Trump to expand presence in Iraq!

[Warlord]

In a speech to the rank and file at Al Asad Airbase the president said he does not plan to withdrawal troops from Iraq and could use the site as the home base for future operations in the region.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6530903/Donald-Melania-Trump-make-surprise-visit-Iraq.html

boo, Trump is a fraud!!!

[enhanced_deficit]

In a speech to the rank and file at Al Asad Airbase the president said he does not plan to withdrawal troops from Iraq and could use the site as the home base for future operations in the region.

boo, Trump is a fraud!!!

Even if Syria forces are diverted to bring stability to Iraq/Iran regions, early reporting can be foggy and better to wait till foreign policy on these wars is settled and confirmed officially.
I'm big supporter of free speech but lately critics have been bit too liberal with use of word "fraud" (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?519979-Conservative-leader-on-Trump-He-s-a-fraud-and-has-betrayed-us-twice-now) when crticizing MAGA. Despite critics claims, there is some evidence that he might not be willingly pushing globalist or war profiteering lobbies agenda.

[Zippyjuan]

Is he backing off leaving Syria as well? From his appearance in Iraq today:


Mr Trump said the US could use Iraq as a forward base if "we wanted to do something in Syria", Reuters news agency reports.

He defended his decision to withdraw US troops from Syria during the visit, saying: "A lot of people are going to come around to my way of thinking.

"I made it clear from the beginning that our mission in Syria was to strip Isis [another name for IS] of its military strongholds.

"Eight years ago, we went there for three months and we never left. Now, we're doing it right and we're going to finish it off."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46687909

[Swordsmyth]

In a speech to the rank and file at Al Asad Airbase the president said he does not plan to withdrawal troops from Iraq and could use the site as the home base for future operations in the region.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6530903/Donald-Melania-Trump-make-surprise-visit-Iraq.html

boo, Trump is a fraud!!!
This could just be propaganda to push back against the neocons who are screaming about the withdrawals.

Time will tell but even if he doesn't pull us out of Iraq it is still an improvement to leave Syria and start winding down Afghanistan.

I'm still hoping for more withdrawals.

[Zippyjuan]

This could just be propaganda to push back against the neocons who are screaming about the withdrawals.

Time will tell but even if he doesn't pull us out of Iraq it is still an improvement to leave Syria and start winding down Afghanistan.

I'm still hoping for more withdrawals.

He will do whatever Fox News says he should.

[Swordsmyth]

He will do whatever Fox News says he should.

:rolleyes:

[phill4paul]

He will do whatever Fox News says he should.

No. No. You've got the meme wrong. That was soooo last month. Now it's "He will do whatever Rush Limbaugh says he should." Did you not get the latest Talking Points Bulletin?

[Origanalist]

He will do whatever Fox News says he should.

Zippy 7.0?

[phill4paul]

Zippy 7.0?

I think this one is the Vista of the operating platforms.

[shakey1]

:recycle:

[Swordsmyth]

Trump's choice of a permanent replacement for Mattis will tell us which way things will go.

[Ender]

In a speech to the rank and file at Al Asad Airbase the president said he does not plan to withdrawal troops from Iraq and could use the site as the home base for future operations in the region.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6530903/Donald-Melania-Trump-make-surprise-visit-Iraq.html

boo, Trump is a fraud!!!

Just figured that out? :speaknoevil:

[Warlord]

Troops have been in Iraq for 15 years... what is the point? I'm mad

[Swordsmyth]

Troops have been in Iraq for 15 years... what is the point? I'm mad
You shouldn't have expected him to withdraw from everywhere overnight, take the Syria pullout and the Afghanistan draw-down as the wins that they are and wait to see what happens next.

[Swordsmyth]

Trump also said this in Iraq:

“the United States cannot continue to be the policeman of the world.”

More at: https://www.breitbart.com/news/us-wont-be-worlds-policeman-trump-says-during-iraq-visit/

[Warlord]

Rand Paul calls it mission creep and he's absolutely right. 15 years ago the troops were sent in to overthrow Saddam, now they're there to occupy forever. it's a perversion of the original mission and a disgrace. God bless Rand Paul.

[Swordsmyth]

Rand Paul calls it mission creep and he's absolutely right. 15 years ago the troops were sent in to overthrow Saddam, now they're there to occupy forever. it's a perversion of the original mission and a disgrace. God bless Rand Paul.
Rand is absolutely right, we just can't expect Trump to pull all of the troops home from everywhere all at once, he would be impeached within a month.

[oyarde]

I would actually support removing all troops from the middle east overnite . It really is the safest way .

[Warlord]

Remember when Ron used to say Bring 'em home to loud cheers? seems along time ago now.

[TheCount]

This could just be propaganda to push back against the neocons who are screaming about the withdrawals.

Alternatively, the Syria withdrawal could be propaganda for his base

[Swordsmyth]

Alternatively, the Syria withdrawal could be propaganda for his base
The troops are leaving, that isn't propaganda.
This was just words, it might be propaganda.

[TheCount]

The troops are leaving, that isn't propaganda.

Sounds legit.

[Swordsmyth]

I would actually support removing all troops from the middle east overnite . It really is the safest way .
So would I but I don't know if Trump would live and stay in office long enough to see it happen and Pence or Pelosi wouldn't follow through.


Remember when Ron used to say Bring 'em home to loud cheers? seems along time ago now.
Unfortunately we got Trump instead of Ron and either one of them has a hostile congress do deal with.

[spudea]

In a speech to the rank and file at Al Asad Airbase the president said he does not plan to withdrawal troops from Iraq and could use the site as the home base for future operations in the region.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6530903/Donald-Melania-Trump-make-surprise-visit-Iraq.html

boo, Trump is a fraud!!!

Thread title is a fraud. Says "expand presence in Iraq". Link provides no evidence to back that up. Warlord is a fraud.

[Zippyjuan]

The troops are leaving, that isn't propaganda.
This was just words, it might be propaganda.

In March, he said they would be "out very soon". https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/29/politics/trump-withdraw-syria-pentagon/index.html


President Donald Trump said Thursday that the US would "be coming out of Syria like very soon," just hours after the Pentagon highlighted the need for US troops to remain in the country for the immediate future.

"We're knocking the hell out of ISIS. We'll be coming out of Syria like very soon. Let the other people take care of it now," Trump told supporters at an Ohio event on infrastructure.

"We are going to have 100% of the caliphate, as they call it, sometimes referred to as land ... But we are going to be coming out of there real soon. We are going to get back to our country, where we belong, where we want to be," Trump added.

One US defense official directly familiar with the ISIS campaign said it is unclear what the President meant by the comments. The military's current assessment is that now is not the time to consider withdrawal, citing numerous challenges in Syria.

Now in December he said troops will be out of Syria "soon".

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/white-house-official-i-dont-know-quite-frankly-when-u-s-troops-will-leave-syria


White House official: 'I don't know, quite frankly' when U.S. troops will leave Syria


A senior Trump administration official said Wednesday that she was unable to provide a time frame for U.S. troops leaving Syria after President Trump's pull-out decision appeared to catch administration officials and lawmakers off-guard.

"It's not that I'm not telling you, it's that I don't know, quite frankly," the official said during a White House conference call with reporters, referring timetable questions to the Pentagon, which also dodged requests for clarification Wednesday.

The White House conference call was held to clarify Trump's policy on pulling out about 2,000 troops, after lawmakers expressed concern about the abrupt end of a non-clandestine U.S. military operation that began with 2014 airstrikes.


The timeline has gone from "immediately" to "within 30 days" to "gradually".


"Our understanding is that we will be doing this repositioning of troops and assets in an orderly fashion. The timeline is being designed, and I'm going to refer you to the Pentagon on the logistics and the process for that, because they are working it right now. It's not information that I have," she said.

And today in Iraq Trump said that bases there could be used for future operations in Syria.

https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/26/trump-in-iraq-on-first-visit-to-troops-in-troubled-region/


“We’ll be watching ISIS very closely,” said Trump, who was joined by first lady Melania Trump, but no members of his Cabinet or lawmakers. “We’ll be watching them very, very closely, the remnants of ISIS”


Trump said that after U.S. troops in Syria return home, Iraq could still be used to stage attacks on IS militants.

“We can use this as a base if we wanted to do something in Syria,” he said. “If we see something happening with ISIS that we don’t like, we can hit them so fast and so hard” that they “really won’t know what the hell happened.”

[Ender]

Thread title is a fraud. Says "expand presence in Iraq". Link provides no evidence to back that up. Warlord is a fraud.

The OP says:

President Trump said he does not plan to withdrawal troops from Iraq, however, and could use the site as the home base for future operations in the region, according to Bloomberg News.

[Swordsmyth]

The OP says:

And how is that an expanded presence?

[enhanced_deficit]

Complete exit from Syria, Iraq and leaving it to Iran could be bad for our close allies like Israel. What is wrong with keeping some bases their for future freedom operations?

Presidents can be under tremendous pressures from neocons/their funders/lobbies that non-interventionist/anti-globalist America Firster purists might not appreciate. It likely doesn't apply to MAGA given his forceful personality but last "anti-war" Nobel Peace prize winning POTUS Obama had to face all sorts of pressure from Israel lobbies and his funders over his "dovish" Syrian intevention/Iran deal making including infamous Andrew Adler Atlanta Threat Scandal (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?458980-Israel-plans-largest-WB-settlement-expansion-in-30-years-Surprising-Obama-response&p=5635589&viewfull=1#post5635589)from some *****bag characters. Easy to be a idealist peace champion from cushy chairs, POTUS has to deal with the real world.





WSJ: U.S. Military Preparing for a Full Withdrawal of Its Forces From Northeastern Syria (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?529421-WSJ-U-S-Military-Preparing-for-a-Full-Withdrawal-of-Its-Forces-From-Northeastern-Syria)




This could just be propaganda to push back against the anti-globalist supporters who are screaming about the foreign wars.




This could just be propaganda to push back against the neocons who are screaming about the withdrawals.



To be deveil's advo, are you implying POTUS could be making misleading statements on plans while keeping real plans secret from his supporters & discussing those in private meetings with his top funders /senior leadership of GOP-Adelson etc?

[Swordsmyth]

Iraqi political and militia leaders condemned U.S. President Donald Trump's surprise visit to U.S. troops in Iraq on Wednesday as a violation of Iraq's sovereignty, and lawmakers said a meeting between Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi was canceled due to a disagreement over venue.Sabah al Saadi, the leader of the Islah parliamentary bloc, called for an emergency session of parliament "to discuss this blatant violation of Iraq's sovereignty and to stop these aggressive actions by Trump who should know his limits: The U.S. occupation of Iraq is over."
The Bina bloc, Islah's rival in parliament and led by Iran-backed militia leader Hadi al-Amiri, also objected to Trump's trip to Iraq.
"Trump's visit is a flagrant and clear violation of diplomatic norms and shows his disdain and hostility in his dealings with the Iraqi government," said a statement from Bina.
Abdul Mahdi's office said in a statement that U.S. authorities had informed Iraq's leadership of the president's visit ahead of time. The statement said the Iraqi prime minister and U.S. president talked by telephone due to a "disagreement over how to conduct the meeting."
Iraqi lawmakers told Reuters that the pair had disagreed over where their planned meeting should take place: Trump had asked to meet at the Ain al-Asad military base, an offer which Abdul Mahdi declined.

Qais al-Khazali, the leader of the powerful Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia said on Twitter, "Iraqis will respond with a parliamentary decision to oust your (U.S.) military forces. And if they do not leave, we have the experience and the ability to remove them by other means that your forces are familiar with."

More at: https://news.yahoo.com/iraqi-lawmakers-criticize-trump-visit-blow-iraqi-sovereignty-013616711.html

[devil21]

And how is that an expanded presence?

It's called deductive reasoning. If current Iraq troop presence stays the same, plus is used for future operations elsewhere, it can be assumed that more troops would be moved into Iraq (from Syria perhaps?), thus expanding Iraq presence, in order to stage new deployments elsewhere.

[CaptainAmerica]

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/06/iraq-90bn-rebuild-15-years-war-180611125025701.html

[AZJoe]

This month marks 28 years of continuous Washington aggression against Iraq. (https://www.globalresearch.ca/twenty-eight-years-continuous-aggression-iraq/5665857)

[enhanced_deficit]

In a speech to the rank and file at Al Asad Airbase the president said he does not plan to withdrawal troops from Iraq and could use the site as the home base for future operations in the region.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6530903/Donald-Melania-Trump-make-surprise-visit-Iraq.html

boo, Trump is a fraud!!!

WM.

Using f-word may put some MAGAites in polarized mode as happened after 2nd amendement GOA leaders issued "Trump is a fraud" statemenet.

That said, moderated deep neoconism 2.0 can and should be criticized.

Why these roots of Europe/West refugee crisis are never discussed in non-controlled MAM talk shows?


The Iraq war: The root of Europe's refugee crisis (https://www.aljazeera.com/blogs/middleeast/2015/09/iraq-war-root-europe-refugee-crisis-150908151855527.html)

9 Sept 2015
Thousands have crossed continents and have ended up in Europe seeking that same respite. By and large it's taken Europe by surprise. Opinions vary on how to deal with the crisis. Some say Europe and the US should step up. Others say the rich Gulf states should use their enormous wealth to help.
What no one talks about is the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
March 2003 was the pivotal point. Based on controversial evidence that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction (WMD), the war drums beat loudly.
The WMD claim was eventually publicly discredited by the CIA's own Iraq survey group report (https://www.cia.gov/library/reports/general-reports-1/iraq_wmd_2004) . That report proved whispers and intelligence community doubts from the time that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction.
But it wasn't just those who questioned the evidence. Mass opposition from the British and American public concluded in marches in various Western capitals opposing the war.
Those voices went ignored and in March 2003, the then US president and the British prime minister met in the Azores, Portugal, with the Spanish prime minister, and set into motion events that now include the dead body of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi that washed up on a Turkish beach.


In 2002, Donald Trump Said He Supported Invading Iraq (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?493147-In-2002-Donald-Trump-Said-He-Supported-Invading-Iraq&)
In the interview, which took place on Sept. 11, 2002, Stern asked Trump directly if he was for invading Iraq.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Trump responded. “I wish the first time it was done correctly.”

Trump wrote WMDs in Iraq were a threat a YEAR before Bush was prez! (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?490394-Trump-wrote-WMDs-in-Iraq-were-a-threat-a-YEAR-before-Bush-was-prez!&)
From his book The America we deserve
Consider Iraq. After each pounding from U.S . warplanes, Iraq has dusted itself off and gone right back to work developing a nuclear arsenal. Six years of tough talk and U.S. fireworks in Baghdad have done little to slow Iraq’s crash program to become a nuclear power. They’ve got missiles capable of flying nine hundred kilometers—more than enough to reach Tel Aviv. They’ve got enriched uranium. All they need is the material for nuclear fission to complete the job, and, according to the Rumsfeld report, we don’t even know for sure if they’ve laid their hands on that yet. That’s what our last aerial assault on Iraq in 1999 was about. Saddam Hussein wouldn’t let UN weapons inspectors examine certain sites where that material might be stored. The result when our bombing was over? We still don’t know what Iraq is up to or whether it has the material to build nuclear weapons. I’m no warmonger. But the fact is, if we decide a strike against Iraq is necessary, it is madness not to carry the mission to its conclusion. When we don’t, we have the worst of all worlds: Iraq remains a threat, and now has more incentive than ever to attack us.


Iraq Lies Redux: Trump Admin Claims Iran/al-Qaeda Alliance (http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/featured-articles/2019/february/20/iraq-lies-redux-trump-admin-claims-iranal-qaeda-alliance/)

Trump supports Iraq war 3. (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?481177-Trump-supports-Iraq-war-3&)

Trump to expand presence in Iraq! (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?529634-Trump-to-expand-presence-in-Iraq!&)

October 6, 2019
US, Israeli efforts put Iraq’s stability on the line ; 104 killed in Iraq unrest, 6000 wounded
Bit surprised this is not being reported as a major headline in non-controlled MSM, Iraq is supposed to be the model democracy after sacrifice of thousands of US lives and trillions of taxpayers dollars expenditure by globalist neoconservatives (excluding GOP-Adeson's current top donor).
Iraq invasion architect Elliott Abrams quietly slips into Trump administration (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?530753-Iraq-invasion-architect-Elliott-Abrams-quietly-slips-into-Trump-administration&)


US, Israeli efforts to contain Iran put Iraq’s stability on the line

Alleged IDF airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed paramilitaries have heightened divisions between the Shiite groups and Iraqi government20 September 2019
BAGHDAD (AP) — As the United States and Israel escalate their push to contain Iranian influence in the Middle East, countries in Tehran’s orbit are feeling the heat.
Nowhere is that being felt more than in Iraq. It is wedged between Saudi Arabia to the south and Iran to the east and hosts thousands of US troops on its soil. At the same time, powerful Shiite paramilitary forces linked to Iran pose a growing challenge to the authority of the central government.
The divisions among Iran’s Shiite allies in Iraq have been spurred by a spate of airstrikes blamed on Israel that have hit weapons depots and bases belonging to the Iran-backed militias, known collectively as the Popular Mobilization Forces, or PMF.
There have been at least nine strikes since July both inside Iraq and across the border in Syria, sparking outrage among PMF leaders. They blame Israel and by extension its US ally, which maintains more than 5,000 troops in Iraq.

Civilian Casualties Soared in Iraq and Syria in 2017. Was Trump’s Bloodthirsty Rhetoric to Blame? (https://theintercept.com/2018/02/22/civilian-casualties-soared-in-iraq-and-syria-in-2017-was-trumps-bloodthirsty-rhetoric-to-blame/)

Iraqi PM says Israel is responsible for attacks on Iraqi militias
2 Min Read
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has accused Israel of being behind attacks on Iranian-backed militia positions in Iraq, the first time Baghdad has directly blamed Israel, Al Jazeera television reported on Monday. “Investigations into the targeting of some Popular Mobilisation Forces positions indicate that Israel carried it out,” Al Jazeera quoted Abdul Mahdi as telling it.
reuters.com/article/us-iraq-security/iraqi-pm-says-israel-is-responsible-for-attacks-on-iraqi-militias-al-jazeera-idUSKBN1WF1E5



Related

http://www.loonwatch.com/files/www.loonwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Netanyahu_Iraq_War.jpg
https://media4.s-nbcnews.com/j/newscms/2019_38/3012021/190916-israel-elections-mc-14004_8c42a3a943ebf6c31481ae3560d07b33.fit-760w.JPG


May 14, 2018
Mega-donor Adelson, with access and influence, scores two pro- Israel victories (https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article211098039.html)
These are heady days for casino billionaire and megadonor Sheldon Adelson.
A passionate and hawkish advocate for Israel with close ties to its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, Adelson was in Jerusalem today for a celebration of the U.S. embassy’s relocation to that city, a longstanding priority for the mogul. Similarly, Adelson had pushed hard for President Donald Trump to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, which happened last week.
And the day after that announcement, Adelson quietly slipped into the White House for a private meeting with Trump and three top administration officials: Vice President Mike Pence, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and an Adelson favorite, National Security Adviser John Bolton, according to two conservative sources familiar with the previously unreported private event.

#1 GOP Cash Bundler, Sheldon Adelson, Calls For US to Bomb Iran w/Nuclear Weapons (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?431541-1-GOP-Cash-Bundler-Sheldon-Adelson-Calls-For-US-to-Bomb-Iran-w-Nuclear-Weapons&)

http://www.jpost.com/HttpHandlers/ShowImage.ashx?id=198021&h=236&w=370
Sheldon Adelson Photo: Reuters

NEW YORK – During a panel at Yeshiva University on Tuesday evening, Sheldon Adelson, noted businessman and owner of the newspaper Israel Hayom, suggested that the US should use nuclear weapons on Iran to impose its demands from a position of strength.

“So a tremendous demonstration of American strength?” Boteach clarified. “So that they would get the message?”

“It’s the only thing they understand,” Adelson said.

“And do you see the current negotiations as a sign of weakness?” Boteach asked.

“Absolutely,” Adelson said.

Deep Neocons 2.0 & The Iraq war: The root of Europe's refugee crisis (http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?540981-Deep-Neocons-2-0-amp-The-Iraq-war-The-root-of-Europe-s-refugee-crisis&)