U.S. Will Leave 200 'Peacekeeping' Troops In Syria

[TheCount]

In a one-sentence statement, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said: "A small peacekeeping group of about 200 will remain in Syria for a period of time."

It's unclear how long the troops will remain there.

According to The New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/21/world/middleeast/us-troops-syria-.html), the announcement came after a phone call between President Trump and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which the two leaders agreed to create a "safe zone" in Syria.

https://www.npr.org/2019/02/22/696928907/u-s-will-leave-200-peacekeeping-troops-in-syria

[Warlord]

We're leaving... yipeee

[Cap]

'Peacekeeping' huh? So, this means keeping a US base active in Syria then right? Another thought comes to mind, If the US is keeping 200 'peacekeepers' there, it begs the question of how many private Academi type mercenaries are going to be there that we are not being told and will not be told? I guess the answer is, neocons are gonna neocon.

[shakey1]

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/BJH8P9/businessman-drawing-straws-BJH8P9.jpg

[Stratovarious]

'Peacekeeping' huh? So, this means keeping a US base active in Syria then right? Another thought comes to mind, If the US is keeping 200 'peacekeepers' there, it begs the question of how many private Academi type mercenaries are going to be there that we are not being told and will not be told? I guess the answer is, neocons are gonna neocon.
hha,ha , a great point.

My first thought of the op, was these are 200 highly skilled assassins, I mean if not , then
one tiny hiccup and they're all dead.
Then I thought , they want them dead, so we can really get the ball rolling for 'Halliburton' et al/

But yea, they are probably more 'trainers' for whatever terrorist groups they can use.

My feeling is of course, gtfo period.
Promises promises.


Leaving anyone there is a ploy, pure and simple imv.

[oyarde]

hha,ha , a great point.

My first thought of the op, was these are 200 highly skilled assassins, I mean if not , then
one tiny hiccup and they're all dead.
Then I thought , they want them dead, so we can really get the ball rolling for 'Halliburton' et al/

But yea, they are probably more 'trainers' for whatever terrorist groups they can use.

My feeling is of course, gtfo period.
Promises promises.


Leaving anyone there is a ploy, pure and simple imv.
It is strictly tactics . It leaves a base of operations that would have the capability to receive aircraft and supplies .

[TheCount]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dz-HD1wWsAAgFbG?format=jpg&name=small

[RonZeplin]

You know it's a great idea to keep troops in Syria when Lindsey Graham approves.:sarcasm:

[dannno]

Complaining about bringing troops home... wow, what forum is this?

I don't recall Trump placing 2,200 troops in Syria, I only recall him removing 2,000 troops.

[AngryCanadian]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dz-HD1wWsAAgFbG?format=jpg&name=small

Graham and the gang of six always want to start a war with Iran and intervention in Iran to remove the Iranian government so they can replace it with the MEK leaning. His letter to trump is comical at best especially about the Turkish part.


"Protecting our Turkish allies, securing the Turkish border with Syria"
The same Turkish allies that were slapped hard down by the Russians and now Turkey is with the Iranian/Russian Alliance?





"National security objectives of continuing to contain Iran."
Since when did Iran became a Security threat to the US?

[AngryCanadian]

Complaining about bringing troops home... wow, what forum is this?

I don't recall Trump placing 2,200 troops in Syria, I only recall him removing 2,000 troops.

When America says 200 troops are coming home that usual means that up to 2,000 to 10 000 are likely staying in Syria. 200 is an unrealistic number.

[Swordsmyth]

They will all leave after a while, Trump is just doing this to make the Neocons' complaints empty.

[TheCount]

I don't recall Trump placing 2,200 troops in Syria, I only recall him removing 2,000 troops.

It's 2019. Trump has been in office for 25 months. Given 9 month deployments, Trump has put at the very least 4,000 troops in Syria, and more likely at least 5,000 to 6,000.


Deployments to Syria began in October 2015 with 50 advisers, which means that Trump has deployed more troops to Syria than Obama did.

[dannno]

It's 2019. Trump has been in office for 25 months. Given 9 month deployments, Trump has put at the very least 4,000 troops in Syria, and more likely at least 5,000 to 6,000.


Deployments to Syria began in October 2015 with 50 advisers, which means that Trump has deployed more troops to Syria than Obama did.

Ya that's not a totally fair way of looking at it, I'm talking about increases and decreases in total deployed at a single given time. You think Obama would be dropping troop deployment levels if he got a third term? Or would they be bigger? Trump is dropping them to almost none, with plans of pulling them all out.

[TheCount]

Ya that's not a totally fair way of looking at it, I'm talking about increases and decreases in total deployed at a single given time.

Under the authority granted to his as commander-in-chief, Trump has personally deployed more than four thousand troops to Syria, more than twice as many as Obama.



You think Obama would be dropping troop deployment levels if he got a third term? Or would they be bigger? Trump is dropping them to almost none, with plans of pulling them all out.
It's not 2015.

[Stratovarious]

It's 2019. Trump has been in office for 25 months. Given 9 month deployments, Trump has put at the very least 4,000 troops in Syria, and more likely at least 5,000 to 6,000.


Deployments to Syria began in October 2015 with 50 advisers, which means that Trump has deployed more troops to Syria than Obama did.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Obumbmnuts bombed 7 different countries , now that's a man of peace for ya' , ''nothing more
peaceful than a dead man'' , I think he wanted that on his tombstone.

[Stratovarious]

Under the authority granted to his as commander-in-chief, Trump has personally deployed more than four thousand troops to Syria, more than twice as many as Obama.



It's not 2015.
Obutnut was willing to see 36,000 young American Soldiers die in Afghanistan , but that is
justified on Thecount' he was da' peace chief............Nobel..........yea baby!!!

[TheCount]

Nobel Peace Prize winner Obumbmnuts bombed 7 different countries , now that's a man of peace for ya' , ''nothing more
peaceful than a dead man'' , I think he wanted that on his tombstone.


Obutnut was willing to see 36,000 young American Soldiers die in Afghanistan , but that is
justified on Thecount' he was da' peace chief............Nobel..........yea baby!!!

Trump has deployed over 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.


But, y'know, keep living in 2015, I guess.

[phill4paul]

Trump has deployed over 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.


But, y'know, keep living in 2015, I guess.

Is that a 30k additional troops or is that 30k redeployment. As in rotation? My guess is the latter.

[TheCount]

Is that a 30k additional troops or is that 30k redeployment. As in rotation? My guess is the latter.

Both. 30k additional troops were deployed to Afghanistan in two rotations since Trump took office.

[phill4paul]

Both. 30k additional troops were deployed to Afghanistan in two rotations since Trump took office.

So troop level remained the same. In both of your posts you make it sound like he added an addition 30k. You're worse than fake news.

[TheCount]

So troop level remained the same. In both of your posts you make it sound like he added an addition 30k. You're worse than fake news.

He deployed more than 30K troops to Afghanistan. He is in no way constrained by Obama's 'troop level,' nor should he be judged against it.

[Swordsmyth]

He deployed more than 30K troops to Afghanistan. He is in no way constrained by Obama's 'troop level,' nor should he be judged against it.
He should have brought everyone home in his first year but he certainly can and should be judged vs. what was already in place when he took office.
If he reduces the number deployed in his first term that will be good even if it isn't perfect and if we leave Afghanistan or Syria entirely that will be very good even if it isn't perfect.

[TheCount]

He should have brought everyone home in his first year but he certainly can and should be judged vs. what was already in place when he took office.

If he reduces the number deployed in his first term that will be good even if it isn't perfect and if we leave Afghanistan or Syria entirely that will be very good even if it isn't perfect.

Yes, how could we possibly expect him to do the things that he says that he will do? That would be unreasonable.

[Swordsmyth]

Yes, how could we possibly expect him to do the things that he says that he will do? That would be unreasonable.
That is a minor factor, he didn't know what deals he would need to cut while he was running and he is still better than any known alternative.

He should have brought everyone home in his first year but he could have already invaded Iran, Donbass and Venezuela while sending even more troops to Syria.

If he reduces the number of troops deployed and the number of countries they are deployed in that will be good no matter how much better he could have been.

[RonZeplin]

The number of US Troops staying in Syria seems to have doubled, 400 staying now.


1099021458813140994
https://twitter.com/Ozkok_/status/1099021458813140994
https://imgfast.net/users/3715/65/05/91/smiles/2223644942.jpg

Trump To Keep 400 US Troops In Syria – 200 In al-Tanf, 200 In SDF-held Area: Report
https://southfront.org/trump-to-keep-400-us-troops-in-syria-200-in-al-tanf-200-in-sdf-held-area-report/

[TheCount]

The number of US Troops staying in Syria seems to have doubled, 400 staying now.

That's impossible; they were all withdrawn in November, right when we got the second tax cut! No, wait, December! No, April! Uhh, and Afghanistan withdrawal in 2020! No, change of plans, 2090!


And the Trumpkins will throw a parade for every announcement every time.

[TheCount]

That is a minor factor, he didn't know what deals he would need to cut while he was running and he is still better than any known alternative.

He should have brought everyone home in his first year but he could have already invaded Iran, Donbass and Venezuela while sending even more troops to Syria.

If he reduces the number of troops deployed and the number of countries they are deployed in that will be good no matter how much better he could have been.

Yes, I can see his grand campaign speech now:

"Vote for me, and things might get slightly better, which is good, because they could get worse instead, which would be bad. Also, the alternatives may be worse, although you'll never know, and I might need to make some deals, so don't hold me to it."

Inspiring.


https://media1.tenor.com/images/83116dac5575fef19f9a39e17984e7bd/tenor.gif?itemid=9264828

[Swordsmyth]

Yes, I can see his grand campaign speech now:

"Vote for me, and things might get slightly better, which is good, because they could get worse instead, which would be bad. Also, the alternatives may be worse, although you'll never know, and I might need to make some deals, so don't hold me to it."

Inspiring.


https://media1.tenor.com/images/83116dac5575fef19f9a39e17984e7bd/tenor.gif?itemid=9264828
Just because you didn't get a pony doesn't mean that a puppy is the same as a lump of coal.

Let me know if you find a better alternative. (and NO Tulsi is NOT a better alternative, she is one of those pressuring him to delay the complete withdrawal from Syria)

[vita3]

Game changing idear:

Trump should meet with President Assad. See if he can secure Kurds well being & even have US business participate in Syrian rebuilding.

Ultimate test of US first foreign policy over Israel/Saudi Arabia policy

[juleswin]

Just because you didn't get a pony doesn't mean that a puppy is the same as a lump of coal.

Let me know if you find a better alternative. (and NO Tulsi is NOT a better alternative, she is one of those pressuring him to delay the complete withdrawal from Syria)

Put yourself in the shoes of the Syrian people who want this war to end. How is the US having 200 or 2000 troops make any better for them? They did not ask the US for help, they did not invite them, they have them siiting of valueable oil and gas resources that they need to rebuild the whole of Syria. Remember, more than 90% of the civilian living in the country is living inside govt controlled land.

I know it is hard for some American nationalists show empathy to anyone non American, but how is this good for the Syrians? Also consider that the US has been shopping around for troops to replace them when they leave instead of handing the land over to the people of Syria.

[Swordsmyth]

Put yourself in the shoes of the Syrian people who want this war to end. How is the US having 200 or 2000 troops make any better for them? They did not ask the US for help, they did not invite them, they have them siiting of valueable oil and gas resources that they need to rebuild the whole of Syria. Remember, more than 90% of the civilian living in the country is living inside govt controlled land.

I know it is hard for some American nationalists show empathy to anyone non American, but how is this good for the Syrians? Also consider that the US has been shopping around for troops to replace them when they leave instead of handing the land over to the people of Syria.
It is still an improvement for them and I am not a Syrian so my primary focus is on what is good for America as it should be.
It would be best for both America and Syria if we left entirely and I believe we will after a while.

[juleswin]

It is still an improvement for them and I am not a Syrian so my primary focus is on what is good for America as it should be.
It would be best for both America and Syria if we left entirely and I believe we will after a while.

Its not really an improvement for the Syrian people, the US is still occupying valueable oil land and the 200 US troops will be protected by the US airforce. Nothing on the ground would change for the people suffering.

This a bit of a good news for the Americans, more of their boys will be able to go home and hug their families, a little bit more money would be saved etc etc. But the same can't be said for the Syrians, the US needs to go now.

[Zippyjuan]

Put yourself in the shoes of the Syrian people who want this war to end. How is the US having 200 or 2000 troops make any better for them? They did not ask the US for help, they did not invite them, they have them siiting of valueable oil and gas resources that they need to rebuild the whole of Syria. Remember, more than 90% of the civilian living in the country is living inside govt controlled land.

I know it is hard for some American nationalists show empathy to anyone non American, but how is this good for the Syrians? Also consider that the US has been shopping around for troops to replace them when they leave instead of handing the land over to the people of Syria.

Assad is certainly no great leader and contributed to the destruction of his own country but unless they intend to take over the entire country and replace Assad, the US is not making life any better for the people of Syria- only prolonging the conflict and suffering. The civil war is a great tragedy for a once prosperous country as well as destroying much of their cultural heritage.

[enhanced_deficit]

MAGA's word you can generally take to the bank. But in this case he could be playing 3D Chess with both his base and his top funder/Israel lobbies.

[pcosmar]

Assad is certainly no great leader and contributed to the destruction of his own country but .

Actually,, as an Authoritarian Monarch,, he was a reformer.. and Gave Aid to those fleeing wars in Neighboring countries.

He was also allied with both Iran and Russia who the US(Israel) wanted to phuck with.

The minor protests against him by a few malcontents wore CO-Opted and Regime Change was planned... It has been a Proxy War ever since.

My observation is of an Intelligent Man,, Doing quite well for his country considering the massive attack by Powerful adversaries.