Putin is pleased with his protégé, Donald Trump

In Putin's mind, Trump has achieved successes beyond his expectations. It began with Trump's acquiescence to Putin at Helsinki, forsaking his own intelligence agencies and accepting Putin's word that Russia did not interfere in our 2016 election because Putin sounded forceful.

Fired being a euphemism for forcing to retire, Trump has fired key members of his administration recently. They were advisors who contributed much to Trump's administration. Too much, and they often had differing viewpoints. For that, Trump fired them. Just in the last few months, Sessions, Haley, McGahn, Zinke, Kelly, Mattis and Ayers have all been fired.

That is the attorney general, the U.N. ambassador, the White House counsel, the Interior Secretary, Trump's chief of staff, Trump's favored replacement for chief of staff, and the Defense Secretary. Often, as in the case of Heather Nauert, Matt Whitaker, and Patrick Shanahan, they are replaced by people new at the job because Trump does not want someone who will actually voice his/her opinion.

As a consequence, the federal government is seriously weakened thanks to Trump and Putin could not be more pleased.

Trump then surrendered the field to Syrian and Russian forces along with the forces of the terrorist organization known as ISIS. This also gives a free hand to Putin's ally and America's enemy, Iran. Putin was flabbergasted when Trump withdrew all U.S. forces from Syria simply because the Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, asked him to ... flabbergasted, but jumping with joy. Putin's much needed warm water naval facility at Tartus and his huge airbase are secure. Russia's proxy war with the U.S. in Syria is won.

Last, but certainly not least, Trump shuts down the entire federal government just before Christmas. His excuse is an ineffectual wall. In the process, Trump managed to embarrass the Senate Majority Leader and the leadership of his own party in the Republican-held Congress. Combined with Trump's retreat in Syria and the loss of key members of his administration, chaos reigns supreme in Washington.

If Putin had managed to install a former KGB agent in the White House, he could not have done better than Donald Trump. There is little wonder why Putin is jumping with glee.

 

Faced with the immediate storm of criticism of his decision, including even from Fox News, that Trump was abandoning its allies and handing another victory to Russia, Trump tweeted that Russia was “not happy” about his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.

This was not true.

Moments earlier, Vladimir Putin in his annual press conference had praised Trump for retreating. “On this, Donald is right,” the Russian president said during his year-end news conference in Moscow. “I agree with him.”

Donald?

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1077225810329825281?ref_src=twsrc^tfw|twcamp^tweetembed&ref_url=https://d-432798543130107192.ampproject.net/1812131718380/frame.html

AMERICA IS RESPECTED AGAIN

 

So what were we going to do with those 2,000 troops? Were we going to expand? Risk a conflict with the Russian-Iranian-Assad-led forces? Yeah, that was going to go over real well. The 2,000 troops couldn't have possibly eliminated 30,000 freedom fighters. Just by carving out the space that we did, we achieved a tremendous victory and now we've got allies such as France and Israel who want to plug in the presence.

I think Trump was more than aware of the actions of our allies, prior to moving out. At least he anticipated it. It's a much better use of resources than to have 2,000 men and women not in US territory.

 

Do you think that American forces should've been there to begin with?

 

Why are we even deployed to Syria to begin with? I thought you alt left radicals were against US interference in countries we have nothing to do with?

Iraq?

Syria is their own region's issue...Obama made a huge mistake getting us into there.

If you're mad that Trump is avoiding more war that your party created...then it shows how backwards you've become.

 

No, not at all. But I do think that given the limited operation, and the success of said operation we've already done more than our fair share. The neocons(wannabe Napoleons) want our forces to stay there without so much as a single clue about what to do with the Russians/Assad-led forces.

This was Trump's wisest decision since being President. It should be universally applauded as strategically sound and wise. Similar to how Bush pulled out of Iraq in '90(where many clamored for him to 'finish the job').

 

You deal with situations the way they are, not as you wished they were. Maybe you have a time machine or DeLorean with a flux capacitor in it.

It's counterproductive to withdraw now, even assuming becoming involved to begin with was a poor idea. As an aside, and we can discuss this later (I've got some prosecco to drink and appetizers to eat), I don't think you can hang the start of the Syrian civil war on Obama, though that's quite convenient for you.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/world/middleeast/syria-us-withdrawal-iran.html

 

Someone wants to continue Obama's attempt at regime change in Syria. Thought that was a no-no. Guess the ole lefties have done a 180 on that.

 

What were you going to do when combating Russian/Assad forces. There's a difference from Russian mercs, to their actual military personnel and the extent that it brings. And there wouldn't have been a perm. ceasefire either. Assad wouldn't have been satisfied staying to the West, and Russia wouldn't want to be there forever either. It's possible they would've gambled and tried to force US forces out before reinforcements get there.

Until one of those wannabe Napoleons have a grandstanding strategy for Syria that accounts for the vastly larger enemy brigade, the President made the right decision. They can whine and grovel all they want, strategy is heartless for a reason.

 

Pointless, pablum, designed only to convince Trump haters who need no convincing. Utterly bereft of reality or any pretense at sagacity, it is but nastiness masquerading as wit.

 

There are times I think Trump is begging to be impeached. Many Republicans in the Senate are having second thoughts. Most Republicans oppose the border wall, the government shutdown, and Trump's surrender to ISIS and Putin in Syria. Many are tired of his erratic and impulsive behavior that catches them off guard ... like the shutdown. The Senate and Trump had a deal, and Trump changed his mind.

The only thing preventing impeachment is the fact that the Republican controlled Senate won't convict. That could be changing.

 

Lol... rhetoric is one thing, action is another.

It’s interesting, democrats use tough rhetoric but obama was soft on putin, trump has been tougher with actions on russia, not words.

Since when do words matter more than action? Interesting

I would argue putin is being played by Trump..

 

Please tell me how 2000 troops sandwiched between the Turks and the Russians are doing much more than serving as human shields for the Peshmerga? There is only one way to resolve this issue and that is diplomacy not military action. We need to sit down with Assad, the representatives of the Peshmerga and the Turks and resolve their differences.

 

Why would the uni-party oppose cheap labor which hurts America workers? You seem to be on their side. You also appear to be on the side of Obama's regime change.

 

Trump surrendered the field to Syrian and Russian forces along with the forces of the terrorist organization known as ISIS. This also gives a free hand to Putin's ally and America's enemy, Iran. Putin was flabbergasted when Trump withdrew all U.S. forces from Syria simply because the Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, asked him to ... flabbergasted, but jumping with joy. Putin's much needed warm water naval facility at Tartus and his huge airbase are secure. Russia's proxy war with the U.S. in Syria is won.

"The 2,000 troops couldn't have possibly eliminated 30,000 freedom fighters. "Freedom fighters," who do you mean? The only freedom fighters I know in Syria are the Syrian rebels who are fighting the Assad government. They are on our side.

You seem a bit confused. The fact is, Trump surrendered in the proxy war the U.S. had with Russia. That is why Putin thought "Donald" was right.

You also seem to agree with Trump's surrender to Putin.

 

They are not human shields. They are trainers and they offer guidance and call in air support. They also act as a shield. Neither Putin nor Assad wish to attack the American troops. Now, pursuant to Trump's orders which run counter to the Pentagon and his SecDef, they are being withdrawn.

The Kurds and the Syrian rebels are doing the actual fighting. Now Trump is throwing them to the wolves. You agree with Trump?

Do you agree with me concerning the other issues in the OP?

 

So in the end you agree with my assessment like it or not because they are American Troops they are also human shields by virtue of being American Troops. But again and for the third time this only ends well by virtue of Diplomacy between the Kurds the Turks and the Syrians. If we can bring that about then there is some small reason to stay if we cannot then at this point we are wasting our time.

 

They are not on our side, they are renegade terrorists who are unrecognized by any legitimate governing authority. It was the foolish advent of the coalition led by the Obama Administration and eager European countries who thought they could recolonize Africa(and failed at that: See, Libya.). Not only is the EU a defunct political organization, by way of the resistance it would appear they can't even break through Africa anymore.

And to put emphasis on it: You want American troops to die for this politically weak, dysfunctional organization. Nope. You might feel "tied" to an alliance of a weakened power, but I most certainly am not. Not only are our European allies weak, but as I said: To clear Syria of these terrorists, we should at least match the enemies total numbers(30 K) but such an increase in presence would be noticable by the Russian-Iranian-Assad forces.

And it would be much smaller than those forces. So we'd be rid of one enemy, only to be faced with a stronger, national/government-supported enemy. There is no victory in Syria. At least not without making it a much deadlier and larger war.

My suggestion to the wannabe Napoleons, to the Mattis's of the world is to understand superior command from superior officials(the POTUS) and if you think you have a better idea, then feel free to suggest.

 

Partly because the oil makes the Mideast a strategic region important to the West.

Partly because we are fighting Islamic terrorism, ISIS.

Partly because of the proxy war with Russia which we have now lost because of Trump's surrender.

Partly because of Assad's atrocities which have made Syria a humanitarian crisis.

Yes, I know, all that is far beyond your understanding. Army Soldier, do you support Trump's surrender? Or is your user name a misnomer?

We have been active in the Mideast since the Iraq War, 1991.

Trump's party and my party are one in the same. I am a card carrying Republican.

But you are right. The Republicans created our military involvement in the Mideast with the two Iraq wars by Bush I and II. Nearly everything that has happened since is a consequence of those two wars.

 

So let's get this straight. I need to better understand your alt left radical views:

Assad, who is CURRENTLY fighting ISIS, and has himself a nice stack of chemical weapons that we don't let him use...wants to wipe ISIS out.

YOUR suggestion is to have US Soldiers who are bound by a tight ROE sit and fight and die for a nation we have absolutely nothing to do with.

Russia and Assad want to kill ISIS...

and your suggestion is to cause more tension with the world by remaining in Syria (a war Obama started).

You understand that we see what you are doing here...right? You're just trying to justify us being there in the first place because your Savior got us in that war.

 

I think Sandy is afraid that ISIS might actually be eradicated if we let Assad and Putin take over. They won't use kid gloves; ISIS is a bigger problem for them than for us, given their proximity. Our presence has just hamstrung their efforts.

 

Him, and the alt left radicals...have yet to present a rational argument of why we need to be in Syria when Russia and Syria are trying to kill ISIS.

 

Trump shut down the entire federal government just before Christmas. His excuse is an ineffectual wall. In the process, Trump managed to embarrass the Senate Majority Leader and the leadership of his own party in the Republican-held Congress. Combined with Trump's retreat in Syria and the loss of key members of his administration, chaos reigns supreme in Washington.

If Putin had managed to install a former KGB agent in the White House, he could not have done better than Donald Trump. There is little wonder why Putin is jumping with glee.

Lets be clear on one particular point. Trump is alone in Washington and he is making a lot of statements and tweeting like a songbird. The Washington Post, which tracks Trump's false and misleading claims, has tallied up 6,420 lies.

Which means we cannot believe anything Trump says or tweets. He lies so much, he no longer can differentiate between fantasy and reality.

Take for example his Christmas message he provided us today. "I can't tell you when the government is going to be open. I can tell you it's not going to be open until we have a wall, a fence, whatever they would like to call it," Trump said in the Oval Office after a Christmas call with US troops. So now he trying to turn the shutdown into an issue of semantics, and who is "they." He told a television audience, "I am proud to shut down the government for border security." Semantics again, he means his border wall.

Trump then repeated a claim made a day earlier -- without explanation -- that he'd recently approved 115 miles worth of border barrier. The White House hasn't provided any further details about the claim. No one, not the media, not his advisors, not Republicans on the Hill know what he is talking about.

"It's going to be built, hopefully rapidly," he said. "I'm going there at the end of January for the start of construction. That's a big stretch."

"We're almost having a groundbreaking, it's such a big section," he said. "It's probably the biggest section we'll get out."

Has he lost it? Again, no one knows what he is talking about.

Trump also claimed, without evidence, that federal employees on furlough or working without pay understand his demand for a border wall -- and support him in his mission.

"I think they understand what's happening," he said. "They want border security. The people of this country want border security."

Huh, so now he has stopped to talked to government workers? They are happy to be furloughed or work without pay for his border wall?

Trump is responsible for the shutdown and proud of it. "I am proud to shut down the government." Now he wants our sympathy. "It's not a question of me. I would rather not be doing shutdowns. I've been at the White House. I love the White House, but I wasn't able to be with my family. I thought it would be wrong for me to be with my family, my family is in Florida, Palm Beach, and I just didn't want to go down and be there when other people are hurting."

Why he thought being with his family at Christmas is wrong is anyone's guess. Actually, in addition to lying, he is also talented at providing B.S.

"But other than that," Trump said, his hands gesturing outward, "I wish everybody a very merry Christmas."

He managed to finally say something right. I second that message.

 

Spoken like a true Putin advocate, and you agree with Trump's surrender to Putin in Syria. Back to the subject of this thread, the one you don't want to talk about.

In Putin's mind, Trump has achieved successes beyond his expectations. It began with Trump's acquiescence to Putin at Helsinki, forsaking his own intelligence agencies and accepting Putin's word that Russia did not interfere in our 2016 election because Putin sounded forceful.

Fired being a euphemism for forcing to retire, Trump has fired key members of his administration recently. They were advisors who contributed much to Trump's administration. Too much, and they often had differing viewpoints. For that, Trump fired them. Just in the last few months, Sessions, Haley, McGahn, Zinke, Kelly, Mattis and Ayers have all been fired.

That is the attorney general, the U.N. ambassador, the White House counsel, the Interior Secretary, Trump's chief of staff, Trump's favored replacement for chief of staff, and the Defense Secretary. Often, as in the case of Heather Nauert, Matt Whitaker, and Patrick Shanahan, they are replaced by people new at the job because Trump does not want someone who will actually voice his/her opinion.

As a consequence, the federal government is seriously weakened thanks to Trump and Putin could not be more pleased.

Trump then surrendered the field to Syrian and Russian forces along with the forces of the terrorist organization known as ISIS. This also gives a free hand to Putin's ally and America's enemy, Iran. Putin was flabbergasted when Trump withdrew all U.S. forces from Syria simply because the Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, asked him to ... flabbergasted, but jumping with joy. Putin's much needed warm water naval facility at Tartus and his huge airbase are secure. Russia's proxy war with the U.S. in Syria is won.

Last, but certainly not least, Trump shuts down the entire federal government just before Christmas. His excuse is an ineffectual wall. In the process, Trump managed to embarrass the Senate Majority Leader and the leadership of his own party in the Republican-held Congress. Combined with Trump's retreat in Syria and the loss of key members of his administration, chaos reigns supreme in Washington.

If Putin had managed to install a former KGB agent in the White House, he could not have done better than Donald Trump. There is little wonder why Putin is jumping with glee..