monitoring Trump and relevant contemporary events

I realize I'm repeating myself, but I want to be clear that anyone saying it was Mathis' desire to leave his post is wrong. Mathis was a soldier's soldier. He would have only left his post when properly relieved. He is being asked to leave or, at the very least he is leaving because he cannot suppport this slipshod, harebrained, petty isolationist buttboy of dictators. This was the LAST of anyone who could be called an adult in 45s inner circle. This should worry anyone who cares about the security of our nation.

That's the way he wants it. Not having to be briefed by experts; listening only to himself. It's not good, brother.

I remember the day that a team of Senators, led by Barry Goldwater (I believe) who visited Richard Nixon . I was in a lab and cooked a super nitrogen
compound to dryness because I was in my side office watching the happenings of the happenings of 1974.
Think itll rise to Nixonian level?
The guy is ADD and pathologically immature .

Don't forget the one in Israel that is keeping almost 100% of illegals out of their country.

And your degree in this field is from what university?

Who can say, man? The ridiculous fraud thrives in chaos, so who can say what levels of chaos he's willing to back us into.

same one you got the same degree that allows you to call people morons nd claim that their meds should be upped.

Considering I never said that about anyone's medication, I take that as you have no degree and are not qualified to have an opinion, but the one of others.

oralloy huffs:

Perhaps Israel should reconsider its unfair stance against the Palestinians.

-4 means **** on this forum that is full of Jew haters.

Trump pullout from Syria leaves Israel alone to battle Iran’s likely resurgence

The US didn’t have a massive troop presence, but it still managed to keep Tehran’s weapons from the Iraq-Syria border region; now even Netanyahu can’t hide his disappointment

Raphael Ahren
By RAPHAEL AHREN
19 December 2018, 10:39 pm 16

The US administration’s planned complete withdrawal from Syria is bad news for Israel both militarily and diplomatically, experts said Wednesday, since it will be leaving a vacuum in the war-torn country that will very likely be filled by Iran.

While the US military had only some 2,000 troops in Syria, mostly in the eastern part of the country, and did not actively participate in Israel’s ongoing efforts to prevent the Islamic Republic from entrenching itself there, Iran, and its Russian allies, will likely interpret the American move as an admission of defeat and feel emboldened to act in Syria as they please.

“Until now, while physically present in Syria, the American contribution to Israel’s major struggle — to halt the Iranian war machine in Syria — was marginal to zero,” Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s former national security adviser, told the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, soon after the shock US withdrawal was announced.

“The effect of this decision is primarily psychological and diplomatic: With this withdrawal, the US abandons Syria and leaves Israel alone. In those arenas, this is a very significant decision,” he said.

Beyond perceptions, though, the pullout represents a concrete danger for Israel in southeastern Syria, where US troops had played a role in keeping the border region with Iraq from becoming an arms smuggling free-for-all, said Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, a former director of Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry and ex-head of the Research Division of Military Intelligence.

The US leaving “would mean that the Assad forces and the Iranians will have full control over Syria, and this would mean that they may try to deliver weapons from Iran through Iraq to Syria and then to Lebanon. And there’s not going to be anything in between to stop them,” he said.

“Especially the Iranians are going to be empowered and feel much stronger,” he added.

Kupperwasser largely backed US President Donald Trump’s claim that the Islamic State’s “territorial caliphate” in Syria had been defeated, but warned that it is “not totally clear that the Islamic State cannot re-emerge, taking advantage of the weakening of their adversaries in this area.”

Trump said the only reason to have troops in Syria was to defeat the Islamic State, an assertion that marked a break with his advisers, notably his top security aide John Bolton, who had said thwarting Iranian entrenchment was also an important US goal in the country.

For Israel, though, thwarting Iran’s ceaseless efforts to entrench itself military in Syria was and continues to be the most pressing foreign policy objective.

Israel has risked all-out war with the Islamic Republic and endured a serious crisis with Russia as it has tackled Iranian assets in Syria, but has seemingly not wavered in its stated commitment to prevent Tehran from establishing a foothold near its borders.

The withdrawal of American troops won’t erase Israel’s gains in keeping Iran on its heels and away from the Golan Heights, but once the last US soldier waves goodbye, a newly emboldened Iran can be expected to make another push to establish military bases near the Israeli border.

All this couldn’t come at a worse time for Israel. Russia, which has promised to keep the Iranians about 100 kilometers away from the border, and which is already regarded as a much bigger player in Syria than the US, is still smarting over on October incident in which one of its spy planes was downed by a Syrian missile during an Israeli strike.

Since then, Israel has apparently scaled back its previously unencumbered air campaign in Syria, and a deconfliction hotline with Moscow has possibly been put on hold.

Russian officials visited Israel Wednesday to see anti-tunnel efforts on the Lebanese border — a visit that Jerusalem reportedly interpreted as a sign of a thaw — but its unclear how Moscow will respond to a renewed Iranian push following the US pullout, and whether it will grant Tehran a freer hand after the US is gone.

Alon Ben David, a senior defense analyst for Israel’s Channel 10 news, called the pullout “a painful hit for Israel,” reflecting Israeli consternation over the move. Channel 10 said Netanyahu had tried hard to persuade Trump to reconsider, and that Jerusalem was deeply disappointed by the withdrawal announcement, which is seen as a victory for Russia, Iran and Hezbollah.

Many conservative policymakers and foreign policy analysts in the United States agreed, calling President Donald Trump’s move “idiotic” and a betrayal of US allies that would only benefit America’s enemies, especially Iran, Hezbollah and Russia.

Nicholas Burns
@RNicholasBurns
Withdrawal of the U.S. Special Forces from Syria will strengthen Assad, Putin and Iran. Will weaken our ability to help end the Civil War and protect civilians and refugees. A misguided decision by President Trump.

Jake Tapper
✔
@jaketapper
Responding to this, a Pentagon official asks me: “so when does Russia announce their victory?”

Mark Dubowitz
✔
@mdubowitz
Amateur hour. The decision is not only reckless in its consequences but also in its execution. Most administration officials & military leaders kept in the dark. No proper warning to allies including those who have fought and died. No ability to prepare the battle space.

Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.
2:25 PM - Dec 19, 2018

Jonathan Schanzer
✔
@JSchanzer
11:30 AM - Dec 19, 2018
“With his decision on Syria, Trump has effectively handed Syria to Russia, Iran, Assad, Hezbollah and Turkey,” tweeted Jonathan Schanzer at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

“Obama’s red line debacle was a dark day for American leadership in the Middle East. This is far worse,” he opined.

Officially, Jerusalem said it would deal with the pullout and continue to defend itself. But Netanyahu made little effort to hide his disappointment, with a laconic statement released after the announcement.

“This is, of course, an American decision. We will study its timetable, how it will be implemented and – of course – its implications for us,” the prime minister said, as his domestic political opponents pounded him for a “foreign policy failure.”

Netanyahu said he had this week spoken to Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had stressed that “they have other ways of expressing their influence in the area,” he noted, and vowed to “to maintain the security of Israel and to defend ourselves in this area.”

As guarded as this response may sound — imagine Netanyahu’s fury if Barack Obama had made a similar decision — it cannot cover up the serious disagreement between the Israeli government and the Trump administration. The fact is that Israel wanted to the US to stay, but Trump refused.

According to Hebrew media reports late Wednesday, indeed, Trump flat-out rejected all of Netanyahu’s appeals to reconsider, and simply informed the prime minister that his decision to withdraw all troops from Syria was final.

His administration made Israel happy when it moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem, quit the Iran nuclear deal and imposed the toughest-ever sanctions on Tehran.

Ending the American presence in Syria, leaving Israel alone to deal with Iran, Hezbollah, and Russia, thus marks the first major setback in the hitherto harmonious US-Israel relationship.

ahh so your memory has failed you as well, It must be communicable .

It leaves Israel with Saudi Arabia. Try telling the whole truth. The Saudis have state of the art weapons. And do not forget all the Muslims who want no part of Sharia. I guess there are not as many as people think.

Short memory, must have a.....\\\\ The USS Liberty incident was an attack on a United States Navy technical research ship, by Israeli Air Force jet fighter aircraft and Israeli Navy motor torpedo boats, on 8 June 1967, during the Six-Day War. The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members, wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship. (from Wikipedia)

1969 AD: Current Saudi Arabia’s imposter rulers and their cult of Wahhabism are originally of Jewish origin – The Donmeh Jews from Turkey. On a Cairo Broadcast of Saudi King Faisal Al-Saud he confirmed Saudi Jewish Ancestry by openly declaring, also in WASHINGTON POST, stating: “WE, THE SAUDI FAMILY, are COUSINS OF THE JEWS: we entirely disagree with any Arab or Muslim Authority which shows any antagonism to the Jews; but we must live together with them in peace. Our country (ARABIA) is the fountain head from where the first Jew sprang, and his descendants spread out all over the world.”

You can spin this any way you want, but this is how the Israeli's see it...

IRAN WILL BENEFIT, ISRAEL WILL LOSE FROM U.S. PULLOUT
“The confusion surrounding the US foreign policy is dangerous for all US allies in the Middle East.”
BY ANNA AHRONHEIM DECEMBER 20, 2018 13:46

The US withdrawal from Syria will give a green light to Iran to continue its activities in the war-torn country, which will have dangerous consequences for Washington’s allies in the Middle East, especially Israel.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to leave Syria before but was convinced to stay. But a tweet on Wednesday night, in which he wrote “After historic victories against ISIS, it’s time to bring our great young people home!” blindsided American allies.

Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
After historic victories against ISIS, it’s time to bring our great young people home!
6:10 PM - Dec 19, 2018

Some experts took to Twitter on Wednesday calling the US withdrawal a surrender, while others wondered how allies in the region could trust an administration run by a commander-in-chief who changes his mind like he changes his socks.

And for those in the Middle East, the withdrawal rang alarm bells.

“The confusion surrounding the US foreign policy is dangerous for all US allies in the Middle East,” Ceng Sagnic, coordinator of the Kurdish Studies program at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies told The Jerusalem Post. “Israel has a lot to do in Syria, there’s a lot left to do. And abruptly, in the manner of a few days, the most efficient Israeli ally in the Middle East announced an uncoordinated withdrawal from Syria leaving everything a mess.”

“Trump’s decision to withdraw serves to make Iran appear as the most reliable ally for non-state actors of the region, including pro-West groups like the Syrian Defense Forces,” Sagnic added.

Islamic State, though it is far from it’s height of power when it controlled territory the size of Great Britain, is still a significant threat and to say that the war against the Sunni jihadist group has been won is far from correct.

But Islamic State is not the biggest concern following the withdrawal of some 2,000 American troops. It is Iran and their continued attempts to entrench themselves in Syria, a significant threat that Israel has been contending with for the past six years.

“The security challenge vis-a-vis the Iranian presence in Syria and its influence on the northern front becomes more complex for us when the US soldiers will abandon Syrian soil,” said former defense minister and IDF chief of staff Lt.-Gen. (res.) Moshe Ya’alon on Thursday.

Nevertheless he said, Israel “can also deal with the new reality if we continue with an active policy in accordance with our redlines and our national interests. The United States has many other ways to act and influence even without forces on the ground.”

Sagnic told the Post that Israel’s freedom of operations in Syrian skies is what has prevented the Iranians from having their way in Syria. This, he said, was “because of the lack of a legitimate government in Damascus.”

But, he warned, Russian President Vladimir Putin has mastered how to fill the gaps left by the Americans in other countries and he will likely try to do the same in Syria.

“If Russia assumes control of all of Syria in the absence of American influence and becomes the only place to go for peace negotiations, it would be much easier to build a legitimate regime in favor of the Assad regime as well as for Iran and Hezbollah,” Sagnic said, adding that unlike with Washington, “Israel has no influence over Russia and once there is a legitimate Syrian regime then Israel’s freedom of operations could be limited.”

The timing of the withdrawal, shortly after Israel began Operation Northern Shield to discover and destroy cross-border attack tunnels dug by Hezbollah from southern Lebanon into northern Israel, is also of concern.

Israeli officials have repeatedly voiced concerns over the smuggling of sophisticated weaponry from Iran to Hezbollah – which would allow the Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist group to produce accurate precision-guided missiles – and the helping of Hezbollah and other Shi’ite militias strengthen their foothold on the Golan Heights and have stressed that both are redlines for the Jewish State.

According to Ya’alon, Washington should recognize Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights “not as compensation, but as an expression of continued backing.”

Israel has admitted to a few hundred strikes against Iranian targets and Hezbollah weapons convoys in Syria, preventing the transfer of sophisticated weaponry from Iran into the hands of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Hezbollah has “at most a few dozen” precision-guided missiles and has closed down sites for missile conversion near Beirut international airport, he also said the group is “trying to open other sites” to convert missiles with Iranian funding and know-how.

Sagnic warned that if Iran is able to gain access to northern Syria, “we are talking about the realization of a very significant supply line for the Iranian regime through northwestern Syria to the Mediterranean. It would redouble the burden for Israel because this would be the third supply line to reach the Mediterranean and would change the balance of power to the advantage of Israel’s adversaries.”

The withdrawal of American troops from Syria might save Washington money, but it would essentially allow Iran and their militias, including Hezbollah, to shift their entire focus to Israel and its destruction.

e have noot learned the lessons of appeasement have we. Its now Our turn to make believe we can have "peace in our time".

There hasn't been peace in the Middle East in over 2000 years. And it will never come to fruition.

so we should stir the pot even more?

Im actually more concerned of the effects that such appeasement will have on my security (sorry for being selfish).
Were Russia and (or) Iran threaten the security of Isreal, We will be drawn into a rather hot war (unless this resident continues his head up his ass policy.

Dominos abound all over in different survey azimuths.

It is hardly unfair for Israel to defend themselves from Palestinian murder attempts.