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"Defense Secretary Jim Mattis’ resignation, which shocked Washington’s national security establishment and rattled America’s allies, was sealed in a fateful 18-hour period that saw President Trump resolve to withdraw troops from Syria – alarming Pentagon officials who see America’s role in the region as crucial." foxnews.com/politics/behind-the-scenes-of-the-mattis-bombshell-more-resignations-expected-after-protest-exit
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Behind the Scenes of the Mattis Bombshell: More Resignations Expected after 'Protest' Exit
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-- E. B. White
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Spamalope on Monday December 31 2018, @06:31PM (4 children)
(trying to wash this of political partisanship to the extent I can, though there is surely lots of poo to fling all around)
The Saudis want an oil pipeline into Europe that'd have to pass through Syria.
The Iranians do too, an Syria is friendly with them.
The Russian economy depends on oil sales to Europe that'd be threatened, so they don't want a pipeline (or would want to control it).
Someone arms Syrian rebels.
The Saudis donated substantial sums to US politicians prior to that. Correlation isn't causation, but *shrug*.
That of course doesn't indicate what a new President should do with an existing mess, but does indicate it's likely to be a diplomatic mess and that odd actions may be the result of secret negotiations. (Possibly US pullout in exchange for Isis/Iraq stability / or backing off in the Ukraine?) US presidential policy has combined playground name calling with quiet diplomatic overtures so who knows.
Is the pullout breaking deals Mattis made to secure cooperation in the area? I'm curious what prompted the resignation and that's the type of possibility that'd worry me.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday December 31 2018, @06:41PM
I had read that the Kurds had recently declared Mission Accomplished over ISIS. The expected endgame then was that Erdoğan was going to turn against the Kurds. That would put the US between a NATO party on one side, and a partner of convenience on the other side. Turkey is much more important to US geostrategic politics, so the question was when the US would withdraw. If they withdrew during Turkish operations, the US' already minuscule credibility with oppressed peoples that could be used as insurgents in a conflict would have completely evaporated. So the least bad decision: leave Syria and a couple of weapons with the Kurds.
Obviously Mattis was against that, but I wonder who were contrary advisers in Trump's cabinet.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by bradley13 on Monday December 31 2018, @09:05PM (2 children)
"Someone" arms Syrian rebels? It's not even a secret - the US (under Obama) did. And those rebels in essence became ISIS in Syria. Why the US wanted to overthrow Assad is unclear, at least to me.
So now withdrawing because ISIS is defeated? That's entirely thanks to Russian intervention. Claiming any sort of US victory is just...well, it's the "big lie", because the US was responsible for creating the problem in the first place.
Everyone is somebody else's weirdo.
(Score: 2) by crafoo on Monday December 31 2018, @10:31PM (1 child)
Why did we want to mess with Assad? Pipeline deals. Look up the company and the people behind speculative pipeline deals that would pass through Syria. Surprise, I'm not surprised over the names that turn up.
A leader that puts his nation and people before outside banking and oil interests simply will not be tolerated.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 01 2019, @06:35AM
We?