How to interpret this? Is this a decision of a unified coalition or are fractures emerging? Has Trump's impulsiveness and blundering scared off America's partners unwilling to leave the safety of their personnel at the whim of America's lunatic-in-chief?
The era of American-led coalitions may be over. What George H.W. Bush forged to throw Saddam's army out of Kuwait could be a thing of the past. If the dutiful followers lose trust in the putative leader things can fall apart pretty quickly.
On Sunday, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Iraq will pay dearly if it throws out the coalition.
“We have a very extraordinarily expensive air base that’s there,” Mr. Trump said of Iraq. “It cost billions of dollars to build. Long before my time. We’re not leaving unless they pay us back for it.”
Mr. Trump then escalated his language, saying: “If they do ask us to leave, if we don’t do it in a very friendly basis, we will charge them sanctions like they’ve never seen before ever. It’ll make Iranian sanctions look somewhat tame.”
“If there’s any hostility, that they do anything we think is inappropriate, we are going to put sanctions on Iraq, very big sanctions on Iraq,” Mr. Trump added.
Update: Pentagon officials say the letter, written by a Marine Corps brigadier general, gives a false impression about a troop withdrawal. The spokesman didn't go so far, however, as to say the various contingents of troops are staying either.
12 comments:
Remember when Republicans accused Obama of "cutting and running" after he pulled US troops out of Iraq in accordance with the SOFA signed by Dubya? Good times, good times...
Cap
Well, Cap, so much chaos swirling so fiercely within one small mind.
Trump is giving a demonstration of skill in high stakes multi level tiddlywinks such as the world has never seen before ever. Very big. As usual he's wagering with somebody else's chips.
Let’s not forget Trump’s threat to hit / destroy fifty-two (count ‘em, remember the Iraq deck of cards for the wanted) cultural sites in Iran if the Prez is unhappy over whatever retaliation Iran might try to avenge the death of Souleimani. Cultural sight destruction....hmmm, I seem to remember that happening somewhere not too long ago....hmm..oh yes now I remember it was those ne’er do wells from ISIS. In Syria......centuries old relics gone forever. Oh well, birds of a feather, I guess. Mac
The WH is now claiming that the letter withdrawing US forces from Iraq was a DRAFT sent in error. What a gong show!
Cap
The US has become a total f*@k up when it comes to foreign policy. Allies don’t know what to think. Trudeau was right at that recent summit. He wasn’t making fun of Trump. He was just explaining the total exasperation shown by all those that have to try to “support” their president.
.. Harjit Sajjan was on Evan Solomon's breathless CTV show last night.. Credit due, Solomon did push re Canada's current 'stance' re the Trump decision.. and potential Iraq consequence.. but Sajjan fluffed through multicolored evasions & standard waffling with great distinction.. in other words he clarified squat.. In my view, he's what we call, a 'pylon' in hockey. We need to keep in mind how vulnerable he is re the Omar Khadr scandal.. as an officer, attache etc, serving with Canada's military leadership in Afghanistan, he was privy to the entire debacle unfolding.. better said he could 'out' Harper and McKay with no problem.. but he can't.. won't.. and has migrated to political animal - bureaucrat - toe the Party line
Trudeau needs to grow a pair.. jettison the simpering and flabby posturing around Trump et al.
The future pathway for Canada must bear ZERO resemblance or adherence to Trump's diseased parasitic reality.. or to the GOP's equally diseased reality. Here in Canada we have much to do.. to clean up and define our national identity, take charge of our drifting rotting political Parties, streamline our governance and our control of it.. and get Canada in shape to deal with current and impending systemic failure and massive climate migrations and those fleeing wars and persecution.. We have to choose reality over fantasy & fluff.. harsh realities, staggering challenges are here and more coming like converging freight trains. Kissy kissy with Donald Trump .. ? That's the Harper wet dream.. and jeebuz will save fiction..
The original plan by Trump was, in my opinion, as follows:
throw two stun grenades.
Hit Iran hard by decapitating its chief strategist and then announce withdrawal from Iraq.
Second leg of the plot was foiled by the financial-military-industrial complex who leaked the plans.
That complex and some "liberal" media (CBC included) was not happy when Trump mused a couple months ago that "Staying in the Middle East was the worst mistake USA ever made."
Anon 2:14 - Your statement is complete bullshit. Trump ran around Merde a Lardo telling everyone in earshot that something on Iran was coming down. So there goes your theory on who leaked the strike.
Your Stable Genius hero isn't capable of coming up with a plan. When he's not golfing every five days he sits around furiously tweeting about what he watches mornings on "Fox and Friends" during "Executive Time." He uses an unsecured android to make cell phone calls because he doesn't want a log on who he calls and takes calls from. Instead, foreign entities can listen in on his calls. He's the biggest security leak the USA has. He's so stupid he can't even operate an umbrella.
You know who wants war with Iran? Former Trump NSA John Bolton and current SoS Mike Pompeo. You know who benefits from the riff between Iran and the USA? Vladimir Putin. He can now "assist" Iran with their nuclear program the same way he "assisted" with North Korea's program. Once Iran has the bomb then KSA will approach Trump stating they need a bomb as a deterrent against Iran and he doesn't give them the technology then they'll go to Putin for it. There's your "Financial Military Industrial Complex" and New World Order, meathead.
Your stupid statements would normally be laughable but in this case they're not.
mr perfect
I had to hit a nerve, err..., truth with mr calling himself "perfect," judging on the amount of primitive expletives.
The fact remains though that Trump is trying hard to disengage USA from endless wars while financial-military-industrial complex, supported by "liberal" media is opposing him.
P.S. In his zest to obfuscate matters mr. perfect misrepresented what I said about leaking the info about the withdrawal. (And not the drone strike)
Math is hard for a Trump supporter, isn't it Anon 2:14/3:15? There's exactly two so called expletives in my post. For someone who spends so much effort in tongue bathing your Stable Genius, your kind of snowflakey aren't you?
No facts in your statement or rebuttal, just more lies. Trump has a foreign dignitary assassinated on Iraq soil then promptly sent an extra 3,500 troops into their country. The Iraqi government are royally pissed and are kicking the Americans out. There is no withdrawal. Those are your facts.
You missed my point about leaks. The one who leaks is Donald J Trump. Have you forgotten John Barron? David Dennison? He leaks everywhere, probably even from his Depends. The only things he won't leak is his tax returns and how much in bribes he has taken from Putin's mob and the KSA.
Now go back to your alternative (lies) facts.
mr perfect
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