a war by other means than politics - that is, terrorism by ISIS and the other foreigners. And that is the bitter Syrian claim uniting all Syrian fractions against the Israeli seizure of the Golan Heights.
2
He is his own deep state.
Take away that man’s phone and Twitter account before he finishes destroying our democracy and reputation, all for the sake of his own big fat ego and his personal finances! He is dangerous and acts on his own impulses rather than ask and listen to people who actually know what they’re doing.
"Pundits said it was too early to determine if this might be the stimulation required for the republican in Congress to begin to grow spines and learn to stand up for America."
It’s been a while now so please remind me again what the Editorial Board thought when Barack Obama ordered our troops out of Iraq? Alarming or the right move?
Sorry, Syria. Our President is a corrupt, treasonous criminal working for the Russians and his own self interests. People in your country will suffer and die because no Republican in Congress or any of Trump advisors will stand up to stop him. On behalf of sane, compassionate Americans, please except our worthless apologies.
How many blatant examples of foreign agent compromise and corruption do we need to see from the supposed leader of the free world? 5? 10? 500? Our Foreign Agent in Chief is giving us plenty every day!
I don't know what I find more disgusting: The fact that Trump is acting on behalf of Russia and other enemies of our country, or that my government does nothing to stop him.
1
If Obama had made this same decision, you’d have called it “brave” instead of “alarming.” So which is it?
3
I applaud the decision of the President to withdraw the troops.
We have been at war in the middle east for 20 years and it has achieved nothing despite the cost in lives and money. If ISIS grows again we an go back in and destroy them again. I deplore the New York Times which has always supported war in the middle east and if you remember supported the lies about weapons of mass destruction.
4
Does Trump communicate with Putin and is anyone else aware of what they talk about?
The coward in chief is acting as if sometime in the near future a big war breaks out, he realizes , he won’t know what to do, so getting off the playing field is the best option...for a non leader.
I doubt that Trump could find Syria on a map of Syria.
1
How much longer do you think it will take for President Trump to realize that he’s the only person left in this country who hasn’t perceived his panic pattern?
1. As a distraction, President announces his intention to do something ill-considered and potentially damaging.
2. Over the next week or two, President reveals that he has no knowledge or reason to justify his proposed action.
3. As a favor to the world, and as one more accomplishment to add to his imaginary list, the president quietly and begrudgingly reverses his most recent distracting decision.
We just finished up the drama of Trump throwing a temper tantrum and delivering an ultimatum that he’ll accept responsibility for shutting down the federal government if he doesn’t get $5 billion for his ill-considered and potentially damaging WALL.
How did that work out, Mr. Trump?
No one was distracted from your legal problems.
You wound up changing your mind.
No shut down.
This Syria ploy isn’t going to do what you hope it’s going to do.
Everyone, but you, sees through this chldish nonsense.
Please. Give this circulsr plan up. We need you to cut it out. It’s so old, so lame.
Over and over and over...
1
A strategic blunder? Who cares, as long as it changes the topic away from a Border Wall cave-in a criminal Foundation.
Trump is "a moron".
That was said at least twice by his former Secretary of State. Why?: because Trump saw no place for American leadership. The CEO of the world just sees money. He just doesn't get the mantle of world leadership. He apparently sees responsibility exercised on a geopolitical stage as idealism promoted by suckers. America first, married to a narcissistic deal maker is how foreign affairs are conducted. I don't dare refer to foreign POLICY with this president. That would take a commitment to learning and listening and respect for deeply rooted knowledge. We don't do policy. Trump just looks for opportunities to prance on a stage and be the straw that stirs the drink. I don't know if this decision will be the best one. Because the problem about the decision is entirely how it was arrived at.
Policy is reputedly forged by expertise. Instead, it has been supplanted by belief in personal power and satisfaction of ego. What we have is a collection of underqualified and inexperienced interlopers instead, led by the Trump family. One more business-style venture, led by a man whose major life's ambition is seeing his name in gold lettering in the sky. There is no difference between America first and Trump first. Our leader cannot conceive of any difference between the two. A world order being supplanted not by a new understanding and a plan. Just an ego to whom nuance is unacceptable and holding the line is unfathomable when winning must be everything.
1
He just wants to please Putin in order to have a place to flee prior to his conviction.
America's involvement in Syria has been disastrous. Propping up rebel factions with ties to IS and continually fanning the flames of civil war in the country. Every action taken by the United States in Syria has made the conflict longer, bloodier, and more ideologically polarized.
How would the people in this country supporting this farce appreciate China "intervening" on behalf of the American people to remove the Trump regime by supporting rebel factions that tear our country apart in bloody civil war for a decade, killing and displacing millions of people? And if China aided and abetted known terrorist organizations operating in the country?
The minute you start weighing a "moral stance" against millions of dead bodies you've lost any semblance of moral high ground.
47
@Joel
Agree. Well done.
@Joel
Isn't that exactly what the Chinese and Republicans are doing? Except a) they support Trump, but are using him to destroy our democracy, and b) they are using the internet and media to cost-effectively achieve their ends. This is a disruption designed to destroy our country, it is wrong, and it is what makes the Mueller investigation so important. We are being attacked, the defense seems sadly lacking. Our problem in Syria, like in the Middle East, is that abandoning ourselves/them to Russia and China is really not the answer.
5
I don't disagree so much with the decision to withdraw US troops from Syria as with the way in which the decision was made and announced. Apparently, Trump woke up Wednesday morning and decided that withdrawal was a good idea. (Perhaps, it would provide a distraction from his mounting legal troubles.) It is clear that he consulted with no one - other than his image in the mirror. His national security advisors were blindsided, his cabinet was out of the loop, the Pentagon was uninformed, Congressional leaders were not consulted, and our allies were on the outside. What could possibly go wrong? If anyone doubts that our nation is now an autocracy, Trump's behavior this week should put all doubts to rest.
What a ridiculous argument.
The New York Times siding with John Bolton and the military industrial complex?
This kind of thinking goes back to the Kennedy Administration, when the Pentagon brass tried to get JFK to engage with the Russians in Cuba.
Last March 23rd, the editorial board published an article entitled "Yes John Bolton is that Dangerous."
Now the Times wants to take is advice?
I am so tired of the Times, the Washington Post, CNN, et all, clowning Trump because they can't stand him on a personal level. I don't care who is in office; I want "who" to enact policy.
One can make all the geopolitical arguements one wants; we are STILL in a 17 YEAR war in Afghanistan.
I would direct anyone in favor of continuing engagement to watch the film "Hurt Locker."
I grew up on the upper west side;I consider myself left of center, yet I grow tired of the armchair upper west siders
trying to dictate policy.
Please, take a minute to think about "The Big Picture."
10
So Lindsey Graham wants to “hold hearings” on our withdrawal from Syria. How about, while doing so, he lead a discussion of passing a declaration of war, as required by our constitution for the use of our military. Congress won’t do that because then they’ll actually have to be responsible.
Trump is an abomination, but most Americans want less of their hard earned dollars squandered on wars and other military presence abroad, especially in the Middle East.
3
"...there is no indication that Mr. Trump has thought through the consequences of a precipitous withdrawal...."
And there you have it. Trump's response to everything comes unencumbered by the thought process (apologies to Tom and Ray Magliozzi).
We can hardly wait for ISIS to take over Baltimore and proclaim it an American Caliphate while Trump writes nasty Twitter messages blaming Obama and Hillary Clinton for not having won the fight in Syria before he was forced to withdraw the troops.
1
I wonder what Erdogan and Trump discussed in their Friday phone call. The coming slaughter of thousands of Kurds in northeast Syria, better known to locals as Rojava? This is about the only place in the Middle East where women enjoy equal rights with men. And teaming with US Special Forces and air power, their soldiers — men and women alike — have proved themselves to be the most effective fighting force in the region. With the withdrawal of US forces from Rojava, they are left nakedly exposed to a massive Turkish invasion. The blood of the brave Kurds will be on Trump’s forever.
This decision by Donnie again reinforces his love of authoritarian dictators. He has given Turkey’s leader an early Christmas present by serving the Kurds to him on a platter
As always, the Donald is doing what is best for the country. That country being Russia.
Remember that opinion piece from someone high up in the Trump Administration who states "I work for the president but like-minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations."
Well, where the heck are they now? And are you ready to apologize for that inane opinion yet because wise Americans are really quite worried.
1
The Pentagon and lawmakers were blindsided by Trump''s decision to withdraw troops from Syria and also surprised that we have won the war against ISIS. This is Trump's decision. Who believes he made this decision without his friend Putin's input? I don't. Trump can't leave office fast enough for me. He is not a patriot. He is a traitor to all the military and the country. I will even take Pence who does not believe in the separation of church and state. I am an atheist.
Putins puppet Trump regime helped him win this war. The US generals should have a coup against this chaotic unhinged leader . His remaining two years will be a nightmare for us and the free world.
1
trump must be removed from power before he does more damage to the country and by extension the world. Ship him back to NY to count his money or, better still, to Russia.
Here’s my reasoning:
Trump is for it.
Putin is for it.
Therefore I’m against it!
1
Two Trump Towers in Turkey. A desire for a Trump Tower Moscow and closeness with his good buddy Putti.
Would that have anything to with his decision? Perhaps positioning himself for big(ger) bucks in 2021 when he leaves the White House?
Maybe a way to get away from his domestic troubles and make Syria the shiny bauble of the day?
I trust no honorable, thought-out 'policy' from this president.
Sorry, Kurds. Once again, we're leaving you high and dry and vulnerable.
Who's happy today? Putin is happy (he just said so in his end of year presser). Erdogan happy. Iran happy today. Mattis? Not happy.
1
How this is handled by this administration, is a hit to our nations credibility for being reliable.
This may only be prelude to the dangerous things this man will do when the Mueller report comes out. Thousands of people somewhere in the world may die.
Make America not matter at all. Make the world a much more dangerous place. This is what Trump meant. He's the man who would be king & we know how that ended. Putin just got his Holiday gift.
What is with the paranoia about Iran? ISIS, al-Qaeda, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, and many more are all Sunni Muslims and funded and supported by Saudi Arabia. Islamic terrorism is a Sunni specialty. Why are Shiite Muslims and Iran so much more of a threat than Sunni Muslims and Saudi Arabia?
2
i dont recall the nyt getting upset when obama ignored his generals/military advisers when it came to afghanistan and iraq withdrawals.
the nyt has little credibility. they are part of the trump derangement syndrome i see everywhere. nothing trump does is correct. nothing. its ok for obama to use his wisdom and make a decision against his advisers, but trump? god forbid. not allowed.
i have bad news-lincoln also defied his generals. guess what. not all generals know what they are doing. not the end of the world to go with your gut and ignore them. that's why we have presidents and not generals making these decisions. i dont want a rubber stamp in the WH.
4
How readily Americans, including headline writers at the NYT (News Article today headed: "A Strategy of Retreat in Syria, With Echoes of Obama;.") accept the toxic procedures of Trump as normal. Obama never made policy via twitter. Obama never acted without consulting his advisers. He absolutely never announced a major decision in this thuggish, self-serving way. Truly, many Americans simply accept the prevailing winds as normal. How will they be able to adapt to the standard ways of governance?
2
@Des Johnson. ironically, obama had the worst foreign policy. not one success. under his watch, we saw russia's adventurism in ukraine and syria, isis ascendant, china abusing trade, a deal with iran which gave her milions$$$ for more terror and advenurism, iraq movongh closer to iran, abandoning egypt etc etc etc. So why are you so pleased with obama's method? because he killed osama?
Because he was a statesman who tried; and tried in accordance with accepted norms of decency. You make my point for me: that style is no longer important in American affairs. For example, you repeat the canard that he gave Iran $million. He didn't. He released their frozen funds. His agreement was a good one, and it took two international pariahs to wreck it--Trump and Netanyahu.
Hi have long been weary of war in the Middle East, though, part of me still wonders if this was not a desire/order from Putin.
So, apparently, Putin wants US troops out of Syria.
Impeachment can not come soon enough. I sure hope that it’s also followed by investigations into the GOP members of Congress who sat on their hands while a traitor soiled our country.
Sean Penn's novel "Bob Honey, Who Just Do Stuff", might lend its title to this president.
The guy looks in the mirror and says: "I'm gonna do stuff, and the NY Times, and the Post, and the other losers are gonna write about it, and analyze it, and chime in with "He thinks it's all about him", because you know what? It is. They've been doing it since '85, and they made me famous, and they got me elected President."
And he just do stuff, and he don't know how, or why, but he know that it always get him headlines! Just once I want to see this headline: "Trump does more dumb things. And now, in important news..."
Perhaps this is just the latest quid pro quo payment to Putin in exchange for keeping whatever kompromat he has on Trump secret awhile longer. How much more will we have to pay to keep this deeply flawed, and possibly criminal, man in office?
Yet another U.S. president who's betraying the Kurds.
An ancient, honorable culture, rare in that neck of the woods.
Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria is as bad as Obama's decision to withdraw from Iraq.
See how easily Trump manages to change the conversation? Knocks Mueller's investigation right out of the top headlines. Instead, we're all talking about 2,000 troops leaving Syria. We could send them right back with a couple of 747s.
1
Man, nothing freaks out the American establishment more than any attempt to scale back the empire. The Times alone had three pieces on its site right now clutching pearls about a potential withdrawal from Syria.
Despite almost two decades of evidence showing that US presence in the Middle East has been disastrous to the region, to civilians, and to American troops, the media and political establishment have somehow convinced themselves - against all evidence - that our presence there is beneficial, or that it curbs the actions of the other regional players.
When perception is so far away from reality, one must ask, who benefits from all this?
American arms dealers, that’s who. Their interests wag the dog that is the American establishment (which includes the NYT editorial board).
In the end, you needn’t worry. I’m willing to wager that we stay in Syria. The US arms merchants always get their way. You may stop clutching your pearls, editors.
4
This argument reads like if the Board could have its way we’d still be fighting in Vietnam. Tomorrow they can argue for a massive buildup and rearmament in Afghanistan, in the Christmas spirit, of course.
7
We can argue the how's and the when's of the withdrawal. We can argue about how the optics look and how this affects international politics and how Russia will gain more influence in the Middle East.
We can talk about all those things. But the broader goal stands.
We cannot continue our boots-on-the-ground foreign deployment of our military. We have made a mess the world round with our large-scale conflicts. We have tried to clean it up, but we are 17 years and counting into a war that is unwinnable by conventional military strategy. We are involved now in conflicts that are part counter-terrorism, part civil wars.
We cannot keep saying "now is not the time." We cannot keep justifying these broad conflicts.
It will be a rocky road, for certain, with changes of the status quo and economic bumps along the way. Yes, people will die, though that argument is weakened given the casualties inflicted by the U.S.
But despite those difficulties and tragedies, I refuse to have my daughters consigned to live in a country where war is the the constant. I refuse to have your children consigned to it. I have lived under the shadow of ongoing war for half my life; they have lived all of theirs under it.
Withdraw our troops. Learn from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria. Find ways to assert our power and engage in counter-terrorism without direct deployments. Stop justifying forever wars.
5
I am not in favor of US military entanglements in every corner of the globe, but I am also not in favor of rash, ill-considered moves of this magnitude. This move was apparently made with little or no consultation. Trump has no strategic vision for the region or for the use of military force in general. He does not understand why the troops were there in the first place and has no understanding of the potential consequences of his actions. He woke up in the morning, probably heard a comment about Syria on Fox and decided to withdraw. This is not how a Commander-in-Chief behaves.
Trump has just failed to get his wall-- a massive political failure. Maybe this shocking Syria decision is simply another expression of our president's vanity. He's asserting his power and distracting people from the wall issue.
How long before he orders a nuclear strike by tweet?
1
This is just another nod to Putin. Letting him know, the Syrian mess is in his hands.I disagree that Israel is at any risk because of this withdrawal. If anything Russia will hold the reins on Assad & Iran,
1
Oh no! Two thousand troops leave and Lindsay Graham, Tom Cotton, Marco Rubio and their ally, the NYT, are upset!
3
Evidently no good comes to anyone who takes up US arms, training, and assurances that the US will back ethnic pleas for national recognition in the UN, to soldier for the US.
There are about 40 million Kurds living along the both sides of borders of Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Though generally considered Muslim, they are an ancient ethic group of syncretic religionists who often put pragmatism above religion today. Neither Sunnis nor Shiites favor Kurdish nationalism.
Let me get this straight. Trump puts troops in Syria and attacks Syrians who have not attacked us without any declaration of war. He uses the US military as ISIS' air force. And all of this is just fine with liberal neo-cons and warmongers.
He removes US troops from Syria and this is supposed to mean the end of American democracy, provide proof positive of Russian control, and be prima facie a bad thing according to the same experts who thought that invading Iraq was a swell idea.
This country is addicted to war. It's a bipartisan disease. And we can't heal this until we get rid of the parasitical pro-war neo-cons and military-industrial complex profiteers who infest both parties.
We should not be in Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq. It does not mean that one is pro-Trump to recognize that. Jeez.
5
Ultimately, the problem for the U.S. in any situation involving a war, as in Syria, is the tension between the need for a U.S. president to be able to act quickly to address a given urgent situation, and the need for checks and balances when a U.S. president is taking action against all advice from our military, our intelligence agencies, and Congress. Unfortunately, these tensions will abide indefinitely because of our particular form of constitutional government.
A normal president would try to find the right balance between acting unilaterally to address an urgent, immediate crisis, versus acting as part of a cohesive unit with our military, our intelligence agencies, and Congress. In Trump's case, he can only act unilaterally because he cannot read briefing papers due to his dyslexia and attentional issues, and because he is driven by his narcissism always to act in a way that maximizes the attention being paid to him. To cover up these deficits, he says that he acts in accordance with "what my gut tells me."
But make no mistake. The Pentagon, the NSA, the CIA, etc., constantly run wartime scenarios in order to determine in advance what the appropriate responses should be to a given crisis. Those responses, painstakingly worked out by myriad highly-experienced personnel, are readily available to Trump, so he does not need to follow his gut. He acts impulsively and on limited information because he is incapable of doing otherwise.
1
the textbook description of the most prominant symptoms of narcissists ( as trump is), includes the common behavior of using "shiny objects" to attract attantion to oneself ( when they feel, as he clearly does and as your article states ) threatened/ pressed to a corner, losing the limelight. other such " shiny objects" have been picking fights with whomever, trigerring uncalled for tariff wars, inventing a calamitous attack on the mexican border by an imaginary carfavan of terrorists, throwing a temper tantrum over a wall HE decided was THE answer to our shaky security- just to name a few. it was somewhat heart warming to realize a few prominent republican senators opened their mouth finally in response but basically the inescapeable gist of the editorial bolard's article is how scandalously and hazardly matters of grave danger ( and potential lose of life for our troops!) are allowd to take place- by a man who has already been recognized by more than a few forensic psychiatrists as being a certified pathological narcissits. why are'nt we hearing loud voices of responsible people of all walks of life PROTESTING this intolerable situation?!
1
After this decision...we now know who the deep state is. It's everyone who isn't Donald Trump, Fox News, his family or his base voters.
2
The answer is plain to anyone who is clear-thinking. How fast can we get him out of the White House due to criminality or mental defect. It is a race between doing so and the world unraveling into chaos, and the U.S. being irrevocably harmed. It is not anything else but this.
1
Trump is olluding with Putin here. He was boxed in by Congress earlier this year to sign more sanctions against Russia and he hasn’t been able to break up NATO yet despite trying, so to stop Putin revealing what he has on Trump, he has to throw him a bone or two, and he has just done that. Taking off sanctions on Oleg Derispaska was the first - a violent gangster his buddy Manafort owes money to and is connected to the Russia probe, and now allowing Putin to essentially take over Syria as a vassal state, with the key objective of maintaining military air and sea bases within close striking range of Europe, not to mention the possibilities for ICBM and other missiles bases. These would be critical, if you look at a map. The US has listening posts in the UK to monitor missiles flying over from Russia to the US and it has listening posts in Canada to monitor those comimg over Alaska, but as far as I know Algeria and Morocco have none. Nor are there US bases between Syria and the US in direct line. The closest are in northern France. Trump is a traitor. He is manipulating foreign policy to his own ends - hotels and Saudi and Russian money for his real estate when he leaves office, not to mention the salacious actions outlined in the Steele report which everyone seems to forget.
1
"It's hard not to wonder whether Mr. Trump is once again announcing a dramatic step as a way of deflecting attention from bad news...."
It's even harder for Trump's mulish enablers in the Republican party to rationalize their support for this ridiculous man who occupies the Oval Office under their banner.
1
“There is no indication that Mr. Trump has thought through....” Stop right there. With this man, there is no ability to think through anything. He has the focus of a gnat and prides himself in trusting his “gut.” He likes chaos - a daily dose of it.
He craves attention, even negative attention. Me, me, me. All eyes on me. Advisors? He’ll only dig his heels in. After all, he knows more than the Generals.
An insane person sits in the Oval Office.
2
Seeing all the comments attacking Trump for actually doing the right thing for once is really disheartening. Why are we bombing Syria? Why do we have troops in Syria? Has congress authorized war against Syria? Did Syria attack us? We should not be there spending our tax dollars to kill more middle easterners and create more Muslim resentment against the U.S.
5
Turkey wanted us out so Trump is leaving. Russia also wants us to leave. Our influence in this area is zero.
1
The decision is irresponsible and ignorant. Should the US withdraw from the Syrian Civil War? Perhaps. But this is not the way to do it. Foreign policy and war planning is not like deciding what you are going to have for lunch. Given the reaction from his own advisors, it is clear Trump tweeted this decision on a whim, and somehow expects US troops engaged in active combat operations to just pack up and be home in 30 days. There is no planning for how this will happen, and no planning for what will happen after. This was an ignorant decision by an ignorant man who has no idea how anything works and has no desire to learn.
2
I actually have no idea whether we should be in Syria or not. Same as Donnie.
At last a president who stands up to the neocons.
We by arming the so called Syrian Rebels have turned that country to rubble and have created 100s of thousands of refugees who have been flooding Europe and else where.
It's a familiar pattern. And it's like "People of Syria(Iraq..etc) you have a terrible leader we sympathize with you so we'll over throw him". Meanwhile milliions get killed in the process.
As for the Kurds, they are just partners in the crime.
As for Iran they've never attacked the US and would be a better ally than Saudi Arabia (their jahadies attacked us on 911)
4
Is there any doubt that Trump is Putin's loyal subordinate and carries out, whenever he can, policies helpful to Russia and its surrogate, Assad? As soon as he was elected, he had a phone conversation with Putin - straightaway, Assad launched his attack on Aleppo, with Russian bombers helping in the slaughter. American forces on the ground pose a barrier to the assaults planned on the remaining forces of America's allies on the ground, assaults by Assad + Russia and by Erdogan. Once again, America will sacrifice its allies, and Trump will encourage the resurgence of ISIS. No wonder Putin commends Trump's decision - he gloats at the gift which keeps giving, the fake president he put in the White House.
2
As a Democrat who believes military force should be a last resort and only in self-defense, I enthusiastically applaud President Trump's decision.
The NYT and broader mainstream media are deviously casting this decision in the most negative light possible (1) to bash the president (par for the course), and more importantly (2) to incite public outcry so that the President reverses his decision and embeds the US into yet another "forever war." But why? Well, it's certainly not out of concern for the safety and security of the Syrian people. It's about crippling any country that dares to oppose Israel's belligerence in the region. That's what Iraq was all about, and it's what Iran is all about. The Israel-first attitudes among policy-making elite regard the masses as just a tool to be manipulated. Check out Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent."
2
The only thing we’re missing is a Mission Accomplished banner.
Hmmm. Trump offers another “gift to Vladimir Putin.”
But more salient, another example of how Trump views engaging or withdrawing the military as political playing cards.
2
I will not venture an opinion as to the pros and cons of our various Middle Eastern incursions, but the idea of someone as ignorant as trump inserting himself into military strategy terrifies me.
Reading about trump’s off the wall tweet giving orders to the military reminded me of a Robert Louis Stevenson poem I learned as a child;
The Land of Counterpane
“When I was sick and lay a-bed,
I had two pillows at my head,
And all my toys beside me lay
To keep me happy all the day.
And sometimes for an hour or so
I watched my leaden soldiers go,
With different uniforms and drills,
Among the bed-clothes, through the hills;
...
I was the giant great and still
That sits upon the pillow hill...”
Such a gentle poem now, irresistibly, makes me think of
trump using our young men as little plastic soldiers he can
play games with imagining himself as the “giant” who deploys them as he will, as he did sending them to validate his imaginary border invasion.
3
It is clear that Mr. Trump's National Security Council as well as his Joint Chiefs of Staff reside in Moscow.
3
Apparently NYT readers can only understand global politics in terms of their own petty partisanship. This is not about Putin or the GOP. This is a terrible decision that throws the brave Kurdish warriors upon Erdogan’s tender mercies, encourages ISIS and will lead to the expansion of Iran’s influence in the region. People somehow forget that there is a civil war in Syria, and that the sides who fight in this war are not Putin’s or Trump’s puppets but actual human beings with their own interests and desires. Asad is a tyrant but the only viable alternative to him is an ISIS caliphate. He is supported by the religious and ethnic minorities in Syria who are justifiably afraid of an Islamist ethnic cleansing. Now that America is out of the picture, the war will drag on, Asad will become a hostage to Iran, the Kurds will be cheated out of the promise of an independent state, ISIS will recover, and a new wave of terrorist attacks will hit the West. Well done!
Contrary to what some commenters seem to believe, this move is not about Russia, with which Syria has been a strong ally since the 1950s. This is an alarming move because 1) it is opening the door to a Turkish land grab and 2) is a stab in the back to the Kurds, who worked very hard to help destroy ISIS. The fact is, without the intervention of Russia, Syria would have been taken over by religious nutcases and fanatics, all affiliated with Saudi Arabia, one of the least democratic nations on earth.
POTUS has been Putin's puppet in Syria for a long time. Can we please have a full investigation into the bombing of Shayrat airbase?
How do 59 tomahawk missiles miss the runway?
US military strategy is to take out the runway first making it inoperable. Why was this strategy changed?
There were no chemical weapons at Shayrat, and hadn't been since 2013. If the justification for the attack was to retaliate for the use of chemical weapons, why didn't we attack the facility where chemical weapons actually were?
Russia responded by withdrawing from an agreement to deescalate the conflict and rearming Assad with anti-aircraft weapons. There was no real punishment and Russia had its excuse to pursue their own objectives.
Oh...and this attack occurred just days after Representative Nunes was forced to recuse himself from the House Russia investigation after his ridiculous late night visit to White House to receive evidence from the WH to support POTUS's ridiculous wiretap claims.
Smoke and mirrors
1
For once, I don't care aboutTrump's motivations or reasons- he's right to pull us out. But I would have been happier if he'd pulled us out of Afghanistan and Iraq first.
2
“That abrupt and dangerous decision, detached from any broader strategic context or any public rationale, sowed new uncertainty about America’s commitment to the Middle East, its willingness to be a global leader and Mr. Trump’s role as commander in chief.”
Oh, my! The NYT Editorial Board has suddenly been taken over by Neo-Cons. But it makes one realize that Trump is the common thread that unites us all.
1
On Twitter yet -
This is appalling.
Will Congress please act before something truly awful happens?
2
Right or wrong, this the same editorial board that cheered Obama’s exit from Iraq under almost identical pretenses. Apparently, the guiding policy here is “if Trump says apples, we’re for oranges.”
2
One of the biggest differences between President Obama and Secretary Clinton was regarding Syria. President Obama wanted to keep American nose out of it. In 2016, some fifty state dept officials wrote a letter (via the “dissent channel”) asking President Obama to intervene.
When green-in-the-ear President Trump came in, he signed the dotted line to plant US troops in Syria which happened in March 2017. Sometime later, he woke up and wanted to bring the troops back home. Then, cold warriors cried blue murder. He agreed for a few months which became infinite.
This time, he jumped the gun and announced, bypassing his staff, that the troops will be back home. He basically corrected his mistake and went back to the Obama doctrine.
I agree that, in our current logical theory, Right and Wrong is based on Trump’s actions. However, may I point out that he went back to what President Obama wanted. [Incidentally, Mark Lander of the NYT wrote a very good article (“They Have Many Differences, but on Syria, Trump Seems Much Like Obama”) on this on April 4, 2018]
Whatever Mr. Trump does needs criticism, severe and sarcastic. ISIS is clipped. Their resources are depleted and other than small isolated cells, they have been dormant. At least that is my impression from the lack of media coverage.
It is possible that the media is so focused on Trump that coverage of other things in the world do not matter. Khashoggi is passé and so is Kavanaugh. Brexit is cemented, thanks to Yellow Vests. Now, we need to bring back ISIS to sell fish wrappers....
Perhaps, ISIS is kaput. The President brings our boys and girls home for Christmas. Nothing wrong in that. Your credibility is damaged by criticizing the President’s decision here.
2
Trump is our 21st Century Pearl Harbor.
PsyOps is to modern warfare what the tank and machine gun were in the 20th century.
Russia just won another battle because of thier 'asset' in the White House.
Much of the public and press views the Mueller probe as a legal issue. I bet Mueller and team view it as a front in a war against a foreign power. Meuller is once again a soldier...only this time a business suit is his uniform.
Not all problems have solutions.
No, the worst rationale for this decision would be if it was "suggested" by Vladimir Putin.
I know, I know... that's just another Trump-hating, tinfoil hat conspiracy theory. Like Russian meddling in our elections, Russian oligarchs laundering money through the Trump organization, Russian spies trying to infiltrate the NRA to funnel money to Trump's election, Russian operatives meeting with fils du pere Trump in Trump Tower about the Trump campaign...
Where do people come up with the crazy idea that Trump is under Putin's influence?
2
I am not sure why no body think Donald Trump is not trying to appease Putrin with this withdrawal just before Putin' christmas TV show..
Remember its all about appeasing Putin so he helps Trump in 2020! ( of course Facebook and Twitter and others will all mint money ( russian of couse converetd to USD ) and we as its famed share holders will rejoice at the stock dividends ) and democracy as we know it is hurt for ever!
Betrayal of allies in the battlefield will haunt the American people for generations.
I don't want to continue being as emotional as I was earlier today, but I cannot emphasize enough how bad this makes the United States look. Your allies in the field will all die because your soldiers will be abandoning them. The Syrian people will die when Assad retakes their cities. A lot of people are going to die horribly if the Americans withdraw like this.
Not to mention the effect this has on other American allies. We're NORAD, and we don't really trust you that much anymore. I mean, I trust individuals, but trusting your government would be a bit foolish. General Mattis can say one thing, and Mike Pompeo can say another thing, but Donald Trump can undo all of it in a second. He'll say one thing to your face and another to your back, and it doesn't seem to matter how many people get hurt because of it.
If you betray battlefield comrades like this, that's it. People will not trust you. Period. Full stop. This is a generational moment.
Either the Trump government is the legitimate government of the United States of America or it isn't. If it is, then you all own all of this. If it isn't, then why is he still in power?
@C Then why not campaign for YOUR young to go over there and help out ?
Can you imagine the Trumpian tweet if this had been an Obama decision? But looking for logic and consistency in The Donald is like looking for honesty in the US congress. Trump had his Russian masters to please, and (bad pun alert) the Kurds can just pound sand.
Liberals’ desire for the U.S. to fight in Syria is impressive.
They should teach Trump a lesson by picking up a weapon and joining a Kurdish militia.
Please request a prime position on the front lines.
2
"Let's just declare we won and go home." Now, where have I heard, or read, that before?
Oh, yeah, Quan Loi, Vietnam. 1970.
And, that was pretty much what Nixon did, about five years later.
And everyone lived happily ever after.
This sudden, unplanned withdrawal is bound to leave a vacuum that can only benefit Putin and advance Russia's strategic goals and influence in Syria. Well done Donny! You serve your master well.
On Trump's decision. Let's distinguish process from likely consequent. Yes, he probably awoke with a little birdie whispering in his ear. Yes, he may want to divert the narrative. Yes, Putin is pleased (CNN's major point about ending a war - Putin will be happy). What about consequence? The US will save billions. Assad + Russia + Iran will crush ISIS in Syria. The horrible civil war that became everyone's proxy war will end. Syrian refugees may be able to return to their homeland. However it came about, it's the right decision. Onward now to Afghanistan.
1
President Trump needs to distract the press with a sparkling jewel!
Protecting General Flynn and Paul Manafort from a Russian Intelligence plutonium poisoning, could only be done with allowing Russia to occupy Syrian, and our allies the Kurdish people.
Magically sanctions disappear from Vladimir's BFF lieutenants.
Meanwhile Speaker Paul Ryan crawls under a rock.
Time to bring American troops out for Syria that are fighting ISIS. The US has not one iota of interest in Syria but to prop up Assad. Those people from that part of the world don't like Americans, how many of us should die to protect people that have been killing their own people for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
We have spent trillions of dollars over the past 20 years, and there's nothing to show for it. The money we've spent there could have been better spent taking care of OUR people, putting America first and making us safer at home. When George W. Bush was president, I remembered Democrats saying why don't Bush and the other warmongers who want to have US troops in the Middle East, to send their own kids. To Democrats, why don't you send your kids to fight against ISIS?
2
Watch that old film “Wag the Dog”.Bad news: deflect and make crazy statements and assumptions. Unfortunately,Syria is not a movie location instead it’s a place of pure suffering. USA supports the Kurds and then talks to Erdogan? Don’t want to be cynical but is our president trading lives for a new tower?
This absurd decision serves Don well. It handss victory to Putin, his boss, and it distracts bigly from his enormous (and mounting) legal problems. This is exactly where his impulsive behavior becomes truly frightening: it puts the world at risk.
When would be the time for U.S. troops to come out of Syria?
When the last intellectual supporter of ISIS / Salafism has died?
That will occur in about the year 2469.
Here we have on full display the knee-jerk, Endless War mentality of the military industrial complex.
3
Check the "Fox and Friends" transcripts. One of Trump's real advisers may have suggested the Syria decision.
I always think it's important to call out hypocrisy.
Almost all Democrats, including President Obama and myself, wanted out of Syria...until Trump did.
2
Isn't it plain that Mr. Putin is blackmailing our president? All of the many women that wear red and scream out how much they love what this president is doing are starting to see that this man is cracking under pressure. This is going to be one of the greatest betrayals of the Kurds in decades.
And of course last but not least Isis gets the big fat Christmas present in the form of retaking all the land that they have lost and a way to recruit. History will see this says the greatest military blunder of this times.
No worries: don’t forget that Trump knows more than “his generals.” And since it is an established fact that he is a “very stable genius,” he’s just fixing everyone else’s misperceptions.
Huh? NYT editorial wants American boys and girls deployed in Syria, and is resisting withdrawal of troops? Why?
Are you not aghast, as I am, that we send cannon fodder (mostly troubled, very young, rural, lower socio-economic status kids) to godforsaken places in pursuit of undefined objectives, and bring them back traumatized and shell shocked? I would deploy absolutely no one anywhere - unless someone attacked us directly.
Get all the boys and girls out of Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and mostly everywhere else. I favor spending the time, attention, and dollars needed to integrate them back into the society in ways they deserve. The cost of engagement exceeds several trillions - all of which could have fixed our infrastructure, paid everyone's college tuition, and given every person in the bottom 30% of household income brackets - free healthcare.
There are two clear signs that we are not wanted nor needed. First, when our troops liberate people; they want to kill us - not live in a peaceful democratic society. Why bother? Second, people who live there are not interested in fighting for their freedom; they are leaving. I don't blame them for leaving, I blame us for entering.
I call on all the people who claim deep insights into the local religion and claim it is one of brotherhood, peace, women's rights, enlightenment and progress. Please go fight for your people instead of demonstrating on college campuses across the world. Godspeed.
2
This guy just can't get anything right. He was supposed to be wearing a flight suit, standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier, with a large banner behind him proclaiming "Mission Accomplished".
"America's commitment to the Middle East" seems mostly to have been to set the entire region on fire, killing a couple of million people, forcing tenths of millions to leave their homes, a (lesser) part of which have entered Europe spurring xenophobic and neo-fascist movements which have destabilized European politics.
Advisers most of the world would like the US government to lean on are people like Geoffrey Sachs, a distinguished professor and official adviser to the UN Secretary General. Sachs has stated that the horrible events going on in Syria is not a civil war.
According to Sachs the war was started by the US (through CIA) under Obama, in cahoots with Saudi Arabia, aiming at regime change. Then it developed into a proxy war with hordes of foreign forces and terrorist groups involved. Sachs' advise to his government is unequivocal: "Leave now!".
It could not be a serious opinion by the New York Times editorial board that Syria should be added to the utter disasters that the West created in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.
4
Wow! When the NYT editorial board criticizes a move to end a foreign military operation, you know the world really has turned upside down.
What on earth will you do if Trump raises taxes on the rich?
It must be difficult navigating the world without a moral compass.
2
Disengage and return all of our forces from fighting in the Middle East and in Afghanistan too. Our people do not need to die over there, for nothing.
2
Can there really be any doubt that Trump is the "Manchurian candidate" or where his loyalty lies? For the life of me, I can't wrap my mind around why the Republicans continue to enable him. They all seem like traitors to me, and why, for power, money, or perhaps they have things to hide???
1
Further proof that Trump is a (witting or unwitting) Russian agent. This is a gift to Putin. His Republican enablers refuse to see or admit it.
An obvious distraction, and like little kids in soccer that all chase the ball, the press will chase this too.
1
good news. the less wars the better.
1
Why do you over react? Can't you recognize Trump's MO by now? This is another of his deliberate distractions. He doesn't want you to talk about the NY DA forcing him to close his crooked charity and expose all the crimes this foundation has committed over the years.
In 48 hours no one will be talking about his Syrian strategy, just like no one is talking about his 10% middle class tax cut promise. In the meanwhile, we would have stopped talking about his crooked "charity".
Say what you want, Trump is a master of handling the press. He has no shame. So he can say anything, lie constantly and distract everyone from investigating his crimes.
1
Foreign Policy for the .MUDDLED EAST has been a hog's breakfast for the so called world powers since the crusades. Today's announcement of withdrawl based upon the wishful pronouncement that ISIS has been defeated is somewhat holllow when it still exists.
Mission has not been accomplished. To eradicate vermin one has to search and destroy not just the group, but it's adherents, sympathizers, financial backers and political supporters. Give no quarter and ask for none which ISIS has done and now it is time to do the same. Otherwise the threat of global terror as expounded by ISIS will exist without retribution. Total war means just that, there is no time for weighing world opinion.
Leaving intact a ISIS army 30,000 strong that has been continuing to kill civilians. Some victory.
@dairubo They'll be gone in a month after we leave, trust me. I'm sure the NYT and others will be decrying the inhumane treatment they receive courtesy Russia.
Can we add Iraq to this commenter's list?
"Neither Syria nor Afghanistan is worth sacrificing the life of a single U.S. soldier any longer."
2
"An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader ... "
And Mueller's on a witch hunt?
1
What is happening should be obvious. Trump- back to the wall- losing Congressional support- is making a move that sends a signal: "I am President- and as the legal and impeachment threats increase so will my reckless behavior, even if- and especially if- it damages the American people (an implicit threat)."
Some may see the above as hyperbole- and it would be under normal circumstances- but with a President that is clinically narcissistic and sociopathic- this perspective is legitimate and even probable.
The US Senate sleeps, abandons even the semblance of moral responsibility- and through its inaction- beckons the inevitable.
A lot of the comments are assuming this is Trump's final gift to Putin before leaving office in disgrace. Yet why would Putin go to all this trouble just to tease policies which would be reversed by any Trump successor? What should terrify every American is Trump withdrawing a relatively small military presence in Syria (where we have alliances and actual strategic interests, to say nothing of the troops' sacrifices to combat ISIS up to this point), while vowing to send 15,000 US active military to our southern border, to deal with an "emergency" (refugee groups mostly consisting of exhausted, dehydrated women and children), to "shut down the border," and to build a stupid wall without Congressional authorization. All along, Trump keeps racheting up the totalitarian overreach, and everyday Americans have their outrage and little other recourse while the GOP refuses to act. As a German citizen who lived through the Third Reich later mused, "A farmer cannot see his corn growing. But then one day it is over his head."
Pulling US troops now would hand all of Syria over to the Russians Assad, and the Turks.
Just as Putin wants.
This is worse than Helsinki, worse than the G20 meeting where Putin demanded a meeting with Trump and Trump complied.
One day the New York Times editorial board chides Trump for not supporting the troops by visiting them in a war zone, and the next day they criticize him for bringing troops out of a war zone. Americans on the left and the right are tired of supporting the empire. It's time to support the troops by bringing them home, and not, as the New York Times editorial board suggests, posing with them in staged photo-ops.
3
Trump lies about so many things with impunity, letting the partisans squabble below him.
This time, however, there is a third party -- the brutal enemy who is not defeated.
This cavalier claim that we have defeated ISIS is so dangerous because it needlessly invites retribution.
Trump needs to be deposed before he gets many more people killed.
2
Guess Trump is planning his exit and is giving Putin as much as he can before he goes.
1
Let’s hope Mueller is done soon; it’s the only way we’re going to understand why Trump makes these seemingly insane decisions.
1
Does anyone else think the primary reason for this action is simply to get the news headlines to shift from talking about Cohen, Flynn, independent counsel investigation, and all the related matters to talking about something (anything) else? Seems to be working.
1
It's a reverse "wag the dog" scenario where Trump's foolish decision on Syria is meant to divert from the ugly truth of his failing campaign to disavow Mueller. The truth is going to prevail (I hope), no matter what lies he tells. There's no tactical decision about policy going on here.
Clearly Putin has kompromat and full power over Trump. It’s too bad we have an entire Republican party unable to stand up for our country.
1
Haddad (a commenter) writes:
"I am of Syrian descent. I don't see what purpose the U.S. troops were serving in Syria ... "
Well that makes two of us!
2
The bottom line is the US, who boasts it's a Nation of Law and Order, is in Syria in Violation of International Law.
Americans may be in denial, but the World knows the US went to the United Nations Security Council with fake Intelligence supplied by US Intelligence Agencies, asking for the Legal Authority only the UNSC can give, to invade Iraq. The UNSC said, NO!
With the delusional belief in it's own exceptionalism, the US invaded anyway in violation of International Law, undermining the Global Order as represented by the UN since WWII, ushering in the Law of the Jungle to the Middle East and this World.
1
"An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin..."
I can't believe it took 16 paragraphs to point that out.
“An American withdrawal would be s gift to Vladimir Putin”. There’s your answer right there.
1
It's time to bring our troops home. On another page of this Newspaper, you will find an article about the rising suicide rates amongst our veterans. Our veterans are suffering and our nation is doing little to alleviate the problems returning military and their families are dealing with. We owe everything to those who are willing to sacrifice themselves for our country but as a nation, we seem to reserve our outrage for the benefit of illiegal imigrants, welfare mothers and punks giving lip to the police. Where are our values? What has happened to this country?
2
It is time to realize that we are an imperialist nation, just like the Romans, the British, and all imperialists before us, and we will fail just as they failed. We have no business in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, etc. We waste a tremendous amount of capital, and bring home nothing more than dead and mutilated bodies and tremendous ill will. We don't need military efforts. What we need and what the world needs are humanitarian efforts. Like it or not, we are the Ugly Americans.
2
Trump thinks from his gut. But it's a three step process: 1) Trump fills said gut with cheeseburgers. 2) Trump waits eight hours. 3) Gut delivers material that Trump uses to form his next policy tweet. Burp.
Never-Trumper NYT Editorial Board has to take the opposite stand no matter what Trump does. You would be calling him a warmonger if he chose to stay or decided to increase troop deployments.
2
With a lifetime of skullduggery, Trump cannot take the heat that came with his ascendency to the world stage. Trump's narcissism and fear of shame has him lashing out on a daily basis now with brash decisions like taking troops out of Syria. The walls are closing in on Trump, and he is freaking out.
I believe we are going to survive the Trump administration, although we will be quite battered. It will take decades to repair the damage. History will have much to say about the Republican Party and its 40 year slide into the quagmire, which permitted the likes of DJT to become president.
Not only are we leaving Syria, the entire world knows that crackhead Trump made the call without any support internally in his own administration. He didn’t have support, he didn’t try to convince others to see his side, and he didn’t get anything in return for pulling out.
Maybe Vladi called and said, “now, or we release the tape!”
I agree 100% with this commenter:
"I am with Trump on this one...Bring our men and women home."
It's OK to think of Trump as a buffoon -- I do, and most people do -- but he's made the right decision here.
1
His advisers? Trump's main advisor, Vladimir Putin, loves this. It cedes the whole area to Russia.
Did anyone out there actually READ "Fear"?
This move by Trump is consistent with both his management style and his goals for US involvement in the region. I guess there was no one in the Oval Office yesterday to snatch this directive off his desk.
His approach is to give military leaders lots of latitude in the field but in the end, after the fighting stops...or at least brought down to a level that is manageable to regional players...bring their forces home. Will catastrophe follow...who knows. Since everyone keeps comparing the Trump administration to the Nixon era...admittedly for different reasons...I will say this. I just finished reading the "Pentagon Papers" and will say that Trump's overarching view is not that far from the one voiced by George Ball, the only member of the Johnson Administration who vigorously and openly opposed escalation of US military action in Vietnam in the mid-60s.
IMO, the ISIS invasion and follow up defeat / beat-back by regional forces actually managed to achieved something that a decade of US occupation of Iraq failed to do. It presented the divided and bickering coalitions within the Iraqi government with a true existential threat that, at least for the moment, forced them to put aside their differences and cooperate to a nominal degree. I actually think that was Obama's thinking right from the start when he was being heavily criticized by hawks like McCain. It's time to hand over the reigns.
The withdrawal is good. Put aside your politics and think about the 2,000 troops who will come home. Let's think about what they need to re-enter our society and live productive lives. Let's work to make sure that not a single one of them commits suicide and that their mental and economic health is a top priority. Let's create a support network model and then lets look across the globe and see who else we can bring home.
We cannot keep asking our citizens to go fight other people's wars. And, we can not continue to forsake them when they come back home.
3
I'd love to challenge troop-stay-in-Syria supporters to send their sons and daughters (or their grand kids) to the army and fight the ground wars in Syria. We hire mercenaries with promise of US residency or citizenship and also send female soldier to battle ground which is already an alarming sign that fewer and fewer applicable citizens want to join the ground troops. War is not a free lunch that we can win by talking. It takes blood and money to complete the job. Show us the actions by joining the ground force instead of empty words.
2
The editorial states that no attempt was made "to use the leverage of an American withdrawal to achieve any specific political or military goal." WRONG! The very political goal is that President Trump is trying to appear strong and undeterred while facing mounting legal peril. He is doing one more favor for Putin before Mueller makes Trump's connections to Russia crystal clear. As he did when he sent troops to the border just before the election, he is using our service members as pawns for his own personal political advantage. Congress must act now to stop this madman before he does more lasting damage to the nation and further diminishes our standing in the world.
3
If Trump is such a shrewd ideal maker and he is not beholden to Putin, then why did he not negotiate a bi-lateral withdrawal with Russia instead of just pulling our troops out (assuming he follows through) with no concessions? This is astonishing.
3
While this decision is alarming, what is much more alarming is the total lack of any "process" being involved in the lead-up to this dramatic and apparently precipitous shift in foreign policy. Where were the consultations, the debate, the careful considerations of alternatives, the gaming out of all possibilities that are usual predecessors of any important foreign decision? None of that usual process has taken place -- nothing, nada!
Rather, on its surface, it appears to be the unilateral decision of one person, and one person alone, whose judgement seems clouded and whose motives are questionable. There is no evidence whatsoever that this move is the product of careful consideration, or that it serves America's long-term global interests. Most informed opinion seems to run to the opposite.
One of the most troubling aspects of this precipitous dictate from our CINC is its proximity to the recent visit of Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as former Trump advisor Michael Flynn's aborted sentencing hearing, on charges arising from Flynn's unreported representation of Turkish interests while serving as Trump's chief national security advisor. Turkish interests in Syria appear to be the most immediate beneficiary of an abrupt American departure from the Syrian theater.
Is Trump capitulating to Turkey with this move? Why hasn't this move been subjected to our usual foreign policy process? Is it meant to serve Trump's own private interests?
1
Reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George decides to do the opposite of what he’s been doing and the results turn out better for him. Here, just do the opposite of whatever John Bolton recomends and it will be the right decision.
1
Lindsey Graham is such a two-faced drama queen. He said that this would be an "Obama-like mistake". No, the mistake was George W. Bush's for illegally invading Iraq and then incompetently dealing with the aftermath. Obama had to withdraw U.S. soldiers because of an agreement made by George W. Bush with the Iraqi government. Under Obama, ISIS was well on it's way to being defeated before Trump took over and with minimal US casualties.
Let's see what Turkey, Russia, and the Syrian government do after the US is out. I fear that things will not go well for the SDF and the Kurds. And then a Democratic President will once again have to clean up the mess.
10
Sometimes the right decision gets made for the wrong reasons. We've prolonged an internal war that has killed half a million Syrians, maimed who knows how many more, and left 11 million people homeless (that's equivalent to the entire population of New York and Chicago together). We haven't done a darn thing to make any of their lives better. And, I'm curious, how much "loyalty to our allies" is worth each Syrian civilian life? How many points do we need to score against Russia or Iran to justify each child's limb lost? Just asking.
The idea that we should keep killing, disabling and impoverishing people (and helping others do so) presupposes that (a) we have a strategic interest in doing so, and (b) we will actually advance that interest by doing so. The first is at best debatable. The second is the one the commentators (including, I'm sorry, this editorial board) aren't talking about and facing the grim facts on. We should know better.
7
He made the announcement now, because he needed to change the channel. The headlines were being dominated by the Trump Foundation, Michael Flynn, and other bad news for the President. So now the focus is on Syria.
4
A commenter pleads:
"Please tell me that ... Trump cannot ... abandon Kurdish allies ... Please tell me that Congress can step in ...".
Sorry -- no can tell you that. But buck up. Congress has shown repeatedly that it won't step in, no matter what American sentiment may be (the last time Congress declared war was a cold December day in 1941). And -- yes -- we can "abandon Kurdish allies" -- whose guiding philosophy has always been: "What have you done for me lately?"
1
Wouldn't it be nice to close out the year with a plea deal , pardon, and exile.
He can become better acquainted with Mr. Snowden.
2
An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin.
This along with creating a distraction to deflect attention from the onslaught of news on his legal situation is the answer. Again, he only considers his own interests. Sad
4
Trump fancies himself a Subject Matter Expert on every subject and makes the horrific mistake of not deferring to those who really understand the consequences of such a move, such as US Generals. Save our souls!
Surprise. I actually agree w Trump on this one.
5
The Manchurian Candidate, are we sure this isn't a favor to Putin? Because of the optics Trump has so far not been able to pay back Putin for all the election help he was given with direct favors but this is more of an indirect favor
2
It is time to go from the ME. We should complete the circle of isolationism so sought after by Trump. We save lives and money in one fell swoop.
2
Two words: 25th Amendment.
2
Clearly, Trump is doing Putin's bidding. As many have speculated, we likely have a mole in the Oval Office.
2
At this point, anyone claiming to know what impact the Syrian troop withdrawal will have on our long term Middle East strategy is just fooling themselves. Without additional information from our leadership all we can do is look at what we know today.
With certainty ISIL still exists, Bashir is in power and we know which countries will move in immediately expanding their influence over the region. Are we comfortable with this?
Perhaps most importantly the Kurds will be abandoned, so what will the new regional powers do with the Kurds? Turn them into our next enemy? Crush them and wipe them out of existence? This should bother everyone.
Will the region's new alliances completely defeat ISIL? They probably have common interest to do so, but will they? Out of our hands now, so better have faith in the new alliance, and hope that they'll do the right thing especially if ISIL's influence resurges.
Perhaps if Trump articulated a strategic plan this all would make better sense. For example, is the long term strategy to allow Syria to rise in power and how would that be of benefit? Is the strategy to allow Russia to finish the job with ISIL? What exactly are we doing, and how does this strategy help the country?
Until the President explains the strategy I can only conclude there is no strategy. How can anyone be comfortable with that?
3
I don't know if John Bolton has any principles or decency but given his pension for bluster he should tell Trump to stop this nonsense or he'll resign. I don't agree with the neo-con chicken-hawk on almost anything, but this time he's right.
Worse, Trump is ceding Syria to Russia and Putin, as he's already ceded Ukraine, has gifted a gleeful Putin with helping to fracture Europe and NATO, and worst, not only CLEARLY colluded with Russia on skewing the 2016 election, he's done everything possible to hinder efforts to stop Russia doing far more, even parroting their fake themes, now revealed! (No, Robert Mueller is not conflicted at all.)
Judge Sullivan asked yesterday if Flynn committed Treason. I suggest he was asking about the wrong person.
Art III, Sec 3 reads:
"Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court."
Russia, in its relentless cyber attacks to interfere in our elections is committing Acts of War, making them an enemy. The President, both before and after his election has adhered to them, and given them "Aid and Comfort" against his own nation.
Judge Sullivan needs to ask what he asked of Flynn, of Donald Trump.
3
Great article, I just have a comment about the last line. Deflecting attention would not be the worst rationale for pulling out of Syria. The worst would be that he's working in the best interests of Russia rather than those of the United States.
3
Before getting into geopolitics, we should review some basic arithmetic. We have 2,000 US troops deployed in Syria. A significant number, no doubt. However, the significance diminishes when you consider Trump sent 5,000 troops to the Mexican border on mission of ZERO national interest. The relative benefit of our troops in Syria is exponentially greater then the cost of their deployment. By comparison, Mexico is a giant waste of money.
Through these experiences, we can also assume Trump's rationale is ultimately self-interested. Using the military as a taxpayer funded election stunt is justified but supporting long standing allies in an immensely sensitive regional crisis is not. Whatever Trump is thinking, he's not thinking about US interests or our nation's long term security. Abandoning Syria roughshod is infinitely more dangerous to US citizens than a bunch of unarmed Honduran migrants.
Distracting the news media from Trump's ever increasing legal exposure is one explanation. However, I feel the explanation is incomplete. The shutdown fiasco had already accomplished much the same purpose without Trump wading into international affairs. Most people are two days away from a holiday vacation. How much news cycle do you really need to fill?
If not distraction, what else? I suspect Erdogan's phone call played a significant role in the announcement. Once again though, I feel like the explanation is incomplete. Flattery will take you far with Trump but we're still something.
2
When I read posts on here decrying Republican indifference toward Trump’s affinity for Russia, they tend to assume he is the only member of the US government under Russian influence. I would not assume that. Putin has the ability to spread both his evil and his wealth far and wide.
2
Irrespective of objectives of the Syrian government, the several rebel groups fighting it, Russian, Iranian and Kurdish "interests" -- whatever the heck those could be imagined to be in all their nebulous, ridiculous glory -- and Trump's potential decisioning being influenced by Russia, the point remains that everyone pouring money into this nice little civil war in Syria is doing nothing but destroying the country. Some would say, it has already, like Iraq, been destroyed.
Regardless of Trump's motivations, the real reason for the political opposition in the right-wing in the U.S. is that it conflicts with their perpetual war strategy. They are motivated psychologically by the notion that the world is a draconian place defined by Dick Cheney's "1% Doctrine", wherein if there is only a 1% chance that some threat is real, that for security purposes, it must be treated as a certainty at all levels of government, including the military. So, to hold fidelity to this doctrine, the U.S. will necessarily be at war forever with a number of countries in the world, and those wars will create more wars and multigenerational enmity (think Iran) for no more reason than the ideology has many paths to war and none to de-escalation.
So, even if Trump ceases U.S. involvement for the wrong reason, it still basically a direct challenge to the offspring of Cheney, who see the world primarily in terms of this dark, morbid, suspicious outlook.
The situation with US troops in Syria is akin to being prescribed a 10-day course of antibiotics for an infection and then stopping medication when you feel better in five days. The infections will return.
2
It’s not alarming to the troops that want to come home from this pit.
The Syrians can fight there own battles.....good luck.
2
For the record I AM NOT A TRUMP SUPPORTER!!
Now what I don't understand is how all of a sudden American Troops leaving Syria with destabilize the whole of the Middle East? Does anybody beside me recall that before the Syrian war, even before Gulf War I Syria has been a satellite of the Soviet Union/Russia at least since the '80s, when I was a teenager who can remember the state of affairs. How is it all of a sudden what takes place there will turn the whole area to ash? You all talk as if our blunders in that area over the last 40 years are not the cause of the current situation in that area. What if we left Russia alone to assist their old Ally and they ended the civil war and took care of ISIS? I mean in order to restore territorial integrity they would have to destroy ISIS too right? Anybody asking the question 'what is the endgame?' Are we going to stay in Syria forever? Continuing the 'Forever War Everywhere' mantra coined by Secretary Powell. A return back to containment is the way. Let Russia restore Syrian borders and they will remain there, just like over the last half century. We still need to focus on holding Iraq together!! (forget about that?!)
There is no reason we should be in Syria, that country is not our responsibility, Iraq is.
And you mentioned the threat to Israel? Your kidding right? There is no threat to Israel in the Middle East. There is no country that could withstand a retaliatory strike from Israel if they chose to bother them.
1
As our troops are coming home from Syria, Trump’s chickens are coming home to roost. Who did Trump consult in making this decision. Clearly the person who owns him: Putin. Notice Erodogan has recently backed off his accusations against MBS...no doubt to the Trump family’s relief....has Trump sold out the Kurds in return? Isn’t he a “transactional” President?
2
If we need further evidence that for the NYT editorial board nothing Trump does will be viewed positively, here it is once again. There are many "experts" who view the withdrawal as prudent and reasonable, but of course you only cite those who are critical. Keep up the good work!
4
Just as he pathetically and transparently misdirects the news cycle away from his nefarious troubles with bombastic (and bombing) announcements, he now won't ever have to take any heat for never traveling to a war zone to greet those troops he holds so dear...he just closes the war. I have no breath left in my lungs - his capricious dirtiness and "executive" incompetence have taken it all away.
2
Question: How much input did the Russians and Putin have in this decision?
1
@Etienne
Not to forget Mr. Erdogan who wants to erase the Kurds - the bravest warriors that are on the side of the West in Syria.
3
Give the poor guy a break. After what happened with his border wall he needed to do something that made him feel like being back in control again.
Everyone mentioned in your editorial that opposes the ending of our direct participation in the Syrian conflict have one thing in common—they’re Hawks.
This policy of interfering in the world is a policy started only in the 1990s. The mishandling of the Iraq-Gulf Kingdoms crisis led directly to Bush 1 organizing the 1990-91 Iraq war. With propaganda that turned out to false (incubators), we attacked. The destruction of Iraq did not bring peace, only more conflict—sanctions, air attacks, another war, the rise of Iranian fear, etc.
The mess was compounded in 2001. With the MSM acting like cheerleaders, we embarked on multiple wars that resulted in loss of life, massive destruction, and a price tag now put at $6 Trillion. From this disastrous policy, we have learned nothing.
Maybe if we were more mindful of the complexities and more insightful of consequences, we would not be world dominator, but a world leader.
The false argument of keeping us safe from terrorists by attacking them abroad does not reflect what is taking American lives—homegrown hatred and dysfunctional individuals.
And just maybe if we were not so all gung-ho overseas, we just might not be a target for dissatisfied groups to make us the object of attack.
Trump may have accidentally discovered that the American public does not want to send our sons and daughters to fight imaginary monsters. And that $6 Trillion could be better spent here at home.
3
In midst of Trump's growing legal problems, he needed a diversion fast---looking around the Oval Office, he has pretty much run out of domestic diversions---so let's do a misdirection play and focus all eyes some foreign war---Syria seems just right.
4
I guess the nation was asleep when Congress declared war on Syria. No one heard or witnessed the declaration. Does this country still have a constitution?
7
Why is the Times, like the military establishment, always in favor of perpetual war? Obama encountered the same resistance every time he tried to withdraw troops. I cant believe I'm saying this, but count me as Pro-Trump on this.
3
Why has Trump decided to withdraw American troops from Syria? Well here are the answers:
1. Stabbing your friends (Kurds) in the back is a favorite Trump pastime. Past examples include Michael Cohen.
2. Strengthening Vladimir Putin's hand. Past examples include having a one-on-one with Putin and believing Putin's answers when questioned about Russian interference in our elections.
3. To show his base that he is decisive (even if foolish or completely wrong).
4. To make his staff and advisers look foolish and incompetent. How else can he tell them that he is the boss.
5. And do it all via his favorite channel of communication - the tweet.
And now you know who is the President.
2
The NYT is being ridiculous. The US got dragged into the Syria situation by the previous administration. There's no reason for the US to be involved, unless the US wants to actively sponsor some kind of conference on re-partitioning the Middle East.
Obama's goal was to topple Assad. That failed. There is no real endgame there for the US anymore.
3
"That abrupt and dangerous decision" is wrong thinking. Our commitment is to our own country and its military who are put in harms way for unsound political purposes. Wake up!
2
I suspect that what we see here is proof positive that the "Golden Shower" performance did indeed take place in that Russian hotel room. Ordered up especially for Trump by Vlad. Trump was in the hotel room, enthralled, yelling out insults about Obama. There is a video.
1
Real American leadership would guarantee the borders of free Kurdistan in Syria and Iraq, outsource to Israel all military training and supply for Kurdish forces there, and counter Turkish superiority by giving Kurds the anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons (TOW and Stinger missiles) they will need to defend themselves. If America abandons its democratic allies on the battlefield, letting them be slaughtered by their authoritarian oppressors, who will ever trust us in the future? Do not stand idly by your brother's blood.
2
@raphael colb
You probably remember when Joe Biden was ridiculed for suggesting that after the fall of Saddam Hussein and the forming of a new government in Iraq it should be proportionally divided into three states under one central government between Kurds, Shias an Sunnis.
Erdogan is already making excuses for the Saudis. Trump is his handmaiden to once and for all destroy the Kurds at his borders.
1
Withdrawal is a distraction. Impeach Trump, so America can focus on removing him from office.
2
So Putin is on a first name basis with the Don.
It's Donald's typically distraction technique. The Wall isn't happening, so let's do the Syria thing in the meantime and see what happens.
1
Oh come on! this is just another "executive" move/ headline grab to deflect attention and make him (in his "mind") look good. There's no depth of thought to this action, or real cognitive reflection on the causes or effects of this, he's playing "president" that's all. And I'm sure he's proud of his "brilliance" of this decision.
2
What does Putin want? He wants the United States out of Syria. Trump has said he will pull our troops out of Syria. Congressional leaders of bother parties think that would be a disaster. Trump's own advisors--rabid right wing ideologues without a fact to their names--believe it would be a disaster. But what does Trump want? He'll have whatever the murderous autocrat Putin is having. Yes, Mr. Erdogan wants Trump to abandon our steadfast allies the Kurds. Yes, if Trump throws the Kurds to the wolves, then Erdogan might very well forget about the sociopathic murderer and Trump family friend the Saudi Arabia. But Trump wants what Putin wants. Is it any longer out of the question? Could Putin, the ambassador, and the foreign minister have directed Trump, directly or via any of those hundreds of contacts, during the campaign or in one of their secret meetings, to pull our troops from Syria? It looks like blackmail and it quacks like blackmail. It looks like treason and it quacks like treason.
2
It may actually be the right decision, but for the wrong reasons. Trump is untrustworthy as a leader. His decisions are more like those of a desperate king than an American president. He doesn't plan or listen to experts; he just reacts and foments. If his idea is to force Congress to fund his wall of hate n' waste by sending American troops to the Mexican border, I hope Congress will impeach him and refuse to fund the effort.
2
One asks how and why this madman can make such an onerous decision, particularly in the face of all the events circulating around him where the central issue is an utter lack of his moral clarity and decency. For me, the answer is simple' Trump recognizes that he is on his way out, and this horrendous act signals to Putin that the Russian needs to protect him from the shame, ridicule and inevitable prison sentence that will follow once the entire story becomes public. Well, I've got some sad news for you, Donald. You can trust Putin less than the American people trust you, i.e., not at all.
1
Yet one more reckless, dangerous action by this "president". But before everyone begins cheering that he's "bringing our troops home", consider this.
Of course keeping our troops in Syria, or any other country in the Middle East without clear objectives will lead to nothing but more senseless bloodshed. And our nation has sent troops to Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria, with no clear objectives, or "changing" objectives. But at the same time, we cannot simply withdraw thousands of troops by the fiat of a willfully ignorant, mentally unhinged "president". To do so substantially weakens our international standing and harms our allies. Many parties in the region have risked their safety and their very lives to act as our allies. No doubt they will think twice before ever assisting our nation again.
Our troops are now nothing more than a political football. Defeat ISIS? Trump is lying. There will be no military solution in defeating ISIS. Civilian populations must have incentives to turn away from murderous regimes, especially if those regimes provide what little "stability" exists in the region.
Trump's claim that he has "defeated ISIS" is ridiculous. He has only enabled them further, by unilaterally withdrawing our troops. His decision only strengthens them, and will lead to nothing more than a detente between ISIS and Russia, with Assad remaining as a dictator and puppet of Putin's (much like our own president now). And make no mistake - Putin is the only "winner" here.
3
When will Republican leaders stand up to Trump and tell him what everyone else knows: Trump does not have the ability to assess difficult situations and make intelligent decisions based on the information provided him by his advisers.
Oh, yes. He trusts his instincts. Remember the line about meeting with Kim Jung Un? "I will know in one minute [or was it two?] if he is serious about negotiating." Only an easily-duped, arrogant fool would make a comment like that.
This decision to withdraw from Syria is intended to deflect attention from his legal problems.
2
This just an other matter that Trump create to diverte the media attention . In a couple of month, when the heat and the pressure on him are to great, he will attack Syria to take the upper hand on the media...
The president's impulsive decision to abandon the fight against terrorism in Syria is proof positive that he doesn't know what he's doing. Hanging our allies out to dry looks like a surrender to ISIS who was handed a needed shot in the arm by this president. He seems to want to make ISIS great again. As the Republican nominee in 2026, he said he knew more than his generals. Ask Pentagon officials how they feel about this commader-in-chief tonight.
2
Hearing the news of this, the latest trumpian fiasco, wrote my senator immediately, thinking of the Kurds, whom we had left to Saddam after Desert Storm. Asked what he could do to prevent this second betrayal of our embattled ally.
Like the Ukrainians facing Putin, the Kurds need us as protection from the Turks, their constant enemies.
The Founding Fathers were looking at a good general for commander-in-chief; our current commander-in chief is mob boss in debt to Putin. How does our Constitution deal with this?
In all fairness, if Putin ordered Trump to remove American troops from Syria, what can the President do?
1
Oh, also there‘s the refugee issue, which is destabilizing the region and serving up talking points to hungry ultraconservatives everywhere.
Could this be a result of Putin's influence/leverage over Trump? Scary thought!
I doubt Trump´s decision to withdraw 2000 soldiers will change much in the current balance of power. This time Trump is just mirroring America´s inabilty and unwillingness to fight on the ground.
1
Pause and consider what it feels like to be a deployed soldier under this bizarro approach to our military "commitments:" where will you be next, who are your allies, who are the enemies?
2
@cheryl Trump sees the troops as plastic toy soldiers. The concept that they have minds (and mental health) never even enters Trump's head.
1
The noose is tightening around Trump's neck. Each day a new revelation. Since the Republicans can't protect him from all the investigations, he doesn't need them anymore.....so why take any of their advice about anything. He'll burn the whole house down to deflect attention from all the many messes he and his family are in.
151
@meganIMO his suggesting this pullout from Syria is precisely because of that tightening noose, and his desperate attempt to create another diversion. If even one human life is lost as a result, he will have that to add to his long list of criminal wrongdoings.
5
'"Then Mr. Bolton arrived on the job and declared that “we’re not going to leave as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders, and that includes Iranian proxies and militias.”'
We leave our borders and go over there so they don't have to leave theirs! A great new motto for Endless War.
Bolton of course is in an irony free zone at the White House.
2
I'm glad we're out of Syria, although I'm sure Trump did it for Putin. At one point do we get out of the Middle East and develop alternative fuels that don't require invading other countries? (Yes, good luck with that). Like in Vietnam, I'm sick of hearing all these doomsday scenarios -- most likely from those that profit from war -- every time we want to get out of a place we invaded years ago.
2
@Laurie
FYI The US didn't "invade" Syria. American and Nato Allied troops are training the Syrian opposition forces of the murderous dictator Assad and have armed the Syrian Kurds, the fiercest fighters not only against the Assad regime but also ISIS.
ISIS was founded after W. declared Mission Accomplishes.
2
Winning. Trump made a deal with Assad, he'll remove all troops from Syria, if Assad lets him build a Trump hotel in Damascus.
Trump is insane and there is an urgent need for Congress to investigate and take control. Nothing is unbelievable with Trump in power. The only rationale for Trump to tweet for the withdrawal of troops from Syria is that he believes that this will make the public more concerned about Syria than Mueller's investigation. Deflection. It has already backfired. Both democrats, many Republicans and the military are against it. We are now witnessing Trump's meltdown. He's getting desperate. And this crazy and dangerous tweet is a clear sign he's putting his survival above our nation's interest. Congress cannot let him get away with it.
98
@g.i., but they will let him get away with it. And the Pres. is still playing with the govt. shutdown. The Republicans have created a monster; that monster is out of control and out for major wreckage. Now.
Death and disaster is coming for the Kurds (betrayed by the U.S. once again), and lesser forms of enduring pain and chaos are coming for us all.
4
The problem with this decision is that we cannot know whether it was made for sound reasons or because the President is compromised or manipulated by a foreign power. We should never, never have such a question about the Commander in Chief.
More and more it seems that the President has too much power, and that the Constitution needs to be amended to reduce the power of the Executive Branch.
7
What kind of leverage does the president of Turkey have over Trump that allows him to make a single phone call and change our strategic initiative in Syria?
10
@markymark
There's a gas pipeline between Russia and Turkey. Getting out of the way strengthens Turkey Russian alliance. This might be a big piece in the puzzle. Makes a Trump Moscow Tower chicken feed.
1
“But there is no indication that Mr. Trump has thought.”
That sums up most of his pronouncements.
9
On things that matter his national security adviser is Mr. Putin not Mr. Bolton. Give him some credit. He is fulfilling a campaign promise to one of his most strategic supporters.
7
I think I saw this episode on House of Cards. When they are closing in on your presidency, deflect by creating an international crisis.
6
@Watch Dog-- that's my take. This is all about Trump's not getting his wall.
1
This time I don't think Trump is simply " . . . deflecting attention from bad news . . .. " Isn't it possible this is his Putin-directed Swan Song just before resigning and getting a pardon from Pence??
For weeks we hear talk of the walls closing in around him. With Flynn's postponed sentencing (more cooperation required?) and Pecker's full cooperation with Mueller, he's tying up the loose ends of his deal with Putin before bowing out.
Why not?
7
Well, the substantial Trump "gut" once again exercises his singular talent -- policy and governance by tweet.
The cynical imp sitting on my shoulder tells me that this serves at least two purposes for Mr. Trump: 1. certainly increases his "cred" with Vlad, and 2. allows him to add a "I brought the boys home" message to his continuous campaign.
Given that a U.S. withdrawal from Syria will leave our allies, the Kurds, in an extremely precarious position vis-a-vis Erdogan, a more cynical interpretation is that the Kurds are a "gift" to Erdogan and politically less difficult for Trump at home than sending the Turkish cleric, Gulan, a permanent U.S. resident, back to a likely death. We know that Trump doesn;t much care what our traditional allies might think of thie.
May I suggest a book title for some future chronicler of the Trump administration? How about "American Quisling." Pretty much covers my take on the Trump Presidency.
5
Why is anyone surprised? He told all of us when he was campaigning that he knew more than the generals. So now we have collusion with Putin out in the open.
6
A president who can impulsively end a military action can also impulsively start one.
Trump is untethered from reality. This is serious business.
13
"That abrupt and dangerous decision, detached from any broader strategic context or any public rationale, sowed new uncertainty about America’s commitment to the Middle East, its willingness to be a global leader and Mr. Trump’s role as commander in chief".
Expecting strategic context and rationale thinking from Mr. Trump is an oxymoron par excellence.
Announcing international policies by tweet - one that rattles our allies in the Middle East - but is indeed a present to none other than Putin, Iran, and the ally in name only, Mr. Erdogan, is, obviously the shameless tactic of the con-man in the People's House to distract from the 17 lawsuits - and counting - against him and his greedy family members.
Should the noose even get tighter, what protects this nation and the world from him starting a little war somewhere?
I find any comparison to President Obama about withdrawing troops too early from Iraq quite disingenuous .
The Iraqi government was not willing to renew the SOFA [U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement], and Obama inherited the time line of withdrawal from Iraq from G.W., aka Mission Accomplished.
6
The time to withdraw from this horrific undeclared war is now and all anti-war people should applaud the withdrawal. Candidate Obama promised to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan but the war happy Neocons in Washington forced their will on the ex-President. Why does the Left support these miserable wars raging in the Middle East? haven't we done enough destruction throughout the Middle East?. Don't let the Washington Neocons sadly joined by Leftist Democrats in changing this correct withdrawal and hopefully also from Afghanistan like Pres Obama also promised.
6
If I had to make a bet, I would bet that in 30 days the 2000 US troops in Syria would still be there.
There is time for many more tweets in 30 days. We shall be smarter in a month.
2
I detest Trump. I commend him on this step, whatever reason he is doing it for. His advisors are no relevant no reference point. We know the kind of hawks they are. In these days when the world is upside down, ironically he calls the shots, for the NYT and mainstream Democrats. If he says war is good, his opponents say war is bad. If he says war is bad his opponents--and the NYT--affirm war is good. Just defining themselves as against him, no sound reasons. Enough of trillions of dollars wasted on this elusive perennial war. And I hope he wants to lead up out of Afghanistan too.
6
Compared to Obama’s decision to leave Iraq, which galvanized ISIS, this is small potatoes. And I’m a huge Obama fan. Actually it was less the leaving than the delay in returning, despite heads literally rolling off of ISIS blades, that was the problem.
We can go back if needed, just as we went back to mop up ISIS. We have that agility and might.
The Kurds’ fate does worry me, though. Again, we can go back if needed. The key is in identifying that real possibility now to minimize delay in redeploying if needed, and in so doing mitigating the chance we’ll have to return.
Signed,
Military Vet/Academy Grad
1
@JFM
What academy, dear? National War College?
Obama followed the timeline set by W. - aka Mr. Mission Accomplished - for the withdrawal of troops. The newly formed government of President al-Maliki though didn't want to renew the SOFA agreement, one that gives immunity from Iraqi prosecution but not American one in case some soldier commits a crime.
1
@JFM Obama's decision to leave was actually Bush's decision. Obama simply followed up on it. And you call yourself military and you don't know that simple fact?
If Trump's "strategy" in demanding the withdrawal is a "grand dodge" it will fail to stop Muller. That train left the station.
If this is a give up to Turkey or Russia because both have compromising info on either Trump or MBS, it would not surprise. Trump is the gift that keeps on giving to the Russia. To walk-away from Syria is to give ISIS, Syria, Russia and Iran a walk. A terrible miscalculation.
Just another day with Trump playing golf-leaving the ship of state, without a helmsman. The damage continues to add-up. The damage to America!
3
The problem here is the same as many Trump problems: it isn't what so much as how. Removing troops from Syria could be the right move, even given the complicated web of international relationships involved. But how would anyone know, since Trump's decision goes against his advisors, our military allies, even his sycophant enablers in the GOP? There has been no debate, no attempt to negotiate, no analysis of the international implications, just a tweet, because anything requiring more than 100 syllables is beyond his intellectual capacity.
So ask yourself, GOP, just what would Trump need to do to make you admit he is a dangerous incompetent? Suggest taxes be raised on the rich?
4
He’s not pulling 550,000 out of Vietnam. It’s a small 2,000 solider force. We don’t have to stay in every theater indefinitely.
5
@Ryan M
This small force is there to support and train the opposition forces to Assad. The comparison to Vietnam is laughable.
Yet Mr. Trump needed 6 thousand troops to "protect" our Southern border?
1
Trump made this decision from his "gut". And, since the business brains of Trump are "serious genius", just imagine what decisions made by Trump's "gut" will bring for the US. Just imagine.
Besides, its Christmas. What do you get for the man you owe everything to, the man who made you what you are today, the man who runs Russia, Vladimir Putin. He's got nearly everything already... so Trump gave him a free victory, a strongman ally in the volatile Middle East, and a foothold for bases, 'diplomats', and 'military advisers' in other nearby areas. As the US cedes it's influence in the Middle East, abandoning allies among the non-jihadist Syrians who fought ISIS for us, Russia will step right in. What more could Putin want for Christmas?
Too bad about the Kurds, but we've already distanced ourselves from most of our real allies, so now Trump sends a serious message to every country in the Middle East: "Don't trust us, don't rely on us to stand by you for the long run... unless you've got oil, money, or you're Israel". You just have to admire that Trump "gut" foreign policy.
2
Remember 9/11, in 2001?
The US invaded Afghanistan about a month later -- not because any of the 9/11 perpetrators was Afghani or anything silly like that, but because Afghanistan had harbored Osama bin Laden and we didn't like him, not one little bit. Little did we know that bin Laden would calmly walk across the border into Pakistan several weeks later, and then live in a nice house in Pakistan until 2011, or that the US would still be in Afghanistan 17 years after 9/11.
We know all that now, though. Should we still be in Afghanistan? Should young American men and women continue to die over there, or is it time to fold up our tents and come home? Sort of like in Syria?
While we're at it, how about Iraq? We invaded 15 years ago. Time to cash in our chips and come home?
5
It's hard to imagine that Putin doesn't have something on Trump that Trump wants never, ever to come to light.
2
What could anyone have against Trump that would embarrass him or upset his followers?
He claimed to be able to get away with killing someone on the streets of NYC and he is correct.
Obama's phased withdraw from Iraq took nearly four years and Republicans criticized it as premature. Now Trump tweets that he wants a troops in active combat operations to be out in 30 days.
Regional security, foreign affairs, and military operations are complicated things. You don't just decide these things on a whim with no plan of how things will be done or what will happen after. But, given the shock and bafflement expressed by Trump's own closest advisors, that was exactly what happened here.
But people are actually praising Trump for this? Welcome to the era of Trump: Stupidity is virtue. Ignorance is strength.
2
ISIS, under that and other names has perhaps 10-20,000 fighters still in Syria and Iraq could regroup, strengthen, and overcome the Kurds (if Turkey doesn't do it first). ISIS could go after a badly organized Iraq causing all kinds of chaos. But, Trump's brain had a short circuit and the whack-o sent the orders anyway disputing the advice of his own people. Trump is going to get us all killed.
1
This latest action by Trump showcases all his worst impulses. Only someone as ignorant as he is of history, international politics, and military strategy would think Syria (or any issue in the Middle East) is solvable by simple minded decisions. Are we supposed to imagine he discussed this with anyone other than himself, or that any serious review of options was done? I doubt anyone has a good plan for Syria, but normally a president would seek advice from people in Congress who have relevant knowledge. Trump may see this as a "win" because he declared it so, but it reminds me of George W Bush's ill advised invasion of Iraq. I see no sign of Trump being concerned with our soldiers, the Syrian people, or the Kurds. I wonder if his impulsive choice was influenced by Turkey or Russia? Or is it just Bannon-esque withdrawal of the US from the world, to focus on ourselves?
1
This likely has very little to do with Syria at all. He is being shamed in all forms of media for capitulation on building the wall (even fox news apparently) and so he is going to make good on this one - to spite the democrats and republicans that forced his public shaming on the wall.
Interestingly, I finally agree with one of his decisions and am looking forward to the NYTimes editorial boards justification for the US keeping its troops illegally in Syria to begin with. Why does the US have the right to invade a nation who posed no threat to the US and station thousands of troops there? I know Americans always like to see their actions covered by divine authority even when it involves horrendous war crimes like it's actions in Syrian, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya ...
Which has the greater weight, a tweet or an executive order?
1
I think Mr President withdrew to save money for construction of wall because the Congress is yet to sanction enough money for it.
1
"An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, who has been working hard to supplant American influence in the region, as well as to Iran,"......this is the crux and submission to Putin....what is going on ?
2
Jeb Bush had it spot on when he said trump was a chaos candidate and would be a chaos president.
Putin is very pleased.
2
How much more evidence do Republican senators need that we have a Mad King in the White House? Which of Trump’s policies do they think Mike Pence would not implement except for ones like this withdrawal, which caught all of Trump’s advisers by surprise? Actions like this should convince Republican senators that THEY would be better off with Mike Pence in the White House.
1
Is it possible that decisions of this magnitude are actually made, or at least announced, on Twitter? The imagination boggles. Is this even officially valid?
1
The most quotable line of he article: "Mr. Trump’s assertion that the Islamic State is defeated is absurd."
The Islamic State is no doubt applauding this step with Putin.
1
An American withdrawal would also be a gift to Vladimir Putin, the Russian leader, who has been working hard to supplant American influence in the region, as well as to Iran, which has also expanded its regional footprint.
Not a puppet! Not a puppet!
With this ill advised action that effectively gives Putin a free hand to do as he will in Syria all Trump has to offer up in explanation is 'bottomless Pinocchio' all around.
2
I didn't vote for him but you can just feel that he's going to win another term.
U.S out of the Middle East.
Tighter immigration policies.
The economy is still strong.
Infrastructure plan coming on-line next year.
This stock market correction is even coming at the right time.
The stockmarket should be bouncing back around voting time in 2020.
These are all very popular political issues. The NYT might not like it, but the general public does.
2
No, they don’t.
The madness in Syria should stop. The American public has no appetite to take on another big duty in Syria or any other country in the middle east, so I see no reason to maintain 2000 US troops in Syria. Let Russia and Iran take over that task of maintaining security for the Syrians and getting rid of Isis. I fear Trump is getting advice to stay from the worst of the neocons who got us into a big mess in Iraq, and from the hawks in the Senate. In this case Trump is correct. Leave. Make a deal with Turkey and the Kurds so that they will have some protection, but get out, and get out quickly.
2
How much longer do we have to endure a President who aligns himself and our country with Soviet interests over American interests? I fear it will become even uglier before we can get rid of him.
2
How the USA got there in the first place? Perhaps believing the world belongs to us? Isn’t the Iraq invasions indeed created ISIS? Possibly a moral obligation to go to Syria and attempt to destroy ISIS? The government of Syria didn’t actually asked the USA for help, possibly it was Israel and KSA to expand their domination in the Middle East. Possibly the USA is only there to counterattack the influence of Russia and Iran, natural allies and neighbors of Syria.
2
Withdrawing the troops from Syria is Trump's latest toddler tantrum.
This is Trump screaming and wailing over Mueller and how things went in court for Michael Flynn.
I hold Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan responsible.
These two cowards have refused repeatedly to honor their Oath of Office and do their jobs to protect America.
Trump is by far the largest threat to America, her standing in the world and her fiscal stability.
And for what?
Tax cuts for the 1%?
Overturning Roe v Wade?
Taking healthcare away from millions of Americans?
I hope that Congress will act and remove this threat.
Maybe in January, when Democrats take control of the House.
I don't know how Republicans can look in the mirror and not be disgusted with what they see. Each and every one of them is responsible for this disaster. They let it continue day after day after day.
I hope they are proud.
The rest of us, and the world are horrified.
2
Reminds me of when George W. proclaimed victory in the Iraq war- we all know how that turned out. Trump was never one to learn from history.
2
No point in analyzing Trump's thinking on this. It's another one of his distractions—this time to distract us from his embarrassing failure to jam through the $5 billion wall funding with his threats of a shutdown. Chances are good it won't happen now that his decision is being compared to Obama's in Iraq. He hates any comparison to Obama.
Most likely a lot of the reasons for this outrageous move is to take attention away from all the Trump family scandals that popped up in public the other day.
2
Trump simply pulls things to do out of the air and, suddenly, they are taken seriously as "news." Nothing he does is informed with facts. Nothing he does is strategic. It is all about him and keeping his name and face in the news. People's lives are being ripped around and even risked on nothing more than whim. He is an absolute travesty as a president.
1
When will someone besides Luke Harding, in his book, Collusion, start to address the elephant in the room. Donald J. Trump is a Russian asset and was recruited and groomed beginning in 1987. I would have never publicly said this a year ago when Harding’s book was published. I do not consider myself to be out there in the conspiracy world.
Trump went to Russia in 1987 to explore a Trump Hotel at the invitation of the Russian Ambassador to the U.S. The seed for the elusive Russian Hotel was planted by Russia in their letter inviting him. This is in his 1987 book Art of the Deal. He was still chasing that elusive hotel in June 2016, while running for president. After he returned from Russia in 1987, he started talking about running for president. He took out ads spewing the same dystopia that constituted his inaugural address and his MAGA. He started spewing that allies were taking advantage of the U.S. Then it was Saudi Arabia, Korea, and Japan. That morphed into NATO and Korea in the present day.
His every foreign policy move, including the new Syria clobber to the U.S. establishment experts, is a gift to Russia. Much of where he has lead our country is a gift to Russia. He uses Stalin and Goering tactics: repeat a lie often enough and people will believe it.
Trump has alienated our allies and made the country the laughingstock of the world. Could there be any bigger gift to Putin?
Has anyone considered who calls that unmonitored iPhone of Trump’s.
1
Am I the only one who can see that Trump is clearly on Putin's payroll and doing Vlad's biddings? Really people?
2
US forces were in Syria illegally. Trump is now being pilloried for complying with international law?
3
Leadership in the Middle East? Are you joking!?
If America were to lead, it would be pressing for peace talks between the many warring groups in the Middle East, not pouring more and more money into the military. Our posture in the area has been a catastrophe for decades, and that certainly includes the Obama era, unfortunately. Our policies in Iraq and Afghanistan have failed miserably, and violence has not abated in those areas.
2
Well he did say he knows more than his generals.
2
Clearly Putin knows that Trump is swiftly losing his value and Vlad wants return on his investment before it is worthless. Hence the marching orders need to be carried out: Get out of Syria, and Trump salutes smartly and executes the mission. The Republicans in the Congress and administration need to stand up and stop this travesty.
2
Of course he's doing it as a distraction.
3
I loathe Donald Trump, but US should never have been in Syria and the troop departure is to be welcomed. Direct and indirect US intervention served mainly to prolong the horrifying ordeal of the civil war there.
The principal concern here should be that the abruptness of the withdrawal will leave the Kurds to the tender mercy of invading Turkish forces and their Salafist rebel allies whose rule will likely be difficult to distinguish from that of ISIS.
The Kurds, of course, likely anticipated this and will likely welcome Syrian Army forces with Russian and Iranian support into their areas of control as quickly as they can be moved in.
In the mean time Americans should be prepared to take to the streets in protest against any Turkish assault on Kurdish areas.
34
@Christopher
Maybe, but removal of the troops, rather than shortening the war, I suspect, will only serve to remove to ongoing bloody conflict from our TV screens. Business will continue as normal amongst the warring factions, at the risk of another refugee exodus.
3
To anybody who's been watching, this isn't the first time that Donald Trump has spoken outside of both sides of his mouth, or ignored what others who have far more expertise on the matter had to say.
It's also not the first time that he has betrayed those who had once supported him -- or in this case, the U.S. as he has done to the Kurds.
It certainly raises eyebrows that the first person to call his plan to withdraw troops from Syria "the right decision" is none other than Vladimir Putin -- especially given Russia's longstanding military presence in that country, their outspoken support of the murderous al-Assad regime, and the ongoing investigations of Russian interference in our recent presidential elections.
And while the U.S. may or may not have had business in the political quagmire known as Syria, there's no doubt that the war going on there is far from over.
And that ISIS is going nowhere.
48
@N. Smith
The donald is a gift that keeps on giving...it appears that Russia's assistance in the election was the right move and donald is indeed beholding to Russia. Follow the money.
10
This decision is obviously not well thought out. This president continues to show he is never in doubt about his ideas, but he has also proved to be rarely (if ever) correct in his thinking.
The only reason he needs advisors is to deflect blame and firing them provides distractions.
In the ‘60s, there was talk about the domino effect and that was the reason to defend Vietnam from communism. It turned out to be an inaccurate determination of what would happen and ultimately didn’t make a difference. Vietnam is a growing economy, a valuable trade partner, and a buyer of many US-made products.
The Middle East might be a better representation of the domino effect except radical religious themes replace communism. Nature doesn’t like a vacuum. I’m all for keeping American armed forces personnel at home, out of harm’s way, but the hole they leave has multiple candidates to fill it - and pretty much all are worse alternatives to keeping our military in place.
Even if his supporters believe and embrace his political credo, I can’t understand their acceptance of his growing list of crimes. He has violated so many laws-abuse of the tax system, stealing from his own charitable foundation, accepting money (bribes?) from foreign and domestic individuals and governments, and lied again and again. I wonder what the reaction would be if he physically stepped into the home of one of these supporters to steal the cash in the drawer? Would he be given a pass?
Is this a promise kept?
27
Breaking News!
General Mattis is “retiring” in February
Or is this the basis for a new reality tv show
Last Man Standing - Trump Edition
I wonder if it has anything to do with the Syria decision. Hmmmmm
What kind of human would allow this?
Trump sat in a room with a bunch of advisers and had the need to show them who is boss.
I would not be surprised if Steven Miller was the only one in the room who agreed with this decision
8
Kinda reminds me of poker. After many hands, trump throws in. The game is still there for world domination. All the players are happy except for the ones that USA vouch for. trump cut his losses in money and American lives but he put his buddies in a bind. Also, there were side bets from other nations. Now, did trump hook up with Putin to share winning the pot? Being a whale, trump could outlast almost everybody, but he wants to cash in, so what's his angle?
2
WALL WITHDRAWAL--- this is partially an effort by Trump to distract the public's attention from the fact that he didn't get his wall. Distraction is one of Trump's ways of manipulating the public via media.
5
I want to pass a constitutional amendment. "No President shall declare policy or otherwise exercise any Presidential powers, via Twitter."
6
Here we have someone who just made things up "off the cuff" while on the campaign trail (nobody thought he would win). Now he is trying to make his off the cuff campaign promises a reality. If he can't have a wall, he is going to implement a different campaign promise to be able to declare victory....via tweet...while vacationing in Florida. So scary.
3
This is good for Trump in at least two ways:
1. This really helps the Russians.
2. In Trump’s crazy logic—he probably thinks he can put those troops along the border to build his wall.
2
We, the people, have not dealt with the Syria mess honestly from square one. The whole thing was a strategic geo pol ploy to make the government there one of our "allies", by overthrowing (much like in Ukraine) the recognized government through violence.
ISIS was our cellophane figleaf to try to continue that effort, wrenching out a large map portion of Syria to be controlled by our proxies in order to create a "frozen conflict", like we accuse Moscow of doing other places. When you listen to all the Deep State (apparatus figures in our power ministries who remain through dozens of elections with the same PoV and action Ops) figures offering hot air in MSM on this withdrawal, the immediate question gets blown away in a hurricane of complaint about conceding "influence" to our strategic opponents.
There's the crux.
Facing a probable Turkish incursion that strips Kurds from their occupied zone to protect the border, leaving the window-dressing Arabs to face a Syrian government re-occupation of its sovereign territory...well, game theory...get out now, or suffer big(ger) embarrassments...
In Nam days we used to say LBJ should declare victory and leave. Trump must see the wisdom in that old prescription...
& that We, the people, prefer that now, again
2
@M. J. Shepley
Well said with an astute analysis and good Vietnam analogy.
Sure Putin's going to say "Well done Donald." He will try to create more U.S. discord. Trump knew this would happen and despite the negative barbs that will come he still did what the thought was right. It reminds me of Truman's: "The buck stops here." There's a lot of Truman in Trump.
Your going to hear that more and more.
In the long term,first ones to thank our chief of state for his decision would be American troops who, had they remained there , might have been severely injured or worse, additions to the list of troops killed in action. Do not know Syria, and my reminiscences of time spent in Jiddah as a contractor date back almost a half century, but gut belief is that it is THEIR turf, we are the "uitlanders," the "Roumis,"the interlopers!Stirring passage which concludes Alister Horne's "Savage War of Peace, " in which author makes overall point that the West cannot, could not win a colonial war, and describes 1 French military base in Algeria where "paras" could come for rest and recreation and which has now been washed away by the sea, as it it had never existed!But read his book!When Ahmed Ben Bella returned to Algiers after years in exile, his homecoming was treated with indifference whereas two generations before he was hailed as a hero of the Algerian revolution against France.Who remembered his daring hold up of the post office in ORAN in 1949to gain money for the cause of liberation?Memories dim, but Trump, no doubt, did a cost benefit analysis and concluded that remaining in Syria was just not worth it. Sound move!
1
Forget all this talk about Syria and our plan there. Trump has no plan or idea as he just wants to divert attention from the very bad month he is having.
5
Is this our fault?
His impulsive, dangerous, pompous attempt at beating his chest has backfired.
And he'll gain votes.
From those military members and their families.
Can we blame them?
After all, he literally took them out of harm's way, as he sees it.
We knew virtually nothing about the complicated, impulsive psyche of this man until he was voted into office , by us, with the promise that he would right all wrongs and make America proud.
I try to rent an apartment, and am under more scrutiny at the attempt than any presidential candidate.
No matter what our dreams were, we are stuck with an impulsive, frightened loner, who is repelled by the advice of others, who has a serious attraction to dictators.
Our system has failed us.
No vetting system for the most powerful person in the world.
6
I don't understand the imperialist rationale for occupying Syria indefinitely, nor the alarmism of what might happen if Russia et. expand their influence there. God forbid the US should cease to occupy one less country.
3
I agree with both parts of this commenter's remark:
"I am actually with the president on this one, although I do think it is a betrayal to the Kurds."
Please pause a few seconds while I shed a tear or two for the Kurds... There -- done with that!
1
Everyone mentioned in your editorial that opposes the ending of our direct participation in the Syrian conflict have one thing in common—they’re Hawks.
This policy of interfering in the world is a policy started only in the 1990s. The mishandling of the Iraq-Gulf Kingdoms crisis led directly to Bush 1 organizing the 1990-91 Iraq war. With propaganda that turned out to false (incubators), we attacked. The destruction of Iraq did not bring peace, only more conflict—sanctions, air attacks, another war, the rise of Iranian fear, etc.
The mess was compounded in 2001. With the MSM acting like cheerleaders, we embarked on multiple wars that resulted in loss of life, massive destruction, and a price tag now put at $6 Trillion. From this disastrous policy, we have learned nothing.
Maybe if we were more mindful of the complexities and more insightful of consequences, we would not be more world dominator, but a world leader.
The false argument of keeping us safe from terrorists by attacking them abroad does not reflect what is taking American lives—homegrown hatred and dysfunctional individuals. Our wars on terror have not stopped Americans dying at home. And just maybe if we were not so all gung-ho overseas, we just might not be a target for dissatisfied groups to make us the object of attack.
Trump may have accidentally discovered that the American public does not want to send our sons and daughters to fight monsters. And that $6 Trillion could be better spent here at home.
1
Whether trump made the decision to withdraw US troops from Syria because it was the right thing to do or for some other reason may be debatable. Certainly the way it was done is typical trump: chaotic and ill considered.
None the less, I believe it is the right decision.
The fact that it was against Bolton's advice almost recommends itself. Bolton and his cronies are the ones that managed to create a power vacuum when we destroyed Iraq in search of the nonexistent weapons of mass destruction. The lack of rebuilding effort and the power vacuum enabled the Islamic State and tilted the balance of power in favor of Iran. And to think that we should stay in Syria until all Iranian forces withdraw is dangerously naive wishful thinking at best. Iran, Russia and Turkey are the power players there. Let's find a better way to further our goals without military force in an area we are not wanted.
We cannot repeat our failed experience in Iraq (and Afghanistan) and expect the outcome to be any different.
1
One more gift to Putin. One more time the Kurds get skewered for following America into battle. One more day of this administration and the incredible damage it is doing that it will take years to undo, if it can be.
3
The ball is in the congressional Republicans' court. How much longer they will sit on the sidelines either vowing fealty to an incoherent, unhinged leader of their party or grousing silently is up to them.
Trump has now tweeted his way to destabilizing the middle east, alienating allies in the region and globally, and placing our soldiers at risk of being the last killed in a failed war.
The Republican Party is held hostage to the whims of a "dear" leader clearly out of his depth. If they elect to stand by their man and go down with the ship, that is their decision and one that will damage their party for years to come if not finish it off entirely.
1
As usual, Trump seems to act more in line with Russia's interests than those of the U.S.
2
Can’t we refrain from doing any huge and senseless favors for Russia until we’ve fully determined the reason for and extent to which Trump is personally beholden to Putin? Maybe “America (and allies) First” for a little while longer?
2
How many unforced errors of national government can we permit? How many of our allies and international friends can we lose? What level of immorality in government can our system stand without irreperanle harm. How divided can we become as a nation without lasting harm? What outrage by Trump can we tolerate and not do indivdiual harm to our moral selves.
How do we repair the damage already done? When do we pass the point of no return for our country? Have we passed that point already?
1
What has been playing out in the Middle East is the out-sourcing of U.S. foreign policy to Saudi Arabia and here to Russia. There can be no other plausible explanation for Trump's action other than his personal greed and "kompromat." With a criminal in The White House already accused of multiple felonies and under investigation for possible conspiracy with Russia, we are witnessing the geopolitical consequences and really shouldn't be shocked or"blind-sided " by it. From his campaign, the revelations about a Trump Tower Moscow, to a failed attempt at sanctions relief, to Helsinki, to today's news that Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska has been granted sanctions relief, the pattern is unmistakable, Donald Trump's foreign policy seems to emanate from Moscow.
1
First, my congratulations to President Trump for withdrawing America from one of the four wars it is currently prosecuting.
America never had any business in Syria in the first place. Hillary's decision to sell weapons to the "rebels" in Syria, who, honestly, are just a bunch of thugs now, was disastrous. Her decision resulted in a huge diaspora from the region which has now destabilized Europe.
Trump accurately perceives the absence of an end game in Syria and accurately perceives Assad's willingness to destroy human life to stay in power.
It is well past time for America to get completely out of its wars in the Middle East, which, America never needed to get into in the first place.
Give the Middle East back to its native sons. That worked in Vietnam. Once the US left, Vietnam healed, and, now, is a garden vacation spot for the world.
Good job President Trump. Excellent judgement. It is way past time for the US to exit and let Syria heal which will take generations.
3