DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Palus Politicus White House says Turkey will soon launch Syria operation

Do you have a link to the 2000? I didn't see that.

There have been estimates that range from 1000 to 2000. So no, I can not give you an exact number.

Pence announces Turkey has agreed to temporary ceasefire in Syria

Vice President Mike Pence announced from Ankara on Thursday that Turkey has agreed to cease its military operation in northern Syria for 120 hours so that Kurdish forces can withdraw from the area.

The big picture: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan previously said that he would "never" agree to a ceasefire, after the U.S. withdrawal from northern Syria paved the way for Turkey to begin a military assault on U.S-allied Kurdish forces that they view as terrorists.

The breakthrough came after five hours of negotiations between Pence and Erdogan and followed the authorization of sanctions against Turkish officials earlier this week by President Trump.

• As part of the deal, Pence said that the U.S. would not implement any more sanctions on Turkey and that it would revoke all economic punishments once a permanent ceasefire takes effect.
• Pence also said Turkey agreed to re-commit to countering ISIS and to cooperate with the U.S. on securing ISIS detainees and guarding prison camps in Syria.
• After Pence's announcement, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said: "This is not a ceasefire. We will pause the operation for 120 hours in order for the terrorists to leave. We will only stop the operation if our conditions are met."

What to watch: The Kurds must now leave their territory in 120 hours. Asked by a reporter whether there is a future for Syrian Kurds, Pence said that the agreement today ends immediate violence, which is what Trump sent the U.S. delegation to Ankara do.

Between the lines: The agreement gives Turkey what it wants — the removal of sanctions and support for a "safe zone" free of YPG forces that they view as an extension of the Kurdish Workers' Party, which has carried out an insurgency inside Turkey for decades.

• Significant harm, however, has already been done. Hundreds of Kurds have been killed, thousands have been displaced, and at least 1,000 ISIS prisoners and supporters have escaped prison camps since Trump's decision to move U.S. troops out of northern Syria.

What they're saying: Trump told reporters Thursday, "It's a great day for the United States, it's a great day for Turkey ... it's a great day for the Kurds. It's really a great day for civilization. ... I just want to thank and congratulate President Erdogan. He's a friend of mine and I'm glad we didn't have a problem because frankly he is a hell of a leader and a tough man, a strong man."

https://www.axios.com/pence-announces-turkey-ceasefire-c0af5cc3-b8b2-4531-bced-12b6aa881faa.html

Does this sound like a win to anyone? Kurds are now displaced refugees or they will have to fight Turkey to the death. US has egg on its face. Erdogan gets what he wants and Putin no doubt played a part. I'm happy that the remaining Kurds have a chance to avoid slaughter, but this all still sucks and was a dumbfoundingly stupid thing for Trump to do.

It's a start. We will have to wait to see where it goes from here.

Of course Trump's comments about it are exaggerated, speculative and non factual for a great extent, who expects anything else?

But let's be honest here, if Trump can actually clean up one of his own messes for a change, that would be an improvement.

.

Day one, Trump pulls our troops out to safety.

Day two, a fire starts as Turkey moves to secure its border.

Day three, Trump threatens to crush Turkey's economy.

Day five, our troops are out and safe, the Kurds are safe, the fire is out and everyone will celebrate with Turkey. Maybe mashed and Cranberry sauce too.

Negotiations have begun and 200 years of war are possibly solved.

Not bad there Mr.President.

Thanks.

I posted a link that said 50-100. I asked a question as to weather that was accurate. And no one has been able to supply an answer with a link.

I was just asking.........

2000 troops deployed to Saudi Arabia.

Temporary cease fire hoping hoping he can find a permanent way out of the mess he created.

Thanks. How many were taken away from where Turkey started aggression's?

According to Richard Engel, Turkey played us and got everything they wanted.
We gave the Kurds home land to their sworn enemy.

Another day, another screw up

What's troublesome is you even believe some of that.

Thanks. Yet another non answer to my question.

who is Richard Engel?

Per Wiki...

Richard Engel (born September 16, 1973) is an American journalist and author who is NBC News' chief foreign correspondent. He was assigned to that position on April 18, 2008, after being the network's Middle East correspondent and Beirut Bureau chief. Engel was the first broadcast journalist recipient of the Medill Medal for Courage in Journalism for his report "War Zone Diary".

Prior to joining NBC News in May 2003, he covered the start of the 2003 war in Iraq from Baghdad for ABC News as a freelance journalist. He speaks and reads Arabic fluently and is also fluent in Italian and Spanish. Engel wrote the book A Fist in the Hornet's Nest, published in 2004, about his experience covering the Iraq War from Baghdad. His newest book, And Then All Hell Broke Loose, published in 2016, is about his two decade career in the Middle East as a freelance reporter.

Engel is known for having covered the Iraq War, the Arab Spring and the Syrian Civil War.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Engel

Our Republic Is Under Attack From the President
If President Trump doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office.

By William H. McRaven
Admiral McRaven is a former commander of the United States Special Operations Command.
Oct. 17, 2019

608

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CreditCreditDamon Winter/The New York Times
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Last week I attended two memorable events that reminded me why we care so very much about this nation and also why our future may be in peril.

The first was a change of command ceremony for a storied Army unit in which one general officer passed authority to another. The second event was an annual gala for the Office of Strategic Services (O.S.S.) Society that recognizes past and present members of the intelligence and Special Operations community for their heroism and sacrifice to the nation. What struck me was the stark contrast between the words and deeds heralded at those events — and the words and deeds emanating from the White House.

On the parade field at Fort Bragg, N.C., where tens of thousands of soldiers have marched either preparing to go to war or returning from it, the two generals, highly decorated, impeccably dressed, cleareyed and strong of character, were humbled by the moment.

They understood the awesome responsibility that the nation had placed on their shoulders. They understood that they had an obligation to serve their soldiers and their soldiers’ families. They believed in the American values for which they had been fighting for the past three decades. They had faith that these values were worth sacrificing everything for — including, if necessary, their lives.
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Having served with both officers for the past 20 years, I know that they personified all that is good and decent and honorable about the American military with genuineness of their humility, their uncompromising integrity, their willingness to sacrifice all for a worthy cause, and the pride they had in their soldiers.

Later that week, at the O.S.S. Society dinner, there were films and testimonials to the valor of the men and women who had fought in Europe and the Pacific during World War II. We also celebrated the 75th anniversary of D-Day, recognizing those brave Americans and allies who sacrificed so much to fight Nazism and fascism. We were reminded that the Greatest Generation went to war because it believed that we were the good guys — that wherever there was oppression, tyranny or despotism, America would be there. We would be there because freedom mattered. We would be there because the world needed us and if not us, then who?

Also that evening we recognized the incredible sacrifice of a new generation of Americans: an Army Special Forces warrant officer who had been wounded three times, the most recent injury costing him his left leg above the knee. He was still in uniform and still serving. There was an intelligence officer, who embodied the remarkable traits of those men and women who had served in the O.S.S. And a retired Marine general, whose 40 years of service demonstrated all that was honorable about the Corps and public service.

But the most poignant recognition that evening was for a young female sailor who had been killed in Syria serving alongside our allies in the fight against ISIS. Her husband, a former Army Green Beret, accepted the award on her behalf. Like so many that came before her, she had answered the nation’s call and willingly put her life in harm’s way.

For everyone who ever served in uniform, or in the intelligence community, for those diplomats who voice the nation’s principles, for the first responders, for the tellers of truth and the millions of American citizens who were raised believing in American values — you would have seen your reflection in the faces of those we honored last week.
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But, beneath the outward sense of hope and duty that I witnessed at these two events, there was an underlying current of frustration, humiliation, anger and fear that echoed across the sidelines. The America that they believed in was under attack, not from without, but from within.

These men and women, of all political persuasions, have seen the assaults on our institutions: on the intelligence and law enforcement community, the State Department and the press. They have seen our leaders stand beside despots and strongmen, preferring their government narrative to our own. They have seen us abandon our allies and have heard the shouts of betrayal from the battlefield. As I stood on the parade field at Fort Bragg, one retired four-star general, grabbed my arm, shook me and shouted, “I don’t like the Democrats, but Trump is destroying the Republic!”

Those words echoed with me throughout the week. It is easy to destroy an organization if you have no appreciation for what makes that organization great. We are not the most powerful nation in the world because of our aircraft carriers, our economy, or our seat at the United Nations Security Council. We are the most powerful nation in the world because we try to be the good guys. We are the most powerful nation in the world because our ideals of universal freedom and equality have been backed up by our belief that we were champions of justice, the protectors of the less fortunate.

But, if we don’t care about our values, if we don’t care about duty and honor, if we don’t help the weak and stand up against oppression and injustice — what will happen to the Kurds, the Iraqis, the Afghans, the Syrians, the Rohingyas, the South Sudanese and the millions of people under the boot of tyranny or left abandoned by their failing states?

If our promises are meaningless, how will our allies ever trust us? If we can’t have faith in our nation’s principles, why would the men and women of this nation join the military? And if they don’t join, who will protect us? If we are not the champions of the good and the right, then who will follow us? And if no one follows us — where will the world end up?

President Trump seems to believe that these qualities are unimportant or show weakness. He is wrong. These are the virtues that have sustained this nation for the past 243 years. If we hope to continue to lead the world and inspire a new generation of young men and women to our cause, then we must embrace these values now more than ever.

And if this president doesn’t understand their importance, if this president doesn’t demonstrate the leadership that America needs, both domestically and abroad, then it is time for a new person in the Oval Office — Republican, Democrat or independent — the sooner, the better. The fate of our Republic depends upon it.

William H. McRaven, a retired Navy admiral, is a former commander of the United States Special Operations Command and former chancellor of the University of Texas system.

I am glad to hear the Kurds are happy. Tell me more oh great one.

Kurds have lost their land and are being slaughtered by Turkey. The only ones happy are Putin and Turkey ... Were you being sarcastic?

The great one said they were happy they must be happy!
40 you agree dont you?

Look arch, why do you keep asking questions you can find the answers to? Why do you expect me to do your homework for you?

Sources are everywhere. If your so interested in the answers, go find them. I'm tired of playing tutor to a grown man.

It's not how many were taken away. It's where they were taken away from. That's a hint for a key you should look for in your hunt for truth.

I think Arch is just trying to get you to speak out of the top end of your body for a change.

just sayin'

40 ... Care to comment on the Kurds being happy like trump says?

That's a great response to say nothing at all. We're used to it.

Army National Guard captain: US withdrawal from Syria 'immoral' and 'un-American'

Alan Kennedy, a captain in the Colorado Army National Guard who spent the summer serving in northern Syria, said in a recent video that President Trump’s removal of U.S. troops from the region is “immoral” and “un-American.”

“Weeks ago, our commander in chief announced he was pulling our last troops out of the region,” Kennedy told The New York Times in a video published Friday. “Ever since, I haven’t been able to sleep at night."

"Our complete withdrawal from Syria is unstrategic, immoral and ultimately un-American,” he said, adding, “I can’t believe President Trump let this happen … I strongly believe the president’s decision may prolong a war, rather than end it.”

While echoing Trump’s sentiment that the U.S. should “end endless wars,” Kennedy said “building alliances, maintaining stability in the region and supporting our allies” is how to be successful. He referenced his meetings with Kurdish allies who joined American troops in fighting against ISIS forces in the region.

“I met a Kurdish fighter who asked me if we would ever leave Syria. I reassured him, ‘Of course the U.S. would never leave Syria and abandon the Kurds.’ They’re our partners,” Kennedy said. “I was wrong.”



Trump has faced backlash from lawmakers and service members after the White House abruptly announced earlier this month that U.S. troops would be pulled from northern Syria — a move that GOP and Democratic critics say paved the way for Turkey to launch a military offensive against the Kurds in the area, abandoning forces who were a key ally in fighting against the Islamic State.

Trump administration officials touted what they called a victory after Vice President Pence announced Thursday that the U.S. and Turkey had reached a ceasefire to suspend Ankara’s incursion into northern Syria, but Turkey's foreign minister later said the agreement was “not a ceasefire.”

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/46656...and-un-american

jc

just so everyone is on the same page.

those troops Trump pulled out of syria? well, surprise!! they aren't actually coming home. instead they are being relocated to western Iraq to help fight ISIS.

ya know, the same ISIS trump declared victory over. he claimed they were defeated.

so that means we simply ADDED more troops into the middle east with the recent deployment of 2k, we didn't reduce any military personnel there.

we abandoned our allies to get slaughtered by Turkey, only to move those troops BACK into iraq to fight the same enemy we claimed was defeated.

i hope you trump supporters are proud of yourselves.

because from my end, you all are an embarrassment.

TRUMP: “It's time to bring our soldiers back home."

Fake news – ABC falsely portrays Kentucky shooting range as Syria battle scene

https://nypost.com/2019/10/15/abc-news-airs-purported-syrian-war-video-but-its-really-from-kentucky/

But there is NO media bias.

At least the Kurds are happy .. right?

Well, for a people without a country of their own, they still have the lands they occupy in Syria.

Really? wow. and they are happy right? Thats what trump said. Thats not fake news is it?

Well, if they back away from the Turkish border 30 miles to create the buffer zone Turkey wants, Turkey will be finished and allow them to keep the rest of their lands. (says Turkey)

Assad of Syria is who they really must fear because the lands they occupy were once his.

They probably have a better chance of holding off Syria than they do Turkey.

They may end up with a homeland yet.

I sure am glad our boys are not surrounded in this mess but are safe.

And Trump never lies so they must be happy right?

No more than anyone else in Washington.

The Press reports it when he does it. Or twists it to look that way.
The others, not so much.

Trumps letter to Erdogan...

In his Oct. 9 letter to Erdogan, first obtained by the Fox Business Network's Trish Regan, Trump adopted a similarly familiar tone.

"Let's work out a good deal!" Trump began. "You don't want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don't want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy - and I will. I've already given you a little sample with respect to Pastor Brunson." Brunson was held as a prisoner in Turkey for two years before the Trump administration secured his release.

Trump continued: "Don't let the world down. ... History will look upon you favorably if you get this done the right and humane way. It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don't happen. Don't be a tough guy. Don't be a fool. I will call you later."

CNN's Brian Stelter calls out ABC News' gun-range video error: Network 'has not explained what happened'

https://www.foxnews.com/media/abc-news-syria-video-gun-range-cnn


Pot meet Kettle!

I thought you were a Trump supporter?

Why you post something that proves what a freaking moron he is.

Vernacular Manslaughter.

Try "Why do you post..."

It's great that a reputable news source like CNN called out ABC.

You are good for a belly laugh from time to time lil buddy. That's Funny.

Richard Engel From NBC news Said today that he talked to the head of the Kurds military and was told that he believed the Turks were going to start ethnic cleansing of the Kurds.

It seemed from their actions that the Kurds were not real happy. They on a couple occasions tried to block the road to stop us from leaving and were holding up signs asking us to stay and when we drove by, they threw rotten veggies at our vehicles

anybody see the new Russia and Turkey deal that just dropped?

Turkey allies up with Russia, slap in the face to NATO and the US, and Putin gets a massive win.

meanwhile, our allies got screwed, and the US just took a big, fat, massive L.