Do you agree with the Syrian Troop Withdrawl?

[Bigtimber2]

I have no idea if the withdrawal is a good or bad idea but I have no doubt the timing was to change the news cycle.

[Griffin]

I did not say it then. But what I did say was “I hope somebody has a goal/end game in mind.”

Where does it end? Are we just going to continue to be there till Jesus comes back?

There was a reason and a purpose at one point. Not sure what those are now.

I don’t disagree. It could have been handled differently. The whole concept of rebuilding is where we fuck up. But with all sincerity, yes we will be in the Middle East until Jesus comes back.

[Roddie]

When my pops went to OCS the army had tents set up with strippers and beer and liquor for all the recruits when they got there. That was in the sixties. He told me he had a blast in the army. Has a few stories of coming back on base plastered and having run ins with the guard team. He made captain, Company Commander and got out. He told me they have taken all the fun out of the army when I was in college and recommended me not going in. From what my buddies in say, its strict as fuck and not many good ole boys like it used to be. Hell, everyone I see a uniformed soldier in passing at a store or somewhere they have a foreign looking last name.

Do you live on your own?

[Griffin]

Do you live on your own?

[ecu1984]

Syria. Iraq. Afghanistan. Leave em all to their own vices. Come home and engage in minding our own business.

Agreed and I understand that is a position T-Rump also takes.
Let others fight their battles, lets come home and protect our stuff.
Seems Mattis' view is different, hence the rub and exit
Agree with Griffin in the way it may be being handled could be better and a long term strategy

[Stripa Swipa]

Don't overlook the fact that Maddog called out Russia and China in his resignation letter.

[Swamp Rat]

They are still mad about the ass whoopin they toted at that little soirée at Khasham...

I would bet they are.

I don’t disagree. It could have been handled differently. The whole concept of rebuilding is where we fuck up. But with all sincerity, yes we will be in the Middle East until Jesus comes back.

This.

The problem with pulling out is that we leave a vacuum. And what fills that vacuum will probably not be in our interests in that region. And definitely not in the Kurds interests. I am, on a certain level, a supporter of the Kurds, since they have had our back (albeit for their own interests) when nobody else did. And I know some personally that I like.

We punched the tar baby on Iraq on March 20, 2003. No undoing that. Kind of like unfucking a virgin. That lit a fuse that ended up in Syria today.

[Gander]

I will say this about the matter. A leader that does not listen to his advisers is foolish. On the same day Trump announced the pullout and declared ISIS defeated, ISIS raped and beheaded 2 women in the mountains.

Obama pulled our troops out of Iraq and that allowed ISIS to form and take control of some territory. The US ultimately had to go back and rescure not only Iraq but also Syria, which is why we ended up there.

If you look at any successful conflict the US has always maintained a base in those areas. This is no different, we should hold territory in the middle east for strategic purposes. It's easier to launch an offensive operation when we have a base nearby. I hope the local forces are in a position to keep the terrorist elements at bay. If not, some group will form and begin controlling the area.

Americans will always be targets for terrorism. I would rather the fight be carried out abroad and not on our soil like 9/11.

[Glenn]

So perpetual never ending trillion dollar a year war with our guys getting blown up in the name of terrorist prophylaxis?

[JABIII]

So perpetual never ending trillion dollar a year war with our guys getting blown up in the name of terrorist prophylaxis?

Frick no. In the name of profit my good man...

[Remy]

I'm a big believer in having your own house in order before you go helping other people. I apply that to our military. But I'm also no military strategist. I don't think there's a "right" answer with this stuff.

[whitty]

Do you live on your own?

Bwahahahaha

[Baggy]

What do condoms have to do with this Glenn?

[Gander]

The defense budget is the budget. It was increased this past year. The troops get paid and the equipment they need gets repaired or replaced whether they are stationed at a base in Japan or in Jacksonville, NC.

But if you don't like our troops deployed overseas, then let's close every base across the globe and bring them all home.

I got news for you, we have always had our troops deployed at strategic bases all over the world for 100 years now.

[Glenn]

And that don’t make it right.

[willyworm]

I don't think we'll do a complete evacuation. We always maintain a military presence once we are in an area. Korea, Japan, Germany, Djibouti, etc, etc

ISIS to me, are like fire ants. You're not really killing them all, you're just moving them to someone else's yard. So we've effectively helped the Kurdish military move ISIS into small pockets and scattered them out. We pull out now then there's the risk ISIS's small remaining bands would regroup.

On the other hand, at some point the Kurdish military needs to be able to handle this on their own. We helped them by fighting them off, then helped train their boys how to hold them off, when is the job completely done?

I didn't realize the tension that exists between Turkey's military and Syria's Kurdish military. Turkey executes an offensive on the Kurds the there's more instability, but are we really there to be peacekeeper between them two? How do you take sides on that one?

If the US troops' presence is restricting Syria's own military from doing their thing then perhaps it is time we leave.

[Fish]

Not sure what point you’re trying to make but then again I’m not fluent in fucktard

This is good stuff right here.

These military excursions turn into the equivalent of government programs for defense contractors.

[Rabbitman09]

Lot of lobbying going on to keep us at war. War is profitable.

[Jozie & Me]

I voted yes, bring them home.

ISIS was a real threat. They needed to be dealt with. They have been. ISIS controls less than 1% of the territory they once did.

The US went in to deal with ISIS. While we were there we decided to back the rebels to overthrow Assad.

The Russians went in to support Assad. They fought against ISIS and the rebels trying to overthrow Assad.

We played that card and it didnt work. Assad is still in power and isnt going anywhere. Assad is a historical Russian Ally. Russia has a Naval Port in Tarsus, and plans for a pipeline to deliver Russian oil to the Mediterranean.

Russia only cares about ISIS if they are a threat to Assad. They will kill every one of them if thats the case.

However, Russia would like to destabilize western interests in the region. If ISIS is the vehicle to achieve that, Russia will not get in their way.


Now that ISIS is no longer a viable threat, any further hostilities will be US vs. Russia. Do we want to go down that road?

[Relentlous]

I feel like rabbitman and kayak/dirtydog are either cousins or real close. I swear between those two guys or girls, I actually feel pretty intelligent.