Isn't your argument that Trump knew nothing and was simply manipulated by Erdogan itself rationalizing his own decision.
US senate committee on National Security and Government Affairs Report: Hunter Biden, Burisma, and Corruption: The Impact on U.S. Government Policy an
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If you self-confessedly don't hold this as a standard, then you cannot claim that these actions disqualify the Kurds from receiving the US assistance that the US committed to giving.
That was an error, that should've referred to the SDF.Who are the Peshmarga? It is the name for the militant group of the Kurds in Iraq.
What is the connection here with the Syrian Kurds? Isn't this irrelevant?
Peshmerga - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
If Israel was discovered to have sold military secrets of the US to the CCP would you support US to cut ties with Israel?
I don't hold it as a standard because I am capable of judging each case by its own merit. Stop trying to entrap me, I am feeding you information about the ME and you refuse to listen.
I'm not arguing you think that. I'm using the power of sarcasm to note that Trump is not the sort of person who would amass a load of good intel, analyse it thoroughly and come up with a great plan, and it doesn't seem like anyone in his administration did the hard work and told him either. Thus even the argument he carried out "good" policy would be that he lucked on to it.
What went on in the phone call between Trump and Erdogan (6th Oct?) is only known from sources such as "one senior administration official", but it seems Erdogan said he wanted to launch an offensive against the Kurds, and Trump promptly ordered US troops out of the affected zone. This was so sudden, unexpected and rapid that the US forces didn't have time to clear their camps properly and ended up bombing them to make sure there was nothing sensitive left. No-one in the US government seems to have known or were ready, never mind the Kurds, who were forced to flee in haste.
The letter was sent on 9th Oct, the same day Erdogan sent troops over the border. It is bizarre. My guess here is that between the 6th and 9th, Trump looked upon the massive Washington shitstorm as policy advisors, the Pentagon, both parties in Congress, the media and much of the population shouted "WHAT THE FUCK???" and he went into full on panic mode, dictating a rather emotional overreaction - but by then, it was all too late.
I think the idea that the USA might pull out its troops at some point reasonable and to be ultimately expected. What I don't think anyone could have accounted for is that it would be done in such incredible haste with no discussion or preparation - not with the Kurds, European allies, the Secretary of Defence, Pentagon, etc. And clearing the way explicitly for the purpose of an offensive launched against he Kurds, too, without even the grace of trying to mediate a better working relationship between them and the Kurds, as a middle option, either? Cold, callous, betrayal that cost plenty of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands from their homes.
From my perspective, it utterly beggars belief that the president of the USA can't even do something as basic as tell the president of Turkey he can wait another few weeks. Do we really think Turkey is going to take the risk of running an offensive past US bases and killing US personnel? Of course it wouldn't. But I think Erdogan had Trump's number. Trump's a business dealmaker, a people-pleaser, admires and desires approval from strongmen like Erdogan. Trump likes his personal relationships, chummy man-to-man agreements, favours and back-scratching. I suspect Trump just doesn't get governance, that the state is not his personal fiefdom, that there are principles and national interest, other people's welfare to consider. In fact, that's probably what really hurt Trump, re. the anger in the letter. He realised he, "master of the deal", had been a dupe and Erdogan had played him.
Interesting. Thank you for the story. I don't believe "unnamed sources" very much. The letter is interesting as well, it is very forward, asking to postpone the invasion and go into negotiations with the Kurds there. Trump doesn't like Erdogan, far from it. He hates how he treats Christians in Turkey (for example the preacher mentioned in the letter).
Have you seen the Taiwanese leaks? Federal Republic of China leaks. Can you read simplified Chinese (mandarin)?
No, and it's the People's Republic of China, also it's traditional Chinese which is mandarin, simplified Chinese is Cantonese.
As for where I get my info.
The biggest problem you missed is that media was held by only a few people, making them an easy buy. 50 to 80s media was riddled with the media towing the party line because they were so easily bought. They commodified the gatekeeping
'Journalistic Integrity' is impossible when you, or more likely your boss, is bribed. Search through multiple newspapers was pretty irrelevant too because everyone was pretty much paid to say similar things
Ah, my mistake. I meant this - Federal Republic of China
New Federal State of China - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
I'm pretty sure that's the best way to get rich. Ask your buddies to help you out. And by buddies I mean anyone who is willing to pay
It better be genuine fuck ups and not "he wore a bike helmet and ate a burger with a french musterd"
No, it's more along the lines of killing the public option, opening up air bases in third world countries to bomb them, and not cracking down on corruption.
Thank you. And I take "unnamed source" with a big pinch of salt, too.
Agreed, I don't think Trump "likes" Erdogan. But I think Trump is a narcissist, so deep down he is colossally insecure and lacking self-esteem, which drives him to crave approval. He sees in Erdogan and other autocratic leaders like Putin, bin Salman etc. what he would like himself to be but fears he is not: powerful, successful, dominant, tough. He ever so badly wants these guys to respect him, because to feel they admire him is to get the ultimate approval.
It makes him vulnerable against them.
His tragedy is that the vast, sucking black hole of insecurity at the core of him will never, ever be satisfied. He'll always be afraid he's not good enough, not loved enough.