Interesting (and telling) language in the Madman's tweet about Syria this morning.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Link to tweet

Donald J. Trump?Verified account @realDonaldTrump · 32m32 minutes ago

We have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency.

6:29 AM - 19 Dec 2018

Regardless of one's take on US involvement in Syria, it's interesting that Trump claims fighting ISIS was his only reason for being there.

It's interesting because on two occasions you did send cruise missiles to bomb (empty) Syrian government airbases after the Syrian government unleashed chemical attacks on civilian populations in rebel held areas. Supposedly after Ivanka cried big gulping tears, or so the story goes.

Never mind the fact that the airbases were empty in good part because we had notified Russia in advance about the strikes, who we knew full would turn around and tell Assad about the pending attacks.

But the optics were good--Donald Trump was a human being who actually cares about other people and their suffering! And he disagreed with Putin and took a stand against him, so that clearly blows that collusion nonsense completely out of the water.

Of course it was all blatant kabuki theater. Of course Donald Trump doesn't give a shit about what Assad does to his people. Of course Donald Trump isn't actually interested in being anything but a slobbering puppet to Vladimir Putin and his global games.

And credit be given, he's actually being honest and coming out and admitting that fact now.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

1. that means there are other, nefarious, reasons

What sneaky, criminal scam is he pulling or has pulled in Syria?

[dalton99a]

2. Yep.

[Squinch]

3. I read that as setting up his departure. "Mission accomplished, I'm out of here."

I can dream, can't I?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. but there's still money in the treasury!

You know Baby Donald wants the shiney stuff at Ft. Knox. No way he's going to leave office voluntarily without making a run at the Social Security trust fund, at least.

[Squinch]

5. True.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. Will he settle for what's at Fort Leavenworth instead? nt

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. somebody whisper to him ...

"Obama stashed money at Ft. Leavenworth. WALL money!"

[machoneman]

9. Also a deflection from all the bad news of late, for sure! n/m

n/m

[Blue Owl]

6. Actually Donald, there were three reasons...

Me, Myself, and I...

[SleeplessinSoCal]

10. and the 4th - Putin.

[saljr1]

11. How many times are we going to screw

The Kurds in the Middle East. As much as I hate losing precious American lives there the Kurds have been the only people we could trust there. they have sacrificed many lives helping us fight ISIS and are the only people who truly want democracy in the region besides Israel. When we leave they will be attacked by the Turks, Assad and Russia.

[SayItLoud]

12. And this: a day after Russia, Iran and Turkey....

agree to meet and decide how to handle the country. tRUMP doesn't want to mess with his handler Putin. Just sayin...this stinks to high heavens....or TREASON.

[relayerbob]

13. He's just handing Syria over to Putin

Very simple. Has zero whatsoever to do about ISIS. How do I know that? Because he is tweeting about ISIS!

[Moral Compass]

14. Just coincidence

Just coincidence that this is what daddy Putin has been wanting...

Christmas at the Kremlin!

I never thought that I’d see the POTUS and one of the 2 major parties actively work against the interests of the United States.

This is so much more banal than a Manchurian Candidate.
Not ideology but money. This is more horrible because of the sheer corruption.

[matt819]

15. Does he not realize. . .

that declaring victory and leaving means that we have lost and are leaving.

A real victory includes things like giving up weapons, surrendering, having a plan for rebuilding, having a something resembling a reasonable government in place. Syria is being run by a dictator, no one is surrendering.

Look, I'm all for bringing troops home from Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, to say nothing of the 100 or so other countries where we have troops. And I'm fine with "declaring victory." But that works only if you understand that you have in fact lost.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

17. +1. . . . nt

[Liberty Belle]

16. ISIS is likely to regain strength quickly:

From today's Washington Post:

But U.S. troops, working alongside Syrian partner forces, have struggled to eradicate remaining pockets of militants in central Syria. A rapid American withdrawal could allow the militants to regain strength. “The decision, even before ISIS is defeated on the battlefield, is tempting a massive resurgence of ISIS by the end of this year,” said Nicholas Heras of the Center for a New American Security.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has also suggested that a precipitous withdrawal could enable militants to make a comeback, as they did in Iraq before the Islamic State’s rise in 2014.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-administration-plans-to-pull-us-troops-from-syria-immediately-defense-official-says/2018/12/19/4fcf188e-0397-11e9-b5df-5d3874f1ac36_story.html?utm_term=.1ccb579a39a3

[Shoonra]

18. Declaring a fake victory ....

Last edited Thu Dec 20, 2018, 01:45 AM - Edit history (1)

Trump has announced he will withdraw US troops from Syria because of a victory over ISIS.
A century ago, shortly after the Russian Revolution, Russian troops were abruptly withdrawn from contested land on the Finnish border when Trotsky declared victory. As soon as the "victorious" Russian troops left the field of battle, the Finns overran the territory and seized it.

In this instance, the victory reported by Trump was unknown to the generals in the Pentagon and was unknown to journalists stationed with the troops in Syria.
It also appears that Trump decided on this pull-out without consulting either the Pentagon or the relevant Congressional chairmen.
In short, this victory and the promised pull-out appeared to be Trump's fevered delusions ... or a distraction conjured to take the limelight away from the Mueller investigations.

[karynnj]

21. A fake victory ... and leaving the international effort there

One thing that has been ignored is that Trump has not engaged in the diplomatic effort. He has been absent since the beginning of his administration in the ceasefire and peace talks on both Syria and Yemen.

[Demonaut]

19. he wants to acquire the funds used to support the troops in Syria, for his fuckng wall

it's usually worse than you think

[Nitram]

20. I find it more pathetic than interesting. But that's just me.

[NCjack]

22. Bibi must have filled his pants when he was told that 0range45 had ceded Syria to

Russia, Iran, and Turkey. He's on his way to HW with a ME map to show 0range45 how he just screwed Israel. Oh, Orange One, look: Iran will have truck route to the northern border of Israel.