Article

2018-04-04 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Caroline Glick: Why America Shouldn't Leave Syria, and the Kurds, Behind

[Breitbart] President Donald Trump may about to throw the Kurds under the bus ‐ and with them, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and American interests in the Middle East.

If concerns for securing the Pentagon budget are what convinced Trump to sign the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill last month, Pentagon concerns about keeping Islamist Turkey in NATO seem to be informing Trump’s thinking about abandoning the Kurds.

To the dismay of America’s allies and the delight of its enemies, President Trump declared last Thursday, in a speech in Ohio focused on infrastructure renewal, that he will soon recall U.S. forces now deployed to Syria to fight the Islamic State (or ISIS).

In his words: "We’re knocking the hell out of ISIS. We’ll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now."

On its face, Trump’s statement seems reasonable. In 2014, then-President Barack Obama received congressional authorization to deploy U.S. forces to Syria to defeat ISIS, which had seized large swathes of territory in eastern Syria and western Iraq, and had set up its so-called capital in Raqqa, Syria. But Obama’s war against ISIS was lackadaisical and inconclusive.

During the 2016 campaign, Trump pledged to obliterate ISIS. Upon taking office, he loosened the rules of engagement for U.S. forces, and devolved authority for making attacking decisions from Washington to the forces on the ground.
The results paid off. In December 2017, Iraqi President Haider al-Abadi announced that ISIS had been defeated in Iraq.
....
As global financial analyst and strategic commentator David Goldman notes, the prospect of a global financial shock will rise to near certainty. "When you throw a lit match into a barrel of gas, you will get a big fire," Goldman explains.

If Iran and Saudi Arabia go to war, they will target one another’s oil installations, he explains. "The price of a barrel of oil will rise to $200. Even though the U.S. is energy independent, the global price will still rise due to supply loss, and the global economy will be shut down." Goldman continues.

"This will be the Trump Depression," he concludes.

In other words, the 2,000 American troops in Syria are what stand between the U.S. and a meltdown of the global economy. They prevent war in the Middle East by denying Iran the ability to consolidate its victories in Syria and to launch wars directly, or through its proxies, against Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Posted by Ulaigum Ebbineng7056 2018-04-04 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11133 views ] Top

#1 In other words, the 2,000 American troops in Syria are what stand between the U.S. and a meltdown of the global economy

Does this makes sense?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2018-04-04 01:55|| 2018-04-04 01:55|| Front Page Top

#2 Does this makes sense?

It does. We import 8m barrels a day. Apart from the effect of a bigger import bill, the ramp in the price of domestically-produced oil will crush the economy by imposing what is essentially a large tax on other industries, and on consumers. Now, other economies will be hurt worse. The question, really, is whether a small amount of expenditures in the Mid East is such a big deal. $200m a year is a large amount of money even for a billionaire, but it is peanuts for the US economy.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2018-04-04 02:44|| 2018-04-04 02:44|| Front Page Top

#3 Of course, making our allies foot some of the bill isn't such a bad idea, either. Maybe that's what Trump is trying to do. After all, James Baker strong-armed Japan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the other Gulf kingdoms into shelling out the $60b cost of Desert Storm. If they say no, maybe we just let them suffer the consequences. Tough love is sometimes necessary for countries to learn the facts of life.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2018-04-04 02:47|| 2018-04-04 02:47|| Front Page Top

#4 As was talking about 2000 USA soldiers preventing the end of the world, Fei.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2018-04-04 03:05|| 2018-04-04 03:05|| Front Page Top

#5 These are just globalists desperately trying to keep US troops in Syria. They came to defeat ISIS, job is done, now time to go home.

They come up with this OMG DEPRESSION because that's their answer to every time someone wants peace. Oh, but we need constant war because peace would be even worse! And it would deny the military-industrial complex its ability to profit. Oh dearie me, what an awful outcome!

Posted by Gronter Smiter of the French9585 2018-04-04 05:13|| 2018-04-04 05:13|| Front Page Top

#6 Overly simplistic, I'm sure. BUT. What if all the money spent on overseas adventures was instead spent to harden our borders and points of foreign entry?

Posted by M. Murcek 2018-04-04 09:05|| 2018-04-04 09:05|| Front Page Top

#7 Overly simplistic, I'm sure. BUT. What if all the money spent on overseas adventures was instead spent to harden our borders and points of foreign entry?

Absolutely and emphatically correct !

Posted by Besoeker 2018-04-04 09:11|| 2018-04-04 09:11|| Front Page Top

#8 If you, Mr. B agree with me, I feel good...

Posted by M. Murcek 2018-04-04 09:26|| 2018-04-04 09:26|| Front Page Top

#9 Even if it's the "overly simplistic" part...

Posted by M. Murcek 2018-04-04 09:45|| 2018-04-04 09:45|| Front Page Top

#10 I'd make it even simpler. We don't go there, they don't come here.

Posted by Abu Uluque 2018-04-04 10:24|| 2018-04-04 10:24|| Front Page Top

#11 I vote for that ^

Posted by M. Murcek 2018-04-04 10:33|| 2018-04-04 10:33|| Front Page Top

#12 Alas the world does not work that way. Withdrawal is an act of betrayl of our local allies, and a show of weakness. It will have all the consequences of Obama's withdrawal from Iraq, and probably more.
Even if you are pro Iran, as some of you appear to be, the consequences of it could be its complete destruction: if it encourages Iran to more aggressive behavior, and there is a devastating response which there most probably would be.

Posted by Daniel 2018-04-04 15:11|| 2018-04-04 15:11|| Front Page Top

#13 Even with 50 ft tall walls along the border, the foriegnors woll always have a massive back door, the Democrats.

Posted by Omeger Gray6606 2018-04-04 19:05|| 2018-04-04 19:05|| Front Page Top

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