This is your wheelhouse, not mine. You constantly make statements as facts, supported by opinions of others.old salt wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 2:24 pmYes. I fail to live up to your example of bringing substance to this topic.foreverlax wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 2:05 pmI don't care about someone's opinion, I want to know the actual plan.old salt wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 1:54 pmAn opinion piece full of information laying out 3 reasons why Syrian oil is worth protecting for the Kurds.foreverlax wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 12:39 pmRegarding IRan - how long or is it open ended?old salt wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 11:31 amforeverlax wrote: ↑Thu Nov 07, 2019 8:21 amYou didn't answer the questions asked -old salt wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 7:20 pmforeverlax wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 5:14 pmold salt wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 2:40 pmIt was a stupid observation then (when inserted in the context of the discussion afan & I were having), Fine. Delivery matters.foreverlax wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 1:52 pmold salt wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2019 1:34 pmLost Syria ? When did the US ever have any control or influence over Syria ? Never said we did, but in the words of the great George Costanza, we lost any hand we had.foreverlax wrote: ↑Tue Nov 05, 2019 3:42 pm Guess it's time we get over Trump losing Syria to Russia.
They were a Soviet ally before they were a Russian ally.
The last time that point was made, you said it was a stupid observation.
What is "winning" in Syria ?
No clue...what is winning in any of our other military adventure? Seems the DoD never gets that part right.
Responsibility for stopping a civil war, peacekeeping, reconstruction, resettlement of millions of refugees ?
That used to be our role
That's the prize which comes with "winning" Syria.
Doesn't matter since we left that table when we walked away from the Kurds.
The best we can hope for is to help protect the Kurds (if they'll cease their terrorist activities against Turkey), give them some leverage for autonomy, keep them as an ally & base to hold down ISIS, & not prolong an intractable civil war.
...and not "lose" Turkey (completely) in the process.
Turkey remains a geo-strategically critical NATO ally.
just like "losing Syria" is a stupid observation now. Disagree....there can be no moaning when Syria, somehow, gets worse, since Vlad has the strings and the Kurds don't trust us. Iran is another example of What the heck is the plan? Can you tell me the situation hasn't deteriorated since he walked from the deal? Things have gotten worse for Iran, They're running out of money to fund their proxies throughout the region. Massive anti-Iran protests in Iraq. Oil is still flowing out of the Gulf. Other Navies have joined us in keeping the sea lanes open & participating in the largest minesweeping exercise ever conducted.
We were never in it, to "win" it. Disagree - as the world's cop, we are always in it. You don't want that job, set aside, give it to China and the yuan. We're still there to step on IS, keep the sea lanes open, keep the oil flowing & we're still protecting the Kurds. We're just not signing up for an open ended peacekeeping & reconstruction mission in Syria, although we will join NATO & GCC allies if they want to participate.
You can't lose what you never had. Bet there are some easy examples of that...like the death of an unborn child. Syria was a miscarriage before we got involved.
We never had a seat at the table (although Flynn was working to get one for us). Horse Hockey. Trump met with Little Kim...we can be where we want to be. During the transition, Flynn was negotiating with Kislyak for a seat at the Astana conf, set to take place in early 2017.
Holding the oil fields & their territory outside the Turkish incursion zone still gives the Kurds leverage, So again it's selective what falls under AUMF. We don't need their fossil fuels. What is the actual plan here? Denying the oil fields to IS falls within the existing AUMF. Read the NPR explainer I linked earlier about the strategic significance of the oil fields. We won't use or profit from the oil, the Kurds will. Those bases are perfectly located as staging points for raiding IS remnants in the lower Euphrates valley.
which they are playing expertly. The Kurds get it, if you don't. They're hanging with us. Oh, I see what's happening and globally it's stunning to watch and completely inexplicable, as hard as you try. Watch the news on DW & BBC. They get it.
Iran - What is the plan? Have they moved further down the road to enrich uranium?
Maintain the sanctions. Force Iran back to the table. Structure our defensive forces in the region to deter & counter Iran's military retaliations. Quietly encourage our Brit, French, German allies to restrain Iran's breakout & attract them back to the table.
Syrian Oil - What is the plan?
https://www.npr.org/2019/10/31/77514285 ... it-matters
It's obvious. Read the NPR explainer
The SDF can use the same sales, micro-refining & (smuggling) distribution as ISIL did, with US tech assist & protection.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_produ ... ng_in_ISIL
Syria - you linked an opinion piece. What is Trump's plan?
Trump's plan is what we are in the process of doing. Watch the news.
Review my previous posts & stop pestering me to repeat what I've already posted.
Both are open ended.
Both are open ended, and yet in this same thread, you say Trump left the Kurds because he doesn't want it to be "open ended".
Got it...watch TV. Clearly there is nothing concrete you can add to this conversation.
You asked me the same type of questions ...I admit to not having answer. When you are asked the same questions, you tell us to stop bothering you and to use google. That has no value.