Trump: "We're Coming Out Of Syria Very Soon; Others Can Take Care Of It Now"

[goldenequity]

Mattis:
"We need to all get behind the Geneva Convention process, or the Geneva process,
and come to a diplomatic solution for this.
And Staffan de Mistura has been trying, and Russia needs to help him
if they want to see a way forward to a more stable Middle East,"




Nope. We see what ur doing.
The Geneva 'process' is a completely rigged sham.
A hegemon construct filled with Western stooges.
They OPENLY seek to RE-WRITE the Syrian Constitution, and nation-build with 'moderate' puppets.

Geneva is ded. Ain't happening. Assad will not budge. Get OUT!

►ZARIF: ASTANA PROCESS ON SYRIA IS ONLY CHANCE TO OF ACHIEVE PROGRESS IN SYRIAN SETTLEMENT

►Lavrov: DE MISTURA'S STATEMENTS THAT ASTANA PROCESS ON SYRIA IS 'UNVIABLE' ARE BEWILDERING.

►Lavrov: Recent Events in Syria Have Demonstrated That Not Everyone Wants Peace


TODAY



►Foreign Ministers: Lavrov, Zarif, Cavusoglu are holding a press conference in Moscow.


►Top diplomats of the three countries serving as guarantors of the nationwide ceasefire in Syria
expected to give their views on a number of international and regional issues including the Iran nuclear deal.



CAVUSOGLU: TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER DEMANDS U.S. STOP SUPPORTING KURDS IN SYRIA

ZARIF: TRUMP IS MAKING DEMANDS ON NUCLEAR DEAL THAT ARE UNACCEPTABLE TO PEOPLE OF IRAN

ZARIF: IRAN'S ACTIONS IN REGION HAVE NO RELATION TO NUCLEAR DEAL

========

►USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) Carrier Strike Group 8 (CSG 8) passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean Sea.

►Su-34 armed with a Kh-35U (izdeliye 07) subsonic cruise anti-ship missile at Russia's Khmeimim/Hmeimim airbase in Syria.





(if you have the stomach for it...)
BBC Robot interviews Fares Shehabi, Syrian MP for Aleppo



"These sorts of techniques belong in the cells of the secret police,
which is of course what the media in the West now de facto is."



=====

Germany slams Syrian President Assad’s rebuilding plan as ‘perfidious’ – Report

Syrian refugees may lose their property under a recently issued decree, according to which they have only 30 days
to register their ownership after any new urban rebuilding plan is made public.

Germany has severely criticized Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s new regulation, providing that property may be confiscated from exiles
unless they document their ownership in the short run.

(decree makes sense as re-construction begins. Displaced Patriot refugees must file their claim or abandon
as Syria bulldozes rubble and rebuilds NOT waiting for Western 'help' or permission. It's called Sovereignty.)

[Swordsmyth]

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said sending Arab troops to Syria is a possibility officials are discussing as part of a stabilization strategy, Hurriyet Daily News reported May 4. Egyptian forces would not be deployed unless the decision aligns with constitutional mechanisms, rules and regulations, similar to cases related to U.N. peacekeeping operations.

More at: https://worldview.stratfor.com/situa...-minister-says

[Swordsmyth]

The Trump administration is reportedly pulling assistance from northwest Syria as it seeks to set the U.S. up for a swift withdrawal from the country once the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is defeated.

CBS News reported Friday that the U.S. will stop providing tens of millions of dollars to stabilize areas of northwest Syria that have been cleared of ISIS control, a decision made following an interagency process in recent weeks.

More at: http://thehill.com/policy/internatio...t-syria-report

[Swordsmyth]

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Thursday that "foreign armed forces" would leave Syria, according to Syria's state-run news agency, SANA.Assad was on a surprise visit to Russia. He and his counterpart hailed the beginning of the "political process" in Syria amid an ongoing "fight against terrorism."

"We presume that, in connection with the significant victories and success of the Syrian army in the fight against terrorism, with the onset of a more active part, with the onset of the political process in its more active phase, foreign armed forces will be withdrawn from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic," Putin said after Thursday's meeting.

More at: https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/18/middl...-+Top+Stories)

[Swordsmyth]

The U.S. has reportedly considered abandoning one of its most significant military installations in Syria as it prepared to enter into talks with Russia and Jordan over a deteriorating security situation in the war-torn country's restive south.
The report, which first surfaced Sunday in Saudi Arabian newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, came as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said Tuesday that Moscow "supported the idea of holding a trilateral meeting at a level convenient for our partners," according to the state-run RIA Novosti. The U.S. and its Middle Eastern ally Jordan are opponents of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, whose forces—backed by Russia and Iran—are planning a new offensive against rebels and jihadis across southern Syria.
The Saudi publication reported that, in order to prevent an escalation between longtime foes Iran and Israel, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield was attempting to draw up a proposal for the trilateral meeting that would include the withdrawal of all Syrian and non-Syrian militias up to 15-and-a-half miles from the Jordanian border. Insurgents would also be transferred to the rebel-held province of Idlib and the Syria-Jordan border crossing would be opened.

In exchange, the U.S. would reportedly dismantle its military base in Al-Tanf, located in a pocket of Syrian rebel control near the Jordanian and Iraqi borders.

More at: https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-militar...220734385.html

[Swordsmyth]

Saudi Arabia has reportedly begun talks to bolster the Arab element of a U.S.-backed force tasked with defeating the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) in Syria.
Turkey's official Anadolu Agency reported Tuesday that three Saudi Arabian military advisers flew to the northern Syrian town of Kobani, also known as Ayn al-Arab, to meet with representatives of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which is dominated by Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) but also includes Arab fighters. The Saudi advisers reportedly sought to create a new union of Arab groups in cooperation with Arab tribal Al-Sandid army.
The Turkish report said that Saudi Arabian authorities had set up checkpoints in the Kurd-held northeastern Syrian towns of Al-Hasakah and Al-Qamishli seeking to recruit Arab fighters, who would be paid $200 upon joining.

More at: https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-apo...174031883.html

[Swordsmyth]

An interesting idea, I don't agree with it but Trump is more ruthless than I am:


Trump’s campaign in Syria goes beyond just trying to effect regime change in Iran. It is also part of his full-court press to force real change in Europe. By keeping Syria a mess, with multiple areas of the country unstable it puts even more pressure on Europe to deal with potential migration issues.
This morning, as part of his election campaign, President Erdogan in Turkey vowed to send the Syrian refugees in Turkey back home. But to where, exactly?
Merkel herself, in support of her own policy, visited Lebanon where there are millions of Syrian refugees and said Syria isn’t stable enough for them to return home.
Are you getting the picture yet?
But any substantive change in the U.S.’s military position in Syria will change that in a heartbeat. The main source of the instability in Syria would end and life there could begin to return to normal.
Unfortunately, that doesn’t serve the goals of the power elite nor their quislings, like Merkel. And so this insanity will continue until it can’t and then something radical will change.
For Merkel, she no longer has any allies. Macron in France wants to take over for her as leader of the EU, so he’ll back the U.S. in Syria.
It is Italy that has the leverage over her now. They can’t come out against the U.S. in Syria when they need Trump’s help with Merkel. So, the immigration issue will stay on the front burner long enough to get Merkel removed from power and gain the new government domestic support.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...-and-end-italy


Will we leave Syria (and perhaps Iraq/Afghanistan) when the right triumphs in Europe?

[Swordsmyth]

If you’ve followed my work for the past year you know that my default position has been there is a potential Grand Bargain for Peace in the Middle East. From the moment President Trump first berated the Arabs in Riyidh last year on his first foreign trip for supporting terrorism, I’ve felt that the final outcome over Syria would culminate in such an agreement.

Elijah Magnier is reporting now that the framework for a U.S. pull out of its position at Al-Tanf near where the borders of Jordan, Syria and Iraq come together has pretty much been agreed upon in advance of Trump and Vladimir Putin’s Summit on July 16th in Helsinki.

Russian advisors visiting the Syrian capital Damascus are confident that the US forces will pull out of al-Tanf and will also aim to completely withdraw from north of Syria (al-Hasaka and Deir-Ezzour) in the next six months.
According to top decision makers based in Damascus, the US President Donald Trump is pushing his administration to approve an already prepared total withdrawal plan. Despite Trump’s limited knowledge of foreign policy and being unaware of the consequences of his decisions in the international arena, however, he found no convincing elements – said the sources, who asked to remain anonymous – in the presentation by his administration where US forces could benefit from the continuation of their presence in such a hostile environment and without suffering hits in the future. Trump’s biggest fear to see the US special forces deployed in the north of Syria and in Iraq returning to the country “in plastic bags”. He would certainly find it hard to offer any explanation for the US occupation of the Levant after the defeat of ISIS (the “Islamic State” group) or what remained of it in Syria and Iraq.

What Putin and Trump will work out is whether they can trust each other enough to allow each to do the job they need to do to make this work. By the time the summit happens, the SAA Tiger forces should have taken back most of the province of Dara’a up to the Golan Heights, effectively restoring the 2011 border.
The Grand Bargain I’ve been proposing has been, simply put, the U.S. and the Russians acting as guarantors of the local actors behavior. It requires Russia to remain in Syria indefinitely, supporting the Assad government’s rebuilding of the country.
And it requires the U.S. to remove its military presence, by declaring victory over ISIS and leaving. But, in its wake leave an explicit guarantee of Israel’s and Saudi Arabia’s defense in the case of future Iranian adventurism.
The Russians act as a buffer to break up the Shia Crescent concerns of the Israelis, Turkey goes home, the Kurds negotiate a settlement with Damascus and the Saudis get to live a few more years before their domestic troubles overwhelm them.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...ll-out-al-tanf

[enhanced_deficit]

Perhaps time has come for libertarians on this forum to stop being so untrusting of MAGA's statements.

This kinda cynical sentiment about MAGA promises does not help.



Poll: How much trust do you put in current President's promises and statements?

• Very high/absolute 6.98%
• High 4.65%
• Low 9.30%
• Very low/none 74.42%
• Not sure/other 4.65%

[EBounding]

I trust anyone on the internet named Tyler Durden.

[Occam's Banana]

I trust anyone on the internet named Tyler Durden.

Are you sure? Maybe you only think there's someone on the Internet named Tyler Durden ...

[AuH20]

[Swordsmyth]

[Swordsmyth]

As Presidents Trump and Putin are set to meet Monday in Helsinki, efforts toward winding down the proxy war in Syria will no doubt be high on the agenda.
We explained previously that the diplomatic cards for ending the war seem to have fallen into place as just days before the historic summit Netanyahu said in a stunning turnaround for Israeli policy fresh off his own visit with Putin in Moscow that "Israel does not object to President Bashar al-Assad’s regaining control over all of Syria" so long as Iranian forces are pushed back from the Israeli border, according to the New York Times.
And now according to a new bombshell report, US military commanders have conveyed to Syrian President Assad via Russian mediation that "we will pull out of al-Tanf and the North if Iran withdraws from Syria."


Middle East based chief international war correspondent for Al Rai Media, Elijah Magnier, is currently on the ground in Syria and has interviewed multiple high level officials involved.
Below is his dispatch on the back-channel "military to military" exchange that recently took place between US, Russian, and Syrian forces, including Assad's response to the American offer of a potential deal.
* * *
A top decision maker in Syria has said “the US has sent a message to the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad that expresses the US establishment’s wishes. Under these wishes there is an Israeli goal compatible with Donald Trump’s objective to pull out its own forces from Syria with as little damage as possible. Trump would like to avoid the same fate that hit the US forces during Georges Bush’s era where thousands of US soldiers were killed in action”.
According to the source involved in overseeing the entire military operation for the last years of war in Syria, “President Assad was very clear in his answer to the US establishment. Syria – said Assad – is determined to liberate the entire Syrian territory regardless of the consequences. There is of course a price to be paid to obtain the liberation of north Syria which is occupied by both the US and Turkey, neither of whom were invited by the Syrian government: this price is worth it”.
The American message is clear: ”The US will leave al-Tanf crossing and abandon north-east Syria in al-Hasaka and Deirezzour as soon as possible. The only condition is for Russia and Syria to guarantee a total withdrawal of all Iranian forces from the Levant. The US is ready to leave the Kurds and let these continue their negotiation with Damascus. The US establishment will recognize Assad’s authority over Syria but Iran must leave”.
Assad responded: “Iranian forces and their allies came to Syria under an official request by the central government and will leave when this government asks the allied forces to leave, and only when all terrorists have been eradicated from the Levant”.
“You – said Assad – came to Syria without any permission and occupied our territory. It is therefore our duty to push you out by all means. You shall not obtain by negotiation and peace what you failed to obtain after seven years of war”.

#Syria #Tanf #Military
Former US ambassador to Syria Robert Ford wrote at the Middle East Institute this week that in Washington, policymakers in the administration plan to retain the Tanf base until Iran withdraws its fighters from Syria.https://t.co/WPJx8LOX6V
— Americans4YPG (@Amercans4YPG) July 13, 2018

Russia played the role of postman for the exchange of the US-Assad messages. President Assad, however, informed the Americans that Iran is not interested in remaining in Syria once all terrorist Takfiris are killed and when its function is no longer required.
The bottom line is that Assad and his allies believe that the US-French-UK withdrawal from Syria would actually be an achievement.
Moreover, both Iran and Hezbollah consider their withdrawal both a fact and a necessity, once Assad is no longer in need of their contribution. However, there is still al-Qaeda in the Levant, and other jihadists in the north under Turkish control. Also, there is still ISIS in the north-east within the US-controlled area. All these can only be eliminated once the Syrian Army and its allies wage war against them.

US bases in S. #Syria (Al-Tanf, slightly enlarged) and in N. #Jordan near border. End June 2018. pic.twitter.com/DbUmIXpc6M
— Qalaat Al Mudiq (@QalaatAlMudiq) July 14, 2018

From this point of view, the US proposed “deal” is feasible and is considered reasonable by Assad and his allies — but only once the very last US soldier has left Syria.
Russia will act as guarantor for its own allies, and these will commit to leave Syria once all jihadists no longer pose a threat to the central government.
Damascus and Tehran look at this “deal” positively but this does not mean they trust a US establishment led by a President who can unilaterally revoke his own signed deals, just as he did for the Iran Nuclear deal he signed with his allies. Moscow, Tehran and Damascus are aware that Trump cannot realistically keep his forces in Syria for very long, particularly since the south of Syria is about to be liberated.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...iran-withdraws

[Swordsmyth]

Perhaps we are about to witness the final chapter to the controversial White Helmets saga?
As we've detailed many times before both the West and the group's leadership have long claimed it's nothing but a humanitarian non-governmental organization (NGO) devoted to rescuing Syrian's in the midst of war; however, new reports reveal the US and UK are mulling plans to evacuate the group's members who, far from being a "neutral" NGO, are funded by Western governments which have simultaneously sought the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
US government officials say White Helmets members are in "imminent danger" and face the threat of assassination as pro-government forces advance deeper into southwest Syria.


CNN reports the following based on diplomatic sources:

The fate of some 1,000 volunteers and their family members, and the need to plan a possible evacuation for them, has become a focus of discussions of several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, France and Canada, according to a diplomatic source familiar with the subject and two administration officials.

And CNN reports further that President Trump broached the subject at the NATO summit in Brussels last week:

In the plans under discussion, the volunteer rescue workers, who are officially named the Syrian Civil Defense, would be resettled in several countries; two diplomatic sources mentioned the possibility of resettling some of the group in Canada and the United Kingdom, while another two sources said Germany is expected to take some rescuers.
President Donald Trump discussed the possible need to evacuate members of the group during his meetings at the NATO summit last week, a source confirmed. There were several conversations between the US and UK about the issue during the summit, the source said, adding that Western delegations have convinced the US to help lobby both Israel and Jordan to find escape routes for besieged rescuers.

Among the consistent criticisms leveled at the group has been that its rescuers only operate in al-Qaeda and anti-Assad insurgent held territory — this while being caught on film multiple times bearing arms alongside insurgents and even assisting in al-Qaeda conducted field executions — and the group has received large sums from Western governments even while presenting itself as a homegrown "first-responder" organization.

More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...-helmets-syria

[Swordsmyth]

On July 18, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that their members, backed up by the US-led coalition, had captured 1,100km2, which included sixteen villages, from ISIS in the provinces of al-Hasakah and Deir Ezzor.
According to the SDF, four ISIS members were killed and four others were captured during the advance. One SDF member reportedly died. Additionally, the SDF captured a pickup truck, two heavy machine guns, a RPG-7 launcher, mines and ammunition. The provided numbers show that ISIS had shown almost no resistance to the advancing US-backed force.
A day earlier, on July 17, Ilham Ehmed, co-chairperson of the Syrian Democratic Council (SDC), a political wing of the SDF, announced that the SDC will open offices in the provinces of Hama, Homs, Latakia and in the capital of Damascus in the near future in a move allegedly aimed to propel negotiations between the SDF/SDC and the Damascus government.

The announcement came a day after a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Putin in Helsinki on July 16, during which the discussed the situation in Syria and other important topics.

More at: https://www.globalresearch.ca/video-...mascus/5648077

[Zippyjuan]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-m...-idUSKBN1K91Y8

No changes in Syria after Putin-Trump summit: U.S. general


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A top U.S. general said on Thursday he had not received any new guidance about the war in Syria, four days after the conflict was discussed in a closed-door meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump and Putin both praised U.S.-Russia military ties and spoke vaguely about Syria to reporters on Monday after their talks in Helsinki, Finland, noting shared concerns for the security of Syria’s neighbor, Israel.

Russia’s envoy to the United Nations was even quoted as saying on Thursday that the summit “will positively affect efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict.”

Still, U.S. Army General Joseph Votel, who as the head of Central Command oversees U.S. military forces in the Middle East, said there was “no new guidance for me as a result of the Helsinki discussions as of yet.”

“For us right now, it’s kind of steady as she goes. We have received no further direction than we’ve currently been operating under,” Votel said at a Pentagon news briefing, speaking via video link from his offices in Tampa, Florida.

The summit in Helsinki sparked a storm of criticism in the United States and abroad after Trump refused to blame Russia for meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, something Putin denies.

Trump later said he had misspoken, and the White House has been struggling to contain a political outcry and confusion over the summit ever since.

But beyond the controversy over Trump’s remarks, there were broad unanswered questions as to what — if anything — was agreed during his one-on-one discussions with Putin in Helsinki. Even senior U.S. officials like Votel appeared unaware of how the talks might affect their work.

Trump on Thursday said he looked forward to a second meeting with Putin so the two could start implementing plans on grappling with “terrorism, security for Israel, nuclear proliferation, cyber attacks, trade, Ukraine, Middle East peace, North Korea and more.” The specifics of those plans, if they exist, were not known.

Trump surprised some U.S. defense officials by asserting, while standing next to Putin, that the U.S. and Russian militaries “do coordinate in Syria” and that they both got along “probably better than our political leaders.”

Votel stressed that U.S.-Russian militaries do not coordinate in Syria and their interactions, while professional, were tightly restricted by U.S. law. The remarks appeared to address speculation following the summit that the militaries of the former Cold War foes might be asked to cooperate.

“The National Defense Authorization Act, as a law, prohibits us from coordinating, synchronizing, collaborating, with Russian forces,” Votel said.

Asked whether he would able to comply with any requests for some degree of cooperation in Syria, Votel suggested that such a consideration would necessarily involve U.S. lawmakers, who wrote the law restricting U.S.-Russian military interactions.

“Any space would have to be created by Congress or a waiver that they would approve to allow us to do something like that,” Votel said.

“I have not asked for that at this point, and we’ll see what direction comes down.”

[Swordsmyth]

President Trump indicated that a decision on the future of US policy in Syria is coming soon in remarks made at a press conference with his Polish counterpart.
Speaking alongside President Andrzej Duda, Trump said the Monday night downing of a Russian maritime surveillance plane by accidental Syrian friendly fire was "a very sad thing". Trump's remarks did not include criticism of Putin, and seemed to signal regret over Monday night's dramatic escalation over Syria after a massive Israeli attack.
Earlier in the day Tuesday, Russia had pointed the finger at Israel for purposefully provoking the mishap, something Israel has since denied in a military statement that ultimately put blame on Assad, Iran, and Hezbollah.

Trump also said that the US fight against ISIS in Syria could end soon: “We’re very close to being finished with that job,” he said of the Pentagon mission against ISIS.
He followed with: “And then we’re going to make a determination as to what we’re going to do.”
This follows a major Washington Post story two weeks ago, quoting administration insiders, that described a significant policy shift away from Trump's previously voiced desire to "bring to the troops home" from Syria.

Trump calls downed Russian plane by Bashar al-Assad’s forces a "very sad thing."

Adds U.S. is "very close to being finished with" fight against ISIS, “and then we’re going to make a determination as to what we’re going to do.” https://t.co/TAt6qG22H5
— Roll Call (@rollcall) September 18, 2018

Only months ago the president expressed a desire "to get out" and pull the over 2,000 publicly acknowledged American military personnel from the country; but the new report said that Trump has approved "an indefinite military and diplomatic effort in Syria".
The report revealed that "the administration has redefined its goals to include the exit of all Iranian military and proxy forces from Syria, and establishment of a stable, nonthreatening government acceptable to all Syrians and the international community."
But is it possible that Monday's attack involving missiles flying over the Mediterranean and an "accidental" downing of a Russian plane and 15 dead Russian crew members might have jolted Trump back to his prior position of wanting to withdraw from the Syrian quagmire?


More at: https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-...wning-very-sad

Q
!xowAT4Z3VQ
ID: 28003e
No.967752

Apr 9 2018 12:25:58 (EST)

Syria.
Troop unwind to STILL occur.
Have faith.
Trust POTUS.

Q

[James_Madison_Lives]

I heard ISIS fighters were heading back to Israel. We know they treat terrorists who might attack America at their hospitals.

[enhanced_deficit]

Since he frequently contradicts himself his statements can't be trusted at all, you have to watch his actions to even guess about his positions or plans.

EM.

How can then he make any deals if his word can't be trusted, as you say?

[Swordsmyth]

EM.

How can then he make any deals if his word can't be trusted, as you say?

That is a mystery and yet the whole world operates like that, somehow deals get made.

[TheCount]

Bump

[TheCount]

Bump

[Swordsmyth]

Bump

Bump

Thanks for reminding everyone that Trump was getting us out and Biden has us back in.