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Senate approves Syria, anti-BDS[*] bill
The Senate passed legislation on Thursday breaking with President Trump's Syria policy. Senators voted 77-23 to send the legislation to the House that includes a provision warning Trump against a "precipitous" withdrawal of troops from Syria and Afghanistan. It also asks the administration to certify that certain conditions have been met "for the enduring defeat of al Qaeda and ISIS before initiating any significant withdrawal of United States forces from Syria or Afghanistan."
[...] In addition to the Syria amendment, the bill also included sanctions against the Syrian government, increased support for Israel and Jordan and a provision that would let states penalize businesses that take part in boycotts or divestments of Israel.
Both the Syria amendment and the anti-BDS provisions sparked division among Democrats. [...] Democrats had raised First Amendment concerns about the anti-BDS provision, which splintered most of the party's 2020 contenders and caucus leadership. "While I do not support the BDS movement, we must defend every American's constitutional right to engage in political activity. It is clear to me that this bill would violate Americans' First Amendment rights," Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in a statement last week.
[*] BDS: boycott, divestment and sanctions.
Also at NYT.
See also: Is the Anti-BDS Bill Constitutional? Yes, But...
(Score: 4, Interesting) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday February 07 2019, @07:47PM (12 children)
I'm prepared to accept that Mr. Trump is always wrong about everything, but I would also like to see the US stop undermining countries whose governments they disapprove of, and in this case I probably can't have both.
Can anyone explain to me why there are still US troops in Afghanistan after all these years?
Have the lives of the average Afghan got better? Is their government able to manage the whole country yet? If not, why not? What is the goal here?
(Score: 3, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 07 2019, @08:37PM
Give it a bit longer, we're still in the process of surrendering to the forces we invaded to oust ~20 years ago, and condemning our puppets to hang from the street lights sans testicles.
(Score: 2, Disagree) by Azuma Hazuki on Thursday February 07 2019, @10:43PM (1 child)
Trump is sometimes right, but he's right for the exact reason a stopped clock is sometimes right.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 07 2019, @11:18PM
The very few things Trump is right about could have trillion dollar implications.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Freeman on Thursday February 07 2019, @11:04PM (4 children)
"... I would also like to see the US stop undermining countries whose governments they disapprove of ..." That's not going to happen. Pretty much every president that's held office since I've been alive has done that. It definitely isn't a new thing. I mean, we did it nearly from the very beginning of our History, in Tripoli.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Arik on Thursday February 07 2019, @11:44PM (3 children)
The only two that seemed just a little skeptical of it were Carter and Trump. And the mainstream media turned on both viciously and attempted to hamper them at every turn.
"I mean, we did it nearly from the very beginning of our History, in Tripoli."
I don't think that part is accurate at all though. That was not going abroad in search of monsters to destroy. These were literal pirate states that had been extorting incredible sums of money from us. We did just what we had to - paid just long enough to build a fleet and then we quit paying. The Pascha declared war on us. I don't see any resemblance there to the wars we see now.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Friday February 08 2019, @03:56PM (2 children)
ISIS didn't declare war on the USA? The terrorists that attacked the USA on 9/11 didn't declare war on the USA? You can claim whatever you like, but the USA was definitely fighting a war. Just a whole lot more complicated war.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 2) by Arik on Friday February 08 2019, @04:58PM
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2) by Arik on Saturday February 09 2019, @12:23AM
Don't get me wrong, I can see how you see parallels. There are some; they're particularly unsavory adversaries, particularly barbaric and inhumane, both profess Islam. But overall the situations are very very different. We were in no sense responsible for the existence of the Barbary states, we did our best to live and let live, we fought them when forced.
ISIS wouldn't even exist if not for US foreign policy. It wouldn't exist without the invasion of Iraq; the destruction of that country, and the resulting conditions gave it birth. That's a big difference.
If laughter is the best medicine, who are the best doctors?
(Score: 2, Interesting) by fustakrakich on Thursday February 07 2019, @11:49PM
Can anyone explain to me why there are still US troops in Afghanistan after all these years?
Oh hell! That's easy! [bbc.co.uk] No, wait... [nytimes.com]
La politica e i criminali sono la stessa cosa..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08 2019, @04:01AM (1 child)
Perhaps more to the point, why are there still US troops in Germany and Japan? If you want to be consistent then you may wish to ponder that one as well.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday February 09 2019, @01:28AM
US troops are in Europe to prevent the reemergence of the Holy Roman Empire. What, you thought the war was over?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday February 08 2019, @07:20PM
Afganistan has large uranium deposits
The US wants to control those