Thank you.
12
How long will it take us to take off the blinders and see that the man in thew White House is truly a stooge of the Russian state and a TRAITOR to all the is America!
13
Really? You think the military is there to make nice? Didja ever look at your gun or all the bombs you play with? None of those are to play nice. They are all to kill humans who disagree with you.
6
How many Iraqis died when America Invaded and Occupied Iraq?
2
Thank you for having the bravery to speak out and tell it like it is from the ground even if it requires you to call out our Liar-in-Chief in the White House.
9
You sir have a lot of moxie... I hope you thought this thru because your life is about to change. Your clown in chief is going to be really upset with you and even though you are telling the truth it won’t Matter. Your bosses won’t back you up even if they agree with you. I hope you have a back up plan for your future because your military career is essentially over. As a retired 1st class petty officer I salute you and wish you well and I hope you are ready for the blowup that’s coming.
10
The shame.
2
Thank you captain kennedy
7
I do not doubt the intentions of the captain, but it is naive and not based on facts. First, northern syria is not 100% kurdish, there were arabs living there and most went through ethnic cleansing by kurds, “Northeastern Syria is polyethnic and home to sizeable ethnic Kurdish, Arab and Assyrian populations, with smaller communities of ethnic Turkmen, Armenians and Circassians.[11]”
Where are the arabs and the rest now?
Captain should go back and look at the fake intelligence about yellow powder cake uranium incident, read about neocons and how they usa involved in middle east. This is not about saving kurds, this is about causing chaos, divide and rule and 7 wars in 5 years plan mentioned by nato general wesley clark. These wars were planned ahead. Cia, mi6 and rest want to create a small pkk, ypg controlled client state to control the area, oil, and attack iran. Yemen, sudan, iraq, syria, libya.... all coincidence?
They want to redraw maps. Pkk, ypg, captain shpuld read about, both are declared terrorist and narco groups by us state dept, treasury department. So sorry to say this but captain was helping narco terrorist. Intention was good, but he has been fooled by neocons, cheney and his friends and state department, which by the way populated by elites from george town, ivy colleges, they never figh themselves and endanger themselves, it is always someone elses children. Poor or middle class. Captain maybe should read noam chomsky
4
Exhibit X: Treason against the United States of America by United States President Donald J. Trump, to wit, giving aid and comfort to an enemy of the United States, ISIS, aka ISIL, aka Daesh.
7
Think of it this way.
Why should any young American join the military to protect our country when they have an idiot as their commander-in-chief. He is a joke. Even Captain Crunch had more strategic ability than #BENEDICTDONALD.
8
Didn’t the NYT support getting out of Vietnam?
How did that turn out for our South Vietnamese allies.
Convenient that now the Times frames getting our troops out of harms way as a betrayal.
If God was going to occupy the Turkey Syrian border region the Times would report that Donald Trump is being unfair to God.
Horribly biased reporting.
4
Unlawful orders must not be followed.
Before it is too late our military and congressional must address unlawful and abuse of power orders and directives from the Criminal Con Man in Chief.
The SECDEF , combatant commanders, Chief of the JCS should have at least slowed roll this heinous order from the Putin puppet. Congressional leadership especially the Senate republicans and the Chairman and ranking members of the HASC and SASC must ask themselves what will be the next insane order be from this unqualified lunatic.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/06/politics/us-military-chain-of-command-trump-orders/index.html
4
@FXQ
I’m sure the nazi soldiers were just following another madman’s orders while hundreds of millions of people were slaughtered as undesirables. I guess you were fine with that, too. If you have any moral or brain capacity, you don’t leave your allies to be eliminated for no reason other than making a coward more money.
2
@Lucy Cooke - Trump's justifies his disgraceful betrayal of both a valuable ally & our troops by implying he intends to bring troops home & stop "endless wars." Add this fanciful "story" to the over 13,000 he's told thus far in his 1001-day presidency (= 13+/day)!
Under DJT's watch, US overseas troop counts have gone UP by 16,000. The troops from NE Syria are being shuffled & moved elsewhere (NOT to US) to protect DJT's own business interests & his buddies, the 9/11-complicit Saudis.
Please, for the sake of USA and the lives & families of anyone aged 18-35 (military age), don't ever for even one minute think there is anything but a self-serving motive behind anything DJT does or says. Before praising DJT for ANYthing, stop & think, 'what's in it for DJT first (and only)?' Follow the clues & they'll invariably lead to DJT's personal interests (whether directly for himself or another, and if it's for another, it's guaranteed that DJT is in debt to that other or is looking for something for himself from that other).
Despite his assertions otherwise, I'm confident that if 'regime change' somewhere (hmm, like Iran, perhaps?) would be in DJT's personal interest, DJT would send US lives to do the dirty regime change deed.
And DJT seems to be so on the hook to Putin & his oligarchs, that what's in Russia's interest necessarily has become what is in DJT's interest, USA's interests be damned. Hmm, does DJT's "power tie" color reveal who's in charge? It's "Russian Red." Oops.
2
Okay, Trump voters, are you proud of yourselves? Are you proud that your "president" takes his orders directly from Putin? Are you proud that your "president" disavows intelligence gained from the FBI and CIA, and publicly states that he believes Putin over them?
Are you proud that your "president" has destroyed alliances with our western and NATO partners, alliances that it took this country decades to create, and will take decades to restore?
And are you proud that your "president" has singlehandedly created this latest bloodbath in Syria, while walking away from an ally we had for decades? Are you proud to walk away from the Kurds, one of the few groups of people who have been consistent allies of ours, and who have fought alongside our soldiers?
Are you proud that your "president" has made our country an international laughing stock? Try traveling outside the U.S. for once. Everyone around the world is rightfully laughing at us.
Are you proud that your "president" has made our nation an international pariah, and that we will have no one to turn to for help when, at some point, we will surely need it?
None of this matters to you, does it? Because all you wanted was a president who parroted your racism, your bigotry, your xenophobia.
But understand this – the rest of us know what you have done to our country. You have sacrificed its international reputation and its valuable alliances, just to satisfy your bigotry. And our patience is wearing very thin.
10
Okay, Trump voters, are you proud of yourselves? Are you proud that your "president" takes his orders directly from Putin? Are you proud that your "president" disavows intelligence gained from the FBI and CIA, and publicly states that he believes Putin over them?
Are you proud that your "president" has destroyed alliances with our western and NATO partners, alliances that it took this country decades to create, and will take decades to restore?
And are you proud that your "president" has singlehandedly created this latest bloodbath in Syria, while walking away from an ally we had for decades? Are you proud to walk away from the Kurds, one of the few groups of people who have been consistent allies of ours, and who have fought alongside our soldiers?
Are you proud that your "president" has made our country an international laughing stock? Try traveling outside the U.S. for once. Everyone around the world is rightfully laughing at us.
Are you proud that your "president" has made our nation an international pariah, and that we will have no one to turn to for help when, at some point, we will surely need it?
None of this matters to you, does it? Because all you wanted was a president who parroted your racism, your bigotry, your xenophobia.
But understand this – the rest of us know what you have done to our country. You have sacrificed its international reputation and its valuable alliances, just to satisfy your bigotry. And our patience is wearing very thin.
2
Judas, Brutus and Trump.
2
Well, join the international club. Now you, too, know the US military can't be trusted as far as it can spit.
Sorry.
Here’s hoping that your fellow service members, who up to now have supported Trump, will finally wake up to what a vile human being he is.
3
It seems that this nation’s White House s occupied by a closet Benedict Arnold or a Quisling, and charges of treason need to be invoked because of the lives being lost and catastrophic damage already done to foreign relations.
3
People conveniently forget that 500,000 Syrian lives were lost and over 11 million were displaced during the Obama years. If it were not a "slaughter", a "genocide", an "ethnic cleansing", then what is ? Why silence for so many years and sudden outrage now ? What about the millions displaced and were not allowed to return to their homes in north east Syria?
5
Captain Kennedy is an American hero
2
Trump, murderer. And no immunity in my book.
3
"the lack of American commitment and credibility has cleared the way for the ethnic cleansing of the Kurds and a resurgence of the Islamic State."
Very sad and unfortunate, our soldiers have sacrificed their lives for this stupid war. The Islamic State (ISIS) is winning.
1
TED has an informative and clear video about who the Kurds are.
https://youtu.be/Wiqhu3Q5NpE
1
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pennlive.com/news/2017/08/alan_kennedy_shaffer_is_runnin.html%3foutputType=amp
I doubt the guy is active duty for all the suddenly all about principled about keeping oaths.
“Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.”
~ JUDGE JUDY SHEINDLIN
2
In the US military you are not expected to blindly follow clearly wrong orders.
3
Wow, you joined the American Military--the organization responsible for Wounded Knee and Sand Creek, Hiroshima and My Lai--in order to prevent genocide? You were duped more thoroughly than any Kurd ever was.
3
Dear Sir,
Did you ever ask yourself why you really were there?
Who asked you to be there?
2
Thank you Alan. I think the most important thing for all Americans is to be be honest, to always strive for what our country’s ideals are. To protect vulnerable innocents.Not for power, not for money. I know we have that stain, too many times in our country.But for Americans like you, to be honorable, to do your best for fellow humans, gives me peace of heart. We can never let anything like Nazi Germany happen ever again, or any genocide, ever. Thank you.
7
What if we had decided to pull out of WW2 while the Nazis were bombing London? Seems the same.
6
Contrast Captain Kennedy's somber statement with the behavior of the person who hold's our country's highest office, today in Dallas, obscenely commenting on his job, clearly oblivious, a few days later, to his part in this fiasco:
“It’s much easier being presidential, it’s easy,” he told a stadium full of more than 20,000 boisterous supporters in MAGA hats and T-shirts cheering his every word on Thursday night. “All you have to do is act like a stiff.” (reported in the nyt)
Captain Kennedy is one of those stiffs. The idiot who holds our highest office has just dumped a big load of dung on him.
What could Republican Senators do?
What should Republican Senators do?
What will Republican Senators do?
Republican congressmen seem beyond logic, education, or redemption in their capacity to ignore obscenity to preserve power.
What could voters do?
What should voters do?
What will they do?
6
It is a travesty that we have a KGB mole in the White House. He has no interest to protect our national interest. He follows orders of his mentor Vladimir, the worst thug pf the world. Kurds were our most reliable partner in the fight against ISIS. They were remarkably successful in achieving the goal. Putin wants to create worldwide chaos to destroy democracy and rule of justice in the world. With Trump as his lap dog, his dreams finally coming true. Fight against terrorism is a team work. Alas, the act of the clueless narcissist puppet will choke support from any nation in the future. It is a shame.
7
CPT Kennedy
Whatever you think you signed up for, you agreed to obey the orders of the officers above you and the civilian commend authority.
6
Why in the world did so many Americans think that Voting for a candidate who criticized a former POW and avoided the draft was a good idea? Does the military have to follow orders suggested by a madman? Trump support has been and is now more than ever....UNAMERICAN and UNPATRIOTIC !! Suddenly leaving an ally to be killed is just sheer lunacy !!
5
After watching this video I wonder how any patriotic American could have the nerve to attend a Trump rally and shout USA, USA.
3
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die.
2
NYT Please Advise: Given the perilous trajectories of our country and planet, at what point does the NYT take the lead and call for Trump’s resignation (without the benefit of a Pence pardon)?
Thank you.
6
Trump-the Betrayer. Enough said!
4
I was stationed in South Vietnam while in the Army. I left there after the cease fire took effect in January 1973. Just over 2 years later South Vietnam was overrun.
Don't worry Captain Kennedy, you'll get over it.
2
If the average American thinks that Donald Trump views you any differently than he does the Kurds (i.e. completely dispensable when his short term personal interests are at stake)... you've guzzled the Kool-Aid and are dreaming. Betray one. Betray all.
7
Captain Kennedy i salute you!!
5
"Nil Sine Numine," CPT Kennedy, and indeed may Providence be with you.
Thank you.
2
Thank you, Captain Kennedy.The so-called commander-in-chief is not worthy to lead you.
4
What Captain Kennedy's remarks here are an exercise in true bravery. Surely he realizes that speaking out against his commander in chief could put his service in peril. Imo I could not agree with his stance more. He works for a man lacking any concept of what it means to put ones life in peril every day all in the interest of helping others in need. Trump is a coward of the worst order a coward who has no qualms about destroying the welfare of anyone but himself. A petty thoughtless self serving jerk to whom commitment means absolutely nothing.
5
More courage in a 3 minute video posted from a US Army Captain than can be found in 3 years from the entire White House.
20
I served in the 3rd BN 6th Marine Regiment in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. What we are witnessing today is absolutely outrageous. Why anyone in the military would support this amoral imbecile is beyond anything I can fathom.
21
In a situation where the President of the United States throws all moral principles over board, there are courageoous people who stand up and there are cowards who step aside. Captain Kennedy belongs to the former group. Most Republican politicians certainly fall into the latter category. What a shame that a young Army officer has to demonstrate what seasoned and sometimes senile politicians fail to see.
8
A century after the Armenian genocide the Turkish military again on the rampage in this sickening quest for ethnic purity and cleansing.
Financed by blood money from the EU for keeping the refugees out of Europe and armed to the teeth by the US.
Humanity will never learn from past mistakes and history eternally repeat itself.
5
Powerful, tough, heartbreaking. And promising. because this soldier is younger and wiser than our travesty of a president, and unafraid of blowback from the blowhard in chief.
"Our complete withdrawal from Syria is unstrategic, immoral, and, ultimately, unAmerican."
"Overall it is good for us to get out of the Middle East. We do that by building and maintaining alliances, by creating a peace process that maintains stability in the region, and supporting our allies. That's how we work ourselves out of our job."
"I joined the Army to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather and great-uncle, who both served in World War II. Now the same Army that stopped the Nazis is being sent home to clear the way for an ethnic cleansing of the Kurds."
Capt. Kennedy's intelligent, humane, courageous, experienced voice is one I want to hear more of, ideally in a political career. He has my vote already.
164
OK, Americans.
Captain Kennedy told you what was happening, here is an update.
"Kurdish officials said the hospital at Ras al-Ayn had been shelled, and it was impossible to evacuate the wounded because the town was surrounded. A statement by the SDF’s political wing, the Syrian Democratic Council, said Turkey and its proxies had ignored the ceasefire, and it appealed for international monitors to be placed in the region.
Amnesty International said it had compiled “damning evidence” of crimes committed by Turkish forces and Syrian militias backed by Ankara. Amnesty claimed they displayed “a shameful disregard for civilian life, including through summary killings and unlawful attacks that have killed and injured civilians”.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/oct/18/fighting-continues-on-syria-turkey-border-despite-ceasefire
Your CIC calls this a 'sandlot fight' that needs 'tough love', when will you finally be prepared to do something about this?
9
Kurds are 5-10% of Syrian population and they seized one third of the country using the chaos in Syria which caused the arrival of 3.5 million refugees to Turkey. Do you still expect turkey sit and watch.
31
@Mete Finally a comment from someone who.understand history and geography and hubris. Glad to see it.
8
This soldier may have joined the military for his own agenda but that’s not how the military works.
35
@Saint Leslie Ann Of Geddes Well put!! The UCMJ will have its way.
4
I think the Captain Kennedy needs to be busted to E1 and charged for dishonorable conduct, he had no business speaking out against his boss, wait until you resign your commission to speak up, he has done a disservice to his fellow officers and enlisted members of the armed forces
40
As a Turkish citizen, I respect the captain's opinions and ideals. However, the equation of YPG = PKK is a fact for 80 million citizens of Turkey.
It is well known for us that the head of YPG is THE person responsible for the attack on Aktutun border post in the eastern Turkey. (https://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/04/world/asia/04iht-turkey.1.16688440.html) YPG head was a junior operative for PKK at that time. Two days ago, PKK has attacked a military personel carrier patroling along the Iranian border and one soldier has been killed, two others injured. Terror is an ongoing threat for all citizens of Turkey.
Given the history of YPG, its composition, its goals, we see the equality of YPG = PKK, as a fact. The border security is not an excuse for a political gain, but a necessity to survive for us.
When it comes to ISIS, please see https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/02/world/europe/istanbul-nightclub-attack.html . This is on a horrible attack of ISIS taking place in Istanbul, if not worse than the ones at Paris. This attack has taken place during a new year celebration party.
Turkey has been on the same side with USA until the very last pre-Trump administration. The choice of Obama administration arming YPG against ISIS has created a rift between two countries and is the root cause of the problem we face today. With all respect, this is almost like arming Taliban to fight Russians for the Afghanistan. We all know the end of that story. At least, this is the way I see it.
7
Do I really want to live in a country in which current military officers publicly rebuke the lawful orders of their C-in-C? I am no Trump fan myself, but lots of other countries in the world teach us that nothing good comes from mixing military officers with politics. If Captain Kennedy wants to publish in the NYT, then he needs to retire or resign before he does this.
12
Maybe you should have joined the Red Cross...the pupose of the Armed Forces is to defend the national interests of the United States, not engage in social justice crusades.
13
I am really sorry Capt. Kennedy. I know you didn’t up for this. I know you didn’t sign up for a bone spur, draft dodging philanderer and criminal to be your commander in chief. But nevertheless this is where we are. And two thirds of your service members seem to support a guy who attacks gold star families and senators who criticize him! Something is broken and we must vote this crook out.
15
These events of selling Kurds down the river shall live in infamy.
8
Donald Trump is personally responsible for this bloody debacle. The man has no loyalty to anyone but himself. That's why he has so many "acting" agency heads, so he can easily replace them without congressional approval. He even has an "acting" Chief-Of-Staff, who spilled all the beans yesterday.
Trump not only deserted an ally on the battlefield, he demeaned and insulted the Kurds for good measure. Whether friend or foe, this President cannot be trusted. Why would China, N. Korea, Iran or even our traditional allies make a deal with Trump?
7
What we all need to realize is that serving your country in the military means being pawns for con men republicans and plutocrats. You’re giving your lives and freedom away to help them take a bigger piece of the pie
7
Thank you for service Captain Kennedy.
Putin's puppet will build more enemies and weaken our alliances and spineless Moscow Mitch will continue to put party before country.
Ukraine and his hotel business are definitely impeachable offenses but the Trump control of our military and the insane withdrawal of our forces from Syria (order by Trump) is actually a far more serious dilemma. Trump is extremely dangerous to our national security and our democracy at large . Congressional leadership especially Senate republicans are failing to recognize when our President supports ethnic cleansing we are all in great danger.
Lone Senator speaks out. "Romney’s denunciation of Trump’s decision came hours after Senate Republicans blocked a vote on a House-passed resolution condemning the military move."
Kurdish little girls and boys watched as their mothers were raped and killed. Men , women and little boys and girls are being slaughtered because our military obeyed a poisoned ridiculous order from the lunatic residing in our White House. Senate republicans obviously believe all orders from The Criminal Con Man in Chief must be instantly followed.
The SECDEF , combatant commanders, Chief of the JCS should have at least slowed roll this heinous order from the Putin puppet. Congressional leadership especially the Senate republicans and the Chairman and ranking members of the HASC and SASC must ask themselves what will be the next insane order be from this unqualified lunatic.
10
This young and brave man is light years ahead of Trump as intelligence and courage are concerned . In fact they both don't seem to belong to the same universe . My country was saved from barbaric Nazi rule by your army , United States of America . In the name of all these thousands of white crosses resting in Normandy cemeteries , get rid of Trump through the democratic process of impeachment . And address the roots of the problem : why so many people in your great country have voted for him, and sadly , still believe in him .
11
Just how low does someone have to go to politicize this mess?
There are dead US and Kurdish military that were fighting with a strategy. All strategy was pulled by the President the other day when the President of Turkey, used his knowledge of Trump being an asset to Russia, to move everyone aside to cleanse the region of Kurds in Turkey and Syria. Now the only region left to the Kurds is Iraq; they were in all three areas previous to all this.
There are probably dead special forces guys and gals from the frantic retreat announced by our President. We know there are dead Kurds but the extent is not yet in focus. I believe it will be a complete genocide. I hope not, but history and evil always strikes at times like these.
This is about treason, Captain Kennedy and to all the armed forced in general. This is about money. And lastly it is about the loss of life.
This is a vile and dangerous act that our President has done!
8
The only thing so amazing is how short this article is.
2
Thank you for your most important service, Captain, speaking out to protect your allies under attack. In the entirety of my life, I hope to do something even a tenth as admirable, a hundredth as honorable.
NYT and all, calling this ethnic cleansing feels like it plays right into the hands of the murdering perpetrators-that they should be able to cleanse the region of a minority people because something is dirty or rotten.
This is ethnic genocide. Full stop.
6
I am afraid I never fully appreciated how blessed I was to be an American, until Donald Trump destroyed America.
11
You joined the US Army to prevent genocide? There's your problem: We DO the genocides around here.
7
Thank you for your service to a noble idea.
My disappoint is that s many of your fellow American soldiers are supporters of betrayer number 1 in the White House. It is not an understatement to say a corrupt fraud of a President is blindly worshipped by a large part of the lower ranks in the military.
Do you think this will ever change?????
3
Sorry, captain. You have to realize and accept the new truth: duty and honor have no place in this Trumpian world.
6
A historic first! A majority of NYT opinion comments support the continuation, and likely escalation, of US involvement in a foreign civil war. Where were you all in 1975?
5
Thank you, Captain Kennedy, for your service to our country. Mr. Trump is too foolish and ignorant to be embarrassed by his abandonment of the Kurds. Perhaps voters will remember Mr. Trump’s folly on election day. It is certain Moscow Mitch and his Republican Senate will do nothing to rectify the great wrong Mr. Trump has committed.
3
Speak the truth. Let our ignorant, conniving, narcissistic, corrupt unhinged "leader" have it. If enough speak out, we may be able to rid ourselves of him. He has a dwindling stock of allies, who are of the kind of Republican toadies (Graham), outright fraudsters (Franklin Graham), or non-thinking masses (Lock her up!) who just want to hurt some bogeyman ginned up by the hard right. Even some of these are deserting him. Eventually he will have only his family as supporters, not unlike most distasteful dictators around the world.
4
Yes, thanks to Our Great President, those Kurds probably are dead; if not, they are on the run. (Thanks, Republicans: you are responsible for this shameful debacle.)
2
There are a lot of insinuations here! Where are the proofs? I mean, the proofs for the so-called "ethnic cleansing" campaign of the Turkish army. And I have an another question. Why didn't the Nyt and Washington Post pay the same journalistic attention to the accusations of human rights violations and the forceful eviction of Arab population by the YPG, when they entered towns with an Arab majority population. The truth is: The YPG is not the devil, but also not the angel of American tales. The world should begin to keep the same distance to the divergent interests of the interested parties and powers! Otherwise the partisan critics of Turkey can and will be considered as hypocrites!
3
Good on him for speaking out about what was obviously a sop to the Turks - in exchange for what ? Ignominy and shame
Not only is Trump an inveterate, pathological liar, by his very power as President he now makes honorable American soldiers liars as well. Captain Kennedy put his life on the line for this? Trump had his chance, and a lie on piece of paper from a beholden foot doctor relieved him of the possibility of being the hero he thinks he is.
Trump does not deserve to be President of the United States. He never did; but it is now high time he be removed before he destroys the morale of our armed forces completely.
148
On balance (though I think the geo-political and military issues are somewhat more nuanced) this junior officer is correct. There seems to be bipartisan agreement on that, even if most of this President's most loyal base couldn't find Syria or Turkey on an unlabeled map or identify the Kurds.
There's another issue that should be thought over here. Apart from politics/Trump loathing (which I share) shall we consider the issue of a serving officer publicly disputing his commander-in-chief? After all under Pres. Obama we were correctly outraged by some of the public comments coming out of the mouths of some high ranking officers. There is a reason we (and our Founders, mindful of Roman Empire history) do not want our serving military making public speeches concerning choices in foreign and security strategy. That is for civilian leadership.
40
Very good video, especially the blunt contrast of what the US military did in WWII to stop the Nazis and end the Holocaust, versus how Trump opened the door for the ethnic cleansing of our allies the Kurds by Turkey. It's a sickeningly shameful time for the United States. I salute Capt. Kennedy for speaking out, and I grieve for his anguish over this betrayal of American ideals.
7
What on earth is the Colorado National Guard doing in northern Syria? We’ve lost our minds.
89
Trump will certainly take his revenge on this captain. But will defend and honor a killer and rogue navy seal. Edward Gallagher was reprimanded and convicted until trump came to his rescue. Do not forget trump knows nothing about the military. He is a draft dodger and never served. Poor excuse for a commander in chief.
6
Well, Capt. Kennedy, before you joined the army you should have thought about what you were going to do when you were called on to support one of our allies, Turkey, or another, the Kurds, when they got into a dispute, as they have been doing for hundreds of years.
You see, Capt. Kennedy, you decided to be the tip of the spear for US policy that has decided that our nation should be the world's policeman, and inevitably these sort of things happen when you try to be all things to all people. In the opinion of many people, that policy is nuts, because when you try to be everyone's ally you really just make your self everyone's enemy. And so, Capt. Kennedy, that is why the USA tops the global opinion polls as the most disliked nation on earth. Maybe you should have thought about that before you became the face of that policy, if you are so troubled by following orders.
7
I'm so demoralized by this President that I'm losing faith not only in the White House or Washington but in this country. For decades, we've sat in judgement of Germans, Ugandans, Cambodians, Rwandans, Bosnians -- you name it -- for sitting idly by as their leaders did unspeakable things. Some of them were killed for bravely speaking the truth. And yet a huge swath of people in this country refuse to condemn Trump's malice, greed, dishonesty, cruelty, selfishness, and basic disregard for democracy for what? So they get a chance to install "their man" on the Supreme Court or have an excuse to spew venom at marginalized groups? I don't get it. He's the opposite of everything this country aspires to be. Shame on us
17
To those commenters who see something positive in Trump’s actions I ask you...You say you’ve had enough of the Middle East quagmire. Did it ever occur to you that while you may have had enough, our military presence there has kept that quagmire off our home turf? Thinking we are immune to that conflict arriving on our shores in totally naive. This is the very reason why we have a military presence there: to protect ourselves! Trump’s irresponsible actions have now just invited violence into our backyards. ISIS will make haste. God help us with any future 911s, mass transit bombings, etc. European cities know all too well how that feels. Americans are so incredibly naive and this president is a complete fool. Thank you Captain Kennedy for your heartfelt and straightforward analysis.
14
Part of an American tradition ! 😣
I was home from "Nam" several years when I watched ARVN soldiers clinging to helicopter skids lifting off the roof of the Saigon embassy.
Then watched as they fell to earth.
We should make Total War or stay home.
1
Worst part is Trump boasting the Kurds got a great deal from Neville Pence's agreement with Erdogan.
7
Alan, as a Turkish-American, having lived in USA more than you have been alive, it is disheartening to read your comments. I'd suggest that you get in touch with service-men/women that fought along side with USA military personnel in Korea, or with those that served in NATO regiments, in Turkey and elsewhere.
Turkey's stand along with USA, NATO and EU, that the PKK in Turkey and it's PYD extensions in northern Syria and in Iraq are radicalized Marxist oriented fascists out to continue on with their violence, should not be new news.
As a captain in the Colorado National Guard, I suggest you read about the topics within a history perspective and its current ramifications before generalizing!
5
It is vital to realize what Captain Kennedy has done here. He has not been able to sleep at night for very good reasons.
Trump has betrayed everything America, and our armed forces, are supposed to stand for. Trump betrayed everything Captain Kennedy swore to uphold.
Trump's actions have freed tens of thousands of ISIS terrorists who were killing innocents the world over, and beheading Americans like American journalist James Foley, until our Kurdish allies, at great loss of life, stopped them.
Thanks to Trump, ISIS will now regroup and start brutally murdering Americans again.
Trump has turned our most loyal allies, the Kurds, over to the Turks for extermination. This is called genocide, and ethnic cleansing.
The Nuremberg Trials showed us that happens when, in the face of genocide, soldiers say "I was just following orders".
Thank you for your service Captain Kennedy; thank you for your bravery.
May God bless you and protect you.
12
Just as Admiral McRaven asserts, with a president with the crassness of donald trump, there is no point in military or public service, no reason for any young person to dedicate his or he life to the United States. There’s no chance I’d die for a CnC like trump and he America he has created. Admire anyone who serves this country, but under trump, it’s a fools sacrifice.
4
Thank you, Cpt Kennedy for your service and for your wisdom based on your personal experiences in a combat zone. I hope that your statement will help contain the outrageous policies of this failed president.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to our Kurdish allies who have paid dearly in the battle against ISIS. Once again they are in a fight for their lives. A fight brought about by the treachery and stupidity and greed of our leader.
5
Captain,
Your peers in uniform overwhelmingly voted for the Commander in Chief and most still support him.
Voted for Trump?
So did Putin.
(Think about it)
1
So heartbreaking that this young man's service to country has been so dishonoured and rendered worse than useless by a draft dodger like Trump. To watch this video is to look into the face of American idealism betrayed.
7
Thank you, Captain Kennedy. May your voice be the beginning of a tsunami of other military voices raising the alarm. Perhaps then will the blind followers of trump start to see they've been had by a dangerous con man.
5
A majority of US veterans now consider the "Bush Doctrine" of regime change wars and world police to be mistakes.
It's irresponsible, but sadly predictable, that the Times would seek out and give voice to, a minority viewpoint.
7
Does the military still love trump?
Let's review some basic facts: How did countries like Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia come into existence in the first place? The answer: they were carved out from the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I by the Western powers. Who butchered Iran's fledgling democracy by supporting a coup against an elected government and installing a dictator friendly to the Western oil companies? The answer: The CIA did (with considerable help from the British). What was the outcome? A popular revolt against the CIA installed shah led to the Iranian revolution and the theocracy we have in Iran today. Next, who supported Iraq's murderous dictator, Saddam, (responsible for killing Kurdish civilians en masse) while he was waging war against Iran? We did. Which country later invaded Iraq under false pretenses and created a power vacuum that eventually gave us ISIS? You guessed right! In summary, we created these countries, overthrew their elected governments, pitted them against one another or invaded them as we saw fit for nearly a century. According to a Lancet study in 2006, over 600,000 Iraqis died due to the American invasion in 2003. Now, please enlighten us, dear Captain Kennedy. What would your noble instincts have us do? Should we allow Kurdish mercenaries to establish an autonomous state in Syria and get one step closer to dismembering Turkey? Or shall we continue to use them the way we used Saddam against Iran, Bin Ladin against the USSR, etc? Time to redraw maps and begin again?
6
Apparently, Kennedy , the Officer, missed the classes in ROTC or OCS that taught that it is NOT OK to openly criticize your Commander in Chief in the media as “ Captain Kennedy” and active member of the Guard. You can do what you want as Mr. Kennedy, the civilian but don’t use your military affiliation to try to add credibility to your opinions or resign. As a 20 year Veteran Army officer who spent many of those years in the Reserves or NG and did attend those classes.
6
Think of those of us who have served in America's longest war..Afghanistan! What do you think those who assisted us over the years think relative to the Kurd's.
Or, perhaps even the Israeli's..who know Trump is defective in many ways and could turn on them at any moment.
Frankly, America has lost the respect and admiration of our military..but, moreover, our leaders who have and will walk away from our friends and allies over the years.
In short, while Trump is in office..America cannot be trusted..
2
Almost every country bin the Middle East is full of thugs. The Syrian government is no different than Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Kurds (although not a country are no different). Afghanistan is one of the worst! Now that we do not need their oil, we need to “get out” and let them do what they have been doing for 2,000 years+, “killing each other”.
4
O.k. So are you voting against trump in 2020?
I am sorry, Captain, but they will all be dead soon. In our political system they do not count for much. I wish it were different.
Thanks for your heart felt comments. I can only hope that your chain of command supports your use of the First Amendment and does not take action against you. With the current White House occupant, I can foresee action down the pike.
3
If this shameful, colossal blunder is the worst thing to happen during the Trump administration. the country and the world will be indeed fortunate.
2
I can remember back in the seventies when Vietnam was being protested and what always came to the front of discussions was how could we abandon them. People would say how it would betray all of the Americans who had died there. What say you know? Were are all the service men and women backing up the "it"? Please trumplicans come to your senses and come out and tell us what you think. Or are you afraid to speak your mind because of what "it" might say about you. I never ever thought people who live in the greatest democracy are afraid to speak their mind. Patrick Henry, a great American said it best " give me liberty or give me death " . Millions of Americans have died to give you a voice use it!
Wordless. Horror.
As a veteran of three deployments of Iraq, Afg and Iraq I have to say there is no good way to get out of there. The Kurd leadership is just as corrupt as the other leaderships in the mid east. The high officials exist to steal the oil revenues. The chance to build a Kurdish nation was lost after WW1 and now neither Iran, Iraq or Turkey or Syria would want an independent Kurdish nation. So unless we want to redraw all the borders of the mideast we need to get out. For all his faults......Trump has not started any wars..... Unfortunately, we have to lay the reward for Libya, the refugee mess in Europe, Syria and the Ukraine on Ms. Clinton and the Obama administration. And we can blame Trump for the Iran disaster.....which he made his own with his own idiotic decision making. No one in Washington is blameless. The US is incapable of managing countries that the leadership cannot identify on a map.
44
Well, Captain, who did you vote for? If you voted for Donald Trump, then you are part of the problem. I can't speak for any veteran besides myself, but our values are: honor, integrity, loyalty, bravery--these are actual virtues you have to hone over a lifetime. The Naval Academy mantra for Midshipman is: "I will not lie, cheat, nor tolerate those who do." Those of us who believe in those virtues, immediately knew that Trump was a liar, coward, and conman--but apparently many veterans do like him, but I have no idea why--so I'm not surprised to see these comments from veterans latent to get to where many of us were when Cadet Bone Spurs--was still Candidate Bone Spurs. We get it Captain, but what took you so long to see this? Let's go active duty and veterans--we need to band together once again--our families as well--to get rid of this domestic scourge that is embodied by corpulent, corrupt, and morally bankrupt President and administration. Reap it.
9
Trump did not as far as we know consult his military advisors. He acted and ordered on a whim and most likely thinking to divert attention from his illegal acts in Ukraine. Our military leaders like Captain Kennedy must make a statement whether they support these orders by their president. They swore an oath to the American People not a wannabe dictator.
5
Good book about the Kurds of Mosul and the fall of the ISIS caliphate is 'They will have to die now' by James Verini. Verini is a journalist who traveled with the Kurds advancing into Mosul and nearby towns.
Sadly it's now yesterday's history.
1
Trump does not heed the advice of generals, admirals and national security experts, nor will he heed the advice of Captain Kennedy.
A political campaign promise to get out of Syria now provides him an applause line at a rally, his narcissistic appetite has been quenched...for now.
But Trump's shame is now our shame.
Impeach and remove.
6
Thank you for your moving statement Capt. Kennedy. And thank you for your sacrifice in our armed forces.
What you speak to and what the video shows, speaks to Trumps profound ignorance of, and indifference to the situation in the region.
Anyone with a thimble full of knowledge about the region knows that the Turks, the Syrians, and the Iraqi's have a long history of hatred against all Kurds. Largely because of the terrorist group PKK, but also because of cultural and religious bigotry.
The Kurds are often treated and viewed as subhuman, almost caste like.
I have witnessed this myself in southern Turkey, on a bus between Mardin and Silopi. Turkish soldiers roughly pulling a Kurdish student of a bus, harassing him and physically accosting him because they could.
All his paperwork was in order, all his student permits up to date and valid. Still harassed and berated.
He told me his brother had the same thing happen to him. The Turkish soldiers ignored his paperwork, and sent him to do military conscription claiming he was illegally avoiding it.
Fortunately he got back on the bus and we were allowed to leave. This was during Iraq ll, and I was the only westerner on the bus.
Trump is monumentally ignorant and foolish. He must be removed from office.
10
As usual the ego maniac demagogue Trump has taken a broad general issue that is popular with many Americans ie stay out of foreign wars if America is not threatened, then demagogued it to his favor.
The Kurds have helped us defeat ISIS, a internationally agreed upon killing horror story that has executed several American hostages.
Under the guise of let's not get involved, he wants to withdraw from one of the few areas where we should be to fatten his ego and or wealth with his handlers, the Turkish leader and Putin as the expense of the genocide against the Kurds.
6
Trump's order to pull out U.S. troops from North Syria, in effect greenlighting Turkey into Syria - and possibly inviting genocide on the Kurdish people (our former Allies in the fight against ISIS) - is an unconscionable act. To say nothing of the damage to our national security because of the possible regrouping of ISIS.
My question: Why wasn't this order countermanded by the U.S. military command?
(Several pundits in the media have said president Trump does not comprehend the damage that flows from his order and is possibly delusional. Trump today said the Kurds would be "very happy". A nation of people facing genocide but will be "very happy"?)
Editor NYT: Is there anything in the U.S. Constitution that would have barred the Military High Command from countermanding president's Trump's order?
4
It's all about perception and propaganda. What is an endless war? It's a term used to sway and influence public opinion. Who want's endless wars? No one of course. Thus the propaganda angle of the term.
There is a new reality setting in right now in global affairs. It's not endless war, but the seeding of anarchy. What I see developing before my own eyes in Syria is the unleashing of anarchy. Groups of humans, wearing uniforms, waving flags and killing. This is not for anything more than personal gain of those who are leading these gangs. Anarchy.
The ultimate goal is clear. Dominance of the oil fields in the area. Source of wealth/power.
If we let anarchy bloom unchecked, it will grow through out the middle east at huge costs. One cost are millions of refugees who end up on Europe's shores. Another cost is the establishment of mafia/gangster/drug lord cartel type institutions which wage war under false pretense. Religion, culture, ethnicity, but the real reason will be to traffic arms, drugs, sex slaves, whatever makes a profit. This will further add to the escalation of anarchy.
The only way to fight anarchy is to establish a military presence to defend the common human. Those of us who play by the rules, seek a peaceful existence and strive to live in harmony. That is what our troops were doing. And should be the focus of what our mission abroad should be. These are not endless wars, they are efforts to hold the fabric of civilization together and keep anarchy at bay.
4
Americans should call their senators and representative in Congress and tell them the BETRAYAL of the Kurds to certain genocide is un-American and unacceptable. Ask your congressperson to reverse this action-- or say why they won't try.
4
I served, back in the 1960's, when President Kennedy said "ask not what your country can do for you …" and when he called for "... a few good men." Back then, we fought beside and to protect our allies, in the 'Nam and in Europe. We served side by side with them - ARVN, Bundeswehr, wherever, whenever. We had each other's backs. We served for the common good.
Today with a coward of the Vietnam War running the show, things have certainly changed. Trump is a con man, who has absolutely no sense of what MacArthur meant by "Duty, Honor, Country". Trump is loyal only unto himself.
Watching this evolve, I am amazed that anyone would volunteer today. As a veteran, it is hard to watch such a betrayal of American values, this desertion of our allies, by this US President - thie Russian puppet - this Manchurian Candidate - who is currently called the Commander-in-Chief.
7
We hear you Captain Kennedy. And while we are not comrades in arms, we are comrades in humanity. We try to touch your pain, know we cannot, but try our deepest to empathize.
Many of us are hurting. We are ashamed. We know this is wrong. All we have to offer is to say that what we know to be brave and honorable is all that you express, and what our morally bankrupt president says and does is beneath contempt.
5
Reading this I feel pain seeing our allies sold out and slaughtered and the humiliation of retreat ordered by Trump the moral weakling. I also feel the hurt of this good man who stood for our values and was betrayed by the traitor in the White House.
7
Thank you for speaking truth to power!
5
Yes
4
Donald Trump claimed that he could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and no one would stop or arrest him. To prove it he has decided to murder an entire population.
Mr. Trump, Far from what you desperately try to portray you are an incredibly weak leader whose backbone collapses in front of every petty tyrant in the world. You suck your thumb and live with your self portrait because you can't possibly live with yourself.
8
Even the Republican die-hards are realizing the bad bargain they made, promoting Trump at all costs.
The man doesn't know his limitations or himself. If he doesn't know his limitations, then how could he possibly have built-up a team of competent advisors to pay attention to?
4
Kurds have died violent deaths in the past week for one reason.
Trump's order of withdrawal, an apparent accommodation to his 'friend', Vladimir Putin.
They are dead for no other reason.
6
Thank you Captain Kennedy for taking the time to visually show and explain to the public your personal interactions which led to an honest, intelligent opinion of one who served and lived among the Kurds. Your simple concise expression should be mandatory veiwing in the halls of Congress, educational institutions and receive media exposure. This tragic and shameful decision by Trump is proof he is undeserving of his dual positions, as President of America and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces.
6
This abandonment of the Kurds will be a dark stain on American history. When there are no more Kurds in Syria, Turkey will be blamed but the U.S. will also be attacked for telling the Turks it was okay for them to "clean out" the Kurds. No country or group will ever want to be an ally of the U.S. in the future. This is the sad legacy of the Trump presidency.
8
The Commander in Chief is more interested in his personal standing with his strongmen friends like Putin and Erdogan than in leading our troops faithfully.
I am sorry that “Duty, Honor, Country” means so little to Mr. Trump and his feckless enablers.
Our military deserves a serious, competent Commander in Chief.
7
Trump will still carry the military vote.
3
Mr. Kennedy-you have carefully, completely and judiciously framed why we should have remained.
Our President has brought shame and danger to our country.
6
Like slavery, this country must own the terrible, deadly mistakes it has made, ever since our founding. Once we do that, and we teach that history to our children, we can begin to be the country we have always bragged we were, but have never been. This may be our last chance to cleanse our souls.
4
I want to offer a different perspective. Most of the military is still solidly behind Trump. As long as he remains bellicose, arrogant, and unapologetic for American excesses, they will stay so. That is what we are, and have always been, since My Lai, and many years before.
The 20,000 people at a Trump rally yesterday who hung on his every word indicate where this is going.
7
"I haven't been able to sleep..." I've been worrying about the mental and emotional state of Iraq veterans since the Current Occupant unilaterally pulled the US out of Iraq and threw the Kurds into the Turkish meat-grinder. I hate to say that I anticipate an increase in suicides by Iraq war veterans. Yet another major catastrophe to lay at his feet, one that may go largely unnoticed. If you know someone who served in a Iraq, please be extra vigilant.
3
Thank you, Sir. When the Commander-in-Chief is a megalomaniac, incapable of learning or accepting professional advice, believes that “ I alone can fix this “, well, we are doomed. Never in the history of our Country has an incompetent buffoon been empowered to run roughshod over long-standing policies, norms, and plain decency.
Let it be clear : As long as He and his Collaborators are in power, America is NOT your ally or even friend. The most you can hope for is benign neglect. And I’m so very Sorry.
6
Great point Me Kennedy. You are preaching to the converted- say the same thing on Fox or Sinclair or in the Wall Street journal. We here are in agreement.
8
Trumpists might want to think about what it takes to push military officers to feel that they must say this out loud.
Oh wait, silly me...of course, given that duty, honor, country are at best just words they mouth when it seems convenient, of course they’d rather not think about such things.
4
Captain Kennedy,
Those of us who have never wore this country’s uniform can only begin to imagine the pain, guilt, and sense of betrayal you must be feeling now. Please know that millions of Americans are horrified that a commander-in-chief would force an order so incalculably dehumanizing that it is defies the essence of who at least we thought we were as Americans.
However painful a time this is for you, and your comrades and your commanders, your grief and bewilderment on this page is met, I hope with solidarity, compassion, and respect. Moreover, the senselessness of this tragedy, and humanitarian crisis created by our president has brought your story to a newspaper that many in the military would say is a left wing paper. Yet, as you read your fellow Americans’ comments, out of all the chaos, and self aggrandizement of Trump, has come a unity of a shared purpose. A definition of who we are as Americans, what we try to do in this world. The ideal that we try to make the world a little safer, peaceful, and more prosperous.
The darkness of this latest rebuke to shared ideals as Americans has anything to do with party labels. Under this chaotic administration, we are witnessing epic failure in moral leadership as conducted by the president of the United States. If we are to continue as a shining city on a hill, we must see ourselves as Americans first, recommitting ourselves to the values enshrined-by our founders. We must work hard to assure Tump can’t return in 2022.
4
I'm sorry for U.S. military personnel, obligated to follow orders that make no sense. Trump, who last week suggested that (these countries) have a lot of sand, and should go play in the sand, is obviously ill. If the Senate can't see this mental deterioration and remove him from office, our country is doomed. What will he do next? Send missiles to wipe out the entire area so we stop worrying about it? This is a national emergency, and he can be replaced. If a CEO behaved like this, stockholders would demand that the Board should remove him.
6
I want to watch this video fullscreen but cannot do it inside the app. That's unacceptable. Fix the app!
I clicked on this article to read it and started it. But I can't finish it or watch the video - too painful and I feel so deeply ashamed of the country I love. The land of the free and the home of the brave...
5
So if you a against President Trump in his policy to pull the troops from Syria then you must be a supporter of the Vietnam War, the invasion of Iraq and other wars the US has sent military forces since the 1960’s.
So make up your mind ! If you cannot support President Trump, remember that the actions of politicians using the lives of military personnel for political retribution is a disgusting moral high crime and those supporting those politicians are on equal ground.
2
President Trump wreathes the nation in utter shame, especially those who have confronted or suffered death and injury to defend it.
3
Trump has dishonored every US soldier who served with the Kurds in Syria. That's one campaign ribbon that every soldier will refuse to wear. Mail them back to the White House.
3
Trump will now demand to the Pentagon that this fine officer be defrocked.
To Allen Kennedy.. you are a hero with honor for speaking out publicly on this.
3
I, too feel awful about the numerous horrors and abuses suffered. However, before these folks join up thinking to save the world with Uncle Sam; let them read all or some of the books by people who , long ago, also got fooled into betting their lives. Read "For Whom The Bell Tolls" . However, while this is a professional book by a pro, it also tells a story of ignorance and political optimism, and faith wasted in supporting a cause supported and fought by Moscow and Berlin-just as Europe got ready for part 2 of the Great War.
Our big first attempt to juggle live land mines while crossing Niagara on a wire, was in Vietnam. Books like "Born of the 4th of July" and " A Rumor of war", tell stories of naive, well intentioned kids-believing war was a John Wayne movie-and we would all meet in heaven afterward to chew the fat. Watching news film of how Vietnam's war became a butcher's "Busman's holiday": of US and Vietnam soldiers dying-(or living on)- in every way conceivable, as US politicians demanded we serve, telling us: "If we don't beat the Commies in "Veet-Nam" today, we'll have to fight them on the beaches of California, tomorrow."
George Bush, rushing from Afghanistan into Iraq while insisting Islamic states were our bestest BF's, was evidence Americans learned nothing. Yet Ignorance doesn't excuse trying what none since LBJ through Bush, ever could do even with endless men & materiel.
THere must be an end to wish fulfillment disguised as patriotism.
1
OUCH. Cheesy infomercial feel. First of two end credits screens can be briefly seen, second simply cannot be paused for reading. I'm sorry to be negative about a protest voice I agree with, but who vetted this? And who is responsible for it. Somehow, I don't think Alan Kennedy is the originating opinion voice.
7
I heard on NPR that some of our troops "gave their word" to the Kurdish fighters, that they would be supported in setting up an independent state in the North of Syria. With all due respect, our troops take an oath to support the Constitution, where it states that the President is the head of the Armed Forces. I support Mr. Trump in removing our troops from all foreign wars and the sooner the better.
20
And the Constitution always supersedes the wishes of the president. This is addressed in detail at West Point.
97
@sob, well I’d read the Constitution again if I were you. This idiot has not place in the Oval. He’s a disgrace to our country.
4
SOB.. i have a tough time understanding how citizens who admire our military can support a draft dodger. Can one of you explain that to me?
5
I’m sorry... this “I joined the military to help people” line is completely unbelievable in 2019. With every passing day and each war crime followed by utter failure, the US military and all its members become more like mercenaries for the super rich than anyone worthy of respect. Good grief.
22
That is painting our military personnel with a very wide brush. It may be argued that there are still those who join our armed forces in hopes of creating a better world and defending the principles of a democratic republic in the face of despotism and aggression abroad.
It is the job of all United States citizens to uphold and improve upon Constitutional law and government here. It is our job to defend it against threats foreign and domestic. If we are not vigilant, if we allow ourselves to be uneducated or disempowered or duped by charlatans here in the seat of our Nation, we are not only selling out our country, we are betraying those who represent us abroad.
It begins here.
45
@Heather Elowe When there's so much area to be covered, a wide brush is required.
2
@Neildsmith
This is an unbelievably cynical post. FYI, I tried my best to convince my daughter not to enlist during the Iraq debacle, but she overrode my arguments based on her belief that she would truly be serving the cause of democracy. She believed in our country. Just because the country, under Trump, has devolved into an incomprehensible mess, that is no reason to denigrate our troops!
10
While I respect your service Capt. Kennedy, and I understand completely, your strong feelings on this matter, you are, sir, way out of line in voicing your feelings publicly, and do a disservice to the institution of the military which should always be seen as politically neutral. The military is one of the few American institutions that has broad public support and trust and you jeopardize that trust by actively engaging in a political policy issue.
As a reminder, when a military member is wearing the uniform and receiving a salary from the Department of Defense, that military member has essentially signed away his First Amendment rights granted by the Constitution. The exact words of the Uniform Code of Military Justice Article 88 - Contempt Toward Public Officials states:
“Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”
Again, while I truly respect your sacrifice and service sir, please do not drag our military into the ugly political fights we are waging in this country. To do so will only sully an institution that has, and should, remain politically neutral and be representative of all Americans.
13
@FXQ
Trump has dragged the military into a political fight (Mattis, McCain, border duty, ...). And if the service members stay silent as you suggest, many of us will lose all respect for the military. It’s articles like this that give many Americans hope that the military has people who will stand up for American value and not just follow orders.
84
@FXQ Have you served in the military? If so, then maybe your opinion would have more bearing. These are not normal times and the all-volunteer military has been unduly stressed and burdened. With much less than one percent of the public serving in the military and the gap between the rich and the poor growing ever greater in our country - between those who create war and those who fight it - I am very interested in the opinions of the men and women who do the work and make the sacrifices.
My father served 30 years in the military including two hardship tours, one in Turkey, one in Korea, neither with his family. It's not just the military member that serves - the entire family does.
What Captain Kennedy has written in no way sullies the military as an institution. It will remain strong. It will continue to protect itself and the country from enemies, foreign and domestic.
69
@FXQ Capt Kennedy as a member of the national guard lives with one foot in the military world and one in the civilian world. Had he made his video in uniform you are correct that he would be flirting with violating the ucmj. However, I do not hear any contemptuous words in his opinion piece.
For a bit more info https://www.afrc.af.mil/News/Commentaries/Display/Article/946973/political-season-dos-and-donts-for-reservists/
I applaud Capt Kennedy for his service. And as a 30 year veteran (10 active,20 reserves) I understand the complexity associated with being a citizen soldier.
I believe is with much reluctance that some senior retired officers, Mattis, McRaven, McChrystal, are beginning to speak out on the lack of any coherence in our foreign policy. This flippant disregard for the well being of the Kurds will damage American soft power for years to come and will ultimately cost us more blood and treasure than a well thought out foreign policy.
72
This isn’t only about Trump. This is about every US president since Truman continuing disastrous Middle East policies. Trump pulling out will undoubtedly lead to bloodshed, but it’s not worse than being there in the first place, or staying. There is no way of withdrawing peacefully or even fairly that I can see. The withdrawal is going to be as ugly as the decades of bloodshed that have preceded it. But if the Middle East is ever going to be a secure region for its roughly 250 million inhabitants, then the US must withdraw. It’s the only option.
13
@Randall Every US president since Truman has had policies that often made things worse in the Middle East, but at least they were advancing policies that they thought were in the best interests of the United States. When it is eventually confirmed that this action was done only in the best interests of Trump, for whatever venal reason, it will make the coming horror and chaos and death a far more bitter pill to swallow than if it was done for virtually any other reason.
62
@Dave I detest Donald Trump. But I’m not so blinded by hatred for him that I can’t see when he accidentally does something right. Whatever the reason, whoever is responsible, the US must withdraw completely and permanently from the Middle East. It is the only chance the region has for stability, peace and self-determination.
3
@Randall
Withdraw strategically, orderly and with a plan in place to insure peace, not at the whim of a witless fool in thrall to dictators, oligarchs and murderers.
I for one am very shocked to see an active member of the US military publicly criticizing Donald's decision to pull troops out of Syria. But I agree 100% with his criticism.
140
@Tres Leches
I'm not shocked. Speaking out against Donald's decision is just an extention of realizing that "I was just following orders" doesn't cut it. What will our volunteers be ordered to do next?
It takes courage and Captain Kennedy will undoubtably face repercussions. If not from the commander in chief, then from his non-military followers.
May Captain Kennedy be the first of many in pointing out that Trump has no honor.
266
@AnnaJoy If you know anything about the US military, you would know that active members must follow orders from their commanders and open criticism of commanders' orders is not welcomed. Cpt. Kennedy could face repercussions and not just from "his non-military followers". I certainly hope he doesn't though.
15
@Tres Leches : Who better to criticize an inhumane, immoral, and dangerous-to-national-security decision than someone who has worked with, and perhaps been saved by, the people it harms?
25
Reading this was difficult. The Captain's anguish is genuine and heart-wrenching and one can only wonder how many of the Kurds he served alongside are still breathing.
But equally painful is his realisation of the fact that joining the army has not helped, in any way, in preventing genocide.
While his intentions were noble, I believe Americans should endeavour to understand better the consequences of US foreign policy in so many parts of the world.
The Kurds were aided by the US in a rebellion against the Iraqi state in 1972, only to be abandoned. Thousands were massacred. They were abandoned again during the Gulf War when coalition forces stopped far short of Baghdad despite promises of help from the West.
What has played out with the Kurds is deeply disturbing. But it has occurred elsewhere in many parts of the world. In the year 1971, Bangladesh experienced one of history's worst genocides. 10 million refugees fled into my parents' native state of West Bengal in India as paramilitary forces backed by the US committed untold atrocities.
You know, it may not be a bad idea to talk to someone from another part of the world and try and understand how US foreign policy has impacted their region. Even Greece, a Western country, had a military government installed by the CIA in 1974. Young Greeks still protest outside the US embassy on the anniversary of the military's seizure of power to protest the complicity of the US.
Americans just don't know about any of this sadly.
227
@Jack Thank you for your eloquent and succinct observations. Spot-on.
29
@Jack, quite a few of us Americans do know about all of that and agree that it is a shameful part of our history, recent or otherwise.
But I fail to see how that makes any difference to the fact that today, in 2019, our CIC, unilaterally and without any consultation with his military and policy experts, withdrew the small special ops force that was acting as a 'trip-wire' and preventing Turkey from its stated intention of slaughtering our allies, leading to instant and catastrophic damage to same. War crimes are being committed right now against Kurdish men, women, and children because of that decision.
We are demonstrably less safe today than we were 2 weeks ago, not only because ISIS fighters are escaping with the intent to kill the infidels like us, or because our soldiers are in danger of being overrun in their hasty withdrawal, but also because we just signaled to the world that our word is no longer worth the paper it is printed on. Regardless of our checkered past, we have an obligation today to fight to uphold the values our country purports to stand for, values like democracy and sacred honor. In fact, I argue that our checkered past makes it that much more necessary that we stand up those values now.
41
@Jack
Excellent comment.
Unfortunately , the American Herd has been systematically brainwashed and dumbed-down by propaganda and lack of good public education.
Since the end of WWII estimates are that the United States most likely has been responsible for the deaths of between 20 and 30 million people in wars and conflicts scattered over the world.
The staggering death toll of people killed in the post-9/11 war on terror alone is running into the millions.
https://theintercept.com/2018/11/19/civilian-casualties-us-war-on-terror/
More than 70% of the American people supported the Iraq and Afghanistan punic wars and that was even before evidence was presented.
Part of the cause was GWB, part of it was the media, but a lot of it was war fever after 9/11.
What politician cares who they kill to get reelected and if the law does not make it very difficult to wage a new war they will.
The American people need to put their foot down when it comes to war powers, ultimately we the people are to blame.
It would be pertinent to bring to justice those who fomented the civil war in Syria, but the criminals will never be convicted.
They never do.
Sadly we will be waiting forever if we want to hear any mass media acknowledgement of US military crimes, much less condemnation.
As Harold Pinter said in his nobel acceptance speech in 2005, so far as MSM is concerned, there have been no such crimes.
Even as they were happening they weren't happening.
15
Even if some Americans can't find it in their hearts to condemn the betrayal and slaughter of the Kurds, one would hope they would care about the betrayal of U.S. troops who risked their lives and in some cases made the ultimate sacrifice to contain ISIS with the help of the Kurds. Now that ISIS is running free and the Kurds are running for their lives, how is the family of a fallen U.S. soldier supposed to feel about that sacrifice?
297
I entered the US Army in 1977. I retired in 1997. Throughout those years, my country supported my mission, and had my back. If it was today, I would chose to leave after my first tour...because my country did not have my back...
366
@Duke Mike Gulf In other words, you stuck around juuuuussst long enough for that full retirement. Apparently mission didn't matter that much to you, did it?
3
A great straight from the heart piece by Capt. Kennedy. Your sentiments are shared by many regardless of party affiliation. Not being involved in an endless stream of wars and being the world's policeman is a laudable goal; many agree with Trump in that regard. However, just as important as the goal itself is how you achieve it. In that regard, Trump's actions must be condemned utterly. Strength and world peace are achieved through alliances. It's true that nations have interests rather than friends; allies have common interests. To build and maintain alliances takes trust and you do not build trust by stabbing allies in the back or doing 360’s. Moreover, if a country is seen as untrustworthy there will always be lingering doubts as to whether that country can ever be trusted again. Trump has stabbed our allies, the Kurds, in the back. How can the US ever be trusted again? Trump's ill-considered actions which resulted in many ISIS prisoners being released will lead to ISIS again gaining strength and continuing the threat against the US. Trump has merely kicked the ISIS can down the road for another administration to deal with. He has emboldened Turkey's tin-horn dictator, Erdogan, whose respect for free speech, democracy and human rights is nil. Erdogan has visions of rebuilding the Ottoman Empire, our former World War 1 enemy. I fear the genocide Erdogan will bring about now will rival that which Turkey committed against the Armenians during the last century.
8
Captain Kennedy, my wife and I thank you - as do so many -of Americans - for your willingness to step up in order to protect us, as individuals, as a nation. We also thank you for your boots-on-the-ground experience-informed perceptions about this horribly ill-thought decision by our president. Your pain, your concern and your compassion for the people among whom you served in Syria is palpable in both your words and the emotion behind them . We weep with you, sir.
8
Thanks Captain Pompeo for this betrayal. He should have resigned over this.
4
I feel deeply devastated ! by this impulsive, immoral, reckless and incoherent US presidential decision to abandon the Kurds. For the women and men of the US Army, aiming at fighting for the constitutional values of the US, this must be a nightmare : I'm on your side heart and soul ! From a pragmatic and looking-forward perspective, it is now up to America to effectively stand up for its values by voting in 2020 for a non-transactionnal president. The Young generations have a historical role by all rushing to the polls, bearing in mind the climate, gun control, social justice, multilateralism and unity key challenges. The world is looking at you. Your constitutional values are fantastic : please preserve them. All the best in this difficult period.
7
Courageous video, but I wished he would have blurred out the faces of the kurdish fighters and american military personnel.
2
Sorry, but a lot of pathos.
"We do that [getting out of the Middle East] by building and maintaining alliances, by creating a peace process that maintains stability in the region, and supporting our allies."
The Kurds are a people; Kurdistan is not a sovereign nation. The Kurds may have been U.S. partners in the fight against ISIS (the original reason for the U.S.-led coalition and deployment of forces to northern Syria), they are not "allies" in the strict sense of the word.
And why is he telling a Kurdish fighter that the United States would never leave Syria and abandon the Kurds? The good captain does not make U.S. foreign policy.
And then we ave the issue of an officer of the U.S. Army (yes, the National Guard is a component of the U.S. Army) publicly criticizing a lawful order of his commander-in-chief.
I'm not sure the good captain understood his unit's mission or the objectives his unit was to achieve.
8
The chaos in the Middle East today is the result of America’s war in Iraq. No American soldier should be proud of that. Nor should he be proud that the United States’ military has killed sixteen million people in illegal wars since the end of the Second World War. Nor should he be proud that the United States withdrew from the International Criminal Court under George W. Bush, thus giving itself the right to commit war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide with impunity. The sooner American soldiers learn that they are fodder for the billionaire capitalists who invest their money in the arms industry, the sooner they will be able to save their own lives.
5
Bravo to Captain Kennedy. His articulate and reasoned discussion of the issues, based on first-hand knowledge, is welcome and quite courageous. I only hope that there is no retribution from the criminal organization which is the Trump administration. Certainly, don't expect Republicans to help.
8
I'm a pacifist, so don't understand why military means are so often prompted when a discussion is probably more appropriate. However, ISIS represents a totally abhorrent philosophy and worldview, an anathema to every society that ever existed and needs to be isolated, disarmed, and re-educated with whatever means necessary.
Too bad Trump just screwed Israel. ROYALLY perhaps even fatally, no one is discussing that part yet...
"He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool; shun him."
8
Well said sir. It is not for nothing that Kurdish fighters are called Peshmerga, "Those who face death," because they have been betrayed many times over in their sorry quest for a land of their own. They lost 11,000 dead fighting alongside warriors like you in our war against Assad and ISIS, which makes this latest betrayal more perfidious than those of the past. Trump, Pence and Pompeo have blood on their hands and should be made to pay for it.
9
A lot of comments here were supportive of Trump and his sort of policy to "being the troops home". First of all, that is not why this current crisis in Syria blew up....it was an issue with Trump and Turkey, where incidentally he has TWO towers with his name on them in Istanbul. Remember his previous attempts at wooing Erdogan (one of many despots he admires) with offers to return a Turkish dissenter.
Back to the troops home issue.....Trump has sent more troops to our "friends" the Saudis. You know, the country that murdered one of OUR journalists and who had their people on suicide airplanes on 9/11.
And beyond our "bring the troops home desires", there is the little question of how to do it. We shouldn't be doing it in a manner that abandons allies who sacrificed 11,000 of their own as they fought by our side. And we shouldn't have done it in a manner that freed over 200 ISIS warriors to re-terrorize the West.
Trump is no Commander-in-Chief. He is a little boy who wants the glory of a military hero without having the vaguest comprehension of either military nor diplomatic strategy, outcomes and cost.
13
We the silent majority want the troops home. NO to wars of choice in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria. To those who support this war, have you volunteered to go yet?
4
Yes but will this be enough to turn the millions of active duty and former military personal away from their inherent love of the Republican Party?
I think not.
3
@M.A.A I am a retired soldier AND veteran of VN War and First Gulf War (1991). Until the Dems can come up with a reasonable candidate .... ???
Clearly the Biden's do not need another pay check. Bernie et al want to burn thru other people's $.
Just glad I am old. May not live to see end of USA.
Watching the Kurds get thrown to the wolves has been heart wrenching. We will not recover from this national shame. A brave people who sacrificed their lives to push back ISIS are now threatened with ethnic cleansing, thanks to the sole decision of our deranged president who plowed ahead despite having previously been advised by experts that withdrawal was a bad idea. If Trump is allowed to remain in office, what will it be next??? Our allies can’t trust us as long as he’s running the country. Meanwhile, the world’s dictators know exactly how to roll him.
6
What comes to mind after watching the video and reading the Captain's article is the oaths taken by Trump and Kennedy as they embarked on their service to the United States. The conduct and effort by Alan Kennedy to adhere to the Code of Conduct of the Armed Forces is clear and honorable. The conduct and effort by Donald Trump to the President's Oath is dishonorable and dark. Fortunately in America, the majority of those in the Services and all of those Americans who work across the land doing their best to protect our way of life outnumber those who take and hate. The minority who like Trump that are angry and willing to destroy an evolving and maturing America, willing to violate their oaths and pledges to America, the Constitution, and our way of life, are simply traitors.
3
@Jon The Cpt may interpret the "Code of Conduct" but the UCMJ will end his career. Junior officer do not have the horse power to "Talk the talk".
1
I am still astounded by what is unravelling in Syria. It's clear that both the left and the right think that the way Trump got the military out of Syria was so profoundly insane. Now forgetting whether or not you agree that America should even be the Middle East is besides the point; this is another instance of Trump making a terrible decision and then sticking to his plan even when in comes under intense scrutiny. It genuinely scares me to think that he is aware of the bloodshed he is causing but sticks to his decisions for fear of looking weak.
4
We have now ceded power in Syria to the Russians and the Iranians. The POTUS has betrayed all US armed forces members. Why do my fellow Republicans continue to support such a corrupt President? It is clear now. We need a new leader who won't betray us at the first hint of personal gain.
3
I am wondering what we ever did in Syria? It was no business of our to be there. Another Middle Eastern country where we believe we have to defend America's interest. Our partners were the Kurds? Sounds like an alliance based on desperation but the most stable partnership.
Trump is an bufoon and is totally unfit to be president, but getting out of Syria is the right move. We need to stop putting our noses into things that are non of our business. In the end, there is always a blow back. We pretend to understand these cultures, but we have no idea what we are getting into.
The blame for the bad consequences due to a sudden withdrawal from Syria has to lay with the people who got us into this war, not the people who extracted us from it.
3
The captain has shown far more courage than his representatives in congress.
2
@Tom F. Next for the Cpt will be an article 32 of the UCMJ for "Conduct inconsistent with rank". AKA dead career.
1
Sadly, things may get much worse in Syria. What will the Turks do when the five day cease-fire ends?
The US owes nothing to the Kurds, to the Afghans or to the Turks. In Afghanistan it must maintain just forces to bomb the Taliban , the ISIS and Al Qaeda as needed.
Trump did the right thing by withdrawing from Syria. had we stayed would it have made Syria safer in in the long run? I do not think so.
The various mideastern factions have been fighting ever since Islam was founded, supposedly in the 7th century. The Jews , as an example were driven out of Arabia and the residue of that conflict between Jews and Muslims still remains.
The US owes a lot to the Iraqis and that includes the Iraqi Kurds. We should have never invaded Iraq. Now we owe it to the Iraqis to stay there and enforce peace until the country becomes a truly secular democracy, not an Islamic theocracy and if that means defanging Iran then so be it.
2
While I often hear that the military is not political, let us remember that all actions have consequences, and a vast majority of the military voted for the erratic military service-avoider who is now their commander-in-chief. We all knew he was immature, erratic, ignorant, misogynist, dishonest, bloviated, narcissistic, and selfish. He showed his true colors before he was elected.
That being said, my heart goes out to those in the military who are bearing the brunt of the recent actions of Trump. I don't think anyone could imagine that he could be so irrational and devoid of common sense, compassion and loyalty (especially as he is one who demands loyalty from those in his circle). To abandon the Kurds was paramount. Any military person knows you do not leave a compatriot on the battlefield, and Trump delivered the Kurds into the hands of those who plan their genocide. In addition, his actions have freed hundreds of ISIS terrorists who are the seeds for more atrocious acts against them as well as their enemies (of which we are included) across the globe.
I admire the courage of Capt. Kennedy in coming forward with his perspective, and am ashamed that our country has allowed this travesty to occur, and to be represented by the current administration that has had free reign to dismantle hundreds of years of honor.
1
One of many weird & misguided steps the Trump Administration has made regarding the recent Turkish incursion into the Kurdish homelands in northern Syria is the truce that your Vice President brokered.
I may not have seen a full & accurate summary of the terms of this truce, but from what I've read to date, it appears to provide for the withdrawal of Kurdish armed units & the expedited ethnic cleansing of Kurdish civilians by Turkish military units in order that those Kurds can be replaced in the areas of Syria covered by the truce by one million Arab Sunni refugees in Turkey that Turkey will forcibly relocate to those areas.
Please tell me that I've misunderstood the nature & intended effect of this truce or that you're as appalled as I am by this turn of events.
1
Absolutely absurd that the US would abandon the Kurds. Of all the groups in that reason, they are the MOST moderate and the MOST tolerant of other ethnicities and religions AND, importantly of women's rights. Not to mention the fact that they have also been loyal allies for so long. This is absolute insanity.
5
Thank you so much for producing this video! Is there anyway it can be posted on Fox? Trump's minions are the ones who need to see it.
4
How many of us would like to see our sons and daughters fighting for the Kurds. As someone who was drafted during the Vietnam war, I ask: Do you think there would be the same enthusiasm if all of our children had to serve in the military? Gee America, ain't it comfortable to send poor working class kids to war for your worldly ideals.
8
@Pepperman i agree most people if not all who comment hear have no skin in the game
1
Since WW2 (after dropping 2 atomic bombs and killing 200,000 civilians) the US has invaded, destabilized and destroyed sovereign countries (from Iran to Vietnam to Grenada to Iraq through Central America).
The suggestion that the US military prevents genocide -while creating humanitarian disasters it then dismisses- is laughable.
4
As a military professional, thank you for standing on the side of the marginalized and voiceless. Along with you stand Admiral McRaven with his opinion in the NYT, "Our Republic Is Under Attach From the President," and General Mattis in his Al Smith dinner speech. Such outspoken criticism gives credit to our First Amendment Rights to free speech, especially, when it's needed to reveal the gross incompetence of Trump. He has trashed the values our country is built-on and men like you, Admiral McRaven and General Mattis have sacrificed your lives to protect. I just hope his Republican miscreations and base support take to heart what military men, like yourselves, are telling them.
5
The inhumanity of this pull out is heart wrenching. By such an abrupt and pointless withdrawal, Kurdish blood is on our hands. We might as well have been fighting alongside Erdogan's troops. If ISIS bombs America, the Kurds might just celebrate. Uncle Sam, thy name is Mud.
4
Well, the two groups of Americans who overwhelmingly voted for Trump are members of the U.S. military and evangelical Christians.
3
"The U.S. withdrawal from northern Syria is immoral and un-American, says this national guard captain. Three minutes--that's all Captain Kennedy needed to sum up the consequences of his abrupt and rash decision to pull everyone out instantly, with no plan, no rhyme, no reason.
Think of the morale lowering among our troops knowing their hard efforts and danger-filled days have been for naught. Think of the parents of soldiers who lost their lives--a small number compared to the Kurds, but what's the value of a human life?
Not much, said President Trump in actions not words. This entire two weeks has revealed his callous misunderstanding of a part of the world he hasn't a clue about. And yet he brags to rally-goers who cheer his decisions as if they were victories instead of throwing the Kurds under the bus.
Foreign policy messes unleashed by others pose grave danger--but those deliberately created in the Oval Office are an abomination.
4
I have a question to Captain; is it the correct course of action to provide weapon systems, money, training, all kinds of military equipment, armament to a terrorist organisation on the terror list such a country like the USA which is fighting on terror for many years?
The people you described as soldier, unfortunately are not soldiers. They are militias belong to a terrorist organisation named YPG, one branch of PKK. Soldier means a member of an army, especially one who is not an officer.
Captain, the US Government is making mistakes by supporting terrorist organisations on its terror list. You know well, during the battle, if one survives the other dies (this is the fact and/or fate) and terror organisations wish to kill civilian population rather than soldiers.
5
Reflecting back, it seems my intuitive understanding of why someone would join the army was a desire to serve the country via the military, which executes legal directives.
I noticed also, that as in other fields, there is often a family tradition of service.
Googling 'preventing genocide' yields an organization called 'GENOCIDE SURVIVORS FOUNDATION', which it seems would more properly be a relief organization rather than a preventative one.
Still it, or some other NGO, might have been a better choice as a career venue for Captain Kennedy, since he's quoted as saying, 'I Joined the Army to Prevent Genocide, Not to Pave the Way for It', rather than the military which requires him to make the ultimate sacrifice of others or himself if need be.
I hope other military personnel will not allow this matter to demoralize them. History offers sufficient evidence of the changing status of friends and enemies, and vigilance at borders.
I don't know if military resignations will proceed from this, or if so, to what effect.
Thank you for your service, Captain Kennedy. Being merely a good guy seems to require less skin in the game.
1
It's important to remember that America has been a traitor to its allies many times before. In Iraq, after Gulf War 1, we abandoned the Shi'ites and Kurds to their fates in the face of Saddam Hussein's genocidal repression. In Vietnam, we abandoned the southern Vietnamese, and Cambodia and Laos, to the ravages of Ho Chi Minh's totalitarian regime. In North Korea, we gave up on overcoming China's influence and let the north fall prey to a lunatic overlord.
America has done this many times before, really too many times to list here. The question is, how many times will groups or nations continue to ally with the U.S. or trust them, when the U.S. tends to cut and run? I'd say, after this betrayal, most nations will be hesitant to trust the U.S.A. in any way, and they will be right to do so, and in electing Trump we will be guilty in convincing them that we are a nation of betrayers.
I guess this is part of the relentless propaganda effort to convince NYTimes liberals that endless wars and the illegal occupation in Northern Syria is somehow "humanitarian".
Or are you also going to feature a video of peace activists describing the atrocities carried out by the US military there?
It is bad enough battling conservative neocons over their world domination obsession and the colossal mistake of the Iraq War.
Now - after Obama declared that the torturers, renditioners, war starters, and liars were beyond legal trouble because it was time to "look forward - not back", and then went on a regime change war killing spree across the region -
the true Left hast to counter so-called liberal defenders of endless war and imperialism.
We have Pelosi and company leading the feckless Democrats to drumbeat for war.
One would think that, after nearly two decades of miserable and costly failure, resulting in more than a million dead and more than 6 million displaced and dispossessed, and Europe left to absorb the refugees, NOBODY would still defend Western intervention.
But when it comes to war and the care and feeding of defense contractors, there is but one political party and that's the War Party.
Even the PERCEPTION that Trump is the peace candidate compared to establishment Democrats Is a huge embarrassment.
If the past and present is any indication of the future, this means that the wars will go on regardless of who the next POTUS is.
Truly depressing.
8
Reading the comments about Capt. Kennedy's courage, I find myself agreeing, yet hoping that he is nothing but a shameless opportunist who has seen the writing on the wall and knows that soon it will be the popular thing to say you spoke out against the president. We all know that day is coming; it's just a matter of time. The sooner the better.
1
Heartbreaking! I don't know which is more damaging. Leaving people who successfully fought by your side to die for no reason, or separating families at our borders to have children grow up with emotional scars with no one to guide them back to normalcy. I challenge the GOP Senators to stop and think before boarding the SS Trump and supporting these forms of genocide.
Our country has been so badly tarnished by the President, his sycophants and the Americans who support his views. Shame is not a strong enough word. I feel for civic teachers who have to explain how our gov't works.
4
Trump's lack of feelings, and of any and all attempts to impart justice towards his fellow men and women is nothing short of 'criminal'. Allowing this monster a free pass would be tantamount to complicity, and certainly political malpractice for members of Congress. Trump, by allowing Turkey's dictator Erdogan a free hand to massacre the Kurds (our Allies) has become a cruel dictator himself, trampling on this democracy at will. That the Army's comrades are upset is an understatement.
3
I think the fact that a member of the National Guard is serving overseas is indicative of the problem that we are seeing. I would have been fodder for the meat grinder that the Vietnam War was.
My first year of college in 67-68 deferred me. I then got a 1-Y status due to hearing problems.
George Bush 41 became a Navy Pilot leaving Yale to enlist during WW 2 got shot down, recused and returned to class.
During Vietnam Bush 43 decided to go the National Guard route and stay here and flew out of Ellington AFB south of Houston. I don't think he ever left Texas. Dan Rather from CBS got a lot of double talk when he tried looking into how W stayed here.
With the advent of the all volunteer army brave young men and women have been stepping up and joining the 4 branches and some of those who start their careers afterwards become members of the NG. That way they get paid for their short stints doing non-combat service plus they move up in ranking.
In the years of endless wars since 9/11 recruitment has probably started to dwindle and those folks who became NG now find themselves in hot war zones overseas or else at Trump's disposal to intercept immigrants from the south.
I truly doubt the intention of those who signed up to be in the NG ever thought they'd be in Iraq , Kuwait ,Syria, Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan. I had a mentor who was an AF navigator. He loved flying and was nearing a promotion to Col. in the NG except that he died of a heart attack at 57 in 1987.
1
Thank you for sharing your story Captain Kennedy. As the daughter of an Army Captain who fought in WWII and Korea, I grew up learning the importance of our military forces to have boots on the ground in regions of the world that, at the time, I did not understand why. The recent withdrawal of our troops and abandonment of the Kurds, as ordered by a president who has no understanding of the real reason soldiers like you were there, is sickening. We need to continue to hear viewpoints like yours, from those who were there on the ground, who truly understand the reasons we were there supporting the Kurds. They have suffered greatly and have lost complete faith in our country. We need to let them know our countrymen and women are with them.
4
What an absolutely wonderful person. When I will think of American troops in the future, I will picture people like him in my mind. Not pumped up fighting machines, as I think I may have been guilty of.
3
Thank you for your generosity. Not all of us are monsters.
First of all, thank you, Captain Kennedy for your courage in service to our country, both overseas and in speaking out.
I too am simply disgusted with this president.
One question- are there any soldiers who served in the region who think the withdrawal was a good idea, and if so, why?
1
While I very much appreciated (and agreed with) Captain Kennedy's comments, I couldn't help but notice that the video is very professional in its presentation. That then made me wonder whether others helped Captain Kennedy create the video or whether Captain Kennedy created the video himself. That then made me wonder who were those other people. I assume that some who might not agree with Captain Kennedy are wondering the same thing (for example, did he get assistance from people who are not in favor of President Trump (I'm definitely not in favor of him)). Some clarification on this point would be helpful.
4
Betrayal of the Kurds can become an Article of Impeachment. Contrary to popular believe, the Articles don't have to be crimes. For example, Nixon's Articles were going to be "obstruction of justice, abuse of power and contempt of Congress", all of which Trump has committed.
Abandoning the Kurds is a clear abuse of power. The Senate Republicans are likely to claim that the pressure campaign on Ukraine to meddle in our elections don't rise to the level of impeachment. In contrast, it seems very unlikely that Republican Senators would sweep betraying the Kurds under the rug, particularly because Trump's act has cost us the Kurds as allies, forcing them to ally with Russia and Syria. Abandoning the Kurds also benefits Iran and is leading the the resurgence of ISIS.
6
This Captain wonders if the Kurds he worked with in Syria are alive or dead. 50 years ago as I and other members of the US Army 5th Special Forces Group left Vietnam, most of us felt we were betraying the Montagnards who bravely fought and died with us. They trusted that we would honor our commitment to them as critical allies.
With perfect hindsight, I believe Vietnam was a mistake. But the rightness or wrongness of that war was not really a consideration. All these years later, my single greatest regret from the two years I spent in country is that we betrayed people who put their faith and hope in us. It has haunted me since I saw the NVA roll into Saigon. And I often wondered if the men I served with were alive or dead.
As I watch what is happening with the Kurds, who lost 11,000 lives defeating ISIS (Trump sure didn't do it!), my heart aches for them. No other ally will ever fully trust us to keep our word. And they'd be right in their skepticism.
22
#VetsAgainstTrump. We are the ones still honoring our oaths.
18
This breaks my heart. I;ve never been in the military in any way, but i can imagine how difficult it would be to simply abandon friends and comrades you've fought along side, to an uncertain, very possibly deadly fate. Herr Trump most likely did this atrocity so suddenly and capriciously simply as a desperate attempt to distract the nation he is systematically destroying, from his impeachment trial.... with never a thought to who and how many could die or be driven out of their homes and homeland as a result. I feel physically ill.
9
Thank you, Captain Kennedy, for sharing your story. Many of us agree with you that Trump's betrayal of the Kurds is shameful and un-American, but few of us have your first-hand perspective.
10
I'm going to really enjoy watching the Trump lemmings try to defend actions that freed thousands of ISIS fighters, the enemy that they are most obsessed about. I am going to smile with glee as their heads explode from the cognitive dissonance resulting from Trumps snatching of defeat from the jaws of victory. But then again, they can always retreat to their most reliable defense: denial. Whatever Trump does is, according to them, by definition the paragon of wisdom. They are truly mindless and deserving of the label "lemmings".
6
Captain Kennedy, you are a man of honor, dignity, and courage. Your courage has not only been manifested in Syria fighting along with the Kurds to help end the terror wrought by ISIS, but you also have literally spoken truth to power in an eloquent and poignant way. Please know that more Americans than not share your thoughts and sentiments. We are ashamed by Mr. Trump's move. More than ashamed, indeed, horrified. He has created a humanitarian crisis and will be complicit in blatant ethnic cleansing. You know too well, more than we, the geopolitical dynamics in this troubled and desperate part of the Middle East. God bless you, and your brothers and sisters in uniform. I can not thank you enough.
12
Thank you for sharing this and speaking out. I can't imagine what you are going through having served with these brave people. I have not been able to sleep since this has happened. I cannot fathom what those who served with the Kurds are experiencing. This is such a deep betrayal and I believe our country is viscerally feeling it. The decision to abruptly withdraw and betray our allies and to denigrate them in speech as though their contribution was nothing sickens me.
Thank you for speaking out, and thank you for sharing what it was like to serve with these brave people. I hope that we do the most we can to right this shameful wrong.
3
Capt. Kennedy put it all on the line for defying his Commander-in-Chief, the President of the United States.
Capt. Kennedy knows this and has undoubtedly considered the consequences of his actions. His conscience is clear now.
He's a good soldier; however, he's a Tweet or a phone call away from discharge. If he's fortunate . . . or a Court Martial.
3
I am nearly terrified that, if re-elected, trump will, the afternoon of November 20, 2020, tweet the US withdrawal from NATO. And Republican Senators and Congressmen will issue a resounding, chest-thumping murmur.
3
My heart aches for Captain Kennedy. As he wonders whether his fellow soldiers are still alive, Trump continues to spin grotesque lies that the Kurds are "very happy" to be bombed and forced out of their homeland in order to avoid genocide.
I can only imagine the disgust that our troops have for Trump since he forced our soldiers to abandon their brother in arms on the battlefield. I doubt our troops will ever "get over it."
3
Thank you so much for this piece. I hope someone, lots of people, make sure Trump and his supporters (who shun the Times) see it. Could they possibly mock this man who is everything America is supposed to be and everything Trump is not? It might be giving him too much credit (maybe he's just an empty vessel) but Trump shamelessly dehumanizes other ethnicities and views them in childish terms, whether he's talking about Latinos (he's known a few), or Kurds (he has no idea). Dehumanization opens the door to attempted genocide. How powerful and important it is to hear this from a soldier.
Perhaps military people will stop voting for trump. We all knew he was unqualified but people voted for him anyway. It appears vets voted Trump over Clinton overwhelmingly. Any Kurd blood is on the hand of trump voters.
4
so, the US military people are beginning to speak out in rather stark terms. This is what they are saying in public, just imagine what they are saying in the officer's mess. And then think what this may portend iforthe future, particularly as civilian politics continues to fall apart, the "in your face" corruption continues to grow, the infrastructure continues to decay, and tent cities continue to grow. Do you really think it cannot happen here? The curse of South America? Hard left, military coup, kids thrown out of helicopters, hard right, rinse and repeat? You really, really think this cannot happen here?
3
This happens when you're bored. You get up one morning, and you start playing "bomb your allies". And if someone asks why you're playing this game, you say it's a "gut thing". Meanwhile, the Kurds die. ISIS slowly regains strength. Russia quickly increases its influence in the region. American soldiers no longer understand the meaning of their sacrifice.
So, Mr. Atrump, if you're still bored, you can ask SIRI what the word "loyalty" means.
3
Don't complain, Republicans, when the betrayer becomes the betrayed.
American foreign policy used to be based on the Golden Rule.
Now, it is based on He Who Has the Gold, Rules.
1
A powerful essay by an American soldier. Where are the Generals? where are the former Generals, why do they not issue a joint statement?
I have only read one report with three of them condemning this horrendous decision. A truly black mark on our country for abandoning our friends so callously.
3
The US Army doesn't exist to prevent genocide, it exists to defend United States citizens from external threats.
And the National Guard is the modern manifestation of the militia referred to by the founders of the US.
The US military was in northern Syria to reduce the geographic extent of the ISIS caliphate to zero square miles, not to establish a permanent presence shielding Syrian Kurds from Turkish military incursions.
Anyone who didn't understand that we were eventually going to leave is delusional.
4
"...the same army that stopped the Nazis is now being sent home to clear the way for an ethnic cleansing of the Kurds..."
My God. What's wrong with us?
6
Thank you for your courage in sharing this perspective.
And for those commenters who want to argue that Trumps instinct to leave Syria was right, that’s not the issue. The issue is how recklessly and callously he went about removing a small group of highly effective troops with NO consultation of military or intel leadership and how his actions enabled more violence, undercut our allies, and diminished our credibility in the world. A retreat so hasty that our own military had to bomb its base in retreat. And leaving with no plans for the guarding of the thousands of ISIS prisoners we were there to defeat? Agree or disagree with Obama but he always listened to experienced advisors, worked with allies, and respected our national honor and values. Trump has gone it alone with no understanding of history, complexity or our broader purpose. He sees our military as a transactional force that others should pay us for, and people of other nations as expendable. He is both unfit to lead and dangerous.
10
I shared this on Facebook. I hope it is shared and shared and shared.
1
Thank you, Capt. Kennedy, for sharing your experiences in Syria. I wish that I believed there was a chance that President Trump would view your video.
4
Thank you for your service and having the courage of your convictions to speak out, Captain Kennedy.
You represent the best of what our country stands for: honesty, decency, service to others and honoring our words.
Sadly, your current "bone-spur" Commander-in-Chief represents the opposite: dishonesty, vulgarity, self-service and dishonoring his words, friends, allies, conventions and the law.
He has not only endangered the honorable Kurds, but has inflicted irreparable damage on our alliances everywhere and severely undermined our national security.
4
I wonder who this captain will vote for in 2020 for president.
In fact, for all the talk of the military being demoralized and frustrated over the Syria issue I will bet the military vote including veterans goes to Trump by 20 points over any Democrat in 2020.
3
I believe there is such a thing as necessary war. I believe there is such a thing as excellent military strategy.
But 100 years from now, I expect that military historians will largely view the recent wars of the United States as examples of what NOT to do.
The last seventy years of American military strategy have largely been pathetic. Unnecessary and ill-thought war after war after war.
It’s bad enough that we’ve sent our young men and women to carry out combat operations that were unnecessary or poorly planned or badly implemented. And now, just as shameful, we are abruptly fleeing military operations with no strategic foresight or logistical planning.
It is possible to execute a successful retreat in a war, so our military must be furious to be placed in a position where 1000 American troops have been endangered, allied troops have been betrayed, and innocents are being slaughtered all because our Commander-In-Chief knows less about military strategy than a bellhop knows about a bulldozer.
This incompetence alone should get Donald Trump impeached.
4
Thank you for writing this article. I am as well horrified by the callousness and inhumanity of Trump. Of course his psychopath proclivities have been displayed to the whole world. I am sure this one will go down in all the history
books--even those for the secondary. I also hope the Kurds surviving learn the whole world is watching.
As well thank you for your valor in writing this piece. I hope --if you are active - that you will not be adversely affected.
Please know that this senior female thanks you and wishes you the best in your career and personal endeavors.
1
One of my sons is an Air Force pilot currently in Special Ops training. Why would he choose that course? Partly because he is very interested in other cultures and languages, he is curious and cares about connecting in positive and meaningful ways. He has served in Kuwait and Kandahar with other NATO forces and sees value in peacekeeping.
Trump dissed Chad two years ago by listing them among his many ‘blacklisted’ countries, inferring that they were terrorists when in fact they were providing disciplined allied anti-ISIS support alongside our soldiers in Nigeria. Chad called back their forces, leaving our troops open to a brutal attack by ISIS resulting in four deaths.
I listen to this serviceman and hear his shame and outrage at the carnage Trump’s ignorant and egotistical ramblings have caused. And it isn’t hard to wonder if any soldier will be able to truly commit to having their allies’ backs OR be able to trust that an ally has theirs.
These irresponsible actions will reverberate around the globe and increase our forces’ danger many times over.
5
Thank you for your service and even more so for this video. My heart breaks for our allies, the Kurdish people, and what this abominable commander in chief has done to them. I so wish more of our great military men and women could find their way to speak up as you have. It might be the only way to get thru to his cult of admirers.
3
Sir - I respect you for speaking up. I support preventing war if at all and whenever possible. But, backing out from commitments and support of the Kurdish people who have worked with the US to stabilize the middle east is - as per consequences of the bombing - an inhumane action.
2
Captain Kennedy--You have done everything in your power to protect us and our allies (for protecting our allies ultimately protects us as well). For that we are deeply grateful.
We have let you down. Perhaps not each of us individually--I did not vote for, nor have I supported, this president. But we all must take responsibility for what we have let our nation become.
So we must now apologize to you and to your fellow soldiers, sailors and marines that have sacrificed so much.
We will remove this cancer. We will do better. We can rebuild the nation that all of you have been so proud to serve.
2
I am sorry the good Captain seems to think his actions were supposed to free the Kurds and establish their homeland. This was NEVER the intent of the US or any European government, EVER. Instead he told himself lies to salve his conscience because he was fighting against US allies and against freedom.
The Kurds are entitled to the promised homeland and they are entitled to form whatever style of government they see fit. IF the US had any intentions of helping the Kurds, Bush#2 or Obama would have had the US sock puppet government in Iraq and Turkey turn the designated Kurdistan lands over to the Kurds. Further more Obama would not have intervened in the attempted coup in Turkey.
It is time for US imperialism/colonialism to end and it starts with pulling out of the Middle East. The Kurds deserve our respect because they are fighting for the life they want and not running like the thousands of able bodied cowards to refugee camps and expect the US military to fight in their place.
The Kurds will survive and get their Kurdistan. The US role now is to be the enemy of my enemy. I am sorry Mr. Kennedy's blood, sweat, tears, and efforts were wasted on lies to cover decades of US colonialism.
5
@skramsv And no one anywhere in the world will trust us.
The wonder to me a Vet myself is how can those presently serving have su much love for Trump.Trump daily shows he isn’t the tough guy he pretends to be. Deserting the guy who watched your six when you were in harms way is unconscionable. Leaving your buddies on the field of battle is not honorable .
3
The captain should look for another line of work if he wants to be a peace keeper. Americans, with our Military Industrial Complex overlords, who consume an ever growing budget (thanks to the U.S. taxpayer and deficit spending), now close to $700 Billion per year, really aren't engaged in " winning the hearts and minds " of those who don't see the world as we do...we use our expensive weapons of mass destruction to obliterate those hearts and minds. Just ask the Iraqis, the Yemenis, and all of the nations at war right now that are weaponized via U.S. corporations: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, United Technologies...and on and on and on.
7
If an American soldier is disappointed there are many more Kurds who are disappointed. There are many more Americans who are pleased and many are even enthusiatic that their President did what he promised.
Every time i read the rhetoric about our kurdish allies, i scratch my head, we allied ourselves with the Syrian kurds in 2015; Turkey has been a Nato ally for 60 years. They dealt with an influx of Syrian refugees and attacks by Kurdish insurgents. Did it occur to anyone that in 2015 we picked the wrong ally? I am hundred percent supportive of the right of Kurdish civilians to live in peace at home wherever it is in Syria, Iraq, Turkey or Iran. I fail to understand though the one sided stance that many politicians and media are taking, there habe been been claims of massacres that never existed, Showing fake videos of destruction on ABC and the famous interview with a woman claiming to be carrying her dead child while the kid was breathing and rolling her eyes. I am no fan of Trump but starting to see that the media can be spreading "fake news" it is just that we like it when it support our point of view.
4
Thank you captain Kennedy, for your service. As much as I want all of you to come home safety, I agree with you, and I’m ashamed for abandoning our Kurdish Friends who fought side by side with you to keep ISIS out and keep peace in that area. What else can we expect from a person with so much hate for others but himself. Thank you for letting the Kurds know how you feel about that situation.
Thank you Sir, that’s a very powerful statement, and anybody able to see further than the tip of their nose should agree with you.
I hope your comrades are well and that you won’t have to suffer retaliation for displaying this other form of courage.
I appreciate the sentiments expressed by Captain Kennedy, and the moving way in which he described his feelings about Trump's betrayal of the Kurds in northern Syria. He's completely correct, and it's the ignorant, impulsive and ultimately corrupt behavior of one man who created this--Trump, a man who doesn't listen, doesn't understand and doesn't care about anyone but himself.
Trump's actions were destructive for all the reasons Capt Kennedy outlined. But he will continue to act in this way, undermining our allies and our national security, if he's not removed from office. The sooner, the better. The offenses committed by this crazed demagogue and corrupt autocrat wannabe have more than reached the point where impeachment is required. Whoever in congress stands with Trump stands against our democracy, our national security and the future of our country. It's that simple, and that urgent to deal with.
What courage and integrity it took for the Captain to be so public about the truth!
I thank Captain Kennedy for his service and for his comments here. It is heartbreaking what DJT has done to the Kurds and it is a definite terrible foreign policy move by this president who knows nothing about the long association with the Kurds. Americans worked very hard to find an ally to help them fight ISIS so that not so many Americans would loose their lives. The Kurds stepped up here as they also stepped up when we were fighting in Iraq. To abandon them now is really the worst thing this administration could have done. It tarnishes the American honor! It also may greatly discourage our allies from fighting to help us in any future needs we may have. American history books will record this and future students will see that in this instance DJT was his own worst enemy as well as the worst enemy of the US.
1
I too am very torn by this move by Trump. However, I wonder how many NYT readers would have supported "staying the course" in Vietnam, Iraq, etc. The reason we are in Syria today can easily be traced back to the "original sin" of invading Iraq. Like Vietnam, once in, there is no easy way out. No way not to "abandon" allies. No way not to tarnish America's reputation in the world. This is why wars should not be entered into without a.) valid reasons, and b.) a commitment to win.
7
Your question about the Vietnam and Iraq wars are questions that liberals want to avoid like the plague because it pits their own opposition to President Trump against his similar views to these wars...
1
Thank you for your service. I applaud your courage for speaking out. Hopefully you do not suffer any consequences.
Perhaps you should consider running for office. We could use someone like you in the Congress. But please, do not do so as a republican. They no longer care.
6
Heartbreaking video on many levels. The most frightening moment this week was when I viewed a video of Donald Trump at his Thursday Texas rally. He likened the situation in Syria to "two kids in a lot," and told his supporters that he had had to show them tough love. "Sometimes, you have to let them fight", he told them. While he was saying this, he simulated fighting with his hands, much the same way he used to do when he was at the WWE fights.
The Kurds are happy now, he told his followers. "Without a little tough love, they woulda never made this deal." They woulda never made this deal? The deal where they lost their home, got killed, desperately ran for their lives betrayed by a country they fought for?
8
Captain Kennedy has put his military career at risk by criticizing his commander in chief. Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, he is prohibited from such criticism. Thank you Captain for you courage and speaking truth to power.
8
We sent our military into Syria to change a regime that was the last secular and patriotic regime in the Arab World. Our Ambassador Robert Ford in violation of diplomatic conduct visited several cities in Syria to incite people against the regime. In the process, terrorists thought they were immune and did start destruction of Syria and we prevented the regime from defending government and private properties. We did no go there to protect Kurds.
The sense of being a dominate power and a hegemonic state has complicated our involvement overseas. Now we behave like a colonial and imperial state that has no regards to human live and sovereignty of other countries. Both democrats and republicans were angered when Trump declared that the US will withdraw its military from the Middle East and let the people there have their own freedom.
3
Turkey was not going to put up indefinitely with an incipient Kurdish state on its southern border. Its acceptance of delivery of the S-4000 system was a clear and loud signal that unless the US accommodated Turkey’s critical strategic needs,Turkey was going to cease to be a US ally. The US therefore had to choose between Turkey and the Kurds. Trump made the right choice.
As for “genocide.“ The lowest estimates of civilian deaths in our invasion of Iraq and its aftermath run to about 150,000 dead.When Kurdish deaths reach that order of magnitude, you can start talking about “genocide” provided you are willing to say the US committed genocide in Iraq.
5
Captain Kennedy's sentiment is heartfelt and shared by the nation. America wants peace, not appeasement. America wants a leader to make difficult public affair decisions, not to use the highest office to pay off debtors and blackmailers.
When the Republicans, chiefly the those in the Senate led by Mitch McConnell, have failed to reign in Trump, this is the outcome.
6
The military is conservative by nature, for a vet to step up and share their feelings is important but for an active duty person it is extraordinary. Thank you for this statement, as a vet myself I agree with you and more importantly I wish General Mathis would follow your lead.
12
Very few Trump supporters will care about the betrayal of the Kurds. Most Trump supporters have never heard oft the Kurds and they are not going to start learning about them now.
Trump said he could shoot someone on 5th Ave and not lose a single supporter and he was right. Sounded like an exaggeration made to prove a wider point, but I think it's literally true.
9
@John
The betrayal of the Kurds spans many administrations and a century of time. The US never intended for the Kurds to have any type of state or nation let alone a free or independent one.
The best thing the US can do is let the people of the Middle East determine their own destiny. And this includes not selling arms to any Middle Eastern country.
4
Another government employee, who belives his job has purpose and meaning greater than himself, standing up to refute the President.
Bravo to Captain Kennedy. He has served his country as well with his video statement as he has with his National Guard service.
One would like to see civilian Alan Kennedy stand for Congress from Colorado, as a Republican. The Republican caucus needs more members with backbones.
22
Syria has been devastated long before the Turkish incursion. History will tell how it was done. And using genocide for every military action is not the way to go because it would lose its meaning.
4
Thank you, Alan, for serving your country.
Thank you for speaking so clearly your opposition to what trump has encouraged to happen.
Thank you for your courage as you will now become a victim of trump's cruel and derogatory comments and name calling.
Finally I hope all of you in the military who strongly disagree with what trump has done, will remember this in November of 2020 and vote against trump's sadism and cruelty. If not these atrocities will continue in one form or another.
14
A few comments. It was in the SDF's self-interest (led by the military YPG) to ally with US forces in extracting ISIS from control of their portion of northern Syria. Arguably, America assisted the Kurds, not the other interpretation. The Kurds were in fact inhabitants of the region. And purportedly, they were well-paid for their services. But allegations have been made that the SDF had alternative missions. A creation of a free-standing Kurdistan, long a goal for over a century of the Kurdish people, and a coalition of assistance to the PPK in Turkey. If accurate, interests were no longer in accord. In fact, they possibly became diametrically opposed. If so, they ceased being allies.
6
@R PKK
Strange, I don’t remember liberals howling over Obama’s drawdown in Iraq, which facilitated the rise of ISIS.
Ah well, I guess the Democratic non-interventionism of the 00s was less about principle and more about scoring political points against Bush.
There is a sizable anti-war constituency in the United States. Too bad we have no party on which to rely.
13
I do. I was one of them.
I also distinctly recall self-anointed “progressives,” saying precisely what Trump and Trumpists saith. Not that hard, since they sayeth it today.
This shoudst concern them more than apparently it doth.
2
@Philip Ryan
We had a treaty with Iraq. They not only knew we were leaving they demanded it.
We betrayed the Kurds. We had promised them safety and protection. They effectively disarmed so as not to make the Turks nervous.
Then, we stabbed them in the back.
SHAME on you for not being able to see the difference.
2
@Philip Ryan Don't kid yourself, Trump would have pulled us out of Iraq even earlier.
1
The Turks have been warning for months that they would not tolerate a strong Kurdish military force on their southern border. The Turks have been fighting the terrorist Kurdish PPK for decades. But the US government didn't listen and the Turks decided to act.
Speaking more generally, it is not wise to confuse international politics with missionary work.
10
@John Taylor
Not true. According to a NYTimes article, the US got the Kurds to dismantle their defenses in northern Syria to assure Turkey that they posed no threat. The US also ran joint air and ground patrols with Turkey inside Kurdish-held territory. Sadly, Turkey used this information in their invasion. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/18/world/middleeast/kurds-sense-of-betrayal-compounded-by-empowerment-of-unsavory-rivals.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
32
@John Taylor
That snide aphorism was no less contemptible when it was uttered by Henry Kissinger, our very own mass-murderer. Let's cut out the metaphor and label it for what it is: confusing expedience with complicity in war crimes.
1
Military outreach is far from missionary work. It is essential, smart and necessary.
I think a review of some fundamental basic Western principles is in order for Captain Kennedy.
No, you should not have been joining the U.S. military to 'prevent genocide'. That is not the job of the U.S. Army. Rather, it is to protect and defend the security of the United States and its citizens, as well as its licit, key interests.
Since you were in Syria, another point to reflect upon: by what right does any American soldier have to be in Syria, since Syria has not attacked or threatened the U.S. and Syrian authorities have plainly said that U.S. personnel are unwanted?
Given that American involvement in Syria appears to have involved a tangible element of regime change, with what right do you have to participate in any such goal, however unjust the Syria government may be in certain respects?
If we supposedly have some legitimate terrorism concerns about ISIS, then since the Syria government/military and its allies are also opposed to ISIS, we could constructively work with them to defuse the ISIS threat.
As for the Kurds, inasmuch as they are running an autonomous area of Syria without permission from the Syrian government, they are involved in a form of territorial aggression. So by what right do you think you have any business aiding and abetting such aggression?
19
@Rob I think a review of some fundamental basic Western morality is in order for Rob. Not to mention a review of some fundamental basic history of the Middle East post first world war to learn just why the Kurds are involved in what he calls "territorial aggression".
98
@Rob
Excellent points.
The Kurdish forces in northern Syria are anything but a "revolutionary democratic experiment". These militias thrived in the absence of the legitimate Syrian government and under an American umbrella and in the context of the fight against ISIS. Yet these militias stand accused of many atrocities and war crimes and conspiracy to break away from Syria to create an exclusively or majority Kurdish state. Kurds enjoyed complete equality in the Syrian system and were treated better than in any other country. It's very ironic and troubling that they took advantage of the civil war to try to break way from the country that granted them full citizenship rights.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_North_and_East_Syria#Syrian_Democratic_Forces
The Kurds are a treacherous bunch.
At Syria's greatest moment of need, instead of rallying around the country and defending Syria against the existential threat of ISIS, to align with Israel and the United States to use the occasion to dismember Syria. The stole 30% of the land (when they have 10% of the population), with Syria's best resources.
That's immoral, illegal, and geopolitically untenable.
The future of Kurds was sealed the day they accepted to be paid by the US and work as mercenaries, against the state that hosted them (Syria), against Turkey's interests, and ethnically cleansing areas they conquered for their statehood project.
Only Israel and USA supports them.
6
@Rob
By what right is the US sending more troops to Saudi Arabia.
By what moral right does the US aid Saudi aggression.
America abandoned an ally that was the only genuine ally in the fight against ISIS when it abandoned the Kurds.
You play with words to justify an act that cannot be justified.
70
Beyond my own personal perspective about this topic, I take a lot of stock in the perspective of the boots on the ground. Captain Kennedy's comments, along with those many of his compatriots and other military experts, paint a horrible picture of the current and future devastation of an entire population. Beyond the negative impact to safety in the region with respect to terrorist organizations experiencing a dangerous resurgence, I'm horrified about the people we are abandoning. People who have stood by us, have been our partners, and are facing horrific consequences for their support of our aims in the region.
Thank you for sharing your perspective, Captain Kennedy.
470
The repercussions from this bad Trump directive will last for a long time. Many lives will be lost along with our nation's honor. I can't imagine how painful it must be for our troops who were forced to leave.
376
@Sasquatch
Trump won Montana.
Since 9/11/01 a mere 0.75% of Americans have volunteered to wear the military uniform of any American armed force.
While the rest of us pretend to be brave honorable patriots by rising to sing the national anthem and saluting the flag at sporting events.
7
As a former officer in the Air Force, I hope this sends shock waves through all the Trump fans in the military. As if his attack on Khan wasn’t enough. As though his attack on McCain wasn’t enough. As though his wanting to be awarded the Medal of Honor, when he avoided service with a questionable bone spur claim wasn’t enough. Seriously, as someone who signed up to defend the Constitution, I hope this complete abandonment of our allies will finally help any pro-Trump service members question their loyalty to him.
809
@Scott Keller As a former Army officer I concur with your comments. I would add to them trump,s verbal attack on General Jim Mathis this past week.
84
@Scott Keller
Yes but 63 million Americans including 58% of the white voting majority made-up of 62% of white men and 54% of white women delivered Donald Trump a meaningful Electoral College majority right to occupy the White House.
Trump didn't run a covert stealthy subtle campaign.
Trump won Florida.
Marco Rubio and Rick Scott represent the interests and values of smiling,
smirking, hacking and meddling Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin on behalf of Donald Trump in the U.S. Senate.
11
As the parent of someone who just deployed overseas, I am worried that they will be trying to carry out their mission in a country that now knows they could be gone with one phone call by Trump. No one will trust them; the forces opposed to them are emboldened, and those who have been working with us up to this point must now fear the future.
Trump must be removed from office as quickly as possible before he does any more damage. He is the number one threat to our national security and world peace.
696
@Larry Roth They will know that they can trust your child. They will also know that they cannot trust her or his commander in chief. They will know that this may endanger your child as much as his decisions endanger them, and feel more or less powerless to change that condition.
My son deployed three times with the Marines. We trust the officers in charge, and we trust our 'troops'. Would that they could trust their commander in chief and, by extension, us. Know that we care.
34
As a mom of someone training as a Special Ops pilot, I share your concerns. May they stay safe and still have a country with noble ideals and laws to defend.
36
@Larry Roth
For American credibility to return, some measures should be taken to prevent the election of the next incompetent. Reform in the news media, to curb nonsense broadcasters like Fox? Abolishment of the electoral advantage of the rural states? As long as every other 4 years disaster can strike, how can other nations ever rely on the US again?
47
Good for you for speaking out. Your statement is moving. We all need to remember that one voice matters. Our voices matter. We all need to speak out. The disrespect the President has shown to peoples of other nations and our allies is heartbreaking.
533
The people who enabled Trump are the people who share responsibility for this tragedy. Plain and simple. Trump was never fit for the presidency, and the people who voted for him thinking that he was an "entertaining" choice or that he was an "outsider" are the ones who ultimately must share responsibility for this.
I hope they see this, and I hope they can NOT sleep at night knowing what they have done. Perhaps it will help them understand the consequences of their actions. Sadly, I doubt it.
692
Seriously? You’re blaming Trump’s voters for his decisions? How offensive. And childish.
And if the shoe were on the other foot and Clinton’s corruption and lies hindered our country, as they would have, we could blame you. Please.
We are the captains of our own ships. We have no one else to blame but ourselves for decisions we make. His consequence should be impeachment. Let’s hope congress gets this right.
And let’s hope 2020 isn’t a repeat. We all make mistakes.
7
@Paul S: I agree. Unfortunately, they are sto;; defending Trump, starting with the fact that Trump promised to bring all our troops home. Others say that people have been fighting for hundreds of years in that part of the world and we can't stop them; that it's not our problem; that Trump is the president and he's allowed to have his own foreign policy; that our other allies aren't contributing enough, etc.
The empathy so evident in Captain Kennedy is simply missing from these defenders of the decision. The Kurds are not us--- or so their thinking goes--- so why should we care about them?
24
@Paul S
trump and the republican party are completely at fault. trump supporters are too ill-informed to have made an good choice. The Republican Party should never have allowed trump to get the nomination. And certainly they should be leading the way to his removal from office. The poor supporters should have Fox News and trump’s twitter feed blocked permanently.
17
I can’t thank you enough for your statement. As someone that has been following this closely, it is still eye-opening to hear from a soldier on the ground. I can’t say how heartbreaking it is to watch our craven president betray not only our allies the Kurds, but the brave, honorable men and women he is supposed to command.
810
@Lucy Cooke : if Trump is truly focused on “bringing the troops home”, why did he just send another 2,000 to Saudi Arabia? If he wants to reduce our footprint abroad, he could have brought back troops from many areas of the world without destabilizing the entire middle east. If you want to reduce the influence of the military industrial complex, all you need to do is cut it's funding and ban it's lobbyists.
146
You know Trump’s military industrial complex just deployed an additional 2,800 troops to Saudia Arabia, right?
Even if you don’t think the US should have been in Syria in the first place, I fail to see how clearing the way for ethnic cleansing and the release of thousands of ISIS fighters makes this the right decision now.
I do agree with your last point, however. If a Democratic President had done this, there would have been “hysterical fury” coming from both sides of the aisle just as there is now because people of all political spectrums see this lunacy for what it is.
82
@Matt Stapleton
The United States has a national interest in Saudi Arabia: oil. I suppose we have/had one in Syria--destroying/containing ISIS--but that interest apparently is not strong enough to justify a commitment to military action in northern Syria.
9
Many comments seem to come back to the question of how long you keep your word. The answer is forever, unless you made it conditional and they broke the conditions or they release you. People who keep their word, or at least try to, know that.
14
@Walsh Gee, then I guess the U.S. should still be fighting in South Vietnam. And if the U.S. has to keep its word "forever" then I guess we'll be in Afghanistan forever too, because that corrupt country has grown totally dependent on U.S. soldiers and U.S. money.
2
@Walsh
The US word has less value than a month old dog dropping. The US had a great Opportunity when Bush#2 illegally overthrew the Iraqi government to start building Kurdistan. Turkey's acceptance to the EU should have been based on Turkey relinquishing control of lands that were designated as Kurdistan a century ago.
Don't cry and sob for the colonial/imperial masters. It is the Kurds who suffered under the rule of US masters unnecessarily for 100 years.
@Walsh
I give you this for prospective:
America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests”
― Henry Kissinger
1
One thing Trump and his political operatives seemingly haven't factored in to their calculations is the effect of the Syria withdrawal on his support in the armed services. In betraying both the Kurds and the the US national interest, he has also brought dishonor on the US military, and that stain will not easily be forgiven or forgotten by either serving members or veterans. Semper Fi.
36
@Abraham
I agree. Any serious soldier will see him now as charlatan in chief.
Hopefully they will help to clean out the Whitehouse should our craven politicians fail to do it.
1
Thank you for your words and commitment. Unfortunately, the honorable reasons that led to your time with the Kurds are completely incomprehensible to Trump. One of the most difficult and dangerous legacies he will leave is deep pervasive mistrust among our allies; we cannot be trusted to keep our word. Even if the next president is trustworthy, who knows what happens after that.
The destruction of trust in our national integrity will be felt not only on the level of nation to nation, or within or between alliances. It will affect every soldier deployed to work with local military and asked to interact with local populations. The son of a friend was killed in an ambush in Afghanistan some years ago as he left a meeting with local leaders he had been working with, successfully, it was thought. I don’t want to imagine what the treachery of our current administration will mean for soldiers, diplomats, and people of good will in the future.
34
Thank you for this courageous piece. I’m so, so sorry.
23
How long?
Bush went in to stop the Sunni from their crushing of the Shia and Kurds of Iraq.
Obama pulled out and ISSIS created the Caliphate at the same time as the Shia started eliminating the Sunni and Kurds, causing worse than previous genocides.
We went back in.
Kurds fought and are fighting ISIS and others for their own goals (for many, many decades now), not just for American goals or to make us happy.
Little has improved anywhere that we tried so hard to help for so long, spent so much treasure and lost so many lives over ....
At what point does it all stop? There has never been a "good time" to take the decision. There is no win/win that I can see. All those upset should offer a viable solution.
9
@Marcia Berg, how long? Long enough to keep our promise. Long enough to be sure our friends are not killed. Long enough to get the job done. Did we cut and run in WWII? Did we cut and run when our allies needed us in Germany? We don’t CUT And RUN.
36
@Marcia Berg Why does it matter that the Kurds are fighting for their own goals? Are you saying that the only alliances worth maintaining are ones where our partners are acting completely altruistically and in our interest only? That's very naive and in practical.
6
@Marcia Berg ...Giving the Kurds warning of our leaving might have been a better option. It's amazing to me that so many Americans are so callous about the abandoning of an ally . You wouldn't be of the same opinion if you or someone you loved were a Kurd! Easy to play arm chair General from the comfort of your Internet Connection. Lack of Empathy and Compassion is really a major problem in America...which explains how there can be so much support for a President who criticized a former POW and avoided the draft!
My heart breaks for these brave fighters who lost 11,000 people fighting with us, largely on their own.
And I am very proud of the American soldiers who were ashamed and heartbroken at leaving their comrades behind and alone. I know it was not their decision.
37
Just reacting to the title, I think you should join the Army to serve the will of the American people, regardless of what it may be. When you swear to obey the orders of the officers appointed over you, that's a blank check. You don't get to complain about how it is filled in. Accommodating yourself to that is what makes you a soldier. It's a spiritual act of self abnegation. The thing is, you can learn to be many things at once: a soldier and a citizen and a human being. You just have to learn how to fit them all together and to learn that your role being your role is supreme, for you, but since you are not supreme your role is not supreme. That is, your mode of relating to the world through obeying orders is proper for you but maybe not for everyone, and that that's fine even though within the military context standardization is highly valued. Becoming someone who can do something you consider personally wrong because you consider it somehow right in the larger context, which itself has a larger context, is humbling and improving. Those Kurds, who are simply fighting for a cause they believe in, will never get to experience this spiritual development exercise.
6
@Robert David South - Just reacting to the title, I think the president should not make off the cuff decisions that leave US troops into disorderly and dangerously retreat where they don't even have time to pull out weapons. Absolute deriliction of duty on the part of Trump.
But that is still nothing compared to the future chaos he has incurred.
20
@Robert David South
bringing this important set of guidelines back to the top: The reason that the military have guidelines (see link) for reservists to participate in public life–guidelines which Captain Kennedy scrupulously follows here–is that we all, as citizens, have a duty to participate in public life. There's nothing"high" or "spiritual" about passing the ball to avoid that duty. Anyone who's worked to convince you of that was not a friend to our country, its laws, or its long tradition of service.
https://www.afrc.af.mil/News/Commentaries/Display/Article/946973/political-season-dos-and-donts-for-reservists/
This is not Russia or China. These are Americans. You obey commands as long as they are lawful and do not lead to egregious abuses of power, which is what we are living.
1
Unfortunately there is a fundamental legal question involved in the Syrian story. Is the West allowed to become militarily active in a foreign country without permission of the respective government? Actually not, and this intervention in Syria is indeed in the tradition of the regime change ideology of the West which has brought so much chaos and suffering into these regions of the world. I hope that the Kurds can make a reasonable deal with the Assad regime and that Assad is reasonable enough to give them a fair share in Syria which has been for centuries a multiethnic and multireligious society. In stark contrast to the religious dictatorship of Saudia Arabia, exporter of the sunni fanatism but still very close ally of the West.
15
@C.O. - I think you have a point about Assad. It was a mistake for the US to actively oppose Assad - primarily a knee jerk reaction to Assad being a Russian ally. The population under Assad includes many ethnicities and religions, (including Christians, now a rarity in ME outside Lebanon), and although they have no political freedom, they do have religious freedom.
In retrospect, it is clear now that toppling Assad would have a left a vacuum putting all those minority ethnics and religions at risk of genocide under ISIS. That is why multiple ethnic and religious groups - including Christians - inside Syria ended up backing Assad.
Going forward, US should try to mend fences with Assad - simply as a prerequisite step to attaining regional stability.
1
In the video, we saw dead bodies in the street, ruined homes, terrified people fleeing, weeping mothers. Hundreds, maybe thousands have died. More have lost their homes and businesses.
Trump said Syria and Turkey are "two kids fighting," that America has to let these "two kids" fight it out.
I don't know that "two kids fighting" ever left thousands dead and tens of thousands homeless. Trump also said "they have plenty of sand to play in." I do know we have a crass, unfeeling, heartless president who always manages to say tasteless, thoughtless things, often at the worst times. He doesn't like to act presidential and that is what we've got. A president who isn't presidential.
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@Linda
Remember, that Hillary as Obama's Secretary of State, refused in 2012 to allow a UN brokered peace deal for Syria to proceed because Assad was not forced out.
After that some 500,000 Syrians died and six million left Syria and many flooded into Europe causing tremendous backlash against refugees in Europe, and likely a tipping point for the Brexit vote...
Can you imagine the death, destruction and misery that could have been avoided if the Obama administration had not been intent on regime change???
Whether Trump will actually be able to follow through on "bringing US troops home"...
The Foreign Policy Establishment and the Military Industrial Complex are absolutely against "bringing the troops home".
Talk is that the US troops will stay to keep Syrian oil fields out of the governments hands... Ttotally against international law for us troops to be in Syria.
Compared to GWBush's invasion of Iraq based on CIA lies, Trump's actions look reasonable.
Trump, keep on "bringing the troops home"!
I bet if a President Sanders or Warren were trying to "bring the troops home", the Foreign Policy Establishment and the Military Industrial complex would be equally hysterical.
Eisenhower warned about the Military Industrial Complex. I fear that they, with the Establishment and its media backing, run the show...
Citizens should care.
11
@Lucy Cooke How many Syrians did Assad and his father killed up to 2015? Thousands! Is Hillary also gonna be blamed for this?
Syria, despite the brutal Assad family regime, was held together by areas of influence, some Kurdish, Sunni, Shiite and some even Christian. It was the appearance of ISIS, a radical Sunni terrorist group, build mainly with remains of Saddam Hussein's military, that forced the Shiite backed Assad clan to mobilize and create the chaos we see today.
In hindsight, it was the second gulf war that generated this mess, including hundreds of American casualties and thousands of Iraqi and Syrian soldiers and civilians..
Captain Kennedy
I am grief-stricken about the Kurds, and that we are represented by President Trump.
You, sir, give me hope. Thank you for your mettle, your courage and thank you mostly for your humanity.
37
As I returned from 2016 election monitoring in Arizona spent reporting significant irregularities at a compromised polling site in a majority Democratic precinct, I was treated in the airport to a parade of uniformed and medalled senior veterans demanding public adulation by marching in single file to music through the terminal. I remarked to the bystander next to me that I had never felt worse about them, because I knew the military and vets had gone pretty much all in for Trump. She said she knew what I was talking about and agreed. If the military wants my respect back, a whole lot more of them are going to have to speak out like this captain has.
57
@Joe, that’s a ridiculously over-broad generalization. There are plenty of vets and current service members who find this president a loathsome embarrassment and an active menace. Unfortunately we’re also largely constrained by regulations from speaking out as representatives of our services — and I presume those Americans seeking to stave off banana republic status appreciate the reasons for that. But take it from me, for millions of us, silence doesn’t equal approval.
As we witness the spectacle of Republicans gnashing their teeth over our countries complete betrayal of our Kurdish allies by their parties standard bearer, try and remember this feigned angst when they vigorously defend their “Chosen One” during the impeachment hearings.
37
This took a lot of guts, especially in today's military, and as much as I'd like to get out, I agree with this soldier 100%. This new abandonment of the Kurds is more public and callous than the prior. The Middle East, all those thousands of miles away, doesn't see us as angels either. We will be back, and the next time we need the Kurds' help, some may be shooting at us instead.
51
@95degSwamp We also betrayed the human beings in Yemen. by supporting Saudi Arabia's desire to get rid od Yemen citizens because of access to the water ways for shipping what ? Oil ??
1
Known to be country that betrays its allies --I am embarrassed to be an American.
50
We stand with you sir, thank you for your service and wisdom and moral courage. It’s so deeply disturbing, this wholesale betrayal of our Kurdish partners. It is exactly this betrayal and unfaithfulness by our President and his staff and his defenders, which sow the seeds of destruction, division and future wars.
I hope there are many more like you, you give me hope.
55
Moral injury to these troops who served with the Kurds from being associated with an act that is abhorrent to them and completely in violation of their human values.
See the Department of Veterans Affairs website for more information on moral injury. It is separate from but can also coexist with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
I am heartbroken for the Kurds and our troops as well as for our country. Time for military leadership to step up and act with moral courage to deal with this outrage.
37
Soldiers vote (I hope) and have informed opinions about national and international policy (I hope). They haven't given up their right to express themselves. These are not normal times. It is actually the responsibility of soldiers to refuse an immoral order. I see this op-ed in that context: a witness who knows what he's talking about telling us why these orders by the commander in chief are simply wrong.
42
@Reader It's the responsibility of soldiers to refuse an ILLEGAL order, not necessarily an immoral one. For a soldier they are the same thing, but for civilians they can be distinct. Your duty depends on your role.
6
This will end. Trump will be over.
How the country reconciles the
myriad betrayals by the 'family values,'
'national security,' fiscal responsibility,'
republican party remains to be seen.
If Trump is removed quickly, within months,
there is hope. If Trump survives, we'll
be left to talk nostalgically of the America that
was and is no more for generations to come.
34
@Jaden Cy: Your comment compels this thought: If the president is so delusional what does it take for the military high command to countermand the order?
Faced with a possible genocide of the Kurds, is the American system of government so restricted, straight-jacketed and helpless to stop the harm that is about to be visited on the nation? ISIS will regroup, then what? And, how do we regain our honor in the eyes of the world community of nations?
1
@Jaden Cy Sad to say. you are absolutely spot on !
Thank you for your clear and coherent description of the situation on the ground. Abandoning not only the Kurds but the brave American men and women who have been their partners and our ambassadors is wrong from every standpoint- strategic, moral and humane.
42
Trump has a long history of betraying those who trusted him. Some on this list of those betrayed: investors, bankers, contractors, lawyers, friends, students at Trump U, Melania, voters, NATO, etc. We can now add the Kurds to the list.
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@lvzee Don't forget the U.S.A. and humanity.
Thank you Captain Kennedy for your powerful recitation of what it is like to be on the front line, to try to meet your country's objectives, and to try at the same time to be a human being and to recognise the humanity and strengths of others.
I hope no harm comes to you for speaking up. I am not assured of that, and you display great courage.
I can't help but be sick about how your CIC talked about the things you fear for the people you know and respect as a 'sandlot fight' that needed 'tough love'.
Best wishes to you, your family, your comrades everywhere, and the majority of the American people who are sickened by this.
Do something about it Americans. Impeachment or the 25th Amendment.
83
As a former member of the military, I am disappointed to see that an active soldier is writing op-eds in the New York Times. I am not one to normally criticize anyone's right to share his or her views, especially someone who has served. However, the Captain knows that an active member should not write op-eds of this nature. Short of the very limited exception of an unlawful order, he is obliged to carry out the orders of those appointed over him and should keep any political views to himself. I have no doubt that he feels very strongly that his position is right, and although he may express his views, due to his active status, it is wrong. The rationale behind this is to maintain the impartial perception of U.S. military, so that civilians never associate it with politics and maintain a high level of respect for the institution. When active service members speak out in this nature, it degrades this sacred principle. If you really want to write this type of article, get out of the military first. Otherwise, adhere to the established principles for any service member. Other than that, thanks for your service Captain.
10
@T C I honor Captain Alan Kennedy for speaking truth of his experience. For him to do so, it is right. To do so is the action of a true American patriot. At this point, given the present difficult environment in the United States people must speak out loud to what is true. This is not about politics: this is about the ethics of humanity. Betrayal breaks all sacred principle and certainly does not befit any representation of the United States, betrayal does not befit the American military.
73
@T C if the soldier believes that the order given was knowingly to advance a war crime -- as is possible given that Mr. Trump speaks of "cleaning out" the Kurdish homeland -- then perhaps he does indeed believe that a manifestly unlawful order has been given.
18
@T C
The UCMJ doctrine you refer to is permitted so the military can maintain morale. It is superseded, as you mention, by the requirement not to follow an illegal order. An illegal order is not just an order made by someone without the proper authority. An illegal order makes soldiers do things that are immoral. This is exactly what Capt. Kennedy expresses. His unit has been forced to commit an act of omission, to turn their backs on allies in the face of ethnic cleansing. This is the same moral problem of being ordered to destroy an allied village, which was thoroughly adjudicated in the Vietnam War. A solider may not commit an act that causes immoral destruction. Given Capt. Kennedy and his fellow service members were forced to do so, they have every right to object publicly. It is a more sacred principle.
13
While you struggle to sleep I wonder if many Republican elected and appointed officials will succeed in waking up from their long nightmare and take responsibility for this shameless blight they have visited upon our nation and the world for all history.
I've had anger, exasperation and shame over Trump's actions last week, but when I clicked on the page, the photo of the young man with you in the still photo quickly filled my eyes with tears. I pray for his safety and for that of all the good Kurdish people.
They make better allies than we do under Donald Trump. I hope the world understands this is not America. I hope the world can hold it together and we're able to set our own house in order.
For what little it's worth it has long been my hope that after all the blood and treasure wasted by Bush for a misguided war in Iraq, it could have yielded one heartwarming thing by giving the Kurds an autonomous state.
I dared to dream that in time they would enjoy peaceful autonomy throughout the region, or as peaceful as so young a country in so raw a region can foster. If Turkey can take a 20-mile-by-250-mile swath of a neighboring country, if Israel can do such a thing, if Russia, why not give such a region to the Kurds.
Thanks to you, to all our good men and women and theirs, in and out of the military, for your service. May we all yet be, and have, good neighbors.
62
The tunnel vision view of the Kurds that we have in the West is a romantic one but it doesn't fully reflect reality nor the legitimate concerns of Turkey (yes, there's propaganda but the Turks also have a legitimate right to be wary of a Kurdish state next door). We were partners fighting a common enemy, not "allies" in any sense traditional sense or the idealized sense we have leftover from WW2.
Terminology matters. In no way were the Kurds going to get an independent state. This would have sparked a bigger conflagration than anything going on now between Syria, the Kurds, and Turkey. People decrying the current situation would want us to see an endless maintenance of the status quo. Not me; I've had enough of the Middle East quagmire.
Mr. Trump's decision might just be for the best. Things have to get worse before they can get better. Current fighting and the potential of a broader war might be enough of a specter to get the parties to the negotiating table.
10
@LR I think I prefer the opinion of a soldier who worked with Kurdish fighters. There was no reason to leave with one days notice and for the Americans to bomb their own resources. It was an amateurish and shameful exercise.
3
@LR
After what Bashar al-Assad "did to his own people"—including the Kurds—he just returns to power over all those regions?
After what Saddam Hussein "did to his own people"—primarily in one instance the Kurds—that region must remain in a post-Hussein Iraq?
After what Turkey did to the Armenians—which Turkish Kurds have acknowledged but Erdogan will not, and in light of their goal to ethnically cleanse this "buffer zone," Turkey is just given free reign to go into Syria and do this?
The Kurds have seen genocide. Chemical weapons attacks. International war crimes committed against them. Perhaps you recall your former governor took us into war in Iraq in part on a very delayed reaction to Saddam's use of those chemical weapons which he called Weapons of Mass Destruction, WMDs.
Justice would be the Kurds in an autonomous region or sovereign state. This would've "sparked a bigger conflagration" you say, yet "things have to get worse before they can get better"?
I thought his supporters bought into this idea Trump is a master negotiator, "the art of the deal," he and only he could get the best deals, including in the Middle East, yet he capitulated completely to Erdogan and for what?
Surely "the best deal" in the Middle East includes a Kurdish state.
How big a difference do you see between the Kurds and "the idealized sense we have leftover (sic) from WW2" that isn't our doing by abandoning them as a stateless group through no fault of their own?
4
@LR
Thousands of Kurds died; few American did; and ISIS was diminished, but clearly not eradicated.
A US General I worked with in Kosovo after the 1999 war there gave a leadership talk to Kosovar political leaders. In his informal talk he stated the importance of courage saying in effect "Courage is the impetus to do the right thing at the right time and is key to leadership". Captain Kennedy has courage. Mr. Trump does not.
133
@Copse
Nothing beats bringing up one illegal regime change war (Kosovo) to justify another illegal regime change war (Syria).
That's not courage, that is called participating in a war crime.
1
So incredibly heartbreaking and frustrating.
57
Mahalos Capt. Kennedy for your perspective. In contrast listen to Senator Rand of Kentucky trying to praise Trump for saving our American forces in Northern Syria of certain death at the hands of the advancing Turkish forces (who are member NATO forces, and of which Trump green-lighted). Sen Rand also absurdly try to draw a contrast of the lives saved by Trump, to the 241 service members killed in a bombing in Lebanon in 1983. I would advocate that the pulling out of American forces from this region cheapens the sacrifice of all those souls (true selfless patriots). Again Mahalo Capt. Kennedy, and his friends in Northern Syria.
98
Thank you Captain Kennedy for your service and for speaking out. What has occurred is a profound betrayal the ramifications of which are very troubling. Since this is a government of the people, we the people need to be witnesses to what is going on and call it for what it is. I hope some in Congress will see your commentary.
87
We’re proud of you and your fellow volunteers who enlisted in the US Armed Forces to protect and defend the country, it’s citizens, and its centuries of principles.
I am speaking for myself as to how disappointed and embarrassed I am at the way our leaders have governed, their abandonment of allies, their lack of diplomatic capabilities, and in some cases, their obvious greed.
If our leaders read this, I wonder if they will change their thinking or just shrug it off and I fear it’s the latter.
Hopefully, congress and enough people will read this and act appropriately in the voting booth in 2020. It’s not too late to restore our ethical and moral conscience to elect leaders who behave with the best interests of the country in focus.
81
What are the principles of the USA? It is a earth leader that protects the interests of the earth. If the earth is attacked by aliens, we all look towards US for leadership.
Thank you, Captain Kennedy. Your commentary restored my faith in the US military. I am very grateful that you had the courage (and doing what you did unfortunately requires real courage today) to speak out and share your experience.
127
Thank you for your courage and your clarity. Keep on speaking. We need voices that know from their own experience what it means to protect lives. I hope those in power listen to you. If they do not, it means more senseless loss of life, and further crumbling of trust in this country.
90
@ellen luborsky
We citizens need to listen to this man and seriously examine our conscience. Kurds and Arabs alike have been lied to and taken advantage of by the "Allies" since WWI.
Those currently in power, as evidenced by the GOP still supporting Trump, are not listening and will not listen, because of their primary interest in maintaining the advantage of holding power.
It is up to the voters to take civilian action and remove this dishonorable group of politicians from power. Then, the honorable men and women of our armed and diplomatic services can begin a laborious climb to restore the honor of our nation from its fallen state.
Someone please explain how pulling our soldiers out of Syria and sending an equivalent number to Saudi Arabia reduces our troop presence in the Middle East.
Clearly our foreign policy involves favorable treatment for countries that have trump properties and neglect or active destruction of countries that don’t.
281
@Drusilla Hawke I do believe that our so-called commander in chief rationalizes this because Saudi Arabia is "paying us". It isn't clear whom he means by "us".
11
@Drusilla Hawke you have asked and answered the million dollar question .
3
@Drusilla Hawk
Stationing US troops in Saudi Arabia caused some serious problems in the past. Have we forgotten that?
2
I completely agree with the Captain’s comments.
Also — understand that his military career is probably going to take a hit for producing this piece. He took personal risk. By regulation military officers are denied the right to publicly criticize their chain of command, including the commander-in-chief President Trump. I hope he was no longer in an active status and had returned to Colorado.
He is to be admired. I am also a retired 22 year army veteran.
Remove the draft dogger now. How does he play so much golf with his debilitating bone spurs?
442
@Fortune
I don't think his status at the time of his video (active or not) matters. He holds a commission whether on active or not. Same as if he were to get a DUI while not on active duty but still in the Guard--still subject to UCMJ. Likewise his criticism.
4
@Fortune That is very disrespectful to the Commander-in-chief. By his own account he suffered his own personal Vietnam evading STDs during the period of the Vietnam War.
4
Daughter of WW II veteran, sister of Vietnam veteran, two-time Peace Corps volunteer. Friend of Kurds living in the US.
My heart is broken. I don't know what to do.
Alan Kennedy thank you and God bless you for your courage. I hope more military men speak up and out.
260
Ms. Goshka, thanks to you, a distinguished author,for your comment.
38
Thank you so much for your courage and honest candor. You mirror the thoughts and hope of so many of us who understand, and have long understood, how absolute power can corrupt absolutely.
Your allegiance is to THIS COUNTRY, not Donald Trump per se. When someone in the position which he now temporarily occupies is running a criminal enterprise and flaunts his disdain for the rule of law - and his Oath of Office and responsibility to ALL Americans, especially my brothers and sisters in the Military - one must consider extraordinary actions for extraordinary times.
Our Founding Fathers never anticipated an aberration such as Trump attaining high office and being supported by a cadre of sycophants in Congress.
Please VOTE, keep your faith and remember that the majority of Americans believe in you and have similar goals and ethics. I hope we can resolve this issue peacefully.
103
Thank you for your service and wisdom and for speaking out.
73
As someone who has family in the armed forces, I am sickened by the thought of them going overseas to defend the policies of someone who values loyalty only as it is applied to Trump and his personal interests.
120
And as other readers have commented, thank you for your service and speaking the truth, Captain Kennedy.
1
Thank you, Captain Kennedy, for speaking truth to power. I cannot tell you how much I admire you, and how many tears you brought to my eyes. Whatever happens to your career because of this, you will be a hero in the eyes of so many, and you will be on the right side of history.
176
I hope everybody in America reads this.
Thank you for your service Captain. Our hearts are breaking.
155
Service?
What business do we have there?
Who invited us?
Did you ever think about these questions?
2
This needs to have a more prominent photo placement/link on the electronic front page. Everyone should view/read this important opinion piece.
As a former US soldier, I salute Captain Kennedy and hope he doesn't face any backlash for his bravery in coming forward and speaking his truth to the American people and the Commander in Chief.
288
@Lorraine Buttner Looks to me like he was simply criticizing a policy decision and pointing out the consequences. So he wasn't violating the law. But you can do things that are legal but against professional ethics, and the professional ethic in the military is that if you disagree with your superiors and wish to advise them you should do so in privacy. If the commander plans a long road march too shortly after another tiring activity, then the wise first sergeant might go into the commander's office, close the door, and attempt to persuade him to change course. But he would never stand in front of a formation and tell the company "I disagree with the commander's plan, but let's do it anyway." Not that it would be illegal, but it would probably lead to his losing his diamond--unless he had moral support from the CSM. It's complicated.
1
@Robert David South I'm well aware of what can be said legally by an active duty military member, and how one can be reprimanded outside the 'legal military' system. Anyone who has served knows how one can be retaliated against in other ways, such as assignments, being overlooked for schools, promotion, etc..
12
@Robert David South
That's not the way real life works: in many organizations--especially the military--you do suffer consequences for criticizing your boss.
4
Captain Kennedy, thank you for sharing your heart felt concerns about the Kurds. I also believe we should have stood by them and not capitulated to the threats of Turkey.
I grieved the day the bombs were dropped on the Kurds and many died, sensing this pain although being separated by a large distance. I can only imagine what you must have felt, abandoning,, not by choice, the people who were your co-workers and friends and assuring them we would not leave.
I can only imagine you picture their faces, the laughs you shared, the threats you dealt with, and their children. You are a man of ethics and I am sorry that our Commander in Chief does not seem to share the deep regard for our fellow humans that you do.
151
So many of us bear and share the pain over current policies. Thank you for voicing your wrenching experience!
111
Captain Kennedy, like so many of us, believed in America, in our mission, our purpose and our sense of common purpose. And, like so many of us, the heartbreak at our degradation has been immense. There are many, many good people in the United States, and hopefully we can get our collective voice and values back someday. Captain Kennedy, thank you for your service to this once great nation.
140
Thank you Allen Kennedy for speaking truth to power. I just wish the generals and admirals and captains would be more courageous and find their voice. My son is an active duty Marine and we were a career Navy family.
192
@J the guy can't even pronounce strategic and it was obvious he was reading from a teleprompter. I wonder how much he was paid to make these statements?
2
Captain Kennedy, thank you for your service. Thank your for sharing your experience and feelings. It's helped ease my feelings of great sadness over the state of our democracy. We are in big trouble. You give me hope.
125
Incredibly powerful. Thank you for sharing, Capt. Kennedy. I am honored to have you serving our nation. It takes immense courage to speak out like this, and I only wish that more military leaders had the courage to do so.
213
@Zach especially Mathis, McMaster and Kelly.
I saw Mathis at a fancy dinner yukking it up and making jokes about the president, but what he really needs to do is condemn him.
34
@pat Ridicule is effective. Plus he was responding to Trump's calling him the most overrated general.
7
Thank you, Captain Kennedy, for your service and for speaking out against President Trump's callous and tragic decision to betray our long-time battlefield allies.
115
Just think, if this young man’s words can be so moving, what if our living former Presidents came together as a group, joined by our retired military like Mattis, McMaster, Kelley et. Al came together in person to call out this egregious behavior by our draft dodging bone spur President?
256
@Cindy
Unfortunately the only thing that can change this is for the military leaders to defy orders.
While that would be shocking and unprecedented, it might be the only option left given the person we have in the Oval office, who breaks precedents by the minute.
It may be a good dress rehearsal, however, for when that same military has to physically remove him from office after the next election. It seems almost certain he will not go willingly.
68
@Cindy That is a brilliant idea.
3
@Cindy
Only one person's criticism will make Trump act- Vladmir Putin.
All roads lead to Russia.
52
A big thanks to Captain Kennedy for speaking up against Trump's betrayal of our allies. And, inadequate as it is, apologies to the Kurds for Trump's betrayal.
But this tragedy doesn't end there. It's true that Trump caved to his authoritarian comrade Erdogan. But all roads - or at least an overwhelming number of them - lead to Putin. Even as Trump betrays the Kurds, he's betraying America as well.
144
I am so sorry and feel so completely powerless to help as I'm sure so many other citizens, elected representatives, military leaders, and those with years of experience in diplomacy are feeling now as well. Why is it that the executive branch has so much power that one man can determine what practically an entire world is against?
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@Riki You ask a good question. Part of the answer lies in the growth of excecutive branch power over many decades. But a crucial factor is that America's founders and early leaders never anticipated that Congress, in the form of today's Republicans, would cave so completely to so blatantly unfit and corrupt a leader as Donald Trump.
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@Riki
That's been bothering me too. There's no way one person should have this much power.
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I only wish that every member of Congress would take the three minutes to watch this video. Throughout it I was thinking that a soldier who places his/her life on the line for the mission would have a better perspective than Trump concerning how to end that mission. Capt. Kennedy articulated perfectly the rationale: you do not needlessly abandon your allies, and particularly you do not abandon your brothers in arms. A Commander-in-Chief who does not understand this rationale is not fit to command.
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I'm sorry for Trump's "decision" and hope the suffering ends quickly. But if this helps defeat him in 2020 or earlier, the entire world will be the winner.
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@bnyc Agreed, except, sadly, it doesn't bring back the lives of those who have died and those who have been injured. I am having a lot of difficulty wrapping my brain around the fact that people's lives are being destroyed because of Trump's "decision" and you know what? He doesn't even care.
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@bnyc There's so many good, convincing reasons for impeachment, not a single drop of blood should be necessary to get this done. the 10,000 plus documented, public lies should be enough. Or the shameless profiteering of the Trump corporation from his presidency. Or the shenanigans surrounding the Russian connnection, which resulted in many prosecution. Or at least the cynical strongarming of Ukraine for the benefit of the president's reelection campaign. Not a single Kurd should have been killed for Trump to be finally removed from power. Congress should have ended this horrible parody of presidency long ago!
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Kudos to Captain Kennedy for daring to speak truth to power. His words, as an experienced officer with detailed knowledge of the Kurdish region in Syria, speak for themselves. While it's generally laudable that the US want to reduce military interference in the middle east, to abandon allies that depend on support is simply wrong. This mistake needs to be corrected and Kurds should get arms deliveries and air cover to help them in their self defence against the cynical invasion plot by President Erdogan.
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It can’t be corrected. That horse has left the barn. This falls in the category of monstrous damage Trump has done to our nation that we will all die with. It is a horrifyingly big set.
Vote Blue No Matter Who until the Party of Trump goes the way of the Whigs.
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@Gray Goods an Army Captain is a junior grade officer with little experience. He probably had two years in the Army and he was obviously reading from a teleprompter.
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The difference between the Captain and his Commander in Chief, is the Captain is morally grounded and believes that promises are made to be kept when your word is given, while his Commander in Chief is a transactional narcissist whose word is as fixed as a fallen leaf in the wind if he decides thinks something might possibly reflect well on him. In this case it was a massive miscalculation that not only failed to win him accolades, but will cost Kurdish lives and the reticence of the military to assure allies in the future that we have their backs. The new assurances for truthful soldiers like the Captain will have to be I plan on supporting you, but as far as our political leaders I can't say for sure, flip a coin.
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