Perma hawk James Mattis
James Norman Mattis[4]
(born September 8, 1950) is the 26th and current
United States Secretary of Defense, serving in the
Trump Administration. Mattis is a retired
United States Marine Corps
general who previously served as the 11th Commander of
United States Central Command and was responsible for American military operations
in the Middle East, Northeast Africa, and Central Asia, from August 11, 2010, to March
22, 2013.
Before President
Barack Obama
appointed him to replace General
David
Petraeus on August 11, 2010, Mattis previously commanded
United States Joint Forces Command from November 9, 2007, to August 2010 and served
concurrently as NATO's
Supreme Allied Commander Transformation from November 9, 2007, to September 8, 2009.
Prior to that, he commanded
I Marine Expeditionary Force,
United States Marine Forces Central Command, and
1st Marine Division during the
Iraq War.[5]
On January 20, 2017, Mattis was confirmed as Secretary of Defense 98–1 by the
United States Senate on a waiver,[6]
as he had only been three years out of active duty despite US federal law requiring a
seven-year cooling off period for retired military personnel to be appointed Secretary
of Defense. He was the first member of President
Donald Trump's
cabinet to be confirmed.
Mattis was born on September 8, 1950, in
Pullman, Washington.[7]
He is the son of Lucille (Proulx) Mattis[8]
and John West Mattis (1915–1988),[9][10]
a
merchant mariner. His mother immigrated to the United States from Canada as an
infant and had worked in
Army Intelligence in
South Africa
during the
Second World War.[11]
Mattis' father moved to
Richland, Washington to work at a plant supplying
fissile material to the
Manhattan Project.[12]
Mattis was raised in a bookish household that did not own a television.[12]
He graduated from
Columbia High School in 1968.[12][13]
He earned a
B.A.
degree in history
from
Central Washington University in 1971.[14][15][16]
He later earned an M.A. in international security affairs from the National War College
in 1994.[17]
Military career[edit]
James Mattis initially enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1969.[18]
He was commissioned a
second lieutenant through the
Reserve Officers' Training Corps on January 1, 1972.[19]
During his service years, Mattis was considered to be an intellectual among the upper
ranks.[20]
Robert
H. Scales, a retired
United States Army
major general, described him as "... one of the most urbane and polished men I have
known." Reinforcing this intellectual persona was the fact he carried a personal copy of
the
Meditations of
Marcus
Aurelius throughout his deployments.[20]
As a lieutenant, Mattis served as a rifle and weapons platoon commander in the
3rd Marine Division. As a
captain, he was assigned as the
Naval Academy Preparatory School's Battalion Officer (composed of Enlisted
Midshipman Candidates and its Company Officers and Enlisted Staff), commanded Rifle and
Weapons Companies in the
1st Marine Regiment, then
Recruiting Station
Portland, Oregon, as a
major.[21]
Mattis is a graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Warfare School, U.S. Marine
Corps Command and Staff College, and the
National War College. Mattis is also noted for his intellectualism and interest in
the study of
military history and
world
history,[22][23]
with a personal library that once included over 7,000 volumes,[2]
and a penchant for publishing required reading lists for Marines under his command.[24][25]
He is known for the intellectual rigor he instills in his Marines, risk-management, and
requiring his Marines to be well read in the culture and history of regions in the world
where they are deployed. Before deploying to Iraq, Mattis had his Marines undergo
cultural sensitivity training.[23]
Persian Gulf War[edit]
Upon promotion to the rank of
lieutenant colonel, Mattis commanded
1st Battalion, 7th Marines, which was one of
Task Force Ripper's assault battalions during the
Persian Gulf War.[26]
Afghanistan War[edit]
As a
colonel, Mattis commanded the
7th Marine Regiment. He led the
1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade as its commanding officer upon promotion to
brigadier general.[27]
During the initial planning for the
War in Afghanistan, Mattis led Task Force 58 in operations in the southern part of
the country,[28]
becoming the first Marine Corps officer to ever command a Naval Task Force in combat.[19]
While serving in Afghanistan as a brigadier general, he was known as an officer who
engaged his men with "real leadership". A young Marine officer named
Nathaniel
Fick cited an example of that leadership when he witnessed Mattis in a
fighting hole talking with a sergeant and lance corporal: "No one would have
questioned Mattis if he'd slept eight hours each night in a private room, to be woken
each morning by an aide who ironed his uniforms and heated his
MREs. But there he was, in the middle of a freezing night, out on the lines with his
Marines."[29]
Iraq War[edit]
Letter written by Mattis on the eve of the
2003 invasion of Iraq, addressed to members of the 1st Marine Division.
As a
major general, Mattis commanded the
1st Marine Division during the
2003 invasion of Iraq and subsequent stability operations during the
Iraq War.[22]
Mattis played key roles in combat operations in
Fallujah,
including negotiation with the insurgent command inside the city during
Operation Vigilant Resolve in April 2004, as well as participation in planning of
the subsequent
Operation Phantom Fury in November.[30]
In May 2004, Mattis ordered the 3 a.m. bombing of a suspected enemy safe house near
the Syrian border, which later came to be known as the
Mukaradeeb wedding party massacre, and which resulted in the deaths of 42 civilians.
Mattis stated that it had taken him 30 seconds to deliberate on bombing the location.
Describing the wedding as implausible, he said "How many people go to the middle of the
desert ... to hold a wedding 80 miles (130km) from the nearest civilization? These were
more than two dozen military-age males. Let's not be naive."[31]
The
Associated Press obtained video footage appearing to show a wedding party, although
the occurrence of a wedding was disputed by U.S. military officials.[32]
Following a U.S. Department of Defense survey that showed only 55% of American
soldiers and 40% of U.S. Marines would report a colleague for abusing civilians, Mattis
told U.S. Marines in May 2007 that "Whenever you show anger or disgust toward civilians,
it's a victory for
al-Qaeda and other insurgents." Reflecting an understanding of the need for
restraint in war as key to defeating an insurgency, he added that "Every time you wave
at an Iraqi civilian, al-Qaeda rolls over in its grave."[33]
.jpg/200px-thumbnail.jpg)
A city street in
Fallujah
heavily damaged by the fighting, November 2004
Mattis popularized the 1st Marine Division's motto "no better friend, no worse
enemy", a paraphrase of the famous self-made epitaph for the
Roman
dictator Lucius
Cornelius Sulla,[34]
in his open letter to all men within the division for their return to Iraq. This phrase
later became widely publicized during the investigation into the conduct of Lieutenant
Ilario
Pantano, a platoon commander serving under Mattis.[35][36][37][38][39][40]
As his division prepared to ship out, Mattis called in experts on the Middle East for
cultural sensitivity training. He constantly toured the battlefield to tell stories of
Marines who were able to show discretion in moments of high pressure. As an apparent
example, he encouraged his Marines to grow mustaches to look more like the people they
were working with.[23]
He also was noted for a willingness to remove senior leaders under his command at a
time when the U.S. military seemed unable or unwilling to relieve under-performing or
incompetent officers. During the division's push to Baghdad, Mattis relieved Colonel
Joe D. Dowdy,
regimental commander of
Regimental Combat Team-1, and it was such a rare occurrence in the modern military
that it made the front page of newspapers. Despite this, Mattis declined to comment on
the matter publicly other than to say that the practice of officer relief remains alive,
or at least "We are doing it in the Marines."[29]
Later interviews of Dowdy's officers and men revealed that "the colonel was doomed
partly by an age-old wartime tension: Men versus mission-in which he favored his men"
while Mattis insisted on execution of the mission to seize Baghdad swiftly.[41]
Combat Development Command[edit]
After being promoted to
lieutenant general, Mattis took command of
Marine Corps Combat Development Command. On February 1, 2005, speaking
ad libitum at
a forum in San Diego,
he said "You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years
because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left
anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually, it's a lot of fun to
fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right
upfront with you, I like brawling." Mattis's remarks sparked controversy; General
Michael
Hagee,
Commandant of the Marine Corps, issued a statement suggesting Mattis should have
chosen his words more carefully, but would not be disciplined.[42]
U.S. Joint Forces Command[edit]
The
Pentagon announced on May 31, 2006, that Lieutenant General Mattis was chosen to
take command of
I Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.[43]
On September 11, 2007, Secretary of Defense
Robert Gates
announced that President
George W.
Bush had nominated Mattis for appointment to the rank of general to command
U.S. Joint Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia. NATO agreed to appoint Mattis as
Supreme Allied Commander Transformation. On September 28, 2007, the
United States Senate confirmed Mattis's nomination, and he relinquished command of I
MEF on November 5, 2007, to Lieutenant General Samuel Helland.[21]
Mattis was promoted to four-star general and took control of JFCOM/SACT
on November 9, 2007. He transferred the job of SACT to
French General
Stéphane
Abrial on September 9, 2009, but continued in command of JFCOM.[44]
U.S. Central Command[edit]
In early 2010, Mattis was reported to be on the list of U.S. Marine generals being
considered for selection to replace
James T.
Conway as the Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.[45]
In July, he was recommended by
Defense Secretary
Robert Gates
for nomination to replace
David
Petraeus as commander of
United States Central Command,[7][46]
and formally nominated by
President
Barack Obama on July 21.[47]
His confirmation by the
Senate marked the first time Marines had held billets as commander and deputy
commander of a
Unified Combatant Command.[48]
He took command at a ceremony at
MacDill Air Force Base on August 11.[49][50][51]
As head of Central Command, Mattis oversaw the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and was
responsible for a region that includes
Syria, Iran, and Yemen.[52]
According to
Leon Panetta, the
Obama administration did not place much trust in Mattis, because he was perceived to
be too eager for a military confrontation with
Iran.[53]
He retired from the Marine Corps in 2013.[54][55]
Since retirement from the military, Mattis has worked for FWA Consultants and also
served as a member of the
General Dynamics Board of Directors.[54]
In August 2013, he became an Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the
Hoover Institution[56]
and has since been named as their Davies Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow.[57]
From 2013 through January 2017, Mattis was a board member of the
Silicon
Valley biotech company
Theranos.[58][59]
Previously, in mid-2012, a Department of Defense official evaluating Theranos's
blood-testing technology for the military, initiated a formal inquiry with the
Food and Drug Administration about the company's intent to distribute its tests
without FDA clearance. In August 2012, Theranos CEO
Elizabeth Holmes asked Mattis, who had expressed interest in testing Theranos's
technology in combat areas, to help. Within hours, Mattis forwarded his email exchange
with Holmes to military officials, asking "how do we overcome this new obstacle." In a
July 2013 letter from the Department of Defense approving his possible employment by
Theranos, Mattis was given permission with conditions. He was cautioned to do so only if
he did not represent Theranos with regard to the blood testing device and its potential
acquisition by the Departments of the Navy or Defense.[60]
In December 2015, Mattis joined the
advisory
board[61]
of
Spirit of America, a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides assistance to support the safety and
success of American service personnel and the local people they seek to help.
He is co-editor of the book Warriors & Citizens: American Views of Our Military,
published in August 2016.[62]
Secretary of Defense[edit]
Nomination and
confirmation[edit]
Then-President-elect
Donald Trump
met with Mattis for a little over one hour in
Bedminster, New Jersey, on November 20, 2016.[63]
He later stated on
Twitter, "General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis, who is being considered for Secretary of
Defense, was very impressive yesterday. A true General's General!"[64]
On December 1, 2016, Trump announced at a rally in Cincinnati that he would nominate
Mattis for
United States Secretary of Defense.[65]
As Mattis retired from the military in 2013, his nomination required a waiver of the
National Security Act of 1947, which requires a seven-year waiting period before
retired military personnel can assume the role of Secretary of Defense.[66]
Mattis is the second Secretary of Defense to receive such a waiver, following
George
Marshall.[66]
Mattis was officially confirmed as Secretary of Defense by a vote of 98–1[a]
in the United States Senate on January 20, 2017.[69]
Mattis, in a January 2017 phone call with
Saudi Arabia's
deputy crown prince
Mohammed bin Salman, "reaffirmed the importance of the
U.S.–Saudi Arabia strategic relationship".[70]
For his first official trip abroad, Mattis began a two-day visit with long-time U.S.
ally South Korea
on February 2, 2017.[71]
He warned North
Korea that "any attack on the United States, or our allies, will be defeated", and
any use of nuclear weapons would be met with an "effective and overwhelming" response
from the United States.[72]
During a press conference in
London on March 31,
2017, with his UK counterpart
Secretary of State for Defence
Michael
Fallon, Mattis said North Korea was going "in a very reckless manner" and needed to
be stopped.[73]
During a Pentagon news conference on May 26, Mattis reported the US was working with the
U.N., China, Japan, and South Korea to avoid "a military solution" with North Korea.[74]
On June 3, Mattis said the United States regarded North Korea as "clear and present
danger" during a speech at the international security conference in
Singapore.[75]
In a June 12 written statement to the House Armed Services Committee, Mattis said North
Korea was the "most urgent and dangerous threat to peace and security".[76]
On June 15, Mattis said the US would win a war against North Korea but the victory would
be "at great cost".[77]
On March 22, 2017, during questioning from the U.S. Senate, Mattis affirmed his
support for U.S. troops remaining in
Iraq after the
Mosul
conflict was resolved.[78]
Mattis responded to critics who suggested the Trump administration had loosened the
rules of engagement for the
U.S. military in Iraq after U.S.-led coalition
airstrikes in Mosul killed civilians.[79]
He said: "We go out of our way to always do everything humanly possible to reduce the
loss of life or injury among innocent people."[80]
On April 5, 2017, Mattis called the
Khan Shaykhun chemical attack "a heinous act" and said it would be treated in that
manner.[81]
On April 10, 2017, Mattis warned the Syrian government against using
chemical weapons once more, saying it would be "ill-advised".[82]
The following day, Mattis gave his first Pentagon news conference since becoming
Secretary of Defense, saying ISIS's defeat remained "our priority" and the Syrian
government would pay a "very, very stiff price" for further usage of chemical weapons.[83]
He said that "even in
World War II
chemical weapons were not used on battlefields."[84]
On April 21, 2017, Mattis said Syria still had chemical weapons and was in violation of
United Nations Security Council resolutions.[85]
On May 8, Mattis told reporters details of the proposed Syrian safe zones were "all in
process right now" and the United States was involved with configuring.[86]
Mattis has voiced support for a
Saudi Arabian–led military campaign against
Yemen's
Shiite rebels.[87]
He asked President Trump to remove restrictions on U.S. military support for Saudi
Arabia.[88]
On April 20, 2017, one week after the
Nangarhar airstrike, Mattis told reporters that the U.S. would not conduct a damage
assessment "in terms of the number of people killed" in
Afghanistan.[89]
Mattis traveled to Afghanistan days later and met with government officials, Mattis
explaining the purpose of the trip was allowing him to state his recommendations for the
US's strategy in the country.[90]
On June 13, Mattis said U.S. forces were "not winning" in Afghanistan and the
administration would develop a new strategy by "mid-July" while speaking to the
United States Senate Committee on Armed Services.[91]
Political views[edit]
Israeli–Palestinian peace process[edit]
Mattis supports a
two-state solution model for
Israeli–Palestinian peace. He says the current situation in Israel is
"unsustainable" and argues that the settlements harm prospects for peace and could
theoretically lead to an apartheid-like situation in the
West Bank.[92]
In particular, he believes the lack of a two-state solution is upsetting to the Arab
allies of America, which weakens US esteem amongst its Arab allies.
Mattis strongly
supported Secretary of State
John Kerry on
the Middle East peace process, praising Kerry for being "wisely focused like a
laser-beam" towards a two-state solution.[93]
Iran and Arab allies[edit]
Mattis believes that Iran
is the principal threat to the stability of the Middle East, ahead of
Al-Qaeda and
ISIS. Mattis says: "I consider ISIS nothing more than an excuse for Iran to continue
its mischief. Iran is not an enemy of ISIS. They have a lot to gain from the turmoil in
the region that ISIS creates." On the
Iran nuclear deal, although he sees it as a poor agreement, he believes there is now
no way to tear it up, saying: "We are just going to have to recognize that we have an
imperfect arms control agreement. Second, that what we achieved is a nuclear pause, not
a nuclear halt". Mattis argues that the nuclear inspections may fail to prevent Iran
from seeking to develop nuclear weapons, but that "[i]f nothing else at least we will
have better targeting data if it comes to a fight in the future."[94]
Additionally, he criticizes President Barack Obama for being "naive" about Iranian
intentions and Congress for being "pretty much absent" on 2016's nuclear deal.[95]
Mattis praises the friendship of regional US allies such as
Jordan and the
United Arab Emirates.[96]
He has also criticized Obama for his view of seeing allies as 'free-loading', saying:
"For a sitting U.S. president to see our allies as freeloaders is nuts."[96]
He has cited the importance of the United Arab Emirates and Jordan as countries that
wanted to help, for example, in filling in the gaps in Afghanistan. He criticized the
44th President's defense strategy as giving "the perception we're pulling back" from US
allies.[97]
He stresses the need for the US to bolster its ties with allied intelligence agencies,
particularly the intelligence agencies of Jordan,
Egypt and
Saudi Arabia.[98]
In 2012, Mattis argued for providing weapons to
Syrian rebels, as a way to fight back against
Iranian proxies in Syria.[99]
Mattis visited Japan
one week after being sworn in as Secretary of Defense. During a meeting with Japan's
Prime Minister
Shinzō Abe, Mattis emphasized the United States remains
committed to the mutual defense of Japan and stated, "I want there to be no
misunderstanding during the transition in Washington that we stand firmly, 100 percent,
shoulder to shoulder with you and the Japanese people."[100]
Mattis reassured Japan that the U.S. would defend disputed
Senkaku Islands controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and
Taiwan.[101]
Speaking at a conference sponsored by
The Heritage Foundation in
Washington in 2015 Mattis stated that he believed that
Russian President
Vladimir
Putin's intent is "to break NATO apart."[102]
Mattis has also spoken out against what he perceives as Russia's expansionist or
bellicose policies in
Syria,
Ukraine and the
Baltic
states.[103]
In 2017, Mattis said that the world order is "under biggest attacks since World War Two,
from Russia, terrorist groups, and China's actions in the South China Sea."[104]
On February 16, 2017, Mattis said that the United States was not currently prepared
to collaborate with Russia on military matters, including future anti-ISIS
U.S. operations.[105]
Mattis called for
freedom of navigation in the
South
China Sea and criticized China's
island-building activities, saying: "The bottom line is ... the international waters
are international waters."[106]
Climate change[edit]
See also:
Climate security
In 2017, Mattis said that budget cuts would hamper the ability to monitor the impacts
of climate change,[107]
and noted, "...climate change is a challenge that requires a broader,
whole-of-government response."[108]
Personal life[edit]
Mattis is a lifelong bachelor[41]
who has never been married and has no children.[2]
He proposed to a woman named Alice Gillis, but she called off the wedding days before it
was to occur, not wanting to burden his career.[12]
He is nicknamed "The Warrior Monk" because of his bachelor life and lifelong devotion to
the study of war.[109]
Mattis is noted for his intellectualism and interest in the study of
military history and
world
history,[22][23]
with a personal library that once included over 7,000 volumes,[2]
and a penchant for publishing required reading lists for Marines under his command.[110][111]
- 20200923 : Mattis Told Intel Chief They May 'Have to Take Collective Action' Against 'Unfit' Trump -- Woodward ( Sep 10, 2020 , www.blacklistednews.com )
- 20200606 : Spare Us Your 'Mad Dog' Mattis Worship by Andy Kroll ( Jun 06, 2020 , www.rollingstone.com )
- 20190904 : Veterans Mattis Spent Career Tending the Status Quo The American Conservative ( Sep 04, 2019 , www.theamericanconservative.com )
- 20190109 : Mattis One More General For The Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone ( Jan 09, 2019 , www.zerohedge.com )
- 20181229 : Why Mattis' Exit Is A Defining Moment In US Foreign Policy ( Dec 29, 2018 , www.moonofalabama.org )
- 20181228 : Send Mad Dog James Mattis to the Corporate Kennel ( Dec 28, 2018 , www.mintpressnews.com )
- 20181224 : Mattis Resigns ( Dec 24, 2018 , www.theamericanconservative.com )
- 20181223 : Good riddance to James Mattis, Trump's last general ( Dec 23, 2018 , www.salon.com )
- 20181222 : Fallout Of Trump's Syria Withdrawal - Why Erdogan Does Not Want To Invade ( Dec 22, 2018 , www.moonofalabama.org )
- 20180926 : Hired to Drain the Swamp, Fired in Less Than a Year ( Sep 26, 2018 , www.theamericanconservative.com )
- 20180621 : Mad Dog Mattis, the destroyer of Raqqa, frets about losing moral authority by Finian Cunningham ( Jun 20, 2018 , www.rt.com )
- 20180425 : If Mattis didn't know about it, then he should have done and likewise with Trump ( Apr 25, 2018 , www.unz.com )
- 20180325 : Neocons Panting for President 'Mad Dog' Mattis by Daniel McAdams ( Apr 22, 2016 , www.ronpaulinstitute.org )
- 20180318 : Mattis' Weak Case for Supporting the War on Yemen by Daniel Larison ( Mar 18, 2018 , www.theamericanconservative.com )
- 20180315 : Mattis is as dangerous warmonger as McMaster ( Mar 15, 2018 , turcopolier.typepad.com )
- 20180309 : A conflict in North Korea, John, would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes ( Mar 09, 2018 , www.moonofalabama.org )
- 20180215 : Mattis is probably mentally ill. He'll gleefully kill millions more. I really can not see what Tillerson and Mattis have to offer Turkey other than threats. ( Feb 15, 2018 , www.moonofalabama.org )
- 20180214 : Mattis is probably mentally ill. He'll gleefully kill millions more. ( Feb 14, 2018 , www.moonofalabama.org )
- 20180120 : As of today, Gen. Mathis exposing the new Us Defense Strategy warned that: The US will counter any threat to America s democracy experiment in the world, if necessary with military force ( Jan 20, 2018 , www.moonofalabama.org )
- 20171128 : Trump Wants Peace With Erdogan - The Military Wants To Sabotage It ( Nov 28, 2017 , www.moonofalabama.org )
- 20170917 : Mattis still seems stuck with his Iran obsession. Shame I thought he had the intellectual curiosity to adapt. ( Jul 11, 2017 , www.unz.com )
- 20170828 : The ouster of Mattis: Some follow-up details and a White House response by homas E. Ricks ( ttis still seems stuck with his Iran obsession. Shame I thought he had the intellectual curiosity to adapt. < )
- 20170828 : The ouster of Mattis: Some follow-up details and a White House response ( get= )
- 20170711 : Mattis still seems stuck with his Iran obsession. Shame I thought he had the intellectual curiosity to adapt. ( Jul 11, 2017 , www.unz.com )
- 20170711 : While Trump Talks, The Pentagon Balks by Finian Cunningham ( Jul 11, 2017 , www.informationclearinghouse.info )
- 20170707 : US, Russia Agree on Ceasefire in Southwestern Syria by Jason Ditz ( Jul 07, 2017 , news.antiwar.com )
- 20170707 : Tillerson Sanctions on Russia Will Remain Until Crimea Is Returned ( Jul 07, 2017 , news.antiwar.com )
- 20170707 : Is Rex Tillerson a realist in Washington by Alexander Mercouris ( Jul 07, 2017 , www.sott.net )
- 20170620 : James Mattiss Role in Fallujah Haditha Massacre ( Jun 20, 2017 , www.moonofalabama.org )
- 20170620 : General James Mattiss Role in Fallujah Haditha Massacre ( news.antiwar.com )
- 20170620 : Investigation Did Trumps Defense Secretary Nominee James Mattis Commit War Crimes in Iraq Democracy Now! ( thesaker.is )
- 20170412 : Mattis US-Russia Tensions Wont Spiral Out of Control by Jason Ditz ( Apr 12, 2017 , news.antiwar.com )
- 20170407 : Syria The Toxic Meltdown ( Apr 07, 2017 , sputniknews.com )
- 20170121 : James Mattis confirmed as secretary of defense ( Jan 20, 2017 , www.theguardian.com )
Notable quotes:
"... Former defense secretary Jim Mattis appears to have been plotting a coup with then-Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats after growing furious with President Trump for banning transgenders from the military and moving to pull out of Afghanistan and Syria. ..."
"... Mattis quietly went to Washington National Cathedral [in May 2019] to pray about his concern for the nation's fate under Trump's command and, according to Woodward, told Coats, "There may come a time when we have to take collective action" since Trump is "dangerous. He's unfit." ..."
"... Translation: we may have to stage a coup to get him out of power. Plenty of Democrats and former and current intelligence officials are working on a Color Revolution come November as we speak . ..."
SOURCE: CHRIS
MENAHAN, INFORMATION LIBERATION
Former defense secretary Jim Mattis appears to have been plotting a coup with then-Director
of National Intelligence Dan Coats after growing furious with President Trump for banning transgenders from the military and moving to pull out of Afghanistan and Syria.
From The
Washington Post :
Mattis quietly went to Washington National Cathedral [in May 2019] to pray about his concern
for the nation's fate under Trump's command and, according to Woodward, told Coats, "There
may come a time when we have to take collective action" since Trump is "dangerous. He's
unfit."
Translation: we may have to stage a coup to get him out of power. Plenty of Democrats and former and current intelligence officials
are working on a Color Revolution come November as we speak .
In a separate conversation recounted by Woodward, Mattis told Coats, "The president has no
moral compass," to which the director of national intelligence replied: "True. To him, a lie
is not a lie. It's just what he thinks. He doesn't know the difference between the truth and
a lie."
Mattis doesn't know the difference between a male and a female. Trump reportedly accurately said his generals were a "bunch of pussies."
"Not to mention my f**king generals are a bunch of pussies. They care more about their
alliances than they do about trade deals," Trump told White House trade adviser Peter Navarro
at one point, according to Woodward.
No lie detected!
Ann Coulter, who has repeatedly tried to tell Trump today's generals have nothing in common
with those of the past like Trump-favorite Gen. George Patton, responded to the news on
Wednesday by saying Trump has won her back!
And he wins me back! https://t.co/7nhtSuC4k9
-- Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter)
September 10,
2020
James Mattis and other generals have sent the political class into delirium with their
Trump criticism, but there are better voices for this moment than the authors of America's
forever wars
Andy Kroll
Rolling Stone Washington bureau chief
@AndyKroll Follow ,
Here come the generals.
A procession of decorated former U.S. military leaders has spoken out in recent days to
gravely denounce President Trump and his unmistakably authoritarian response to the
demonstrations against police violence and racial injustice sparked by the death of George
Floyd.
James Mattis, a retired Marine Corps four-star general,
accused Trump of shredding the Constitution with the violent removal of protesters
outside the White House so that Trump could stage a photo op. Mattis, who was Trump's first
secretary of defense, said Americans were "witnessing the consequences of three years without
mature leadership."
John Allen, a retired Marine Corps four-star general and former commander of U.S. forces
in Afghanistan, warned that
the "slide of the United States into illiberalism may well have begun on June 1, 2020," the
day of Trump's crackdown and photo op. "Remember the date. It may well signal the beginning
of the end of the American experiment."
Mike Mullen, a retired Navy admiral and a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
the highest ranking military position in the country,
penned an essay titled "I Cannot Remain Silent" in which he wrote that Trump's conduct
"laid bare his disdain for the rights of peaceful protest in this country, gave succor to the
leaders of other countries who take comfort in our domestic strife, and risked further
politicizing the men and women of our armed forces."
Notable quotes:
"... But what happens when those "standards of excellence" lead to 20 years of fighting unwinnable wars on the peripheries of the planet? When do habits and practices turn into mental stagnation? ..."
"... You know when it comes to generals, whether they're Marines, whether they're Army, whether they're Mattis who's supposedly this "warrior monk," these guys talk tactics and then claim it's strategy. What they consider to be strategic thinking really is just tactical thinking on a broad scale . I think the biggest problem with all the four-star generals are they're "how" thinkers not "if" thinkers. ..."
"... This inability of America's elites (including its generals) to grapple with strategic concepts is a result of the United States' post-Cold War unipolar moment. When there's only one superpower, geopolitics and the need for international balancing fall by the wayside. ..."
"... Mattis, like virtually all of his four-star peers, is a reactionary, fighting every day against the forces of change in modern warfare ..."
"... "[W]hen you shave it all down, his problem with being the epitome of establishment Washington is that he sees the alliance as the end, not as a means to an end," says Davis. "The means should be to the end of improving American security and supporting our interests." ..."
"... "By clinging to unsustainable military solutions from the distant past, he has condemned future generations of soldiers and marines to repeat disasters like Pickett's Charge," says Macgregor. ..."
Last week, The Wall Street Journal published a lengthy
op-ed written by former secretary of defense James Mattis, his first public statement since
his resignation in December. The article is adopted from his forthcoming book, Call Sign
Chaos: Learning to Lead , out this week.
The former Pentagon chief opens a window into his decision making process, explaining that
accepting President Trump's nomination was part of his lifelong devotion to public service:
"When the president asks you to do something, you don't play Hamlet on the wall, wringing your
hands. So long as you are prepared, you say yes." Mattis's two years at DoD capped off 44 years
in the Marine Corps, where he gained a popular following as a tough and scholarly leader.
Mattis received widespread praise from the foreign policy establishment when he resigned in
protest over President Trump's directive for a full U.S. military withdrawal from Syria and a
partial withdrawal from Afghanistan. "When my concrete solutions and strategic advice,
especially keeping faith with our allies, no longer resonated, it was time to resign, despite
the limitless joy I felt serving alongside our troops in defense of our Constitution," he
writes.
But did Mattis really offer "concrete solutions and strategic advice" regarding America's
two decades of endless war? spoke with four military experts, all veterans, who painted a very
different picture of the man called "Mad Dog."
"I think over time, in General Mattis's case a little over 40 years, if you spend that many
years in an institution, it is extremely hard not to get institutionalized," says Gil
Barndollar, military fellow-in-residence at the Catholic University of America's Center for the
Study of Statesmanship. Barndollar served as an infantry officer in the Marine Corps and
deployed twice to Afghanistan. "In my experiences, there are not too many iconoclasts or really
outside-the-box people in the higher ranks of the U.S. military."
It's just that sort of institutionalized thinking that makes the political establishment
love Mattis. "[A] person with an institutional mind-set has a deep reverence for the
organization he has joined and how it was built by those who came before. He understands that
institutions pass down certain habits, practices and standards of excellence," wrote David
Brooks in a hagiographic New York Times column .
But what happens when those "standards of excellence" lead to 20 years of fighting
unwinnable wars on the peripheries of the planet? When do habits and practices turn into mental
stagnation?
"The problem is, from at least the one-star the whole way through, for the last two decades,
you've seen them do nothing but just repeat the status quo over and over," observes Lieutenant
Colonel Daniel L. Davis, a senior fellow at Defense Priorities, who served 21 years in the U.S.
Army and deployed four times to Iraq and Afghanistan. "I mean every single general that was in
charge of Afghanistan said almost the same boilerplate thing every time they came in (which was
nearly one a year). You see the same results, nothing changed."
"And if those guys took someone from a major to a two-star general, we'd probably have a lot
of better outcomes," he adds.
Major Danny Sjursen, who served tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan, agrees:
You know when it comes to generals, whether they're Marines, whether they're Army, whether
they're Mattis who's supposedly this "warrior monk," these guys talk tactics and then claim
it's strategy. What they consider to be strategic thinking really is just tactical thinking
on a broad scale . I think the biggest problem with all the four-star generals are they're
"how" thinkers not "if" thinkers.
Barndollar says: "The vast majority of military leaders, up to and including generals at the
three-, four-star level, are not operating at the strategic level, in terms of what that word
means in military doctrine. They're not operating at the level of massive nation-state
resources and alliances and things like that. They're at the operational level or often even at
the tactical level."
This inability of America's elites (including its generals) to grapple with strategic
concepts is a result of the United States' post-Cold War unipolar moment. When there's only one
superpower, geopolitics and the need for international balancing fall by the wayside.
The only component of national security policy Mattis discusses in his op-ed is America's
system of alliances, which he believes is the key to our preeminence on the world stage.
"Returning to a strategic stance that includes the interests of as many nations as we can make
common cause with, we can better deal with this imperfect world we occupy together," he
writes.
"Mattis, like virtually all of his four-star peers, is a reactionary, fighting every day
against the forces of change in modern warfare," counters Colonel Douglas Macgregor, who served
28 years in the U.S. Army. "He lives in denial of the technological breakthroughs that make the
World War II force structure (that he as SecDef insisted on funding) an expensive tribute to
the past."
Mattis muses that the Department of Defense "budget [is] larger than the GDPs of all but two
dozen countries." Yet having acknowledged that disparity, how can such underpowered foreign
nations possibly contribute to American security?
"He has that line in there about bringing as many guns as possible to a gun fight. What are
those guns?" asked Barndollar. For example, the British Royal Navy is the United States' most
significant allied naval force. But the United Kingdom has
only seven vessels stationed in the Persian Gulf and they're "stretched to the absolute
limit to do that."
"Our problem has been double-edged," says Davis of America's reliance on others. "On the one
hand, we try to bludgeon a lot of our allies to do what we want irrespective of their interests
as an asset. And then simultaneously, especially in previous administrations, we've almost gone
too far [in] the other direction: 'we'll subordinate our interests for yours.'"
"[W]hen you shave it all down, his problem with being the epitome of establishment
Washington is that he sees the alliance as the end, not as a means to an end," says Davis. "The
means should be to the end of improving American security and supporting our interests."
Sjursen says:
Mattis's view is the old Einstein adage: "doing the same thing over and over again and
expecting a different result is the definition of insanity." Well that's all he's proposed.
He has no new or creative solutions. For him, it's stay the course, more of the same, stay in
place, fight the terrorists, maintain the illegitimate and corrupt governments that we back.
That's what he's been talking about for 18 years. It's all the same interventionist dogma
that's failed us over and over again since September 12, 2001.
"In the two years he was in office, what did he do that changed anything? He was a caretaker
of the status quo. That's the bottom line," says Davis, adding, "you need somebody in that job
especially that is willing to take some chances and some risk and is willing to honestly look
at 18 consecutive years of failure and say, 'We're not doing that anymore. We're going to do
something different.' And that just never happened."
Barndollar is more generous in his estimation of Mattis: "He needs to be lauded for standing
for his principles, ultimately walking away when he decided he could no longer execute U.S.
national security policy. I give him all the credit for that, for doing it I think in a
relatively good manner, and for trying to do his best to stay above the fray and refuse to be
dragged in at a partisan level to this point."
Mattis ends his Wall Street Journal op-ed by recounting a vignette from the 2010
Battle of Marjah, where he spoke with two soldiers on the front lines and in good cheer. But
his story didn't sit well with Sjursen, who says it encapsulates Mattis' inability to ask the
bigger questions: "He never talks about how those charming soldiers with the can-do attitude
maybe shouldn't have been there at all. Maybe the mission that they were asked to do was
ill-informed, ill-advised, and potentially unwinnable."
All this suggests that a fair evaluation of Mattis is as a soldier who is intelligent but
unoriginal. A homegrown patriot, but one who'd like to plant the Stars and Stripes in Central
Asia forever. A public servant, but one who would rather resign than serve the cause of
restraint.
"By clinging to unsustainable military solutions from the distant past, he has condemned
future generations of soldiers and marines to repeat disasters like Pickett's Charge," says
Macgregor.
Hunter DeRensis is a reporter for The National Interest . Follow him on
Twitter @HunterDeRensis
.
Mattis: One More General For The "Self-Licking Ice Cream Cone"
by Tyler Durden
Wed, 01/09/2019 - 21:55 20 SHARES
Authored by Kelley Beaucar Vlahos via The American Conservative,
Big brass and government executives play both sides of the military revolving door,
including "the only adult in the room."
Before he became lionized as the "only adult in the room" capable of standing up to
President Trump, General James Mattis was quite like any other brass scoping out a lucrative
second career in the defense industry. And as with other military giants parlaying their four
stars into a cushy boardroom chair or executive suite, he pushed and defended a sub-par product
while on both sides of the revolving door. Unfortunately for everyone involved, that contract
turned out to be an expensive fraud and a potential health hazard to the troops.
According to a
recent report by the Project on Government Oversight, 25 generals, nine admirals, 43
lieutenant generals, and 23 vice admirals retired to become lobbyists, board members,
executives, or consultants for the defense industry between 2008 and 2018. They are part of a
much larger group of 380 high-ranking government officials and congressional staff who shifted
into the industry in that time.
To get a sense of the demand, according to POGO, which had to compile all of this
information through Freedom of Information requests, there were 625 instances in 2018 alone in
which the top 20 defense contractors (think Boeing, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin) hired
senior DoD officials for high-paying jobs -- 90 percent of which could be described as
"influence peddling."
Back to Mattis. In 2012, while he was head of Central Command, the Marine General
pressed the Army to procure and deploy blood testing equipment from a Silicon Valley
company called Theranos. He communicated that he was having success with this effort directly
to Theranos's chief executive officer. Even though an Army health unit tried to terminate the
contract due to it's not meeting requirements, according to POGO, Mattis kept the pressure up.
Luckily, it was never used on the
battlefield.
Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise but upon retirement in 2013, Mattis asked a DoD counsel
about the ethics guiding future employment with Theranos. They advised against it. So Mattis
went to serve on its board instead for a $100,000 salary. Two years after Mattis quit to serve
as Trump's Pentagon chief in 2016, the two Theranos executives he worked with were indicted for
"massive"
fraud , perpetuating a "multi-million dollar scheme to defraud investors, doctors and
patients," and misrepresenting their product entirely. It was a fake.
But assuming this was Mattis's only foray into the private sector would be naive. When he
was tapped for defense secretary -- just three years after he left the military -- he was worth
upwards of $10 million . In addition to his retirement pay, which was close to $15,000 a
month at the time, he received $242,000 as a board member, plus as much as $1.2 million in
stock options in General Dynamics, the Pentagon's fourth largest contractor. He also disclosed
payments from other corporate boards, speech honorariums -- including $20,000 from defense
heavyweight Northrop Grumman -- and a whopping $410,000 from Stanford University's public
policy think tank the Hoover Institution for serving as a "distinguished visiting fellow."
Never for a moment think that Mattis won't land softly after he leaves Washington -- if he
leaves at all. Given his past record, he will likely follow a very long line, as illustrated by
POGO's explosive report, of DoD officials who have used their positions while inside the
government to represent the biggest recipients of federal funding on the outside. They then
join ex-congressional staffers and lawmakers on powerful committees who grease the skids on
Capitol Hill. And then they go to work for the very companies they've helped, fleshing out a
small army of executives, lobbyists, and board members with direct access to the power brokers
with the purse strings back on the inside.
Welcome to the Swamp
"[Mattis's' career course] is emblematic of how systemic the problem is," said Mandy
Smithberger, POGO's lead on the report and the director of its Center for Defense
Information.
"Private companies know how to protect their interests. We just wish there were more
protections for taxpayers."
When everything is engineered to get more business for the same select few, "when you have
a Department of Defense who sees it as their job to promote arms sales does this really serve
the interest of national security?"
That is something to chew on. If a system is so motivated by personal gain (civil servants
always mindful of campaign contributions and private sector job prospects) on one hand, and big
business profits on the other, is there room for merit or innovation? One need only look at
Lockheed's F-35 joint strike fighter, the most expensive
weapon system in history, which was relentlessly promoted over other programs by members of
Congress and within the Pentagon despite years of test failures and cost overruns , to see what
this gets you: planes that don't fly, weapons that don't work, and shortfalls in other parts of
the budget that don't matter to contractors like pilot training and maintenance of existing
systems.
"It comes down to two questions," Smithberger noted in an interview with TAC.
" Are we approving weapons systems that are safe or not? And are we putting
[servicemembers'] lives on the line" to benefit the interests of industry?
All of this is legal, she points out. Sure, there are rules -- "cooling off" periods before
government officials and members of Congress can lobby, consult, or work on contracts after
they leave their federal positions, or when industry people come in through the other side to
take positions in government. But Smithberger said they are "riddled with loopholes" and lack
of enforcement.
Case in point: current acting DoD Secretary Patrick Shanahan spent
31 years working for Boeing , which gets about $24 billion a year as the Pentagon's second
largest contractor. He was Boeing's senior vice president in 2016 just before he was confirmed
as Trump's deputy secretary of defense in 2017. Last week he recused himself from all matters
Boeing, but he
wasn't always so hands off. At one point, he "prodded" for the purchase of 12 $1.2 billion
Boeing F-15X fighter planes, according to Bloomberg.
But the revolving door is so much more pervasive and insidious than POGO could possibly
catalogue. So says Franklin "Chuck" Spinney , who worked
as a civilian and military officer in the Pentagon for 31 years, beginning in 1968. He calls
the military industrial complex a "quasi-isolated political economy" that is in many ways
independent from the larger domestic economy. It has its own rules, norms, and culture, and
unlike the real world, it is self-sustaining -- not by healthy competition and efficiency, but
by keeping the system on a permanent war footing, with money always pumping from Capitol Hill
to the Pentagon to the private sector and then back again. Left out are basic laws of supply
and demand, geopolitical realities, and the greater interest of society.
"That's why we call it a self-licking ice cream cone," Spinney explained to TAC.
" [This report] is just the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot more subtle stuff going on.
When you are in weapons development like I was at the beginning of my career, you learn about
this on day one, that having cozy relationships with contractors is openly encouraged. And
then you get desensitized. I was fortunate because I worked for people who did not like it
and I caught on quickly."
While the culture has evolved, basic realities have persisted since the massive build-up of the military
and weapons systems during the Cold War. The odds of young officers in the Pentagon making
colonel or higher are slim. They typically retire out in their 40s. They know implicitly that
their best chance for having a well-paid second career is in the only industry they know --
defense. Most take this calculation seriously, moderating their decisions on program work and
procurement and communicating with members of Congress as a matter of course.
" Let's just say there's a problem [with a program]. Are you going to come down hard on a
contractor and try to hold his feet to the fire? Are you going to risk getting blackballed
when you are out there looking for a job ? Sometimes there is no word communicated, you just
don't want to be unacceptable to anyone," said Spinney. It's ingrained, from the rank of
lieutenant colonel all the way up to general.
So the
top five and their subsidiaries continue to get the vast majority of work, usually in
no-bid contracts
($100 billion worth in 2016 alone) , and with cost-plus structures that
critics say encourage waste and never-ending timetables, like the $1.5 trillion F-35. "The
whole system is wired to get money out the door," said Spinney. "That is where the revolving
door is most pernicious. It's everywhere."
The real danger is that under this pressure, parties work to keep bad contracts alive even
if they have to cook the books. "Essentially from the standpoint of Pentagon contracting you
are not going to have people writing reports saying this product is a piece of shit," said
Spinney. Worse, evaluations are designed to deflect criticism if not oversell success in order
to keep the spigot open. The most infamous example of this was the
rigged tests that kept the ill-fated "Star Wars" missile defense program going in the
1980s.
* * *
Everyone talks about generals like Mattis as though they're warrior-gods. But for decades,
many of them have turned out to be different creatures altogether - creatures of a
semi-independent ecosystem that operates outside of the normal rules and benefits only a
powerful minority subset: the military elite, defense contractors, and Congress. More recently,
the defense-funded think tank world has become part of this ecology, providing the ideological
grist for more spending and serving as a way-station for operators moving in and out of
government and industry.
Call it the Swamp, the Borg, or even the Blob, but attempting to measure or quantify the
revolving door in the military-industrial complex can feel like a fool's errand. Groups like
POGO have attempted to shine light on this dark planet for years. Unfortunately, there is
little incentive in Capitol Hill or at the Pentagon to do the very least: pull the purse
strings, close loopholes, encourage real competition, and end cost-plus practices.
"We generally need to see more (political) championing on this issue," Smithberger said.
Until then, all outside efforts "can't result in any meaningful change."
Son of Captain Nemo , 4 minutes ago
link
So tell me again how "Mad Pedo" evaded Obama's axing of all the non-compliant General(s)
and Admiral(s) in charge of the U.S. strategic command?!!!
Answered my own question. He's like the rest of them since the Balkans that just does
counter insurgencies!...
"SUCCESS" in every direction on the weather vane you look!!!
Or... Another way of saying it.
How to build your successful U.S. military career turning $8 trillion in unfunded
liability debt into $200 trillion in unfunded liability debt in less than 20 years!
Who wants to line up for that 'self help book"?!!!
MusicIsYou , 9 minutes ago
link
Mattis is just another self serving cockroach in a U.S uniform.
__name___3O4jF">Realname Wild tree , 31 minutes ago
link
It has nothing to do with the defense of our nation, or the unnecessary spilling of the
blood of our nation.
It has everything to do with greed at the expense of our youths blood and the nations
security. Follow the money.
As the light of truth shines as this article illustrates, the cockroaches scurry.
Rumsfield's DoD 2 trillion missing comment the day before 9/11 comes to mind. Wonder how he
knew.......
Wild tree , 31 minutes ago
link
It has nothing to do with the defense of our nation, or the unnecessary spilling of the
blood of our nation.
It has everything to do with greed at the expense of our youths blood and the nations
security. Follow the money.
As the light of truth shines as this article illustrates, the cockroaches scurry.
Rumsfield's DoD 2 trillion missing comment the day before 9/11 comes to mind. Wonder how he
knew.......
hotrod , 39 minutes ago
link
All this corruption in so nauseating. Yet Americans do nothing
peippe , 39 minutes ago
link
These generals have been in the military a long time.
Not long enough to remember winning a real war....
Mr. Kwikky , 25 minutes ago
link
It was and is never about winning, but keeping the US in perpetual war state (report from
iron moutain). Cui bono? the mic
William Bowles , Dec 27,
2018 4:52:43 AM |
link
Why Mattis' Exit Is A Defining Moment In US Foreign Policy
by M. K. BHADRAKUMAR
An important analysis!
https://orientalreview.org/2018/12/27/why-mattis-exit-is-a-defining-moment-in-us-foreign-policy/
Notable quotes:
"... Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. He was an Army Infantry/Intelligence officer before working as a CIA analyst for the next 27 years. Ray admits to a modicum of bias against Marine officers, but not those with whom he worked back in the day. He is co-creator of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, which includes Marines who remember what Semper Fi means. ..."
"... A case in point is when you hear members of congress criticize Trump decision to withdraw the US army personals from Syria and Afganistan. These members forget that the US army in Syria is in violation of international laws and US laws as well. ..."
utgoing Defense Secretary Gen. James "Mad Dog" Mattis was famous for quipping , "It's fun to shoot some
people." It remains a supreme irony that Mattis was widely considered the only "adult in the
room" in the Trump administration. Compared to whom? John Bolton, the rabid neocon serving as
national security adviser? That would be the epitome of "condemning with faint praise."
With his ramrod-straight image, not to mention his warrior/scholar reputation extolled in
the media, Mattis was able to disguise the reality that he was, as Col. Andrew Bacevich
put it on
Democracy Now! this morning, "totally unimaginative." Meaning that Mattis was simply incapable
of acknowledging the self-destructive, mindless nature of U.S. "endless war" in the Middle
East, which candidate-Trump had correctly called "stupid." In his resignation letter, Mattis
also peddled the usual cant about the indispensable nation's aggression being good for the
world.
Mattis was an obstacle to Trump's desire to pull troops out of Syria and Afghanistan (and
remains in position to spike Trump's orders). Granted, the abrupt way Trump announced his
apparently one-man decision was equally stupid. But the withdrawal of ground troops is
supremely sane, and Mattis was and is a large problem. And, for good or ill, Trump -- not
Mattis -- was elected president.
Marine Wisdom
Historically, Marines are the last place to turn for sound advice. Marine Gen. Smedley
Butler (1881-1940), twice winner of the Medal of Honor, was brutally candid about this after he
paused long enough to realize, and write, "War is a Racket":
I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it. Like all members
of the military profession I never had an original thought until I left the service. My
mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of the higher-
ups. "
Shortly after another Marine general, former CENTCOM commander Anthony Zinni, retired, he
stood by silently as he personally watched then-Vice President Dick Cheney give his most
important speech ever (on August 26, 2002). Cheney blatantly lied about Iraq's (non-existent)
WMD, in order to grease the skids for the war of aggression against Iraq. Zinni had kept his
clearances and was "back on contract." He was well read-in on Iraq, and knew immediately that
Cheney was lying.
A few years later, Zinni admitted that he decided that his lips would be sealed. Far be it
for a Marine to play skunk at the picnic. And, after all, he was being honored that day at the
same Veterans of Foreign Wars convention where Cheney spoke. As seems clear now, Zinni was also
lusting after the lucrative spoils of war given to erstwhile generals who offer themselves for
membership on the corporate Boards of the arms makers/merchants that profiteer on war.
(For an earlier critique of senior Marines, see:
"Attacking Syria: Thumbing Noses at Constitution and Law." )
Marine officer, now Sen. Pat Roberts, R, Kansas, merits "dishonorable mention" in this
connection. He never rose to general but did become Chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee
at an auspicious time for Cheney and Bush. Roberts kowtowed, like a "good Marine," to their
crass deceit, when a dollop of honesty on his part could have prevented the 2003 attack on Iraq
and the killing, maiming, destruction, and chaos that continues to this day. Roberts knew all
about the fraudulent intelligence and covered it up -- together with other lies -- for as long
as he remained Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman
Scott Ritter on Pat Roberts
Roberts's unconscionable dereliction of duty enraged one honest Marine, Maj. Scott Ritter,
who believes "Semper Fi" includes an obligation to tell the truth on matters of war and peace.
Ritter, former UN chief weapons inspector for Iraq, who in April 2005 wrote, "Semper Fraud,
Senator Roberts," based partly on his own experience
with that complicit Marine.
Needless to say, higher ranking, more malleable Marines aped Zinni in impersonating Uncle
Remus's Tar Baby -- not saying nuttin'.
It is conceivable that yet another sharply-saluting Marine, departing Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford, may be tapped by Trump to take Mattis's job. If that happens,
it will add to President Trump's bizarre penchant for picking advisers hell-bent on frustrating
the objectives he espoused when he was running for office, some of which -- it is becoming
quite clear -- he genuinely wants to achieve.
Trump ought to unleash Mattis now, and make sure Mattis keeps his distance from the Pentagon
and the Military-Industrial Complex before he is asked to lead an insurrection against a highly
vulnerable president -- as Gen. Smedley Butler was asked to do back in the day. Butler said
no.
Top Photo | U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis, sits on stage during a change of command
ceremony at the U.S. Southern Command headquarters on Nov. 26, 2018, in Doral, Fla. Brynn
Anderson | AP
Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church
of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. He was an Army Infantry/Intelligence officer before
working as a CIA analyst for the next 27 years. Ray admits to a modicum of bias against Marine
officers, but not those with whom he worked back in the day. He is co-creator of Veteran
Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, which includes Marines who remember what Semper Fi
means.
Mahmoud HAm •
4 days ago ,
I am not so much surprised that military generals keep their mouths shot rather than tell
the truth when the truth is needed to avoid wars. But worse is that the US congress which are
supposed to overlook over the government misbehavior to make the government abide by the laws
and protect the interests of the people against government wrongs.
A case in point is when you hear members of congress criticize Trump decision to
withdraw the US army personals from Syria and Afganistan. These members forget that the US
army in Syria is in violation of international laws and US laws as well.
The congress are supposed the authority to declare war but the US is engaged in multiple
wars without US Congress authorization. Worse off these idiots want to force the Trump
administration to keep its illegal wars going on? What is the role of the congress??? To
correct and force the Administration to abide by the rule of laws of the force them to keep
violating international laws and US laws as well????
Felix Hoenikker
•
5 days ago ,
Trump's bizarre penchant for picking advisers hell-bent on frustrating the objectives
he espoused when he was running for office
It's bizarre that he's hired so many Bill Kristol approved neocons when they abandoned him
for Hillary in 2016. Or not so bizarre when one remembers what Russ Tice said about Cheney
using the NSA to get blackmail dirt. Now they've lost control, so it will be interesting to
see how they try to regain it.
Notable quotes:
"... The Defense Department under Mattis became more opaque and less accountable to the public and Congress. He presided over two years of shameful support for the Saudi coalition war on Yemen, and he went out of his way to offer absurd justifications for continued U.S. support for the war to the end of his tenure. ..."
"... No less than Secretary Pompeo, Mattis discredited himself in the desperate, unsuccessful effort to derail S.J.Res. 54. An administration that fights as hard as this has to keep the war on Yemen going is definitely not one interested in peace and restraint no matter what else happens. ..."
Secretary Mattis
has resigned :
Officials said Mr. Mattis went to the White House on Thursday afternoon with his
resignation letter already written, but nonetheless made a last attempt at persuading Mr.
Trump to reverse his decision about Syria, which the president announced on Wednesday over
the objections of his senior advisers.
Mr. Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, was rebuffed. Returning to the Pentagon,
he asked aides to print out 50 copies of his resignation letter and distribute them around
the building.
Mattis' departure from the administration after the midterms had been floated as a
possibility for months, but I don't think anyone seriously expected him to resign suddenly over
a policy disagreement with the president. It is telling and not to Mattis' credit that ending
an illegal war in Syria was the one policy disagreement with Trump that Mattis couldn't
stomach. The Defense Secretary had repeatedly disagreed with Trump on a range of issues, and he
usually lost the internal debate. The only times that he prevailed with Trump were when he
advised him to escalate ongoing U.S. wars, and his influence had waned enough that he couldn't
get his way on that, either. I was extremely
skeptical that a Syria withdrawal would actually happen. Now that Mattis has tried and
failed to reverse that decision, I have to acknowledge that I overestimated the ability of
Trump's advisers to change his mind.
The Defense Department under Mattis became more opaque and less accountable to the
public and Congress. He presided over two years of shameful support for the Saudi coalition war
on Yemen, and he went out of his way to offer absurd justifications for continued U.S. support
for the war to the end of his tenure. The disagreement over Syria will dominate coverage
of Mattis' resignation, but it is important to remember that when it came to the most
indefensible U.S.-backed war he and Trump were always on the same page. No less than
Secretary Pompeo, Mattis discredited himself in the desperate, unsuccessful effort to derail
S.J.Res. 54. An administration that fights as hard as this has to keep the war on Yemen going
is definitely not one interested in peace and restraint no matter what else happens.
As wrong as Mattis was on a number of foreign policy issues, there is a real danger that his
successor could be far worse. Even if Trump doesn't nominate a Tom Cotton or Lindsey Graham,
the next Defense Secretary is very likely to be a yes-man in the mold of Mike Pompeo. Almost
every time that Trump has replaced his top national security officials, he has chosen someone
who will flatter and praise him instead of telling him the truth and giving him the best
advice.
The next Defense Secretary is less likely to resist Trump's belligerent tendencies, and he
is more likely to indulge the president's worst impulses. Just as Pompeo has proven to be a
worse Secretary of State than Tillerson, Mattis' successor will very likely prove to be an
inferior Secretary of Defense.
about:blank
Robert December 20,
2018 at 11:53 pm
How about Rand Paul as SecDef?
Farewells , says: December 21,
2018 at 12:46 am
You're right to fear what may replace him, especially after the disgusting Pompeo replaced
the decent but ineffectual Tillerson, but I'm glad Mattis is gone, especially if he quit over
the Syria decision, a no-brainer which should have been made two years ago.
It's hard to imagine anyone being worse than he was. Sadly, we may not have to imagine
it.
another take , says: December 21,
2018 at 1:54 am
There's also the danger that the elites and establishment will now escalate their efforts to
remove him from office.
I've disagreed with Trump about many things, and I don't like the man, but I still trust
him more than the corrupt incompetents and foreign agents who dragged us into these Middle
East hellholes.
That is the terrible and ongoing damage that must be stopped.
But now that Trump has made a move in the direction of winding it down, you will almost
certainly see the fury and resentment of the elites and establishment redoubled. From their
point of view, the only thing worse than a Trump who doesn't keep his campaign promises is
one who does.
prodigalson , says: December 21,
2018 at 8:55 am
I'm still happy to see him go. Someone with the handle of "Mad Dog" is perhaps not the best
fit for national defense issues.
Agree his replacement will likely be worse but such seems to be the case for hardening our
pharoah's hearts.
Christian Chuba , says: December 21,
2018 at 9:09 am
His next appointee will be no better and more than likely worse, a crafty Neocon who will
bite their tongue when they disagree with Trump in order to remain so that he can encourage
his worst tendencies. Bolton is a stellar example of this.
If he appoints someone like Cotton or Gen Jack Keane then Trump will be the last adult in
the room.
Alex (the one that likes Ike) , says: December 21,
2018 at 1:49 pm
what this withdrawal means to the Kurds? Leaving them once again in the lurch?
Perhaps ceasing to deceive them with impossible promises given by both the previous
Democratic and the current Republican administrations?
Sid Finster , says: December 21,
2018 at 1:51 pm
My SWAG, and this is merely SWAG, is that, since his election, Trump has given the neocons
everything they wanted or asked for, but he still is allowed any freedom of action.
In spite of governing much like a garden variety Republican, his enemies are still looking
for any excuse to remove him.
This is Trump reminding his enemies that he can do lots of things to upset the apple cart,
so cut him some slack, already.
Notable quotes:
"... You want to know what those casualty numbers tell us? American forces in Syria, Afghanistan, or Iraq aren't going outside the wire – off American bases – very often. That's how you stay alive in places like Syria and Afghanistan. You stay away from places where things like IEDs can kill you. And even then, in the comparative safety of American bases, you're not safe, because there are enemy soldiers posing as "friendly" Afghan soldiers who will kill you. ..."
"... This is the nature of the conflicts we're engaged in. You take thousands of American soldiers and send them thousands of miles away from home into combat zones in foreign lands, and you have them do as little as possible so not too many of them get killed. ..."
"... It pains me to say this, but Trump pulling 2,000 soldiers out of Syria and 7,000 soldiers out of Afghanistan is the right thing to do. It might be getting done by a certifiable loon with an orange muskrat on his head, but it's the right thing to do and it should have been done a long time ago. ..."
... ... ...
The arm-waving and hand-flapping and pearl-clutching in the foreign affairs and national
security "communities," not to mention in the Congress and among prominent Democrats, is
something to behold. Significant portions of all those communities have long thought we didn't
have any business being in Syria in the first place. Not to mention fighting our 17th year of
the so-called "war" in Afghanistan, from which Trump intends to remove some 7,000 American
troops...
More than 2,400 American soldiers dead in Afghanistan so far. More than 30,000
Afghan civilians killed. Sixty percent of Afghan districts under control of the Taliban. Opium
production at an "all-time high." Dozens, sometimes hundreds of Afghan soldiers killed every
single week. You thought Vietnam was a misbegotten military misadventure? How about 17 years in
Afghanistan with no end in sight? Hell, opium production was said to be at an "all-time high"
when I was in the Kunar River Valley in Afghanistan in 2004. That's 14 years ago, 14 years
of record-setting opium crops!
And what are the pundits saying about our military foray into the morass called Syria?
Listen to what I heard from one "expert" on MSNBC yesterday.
"Syria is a very winnable proposition," this numbskull said, looking gravely at the other
"experts" at the table. "The U.S. presence is actually very small numbers." Two thousand is the
"very small number" this blazer-and-tie wearing "expert" was talking about as he reached for
his "I'm a Pundit on the Katy Tur Show" cup and went on to blather about how "winnable" Syria
is.
Let me tell you what 2,000 soldiers is. It's about the size of a brigade, commanded by a
full colonel. A brigade is typically three to five battalions of 500 to 1,000 soldiers,
commanded by lieutenant colonels. Battalions are made up of three to five companies with around
200 soldiers, commanded by captains. Companies comprise three to four platoons of 40 to 100
soldiers, commanded by second lieutenants. So 2,000 soldiers is about 30 to 40 platoons of
soldiers. I used to command a platoon. I was 22 years old. There were about 40 soldiers in my
platoon. Let me tell you, taking care of 40 soldiers was a big fucking job, and we weren't even
in combat.
Taking care of 2,000 soldiers in a place like Syria with bullets flying and IEDs going off
is a huge fucking job. Taking care of 14,000 soldiers, like we currently have in Afghanistan,
or 7,000 which we'll have when Trump gets finished with his draw-down, is a massive fucking
job.
... ... ...
And now Trump's Last General's feelings are all hurt, because he wasn't consulted about
pulling 2,000 troops out of Syria or 7,000 troops out of Afghanistan. What were those troops
doing in Syria? We don't know, and I don't think Mattis had much of an idea what they were
doing, either.
We can get some idea what they're doing by the number of casualties American forces have
suffered in both places. An American soldier was killed in Manbij, Syria, by a roadside bomb in
March of this year. He was the fourth American killed in Syria since our forces entered the
country in 2014. There have been 18 Americans killed in Afghanistan this year. Eleven were
killed there last year. About half of those killed in Afghanistan have been so-called
"green-on-green" killings, incidents where "friendly" Afghans killed American soldiers, usually
on American bases.
You want to know what those casualty numbers tell us? American forces in Syria,
Afghanistan, or Iraq aren't going outside the wire – off American bases – very
often. That's how you stay alive in places like Syria and Afghanistan. You stay away from
places where things like IEDs can kill you. And even then, in the comparative safety of
American bases, you're not safe, because there are enemy soldiers posing as "friendly" Afghan
soldiers who will kill you.
This is the nature of the conflicts we're engaged in. You take thousands of American
soldiers and send them thousands of miles away from home into combat zones in foreign lands,
and you have them do as little as possible so not too many of them get killed.
It pains me to say this, but Trump pulling 2,000 soldiers out of Syria and 7,000
soldiers out of Afghanistan is the right thing to do. It might be getting done by a certifiable
loon with an orange muskrat on his head, but it's the right thing to do and it should have been
done a long time ago.
Advertisement:
All the talk you're hearing about how we've got to have American forces in this desert or
that mountainous no-man's land as a "counterbalance" to countries like Russia and Iran is
lip-flapping twaddle from the kind of "experts" who got us involved in Iraq, Syria, and
Afghanistan in the first place. They are the same "experts" you didn't hear a peep from when
Mattis stood loyally by Trump as he virtually capitulated to Vladimir Putin in Helsinki,
trashed NATO every chance he got, and sat down for Nuclear Kimchi with Kim Jong Un. Now Mattis
is all "maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies" in his resignation
letter. Talk about a day late and a dollar short, he should call Angela Merkel and ask her how
much "respect" she's felt from the United States lately.
You want to know who can stop the resident of the adult day care center in the White House?
It wasn't Adult in the Room General McMaster. It wasn't Adult in the Room General Kelly. It
wasn't Adult in the Room General Mattis. And it's sure as hell not going to be somebody like
Secretary of Defense Kushner, or whoever the hell Trump decides he's going to sentence to a
padded cell on the E-Ring in the Pentagon next.
Trump can be stopped by Congress. The Congress can cut the funding for our misbegotten
misadventures in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. It can refuse to fund the laughable wall along
our 1,900 mile border with Mexico that Trump apparently thinks 6,000 soldiers can guard in the
meantime. And Congress can impeach and convict Trump's insane clown ass for conspiring with a
foreign nation to defraud the United States of America. Congress can do all of this if
Republicans will stop bowing down before the Orange Hair Helmet and start looking out for the
United States of America.
I
told you before that Trump's generals wouldn't save us , and they sure as hell haven't, not
even Mad Dog Mattis, who's now being lauded as the only thing standing between us and the total
collapse of the Western World.
Just between you and me, we'll wake up tomorrow morning, and even with The Last Adult in the
Room on his way out the door, the Western World will still be here, and so will Trump. Trust
me.
Lucian K. Truscott IV
Lucian K. Truscott IV, a graduate of West Point, has had a 50-year career as a journalist,
novelist and screenwriter. He has covered stories such as Watergate, the Stonewall riots and
wars in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also the author of five bestselling novels and
several unsuccessful motion pictures. He has three children, lives on the East End of Long
Island and spends his time Worrying About the State of Our Nation and madly scribbling in a
so-far fruitless attempt to Make Things Better. He can be followed on Facebook at The Rabbit
Hole and on Twitter @LucianKTruscott.
Notable quotes:
"... Defense Secretary James "Mad Dog" Mattis resigned from his position effective February 28. He disagreed with the president's decision. It was the second time in five years that an elected commander in chief had a serious conflict with Mattis' hawkishness. President Obama fired him as Central Command chief for urging a more aggressive Iran policy. Mattis is also extremely hawkish towards Russia and China. ..."
"... Mattis is an ingrained imperialist. He always asked for more money for the military and for more meddling abroad. One of Mattis' little notice acts as Defense Secretary was a unannounced change in the mission of the Pentagon : ..."
"... The Pentagon no longer "deters war" but provides "lethal force" to "sustain American influence abroad." There was no public nor congressional debate about the change. I doubt that President Trump agreed to it. Trump will now try to recruit a defense secretary that is more aligned with his own position. ..."
"... Associated Press ..."
"... Trump did not "capitulate". He always wanted to pull the U.S. troops out of Syria. He said so many times. When he was finally given a chance to do so, he grabbed the opportunity. Erdogan though, was not ready for that: ..."
"... Erdogan had planned to only occupy a 10 miles deep strip along the Syrian-Turkish border. Some 15,000 Turkish controlled 'Syrian rebels' stand ready for that. He would need some 50-100,000 troops to occupy all of east Syria northward of the Euphrates. It would be a hostile occupation among well armed Kurds who would oppose it and an Arab population that is not exactly friendly towards a neo-Ottoman Turkey. ..."
"... Any larger occupation of northeast Syria would create a serious mess for Turkey. Its army can do it, but it would cost a lot of casualties and financial resources. Turkey will hold local government election in March and Erdogan does not want any negative headlines. He will invade, but only if Syria and Russia fail to get the Kurds under control. ..."
"... 'The Pentagon's official website now defines its mission this way: "The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide a lethal Joint Force to defend the security of our country and sustain American influence abroad."' ..."
"... '"We had decided last week to launch a military incursion... east of the Euphrates river," he said in a speech in Istanbul'. So much for the UN Charter, then. Anyone who wants to can invade any other country and take over as much of its territory as he wants to - as long as Washington agrees. But, as Saddam Hussein could testify if he were still alive, it would be sensible to get such consent in writing. ..."
"... Macron's forces are illegally present too. Assad would have to request their presence, but I really doubt he will given the harm France has done to Syria over the past 7 years. Word is SAA's Tiger Forces will get sent East of Euphrates; when is now the question. ..."
"... One's got to worry about who will replace Mad Dog Mattis after February 28 next year. It would seem that whoever succeeds Mattis will be another former general, likely to share his views on maintaining and increasing US forces in Syria, Iraq and other parts of western Asia ..."
"... Compared to Mattis, Pompeo and Bolton, and now Nauert at the UN, are raving jingos. Thank Gord they have no ties to the US military. ..."
"... "there also a contingent of 1,100 French troops"... You can hear me laughing after reading this. The French empire was over a long long time ago and they still think that Syria is their colony. France has been sending French Jihadists for regime change in Syria since 2011 and their mission has failed since Russia intervened in 2015. France cannot even send troops to Mali - destabilized by Jihadists created by France in Libya to topple Kadhafi, without the help of the US!!! France is a de-facto vassal state of the US since they decided to joined the NATO central command under Sarkozy who was bribed by the zionist neocons. ..."
"... I personally distinguish between Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and his move to withdraw partially from Afghanistan. The latter is a step towards ending a brutal, illegal NATO occupation war of over 17 years. The former is also illegal but the Syrian Kurds (left wing and largely communist) are likely to be supplanted as counters to "Iran" by fascists Turkey and Israel (this has been confirmed in reports), so we're moving from tactical NATO proxies to actual NATO governments seizing Syrian land. ..."
Fallout Of Trump's Syria Withdrawal - Why Erdogan Does Not Want To Invade uuu
, Dec 21, 2018 1:37:31 PM |
link
President Trump's
strategic decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria creates some significant fallout.
The U.S. and international borg is enraged that Trump ends an occupation that is illegal
under international as well as U.S. domestic law. "That's un-American!"
Defense Secretary James "Mad Dog" Mattis
resigned from his position effective February 28. He disagreed with the president's
decision. It was the second time in five years that an elected commander in chief had a
serious conflict with Mattis' hawkishness. President Obama
fired him as Central Command chief for urging a more aggressive Iran policy. Mattis is
also
extremely hawkish towards Russia and China.
President Trump campaigned on lessening U.S. involvement in wars abroad. He wants to get
reelected. He does not need a Secretary of Defense that involves him in more wars that have
little to none defined purpose.
Mattis is an ingrained imperialist. He always asked for more money for the military
and for more meddling abroad. One of Mattis' little notice acts as Defense Secretary was a
unannounced change in the mission of the Pentagon :
For at least two decades, the Department of Defense has explicitly defined its mission on
its website as providing "the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the
security of our country." But earlier this year, it quietly changed that statement, perhaps
suggesting a more ominous approach to national security.
...
The Pentagon's official website now defines its mission this way: "The mission of the
Department of Defense is to provide a lethal Joint Force to defend the security of our
country and sustain American influence abroad."
The Pentagon no longer "deters war" but provides "lethal force" to "sustain American
influence abroad." There was no public nor congressional debate about the change. I doubt
that President Trump agreed to it. Trump will now try to recruit a defense secretary that is
more aligned with his own position.
The White House also announced that 7,000 of the 14,000 soldier the U.S. has in
Afghanistan will
withdraw over the next few months. The war in Afghanistan is lost with the Taliban ruling
over more than half of the country and the U.S. supported government forces losing more
personal than they can recruit. It was Mattis who had urged Trump to increase the troop
numbers in Afghanistan from 10,000 to 14,000 at the beginning of his term. There are also
8,000 NATO and allied troops in Afghanistan which will likely see a proportional
withdrawal.
The Associated Press has a
new tic toc of Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria:
Trump stunned his Cabinet, lawmakers and much of the world with the move by rejecting the
advice of his top aides and agreeing to a withdrawal in a phone call with Turkish President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week, two officials briefed on the matter said.
...
"The talking points were very firm," said one of the officials, explaining that Trump was
advised to clearly oppose a Turkish incursion into northern Syria and suggest the U.S. and
Turkey work together to address security concerns. "Everybody said push back and try to
offer (Turkey) something that's a small win, possibly holding territory on the border,
something like that."
Erdogan, though, quickly put Trump on the defensive, reminding him that he had
repeatedly said the only reason for U.S. troops to be in Syria was to defeat the Islamic
State and that the group had been 99 percent defeated. "Why are you still there?" the
second official said Erdogan asked Trump, telling him that the Turks could deal with the
remaining IS militants.
...
Erdogan's point, Bolton was forced to admit, had been backed up by Mattis, Pompeo, U.S.
special envoy for Syria Jim Jeffrey and special envoy for the anti-ISIS coalition Brett
McGurk, who have said that IS retains only 1 percent of its territory, the officials
said.
...
Bolton stressed, however, that the entire national security team agreed that victory over
IS had to be enduring, which means more than taking away its territory.
Trump was not dissuaded, according to the officials, who said the president quickly
capitulated by pledging to withdraw, shocking both Bolton and Erdogan.
Trump did not "capitulate". He always wanted to pull the U.S. troops out of Syria. He
said so many times. When he was finally given a chance to do so, he grabbed the opportunity.
Erdogan though, was not ready for that:
Caught off guard, Erdogan cautioned Trump against a hasty withdrawal , according to one
official. While Turkey has made incursions into Syria in the past, it does not have the
necessary forces mobilized on the border to move in and hold the large swaths of
northeastern Syria where U.S. troops are positioned , the official said.
The call ended with Trump repeating to Erdogan that the U.S. would pull out , but
offering no specifics on how it would be done, the officials said.
bigger
Erdogan had planned to only occupy a 10 miles deep strip along the Syrian-Turkish
border. Some 15,000 Turkish controlled 'Syrian rebels' stand ready for that. He would need
some 50-100,000 troops to occupy all of east Syria northward of the Euphrates. It would be a
hostile occupation among well armed Kurds who would oppose it and an Arab population that is
not exactly friendly towards a neo-Ottoman Turkey.
Erdogan knows this well. Today he announced to
delay the planned invasion :
"We had decided last week to launch a military incursion... east of the Euphrates river,"
he said in a speech in Istanbul. "Our phone call with President Trump, along with contacts
between our diplomats and security officials and statements by the United States, have led
us to wait a little longer.
"We have postponed our military operation against the east of the Euphrates river until
we see on the ground the result of America's decision to withdraw from Syria."
The Turkish president said, however, that this was not an "open-ended waiting
period".
Any larger occupation of northeast Syria would create a serious mess for Turkey. Its
army can do it, but it would cost a lot of casualties and financial resources. Turkey will
hold local government election in March and Erdogan does not want any negative headlines. He
will invade, but only if Syria and Russia fail to get the Kurds under control.
Unfortunately the leaders of the anarcho-marxist PKK/YPK in Syria have still not learned
their lesson. They make the same demands to Damascus that were already rejected when similar
demands were made for Afrin canton before Turkey invaded and destroyed it.
agitpapa @agitpapa 11:14 utc - 21 Dec 2018
YPG delegation was flown in to Mezzeh yday. Negos were inconclusive because they just
repeated their usual line of "SAA protects the border, we control the rest." No army allows
someone else allied with an enemy to control its rear and its supply lines. +
+ The YPG leadership is still stuck in its pro-Western rut. It needs to be purged before
any deal can be made with Damascus. Their present track will just lead to another Afrin,
then another, then another. Thousands of brave YPG/YPJ fighters will have died for nothing.
Elijah J. Magnier @ejmalrai - 16:31 utc - 21 Dec 2018
#Breakingnews: Private sources : President Bashar al Assad has rejected the Kurdish
proposal while Turkey is gathering forces (Euphrates Shield et al) to attack the Kurdish
controlled area north of #Syria. #Russia seems holding back president Erdogan for a while.
A lot of pressure
It is not (only) Russia that is holding Erdogan back. As seen above he has serious
concerns about such an operation. Moreover, he does not have enough troops yet and the U.S.
troops have not yet changed their pattern. As of today they still patrolled on the Turkish
border and yesterday new U.S. war material was
still coming in from Iraq. Erdogan does not dare to attack U.S. troops.
He will most likely want to avoid any additional military involvement in Syria. If
Damascus and Moscow can get the PKK under control, Ankara will be satisfied.
Besides the presence of 4,000 to 5,000 U.S. troops and contractors in northeast Syria
there also a contingent of 1,100 French troops and an unknown number of British forces.
France for now says
it wants to stay to finish the fight against the Islamic State enclave along the
Euphrates.
But France does not have the capability to sustain those forces without U.S. support.
Syria and Russia could ask Macron to put them under their command to finish the fight against
ISIS, but it is doubtful that President Macron would agree to that. It is more likely that he
will agree to a handover of their position to Russian, Syrian or even Iraqi or Iranian
forces. Those forces can then finish the fight.
Posted by b on December 21, 2018 at 01:09 PM |
Permalink
Comments
next page " Some of the conclusions toward the end of this article don't entirely
make sense to me. Trump is withdrawing 2000-4000 US troops. Why does it follow that their
absence would create a space requiring 50000 Turkish troops to fill? I don't see how
occupation of the entire eastern would be under consideration at all.
As far as IS is concerned, their defeat will be "enduring" when their sponsors stop paying
them, first of all.
Guy Thornton , Dec 21, 2018 1:38:25 PM |
link
Mattis comes across to me as a psycho case of a suppressed faggot who has spent his life
trying to disprove and conceal the blatantly obvious. There we go...fairly succinct analysis.
Tobin Paz , Dec 21, 2018 1:44:44 PM |
link
The neo-liberal meltdown is astonishing, it's like the Iraq war never happened:
James Mattis Is a War Criminal: I Experienced His Attack on Fallujah Firsthand
More importantly, Mattis, known to some by the nickname of "Mad Dog," has shown a callous
disregard for human life, particularly civilians, as evidenced by his behavior leading
marines in Iraq, comments he made about enjoying fighting in Afghanistan because "it's fun
to shoot some people. You know, it's a hell of a hoot," and myriad other problems.
...
While reporting from inside Fallujah during that siege, I personally witnessed women,
children, elderly people and ambulances being targeted by US snipers under Mattis' command.
Needless to say, all of these are war crimes.
Russ , Dec
21, 2018 1:46:37 PM |
link
For at least two decades, the Department of Defense has explicitly defined its mission on
its website as providing "the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security
of our country." But earlier this year, it quietly changed that statement, perhaps suggesting
a more ominous approach to national security.
...
The Pentagon's official website now defines its mission this way: "The mission of the
Department of Defense is to provide a lethal Joint Force to defend the security of our
country and sustain American influence abroad."
At least Mattis is more honest than most of his fellow psychopath war criminals.
If the AP account is factually accurate (i.e. leaving aside the tendentious pro-imperial,
pro-war editorializing), then it's funny how fast Erdogan goes from "What are you doing here?
Why don't you leave?" to "I didn't mean now!" He was probably angling for something else and
didn't really want US withdrawal.
As for the French, what a contemptible squeak from a government on the ropes trying to
look tough.
Never Mind the Bollocks , Dec 21, 2018 1:48:37 PM |
link
It's the
US imperialism that has been defeated in Syria, but it's now gathering forces to go after
Iran
Sally Snyder , Dec 21, 2018 1:49:03 PM |
link
Here is a look at how the United States is putting a mechanism in place that will increase
its ability to sell arms around the world:
https://viableopposition.blogspot.com/2018/11/american-international-arms-sales-and.html
The hawks in Washington need not worry, there will be plenty of war to go around.
Tom Welsh , Dec 21, 2018 1:52:40 PM |
link
'The Pentagon's official website now defines its mission this way: "The mission of the
Department of Defense is to provide a lethal Joint Force to defend the security of our
country and sustain American influence abroad."'
I wonder whether, perchance, the Chief Executive and Commander in Chief should have been
consulted about that. Traditionally, US Presidents have had some considerable say in defining
the country's foreign policy.
Although one could interpret the change as being wholly in tune with Mr Trump's overriding
policy of transparent honesty. After all, as long ago as 1900 - on the evidence of Marin
Major-General Smedley Butler - we know that the US armed forces were used almost exclusively
to promote American interests abroad. Maybe it's just refreshingly open to admit it at
last.
Tom Welsh , Dec 21, 2018 1:54:45 PM |
link
"Trump stunned his Cabinet, lawmakers and much of the world with the move by rejecting the
advice of his top aides..."
Please remind me: who was elected in 2016 - Mr Trump, or "his top aides"?
lysias , Dec 21, 2018 1:54:56 PM |
link
When David Ignatius reported that Mattis's bedtime reading was Marcus Aurelius in the
original Latin, who was responsible for the mistake? (Marcus Aurelius wrote in Greek.)
Ignatius, an aide of Mattis's, or Mattis himself?
Tom Welsh , Dec 21, 2018 1:57:50 PM |
link
"While Turkey has made incursions into Syria in the past, it does not have the necessary
forces mobilized on the border to move in and hold the large swaths of northeastern Syria
where U.S. troops are positioned, the official said".
Splendid! Let them hand it back to the lawfully elected democratic government of Syria,
then.
Tom Welsh , Dec 21, 2018 2:00:51 PM |
link
'"We had decided last week to launch a military incursion... east of the Euphrates river," he
said in a speech in Istanbul'.
So much for the UN Charter, then. Anyone who wants to can invade any other country and
take over as much of its territory as he wants to - as long as Washington agrees. But, as Saddam Hussein could testify if he were still alive, it would be sensible to get
such consent in writing.
james , Dec 21, 2018 2:14:27 PM |
link
thanks b... who replaces the war criminal mattis? and when does any american get charged in
the hague for the countless wars they start? how long do we have to wait for this to happen?
the fact he changed the wording is at least more honest, so i give him credit for that... he
could have said 'we are the worlds policeman, and we will continue to be the worlds policeman
too' which would have been equally appropriate...
one thing i do like about trump is his ability to surprise... he could have done this
earlier in his term - pull out of syria - but i guess he was waiting to see how things
went... as it stands i think the knifes are out for trump big time now, and i suspect he is
not going to last as president.. someone else mentioned this on the previous thread, and i
agree with that assessment..
at some point in the next month, it is going to look different if USA follows thru with
the commanders new position... meanwhile Russia has to continue to keep turkey on a leash and
Syria, Russia and Iran have to continue to work at regaining the area east of the Euphrates
as this unfolds... the leadership in France at this point are loony... the smart thing for
them would be to leave or hand it over to syria/ russia...
karlof1 , Dec 21, 2018 2:21:14 PM |
link
Macron's forces are illegally present too. Assad would have to request their presence, but I
really doubt he will given the harm France has done to Syria over the past 7 years. Word is
SAA's Tiger Forces will get sent East of Euphrates; when is now the question.
Rolling-back the Outlaw US Empire's overseas troop deployments and shuttering their bases
is something I've argued for since I was honorably discharged in 1985, with the monies turned
to desperate domestic needs -- the financial statement may declare the USA the world's richest
nation, but reality tells a very different story. That reality got Trump elected. The
haphazard, laissez-faire, unplanned structural nature of the USA's economy is in no way
prepared for the rising technological revolution, which is in stark contrast to China and
Russia's plans. The most important message Putin delivered in his annual meeting yesterday
was about the whys and hows of changing the structure of Russia's economy:
"I have said it on numerous occasions, and I will repeat it today. We need a breakthrough.
We need to transition to a new technological paradigm. Without it, the country has no
future . This is a matter of principle, and we have to be clear on this....
" Healthcare, education, research and human capital come first, since without them
there is no way a breakthrough can be achieved . The second vector deals with
manufacturing and the economy. Of course, everything is related to the economy, including the
first part. But the second part is directly linked to the economy, since it deals with the
digital economy, robotics, etc. I have already mentioned infrastructure....
"But we will not be able to achieve the GDP growth rates necessary for this breakthrough
unless the structure of the economy is changed. This is what the national projects are aimed
at, and why such enormous funds will be invested, which I have already said – to
change the structure and build an innovation-based economy . The Government is counting
on this, because if this happens, and we should all work towards this, then the growth rates
will increase and there will be other opportunities for development." [My Emphasis]
200 million residents of the USA--2/3s of the populous--also need a breakthrough, which is
why the Green New Deal has such
widespread support : "The survey results show overwhelming support for the Green New
Deal, with 81% of registered voters saying they either 'strongly support' (40%) or 'somewhat
support' (41%) this plan." IMO, domestic political pressure generally supports Trump's MAGA,
but the monies need to come from somewhere, and that somewhere is from the Outlaw US Empire
part of the USA.
lysias , Dec 21, 2018 2:25:14 PM |
link
It was only a couple of years after de Gaulle returned to power in 1958 that it became clear
that he was going to pull out of Algeria.
Jen , Dec 21, 2018 2:36:37 PM |
link
One's got to worry about who will replace Mad Dog Mattis after February 28 next year. It
would seem that whoever succeeds Mattis will be another former general, likely to share his
views on maintaining and increasing US forces in Syria, Iraq and other parts of western Asia
where they're despised by the local people, and perhaps not averse to sounding out good ol'
Erik Prince to fill the vacancies left when US troops start leaving.
Krishnadev Calamur, "Four People Who Could Be the Next Defense Secretary"
https://www.theatlantic.com/amp/article/578809/ Good God, not David Petraeus!
CD Waller , Dec 21, 2018 2:51:41 PM |
link
Tom Welsh. It's my understanding that the Constitution states that foreign policy IS the job
of the President. This Congress doesn't seem to have gotten the memo and though strictly a
legislative body, have engaged in some pretty spectacular over reach.The Constitution also puts an elected civilian (the President) in charge of the armed forces
but put the power to declare war firmly in the hands of Congress.
The 1973 War Powers act has obscured this division of power. The President can order troops
anywhere for a short time but must get an Authorization for Military Force from Congress.
However, this is supposed to only in the case of attack or imminent danger, hardly the case
in the ME.
Time limits on AFMF are often ignored and Congressional! purse strings almost never limit
(exception: at the end of Viet Nam Congress was about to cut funding) any and all military
adventurism.
Don Bacon , Dec 21, 2018 2:52:31 PM |
link
@ karlof1 14
Healthcare, education, research and human capital come first, since without them there is
no way a breakthrough can be achieved.
It would seem to me that if US politicians really cared about their job performance they
would be working more on your "human capital" and less on warfare and Russian collusion. But
there's no money in that, so they don't. So much for "democracy." Here's a recent article on
a US achieved "breakthrough," in a negative sense that is.
WaPo, Nov 29
Life expectancy in the United States declined again in 2017, the government said Thursday
in a bleak series of reports that showed a nation still in the grip of escalating drug and
suicide crises.
The data continued the longest sustained decline in expected life span at birth in a
century, an appalling performance not seen in the United States since 1915 through 1918.
That four-year period included World War I and a flu pandemic that killed 675,000 people in
the United States and perhaps 50 million worldwide.
Public health and demographic experts reacted with alarm to the release of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention's annual statistics, which are considered a reliable
barometer of a society's health. In most developed nations, life expectancy has marched
steadily upward for decades. . .
here
Kevin J Quinn , Dec 21, 2018 2:53:40 PM |
link
Compared to Mattis, Pompeo and Bolton, and now Nauert at the UN, are raving jingos. Thank
Gord they have no ties to the US military.
uncle tungsten , Dec 21, 2018 3:02:58 PM |
link
Mattis could not, would not accept responsibility for the misappropriated 21 trillion dollars
at HIS defence department. Kick him out. He was always a moron and demonstrated his arrogant
dismissal of the elected president almost every day. $21 trillion buys a lot of MAGA.
ConfusedPundit , Dec 21, 2018 3:05:43 PM |
link
Kurdish population in Syria is only 5% whereas the land they now control is 30% of the
country thanks to the democratic EUSA nations?
They can no longer feed the ISIS inmates (they'll end up in France or Germany or elsewhere
undertaking new projects?) since Khashoggi case (or Mr. Erdogan who caught the Saudis by
their balls) made Saudis quit financing the YPG. Almost all ISIS inmates left in Syria are
from abroad (they had been released from Libyan, Afghan, Iraqi prisons en mass at the
beginning of the war and are ready for relocation?
Will the globalists controlled China arrive to rebuild what the US demolitionmen destroyed
in Syria?
Who founded (USrael?) ISIS and made them lose water and oil rich territories in Syria to
the PKK/YPG/SDF and what are they planning to do now?
Hoarsewhisperer , Dec 21, 2018 3:09:39 PM |
link
It'd be funny if Trump appointed Tulsi Gabbard to the post of DefSec.
I don't know much about her except that she's definitely very cute and probably isn't a
pushover. If the glowing praise of her MoA fans is any guide then she'd do a better job than
any recent appointment to the role and would then become a shoe-in for POTUS. If that came to
pass then 'Hillary Who?' would become part of America's Permanent Lexicon.
karlof1 , Dec 21, 2018 3:26:44 PM |
link
Don Bacon @18--
Thanks for your reply! Yes, the financialization and industrial hollowing-out of the USA's
economy renders following the path being broken by Russia/China very difficult, but the
projected outcome will be dire if the economy isn't radically restructured and the fake
economists and their financial predators aren't driven from the Temple by modern
Tribunes.
Meanwhile, shrouded by the Trump/Mattis circus,
Turkey & Iran held an "historic summit" that likely had an impact on Trump's decision
as everywhere he looks his previous foreign policy choices driven by his neocon advisors are
mostly backfiring.
Robert Snefjella , Dec 21, 2018 3:35:04 PM |
link
Re US president and foreign policy:
The language of the US Constitution gives the President the power to make treaties and
choose Ambassadors, in consultation with and with the consent (2/3 majority) of the Senate.
Also, President is Commander-in-Chief of the military. This includes state militias if
formed. He also receives political figures from abroad.
Like so much else in the US Constitution, there has been creepy or 'necessary' or when
it's handy mission creep in regard to these delineated functions.
But more to the point, the US is and has long been a serial de facto repudiator of the US
Constitution and of International law. 'Let us discuss the fine points of law pertaining to
the repeated launching of wars of aggression on the basis of lies.'
karlof1 , Dec 21, 2018 3:37:58 PM |
link
CD Waller @17 and others never having taken a US Civics course--
This essay
details how the separation of powers construct works in the formulation of US foreign
policy.
Hoarsewhisperer , Dec 21, 2018 3:39:00 PM |
link
Forgive the levity but here's Hillary's theme song.
Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh)
Pretending that I'm doing well (ooh ooh)
My need is such I pretend too much
I'm lonely but no one can tell.
Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh)
Adrift in a world of my own (ooh ooh)
I play the game but to my real shame
You've left me to dream all alone.
Too real is this feeling of make believe
Too real when I feel what my heart can't conceal
Ooh ooh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh)
Just laughing and gay like a clown (ooh ooh)
I seem to be what I'm not (you see)
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that I'm still around.
(stiill a rounnd)
michael smith , Dec 21, 2018 3:49:49 PM |
link
If the U.S. withdraws its forces from NE Syria who will control the air space. That will
likely determine who controls the territory in the future. I don't think the Kurds have an
airforce.
mls
financial matters , Dec 21, 2018 4:13:46 PM |
link
karlof1 @ 14
"""But we will not be able to achieve the GDP growth rates necessary for this breakthrough
unless the structure of the economy is changed. This is what the national projects are aimed
at, and why such enormous funds will be invested, which I have already said – to change
the structure and build an innovation-based economy. The Government is counting on this,
because if this happens, and we should all work towards this, then the growth rates will
increase and there will be other opportunities for development."""
Similar sentiments are expressed by Rhiana Gunn-Wright.
After Sanders lost the Democratic primary in 2016 a group called 'Brand New Congress'
formed to carry on his ideas. This morphed into 'Justice Democrats' which helped
Ocasio-Cortez get elected. She is serving as a lightning rod giving the Green New Deal
popularity.
Rhiana Gunn-Wright is a young energetic and talented policy wonk working for 'New
Consensus' which is a spin off of the 'Justice Democrats'.
She is being tasked with forming policy for the Green New Deal.
'Again, the GND is not just climate policy. It's about transforming the economy, lifting
up the poor and middle class, and creating a more muscular, active public sector.
The GND "opens an opportunity to renegotiate power relationships between the public
sector, the private sector, and the people," says Gunn-Wright. "We are interested in
solutions that create more democratic structures in our economy.'
green new deal explained
slit , Dec 21, 2018 4:16:39 PM |
link
Thanks to b for stellar continued coverage!
$21 Trillion + "interests abroad" DoD mission creep
>>
Silicon Valley hot air equity ($150,000 starting salaries for fresh graduates) on cash flow
only digital assetts
+ offshore oligarch accounts (kkr et al)
I found it helpful to take stock of reported conditions surrounding the troops out
move:
* ksa reportedly going bankrupt
* ksa reneges on golden glow globe sword dance MIC mou-s
* failed israeli missile attempt to start wwiii & ensuing s300 reinforcements
* kashoggi and related muslim brotherhood entanglements
* clinton foundation in DC "hearings" censored by msm
* continued censorship of Awan bros Blackberry scandal (espionage?)
* Cricket hero Khan batting for Pakistan
* Huawei affair
* Bibi & family corruption scandal
Trump has a keen eye for ratings, and surely knows giving the deplorables (private
contractors, self employeds etc) trying to rub two pennies together gasoline under $3/gallon
in the holiday season will mean much more to the public than Cnn Russiagate drivel working
people have no time for anyway. Keeping armed forces rank and file happy and re purposing for
disaster relief would be a good move.
Karlof1 is correct to make the most of the narrative. Glad b is on it. Hope troops arent
cleared for nuclear Armeggedon!
Josh , Dec 21, 2018 4:23:57 PM |
link
@mls The US currently does not control Syrian airspace. The Russians do, ever since they
switched from using the existing old Syrian S200 to the current advanced model S300, after
the downing of their plane by the Israeli interference.
This was probably another factor that made operating in Syria increasingly problematic and
handicapped: options of 'punishing Assad' or bombing mobile Iranian units were limited if
they didn't want to coordinate with the Russians.
The Syrians now have to amass a large contingent to 'control' the Kurdish area; likely the
Russians will be go-between to lower Kurdish demands as well as placate the SAA and achieve
some kind of tense co-existence which can keep Turkey satisfied.
Interesting to see how Syria will handle both wanting to mop up Idlib as well as re-establish
control over the North-East and its oil wells.
Noirette , Dec 21, 2018 4:29:57 PM |
link
I read that Trump did not inform Netanyahu of the USA's Syria 'withdrawal' until about an
hour before it was made public via tweet. Five mins! according to another article. Also, that
Trump did discuss it with B.N. several days before (Haaretz), that sounded like a smoothing
over. Another article claimed that it was Pompeo who clued in Israel a short while before. So
who knows?
Right from the first time they met, Bibi was terrified of Trump, though I could not find
one telling vid. I saw.
Feb. 15 2017.
Trump today said that he is keeping his options open about how best to reach a peaceful
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian situation but urged Israel to hold back on settlement
building in occupied territories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmfseeZt5fA
President Trump veered from years of U.S. policy in the Middle East by backing off the
"two-state solution," as the only path to peace between Palestinians and Israelis.
https://youtu.be/Wf-3916zpGA
One article stated that Macron and Merkel learnt of the 'withdrawal' from the media! I
have noted that Macron is always very 'late' and 'behind the times' as far as the US is
concerned, obviously the F 'info' services have no clue, or he isn't kept informed, etc.
Not that there will be consequent 'fall-out' from either, for the moment. (Israel can only
go along, and the EU has more serious stuff on its plate.)
Pnyx , Dec 21, 2018 4:39:59 PM |
link
"If Damascus and Moscow can get the PKK under control, Ankara will be satisfied."
Well - let's hope Allah (or whoever) will enlighten Erdo...
steve , Dec 21, 2018 4:42:14 PM |
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First President since JFK to say no to the CIA. Lets see that SITRAP
Kadath , Dec 21, 2018 4:42:18 PM |
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Re: #3 Tobin Pa,
Yes, it's dispiriting, but not surprising that the anti-war "Left" movement has almost
totally dissolved following their failure to prevent the Iraq war. As a deeply cynical person
I'm certain that Hillary and the Clintonites worked behind the scenes in the DNC to undermine
the Anti-war movement in expectation of her eventual 2008 & 2016 runs, since she and Bill
supported the Iraq war and were no shrinking violets when it came to the use of military
force in furtherance of their foreign policy goals. The consequence of destroying the
Anti-war movement with the Democratic Party is that they have become a defacto Pro-war party
even in situations where the use of the military is blatantly illegal, futile and against the
National interest (since there is no organized Anti-war movement articulating why they should
not go to war/use military force to stand against the Military Industrial Complex that is
constantly advocating for more war). Hilariously, by becoming a Pro-war Party when the
American people are increasingly tired of constant warfare the Democratic Party lost the 2016
election to a mildly anti-war Trump, who will most likely be re-elected (unless he is
impeached or assassinated). In the long-term, unless the DNC faces up to the 30 years of
disastrous Clinton mismanagement and corruption and cleans house, I could certainty see the
Democratic Party collapsing over the next 15 years just like how the Labour Party in the UK
is still struggling with the legacy of Tony Blair.
What's really galling to me though is watching all these so called "liberals" (Cher, Beth
Midler, Rachael "Mad Cow" Maddow & Mia Farrow) whine about how the US should never leave
Syria and stay there indefinitely; Are they or their children going to be fighting this war?
Who gave the US such authority take seize parts of Syria? What exactly is the benefit to the
US & her people in doing all of this? How many hundreds of thousands people (mostly
Syrians) need to die for this ill-defined goal of spiting Syria & Russia? Just like the
destruction of the Anti-war left in the Democratic Party had long term consequences, people
will remember how Hollywood liberals behaved like jabbering, ignorant, warmongering
ideologues during this period of US decline and it will cause profound damage to them and
their professed causes.
stonebird , Dec 21, 2018 4:48:40 PM |
link
KarlofI@14 and Fin Matters @33
Nice thoughts, but I don't think you have the time.
"Worst December since the great depression"
Just look at the pictures (charts), and scroll down.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-12-21/fear-reaches-most-extreme-ever-traders-see-panic-air
....
Trump has a tactic of "giving people what they ask for" (eg Jerusalem). Just to break a
deadlock. This Syria gambit seems to be something of the same as Erdogan now gets what he has
been asking for - and finds he doesn't want it yet.
I still think that there will be a continued US presence in Syria, concentrated around the
Oil sources. The Agricultural lands further north were owned by "Arabic", Christian, Yadizi
and other various tribes and ethnies. The Kurds only made up a small portion.
One reason that Trump may have decided to throw the Kurds to the wolves, is that they were
overstretched, and not motivated enough to continue to be cannon fodder for Uncle Sam. The
SDF (Which incorporates some turncoat ISIS members, which partly explains why there has only
been slow "progress" against the last ISIS enclave in Eastern Syria, brother against
ex-brother), also contains foreign mercenaries from various sources. What they will "demand"
is open to question. The tribal forces in the SAA who are directly opposite contain members
of the Shaitah, who saw 700 of their women and children massacred by ISIS. They may want
their own land back too, as well as "payback".
The other reason for Trump to act now is that Flynn has been given three months in which
to change his guilty "plea". After which, Mueller will HAVE TO provide proof, and not just
accusations and people that have been blackmailed into "plea deals". Trump doesn't have too
much time left for subtle tweet-tweets before the Dems arrive. etc (big topic by itself)
.... By the way, OT; Butina was really "brain-washed". 67 days in solitary confinement
with all the recognised means of brainwashing used on her. Assault (including sexual) sleep
deprivation, continued stress (including randomly timed "strip searches") probably lighting
either permanently on or randomly used to destroy time awareness. There are other methods to
be included, and at a "key" break point, a "counsellor/handler will whisper sweet nothings in
hear ear to control her way of thinking ( I am NOT a specialist in Brainwashing, but the
outline of what she suffered, means that she will always repeat what she has been told to
say.) Real Brainwashing from the cold war era .
Red Ryder , Dec 21, 2018 5:09:03 PM |
link
b's statement regarding Turkey: "Its army can do it, but it would cost a lot of casualties
and financial resources."
During the entire war, Turkey's army has done not so much and not so well. Manbij, Afrin,
and where else? Well before the US presence with bases, the Turks could not hold their border
region from the Kurds.
They cannot impact deep anywhere. Their AF is not even as effective as Syria's, yet it is
a much better, more advanced arm of the military. It's special forces?
They are used to doing what NATO and US troops do. They murder civilians and massacre
opposition. They did little against ISIS which was a very fierce, mobile and effective
military.
They do have logistical advantage and can move heavy weapons for a siege. But they are a
set piece land force.
The Kurds also are quite overrated.
Erdogan knows that the notion of him holding the East is a pipedream. His FSA allies are
the weakest lot in Syria.
His real fighters are those in Idlib, al Nusra and the Uyghurs.
If he intends to hold land the US has marked out in the North-east and East, he will have
to move the headchoppers.
The Russians will annihilate them if they cross the zones in Idlib.
With the US vacuum the Syrians, Hezbollah, Quds, Iranian militias and the Russians will
complete the war.
The French and Brits say they are staying. They should write their Last Will letters. They
will be shot out of the sky and incinerated on the ground. Folly.
The pullouts from Syria and Afghanistan are severe blows to NATO as hegemonic shock
troops.
This time next year we will hear and see how Russia won and NATO is gone from Eurasia.
This is also an object lesson to those nations on Russia's periphery who are flirting with
the US, EU and NATO. Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan will have to recalculate.
Grieved , Dec 21, 2018 5:14:15 PM |
link
@b
I think we will see many more updates such as this one, showing us who's pushing back,
who's wavering, and who's simply blowing hot air. I could wish for better sources of the back
story than AP and Reuters, but we must wait for better analysis I think. I'm sure I'll see it
here first - thanks for your continued vigilance.
Meanwhile my guesses are that Trump holds the longest knife and will prevail in this
course. And that Erdogan is not faltering as the Reuters report implies, but is simply
letting players and forces adjust to the new situation. And that, regardless of the details
on the ground, the US flag has been struck in Syria, irreversibly. This is a geopolitical
milestone, and everything now changes from this.
mls , Dec 21, 2018 5:17:11 PM |
link
@35 It has been my understanding that while the Russian forces have stepped up their air
defense systems the Americans still fly freely to the north-east of the Euphrates and have
not hesitated to attack SAA forces who came close to their proxies on the ground, as well as
attacking the SAA when they moved toward the U.S. base at al-Tanf. If the U.S. really does
evacuate their troops it will be interesting to see if they discontinue their air movements
over the eastern bank of the Euphrates. mls
Sasha , Dec 21, 2018 5:19:12 PM |
link
Almost all ISIS inmates left in Syria are from abroad (they had been released from Libyan,
Afghan, Iraqi prisons en mass at the beginning of the war and are ready for relocation?
Who founded (USrael?) ISIS and made them lose water and oil rich territories in Syria to
the PKK/YPG/SDF and what are they planning to do now?
Posted by: ConfusedPundit | Dec 21, 2018 3:05:43 PM | 23
Terrorice Europe?
Two Scandinavian
backpackers hacked to death in Morocco, mother spammed with gruesome images
Sasha , Dec 21, 2018 5:35:59 PM |
link
But how this "withdrawal" holds when new equipment is arriving to US bases in Syria?
US reinforces new base in Syria despite announcement of withdrawal
Schmoe , Dec 21, 2018 5:40:34 PM |
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@ Kadath 39
As respects Rachel Mad Cow,MSNBC has been reading from the neo-con playbook for several years
now. Pre-Iraq War,Chris Matthews was vehemently against it, but in my limited recent
viewership they are silent on Syria in general. They did however have a one hour special by
Richard Engle which was essentially an hour of showing the carnage and saying "look what
Assad did". It was even more absurd than Fox's islamaphobic specials they ran a few times.
Truly pathetic and it feels like MSNBC is hewing to the HRC model "of no one can criticize me
fro the right on "national security".
james , Dec 21, 2018 5:41:33 PM |
link
emptywheel is suggesting tom cotton as a replacement for mattis.. this is the first time i
can recall
ew
james , Dec 21, 2018 5:43:43 PM |
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my comment was chopped off... first time i can recall ew writing on foreign policy! at any
rate, skip the ew comment section, as the folks at ew can completely in denial about the role
the democrats have played in bringing the usa to this point in time... read @35 kadath post
for greater clarity on that...
BRF , Dec 21, 2018
5:50:37 PM |
link
Too many "old men who think in terms of nation states and peoples. There are no nations.
There are no peoples. There is only the Federal Reserve, the BIS, IMF, WB, WTO and an
entourage of multinational corporations all inextricably inter associated." as redux of Ned
Beatty's soliloquy from the film Network.
These pesky wars, as one front of many fronts, are getting in the way of NWO timing. The
world's major central banks are now involved in quantitative tightening and much of the
liquidity that was handed out as loans will now disappear and the debt trap will now be
sprung on many 'nation states' as it was in Greece. Turkey's major industries owe about 300
Billion. This while the Lira drops ever lower in relation to the Fed Reserve Note,
euphemistically the USD, and will be hard pressed to pay back the less abundant, higher
valued amounts at the higher interest rates of the FRN's borrowed. War, with very real
deaths, continues but on another front and Trump as the front figure is the main conductor of
this coming war.
Piotr Berman , Dec 21, 2018 5:51:32 PM |
link
When David Ignatius reported that Mattis's bedtime reading was Marcus Aurelius in the
original Latin, who was responsible for the mistake? (Marcus Aurelius wrote in Greek.)
Ignatius, an aide of Mattis's, or Mattis himself?
Posted by: lysias | Dec 21, 2018 1:54:56 PM | 9
Explanation from an aide of Mattis: the General purchased the volume while visiting Latin
America, so he always assumed that it is in Latin.
Sasha , Dec 21, 2018 5:55:53 PM |
link
What theis "withdrawal" is about....To continue causing turmoil in Syria so as to impede its
rebuilt and return to peaceful normal life...This is why Israel has not said a word....
US pullout from Syria result of secret deal with Turkey, says
expert
Lochearn , Dec 21, 2018 6:03:22 PM |
link
I have been away in the Scottish wilderness for a while, cut off from everything, so it with
somewhat jaded joy that I come back to stunning news from this unfailingly brilliant place to
hear the latest (US getting out of Syria, Mattis out, Macron on fire, Britain in an
existential crisis the like of which I have neither seen nor read about).
Like a schoolkid who has absented themselves I venture back into the classroom to take my
little seat, all the while carrying with me audio of howling winds and the low whistle of a
friend who came to visit, an Irish instrument that so resembles native American flutes. In
this Highland cabin I filled the stove with ash and oak and beech, listened to the haunting
sound of the low whistle and drank whisky as I watched the snow drift down.
Sasha , Dec 21, 2018 6:12:53 PM |
link
The SDF (Which incorporates some turncoat ISIS members, which partly explains why there has
only been slow "progress" against the last ISIS enclave in Eastern Syria, brother against
ex-brother), also contains foreign mercenaries from various sources.
Posted by: stonebird | Dec 21, 2018 4:48:40 PM | 40
This is why they wear masks/balaclavas....the same way they used to do on Iraq....
US-supported
militias in eastern Syria take Hayin
Peter Grafström , Dec 21, 2018 6:14:19 PM |
link
Josh on #35 hints at an explanation for Trumps action which is confirmed by a romanian
military expert in the article http://www.voltairenet.org/article204433.html
Assuming that analysis is correct, Trumps military associates like Mattis must have known but
was apparently more willing to risk american casualties.
Pft , Dec 21, 2018 6:49:31 PM |
link
So the past 2 years of bombing and support for bombing and special forces operations in
Syria, Yemen, Africa, Afghanistan and of course the ongoing genocide of the Palestinians in
Israel is blamed on Trumps aids, all of whom he hired.
Whenever something positive comes out (and Trump has said he was done in Syria before only
to be followed later by a barrage of missiles due to outrage over the poor babies killed in
the CW attack blamed on Assad) its presented as Trump heroically goes against his aids advice
and does right.
This is a common theme in MSM and almost all of the alt media now. Trumps swamp included
Bolton, Barr, Devos, Pompeo, Mnuchkin, Acosta, Haspel, Ross, Mulvaney, Kushner, Pruit,
Mattis. Blame them instead of the guy who hired them and has authority over them.
Right.
Piotr Berman , Dec 21, 2018 6:55:08 PM |
link
I have been away in the Scottish wilderness for a while, cut off from everything,
Posted by: Lochearn | Dec 21, 2018 6:03:22 PM | 51
I once spent a week in Glen Lyon which is not cut off from anything, there is a paved road
(one-lane for two way traffic, only in Scotland!) and Royal Mail operated, but these days
young people complain when there is no cell phone reception, there was a land line but our
niece was could not send any pics and texts to her boyfriend. Thus she very eagerly joined me
for a hike and after ascending 1000 m and getting the view of Loch Tay she immediately texted
etc. But something is brewing outside quiet glens: [video of parliamentary session] The
defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, says the UK will have 3,500 service personnel on standby
'to support any government department on any contingencies they may need'
Watch the situation, Lochearn, and if needed, run back to the hills.
karlof1 , Dec 21, 2018 7:03:00 PM |
link
financial matters @33--
Thanks for your reply with its post-2016 info! I returned to following domestic happenings
a few months prior to the 2018 election and was surprised by the gumption of the new Freshman
class. There was lots of negative speculation about how AOC would become a sellout, but I'm
impressed and added her twitter to my ever lengthening list. The first 2020 polls have
appeared with the narrative being Biden over washed up Sanders, but the reality is the
opposite. Wife and I had a dinner table discussion about that and related matters last night
from the frame of Media Truth from Putin's meeting I posted. There's an ideological divide
within the USA; but as AOC notes in this very informative* twitter
thread :
"People are starting to realize our issues aren't left and right, but top and bottom.
"And the just solutions will come from the bottom-up."
*--Informative due to the immoral hatred revealed, which unfortunately validates my
references to Monopoly philosophy and Zerosumism. Scrooge was tame in comparison.
hopehely , Dec 21, 2018 7:11:55 PM |
link
Posted by: Piotr Berman | Dec 21, 2018 5:51:32 PM | 49
Explanation from an aide of Mattis: the General purchased the volume while visiting
Latin America, so he always assumed that it is in Latin.
Or in Latin American...
And it wasn't bedtime reading but bathroom reading.
karlof1 , Dec 21, 2018 7:37:52 PM |
link
stonebird @40--
Fortunately, the stock markets are not the economy. Trump campaigned on MAGA; the Green
New Deal makes MAGA possible and as the polling I linked to shows is popular across political
lines--the people know something must be done. Currently, it's the D Party Old Guard standing
in the way doing R Party work. When it comes to the traditional definitions of national
security and national interest, Trump was correct to say MAGA is a matter of national
security. Too many Trillions have already been wasted, and we within the USA cannot afford
any more of those mistakes from the past as the margin for success gets thinner daily. When I
compare the directions of China, Russia and USA, the former two are rising by attaining their
planned national goals, while the USA drops downward thanks to directionless policy
that only supports the greed of the greedy. I know its much better for an individual to be a
poor worker in China than a poor worker in the state of Georgia and too many other
places--very few opportunities and almost no social support very similar to the Great
Depression; but nowadays, you can't even hop a freight to go somewhere else as was possible
in the '30s.
Red Ryder , Dec 21, 2018 7:38:55 PM |
link
Apparently, Mattis bought the book for the illustrations.
Latin America speaks Spanish and Portuguese not Latin American, which is not a
language.
Plus, there are secondary languages of indigenous people, and tertiary languages like German
and Italian, Japanese and Chinese as well as English.
From the "story" about Mattis, I think it is laughable. He pretended his whole life to be
a Patton.
Read their career stories and it is a joke that Mattis had four-stars, as did Patton.
bjd , Dec 21, 2018 7:42:17 PM |
link
The only reading generals do is Macchhiavelli, Von Clausewitz and Superman
O yeah -- and the bible, these days.
karlof1 , Dec 21, 2018 8:25:24 PM |
link
Comic
Relief courtesy of the UK government :
"UK government refuses to release the documents on its 'counter-disinformation' programme
linked to the Integrity Initiative. Because (don't laugh now), it could 'undermine the
programme's effectiveness'."
Craig Murray has an update on the affair--all the documents provided by Anonymous have
proven genuine.
Jen , Dec 21, 2018 8:45:15 PM |
link
Lysias, Piotr B, Hopehely, Red Ryder & others:
Maybe Mattis bought the book for interior decoration. It makes his coffee table look good.
What language it's in is irrelevant.
snedly arkus , Dec 21, 2018 8:49:46 PM |
link
Where is the evidence of widespread support for a green new deal as pushed by a couple of
people here. A poll of 966 people sorted by whether or not they are voters does not mean
there is widespread support. As in most polls claiming whatever we do not know the questions
that were asked or how they were framed. Thus they could have said "would you be for a new
green deal if it energized the economy bringing riches to all and extremely cheap rates on
power would you be for it." Until we know the full extent of this poll it's a nothing burger
pushing an agenda.
psychohistorian , Dec 21, 2018 9:00:16 PM |
link
@ financial matters # 33 with the link to the Green New Deal....thanks
The problem with the GND is that it does not seem to address the underlying fact that
private finance makes all investment decisions. If they evolve to understand that, they can
do all they want if it is within the public government plans for investment.
If the government controlled finance instead of the private folk I would expect there to
be public input to/(control over) investment decisions.....just like the GND folks are
pushing for but in a more comprehensive context and manner.
Piotr Berman , Dec 21, 2018 9:02:39 PM |
link
The only reading generals do is Macchhiavelli, Von Clausewitz and Superman
O yeah -- and the bible, these days.
Posted by: bjd | Dec 21, 2018 7:42:17 PM | 60
A general slurps macchiato while reading The Prince of Niccolò
Machiavelli.
In the history of my country there is a nice episode when one of the main generals was
rousing the units before the critical battle that actually went well "In loco, spes in
virtute, salus in victoria" - Here, the (only) hope (lies) in bravery, salvation in victory,
which quotes Ceasar's De Bello Gallico. . Sadly, while the battle was brilliant, the
war was not. Nevertheless, I would recommend Ceasar.
Ceasar was victorious, so he should be balanced with History of the Peloponnesian
War of Thucidites. A terrible was in which one side lost terribly, while the other
succumbed to hubris, imposed painful domination on all and sundry to be irreversibly defeated
one generation after. Woe to the defeated, but the victors should be careful too.
The story of "Woe to the defeated", Vae victis , is interested too. Romans were
treated mercilessly by victorious (unmitigated?) Gauls, but then see De Bello Gallico
above.
Don Bacon , Dec 21, 2018 9:04:06 PM |
link
Five unforgettable quotes by the killer, James Mattis (He will be missed?):
>1. 'It's quite fun to shoot them, you know. It's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot
some people.'
>2. 'There are some assholes in the world that just need to be shot.'
>3. 'I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you, with tears in
my eyes: If you fuck with me, I'll kill you all.'
>4. 'Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.'
>5. 'There are some people who think you have to hate them in order to shoot them. I
don't think you do.'. . .
here
Don't let the door hit ya, Jimbo.
karlof1 , Dec 21, 2018 9:07:15 PM |
link
63--
You sound just like an D Party hack doing the work of the R Party. Must pay good.
psychohistorian , Dec 21, 2018 9:10:22 PM |
link
I am sure getting tired of entering my personal info each time I post a comment because the
remember doesn't work...
@ karlof1 with
"
"UK government refuses to release the documents on its 'counter-disinformation' programme
linked to the Integrity Initiative. Because (don't laugh now), it could 'undermine the
programme's effectiveness'."
"
They are lying through there teeth. The real problem for them is that some could end up in
jail, and rightfully so. We can only hope that they take the City of London down with
them.
What is their long term plan for containing the IntegrityNOTInitiative scandal? The house
of cards seems to be falling and now is when we hope that the losers love their children
enough to not takes us to extinction with their pride.
karlof1 , Dec 21, 2018 9:12:46 PM |
link
psychohistorian @64--
It appears more people are aware of such a threat as
this article notes . Pelosi's unfortunately a whore of the sort needing pasteurization,
along with Feinstein.
karlof1 , Dec 21, 2018 9:17:58 PM |
link
Don Bacon @66--
Mattis makes the fictional Hannibal Lecter a Prince of Peace by comparison. The end of
February can't come soon enough.
hopehely , Dec 21, 2018 9:31:18 PM |
link
Posted by: Don Bacon | Dec 21, 2018 9:04:06 PM | 66
Five unforgettable quotes by the killer, James Mattis ...
Yep, the influence of Marcus Aurelius is all over him. Through and through.
True philosopher general indeed.
Pft , Dec 21, 2018 9:35:07 PM |
link
The problem with the GND being discussed here is in the Green. Any New Deal that starts with
a false premise and bad science is a bad idea IMO.
That said, a New Deal that incorporates Ellen Browns and Edison/Fords ideas on public
financing I am all for. Goals should be universal health care, guaranteed income and housing,
vast infrastructure projects and alternative energy development. The latter two should be
green in the sense of nonpolluting (Co2 is not a pollutant). Jobs are fine but with
automation, AI, and robotics lets face it, a world where most people dont work except as a
hobby or to live better than others is coming, as my old science teacher predicted with envy
over 50 years ago. The neomalthusians and transhumanists have other ideas.
I would also devote massive resources for researching the safety of GMO , vaccines and
medicines as well as upgrading climate monitoring and climate research since climate does
change and we have so little understanding of it. Climate measurements are indadequate
(number of weather stations in US have dropped by a factor of 3 since climate became a thing
and quality is a key concern. This research needs to be free of influence from parties having
an agenda (political and financial). Good luck with that.
Kooshy , Dec 21, 2018 9:54:32 PM |
link
Mattis is a coward, he knows the American efforts in Syria has failed, and will go nowhere.
So for him this was a great excuse and a good uportunity to resign and not share the blame
for failure of his past advise and insistence to continue a lost effort. Now all the blames
for loosing in Syria will go to Trump. The blame game has already started coming out of MSM
and the DC swamp (you read sewer).
ben , Dec 21, 2018 9:56:02 PM |
link
Seems as though we've heard this "withdrawal" meme before. We'll see.
IMO, the key to ME peace is STILL based on liberty and justice for the Palestinian
people.
Heard some noise about "The green new deal". This from The Nation magazine;
https://www.thenation.com/article/democrats-green-new-deal/
psychohistorian , Dec 21, 2018 10:00:12 PM |
link
@ pft will the great follow on the the GND proposal
I want to add a data point to the universal health care initiative.
Because we are a society wedded to the profit motive we put it between the client and the
health care provider and worse only promote "therapies" that make a profit. Let me provide my
personal proof of that statement.
This week, after a 12 year journey, I can state that I have healed myself (with help) from
a traumatic brain injury using neurofeedback. Neurofeedback in a non-drug, non-invasive EEG
based therapy based on the mental health brain paradigm of dis-regulated neural networks. The
world of Big Pharma does not want to see neurofeedback advance because it will eliminate most
of them.
Some on MoA have read me writing about this before and I will do so more in some future
Open Thread.....when the dust settles a bit.
Yeah, Right , Dec 21, 2018 10:01:41 PM |
link
@1 Isn't it obvious? US forces are there to support the Kurdish forces. Training, supplying,
and a little moral "stiffening".
But Turkisk forces would go in with the aim of defeating those Kurds, and then suppressing
the local pop in. That requires an order of magnitude more troops.
Don Bacon , Dec 21, 2018 10:17:15 PM |
link
One think-tanker expects problems with troop morale, which by the way was the killer that
ended the stupid Vietnam War.
Trump's sudden decisions to drawdown troops in Syria and Afghanistan that sparked Mattis'
resignation marked for perhaps the first time in American history the departure of a
defense secretary in protest and adds to the overall unease that remains, experts said.
"I think it adds to a feeling that in some sense the wheels are beginning to come off of
American foreign policy and national security policy," said John Hannah, a senior counselor
at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute
on foreign policy and national security in Washington.
Hannah said he thinks the Mattis resignation will inevitably affect troop morale . . . .
here
That's a good thing.
Circe , Dec 21, 2018 11:01:47 PM |
link
@47
Tom Cotton is a rabid hawk especially on Iran. If Trump choses him then this will signal
what Trump meant by the next phase of the campaign after he announced a withdrawal
from Syria.
I read General Jack Keane was in the running but he doesn't want the job.
That leaves Lindsey Graham and David Petraeus. Both of these might be willing to take the
job, but I see Trump picking Petraeus over Graham, although Graham just visited the troops in
Afghanistan; maybe he's sending a subtle hint to Trump.
If it's Cotton, we should brace ourselves for escalation with Iran.
Pft , Dec 21, 2018 11:19:21 PM |
link
Yeah Right@76
Well there are 50K Al Nusra fighters in Idlib that Russia and Syria want out of there and
Turkey is protecting. Maybe they will be on the move soon to deal with the Kurds in the NE
once the US pulls out. US can pretend ignorance and then step back in again under the cover
of stabilizing the region with replacement for the kurds to use against Assad and protect
assets in the NE. Everyone except the Kurds is happy, almost.
Kadath , Dec 21, 2018 11:24:12 PM |
link
@46, Schmoe
Further to your point about MSNBC, I just watched Michael Moore on MSNBC being interviewed
by Ali Velshi and Moore was actually advocating that the troops stay in Syria and blamed
Putin for ordering Trump to do this ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0SP7puk8f8)
- words fail..... Michael Moore, the Anti-Iraq war activist, the Occupy Wall Street advocate,
the Anti-Imperialist, has reached the terminal phase of his Trump Derangement Syndrome. His
irrational hatred of Trump has just driven him to torch all of his prior Anti-War work; to
betray every speech, every millimeter of film he's ever made all because he hates Trump that
much and everything he has previously done can be jettisoned if it furthers this new
goal.
Ugh... Is he doing this all for the money he can glean from the mainstream Media by being
even more extreme than them, was he always this shallow and empty? This is what I just cant
get over, do these jackanapes not understand that their words and behaviours are being
recorded and people will remember it, it will haunt their futures and taint their legacies.
Hating Trump is one thing (there is certainly no shortage of reasons to hate him), but I'm
rethinking my entire interpretation of Moore and his career because of these constant,
irrationally hateful and extreme statements. Michael Moore, Anderson Cooper, Don Lemon,
Rachal Maddow and Stephen Colbert can play to the crowd for now, but once Trump's term ends
people will never be able to take them seriously as public figures again because of all of
their delusional tirades while Trump was in office.
Pft , Dec 21, 2018 11:30:32 PM |
link
Don Bacon@77
Troop moral today is far different than Vietnam. Reason in no order of importance
1. Well paid volunteer army, well trained with skills transferrable to private sector
2. Limited tour length, long paid breaks between tours
3. Skype/internet access on tours to stay in touch with family firiends
4. Contractors to do much of the dirty work
5. Military glorification at home treats them as heros and plenty of discounts
6. Far fewer casualties
7. Great benefits once the leave miliitary (loans, paid university transferrable)
8. Tax benfits for companies hiring vets helps them in job market
The main negative with fewer troops in Syria or Afghanistan means there are fewer tours
which means less money.
I expect they will be deployed elsewhere. Where is the big question. Like you say, moral
not an issue
flayer , Dec 21, 2018 11:34:45 PM |
link
RE: Posted by: Pft | Dec 21, 2018 11:30:32 PM | 81
This is why you should never "thank them for their service." They're selfish and/or
deluded pricks. Not heroes. It's a scam from start to finish.
Peter AU 1 , Dec 21, 2018 11:48:20 PM |
link
Kadath 80 "do these jackanapes not understand that their words and behaviours are being
recorded and people will remember it"
The average person that watches MSM have the memory of a goldfish when it comes to politics.
"His irrational hatred of Trump has just driven him to torch all of his prior Anti-War
work"
Most that make it in politics or entertainment go with the flow - whatever will further their
career. Empty people. I don't know this Michael Moor, but sounds lie he is one of this
type.
telescope , Dec 21, 2018 11:48:22 PM |
link
People like Lindsey Graham simply cannot comprehend that USA is in fact a demolished country,
with its last leg - the stock market - getting cut off in real time, as we speak. The
implications of American equity markets collapse are momentous. The relentless year-end
selling means that government revenues will be drastically reduced, by at least couple
hundred billion dollars, driving US budget deficit to well in excess of $1.2T in current
fiscal year. And that's in a benign case. If America slips in a recession, and has to resort
to fiscal stimulus, we are talking about $1.5-2T budget shortfall. Add quickly deteriorating
demographics, and "japanisation" of the USA is all but inevitable (and yes, US financial
system is a dead man walking)
Trump, although not the brightest bulb, is infinitely smarter than Grahams, Rubios and
Cottons of the world. He knows that it's much better to withdraw on what looks like own
accord now, than being kicked out in the most disgraceful fashion upon the passage of time.
Or even worse, having your troops marooned in the troubled region without any prospect of
being extricated, unless on the most humiliating terms.
Whether Trump succeeds or fails in returning the troops home is irrelevant at this point.
They are coming home anyway. The only question remaining is not if but when, and how.
Pft , Dec 21, 2018 11:57:14 PM |
link
Bolton announces Trumps Africa strategy
https://thehill.com/policy/international/421179-bolton-warns-russia-china-threaten-us-in-africa
The Cebrowski plan for Latin America
http://www.voltairenet.org/article204400.html
Maybe Trump is diversyfing, scaling down in the The Middle East (a lots been accomplished
already) and ramp up efforts in Africa and Latin America to counter BRICS
Pft , Dec 22, 2018 12:00:04 AM |
link
Meant "diversifying". Spell check hasnt been working well here since i upgraded to ios12
once and future , Dec 22, 2018 12:20:01 AM |
link
Thanks, b.
stonebird @40
OT (apologies) Can you help with the evidence that Maria Butina was subjected to these abuses
while in solitary?
ben , Dec 22, 2018 12:45:15 AM |
link
@ 80: Yes, agreed, my impressions on MM will change. Too bad really, that people sacrifice
their credibility, based on blind hatred.
I'm speaking only of MM, the rest lost their credibility, IMO, long ago..
james , Dec 22, 2018 12:50:40 AM |
link
@87 once and future... first off i want to thank stonebird for there comments on this topic..
solitary confinement is inhumane.. that the usa is keen to use it in all sorts of
circumstances, is a reflection of their abu ghraib, guantanemo mentality... solitary
confinement is more of the same.. in a civilized world it would never be allowed to be
done... but this is more exceptional nation stuff from the exceptional nation and what the
world has come to expect from a country that preaches one thing while practicing something
completely different..
80 kadath... michael moore has really fallen... i was unaware of this and am not tapped
into the usa msm to be able to follow.. in fact, it is so depressing i have no interest in
following much of anything coming out of the usa at this point...
@78 circe.. another name mentioned was this tulsi gabbard from hawaii.. i doubt it very
much... the usa continues to fly way off the rails...
what is especially telling is the response from the usa on trumps decision here... caitin
johnstone has a good overview on this..
Endless War Has Been Normalized And Everyone Is Crazy
karlof1 , Dec 22, 2018 1:10:40 AM |
link
james @89 and others--
Michael Moore destroyed his credibility when he failed to denounce Obama for not jailing
the Banksters and it's been downhill from there as it's been with so many of his ilk. Another
case of money ruining youthful idealism. Caitlin's on a roll and deserves a much larger audience. The propagandizers have deluded
themselves via their own machinations and are now going mad.
Albert Pike , Dec 22, 2018 1:11:24 AM |
link
"there also a contingent of 1,100 French troops"... You can hear me laughing after reading this. The French empire was over a long long time ago and they still think that Syria is their
colony. France has been sending French Jihadists for regime change in Syria since 2011 and their
mission has failed since Russia intervened in 2015. France cannot even send troops to Mali - destabilized by Jihadists created by France in
Libya to topple Kadhafi, without the help of the US!!! France is a de-facto vassal state of the US since they decided to joined the NATO central
command under Sarkozy who was bribed by the zionist neocons.
Hoarsewhisperer , Dec 22, 2018 1:44:00 AM |
link
...
US can pretend ignorance and then step back in again under the cover of stabilizing the
region with replacement for the kurds to use against Assad and protect assets in the NE.
Everyone except the Kurds is happy, almost.
Posted by: Pft | Dec 21, 2018 11:19:21 PM | 79
I think you're right. And I hope so, too...
The Yanks should be counting their blessings. I thought it was extraordinarily generous of
Putin to agree with Donald that "the US beat ISIS in Syria" considering how
half-assed/limp-wristed their anti-ISIS actions were in comparison with Russia's 100+ sorties
per day 24/7 for many months.
Imo, if the Yanks dream up another excuse to go back into Syria, Putin will caution against
it and then make sure that none of them get out alive.
Blooming Barricade , Dec 22, 2018 2:07:30 AM |
link
I personally distinguish between Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria and his move to
withdraw partially from Afghanistan. The latter is a step towards ending a brutal, illegal
NATO occupation war of over 17 years. The former is also illegal but the Syrian Kurds (left
wing and largely communist) are likely to be supplanted as counters to "Iran" by fascists
Turkey and Israel (this has been confirmed in reports), so we're moving from tactical NATO
proxies to actual NATO governments seizing Syrian land.
All of that being said, both are policy decisions that should be able to be debated
freely. I can totally see why many on the anti-imperialist left welcome the decision to
withdraw from Syria, I'm not entirely unsympathetic to them. It the US and international
media response has been horrific.
The New York Times and Guardian are basically now neconservative papers indistinguishable from the Wall Steet Journal and Daily Telegraph. Not
a word of dissent is even remotely allowed or involved. The Blob has totally taken over the
entirety of the liberal global establishment which sees Trump's move as "treasonous." Not
looking forward to 2020 when Democrats will run on identical foreign policy platforms to Mitt
Romney.
Circe , Dec 22, 2018 2:15:25 AM |
link
@80
Not sure if you watched when Michael Moore received the Oscar for Farenheit 9/11. Let's
remember he was addressing the top elite Liberal crowd and got booed. What is it they say
about prophets in their own land? Oh yeah, Jesus said: A prophet is without honor in his
own country.
I actually have some sympathy for Michael Moore. Aside from being a major critic of the
Bush Administration, Michael Moore was also very critical of Obama, and Hillary and was
lambasted by liberal centrists and neolibs. He was considered part of the radical left and
despite the success of his documentaries, he continued to be marginalized and never received
the respect he deserved. In 2015, Moore was supporting Bernie Sanders, but when Bernie was
railroaded, Moore who couldn't see himself voting for a Republican ever, especially a
depraved billionaire whom he rightly viewed as Chaos personified felt that Hillary was the
lesser evil, and from there found the respect that had been denied to him by his own side and
especially after he predicted Hillary was about to lose despite the polls and Michigan,
Wisconsin and Pennsylvania would deny her the Presidency. From the day his prediction
materialized Democrats were in awe of his perception. Since then he exchanged integrity for
their respect. The Michael Moore of 2003 would never criticize military de-escalation.
However, Moore recently released a new documentary Farenheit 11/9 wherein apparently he's
critical of Democrats whom he blames for the rise of Trump.
So don't be too hard on Moore who was an outcast in liberal country for too long. Once
you've earned the respect of your own and the mainstream it's not so easy to speak your truth
anymore. Thanks to Trump and the Dems, Moore has been temporarily altered. But you're right,
he'll look back with regret on this Syria opinion.
I can't stand Trump either, but I agree that getting out of Syria and de-escalating is a
good thing...IF in fact that's what he's really up to.
Circe , Dec 22, 2018 2:20:02 AM |
link
JR might be interested to know that Michael Moore believes that Hillary handed Trump the
Presidency.
b , Dec 22,
2018 2:23:14 AM |
link
Bolton's Hawkish Syria Plan Backfired, Pushing Trump to Get OutThe national security adviser expanded U.S. goals in Syria to challenge Iran. But Trump
wasn't on board, senior officials say, and Turkey took an opportunity to push the U.S.
out.
Hoarsewhisperer , Dec 22, 2018 2:26:43 AM |
link
...
Most that make it in politics or entertainment go with the flow - whatever will further their
career. Empty people. I don't know this Michael Moor, but sounds lie he is one of this
type.
Posted by: Peter AU 1 | Dec 21, 2018 11:48:20 PM | 83
Michael Moore has produced some brilliant anti-establishment docos focusing on gun-control
(Bowling for Columbine), the US healthcare rort, the sub-prime scam, and the absence of
socio-economic well-being in AmeriKKKa (Where To Invade Next?).
I'm hoping that Kadath @ #80 is kidding, but he's right about Moore being rabidly anti-Trump
from the get-go.
Peter AU 1 , Dec 22, 2018 2:37:58 AM |
link
Geo-political chess. Russia, Turkey, Iran have called check and Trump is moving his pieces
accordingly. I think he will pull the US out of Syria. Seems he is not as blinded by his
hatred of Iran as his appointees.
psychohistorian , Dec 22, 2018 2:47:28 AM |
link
@ b with the link about Bolton
So, does this mean that Bolton should or will resign?
I thought the update of the linked article with the statement about the Kurds from the
White House official was interesting: ""They've done the majority of the fighting against
ISIS in Syria," one U.S. official said. "How do you treat a partner like this?""
Notable quotes:
"... @markperrydc . ..."
"... Well, we know where Mattis is going when he leaves the Pentagon. Nice work if you can get it. ..."
"... Seriously, anyone taking a knife to the Pentagon budget is putting a knife top their throat, unless they have support. ..."
"... Gen Mattis wants to save big money stop sending US forces to needless adventures. ..."
"... On top of the firing, I found the last three or four paragraphs all about insider trading as opposed to job performance, goals, budget cutting, not even budget accountability . . . Personalities over performance -- holy petolies. ..."
"... Given that the United States spends more money on defense than the next seven countries COMBINED including Russia and China it's not a question of how much you spend it's a question of how well. Until DOD passes that financial audit that all other agencies are obligated to do DOD should be get any increase in funding. ..."
"... When folks learn that the DOD is the swamp, then we can start having a conversation. ..."
"... "Lap Dog" Mattis. ..."
"... The Trump Administration is the most incompetent and corrupt since Warren G. Harding. There is no swamp draining going on. It is just a fight on who occupies it. ..."
Hired to Drain the Swamp, Fired in Less Than a Year 'This is the Boeing mafia in
all of its glory,' one DoD official said of John 'Jay' Gibson's mysterious demise. By
Mark
Perry •
September 26, 2018
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The
Pentagon ( Frontpage /
Shutterstock ) On April 4, 2003, Col. Joseph Dowdy -- whose 1st Marine Regiment was then
fighting its way through a tangle of Iraqi villages south of Baghdad -- was called to the tent
of Gen. James Mattis and told he was being relieved of his command. A career Marine, Dowdy was
stunned: Mattis's action in the midst of a battlefield fight was nearly unprecedented and, as
Dowdy knew, would mark the end of his military career. Adding to the humiliation, Mattis told
Dowdy to remove his sidearm and hand it to him. "We're going to give you a rest," he said.
Dowdy had known that his job was in danger, the result of complaints from Mattis and his
staff that he wasn't moving his regiment quickly enough. But it's not as if Dowdy was taking
his time: his troopers had been involved in bitter firefights against tenacious "Saddam
Fedayeen" killers every day for the previous two weeks. But Dowdy had no choice in the matter,
so while he objected to Mattis's action he packed up his gear, called his wife, returned to the
U.S. and retired from the Marine Corps.
That Mattis acts quickly and decisively is part of his lore -- it's what good Marines do.
But while quick and decisive might work on the battlefield, they're not always a good fit for a
secretary of defense. Mattis learned this earlier this month, after he fired John H. "Jay"
Gibson II, the Pentagon's first-ever Chief Management Officer and its third highest ranking
official. The reason for the firing, as The Wall Street Journal's Gordon Lubold
reported on September 5, was for "lack of performance."
The firing was immediately controversial, spurring under-the-radar resentments among senior
defense officials in the Pentagon's E-Ring where military and civilian managers huddle to run
the world's largest bureaucracy. "This doesn't make any sense," a senior Pentagon official told
TAC . "Jay was CMO for seven months; he hadn't even gotten his staff in place."
John H. 'Jay' Gibson II (U.S. Government)
Gibson came to Washington to oversee Mattis's attempt to cut waste from the Pentagon budget
by identifying savings that would lessen the ballooning impact of the Trump administration's
$670 billion defense spending proposal. Armed with an impressive resume (including a successful
stint as an assistant secretary of the Air Force and deputy undersecretary of defense for
management reform, where his efforts saved billions of dollars), Gibson was tasked with
reforming Pentagon procedures in buying and developing weapons and in managing logistics and
supply, technology systems, community services, human resources, and health care.
Gibson was given a broad mandate to "shake up the system," which the deputy defense
secretary Patrick Shanahan (the department's number two official and Gibson's boss) admitted
would cause "screaming and yelling" from the Pentagon bureaucracy.
Even so, Gibson was told he would have the Trump administration's support -- which is why he
decided to give up his post as president of XCOR Aerospace, a Texas company that develops
rocket engines and space launch systems. "Jay did this over his wife's objections," a friend of
Gibson and a senior official at a major private sector financial institution told TAC in
a wide-ranging interview, "because he thought he could make a difference. He is a cracker-jack
administrator; he knows how to dig and dig. So he came into D.C., started digging into the
Pentagon budget and was fired. In my world, when that happens it isn't because you're doing a
lousy job, but because you're stepping on the wrong toes."
In fact, as the senior Pentagon official with whom I spoke says, the toes that Gibson
stepped on belonged to Patrick Shanahan, the deputy secretary of defense and a former vice
president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems, a major Pentagon contractor.
Shanahan and Gibson had a falling out in August, according to the senior Pentagon official with
whom I spoke, and Shanahan reported the difficulty to Mattis -- "who pulled a Dowdy." Put
simply, this official adds, when the "screaming and yelling" from the Pentagon's senior
bureaucracy reached a fever pitch at the end of the summer, Mattis and Shanahan decided that
firing Gibson would be easier than defending him.
The
Recruitment Problem the Military Doesn't Want to Talk About
Forget Trump: The Military-Industrial Complex is Still Running the Show
"I am not familiar with the details of what happened here and I wouldn't want to speculate,"
Todd Harrison, an official with the Center for Strategic and International Studies (and a
well-known defense budget expert) says. "But I think that anyone in the new CMO position was
signing on to the toughest job in Washington. It's one thing to identify waste, and another to
actually get rid of it. The truth is that waste is built into the Pentagon budget; if you
eliminate it, you eliminate jobs." A Pentagon official confirms this, but adds that "firing an
official charged with making reforms for 'lack of performance' is laughable. Who are these guys
trying to kid? The truth is that if Jay didn't perform, he'd still have his job."
The timing of Gibson's firing, just weeks after the death of Senate Armed Services Committee
heavyweight John McCain, also raises uncomfortable questions. "The minute Gibson was fired,
McCain would have had Mattis, Shanahan, and Gibson on the carpet in his office, asking them
what the hell they were doing," a senior congressional staffer who monitors Pentagon personnel
issues notes. "That's not going to happen now."
In fact, McCain had little love for Shanahan, telling aides that his appointment raised
conflict of interest issues. McCain's worries were aired when he grilled Shanahan on answers
the Boeing executive gave to written questions posed to him by the committee in June 2017. It
was a classic McCain scorcher: "The answers that you gave to the questions," he told Shanahan,
"whether intentionally or unintentionally, were almost condescending, and I'm not overjoyed
that you came from one of the five corporations that receive 90 percent of taxpayers' dollars.
I have to have confidence that the fox is not going to be put back into the henhouse." McCain
was livid.
"Not a good beginning," McCain told Shanahan. "Do not do that again, Mr. Shanahan, or I will
not take your name up for a vote before this committee. Am I perfectly clear?" Shanahan nodded
his agreement. "Very clear," he said.
As it turns out, Shanahan's appointment resulted from a series of contentious negotiations
between Trump transition official Mira Ricardel and retired Adm. Kevin Sweeney, Mattis's chief
of staff. "There was no love loss between Mattis and Ricardel," the senior Pentagon civilian
with whom TAC spoke says. "So the SecDef told Sweeney to deal with her. Sweeney is a
tough guy and Mira has sharp elbows, so this got nasty."
The skirmishing got so bad that when Ricardel said she wanted to be the Pentagon's
undersecretary for policy, Mattis killed the idea, with Ricardel sidelined as the
undersecretary of commerce for export administration. But Ricardel got her revenge: she not
only successfully slotted Shanahan as Mattis's number two, she was named as deputy to John
Bolton, appointed by Trump to succeed H.R. McMaster as the administration's national security
advisor. "It's the ultimate irony," the senior Pentagon official says. "Jim Mattis ignored H.R.
and he ends up with Mira Ricardel. Incredible."
That Jay Gibson has been caught in the Mattis-Ricardel crossfire is an open secret at the
Pentagon, where key officials speculate that Ricardel's promotion of Shanahan has less to do
with his commitment to Pentagon budget reform than to the fact that the two were close
colleagues at Boeing, where Ricardel served for nine years (from 2006 to 2015) as vice
president of strategic missile and defense systems. That is to say, Jay Gibson's still
unexplained firing has reinforced John McCain's worries that the fox would end up guarding the
henhouse.
"This is the Boeing mafia in all of its glory," the senior Pentagon official says. "Anyone
who comes in here [to the Pentagon] will always have Jay Gibson's experience as a marker. You
think anyone who's willing to take on the bureaucracy is going to want that job? No way. Budget
reform is dead, d-e-a-d dead. So much for draining the swamp."
Mark Perry is the author of The
Most Dangerous Man in America and The Pentagon's Wars . Follow him on Twitter @markperrydc .
Whine Merchant
September 26, 2018 at 12:05 am
Well, we know where Mattis is going when he leaves the Pentagon. Nice work if you can get
it.
EliteCommInc. , ,
September 26, 2018 at 3:24 am
"Even so, Gibson was told he would have the Trump administration's support -- "
Look these are the issues in which the executive has to be made of sterner stuff. I suspect
that the tag line after the articles title heading is more accurate and that has probably
nothing to do with COS being quick on the draw.
Seriously, anyone taking a knife to the Pentagon budget is putting a knife top their
throat, unless they have support.
Gen Mattis wants to save big money stop sending US forces to needless
adventures.
On top of the firing, I found the last three or four paragraphs all about insider
trading as opposed to job performance, goals, budget cutting, not even budget accountability .
. . Personalities over performance -- holy petolies.
In this day and age there seems to be no other tune.
david , ,
September 26, 2018 at 5:49 am
All federal agencies are by congressional mandate obligated to pass financial audits EVERY
year. DOD hasn't done one in over 10 years. Mattis supposedly was "working" on one for this
year. Where is it?
We see endless stories of waste, fraud, and mismanagement in DOD. The littoral combat ship
that more than doubled in price and clearly can't do what it was designed to do. So many
others.
Given that the United States spends more money on defense than the next seven countries
COMBINED including Russia and China it's not a question of how much you spend it's a question
of how well. Until DOD passes that financial audit that all other agencies are obligated to do
DOD should be get any increase in funding.
Kent , ,
September 26, 2018 at 6:39 am
When folks learn that the DOD is the swamp, then we can start having a conversation.
b. , ,
September 26, 2018 at 9:24 am
"Lap Dog" Mattis.
Scott , ,
September 26, 2018 at 10:27 am
The Trump Administration is the most incompetent and corrupt since Warren G. Harding. There
is no swamp draining going on. It is just a fight on who occupies it.
The Trump Administration taking months to fill a position and then not having a support
staff in place after 7 months is totally incompetent.
Notable quotes:
"... "shake and bake" ..."
"... For Mattis to lament during a speech at a naval college last week that America's moral authority is being eroded by Putin is a symptom of the delusional official thinking infesting Washington. ..."
"... Mattis told his audience: "Putin aims to diminish the appeal of the western democratic model and attempts to undermine America's moral authority." He added that the Russian leader's "actions are designed not to challenge our arms at this point but to undercut and compromise our belief in our ideals." ..."
"... It is classic "in denial" ..."
"... "What a powerful delusion Mattis and Western leaders like him are encumbered with," ..."
"... "The US undercuts and compromises its own avowed beliefs and ideals because it has lost any moral integrity that it might have feasibly pretended to have due to decades of its own criminal foreign conduct." ..."
"... "America's so-called moral authority is the free pass it gives itself to topple democracy in Ukraine, replacing it with neo-Nazis; it has turned economically prosperous Libya into a wasteland, after murdering its leader Muammar Gaddafi; it funds and openly sponsors the MKO terror group in Iran for regime change in Tehran; and it is neck deep in fueling the Saudi coalition's genocidal war in Yemen." ..."
"... Despite this litany of criminality committed by the US with the acquiescence of European allies, Washington, says Martin, "preaches a bizarre doctrine of 'exceptionalism' and somehow arrogates a moral right to dominate the world. This is the fruit of the diseased minds of sociopaths." ..."
Jun 20, 2018, RT Op-ed The statements, views and opinions expressed
in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
It's parallel
universe time when US Pentagon chief James 'Mad Dog' Mattis complains that America's "moral
authority" is being undermined by others – specifically Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
This is the ex-Marine general who gained his ruthless reputation from when illegally occupying
US troops razed the
Iraqi city of Fallujah in the 2004-2005 using "shake and bake" bombardment of
inhabitants with banned white phosphorus incendiaries.
A repeat of those war crimes happened again last year under Mattis' watch as Pentagon chief
when US warplanes obliterated the Syrian city of Raqqa, killing thousands of civilians. Even
the pro-US Human Rights Watch
abhorred the repeated use of white phosphorus during that campaign to "liberate"
Raqqa, supposedly from jihadists.
These are but two examples from dense archives of US war crimes committed over several
decades, from its illegal intervention in Syria to Libya, from Iraq to Vietnam, back to the
Korean War in the early 1950s when American carpet bombing killed millions of innocent
civilians.
For Mattis to
lament during a speech at a naval college last week that America's moral authority is being
eroded by Putin is a symptom of the delusional official thinking infesting
Washington.
According to Mattis, the problem of America's diminishing global reputation has
nothing to do with US misconduct – even though the evidence is replete to prove that
systematic misconduct. No, the problem, according to him, is that Russia's Putin is somehow
sneakily undermining Washington's moral authority.
Mattis told his audience: "Putin aims to diminish the appeal of the western democratic
model and attempts to undermine America's moral authority." He added that the Russian leader's
"actions are designed not to challenge our arms at this point but to undercut and compromise
our belief in our ideals."
The US Secretary of Defense doesn't elaborate on how he thinks Russia is achieving this
dastardly plot to demean America. It is simply asserted as fact. This has been a theme recycled
over and over by officials in Washington and Brussels, other Western government leaders and of
course NATO and its affiliated think-tanks. All of which has been dutifully peddled by Western
news media.
It is classic "in denial" thinking. The general loss of legitimacy and
authority by Western governments is supposedly nothing to do with their own inherent failures
and transgressions, from bankrupt austerity economics, to deteriorating social conditions, to
illegal US-led wars and the repercussions of blowback terrorism and mass migration of refugees.
Oh no. What the ruling elites are trying to do is shift the blame from their own culpability
on to others, principally Russia. American political analyst Randy Martin says that Mattis'
latest remarks show a form of collective delusion among Western political establishments and
their aligned mainstream news media.
"What a powerful delusion Mattis and Western leaders like him are encumbered with,"
says Martin. "The US undercuts and compromises its own avowed beliefs and ideals because it
has lost any moral integrity that it might have feasibly pretended to have due to decades of
its own criminal foreign conduct."
Read more This is America: Outrage at Trump is
phony, US leaders have praised dictators for decades
The analyst added: "America's so-called moral authority is the free pass it gives itself
to topple democracy in Ukraine, replacing it with neo-Nazis; it has turned economically
prosperous Libya into a wasteland, after murdering its leader Muammar Gaddafi; it funds and
openly sponsors the MKO terror group in Iran for regime change in Tehran; and it is neck deep
in fueling the Saudi coalition's genocidal war in Yemen."
Despite this litany of criminality committed by the US with the acquiescence of European
allies, Washington, says Martin, "preaches a bizarre doctrine of 'exceptionalism' and somehow
arrogates a moral right to dominate the world. This is the fruit of the diseased minds of
sociopaths."
This week, three headline-making issues speak volumes about America's declining moral
authority.
... ... ...
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author
and do not necessarily represent those of RT.
Finian Cunningham (born 1963) has written extensively on international affairs, with
articles published in several languages. Originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland, he is a
Master's graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal
Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. For
over 20 years he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organizations, including
The Mirror, Irish Times and Independent. Now a freelance journalist based in East Africa, his
columns appear on RT, Sputnik, Strategic Culture Foundation and Press TV.
Some of you do not understand the degree of compartmentation in government. It is nothing
like a monolith. The WHs are largely funded by USAID which is part of State Department, and
administered by the UK. There is no particular reason why Mattis would know much about it. It
is possible that Trump doesn't know much about it.
Herald , April 25,
2018 at 6:13 pm GMT
@Patrick Lang
If Mattis didn't know about it, then he should have done and likewise with Trump.
Ignorance of the hard facts by either of these men is scarcely believable and even if true
would be totally inexcuseable.
Randal , April 25,
2018 at 6:44 pm GMT
@RobinG
"Lange didn't support the strike but he saw it as the best of a lot of bad options."
Better than the option of allowing a real investigation?
At the crucial moment, Lang published the following on his website. More than likely it
was seen by Mattis:
An appeal to James Mattis
I beseech you, sir, to consider the possibility that the supposed chlorine gas attack at
Douma, Syria may have been a carefully constructed propaganda fraud on the part of the
rebels encircled in Douma. Such a fraud would have as its purpose the elicitation of
exactly the kind of response that we are seeing in the Western media. The rebels have been
defeated in East Gouta Their fighters and families are being evacuated to Turkish occupied
Jarabulus by air-conditioned bus. How would it benefit the Syrian government to make such
an attack in this situation?
I hope that you will determine the exact facts of what occurred at Douma before any
action is taken.
I recommend that you send someone competent to Syria to make an on the ground
investigation.
W. Patrick Lang
Colonel (Ret.) US Army
http://turcopolier.typepad.com/sic_semper_tyrannis/2018/04/an-appeal-to-james-mattis.html
L.K , April 25, 2018 at
7:19 pm GMT
@Herald
If Mattis didn't know about it, then he should have done and likewise with Trump.
Ignorance of the hard facts by either of these men is scarcely believable and even if true
would be totally inexcuseable.
So true but I'm pretty sure they knew.
JerseyJeffersonian
, April 25, 2018 at 8:32 pm
GMT
@RobinG
RobinG,
It were wise to consider that Mattis' access to information might be being impeded –
actively and/or passively – by the NeoCon bitter enders installed during the previous
administrations, people who believe that it is their job to do so. (We have been seeing this
very thing from the bitter enders at the FBI and the "Justice" departments in their plotting
against the new administration, yes? So you have an example of that right in front of your
eyes.)
With that understanding, and given Col. Lang's likely experience of this sort of
obstruction by hostile underlings, his appeal to Mattis might be seen as an admonition to dig
a little deeper, & to press his underlings about their truthfulness. So, Mattis could
indeed be misinformed, and precisely because of the compartmentalization that you accede.
Hence the letter going hand in hand with his worries about active and/or passive obstruction
in access to vital information, or the existence of contrary intelligence and
interpretation.
Notable quotes:
"... The Iranian regime, in my mind, is the single most enduring threat to stability and peace in the Middle East...For all the talk of ISIS and Al Qaida everywhere right now they're a very serious threat. But nothing is as serious in the long term enduring ramifications, in terms of stability and prosperity and some hope for a better future for the young people out there, than Iran. ..."
"... We know that vacuums left in the Middle East seem to be filled by either terrorists or by Iran or their surrogates or Russia In order to restore deterrence, we have to show capability, capacity and resolve. ..."
"... Using our special neocon-speak translator, we see that "capability, capacity and resolve" actually means "weapons, deployments, and wars." No wonder Kristol and company are touting this man as their savior. ..."
The neocons have been in a panic this election season. One by
one, their preferred choice for the Republican presidential nomination has been soundly
rejected by the uncooperative American voting public. Sen. Lindsey Graham made a run for the
nomination saying , "If
you're tired of war, don't vote for me," and nobody did. Perhaps the idea of perpetual war to
the very last US dollar is beginning to wear thin among Republican voters.
Though the two Republicans left standing, Sen. Ted Cruz and Donald Trump, have endorsed
sending thousands of troops into the Middle East and even turning the sand into glass with a
nuclear weapon, they are viewed as not reliably neoconservative enough for the Beltway
bombardiers. William Kristol, absolutely forlorn over the American voter's rejection of the
reliable Republican neocons in the race, has thrown his hat in with a very reliable Democrat
neocon, Hillary Clinton. "I would rather see Hillary than Trump,"
said Kristol.
But such a move comes not without risk for the Kristol-ites. The neocons migrated from the
Democratic Party to the Republican Party like a virus to a new host and one promising candidate
does not a happy return necessarily make.
What to do?
Again from Kristol: "We'll have to start a new party if it's Trump." And that's what
they're doing. With the help of the compliant media, of course.
Thanks to Target Liberty for its diligence in "Mad Dog"
spotting , we see the (former) house organ of the CIA, Time Magazine, joining the neocon
cheering section behind the notion of a third party run by retired Major General James "Mad
Dog" Mattis, former Commander of the US Central Command.
In an article with the fallacious title, Why Americans
Want a Military General in the White House , Time wonders:
What is it about military leaders that has led so many voters to champion them for the
Presidency? After all, it's not like the nation has emerged victorious from its recent wars.
... Retired Marine general James "Mad Dog" Mattis, who hung up his uniform three years ago,
has fervent supporters who want him to run for President.
The very title of the article is a fraud. Who are these "Americans" who are
clamoring for a General to become president? Neocons! What percentage to neocons make up of the
US electorate? Re-read the first paragraph for an indication.
Why are the neocons panting like a dog in heat for "Mad Dog" Mattis? His speech today at the
military-industrial complex funded
Center for Strategic and International Studies tells the tale of the tape. What gets the Mad
Dog all hot and bothered? War with Iran!
Barked
the "Dog" today:
The Iranian regime, in my mind, is the single most enduring threat to stability and peace
in the Middle East...For all the talk of ISIS and Al Qaida everywhere right now they're a
very serious threat. But nothing is as serious in the long term enduring ramifications, in
terms of stability and prosperity and some hope for a better future for the young people out
there, than Iran.
And, in what must be music to the ears of all those inside the Beltway who have
become rich robbing the rest of us to pay for their wars, Mattis spells out his foreign policy.
In a word: War!
We know that vacuums left in the Middle East seem to be filled by either terrorists or by
Iran or their surrogates or Russia In order to restore deterrence, we have to show
capability, capacity and resolve.
Using our special neocon-speak translator, we see that "capability, capacity
and resolve" actually means "weapons, deployments, and wars." No wonder Kristol and company are
touting this man as their savior.
General George Washington was a reluctant political leader. He accepted the office of
president only at the insistence of others. His preference after the battle was won was to hang
up his guns and retire to hemp-growing and whiskey-distilling. In these days of
increasingly political military officers , it seems the notion of civilian control of the
military is, like the Constitution itself, just another anachronism.
Ladies and Gentlemen, we give you President Mattis:
- The first time you blow someone away is not an insignificant event. That said, there
are some a**holes in the world that just need to be shot.
( Business
Insider )
- I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my
eyes: If you f*ck with me, I'll kill you all.
( San Diego Union
Tribune )
- Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment (in American democracy) and kill every
one of them until they're so sick of the killing that they leave us and our freedoms
intact.
( San Diego Union
Tribune )
- Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet.
( San Diego Union
Tribune )
- You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they
didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a
hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually it's quite fun to fight them, you know. It's a
hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right up there with you. I like
brawling.
( CNN )
- I'm going to plead with you, do not cross us. Because if you do, the survivors will
write about what we do here for 10,000 years.
( San Diego Union
Tribune )
Woof woof!
Copyright © 2016 by RonPaul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is
gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
Please donate to the Ron Paul
Institute
Notable quotes:
"... "Mattis' Weak Case for Supporting the War on Yemen" ..."
The Secretary of Defense has
written to Congressional leaders to express his opposition to S.J.Res. 54, the resolution
that would end U.S. involvement in the war on Yemen:
In a letter sent to congressional leaders Wednesday and obtained by The Washington Post,
Mattis wrote that restricting military support the United States is providing to the
Saudi-led coalition "could increase civilian casualties, jeopardize cooperation with our
partners on counterterrorism, and reduce our influence with the Saudis -- all of which would
further exacerbate the situation and humanitarian crisis."
He urged Congress not to impose restrictions on the "noncombat," "limited U.S. military
support" being provided to Saudi Arabia, which is "engaging in operations in its legitimate
exercise of self-defense."
The Pentagon has been putting forward very weak legal
arguments against S.J.Res. 54, and Mattis'
statement of the policy arguments against the resolution are not any better. The Saudi-led
coalition would have great difficulty continuing their war without U.S. military assistance.
U.S. refueling allows coalition planes to carry out more attacks than they otherwise could, so
it is extremely unlikely that ending it could possibly result in more civilian casualties than
the bombing campaign causes now. Mattis is taking for granted that U.S. military assistance
somehow makes coalition bombing more accurate and less likely to result in civilian casualties,
but that is hard to credit when coalition forces routinely target civilian structures on
purpose and when the military
admits that it doesn't keep track of what happens after it refuels coalition planes.
Secretary Mattis says that cutting off support could jeopardize cooperation on
counter-terrorism, but the flip side of this is that continuing to enable the Saudi-led war
creates the conditions for Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the local ISIS affiliate to
flourish. The coalition's war has made AQAP stronger than it was before, and AQAP members have
sometimes even fought alongside coalition forces on the ground. Instead of worrying about
whether the U.S. is jeopardizing cooperation with these states, we should be asking whether
that cooperation is worth very much in Yemen.
He claims that the Saudis and their allies are engaged in "a legitimate exercise of
self-defense," and this is simply not true. The Saudis and their allies were not attacked and
were not threatened with attack prior to their intervention. Saudi territory now comes under
attack because the coalition has been bombing Yemen for years, but that doesn't make continuing
the war self-defense. If an aggressor launches an attack against a neighboring country, it is
the neighbor that is engaged in self-defense against the state(s) attacking them.
Mattis also warns that ending support for the Saudi-led coalition would have other
undesirable consequences:
As Mattis put it in his letter to congressional leaders Wednesday, "withdrawing U.S.
support would embolden Iran to increase its support to the Houthis, enabling further
ballistic missile strikes on Saudi Arabia and threatening vital shipping lanes in the Red
Sea, thereby raising the risk of a regional conflict."
These claims also don't hold water. Iranian support for the Houthis remains limited, but it
has increased as a direct result of the war. The longer that the war goes on, the greater the
incentive the Houthis and Iran will have to cooperate. The absurdity of this intervention is
that it was dishonestly sold as a war against Iranian "expansionism" and yet it has done more
to aid Iran than anything Iran's government could have done on its own. Missile strikes on
Saudi Arabia wouldn't be happening if the Saudis and their allies weren't regularly bombing
Yemeni cities. If the coalition halted its bombing, the missile strikes would almost certainly
cease as well. Continuing the war is a guarantee that those attacks will continue, and U.S.
military assistance ensures that the war will continue. Every reason Mattis gives here for
continuing U.S. support for the war is actually a reason to end it.
Shipping lanes weren't threatened before the intervention and won't be threatened after it
ends. Yemenis have every incentive to leave shipping lanes alone, since these are their
country's lifeline. Meanwhile, the cruel coalition blockade is slowly starving millions of
Yemenis to death by keeping out essential commercial goods from the main ports that serve the
vast majority of the population. Mattis is warning about potential threats to shipping from
Yemen while completely ignoring that the main cause of the humanitarian disaster is the
interruption of commercial shipping into Yemen by the Saudi-led blockade. The regional conflict
that Mattis warns about is already here. It is called the Saudi-led war on Yemen. If one wants
to prevent the region from being destabilized further, one would want to put an end to that war
as quickly as possible.
Mattis mentions that the U.S. role in the war is a "noncombat" and "limited" one, but for
the purposes of the debate on Sanders-Lee resolution that is irrelevant. It doesn't matter that
the military assistance the U.S. is providing doesn't put Americans in combat. That is not the
only way that U.S. forces can be introduced into hostilities. According to the War Powers Resolution
, the U.S. has introduced its armed forces into hostilities under these circumstances:
For purposes of this joint resolution, the term "introduction of United States Armed
Forces" includes the assignment of member of such armed forces to command, coordinate,
participate in the movement of, or accompany [bold mine-DL] the regular or irregular military
forces of any foreign country or government when such military forces are engaged, or there
exists an imminent threat that such forces will become engaged, in hostilities.
Any fair reading of this definition has to apply to the regular U.S. refueling of coalition
planes that are engaged in an ongoing bombing campaign. The U.S. is obviously participating in
the "movement" of coalition forces when it provides their planes with fuel. Indeed, our forces
are making the movement of their forces possible through refueling. U.S. involvement in the war
on Yemen clearly counts as introducing U.S. forces into hostilities under the WPR, and neither
administration has sought or received authorization to do this. No president is permitted to do
this unless there is "(1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a
national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or
its armed forces." There has obviously been no action from Congress that authorizes this, and
there is certainly no emergency or attack that justifies it. U.S. involvement in the war on
Yemen is illegal, and the Senate should pass S.J.Res. 54 to end it.
so it's blackmail
March 15, 2018 at 11:00 am
"Mattis wrote that restricting military support the United States is providing to the
Saudi-led coalition "could increase civilian casualties, jeopardize cooperation with our
partners on counterterrorism, and reduce our influence with the Saudis -- all of which would
further exacerbate the situation and humanitarian crisis.""
Wow. So MBS is blackmailing us. He's threatening to kill more civilians, to stop
anti-terror cooperation, and to shut us out of other Saudi regional security decisions if we
don't help him starve and wreck Yemen.
Maybe the situation is a little clearer, but how can anyone take Trump seriously after
this embarrassing confession by Mattis?
We may assume that Trump has no self-respect, but doesn't he have any respect for his
office? Is he really going to let this disgusting little torture freak jerk him around like
this? When it implicates all Americans in Saudi war crimes?
SteveM , says:
March 15, 2018 at 2:14 pm
Re: "Mattis' Weak Case for Supporting the War on Yemen"
Unfortunately, in this day of warped Military Exceptionalism as the civic religion, a
4-Star pedigree fronting weak arguments makes them essentially unassailable. No matter how
immoral, idiotic or costly to the taxpayers.
Mad Dog Mattis got a free ride with his logically incoherent, hyper-belligerent
pronouncements related to the National Security Strategy. Expect no different response to his
perverse rationalizations of the Yemen catastrophe.
Generals and Admirals now pop off stupid and dangerous opinions right and left and are
never challenged by an MSM that is bedazzled by anyone wearing stars on their shoulders.
Mattis' case for Yemen is not only weak, it's pathetic. Too bad the co-opted and seduced
MSM will never suggest that to the public at large deluded by the omnipresent propaganda of
the National Security State.
Nothing will change until the undeserved fawning adoration of the War Machine Elite is
substantially attenuated.
Alex Ingrum , says:
March 15, 2018 at 3:12 pm
The neocons will stop at nothing to bring down anyone they suspect of threatening Israel or
U.S. military hegemony in the Middle East.
First, they lied about WMDs in Iraq and started a completely illegal war, killing millions
and devastating that country for generations. That led directly to the creation of ISIS and
the havoc it has wrought on both Iraq and Syria (and increasingly in other countries).
Then under Obama and Sec. Clinton, they allowed the military takeover of Egypt by the
murderous and oppressive El-Sisi and launched an aggressive war of regime change in Libya,
throwing both North African countries into turmoil.
Then they supported the brutal and savage ongoing Saudi war against Yemen to curb
non-existent Iranian influence, followed by politically isolating Qatar for its supposed
chumminess with Iran.
The neocons will do absolutely anything to bring down the Iranian regime, no matter how
many foreign and American lives and destroyed to achieve that end.
b. , says:
March 15, 2018 at 3:38 pm
The details of Mattis' letter of indulgence do not matter as much as the fact that he is
willing to defend the indefensible. Even if his professed concerns were not only genuine, but
actually reflected reality, he also has to know better than anybody else within the
administration about the consequences of the US-backed Saudi/UAE invasion of Yemen.
Mattis has joined Graham and Albright in the "worth it" campaign to sustain and extend
perfectly predictable atrocities.
If he wants to make the case that we cannot accept uncertainty with respect to an alleged
Iranian aggression towards Saudi Arabia – and with even more unlikely acquiescence by
the Houthi to let Iran use them the way the US uses the Kurds – or even assuming that
Mattis wants to misrepresent possible Houthi blowback against Saudi Arabia as "Iranian" just
for convenience – then it should be clear that he is claimng we can easily accept
uncertainty with respect to Yemeni blowback against the US – blowback that he also uses
to justify the US campaign inside Yemen, and that fueled Obama's pathological obsession with
ideological cleansing in Yemen and other prospective "safe harbors".
Mattis is proving the validity of the actual Powell Doctrine – if you join it, you
own it – both with respect to US co-belligerence in Yemen, and with respect to Mattis
personally. He is also proving the observation that anybody who is willing to join an
administration as criminal as that of Bush, Obama or Trump is unlikely to do any good –
by their voluntary association they have irredeemably tainted themselves.
Uncle Billy , says:
March 15, 2018 at 7:54 pm
We do not want to get in the middle of this Sunni vs. Shiite war. The Saudis want to destroy
the Shiites in Yemen and we are fools at best and criminals at worst to help them. The people
of Yemen are no threat to the US and for theAmerican Government to cooperate with the Saudis
in the murderof Yemeni women and children is revolting.
Sisera , says:
March 16, 2018 at 6:06 pm
Americans have heard for years that supporting "democracy" and popular uprisings throughout
the Middle East are in our national interests, the basis being that oppressed people are more
likely to resort to terrorism.
Yet in the cases of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and now Yemen popular revolutions of Shias
demanding equal rights are actually deemed a threat to our national security.
The neocons have gotten so deep in the Gulf/Israel v. Iran conflict that they're not even
keeping to the ostensible reasons for interventionism.
Notable quotes:
"... The problem is that this would have some semblance of solubility were it not for Israel. Israel desperately, repeat desperately, wants the U.S. to go to war in a very big way in the ME. That could tip the scales. ..."
"... I hope you are wrong, but Trump sees very clearly what "Wartime President" did for the cipher Bush. It's the only straw left for him to grasp at ..."
FB Ali ,
15 March 2018 at 12:00 AM
This post was about Mattis being the only "grown-up in the room".
I'm not sure that's something to be reassured about. Brian Cloughley is a seasoned
military writer and analyst. A few years ago he wrote a piece on Mattis that was not very
complimentary. If even half of it is right, we should all be worried.
The article is at: http://tinyurl.com/ycp8yta2
Bill Herschel ,
15 March 2018 at 12:29 AM
Trump's mojo has evaporated. He has no coattails. He has negative coattails. So it is time
for war.
The problem is that this would have some semblance of solubility were it not for
Israel. Israel desperately, repeat desperately, wants the U.S. to go to war in a very big way
in the ME. That could tip the scales.
I hope you are wrong, but Trump sees very clearly what "Wartime President" did for the
cipher Bush. It's the only straw left for him to grasp at .
Don Bacon | Mar 9, 2018 10:24:50 PM |
39
Dickerson: "What keeps you awake at night?"
Mattis: "Nothing, I keep other people awake at night."
and. . .
MATTIS: A conflict in North Korea, John, would be probably the worst kind of fighting in most
people's lifetimes.
Why do I say this? The North Korean regime has hundreds of artillery cannons and rocket
launchers within range of one of the most densely populated cities on earth, which is the
capital of South Korea.
We are working with the international community to deal with this issue. This regime is a
threat to the region, to Japan, to South Korea, and in the event of war, they would bring
danger to China and to Russia as well.
But the bottom line is, it would be a catastrophic war if this turns into combat, if we are
not able to resolve this situation through diplomatic means.
here
Don Bacon , Mar 9, 2018 10:56:44 PM |
41
We shouldn't expect that any meeting and talks would actually solve anything, because the
DPRK and US positions are basically irreconcilable. DPRK wants the US out of Korea, US wants
DPRK to denuke (disarm).
The DPRK strategy, probably, is to spawn endless meetings for a long
time. The Vietnam peace talks serve as a model, first with the parties discussing the shape
of the table, etc. I look for DPRK to play this game.
It's a basic east vs. west gambit, where the east has the patience to endure years whereas
the west expects quick results.
Mattis is probably mentally ill. He'll gleefully kill millions more.
The terrorists are mentally ill. They would kill millions if they could.
Implacable.
Thus, the reason for the rise of Russia and the influence and respect for Putin. Russians
will kill terrorists but embrace Islamic people who want peaceful cooperation.
Peace is a long way off. The Hegemon abhors Peace and has the means and ideology to create
chaos, death and destruction anywhere on the globe.
The American economic system depends on MIC expenditures, debt, waste, corruption, and
fiscal abuse.
Nothing much will change until multi-polar economic forces come into dominance and coerce
the American changes. Those are a long way off, also, though a few of those forces are coming
into view.
Posted by: Red Ryder | Feb 12, 2018 12:21:31 PM |
2
ConfusedPundit , Feb 12, 2018 1:33:01 PM |
4
Mattis is coming to Turkey soon.
Pentagon statement today: 550 million dolar, 2018 budget, for PKK.
(Meaning: You can defeat terrorism, but you can't you beat our purse!)
There is a massive propaganda campaing targeting Turkey in the past 2-3 days. It's coming
from international sources. BBC, AFP etc.
This is the main theme
"Turks, beware of Russia, Syria and Iran! They are your enemy. Israel is your friend! The
USA is a superpower, obey!"
I believe nobody, no muslim targets America or ordinary American people for that mater! So
any incident should be received as provocation.
Those who pull the strings in the USA, behind the doors, maybe under risk though.
IMHO
jsn ,
Feb 12, 2018 1:55:10 PM |
7
Mattis/Pentagon just doing business development for the MIC
nonsense factory , Feb 12, 2018 11:39:44 PM |
32
@colin 3, Yes, I used to try to update the wikipedia page on the TAPI pipeline and while some
things remained on the site, most of it was edited away. Anything to do with Exxon, Chevron,
US military actions along the pipeline route, Hillary Clinton's cheerleading for the project
during the Obama era, actions taken by the US State Department in summer 2001 (pre 9-11)
aimed at pressuring the Taliban into signing off on the deal (in exchange for handing over
bin Laden, etc.) all gone. Not worth the bother; you're up against PR firms with full-time
staff devoted to sanitizing everything.
@4 CP, the corporate media PR stream, it's something I can't even watch anymore (I follow
it with Google News search just to see what the headlines are, but it's basically predictable
content so that's enough). Here and there across the web there are some honest discussions
though:
https://thewire.in/219467/russia-turkey-iran-triangle-economic-interests-paramount/
I really can't see what Tillerson and Mattis have to offer Turkey other than
threats.
xaderp , Feb 13, 2018 3:47:05 AM |
35
I think you are reading Mattis's comments wrong.
The moment the USA pulls its troops out of the middle east, a bomb will go off at Times
Square .
john , Feb 13, 2018 6:07:37 AM |
43
Yeah, Right says:
"If America Wasn't America, The United States Would Be Bombing It".
Damn, that's funny
yeah, i just read
the article , and while the title is indeed humorous, the content is decidedly not. but
it's a good synopsis of the unprecedented amount of death and destruction wrought on this
undeserving planet by the US of Argh.
ConfusedPundit , Feb 13, 2018 12:12:09 PM |
49
What's this man talking about? US led NATO has been terrorising another member, Turkey.
By means of 3 Proxies: PKK, ISIS, Gulenists.
It's a misconception that the Turks and Americans want a war.
However, both Americans and Turks do want a war against the Neocons!
Perhaps it's time for a false flag nuke at Times Sq or Taksim Sq or Tiananmen Sq or
Trafalgar Sq.
Eric Neoconman the chief provocator.
Turkey
Is Out of Control.Time for the U.S. to Say So
Partisan , Feb 14, 2018 5:57:41 AM |
72
The West and in particular Amerikkans constantly use the Circular Argument in its public
relation and propaganda statements. That kind of attitude works with an allies, nominal or
otherwise, in the cases where sovereignty/national interest is threatened that kind of
deception is treated just like that, deception.
Unfortunately Tayyip has been used as client state for long time, from Libya to Syria where
he experienced sudden awakening.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/02/erdogan-slams-support-kurdish-ypg-fighters-180214070010174.html
The US has reiterated that it has no plans to withdraw its forces from Manbij.
Paul Funk, the commander of US forces in Syria and Iraq, made a recent visit to Manbij
and said that the US and its partners in Syria would hit back if attacked.
"You hit us, we will respond aggressively. We will defend ourselves," Funk said.
Erdogan took aim at that, saying: "It is obvious that those, who say they will 'give a
sharp response' if they were hit, have not been hit by the Ottoman slap."
He, he, he....that would be something to see.
Mattis is probably mentally ill. He'll gleefully kill millions more.
The terrorists are mentally ill. They would kill millions if they could.
Implacable.
Thus, the reason for the rise of Russia and the influence and respect for Putin. Russians
will kill terrorists but embrace Islamic people who want peaceful cooperation.
Peace is a long way off. The Hegemon abhors Peace and has the means and ideology to create
chaos, death and destruction anywhere on the globe.
The American economic system depends on MIC expenditures, debt, waste, corruption, and
fiscal abuse.
Nothing much will change until multi-polar economic forces come into dominance and coerce
the American changes. Those are a long way off, also, though a few of those forces are coming
into view.
Posted by: Red Ryder | Feb 12, 2018 12:21:31 PM |
2
CarlD | Jan 19, 2018 11:38:25 AM |
56
I am afraid, if one is to believe Mathis words, that the Syrian, Ukrainian and Korean potential confrontations will lead to
exchanges that will force us into wars on several theaters in the very near future.
As of today, Gen. Mathis exposing the sew Us Defense Strategy warned that: The US will counter any "threat to America's democracy
experiment" in the world, if necessary with military force, the Pentagon chief threatened.
He singled out Russia and China as "adversaries", a far cry form the "partners" designation used by Russia in designing the
USA. He vowed: the US will respond with lethal force.
So the stage is set for escalation of escalation in several theaters. How long will the bear be poked and the dragon provoked
before retaliation ensues?
I am afraid that war looks more and more certain in 2018.
james , Jan 19, 2018 12:49:13 PM |
62
@40 b... thanks for that... the place was getting out of hand.. you are becoming too popular..
@56 carl... it is an outrageous statement from mattis, any way you read it!
"The US will counter any threat to America's democracy experiment in the world..."
usa as country that gets to dictate its agenda anywhere in the world.. it would explain why they want to circumvent any international
body that they don't already control too, like the un.. america's democracy experiment is imposing the us$ as world currency under
the threat of their military.. it is already starting to fall apart on all accounts which explains mattis's anxiousness in representing
these same undemocratic structures and institutions he refers to as 'america's ''democracy'' experiment'... he needs to get a
gig in hollywood at comedy central.. he never found his true calling..
harrylaw , Jan 19, 2018 1:16:21 PM |
63
"We will modernize key capabilities," Mattis said. "Investments in space and cyberspace, nuclear deterrent forces, missile defense,
advanced autonomous systems and resilient and agile logistics will provide our high-quality troops what they need to win." [Sputnik
News]
Just two quotes from 'Mad dog' Mattis which prove he needs to be put in an asylum.
"I come in peace. I didn't bring artillery. But I'm pleading with you, with tears in my eyes: If you fuck with me, I'll kill you
all".
"Find the enemy that wants to end this experiment (in American democracy) and kill every one of them until they're so sick of
the killing that they leave us and our freedoms intact."
Temporarily Sane , Jan 19, 2018 1:52:11 PM |
64
@56 CarlD
He singled out Russia and China as "adversaries", a far cry form the "partners"
designation used by Russia in designing the USA. He vowed: the US will
respond with lethal force.
Actions speak louder than words. The US is scared of two things: 1) a military conflict where its troops get slaughtered wholesale,
and 2) going up against any army or regular military force it can't destroy from the air. Whatever happens in the near future
we can rest assured Uncle Scam won't be engaging in direct hostilities with China or Russia.
dh , Jan 19, 2018 2:03:17 PM |
66
@63 "Investments in space and cyberspace, nuclear deterrent forces, missile defense, advanced autonomous systems and resilient
and agile logistics will provide our high-quality troops what they need to win."
Nice for the high-quality troops. Sounds like they should be totally risk-free. But I don't share Mad Dog's faith in technology.
Looks like an accident waiting to happen.
karlof1 , Jan 19, 2018 3:37:08 PM |
72
Mattis opens his mouth and reveals his level of ignorance when it comes to understanding the Outlaw US Empire's history--it's
certainly not a "democracy experiment," nor has it ever tried to install a democracy anywhere on the planet. I'd bet he's
just as ignorant when it comes to military history, too. He reminds me of the ignorant brute Sgt. Snorkel from the Beatle Bailey
comic strip. The so-called "new" "defense posture" is no more than a tidied-up version of the two that preceded it: What we say
goes; either you're with us or against us.
By way of rebuttal, I highly recommend reading
this interview of Hassan Nasrallah from 3 Jan 2018, particularly his remarks about differences in the quality of soldiers
from The Resistance versus those of the enemy--IDF, NATO, USA, Daesh--and why they exist.
Contrary to all the hype about the Empire being a new energy exporting colossus,
it needed to import LNG
to keep its East Coast dwellings warm, but the cargo seems to have found a better price elsewhere. Just how will it displace Russian
gas from the market when it can't provide enough domestic supply?
Meanwhile, Tillerson pulls an Albright
: "Signs of starvation and death in North Korea indicate that US diplomatic strategy works fine, says the secretary of state."
Is he being two-faced? You bet! From last year
: "We're not your enemy, we're not your threat..."
Ignorant, lying, immoral are just a few of the important behavioral traits of those leading faces of the Outlaw US Empire.
And my historical investigations prove such traits have been in the forefront since its inception. Guess we can thank its tutor,
the British Empire.
virgile , Jan 19, 2018 5:14:33 PM |
79
January 19, 2018 at 10:10 pm GMT • 100 Words
The US administration either is very smart in bluffing to temporarily reassure its panicking regional allies, Israel and Saudi
Arabia or it is living in the la-la land of an incompetence close to stupidity.
Do they really believe that the Russians will allow the USA to rob their victory in Syria over ISIS? Or that the Turks will
stay idle while the USA is building a Kurdish military entity on their border? Or that Iran and Syria will allow the partitioning
of Syria and the US illegal long term presence in the region?
The USA administration is posed for dramatic blowbacks and reshuffling of alliances in the region.Maybe that is why it is running
like a headless hen!
Ghost Ship , Jan 19, 2018 6:52:28 PM |
88
This will damage Trump with his base. Reducing the involvement of the United States military abroad was one of the more important
commitments he made to his base and now he has broken that commitment and quite a few of his base are disappointed. Even if it's
just a couple of hundred thousand of them, there goes the next presidential election for Trump and the Republicans. By forgetting
about Russia-gate, focusing on his foreign military involvements, and provided the Democratic candidate is not a Clinton, the
presidency is for there for taking by the Democrats. Having Tulsi Gabbard on the ticket would help.
The only reservation I have is if Trump is stiffing the generals in the White House and sometime in the future pulls the plug
on all those interventions then he'll remain in the White House for another four years.
Mike K. , Jan 19, 2018 7:08:43 PM |
90
Tillerson could have been speaking for Trump, or Obama, or Bush - under whose regime the Likudnik/neocons/Zionists were able to
foment a policy coup while using the OSP to concoct lies for Israel's long-desired war.
https://medium.com/@caityjohnstone/trump-isnt-another-hitler-he-s-another-obama-51ea7db498b4
https://www.activistpost.com/2018/01/new-trump-admin-policy-on-syria-is-the-same-as-obamas-and-hillary-clintons.html
While there are generally multiple motives for entry into wars, only one is whitewashed. As Phil Giraldi put it:
""Why doesn't anyone ever speak honestly about the six-hundred-pound gorilla in the room? Nobody has mentioned Israel in this
conference and we all know it's American Jews with all their money and power who are supporting every war in the Middle East for
Netanyahu? Shouldn't we start calling them out and not letting them get away with it?"
https://www.veteransnewsnow.com/2017/09/21/1015592-americas-jews-are-driving-americas-wars/
They have also very heavily figured, neocon and neoliberal Jews both, in promoting the #Russiahoax in media and on the hill.
http://russia-insider.com/en/its-time-drop-jew-taboo/ri22186
Here's where we are, as the same cabal cheerlead for war on Iran (Lebanon must be first) a you are either committed to stopping
the drive to war by all cognizable social and pitical forces, or you are not.
The time for letting cries of 'anti-Semite' preclude FAIR dis ussuon of the role of Jews and the Israel Lobby is over.
Those who censor this necessary component of analysis should be deemed confederates of the bankers, MIC, transnationals, and
Zionist Jews who have been driving wars for decades.
With millions dead, playtime is over. Those censoring the truth side with the warmongers.
Notable quotes:
"... "President Trump instructed [his generals] in a very open way that the YPG will no longer be given weapons. He openly said
that this absurdity should have ended much earlier ," Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told reporters after the phone call. ..."
"... The YPG is the Syrian sister organization of the Turkish-Kurdish terror group PKK. Some weapons the U.S. had delivered to the
YPK in Syria to fight the Islamic State have been recovered from PKK fighters in Turkey who were out to kill Turkish security personal.
Despite that, supply for the YPG continued. In total over 3,500 truckloads were provided to it by the U.S. military. Only recently the
YPK received some 120 armored Humvees , mine clearance vehicles and other equipment. ..."
"... The generals in the White House and other parts of the administration were caught flat-footed by the promise Trump has made.
The Washington Post writes : "Initially, the administration's national security team appeared surprised by the Turks' announcement and
uncertain what to say about it. The State Department referred questions to the White House, and hours passed with no confirmation from
the National Security Council." ..."
"... The U.S. military uses the YPG as proxy power in Syria to justify and support its occupation of north-east Syria, The intent
of the occupation is , for now, to press the Syrian government into agreeing to a U.S. controlled "regime change": ..."
"... When in 2014 the U.S. started to use Kurds in Syria as its foot-soldiers, it put the YPG under the mantle of the so called
Syrian Democratic Forces and paid some Syrian Arabs to join and keep up the subterfuge. This helped to counter the Turkish argument
that the U.S. was arming and supporting terrorists. But in May 2017 the U.S. announced to arm the YPG directly without the cover of
the SDF. The alleged purpose was to eliminate the Islamic State from the city of Raqqa. ..."
"... A spokesperson of the SDF, the ethnic Turkman Talaf Silo, recently defected and went over to the Turkish side. The Turkish
government is certainly well informed about the SDF and knows that its political and command structure is dominated by the YPK. The
whole concept is a sham. ..."
"... Sometimes it's hard to see if Trump actually believed what he was saying about foreign policy on the campaign trail -- but
either way it doesn't matter much as he seems incapable of navigating the labyrinth of the Deep State even if he had in independent
thought in his head. I don't expect US weapons to stop making their way into Kurdish hands as they try to extend their mini-Israel-with-oil
foothold in Syria. But it would certainly be a welcome sight if the US left Syria alone for once! ..."
"... Trump personally sent General Flynn to recruit back Erdogan and the Turks right before the election. Flynn wrote his now infamous
editorial "Our ally Turkey is in crisis and needs our support" and published in "The Hill". http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/foreign-policy/305021-our-ally-turkey-is-in-crisis-and-needs-our-support
..."
"... But if you know the role he played for Trump in the campaign and then the post-election role as soon to be NSC advisor, you
will see that Trump was sending him to bring Turkey back into the fold after the coup attempt by CIA, Gulen and Turkey's AF and US State
Dept failed. ..."
"... Trump wanted to prevent the Turkish Stream. It was a huge rival to his LNG strategy. All these are why Flynn did what he did
for Trump. Now Trump has to battle CIA and State, as well as the CENTCOM-Israeli plans for insurgencies in Syria. It's not just the
Kurd issue or the other needs of NATO to hold the bases in Turkey. It's the whole southwest containment of Russian gas and Russian naval
power, and the reality of sharing the Mediterranean as well as MENA with the Bear. ..."
"... Furthermore, I've always been suspicious of Erdogan's 'turn' toward Russia. Many have suspected that the attempted coup was
staged by Erdogan (with CIA help?) so as to enable Erdogan to remain in office. IMO Erdogan joined the 'Assad must go!' effort not just
because he benefited from the oil trade but because he leans toward Sunnis (Surely he was aware of the thinking that: the road to Tehran
runs through Damascus .) ..."
President Trump is attempting to calm down the U.S.
conflict with Turkey . The
military junta in the White House has different
plans. It now attempts to circumvent the decision the president communicated to his Turkish counterpart. The result will be more
Turkish-U.S. acrimony.
Yesterday the Turkish foreign minister surprisingly
announced a phone call
President Trump had held with President Erdogan of Turkey.
United States President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke on the phone on Nov. 24 only days after
a Russia-Turkey-Iran summit on Syria, with Ankara saying that Washington has pledged not to send weapons to the People's Protection
Units (YPG) any more .
"President Trump instructed [his generals] in a very open way that the YPG will no longer be given weapons. He openly said
that this absurdity should have ended much earlier ," Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu told reporters after the phone call.
Trump had announced the call:
Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump
Will be speaking to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey this morning about bringing peace to the mess that I inherited
in the Middle East. I will get it all done, but what a mistake, in lives and dollars (6 trillion), to be there in the first place!
12:04 PM - 24 Nov 2017
During the phone call Trump must have escaped his minders for a moment and promptly tried to make, as announced, peace with Erdogan.
The issue of arming the YPG is really difficult for Turkey to swallow. Ending that would probably make up for the
recent NATO blunder of presenting the founder of modern Turkey Kemal Atatürk and Erdogan himself as enemies.
The YPG is the Syrian sister organization of the Turkish-Kurdish terror group PKK. Some weapons the U.S. had delivered to
the YPK in Syria to fight the Islamic State have been
recovered from PKK fighters in Turkey who were out to kill Turkish security personal. Despite that, supply for the YPG continued.
In total over
3,500 truckloads
were provided to it by the U.S. military. Only recently the YPK received
some 120 armored Humvees ,
mine clearance vehicles and other equipment.
The generals in the White House and other parts of the administration were caught flat-footed by the promise Trump has made.
The Washington Post
writes : "Initially, the administration's national security team appeared surprised by the Turks' announcement and uncertain
what to say about it. The State Department referred questions to the White House, and hours passed with no confirmation from the
National Security Council."
The White House finally released what the Associated Press
called :
a cryptic statement about the phone call that said Trump had informed the Turk of "pending adjustments to the military support
provided to our partners on the ground in Syria."
Neither a read-out of the call nor the statement AP refers to are currently available on the White House website.
The U.S. military uses the YPG as proxy power in Syria to justify and support
its
occupation of north-east Syria, The intent of the occupation is , for now,
to press the Syrian government into agreeing to a U.S. controlled "regime change":
U.S. officials have said they plan to keep American troops in northern Syria -- and continue working with Kurdish fighters --
to pressure Assad to make concessions during peace talks brokered by the United Nations in Geneva, stalemated for three years
now. "We're not going to just walk away right now," Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week.
To solidify its position the U.S. needs to further build up and strengthen its YPG mercenary forces.
When in 2014 the U.S. started to use Kurds in Syria as its foot-soldiers, it put the YPG under the mantle of the so called
Syrian Democratic Forces and paid some Syrian Arabs to join and keep up the subterfuge. This helped to counter the Turkish argument
that the U.S. was arming and supporting terrorists. But in May 2017 the U.S.
announced
to arm the YPG directly without the cover of the SDF. The alleged purpose was to eliminate the Islamic State from the city of Raqqa.
The YPG had been unwilling to fight for the Arab city unless the U.S. would provide it with more money, military supplies and
support. All were provided. The U.S. special forces, who control the YPG fighters, directed an immense amount of aerial and artillery
ammunition against the city. Any potential enemy position was destroyed by large ammunition and intense bombing before the YPG infantry
proceeded. In the end few YPG fighters died in the fight. The Islamic State was let go or eliminated from the city but
so was the city of Raqqa . The intensity
of the bombardment of the medium size city was at times ten
times greater than the bombing in all of Afghanistan. Airwars
reported :
Since June, an estimated 20,000 munitions were fired in support of Coalition operations at Raqqa . Images captured by journalists
in the final days of the assault show a city in ruins
Several thousand civilians were killed in the indiscriminate onslaught.
The Islamic State in Syria and Iraq is defeated. It no longer holds any ground. There is no longer any justification to further
arm and supply the YPG or the dummy organization SDF.
But the generals want to continue to do so to further their larger plans. They are laying grounds to circumvent their president's
promise. The Wall Street Journal seems to be the only outlet to
pick up on the subterfuge:
President Donald Trump's administration is preparing to stop sending weapons directly to Kurdish militants battling Islamic State
in Syria, dealing a political blow to the U.S.'s most reliable ally in the civil war, officials said Friday....
The Turkish announcement came as a surprise in Washington, where military and political officials in Mr. Trump's administration
appeared to be caught off-guard. U.S. military officials said they had received no new guidance about supplying weapons to the
Kurdish forces. But they said there were no immediate plans to deliver any new weapons to the group. And the U.S. can continue
to provide the Kurdish forces with arms via the umbrella Syrian militant coalition
The "military officials" talking to the WSJ have found a way to negate Trump's promise. A spokesperson of the SDF, the ethnic
Turkman Talaf Silo, recently
defected and went over to the Turkish side. The Turkish government is certainly well informed about the SDF and knows that its
political and command structure is dominated by the YPK. The whole concept is a sham.
But the U.S. needs the YPG to keep control of north-east Syria. It has to continue to provide whatever the YPG demands, or it
will have to give up its larger scheme against Syria.
The Turkish government will soon find out that the U.S. again tried to pull wool over its eyes. Erdogan will be furious when he
discovers that the U.S. continues to supply war material to the YPG, even when those deliveries are covered up as supplies for the
SDF.
The Turkish government released
a photograph showing
Erdogan and five of his aids taking Trump's phonecall. Such a release and the announcement of the call by the Turkish foreign minister
are very unusual. Erdogan is taking prestige from the call and the public announcement is to make sure that Trump sticks to his promise.
This wide publication will also increase Erdogan's wrath when he finds out that he was again deceived.
Posted by b on November 25, 2017 at 12:14 PM |
Permalink
WorldBLee | Nov 25, 2017 12:48:12 PM |
1
Sometimes it's hard to see if Trump actually believed what he was saying about foreign policy on the campaign trail -- but
either way it doesn't matter much as he seems incapable of navigating the labyrinth of the Deep State even if he had in independent
thought in his head. I don't expect US weapons to stop making their way into Kurdish hands as they try to extend their mini-Israel-with-oil
foothold in Syria. But it would certainly be a welcome sight if the US left Syria alone for once!
Red Ryder | Nov 25, 2017 12:49:33 PM |
2
Trump personally sent General Flynn to recruit back Erdogan and the Turks right before the election. Flynn wrote his now infamous
editorial "Our ally Turkey is in crisis and needs our support" and published in "The Hill".
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/foreign-policy/305021-our-ally-turkey-is-in-crisis-and-needs-our-supportSome
interpret this act on Election eve as a pecuniary fulfillment by Flynn of a lobbying contract (which existed).
But if you know the role he played for Trump in the campaign and then the post-election role as soon to be NSC advisor,
you will see that Trump was sending him to bring Turkey back into the fold after the coup attempt by CIA, Gulen and Turkey's AF
and US State Dept failed.
Flynn understood the crucial need for US and NATO to hold Turkey and prevent the Russians from getting Erdogan as an ally for
Syria and the Black Sea, the Balkans and Mediterranean as well as Iran, Qatar and Eurasia. Look at what has transpired between
Turkey and Russia since. Gas will be flowing through the Turkish Stream and Erdogan conforms to Putin's wishes.
Trump wanted to prevent the Turkish Stream. It was a huge rival to his LNG strategy. All these are why Flynn did what he
did for Trump. Now Trump has to battle CIA and State, as well as the CENTCOM-Israeli plans for insurgencies in Syria. It's not
just the Kurd issue or the other needs of NATO to hold the bases in Turkey. It's the whole southwest containment of Russian gas
and Russian naval power, and the reality of sharing the Mediterranean as well as MENA with the Bear.
Flynn was on it for Trump. And the IC and State want him prosecuted for defying their efforts to replace Erdogan with a stooge
like Gulen. It looks like Mueller is pursuing that against the General.
Harry | Nov 25, 2017 1:18:07 PM |
3
Its not a problem for US to drop Kurds if they are no longer needed, BUT for now they are essential for US/Israel/Saudi goals,
therefore you can bet 100% Kurds support will continue. Trump's order (he hasn't made it official either) will be easily circumvented.
The real question is, what Resistance will do with the backstabbing Kurds? It wont be easy to make a deal while Kurds
maintain absurd demands and as long as they have full Axis of Terror support.
Go Iraq's way like they reclaimed Kirkuk? US might have sitten out that one, I doubt they'll allow this to happen in Syria
as well, unless they get something in return.
alabaster | Nov 25, 2017 1:19:42 PM |
4
While America's standard duplicity of saying one thing while doing the opposite has been known for decades, they have been able
to play games mainly because of the weakness of the other actors in the region.
The tables have turned now, but America still thinks it holds top dog position.
Wordplay, semantics and legal loopholes wont be tolerated for very long, and when hundreds of US boots return home in body bags
a choice will have to be made - escalate, or run away.
Previous behavior dictates run away, but times have changed.
A cornered enemy is the most dangerous, and the USA has painted itself into a very small corner...
Jean | Nov 25, 2017 1:35:55 PM |
5
Gee. While reading B's article what got to my mind is: "Turkey is testing the ground". Whatever Trump said to Erdogan on the phone,
it seems to me that the Turks are playing a card to see how the different actors in the US that seems to follow different agendas
will react. If Turkey concludes that the US will continue to back YPG, it's split from the US and will be definitive.
Erdogan is shifting away from US/NATO. He even hinted today that he might talk to Assad. That's huge! I wouldn't be surprised
if Turkey leaves NATO sooner than later. And if it's the case, it will be a major move of a tectonic amplitude.
Peter AU 1 | Nov 25, 2017 1:36:09 PM |
6
Trump.. "Will be speaking to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey this morning about bringing peace to the mess that I inherited
in the Middle East. I will get it all done, but what a mistake, in lives and dollars (6 trillion), to be there in the first place!"
General Wesley Clark - seven countries in five years with Iran last on the list = "Get it all done"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RC1Mepk_Sw
Jen | Nov 25, 2017 2:36:10 PM |
7
Surely by now Erdogan must realise that whatever the US President says and promises will be circumvented by the State Department,
the Pentagon, the 17 US intel agencies (including the CIA and the NSA) and rogue individuals in these and other US government
departments and agencies, and in Congress as well (Insane McCain comes to mind)? Not to mention the fact that the Israeli government
and the pro-Israeli lobby on Capitol Hill exercise huge influence over sections of the US government.
If Erdogan hasn't figured out the schizoid behaviour of the US from past Turkish experience and the recent experience of Turkey's
neighbours (and the Ukraine is one such neighbour), he must not be receiving good information.
Though as Jean says, perhaps Erdogan is giving the US one last chance to demonstrate that it has a coherent and reliable policy
towards the Middle East.
Hausmeister | Nov 25, 2017 3:37:06 PM |
8
Jen | Nov 25, 2017 2:36:10 PM | 6
Well, the US policy has been coherent and reliable in the last years. It enhanced local conflicts, supported both sides at
the same time but with different intensities. Whoever wins would be "our man". Old stuff since the Byzantine period. It always
takes a lot of time to prove the single actions that were done. In most cases we learn about it years later. The delay is so big
and unpleasant that quite a number of folks escapes to stupid narratives that explain everything in one step, and therefore nothing.
By the way: is the interest of Kurds to remain under the umbrella of the Syrian state but not be governed by Baath type of Arabic
nationalism illegitimate?
stonebird | Nov 25, 2017 3:44:32 PM |
9
How can Trump have his cake and eat it?
The Kurds (PKK basically) are only necessary to give a "face" to the force the US is trying to align in E. Syria. The "fighting"
against ISIS (if there really was any) is coming to a close. The Chiefs of ISIS have been airlifted to somewhere nearby, and the
foreign mercenary forces sent elsewhere by convoy. ALL the valuable personnel have now become "HTS2" with reversible vests. These,
plus the US special forces are the basis of a new armed anti-Syrian force. (Note that one general let slip that there are 5'000
US forces in E-Syria - not the 500 spoken of in the MSM).
So Trump may well be correct in saying that the Kurds (specifically) will not get any more arms - because they have other demands
and might make peace with the Syrian Government, to keep at least some part of their territorial gains. The ISIS "bretheren" and
foreign mercenaries do not want any peaceful solution because it would mean their elimination.. So The CIA and Pentagon will probably
continue arms supplies to "HTS2" - but not the Kurds.
(ex-ISIS members; Some are from Saudi Arabia, Qatar - the EU and the US, as well as parts of Russia and China. They are not
farming types but will find themselves with some of the best arable land in Syria. Which belonged to Syrian-arabs-christians-Druzes-Yadzis
etc. Who wil want their properties back.)
Note that the US forces at Tanf are deliberately not letting humanitarian help reach the nearby refugee camp. Starvation and
deprivation will force many of the younger members to become US paid terrorists.
james | Nov 25, 2017 4:00:51 PM |
10
thanks b.. i tend to agree with @4 jean and @5 jen... the way i see it, there is either a real disconnect inside the usa where
the president gets to say one thing, but another part of the establishment can do another, or trump has made his last lie to turkey
here and turkey is going to say good bye to it's involvement with the usa in any way that can be trusted.. seems like some kind
of internal usa conflict to me at this point, but maybe it is all smoke and mirrors to continue on with the same charade.. i mostly
think internal usa conflict at this point..
A P | Nov 25, 2017 4:34:19 PM |
11
Odd that no one has mentioned the fact the US was behind the attempted coup, where Erdogan was on a plane with two rogue Syrian
jets that stood down rather than execute the kill shot. I have read opinion that the fighter pilots were "lit up" by Russian missile
batteries and informed by radio they would not survive unless they shut down their weapons targeting immediately. This is probably
a favour Putin reminds Erdogan of on a regular basis, whenever Erdo tries to play Sultan. The attempted coup/asassination also
shows Erdogan exactly how much he can trust the US/Zionists at any level.
And Edrogan must also know Syria was once at least partly in the US-orbit, as Syria was the destination for many well-documented
US-ordered rendition/torture cases. It is probable Mossad (or their proxy thugs) killed Assad's father and older brother, so Erdo
knows he's better relying on Putin than Trumpty Dumbdy.
Virgile | Nov 25, 2017 5:09:38 PM |
12
Erdogan is about to make a u-turn toward Syria. He is furious at Saudi Arabia for boycotting its ally Qatar, for talking about
owning Sunni Islam and by the continuous support of Islamists and Sunni Kurds in Syria.
Erdogan is preparing the turkish public opinion to a shift away from the USA-Israeli axis. This may get him many points in the
2019 election if the war in Syria is stopped, most Syrian refugees are back, Turkish companies are involved in the reconstruction
and the YPG neutralized. Erdogan has 1 year and half to make this to happen. For that he badly needs Bashar al Assad and his army
on his side.
Therefore he is evaluating what is the next move and he needs to know where the USA is standing about Turkey and Syria. Until
now the messages from the USA are contradictory yet Erdogan keeps telling his supporters that the USA is plotting against Turkey
and against Islam. Erdogan's reputation also is been threatened by the outcome of Reza Zarrab's trial in the US where the corruption
of his party may be exposed.
That is why Erdogan is making another check about the US intentions before Erdogan he starts the irreversible shift toward
the Iran-Russia (+Qatar and Syria) axis.
dirtyoilandgas | Nov 25, 2017 6:13:37 PM |
13
missing in this analysis is oil gas ... producers, refiners, slavers, middle crooks, and the LNG crowd :Israel, Fracking, LNG
and wall street... these are the underlying directing forces that will ultimately dictate when the outsiders have had enough fight
against Assad over Assad's oil and Assad's refusal to allow outsiders to install their pipelines. Until then, gangland intelligence
agencies will continue the divide, destroy and conquer strategies sufficient to keep the profits flowing. The politicians cannot
move until the underlying corruptions resolve..
les7 | Nov 25, 2017 6:59:27 PM |
14
The word 'byzantine' has been used for centuries to describe the intricate and multi-leveled forms of agreement, betrayal, treachery
and achievement among the shifting power brokers in the region. The US alone has three major and another three minor players at
work - often fighting each other. If however, it thinks it can outplay people whose lives are steeped in such a living tradition,
it is sadly deluded and will one day be in for a very rude surprise. Even the Russians have had difficulty navigating that maze.
When confronted with such a 'Gordian knot' of treachery and shifting alliances, Alexander the Great drew his sword and cut
through it with a vision informed by the sage Socrates as taught by Aristotle.
Despite claiming to represent such a western heritage, the US has no such Socratic wisdom, no Aristotelian logic, and no visionary
leadership that could enable it to do what Alexander did. Lacking this, it is destined to get lost in its' own hubris, and be
consumed by our current version of that region's gordian knot.
flankerbandit | Nov 25, 2017 7:53:29 PM |
15
'Hausmaus' @7 says...
'...By the way: is the interest of Kurds to remain under the umbrella of the Syrian state but not be governed by Baath type
of Arabic nationalism illegitimate?..'
...showing that he either knows only the crap spouted by wikipedia...or nothing at all about the Baath party...
...which happens to be a socialist and secular party interested in pan-Arab unity...not nationalism...[an obvious oxymoron
to be pan-national and 'nationalist' at the same time...]
Of course there is always a 'better way'...right Hausmaus...?
The Baath socialism under Saddam in Iraq was no good for anyone we recall...especially women, students, sick people etc...
A 'better way' has since been installed and it is working beautifully...all can agree...
Same thing in Libya...where the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya was no good for anyone...
Of course everyone wanted the 'Better Way'...all those doctoral graduates with free education and guaranteed jobs...a standard
of living better than some European countries...etc...
Again...removing the 'socialist' Kadafi has worked out wonderfully...
We now have black African slaves sold in open air markets...where before they did all the broom pushing that was beneath the
dignity of the Libyan Arabs...
...and were quite happy to stay there and have a job and paycheck...instead of now flooding the shores of Italy in anything
that can float...
Oh yes...why would anyone in Syria want to be governed by the socialist Baath party...?
...especially the Kurds...who just over the border in Turkey are not even recognized as humans...never mind speaking their
own language...
Oh yes yes yes...we all want the 'Better Way'...
It's a question of legitimacy you see...
Daniel | Nov 25, 2017 7:55:00 PM |
16
I'd really hoped that Donald Trump® would be the "outsider" that both the MSM and he have been insisting he is for the past couple
of years. Other than the Reality TV Show faux conflicts with which the MSM entertains us nightly, I see no such "rogue" Administration.
This say one thing, and do the other has been US foreign policy forever.
Recall, for instance that on February 21, 2014, Obama's State Department issued a statement hailing Ukrainian President Yanukovych
for signing an agreement with the "pro-democracy Maidan Protest" leaders in which he acquiesced to all of their demands.
Then, on February 22, 2014, the US State Department cheered the "peaceful and Constitutional" coup after neo-nazis stormed
the Parliament.
A few months later, Secretary of State Kerry hailed the Minsk Treaty to end the war in Ukraine. Later that day, Vickie Nuland
said there was no way her Ukies would stop shelling civilians, and sure enough they didn't (until they'd been on the retreat for
weeks, and came whimpering back to the negotiations table).
A couple years later, Kerry announced that the US and Russia would coordinate aerial assaults in Syria. The next day, "Defense"
Secretary Carter said, "no way," and within a week or so, we "accidentally" bombed Syrian forces at Deir ez Zoir for over an hour.
From my perspective, they keep us chasing the next squirrel, while bickering amongst each other about each squirrel. But the
wolves are still devouring the lambs, with only the Bear preventing a complete extinction.
flankerbandit | Nov 25, 2017 8:16:50 PM |
17
Some good comments here with food for thought...
What we know with at least some level of confidence...
Dump is not the 'decider'...the junta is...he's just a cardboard cutout sitting behind the oval office desk...
And he's got no one to blame but himself...he came in talking a big game about cleaning house and got himself cleaned out of
being an actual president...
This was inevitable from the moment he caved on Flynn...the only person he didn't need to vet with the senate...and a position
that wields a lot of power...
This was his undoing on many levels...not only because he faced a hostile deep state and even his own party in congress with
no one by his side [other than Flynn]...
...but because it showed that he had no balls and would not stand by his man...
This is not the stuff leaders are made of...
The same BS we see with Turkey is playing out with Russia on the Ukraine issue...
Now the junta and their enablers in congress want to start sending offensive arms to Ukraine...Dump and his platitudes to Putin...no
matter how much he may mean it...mean nothing...he's not in charge...
https://www.rt.com/op-edge/410942-trump-putin-friendly-words/
Yeah, Right | Nov 25, 2017 9:44:37 PM |
18
I think that Jean @4 has the best take on this: Erdoğan went very public on Trump's "promise" in a classic put-up-or-shut-up challenge
to the USA.
Either the word of a POTUS means something or it doesn't, and if it doesn't then Turkey is going to join Russia in concluding
that the USA as simply not-agreement-capable.
Erdoğan will then say "enough!!!", give the USA the two-finger-salute, and then take Turkey out of NATO.
And the best thing about it will be that McMaster, Kelly and Mathis will be so obsessed with playing their petty little games
that they won't see it coming.
ritzl | Nov 25, 2017 11:08:38 PM |
19
It's hard to tell what Erdoğan is doing or intending other than that he is navigating something - objective TBD. It'll be interesting
to see if he constrains the use of Incirlik airbase should the US keep arming the YPG/PKK forces. Airpower is the enabler (sole
enabler, IMO) of the/any Kurdish overreach inside Syria. Seems like Erdoğan holds the ace card in this muddle but has yet to play
it.
Grieved | Nov 25, 2017 11:32:17 PM |
20
@18 ritzl
Seems like Turkey has more than one card to play. A commenter on another site mentioned recently that the US really doesn't
want Erdogan to have that S-400 system from Russia. Got me thinking, could Russia have deliberately loaded Erdogan's hand with
that additional card to help him negotiate with the US?
Turkey may well leave NATO and as others have pointed out, this would be a game changer far beyond the matter of the US's illegal
presence in NE Syria. This possibility brings immense existential gravitas to Erdogan's position right now. He could ask
for many concessions at this point, not to leave. And from the Eurasian point of view, it doesn't matter if he leaves or stays,
while from the western view, it matters greatly.
Would the US give up Syria, in order to keep Turkey in NATO? It's a western dichotomy, not one that affects Asia. It would
be simple to throw S-400 at that dynamic to watch it squirm.
Jackrabbit | Nov 25, 2017 11:42:26 PM |
21
The plays the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King.- Hamlet
As the endgame plays out, Erdogan's conscience may be revealed.
b has made the point that the partition that US-led proxy forces have carved out is unsustainable. But it would be sustainable
if Erdogan can be convinced to allow trade via Turkey.
For that reason, I thought Trump's ceasing direct military aid to the Kurds made sense as it provided Erdogan with an excuse
to allow land routes for trade/supply. Erdogan can argue that he wants to encourage such good behavior and doesn't want to make
US an enemy (Turkey is still a NATO country).
Furthermore, I've always been suspicious of Erdogan's 'turn' toward Russia. Many have suspected that the attempted coup
was staged by Erdogan (with CIA help?) so as to enable Erdogan to remain in office. IMO Erdogan joined the 'Assad must go!' effort
not just because he benefited from the oil trade but because he leans toward Sunnis (Surely he was aware of the thinking that:
the road to Tehran runs through Damascus .)
Hasn't Erdogan's vehement anti-Kurdish stance done R+6 a disservice? It seems to me that it has helped USA to convince
Kurds to fight for them and has also been a convenient excuse for Erdogan to hold onto Idlib where al Queda forces have refuge.
If Erdogan was really soooo angry with Washington, and soooo dependent on Moscow, then why not relax his anti-Kurdish
stance so as to bring Kurds back into the Syrian orbit?
Seby | Nov 26, 2017 12:25:05 AM |
22
tRump just wants to hide the truth that he is castrated and with a tiny penis, like his hands.
Also just cares about money and soothing his narcissism. So f***'in American, in the worst sense!
Ian | Nov 26, 2017 12:29:05 AM |
23
Jackrabbit @20:
Erdogan may feel that if he relaxed his stance against the Syrian Kurds, it could embolden Turkish Kurds to further pursue their
agenda. It would also make him appear weak towards his supporters.
Fernando Arauxo | Nov 26, 2017 1:45:51 AM |
24
Erdogan is NOT going to leave NATO. Why should he? It would be the stupidest chess move ever? He's in the club and they can't
kick him out. He can cause all the trouble he wants and hobble that huge machine that is the western alliance. He will not get
EU membership, but he has his NATO ID CARD and that ain't bad. Erdo now knows that the poor bastard Trumps is WORTHLESS that he
is a toothless executive in name only. This is a wake up call, if I were Erdo, I would be very afraid of the USA and it's Syria,
MENA policy. It is being run by LUNATICS and is a slow moving train wreak. So for now, Erdo must be looking at Moscow, admiring
Putin for this is a man who has his shit together and truly knows how to run a country. Maybe even a sense of admiration and more
respect for Putin is even present. If I were Erdo, I'd double down in my support for Russia's Syria policy.
Hausmeister | Nov 26, 2017 3:46:55 AM |
25
@ flankerbandit | Nov 25, 2017 7:53:29 PM | 14
You do not get it:
„...which happens to be a socialist and secular party interested in pan-Arab unity...not nationalism..."
According to this ideology the coherence of a society comes from where? And who is excluded if one applies it?
So your contribution is just a rant using rancidic rhetoric tools. But I will not call you „flunkerbandit". My advice is to move
to this area and have a look into such a society from a more close position. Armchair type of vocal leadership does not help.
Anon | Nov 26, 2017 5:11:53 AM |
26
In the Obama years there was a:
- Whitehouse policy
- Army Policy
- CIA policy
- State department policy.
Which policy is Trump really up against?
Jen | Nov 26, 2017 6:38:32 AM |
27
Anon @ 25: Tempted to say Trump is up against all of them plus NSA policy, FBI policy, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) policy
and the policies of, what, 12 other intel agencies?
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/17-agencies-of-the-us-intelligence-community-2013-5?r=US&IR=T
Yeah, Right | Nov 26, 2017 7:27:43 AM |
28
@23 "Erdogan is NOT going to leave NATO. Why should he?"
I guess one possible reason would be this: as long as Turkey remains in NATO then he is obliged to allow a US military presence
in his country, and that's just asking for another attempt at a military coup.
After all, wasn't Incirlik airbase a hotbed of coup-plotters during the last coup attempt?
arbetet | Nov 26, 2017 10:14:56 AM |
29
This came up:
SDF official:
Kurds will join the Syrian Arab Army ranks!
Harry | Nov 26, 2017 10:33:01 AM |
30
@ arbetet | 29
"when the Syrian settlement is achieved, Syria's democratic forces will join the Syrian army."
"When the Syrian state stabilizes, we can say that the Americans did what they said, then withdraw as they did in Iraq and
set a date for their departure and leave."
Nothing new here, nothing good either. Kurds so far are keeping up their demands of de-facto independence under fig-leaf of
"we are part of federalised Syria" with weak central government and autonomous Kurds. Thats how US plan to castrate Syria. Russia
offered cultural autonomy, Kurds rejected.
As for Americans "withdrawing" willfully, it never happened. Iraq had to kick them out, and then US used ISIS and Kurds to
get back in.
As for Syria's stabilization part, US is doing everything in its power to prevent it.
dan of steele | Nov 26, 2017 11:00:06 AM |
31
@Yeah Right #26
Turkey is not obliged to keep foreign troops in their country to remain in NATO. De Gaulle invited the US to leave France in 1967
but is still a member of NATO
Yeah, Right | Nov 26, 2017 5:18:37 PM |
32
@31 France actually withdrew from NATO in 1966. It remained "committed" to the collective defence of western Europe, without being,
you know, "committed" to it.
So, yeah, France kicked all the foreign troops out of France in 1967, precisely because its withdrawal from NATO's Integrated
Military Command meant that the French were no longer under any obligation to allow NATO troops on its soil.
But France had to formally withdraw from that Command first, and the reason that de Gaulle gave for withdrawing were exactly
that: remaining meant ceding sovereignty to a supra-national organization i.e. NATO Integrated Military Command.
That France retained "membership" of NATO's political organizations even after that withdrawal was little more than a fig-leaf.
After all, NATO's purpose isn't "political", it is "military".
fast freddy | Nov 26, 2017 6:21:33 PM |
33
"The Decider" is Trump's apparent self image. He can't be enjoying the Presidency and the controls exerted upon him by others
among the "Deep State" (whom I suppose have effectively cowed him into behaving via serious threats).
If he already had money and power, as it appears that he had, he gained little by taking the crown. He has less power because
he is now controlled by a number of forces (CIA, NSA, Media, MIC and etc.) as he remains under constant assault by his natural
opposition.
Big mistake dumping Flynn.
Now you take another kind of asshole in the person of Obama - a guy that had nothing - you have a malleable character who enjoys
the pomp and circumstance. Really didn't need any persuading to do anything required of him.
psychohistorian | Nov 26, 2017 11:30:16 PM |
34
Here is a recent report from the Turkish Prime Minister supporting Trump's "lie" about ending support for the Kurds....what will
history show occured?
ISTANBUL, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Sunday that his country is expecting the United
States to end its partnership with the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its military wing, the People's Protection
Units (YPG).
"Since the very beginning, we have said that it is wrong for the U.S. to partner with PKK's cousin PYD and YPG in the fight
against Daesh (Islamic State) terrorist group," Yildirim told the press in Istanbul prior to his departure for Britain.
Ankara sees the Kurdish groups as an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting against the Turkish government
for over 30 years, while Washington regards them as a reliable ground force against the Islamic State (IS), also known as Daesh.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday spoke to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over the phone, pledging not to
provide weapons to the YPG any more, an irritant that has hurt bilateral ties, according to the Turkish side.
Yildirim noted that Washington has described it as an obligation rather than an option to support the Kurdish groups on the
ground. "But since Daesh (IS) is now eliminated then this obligation has disappeared," he added.
Julian | Nov 27, 2017 12:47:45 AM |
35
It would be nice if Erdogan when withdrawing from NATO (Assuming he does this in the next 12-18 months) would say something like.
"We really like President Trump - and we trust his word implicitly. The problem is, although we trust his word, we know
he is not in control so his word is useless and best ignored. Though of course - we still trust he means well."
That would be a nice backhander to hear from Erdopig.
Quentin | Nov 27, 2017 8:48:51 AM |
36
Speculation about Turkey leaving NATO seems farfetched. Turkey has NATO over a barrel. It has been a member for decades and what
would it gain by leaving? Nothing. By staying it continues to influence and needle at the same time. Turkey will only leave when
NATO throws it out, which isn't going to happen.
Willy2 | Nov 27, 2017 11:53:09 AM |
37
- According to Sibel Edmonds there're 2 coups being prepared. One against Trump and one against Erdogan.
Notable quotes:
"... Mattis still seems stuck with his Iran obsession. Shame I thought he had the intellectual curiosity to adapt. Trump has good instincts, I hope Tillerson comes to the fore, and Bannon stays influential. ..."
LondonBob says:
July
11, 2017 at 2:39 pm GMT
http://mihsislander.org/2017/06/full-transcript-james-mattis-interview/
Mattis still seems stuck with his Iran obsession. Shame I thought he had the intellectual
curiosity to adapt. Trump has good instincts, I hope Tillerson comes to the fore, and Bannon stays
influential.
Here are a few things I have heard since I
posted my comments on Friday about the Obama administration pushing General Mattis out at Central
Command. Thanks to all who wrote in to make this follow-up possible:
- A particular point of disagreement was what to do about mischief Iran is exporting to other
countries. Mattis is indeed more hawkish on this than the White House was.
- National Security Advisor
Tom Donilon in particular was irked by Mattis's insistence on being heard. I cringe when I
hear about civilians shutting down strategic discussions. That is exactly what the Bush administration
did in late 2002 when generals persisted in questioning whether it was wise to invade Iraq. That
led to what some might call a fiasco.
- I wonder if Donilon understands that the key to making effective, sustainable national security
policy is having robust, candid discussions between civilian and military leaders that bring to
the surface differences and also explore assumptions. I am told that that is what Mattis was trying
to do. He knows, as do all smart generals, that in our system, at the end of the discussion the
civilians get to decide what to do. In a talk at Johns Hopkins SAIS in late November, Mattis said
that, "We military leaders have a right and duty to be heard, to give our best military advice,
but we were not elected to and we have no right to dictate." (In the same talk, Mattis also likened
Cairo today to Paris in 1789 -- a very interesting thought, and one that made me wonder if 15 years
from now, one Arab leader will dominate the entire region as Napoloen dominated Europe early in
the 19 th century.)
- Insisting on being heard should be part of the duty of a senior general. That's the lesson
of two great books: H.R. McMaster's
Dereliction of Duty and Eliot Cohen's
Supreme Command . Indeed, General Mattis cited the latter in his talk at Johns Hopkins
SAIS. I suspect Donilon needs to brush up on both.
Here are a few things I have heard since I
posted my comments on Friday about the Obama administration pushing General Mattis out at
Central Command. Thanks to all who wrote in to make this follow-up possible:
- A particular point of disagreement was what to do about mischief Iran is exporting to
other countries. Mattis is indeed more hawkish on this than the White House was.
- National Security Advisor
Tom Donilon in particular was irked by Mattis's insistence on being heard. I cringe when
I hear about civilians shutting down strategic discussions. That is exactly what the Bush
administration did in late 2002 when generals persisted in questioning whether it was wise to
invade Iraq. That led to what some might call a fiasco.
- I wonder if Donilon understands that the key to making effective, sustainable national
security policy is having robust, candid discussions between civilian and military leaders
that bring to the surface differences and also explore assumptions. I am told that that is
what Mattis was trying to do. He knows, as do all smart generals, that in our system, at the
end of the discussion the civilians get to decide what to do. In a talk at Johns Hopkins SAIS
in late November, Mattis said that, "We military leaders have a right and duty to be heard,
to give our best military advice, but we were not elected to and we have no right to
dictate." (In the same talk, Mattis also likened Cairo today to Paris in 1789 -- a very
interesting thought, and one that made me wonder if 15 years from now, one Arab leader will
dominate the entire region as Napoloen dominated Europe early in the 19 th
century.)
- Insisting on being heard should be part of the duty of a senior general. That's the
lesson of two great books: H.R. McMaster's
Dereliction of Duty and Eliot Cohen's
Supreme Command . Indeed, General Mattis cited the latter in his talk at Johns
Hopkins SAIS. I suspect Donilon needs to brush up on both.
Notable quotes:
"... Mattis still seems stuck with his Iran obsession. Shame I thought he had the intellectual curiosity to adapt. Trump has good instincts, I hope Tillerson comes to the fore, and Bannon stays influential. ..."
LondonBob > > says:
Show Comment
Next New Comment
July 11, 2017 at 2:39 pm GMT
http://mihsislander.org/2017/06/full-transcript-james-mattis-interview/
Mattis still seems stuck with his Iran obsession. Shame I thought
he had the intellectual curiosity to adapt. Trump has good instincts, I
hope Tillerson comes to the fore, and Bannon stays influential.
Notable quotes:
"... I predicted in the ICH comments a few days ago that the cease fire agreement would be sabotaged, what I didn't know was that the sabotage was already happening at the moment of the Trump-Putin hand shake. These crazies in the USA will not stop, ever, they are like the black knight in monty python's holy grail bridge crossing scene. ..."
July
11, 2017 "
Information
Clearing House
" - On the same day US President Donald Trump gave a historic handshake to
Russian leader Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Germany, the Pentagon was hosting a meeting
planning for war with Moscow.
While the event at the US military headquarters near Washington DC was
made public
, it was hardly reported in the Western media. The two main figures attending
were Defense Secretary James Mattis and his British counterpart Michael Fallon.
The American military publication Defense One
headlined
the Pentagon summit: "As Trump and Putin met, US and UK defense chiefs discussed
ways to deter Russia."
The phrase "ways to deter Russia," is a euphemism for war planning. It expresses a more
benign, more publicly acceptable purpose to Mattis and Fallon's discussions. Especially given
that the titular head of the US government, President Trump, was at the very same time
extending a hand of friendship to Putin.
The publication added, with more breathlessness, that Mattis and Fallon "talked about ways
NATO could improve its combat power and deter Russian aggression in Eastern Europe that even as
the White House seeks to improve relations with Moscow, US and UK leaders still view Russia as
a severe military threat."
... ... ...
No wonder Trump has quickly backtracked on his earlier seeming rapport with
Putin. He has, for example, disavowed
reports
of being
willing to work with Russia on cyber security after coming under fire from hawkish Congress
figures and pundits.
This week, too, the US is leading the biggest-ever war maneuvers conducted by the 29-member
NATO military alliance in the Black Sea. Two separate war games are being carried out on
Russia's southern flank: Saber Guardian,
centered
around Bulgaria, and Sea Breeze, off Crimea, involving a total of 30,000 NATO troops, as well
as missile destroyers, fighter jets, and amphibious Marines forces. The US Army said it
showcases "the ability to mass forces at any given time anywhere in Europe."
... ... ...
This bigger picture of relentless Russophobia, gratuitous anti-Russian propaganda in the US
media, and the ongoing reckless goading by NATO forces on Russia's borders is an appropriate
perspective with which to assess the significance of Trump's meeting with Putin last
weekend.
Yes, indeed, it was good to see Trump having enough independence of mind and personal
decorum to greet Putin with respect.
But the fact remains: while Trump talked, the Pentagon balked. And not just the Pentagon.
Virtually, the whole US political and media establishment.
Ominously, the American political system and its military machine seem to operate on only one
gear: onward with Russophobia and aggression.
Finian Cunningham (born 1963) has written extensively on international affairs, with
articles published in several languages. Originally from Belfast, Ireland, he is a Master's
graduate in Agricultural Chemistry and worked as a scientific editor for the Royal Society of
Chemistry, Cambridge, England, before pursuing a career in newspaper journalism. For over 20
years he worked as an editor and writer in major news media organizations, including The
Mirror, Irish Times and Independent. Now a freelance journalist based in East Africa, his
columns appear on RT, Sputnik, Strategic Culture Foundation and Press TV.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.
Ray Joseph Cormier
81p ·
2 hours ago
Former Pentagon chief Ashton Carter said Trump's discussions in Hamburg were tantamount to
chatting with "a burglar who had robbed your house."
In December 1998, Former Defence Secretary Ash Carter, Undersecretary of Defence John
Deutch and Philip Zelikow, Executive Director of the 9/11 Commission, wrote this in Foreign
Affairs Journal,
A successful attack with weapons of mass destruction could certainly take thousands, or
tens of thousands, of lives. If the device that exploded in 1993 under the World Trade Center
had been nuclear, or had effectively dispersed a deadly pathogen, the resulting horror and
chaos would have exceeded our ability to describe it.
Such an act of catastrophic terrorism
would be a watershed event in American history. It could involve loss of life and property
unprecedented in peacetime and undermine America's fundamental sense of security, as did the
Soviet atomic bomb test in 1949. Like Pearl Harbor, this event would divide our past and
future into a before and after. The United States might respond with draconian measures,
scaling back civil liberties, allowing wider surveillance of citizens, detention of suspects,
and use of deadly force. More violence could follow, either further terrorist attacks or U.S.
counterattacks.
I find it curious it happened just like that 3 years later, and one of the co-Authors was
able to control what information the 9/11 Commission was able to see?
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-st...
mikel ·
1 hour ago
This all goes to show how UK and US "leaders" are all living in a fantasy land. You have
these two delusional Morton's discussing and planning for war with Russia. What it all boils
down to is the fact that both the UK and the US are on their last legs economically and more
war is the only way to keep kicking the can down the road.
They will need a scapegoat to
blame the coming greater depression on, and it will conveniently be the evil Russians and the
war we had to fight to "preserve our way of life". Anyone with an independent mind should wee
right through that line of BS and understand that US/UK/NATO aggression is what we need to be
concerned about. Not the evil "burglar" Putin.
ian ·
1 hour ago
where is exactly this russian aggression all i see is US aggression
Brett Rasmussen ·
1 hour ago
Orwell's Ministry of Truth at work.
Brett Rasmussen ·
1 hour ago
I predicted in the ICH comments a few days ago that the cease fire agreement would be
sabotaged, what I didn't know was that the sabotage was already happening at the moment of
the Trump-Putin hand shake. These crazies in the USA will not stop, ever, they are like the
black knight in monty python's holy grail bridge crossing scene.
Dick ·
1 hour ago
I wonder if Hitler read the history of Napoleon's march into Russia before his attack on
Russia, since he ultimately suffered the same fate. Hitler made the mistake of allowing the
ideology of Arian superiority to override sober intelligent analysis of possible outcomes.
The US is making the same mistake again by allowing the ideology of US exceptionalism to
override a more sober assessment of potential outcomes with, no doubt, a similar result.
NATO promotes the idea of Russian aggression as an excuse to justify their militarising
the Russian border. Who is the aggressor? Placing 5000 troops and equipment in the Baltic
states as a show of force is like sending a dozen Chihuahuas to attack a bear; all they will
be is an easy target if war erupts. Off course, there will not be a war, at least, not of the
WW2 variety.
In a war between the US and Russia, it is Russia that has the logistical
advantage via location and its primarily defensive military doctrine. The US and NATO need to
stop sending in the Chihuahuas and seek a more sober policy, since it is NATO aggression that
is the problem; not Russia.
DrS ·
10 minutes ago
Guess who the REAL war mongers are!!! Injustice and Oppression are NEVER right. Bring on harmony, justice, peace.
Bring back care, concern, compassion, love and empathy for others regardless of culture,
ethnicity and/or religion. Protect democracy, freedom, liberty, independence and sovereignty. Protect education and don't allow the MSM to continue deceit, deception, lies and
propaganada.
Notable quotes:
"... While this is not the first US-Russia ceasefire brokered in Syria, it's the first in quite some time, as recent Syrian ceasefires have been brokered mostly by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, with the US insisting that the deals don't apply to their ongoing military operations. ..."
"... Putin and Trump agree to cease fire in Southern Syria. This means that Putin has surrendered the central principle of his Syria policy - territorial integrity of Syria. The carve up continues. Will some ostensible federal arrangement in Ukraine be the quid pro quo? ..."
"... I think it's better to say that the Syrian government and whatever counts as opposition in Daraa have come to an agreement, which means an end to the fighting in the Southwest - and that is in place since a few days already. ..."
"... This agreement between 'Putin' and 'Trump' only means that Russia will guarantee that the US doesn't do any dirty tricks when the Jordan-Syria reopens for business ..."
"... As Cockburn says, anything Trump comes out with is meaningless. he'll say the opposite tomorrow. However engage in a major war in Syria, particularly if against the Russians, that's another matter. His electoral base wouldn't tolerate it, if it were likely to lead to American deaths. ..."
Tillerson: US Still Insists on Ouster of AssadSecretary of State Rex Tillerson has
announced that the United States and Russia have agreed on a ceasefire in southwestern Syria, aiming
to halt all fighting in the area, and according to US officials allowing the rebels to shift their
focus to fighting against ISIS.
Details are still scant on this, and it's not clear how far east the ceasefire is intended to
extend. US officials say the entire goal is to stop attacks against the rebels, while Russia clearly
wants the US to stop attacking pro-government forces in the region. There has also been mention of
humanitarian aid being allowed in, but past ceasefires have almost uniformly failed at that goal.
The ceasefire is to begin at noon on Sunday, and is open-ended. Tillerson said it could be a first
step which, if successful, would be spread to other parts of the country. He also, however, added
that the US still insists upon Syrian President Assad and his entire family being removed from any
positions of power in Syria.
While this is not the first US-Russia ceasefire brokered in Syria, it's the first in quite
some time, as recent Syrian ceasefires have been brokered mostly by Russia, Turkey, and Iran, with
the US insisting that the deals don't apply to their ongoing military operations.
paul | Jul 7, 2017 2:08:20 PM | 1
Putin and Trump agree to cease fire in Southern Syria. This means that Putin has surrendered
the central principle of his Syria policy - territorial integrity of Syria. The carve up continues.
Will some ostensible federal arrangement in Ukraine be the quid pro quo?
Jeff | Jul 7, 2017 2:22:18 PM |
2
@1
I think it's better to say that the Syrian government and whatever counts as opposition
in Daraa have come to an agreement, which means an end to the fighting in the Southwest - and
that is in place since a few days already.
This agreement between 'Putin' and 'Trump' only means that Russia will guarantee that the
US doesn't do any dirty tricks when the Jordan-Syria reopens for business
karlof1 | Jul 7, 2017 2:51:58 PM |
6
Jeff @2--
Yes, you have a good handle on what's transpired. Negotiations for reconciliation have carried
on since the last quarter of 2016, and it was becoming clear that a positive resolution was soon
to occur.
As for G-20 action, much has occurred, including the BRICS heads-of-state sideline meeting,
from which a communique was issued,
http://en.kremlin.ru/supplement/5221
which echoes Putin's address,
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/55001
Only the most basic of info's been released about the Putin/Trump meet; I expect more to be
available later, http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/55006
Putin also met with South Korean President Moon,
http://en.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/55005
Hopefully, b will gain lots of onsite info and share it with us. Otherwise, it's a Friday,
and news is slow.
Temporarily Sane | Jul 7, 2017 3:07:09 PM |
9
Patrick Cockburn, in his
most recent article for the Independent, quotes a former US State Department official who
said that: "[W]e don't have a policy in Syria, everybody in the Middle East knows that whatever
is said by the Pentagon, State Department or National Security Council lacks authority because
whatever assurances they give may be contradicted within the hour by a presidential tweet or by
one of the factions in the White House."Cockburn adds: "the ex-official lamented that
it was like living in an arbitrary and unpredictable dictatorship."
While this may very well be true as far as operational details are concerned, it is apparent
that "regime change" (orchestrating a coup d'etat) is the overarching goal the US is pursuing,
however haphazardly, in Syria with Iran next in line. When was the last time the US military got
involved somewhere and then just packed up and went back home? Cockburn is missing an important
detail and he is one of the few MSM journalists who is not acting as a propagandist for Western
interests.
The media is extremely allergic to telling it like it is and I wonder if MSM journalists like
Cockburn and Robert Fisk deliberately avoid mentioning certain things in order to safeguard their
jobs? I find it hard to believe that Cockburn, in this case, is not aware that "regime
change" was never really taken off the table. In the same article he goes on to mention US plans
for Iran so it is almost certain he knows what is going on in Syria. It is actually a decent piece
but readers who may not be aware of the state of affairs in Syria are getting an incomplete snapshot
of the situation there. Is holding the US and its "coalition" to full account an MSM "red-line"
that even the charmingly named "Independent" is unwilling to cross?
Laguerre | Jul 7, 2017 3:16:08 PM |
10
re 1
This means that Putin has surrendered the central principle of his Syria policy - territorial
integrity of Syria. The carve up continues.
I rather doubt that interpretation.The expression is "south-west Syria". That means the Israeli
front. Maybe calming the shooting at Israel, in order to remove the need for Israeli reactions?
I don't actually know whether the Amman-Damascus road is open for traffic, but given that I
saw recently that there are still busses from Damascus to Raqqa, dangerous as that may seem, I
wouldn't be surprised to hear that busses are making the transit between Amman and Damascus, no
doubt with innumerable stops for inspection by one militia or another.
These dangerous trips do occur. Just to give you a flavour, a Syrian I know, a Druze, had to
go to Aleppo. They were stopped by Da'ish. As a Druze, instant death if discovered. He was taken
before the Amir. Are you Sunni? yes. Then prove it by reciting the Surat al-Baqara (the longest
chapter of the Qur'an). He didn't know it other than the beginning. He started, and then quickly
figured out that they didn't know it either, so he continued reciting Quranic style rubbish, until
the Amir got bored and fell asleep, At which point he was released. He described them as slitty-eyed
thus Turkic.
Laguerre | Jul 7, 2017 3:41:13 PM |
17
re 9
As Cockburn says, anything Trump comes out with is meaningless. he'll say the opposite
tomorrow. However engage in a major war in Syria, particularly if against the Russians, that's
another matter. His electoral base wouldn't tolerate it, if it were likely to lead to American
deaths.
"Until Crimea is returned" is a sign of neocon foreign policy
Assured Ukraine Sanctions Against Russia Won't Change
Jason Ditz Posted on
April 24, 2017 Categories
News Tags Crimea ,
Russia ,
Tillerson ,
Ukraine Hopes that the US sanctions
against Russia would be quickly rolled back when President Trump was elected in November didn't
pan out, and the latest comments from Secretary of State Rex Tillerson suggest that the administration
has no intention of removing the sanctions at all.
Speaking with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko over the weekend, Tillerson reported told
him that the US sanctions on Russia will remain wholly in place "
until Russia returns control of the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine. " Needless to say, Russia
isn't going to do that.
Crimea was an autonomous oblast within Ukraine until 2014, when they held a referendum and
seceded. After that secession, they sought and gained accession into the Russian Federation, which
the US doesn't recognize. US officials have repeatedly presented this as Russia "invading Crimea"
or "taking Crimea by force," though the peninsula's ethnic Russian majority was able to effectively
secede outright without anything nearly so dramatic happening.
Nobody seriously expects Russia to "give back" Crimea, even if there was a mechanism by which
they could conceivably do so, which there isn't. Conditioning sanctions relief on that is tantamount
to announcing the sanctions as a permanent feature of US policy, a stance which will likely suit
the many Russia hawks in Congress and across Western Europe quite well.
How can a realist bear Nikki Haley and demand return of Crimea ? Only neocon can...
Notable quotes:
"... Specifically Tillerson turned neocon foreign policy orthodoxy on its head by arguing that a foreign policy based on promoting US 'values' carried the risk of obstructing US national security and economic interests: ..."
"... In some circumstances, if you condition our national security efforts on someone adopting our values, we probably can't achieve our national security goals. It really creates obstacles to our ability to advance our national security interests, our economic interests. ..."
"... At this point an essential qualification is needed. When US politicians and diplomats talk of a foreign policy based on 'values' they do not mean a foreign policy constructed exclusively around the 'values' Tillerson referred to: "freedom, human dignity, and the treatment of people the world over." People in Saudi Arabia or in the occupied Palestinian territories are not the object of US sympathy despite being denied all these things. ..."
"... Rather when US politicians and diplomats talk of a foreign policy based on 'values' they mean one where the US seeks to use these 'values' as leverage to increase its geopolitical influence as part of an ideological mission to entrench its global position. This is the foreign policy that Tillerson appears to be repudiating ..."
"... On Russia, Tillerson said ''there's almost no trust'' between the world's greatest nuclear powers, but that the administration was trying to rebuild trust by looking at one issue at a time. First up is Syria, as Washington and Moscow see if they can get a cease-fire that can hold. ..."
In first address to State Department and before meeting Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov US Secretary
of State Tillerson repudiates neocon ideas and supports a 'realist' foreign policy.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, delivering his
first address to the staff of the State Department, has set out a vision of US foreign policy
which if different would be radically different from anything seen over the last few decades.
Specifically Tillerson turned neocon foreign policy orthodoxy on its head by arguing that
a foreign policy based on promoting US 'values' carried the risk of obstructing US national security
and economic interests:
In some circumstances, if you condition our national security efforts on someone adopting
our values, we probably can't achieve our national security goals. It really creates obstacles
to our ability to advance our national security interests, our economic interests.
At this point an essential qualification is needed. When US politicians and diplomats talk of
a foreign policy based on 'values' they do not mean a foreign policy constructed exclusively around
the 'values' Tillerson referred to: "freedom, human dignity, and the treatment of people the world
over." People in Saudi Arabia or in the occupied Palestinian territories are not the object of US
sympathy despite being denied all these things.
Rather when US politicians and diplomats talk of a foreign policy based on 'values' they mean
one where the US seeks to use these 'values' as leverage to increase its geopolitical influence as
part of an ideological mission to entrench its global position. This is the foreign policy that Tillerson
appears to be repudiating . Interestingly, in the same speech he is reported to have spoken
about the need to work for better relations with Russia, the country that the neocons have cast as
the US's primary ideological and geopolitical adversary:
On Russia, Tillerson said ''there's almost no trust'' between the world's greatest nuclear
powers, but that the administration was trying to rebuild trust by looking at one issue at a time.
First up is Syria, as Washington and Moscow see if they can get a cease-fire that can hold.
It need hardly be said that within Official Washington these ideas are heresy and it is far from
certain whether most of the other officials in the Trump administration share them.
The President has however spoken similarly in the past and it seems that for the moment Tillerson
has his support.
TIllerson is
due to meet with
Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov shortly , when he presumably continue to try to put his foreign
policy line into action. It will be interesting to see how far he can succeed.
Anonymous | Jun 19, 2017 7:48:37 AM |
3
Another aggression by the US but what could you expect by an old sick f'ck warmonger like this
as secretary of defence?
"James Mattis's Role in Fallujah & Haditha Massacre,"
https://www.democracynow.org/2017/1/12/part_2_did_defense_secretary_nominee
Its time Syria get to buy russian air-defense, US will keep bombing - they're not sane, like
what happens next week? They'll bomb Assad's palace?
And please look at the western media these days, and see the naked propaganda being typed when
US once again bomb another country, illegally and then the western media backs it like the lackeys
in the EU, Nato.
Shameful being from the west days like these.
Absolutely shameful!
Notable quotes:
"... The very important legal doctrine in the United States of America and around the world is the doctrine of command responsibility. If you have a large-scale atrocity that takes place, the commanding general of the operation is held responsible. ..."
"... my hope that in his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, and perhaps in follow-on hearings in the House, if they occur, regarding the waiver that he's going to need to get to become secretary of defense, that James Mattis be asked to explain himself regarding the actions that we've been discussing. ..."
Transcript
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
NERMEEN SHAIKH : President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, James "Mad Dog"
Mattis, faces his Senate confirmation hearing today. This comes as House Democrats are threatening
to revolt over the waiver needed for Mattis to serve as defense secretary, after the Trump transition
team blocked him from testifying before the House Armed Services Committee. Mattis only retired
from the military in 2013, meaning he needs Congress to waive rules requiring defense secretaries
to be civilians for seven or more years after leaving the military. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
has said she'll vote against the waiver for General Mattis, saying, quote, "Civilian control of
our military is a fundamental principle of American democracy, and I will not vote for an exception
to this rule."
AMY GOODMAN : James Mattis reportedly received his nickname "Mad Dog" Mattis after leading
U.S. troops during the 2004 battle of Fallujah in Iraq. He enlisted in the Marines at 19, fought
in the Persian Gulf War, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, where he served as major general. In May 2004,
Mattis ordered an airstrike in a small Iraqi village that hit a wedding, killing about 42 people
who were attending the wedding ceremony. Mattis went on to lead the U.S. Central Command from
2010 to 2013, but the Obama administration cut short his tour over concerns General Mattis was
too hawkish on Iran, reportedly calling for a series of covert actions there. Mattis has drawn
criticism over his apparent celebration of killing, including saying in 2005 about the Taliban,
quote, "It's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them," unquote.
For more, we go to Washington, D.C., where we're joined by Aaron Glantz, senior reporter for
Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. His latest
investigation , "Did defense secretary nominee James Mattis commit war crimes in Iraq?"
If you could summarize, Aaron, again, your major findings in this piece, that we will link
to, where you are asking if the defense secretary nominee is responsible for, is guilty of, should
be tried for, war crimes?
AARON GLANTZ : The very important legal doctrine in the United States of America and around
the world is the doctrine of command responsibility. If you have a large-scale atrocity that takes
place, the commanding general of the operation is held responsible. We held General Yamashita,
who was the commanding general in the Japanese Army of a number of operations in the Philippines,
under this standard back in World War II, and we executed him. And his execution was upheld by
the Supreme Court. Legal scholars that I've talked to said the same standard applies to General
Mattis. And so we have to look very closely at his command of the U.S. Marine Corps in Fallujah,
which is an event that I covered in 2004 as an unembedded journalist. And in that battle, U.S.
marines, under his command, killed so many people-one U.N. estimate says 90 percent of them were
civilians-that the municipal football stadium of the city had to be turned into a graveyard. Marines
shot at ambulances. Marines shot at aid workers. Marines posed with trophy photos with the dead
that they had killed. All of these are things that Mattis could be tried for, potentially, for
war crimes. And he is Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of defense.
In addition, we also spoke about his role as the convening authority of trials for marines
in other cases-the Haditha massacre, the Hamdania massacre-where he wiped away or granted clemency
to people who were already convicted, freeing them from prison, for atrocities. And if a person
in his kind of command responsibility allows others to get off the hook for war crimes, that's
also something that he could be held culpable for, held accountable for. And, you know, it would
be my hope that in his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, and
perhaps in follow-on hearings in the House, if they occur, regarding the waiver that he's going
to need to get to become secretary of defense, that James Mattis be asked to explain himself regarding
the actions that we've been discussing.
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Well, is it the case that Mattis is still seen as a strong proponent of the
Geneva Conventions and as an anti-torture advocate?
AARON GLANTZ : Absolutely, absolutely. He has been very vocal in saying that he supports the
Geneva Convention. He has been an advocate against torture. Donald Trump emerged from a meeting
with him and began to back off his support for the practice of waterboarding, after listening
to General Mattis. But you also have to look at what happens when General Mattis is in the field.
And what we saw in Fallujah and in other instances in Iraq is that when General Mattis is in the
field, often he allows his marines to go well beyond what is normally permitted in the law of
war.
AMY GOODMAN : Explain what you mean.
AARON GLANTZ : Well, we've been talking about Fallujah. You mentioned a wedding party that
was bombed on his call in western Iraq not long after that, where he later told a Marine historian,
Bing West, that he deliberated less than 30 seconds over whether to carry it out, simply because
it was in the middle of the desert. And then, you know, the Associated Press later obtained footage
that showed that there was indeed a wedding party, where dozens of civilians were killed. Later,
as James Mattis moved up the chain of command, was no longer a field commander in Iraq, he became
a convening authority in a number of tribunals involving war crimes committed by marines in the
country, including the most famous massacre that occurred during the Iraq War, the Haditha massacre,
where a number of marines went on a killing spree in the town of Haditha after one of their comrades
was killed. They killed dozens of people in a number of houses, and charges were brought. And
as the general overseeing the entire court-martial process, General Mattis dismissed charges against
three of the perpetrators, and ultimately no one charged with that massacre of dozens of Iraqis
was-spent a single day in prison.
AMY GOODMAN : Let's go to-go back a few years to 2008. Democracy Now! spoke with McClatchy
journalist
Leila Fadel , who traveled to Haditha to interview survivors of the massacre. I want to turn
to a short video posted on the McClatchy website based on her reporting.
LEILA FADEL : Yousef Aid Ahmed has memorized the places where his four brothers' bodies
laid after they were killed by U.S. marines, he said. The family recounts that November day
in 2005 and says it was a massacre of the brothers, along with 20 other people, following a
roadside bomb in Haditha. Marines raided the house and shot the unarmed men in their heads
in this back bedroom, the family said. Now they are angry that no one is being held accountable.
Charges against six of the eight marines accused in the case were dismissed, and one marine
was found not guilty on all charges.
WIDOW : [translated] I'm angry at those who sent them innocent. They were not supposed to
sent innocent.
LEILA FADEL : The reminders of their deaths are everywhere: the white plaster that filled
in the bullet holes in the wall, the dried blood that are now just faded gray spots under a
new paint job on the ceiling, and the closet where one brother was shot inside and the other's
corpse leaned up against the wardrobe.
AMY GOODMAN : That's McClatchy journalist Leila Fadel. If you could take it from there, Aaron
Glantz?
AARON GLANTZ : Well, I mean, maybe the first important thing to point out is that when that
massacre happened in 2005, nobody on the ground reported it. And it wasn't until the story was
broken sometime later by Time magazine that the Marine Corps even investigated what happened.
Then, following the investigation, charges were brought against the Marine squad that committed
the crimes that were described in the video. She mentioned that charges were dismissed against
six of the accused. Mattis himself was responsible for three of those dismissals. Ultimately,
only one person was convicted, who was the supposed ringleader of the operation, and he did not
serve one day behind bars, although he did tell the court that he regretted telling the other
marines to shoot first and ask questions later.
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Well, Aaron, what kinds of questions do you think Mattis should be asked today
at his confirmation hearing?
AARON GLANTZ : I think he should be asked about what his marines did in Fallujah. I think that
he should be asked if he was aware of the scale of civilian casualties-over 600 people killed,
and, you know, official Marine Corps estimate is 220 civilians in just the first two weeks of
the fighting, there was a U.N. official at the time who estimated that 90 percent of the people
killed were civilians-if he's aware of those deaths, if he thinks they're proportional, if he
thinks the destruction of the city was proportional to the killing of the four Blackwater security
contractors. I think he should be asked about the other activities that I described-the shooting
at ambulances, the shooting at aid workers, if he was aware of it. If he was aware of it, you
know, how does he justify it? If he wasn't aware of it as the military commander in the field
with command responsibility, does he think he should have been?
And in these other cases-we talked about the wedding party, we talked about the Haditha massacre-there's
another massacre where he was also the convening authority, the Hamdania massacre, which was broken
by The Washington Post , where a group of marines pulled a disabled Iraqi out of his house,
shot him four times in the face and then framed him by planting a shovel and a machine gun next
to him to make him look like an insurgent. In that case, General Mattis intervened to free some
of the marines from prison, granting them clemency. I think he should be asked to explain himself
for his actions and how all of the actions that we've been discussing comport with his well-known
advocacy for the Geneva Conventions and international law.
AMY GOODMAN : Can you explain what's going on in the House, this kind of revolt that's taking
place? Not that the Democrats are in charge, but it was announced that he was going to be visiting
the House committee today before he went to his Senate confirmation hearing, and then that was
canceled. There's been apparently some reports of some animosity between Mattis and the Trump
transition team. Have you been following all of this?
AARON GLANTZ : James Mattis needs to be confirmed by the Senate, right? In our system of government,
presidential appointees need to be confirmed by the Senate. But because he has not been out of
the military for seven years, he needs Congress to change a law-and, you know, which is something
that hasn't been done since the Korean War-and allow a recently retired general to become head
of the Defense Department, make an exception to our long-held belief in civilian control of the
military, for him. The Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee were expecting that he
would testify before the House Armed Services Committee on a hearing over whether Congress should
grant that waiver. The Trump administration pulled him back, and now the members of the House
on the Democratic side are very upset and saying that they may try to hold up his waiver, which
would also hold up his confirmation.
NERMEEN SHAIKH : Well, can you explain, Aaron, the context in which this law was formulated?
Why is it important that the military fall under civilian control?
AARON GLANTZ : If you look at somebody like General Mattis, he's incredibly well respected
within the military community. He's a marine's marine. They call him a warrior monk. I've received
a lot of backlash for my article from members of the military who revere him. There is an idea,
though, that we have in our government, that somebody like General Mattis, who, you know, as we've
been talking about, in Fallujah, is a good soldier and will do anything possible to get the job
done, no matter how many people end up dead, that there should be a civilian check on that in
a democracy. We have made exceptions to this before. General Marshall was appointed by Harry Truman
during the Korean War, and Congress granted that waiver. But it has not happened since then. And
it is a big deal for Congress to consider. And the Democrats in the House said, "Look, before
we approve this waiver for General Mattis, we would at least like to hear from him and be able
to ask him questions."
And there are some other questions that Democrats want to ask General Mattis, and may be asked
in the Senate confirmation hearing today, that have nothing to do with the issues that we've been
discussing around war crimes. He has expressed an opposition to allowing women in combat roles.
He expressed opposition to allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military at one point.
AMY GOODMAN : Well, let's go to that. General Mattis co-edited the book of essays, Warriors
and Citizens: American Views of Our Military . In it, he claims the 2011 repeal of "don't
ask, don't tell" has had a harmful impact on the military. Mattis and his co-author, Kori Schake,
write, quote, "We fear that an uninformed public is permitting political leaders to impose an
accretion of social conventions that are diminishing the combat power of our military." Mattis
and his co-author also claim the majority of soldiers were in favor of keeping LGBT military members
in the closet. However, a Gallup poll shows that the repeal of the '94 "don't ask, don't tell"
law was widely popular, with two-thirds supporting the right of gay men and lesbians to serve
openly. Mattis has also questioned, as you pointed out, if women should be allowed to participate
in active combat, saying he believes they're unsuited for, quote, "intimate killing," and, quote,
"The idea of putting women in there is not setting them up for success." So, can you respond to
all of that?
AARON GLANTZ : Well, these are the sorts of things that Democrats and, you know, perhaps some
Republicans will want to know more about, you know, whether he still believes these statements.
But as you pointed out, the book that he co-edited came out very recently. The comments about
women in combat also happened very recently, were given in a speech in the Marines' Memorial in
San Francisco. So, these are not statements that he made in the 1980s. You know, these are statements
that he made during the Obama administration. And also, you know, we have to remember that President
Obama removed him early, as you mentioned at the outset, as the commanding general of Central
Command because of his very hawkish position on Iran. And it's rare, you know, for a president
to remove a general from a command before his term is up in that way. So, I would imagine that
we might hear members of the Senate today, and perhaps, if he does appear before the House, members
of the House also, asking him about, you know, some of his hawkish beliefs.
Of course, all of this is mollified by the fact that some of the same Democrats who are very
concerned about him are even more concerned about General Michael Flynn, who is Donald Trump's
national security adviser designee, who doesn't have to be confirmed at all and has said that,
you know, ISIS wants to drink our blood and that we're already involved in a Third World War.
So, Mattis looks pretty conservative by comparison to Flynn. And that's just the world that we
live in.
NERMEEN SHAIKH : And what is-Aaron, just to go back to what you said on Iran, what is Mattis's
position on the Iran nuclear deal?
AARON GLANTZ : It's been a little bit unclear. You know, he was-he's critical of it in general.
The more important question, I think, for us now is, going forward-and it's the same question
that we have for the Trump administration in general-you know, Donald Trump, as with many agreements
signed by President Obama, has criticized it mightily. But now, you know, we're hearing that General
Mattis might be of the opinion that we might want to just hold them to it very, very aggressively,
rather than throwing it out. And perhaps we'll get some clarity on that during his confirmation
hearing.
AMY GOODMAN : Finally, we only have a minute, but Donald Trump has tapped physician David Shulkin
to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, currently serving in the Obama adminstration as VA
undersecretary. If confirmed, he'll be the first head of the Department of Veterans Affairs to
have never served in the military. Your specialty over the last years has been covering veterans,
Aaron. Can you talk about Dr. Shulkin?
AARON GLANTZ : I think the veterans' community breathed a huge sigh of relief with the appointment
of Mr. Shulkin as VA secretary. This is a man who was appointed to the position of undersecretary
of VA for healthcare by President Obama. He is a well-respected doctor. He's well respected in
the veterans' community. As you mentioned, he's not a veteran. But veterans' groups were extremely
concerned about the possibility, given Trump's campaign rhetoric, of a wholesale privatization
of the VA. And they were concerned, many of them, about the floating of the name of Pete Hegseth,
who founded a group funded by the Koch brothers called Concerned Veterans of America, which was
advocating towards privatization. And, you know, by and large, the opinion of veterans' groups
is, while some private care is welcome, especially when you can't get into the VA, that a privatization
of the VA system would be a disaster for veterans. And so, with the appointment of Shulkin, it
seems like Trump-you know, it's likely private care will be expanded, but possibly not at the
expense of the core mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
AMY GOODMAN : Aaron Glantz, we want to thank you so much for being with us, senior reporter
at Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. We'll link to your latest
piece , "Did defense secretary nominee James Mattis commit war crimes in Iraq?" This is
Democracy Now! , democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report . I'm Amy Goodman, with
Nermeen Shaikh. The original content of this program is licensed under a
Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License . Please attribute
legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates,
however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact
us.
Transcript
Notable quotes:
"... Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has said she'll vote against the waiver for General Mattis, saying, quote, "Civilian control of our military is a fundamental principle of American democracy, and I will not vote for an exception to this rule." ..."
"... James Mattis reportedly received his nickname "Mad Dog" Mattis after leading U.S. troops during the 2004 battle of Fallujah in Iraq. He enlisted in the Marines at 19, fought in the Persian Gulf War, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, where he served as major general. In May 2004, Mattis ordered an airstrike in a small Iraqi village that hit a wedding, killing about 42 people who were attending the wedding ceremony. Mattis went on to lead the U.S. Central Command from 2010 to 2013, but the Obama administration cut short his tour over concerns General Mattis was too hawkish on Iran, reportedly calling for a series of covert actions there. Mattis has drawn criticism over his apparent celebration of killing, including saying in 2005 about the Taliban, quote, "It's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them," unquote. ..."
"... Well, as you mentioned, James Mattis got the nickname "Mad Dog" for his command responsibility as a general during the April 2004 siege of Fallujah. This was a battle that I covered as an unembedded journalist, where the U.S. Marine Corps killed so many people, so many civilians, that the municipal soccer stadium of that city had to be turned into a graveyard. U.S. Marines there shot at ambulances. They shot at aid workers. They cordoned off the city and prevented civilians from fleeing. Some marines posed for trophy photos with the people that they killed. ..."
"... And what we say in the story is that all of these events that occurred in Fallujah when James Mattis was the commanding general are the same sort of events that other commanders in other countries have been convicted of war crimes for, including General Yamashita, who was a general in World War II for the Japanese, who was tried and executed by a U.S. military tribunal, and his execution was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. We found that James Mattis likely committed similar war crimes. ..."
"... He, when that assault happened-and, importantly, he argued against the attack beforehand. And he said, very presciently, that so many civilians would be killed, that it would be ultimately damaging to the U.S. military's overall occupation effort. But once that attack was launched, that's exactly what happened. There was massive outcry across the Arab world, including in Iraq, a rise of insurgency across the country and a complete devastation of the city. I remember walking through the city shortly after the Marines pulled out, and there were rotting bodies all over the streets, because during the actual siege, U.S. Marine snipers would shoot at anyone who was outside, so people were afraid to go and bury the dead. Shopping centers were destroyed. And this gets to an important issue of disproportionality. ..."
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form. AMY GOODMAN : We move now to a hearing
that's expected to happen today. Nermeen?
NERMEEN SHAIKH : President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, James "Mad Dog" Mattis,
faces his Senate confirmation hearing today. This comes as House Democrats are threatening to revolt
over the waiver needed for Mattis to serve as defense secretary, after the Trump transition team
blocked him from testifying before the House Armed Services Committee. Mattis only retired from the
military in 2013, meaning he needs Congress to waive rules requiring defense secretaries to be civilians
for seven or more years after leaving the military. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has said
she'll vote against the waiver for General Mattis, saying, quote, "Civilian control of our military
is a fundamental principle of American democracy, and I will not vote for an exception to this rule."
AMY GOODMAN : James Mattis reportedly received his nickname "Mad Dog" Mattis after leading U.S.
troops during the 2004 battle of Fallujah in Iraq. He enlisted in the Marines at 19, fought in the
Persian Gulf War, in Afghanistan, in Iraq, where he served as major general. In May 2004, Mattis
ordered an airstrike in a small Iraqi village that hit a wedding, killing about 42 people who were
attending the wedding ceremony. Mattis went on to lead the U.S. Central Command from 2010 to 2013,
but the Obama administration cut short his tour over concerns General Mattis was too hawkish on Iran,
reportedly calling for a series of covert actions there. Mattis has drawn criticism over his apparent
celebration of killing, including saying in 2005 about the Taliban, quote, "It's a hell of a lot
of fun to shoot them," unquote.
For more, we go to Washington, D.C., where we're joined by Aaron Glantz, senior reporter for
Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting. His latest
investigation , "Did defense secretary nominee James Mattis commit war crimes in Iraq?"
Aaron Glantz, what did you learn?
AARON GLANTZ : Well, as you mentioned, James Mattis got the nickname "Mad Dog" for his command
responsibility as a general during the April 2004 siege of Fallujah. This was a battle that I covered
as an unembedded journalist, where the U.S. Marine Corps killed so many people, so many civilians,
that the municipal soccer stadium of that city had to be turned into a graveyard. U.S. Marines there
shot at ambulances. They shot at aid workers. They cordoned off the city and prevented civilians
from fleeing. Some marines posed for trophy photos with the people that they killed.
And what we say in the story is that all of these events that occurred in Fallujah when James
Mattis was the commanding general are the same sort of events that other commanders in other countries
have been convicted of war crimes for, including General Yamashita, who was a general in World War
II for the Japanese, who was tried and executed by a U.S. military tribunal, and his execution was
upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. We found that James Mattis likely committed similar war crimes.
AMY GOODMAN : You covered the siege of Fallujah yourself as an unembedded reporter, Aaron. We're
going to do Part 2 of this conversation after the broadcast and post it at democracynow.org. But
what came of what he did there?
AARON GLANTZ : He, when that assault happened-and, importantly, he argued against the attack beforehand.
And he said, very presciently, that so many civilians would be killed, that it would be ultimately
damaging to the U.S. military's overall occupation effort. But once that attack was launched, that's
exactly what happened. There was massive outcry across the Arab world, including in Iraq, a rise
of insurgency across the country and a complete devastation of the city. I remember walking through
the city shortly after the Marines pulled out, and there were rotting bodies all over the streets,
because during the actual siege, U.S. Marine snipers would shoot at anyone who was outside, so people
were afraid to go and bury the dead. Shopping centers were destroyed. And this gets to an important
issue of disproportionality.
AMY GOODMAN : Ten seconds.
AARON GLANTZ : This whole assault was launched because of the killing of four Blackwater security
contractors. And, you know, in response, James Mattis leveled the city.
AMY GOODMAN : We have to leave it there now, but we're going to continue to cover this with our
web exclusive.
There were rumors that the USA military brass is less hawkish then neocon chickenhawks. After all
they say death with their own eyes. But those rumors seems to be greatly exaggerated. People who rise
to the level of the top level military brass those days are mostly unprincipled sycophants and careerists
(or worse sociopaths) that might be even more dangerous the civial neocon chickenhawks.
Notable quotes:
"... Two weeks ago, the Kremlin expressed major concern about US-Russia relations, describing them as "maybe even worse" than they had been during the Cold War. Since that time, they've gotten dramatically worse, with US missile attacks on Syria fueling soaring acrimony. ..."
"... "I'm confident the Russians will act in their own best interests," Mattis insisted. Yet he also threatened further US strikes on Syria, and Russia has made clear in recent days that they would respond with force to any additional such US strikes. ..."
Mattis: US-Russia Tensions Won't Spiral Out of Control Insists Russia Won't Act Against Their
'Best Interests' , April 11, 2017
Two weeks ago, the Kremlin expressed major concern about US-Russia relations, describing them
as "maybe even worse" than they had been during the Cold War. Since that time, they've gotten dramatically
worse, with US missile attacks on Syria fueling soaring acrimony.
Secretary of Defense James Mattis sought to downplay the situation, however, saying that he was
certain the situation "will not spiral out of control," a belief he appeared to rest on the idea
that Russia wouldn't dare retaliate against further US attacks against Syria, as they have threatened
to.
"I'm confident the Russians will act in their own best interests," Mattis insisted. Yet he
also threatened further US strikes on Syria, and Russia has made clear in recent days that they would
respond with force to any additional such US strikes.
Notable quotes:
"... Donald Trump – and/or the alphabet soup of US intelligence agencies, with no detailed investigation – are convinced that the Russian Ministry of Defense is simply lying. ..."
"... Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov, stressing "fully objective and verified" information, identified a Syrian Air Force strike launched against a "moderate rebel" warehouse east of the town of Khan Sheikhoun used to both produce and store shells containing toxic gas. ..."
"... Konashenkov added the same chemicals had been used by "rebels" in Aleppo late last year, according to samples collected by Russian military experts. ..."
"... And Western public opinion conveniently forgot that before Barack Obama's theoretically trespassed red line on chemical weapons, a secret US intelligence report had made it clear that Jabhat al-Nusra, a.k.a. al-Qaeda in Syria, had mastered the sarin gas-making cycle and was capable of producing it in quantity. ..."
"... So those toxic weapons that "disappeared" – en masse - from Gaddafi's arsenals in 2011 ended up upgrading al-Qaeda in Syria (not the Islamic Stare/Daesh), re-baptized Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and widely described across the Beltway as "moderate rebels". ..."
"... Trump's ambassador to the UN, Heritage Foundation asset Nikki Haley, predictably went ballistic, monopolizing the whole Western news cycle. Lost in oblivion, also predictably, was Russia's deputy UN ambassador Vladimir Safronkov shattering to bits the West's "obsession with regime change" in Syria, which is "what hinders this Security Council." ..."
"... Idlib Chemical Attack: West Blames Assad Even Before Probe Launched Safronkov stressed the chemical attack in Idlib was based on "falsified reports from the White Helmets", an organization that has been "discredited long ago". Indeed; but now the Helmets are Oscar winners , and this pop culture badge of honor renders them unassailable – not to mention immune to the effects of sarin gas. ..."
"... The dead "children of Syria" are now pawns in a much larger, perverse game. The US government may have killed a million men, women and children in Iraq – and there was no serious outcry among the "elites" across the NATO spectrum. A war criminal still at large admitted , on the record, that the snuffing out, directly and indirectly, of 500,000 Iraqi children was "justified." ..."
"... For his part, Nobel Peace Prize Barack Obama instrumentalized the House of Saud to fund – and weaponize - some 40 outfits "vetted" by the CIA in Syria. Several of these outfits had in fact already merged with, or were absorbed by, Jabhat al-Nusra, now Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. And they all engaged in their own massacres of civilians. ..."
"... The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Sputnik. ..."
Syria: The Toxic Meltdown © AFP 2017/ Omar haj kadour
Columnists 19:29 06.04.2017 Get
short URL Pepe Escobar
6 3147 52 0
"These heinous acts by the Assad regime cannot be tolerated." Thus spoke the President of
the United States.
Instant translation;
Donald Trump – and/or the alphabet soup of US intelligence agencies, with no
detailed investigation – are convinced that the Russian Ministry of Defense is simply lying.
Using Chemical Weapons Against Civilians? Assad 'Would Never Make Such a Crazy Move' That's a
pretty serious charge.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major-General Igor Konashenkov, stressing
"fully objective and verified" information,
identified a Syrian Air Force strike launched against a "moderate rebel" warehouse east of the
town of Khan Sheikhoun used to both produce and store shells containing toxic gas.
Konashenkov added the same chemicals had been used by "rebels" in Aleppo late last year, according
to samples collected by Russian military experts.
Still, Trump felt compelled to telegraph what is now his own red line in Syria; "Militarily, I
don't like to say when I'm going and what I'm doing. I'm not saying I won't do anything one way or
another, but I certainly won't be telling you [the media]."
By his side at the White House lawn, the pathetic King Playstation of Jordan praised Trump's "realistic
approach to the challenges in the region." This might pass as a Monty Python sketch. Unfortunately, it's reality.
What's at stake in Idlib
Washington 'Knows Damascus Has No Chemical Weapons', But Still Blames Assad Hysteria unleashed
– once again -, Western public opinion conveniently forgot that declared chemical weapons held by
Damascus
had been destroyed way back in 2014 on board of a US maritime vessel, no less, under UN supervision.
And Western public opinion conveniently forgot that before Barack Obama's theoretically trespassed
red line on chemical weapons, a secret US
intelligence
report had made it clear that Jabhat al-Nusra, a.k.a. al-Qaeda in Syria, had mastered the sarin
gas-making cycle and was capable of producing it in quantity.
Not to mention that the Obama administration and its allies Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar had
made a secret pact in 2012 to set up a sarin gas attack and blame Damascus, setting the scene for
a Shock and Awe replay. Funding for the project came from the NATO-GCC connection coupled with a
CIA-MI6 connection, a.k.a.
rat line , of transferring all manner of weapons from Libya to Salafi-jihadis in Syria.
So those toxic weapons that "disappeared" – en masse - from Gaddafi's arsenals in 2011 ended up
upgrading al-Qaeda in Syria (not the Islamic Stare/Daesh), re-baptized Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and widely
described across the Beltway as "moderate rebels".
'Red Line' Revisited? What's Behind Trump Accusing Damascus of Reported Chemical Attack in Syria
Cornered in Idlib province, these "rebels" are now the top target of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA)
and the Russian Air Force. Damascus and Moscow, unlike Washington, are bent on smashing the whole
Salafi-jihadi galaxy, not only Daesh. If the SAA continues to advance, and if these "rebels" lose
Idlib, it's game over.
So the offensive by Damascus had to be smeared, no holds barred, in full view of global public
opinion.
Yet it does not make any sense whatsoever that only two days before another international conference
on Syria, and immediately after the White House was forced to admit that "the Syrian people should
choose their destiny" and "Assad must go" is over and done with, Damascus should launch a counterproductive
gas attack antagonizing the whole NATO universe.
This walks – and talks - more like the tsunami of lies that predated Shock and Awe on Iraq in
2003, and certainly walks and talks like the renewed turbo-charging of an "al-CIAda" campaign. Jabhat
al-Nusra never ceased to be the CIA's babies in the preferred Syrian regime change scenario.
Your kids are not toxic enough
Trump's ambassador to the UN, Heritage Foundation asset Nikki Haley, predictably went ballistic,
monopolizing the whole Western news cycle. Lost in oblivion, also predictably, was Russia's deputy
UN ambassador Vladimir Safronkov shattering to bits the West's "obsession with regime change" in
Syria, which is "what hinders this Security Council."
Idlib Chemical Attack: West Blames Assad Even Before Probe Launched Safronkov stressed the chemical
attack in Idlib was based on "falsified reports from the White Helmets", an organization that has
been "discredited long ago". Indeed; but now
the Helmets are Oscar winners , and this pop culture badge of honor renders them unassailable
– not to mention immune to the effects of sarin gas.
Whatever Trump and the Pentagon may eventually come up with an independent US intel analyst, averse
to groupthink, is adamant; "Any air attack on Syria would require coordination with Russia, and Russia
will not allow any air attack against Assad to take place. Russia has the defensive missiles there
that can block the attack. This will be negotiated out. There will be no attack as an attack can
precipitate a nuclear war."
The dead "children of Syria" are now pawns in a much larger, perverse game. The US government
may have killed a million men, women and children in Iraq – and there was no serious outcry among
the "elites" across the NATO spectrum. A war criminal still at
large admitted , on the
record, that the snuffing out, directly and indirectly, of 500,000 Iraqi children was "justified."
For his part, Nobel Peace Prize Barack Obama instrumentalized the House of Saud to fund –
and weaponize - some 40 outfits "vetted" by the CIA in Syria. Several of these outfits had in fact
already merged with, or were absorbed by, Jabhat al-Nusra, now Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. And they all
engaged in their own massacres of civilians.
Meanwhile, the
UK keeps merrily weaponizing the House of Saud in its quest to reduce Yemen to a vast famine
wasteland pinpointed by "collateral damage" graveyards. The NATO spectrum is certainly not crying
for those dead Yemeni children. They are not toxic enough.
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily
reflect the official position of Sputnik.
The Senate confirmed the appointment of retired general James Mattis as secretary of defense on
Friday, making him the first member of Donald Trump's cabinet cleared to take office.
The Senate vote was passed by 98-1 after Trump signed a waiver making Mattis exempt from a law
that blocks senior officers from taking the defense secretary job within seven years of retirement.
Mattis has been out of uniform for three years.
The single vote against his confirmation was from Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, a Democrat who
argued the bar should remain in place on the grounds that civilian control of the military was a
fundamental principle of US democracy.
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Bulletin:
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Slightly Skeptical Euromaydan Chronicles, June 2014 :
Greenspan legacy bulletin, 2008 :
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Energy Bulletin, 2010 :
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No.1 (January, 2013) Object-Oriented Cult :
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Vol 23, No.11 (November, 2011) Softpanorama classification
of sysadmin horror stories : Vol 25, No.05
(May, 2013) Corporate bullshit as a communication method :
Vol 25, No.06 (June, 2013) A Note on the Relationship of Brooks Law and Conway Law
History:
Fifty glorious years (1950-2000):
the triumph of the US computer engineering :
Donald Knuth : TAoCP
and its Influence of Computer Science : Richard Stallman
: Linus Torvalds :
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: CPU Instruction Sets :
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GNU Screen :
OSS early history
Classic books:
The Peter
Principle : Parkinson
Law : 1984 :
The Mythical Man-Month :
How to Solve It by George Polya :
The Art of Computer Programming :
The Elements of Programming Style :
The Unix Hater’s Handbook :
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The Power Elite
Most popular humor pages:
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2008 : Financial
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The Last but not Least Technology is dominated by
two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage and those who manage what they do not understand ~Archibald Putt.
Ph.D
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