Who’s In Charge?

Syria. ISIS. American troops in Syria to slay ISIS. With the help of Turkish Kurds who do the bulk of the fighting, and dying. Our troops are coordinators, equipment managers, tactical leaders and providers of on the ground training and guidance.

ISIS in Syria is a ghost of itself. Defeated? In that location, maybe; certainly barely functioning. Elsewhere, though, ISIS is alive and doing its dirty work. Like the Taliban it will continue to coexist with its host nations and undermine order and civilian quality of life.

But mr. trump claims victory and wants the troops withdrawn. Bolton says that is not what the president means. He contradicts his boss and declares policy clarification to Israel, Turkey and others in the region. Secretary of State Pompeo agrees; until he doesn’t. And then we learn our troops in Syria are being removed little by little. And the equipment is coming out as well. Now. At this time.

So, our Kurdish friends, the brave souls who have fought our battles in Syria, are being left exposed and vulnerable to certain death. Death at the hands of their Turkish nationalists. Erdogan sees the Kurds as enemies of his state and government. He claims to annihilate them as soon as possible. It is his sense of value and balance.

We say that ought not happen. But we are evidently going to allow it to happen.

If this is so, then who will help us in the future fight the fight of the innocents in foreign lands?

Bad decision mr. trump. Poor judgment.

But what really is stunning are the claims of policy and decision making with clear authority levels and team members. Bolton. Pompeo. Trump. They say they represent the same thing. The words are different; the actions are different. What then are the results of this confusion?

I wouldn’t make any plans if I were a Kurd. Seems those plans have been made by others who do not care.

Now that is a shame. Embarrassment, too. And a travesty of the first order.

Indeed, who is in charge here?

January 15, 2019