With all the words from Trump warning Turkey and Iran and Assad, he is acting as if the military will remove from Syria and slide over to Iraq (which is where they have a permanent home and a new base near the Syria border.)
So, the process will be 4-6 months. Meanwhile, Trump may be buried in more Mueller dung.
The neocons have full reign. Pompeo is rounding up the timid Arabs trying to create an Arab NATO.
However, Qatar and Turkey are huge military obstacles. Qatar is still trying to rehab its reputation by offering more basing for US air power (and probably drones). Turkey reacted immediately to threats from Trump, basically pissing in his direction. (figuratively)
The solutions on the ground are frustrated but not stopped by US actions, military and diplomatic.
However, the big weapon the US and Trump use now is economic. Trump enjoys the use of Sanctions and Trade restrictions, including destruction of foreign competition. He is attacking Russian, Chinese and Iranian commerce and trade. War takes many forms.
So, pullout is almost meaningless. Will Trump and the Hegemon stop the hegemony over the ME?
Never. Not without dire consequences. Which likely will be a tragic event costing major US personnel loss.
Likely location? Iraq. Where Iran’s IEDs and agents can inflict real pain on American assets.
Notice Bolton’s September action to get Pentagon targets to hit in reply to Baghdad mortar attack on US facility (blamed on Iran). The war is on, for real, against Tehran.
Iraq will be were the the US suffers consequences. Nearly all Iraqis want the US out. There will be plenty of sources for such tragic consequences. Shiites, Sunnis, military, militias, terrorists all abound and all hate the US for what it did, is doing and continues to want to do to Iraq.
Bush and Blair began something the Hegemon seems unable to stop. Trillions expended adds to the addiction.
Trump went into Iraq for Christmas (with Melania). An indicator that the turf is considered a permanent American possession.
The question is will the US pull out of Iraq? Syria will happen one way or the other this year.
But what matters is the US can still launch from Iraq into Syria, as the Israelis do from Lebanon into Syria.
Until that capacity is ended, Syria will not have peace and reconstruction.
The US flag may go, but not the CIA, proxies and the insurgent cells which will wage a terror war against Assad.
Good overview. However, It dont seem fair that the most vulnerable Iran should solely do the job of punching Great Satan. Its either an alliance job or a China or Russia task.
Pull out or shrivel up and flop out?
With all the words from Trump warning Turkey and Iran and Assad, he is acting as if the military will remove from Syria and slide over to Iraq (which is where they have a permanent home and a new base near the Syria border.)
So, the process will be 4-6 months. Meanwhile, Trump may be buried in more Mueller dung.
The neocons have full reign. Pompeo is rounding up the timid Arabs trying to create an Arab NATO.
However, Qatar and Turkey are huge military obstacles. Qatar is still trying to rehab its reputation by offering more basing for US air power (and probably drones). Turkey reacted immediately to threats from Trump, basically pissing in his direction. (figuratively)
The solutions on the ground are frustrated but not stopped by US actions, military and diplomatic.
However, the big weapon the US and Trump use now is economic. Trump enjoys the use of Sanctions and Trade restrictions, including destruction of foreign competition. He is attacking Russian, Chinese and Iranian commerce and trade. War takes many forms.
So, pullout is almost meaningless. Will Trump and the Hegemon stop the hegemony over the ME?
Never. Not without dire consequences. Which likely will be a tragic event costing major US personnel loss.
Likely location? Iraq. Where Iran’s IEDs and agents can inflict real pain on American assets.
Notice Bolton’s September action to get Pentagon targets to hit in reply to Baghdad mortar attack on US facility (blamed on Iran). The war is on, for real, against Tehran.
Iraq will be were the the US suffers consequences. Nearly all Iraqis want the US out. There will be plenty of sources for such tragic consequences. Shiites, Sunnis, military, militias, terrorists all abound and all hate the US for what it did, is doing and continues to want to do to Iraq.
Bush and Blair began something the Hegemon seems unable to stop. Trillions expended adds to the addiction.
Trump went into Iraq for Christmas (with Melania). An indicator that the turf is considered a permanent American possession.
The question is will the US pull out of Iraq? Syria will happen one way or the other this year.
But what matters is the US can still launch from Iraq into Syria, as the Israelis do from Lebanon into Syria.
Until that capacity is ended, Syria will not have peace and reconstruction.
The US flag may go, but not the CIA, proxies and the insurgent cells which will wage a terror war against Assad.
Good overview. However, It dont seem fair that the most vulnerable Iran should solely do the job of punching Great Satan. Its either an alliance job or a China or Russia task.