Posted on 01/25/2019 6:44:37 AM PST by Texas Fossil
There is a great deal to like about Michael Doran’s essay, “The Strategy Washington is Pursuing in the Middle East Is the Only Strategy Worth Pursuing.” His critique of ostensibly objective foreign-policy analysts/journalists is devastating. Much of what passes for analysis in Washington these days is merely reflexive anti-Trumpism. As Doran quite rightly indicates, many of the same people decrying the president’s decision to withdraw from Syria were similarly outraged when National Security Adviser John Bolton declared last September, “We’re not going to leave [Syria] as long as Iranian troops are outside Iranian borders, and that includes Iranian proxies and militias.”
The same could be said of the enormous attention devoted to the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi. I differ with Doran on the larger question of Saudi Arabia (discussed below), but it is clear that part of the Washington outrage over the incident is partisan politics stemming from the president’s connections to/support for, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.
But Doran did not merely set out to write an article trolling Democrats, the elite media, and even a few Republicans for their inability to think clearly in the face of a president they loathe. Undoubtedly, he sought to make a big argument about U.S.-Middle East strategy during the Trump era. And yet, despite Doran’s elegant prose, his effort to provide an intellectual framework for the president’s haphazard/chaotic approach to the region falls flat. The result is Doran’s oddly muscular assertion that, even though President Trump intends to withdraw the United States from the Middle East, he and his administration will nevertheless provide unrivaled support to our allies.
Tell that to those allies. The Trump approach to the region is met there with a profound skepticism that,
(Excerpt) Read more at mosaicmagazine.com ...
Steven Cook's article is worth reading.
Doesn’t change the fact that Turkey is still a NATO full partner, and that Turkey and the U.S. have several joint aerospace programs, including manufacture of the F-35.
Well the Turk participation in the F-35 project is somewhat on hold.
Yes, they are still NATO.
Will that remain? I think they are taking a wait see approach to see if Erdogan survives the next political and economic test.
Actually, it probably matters little if Erdogan does. Most Turks appear to support him. (note, very questionable honesty in recent elections. Like our own ComDem election fraud)
Will Turkey remain in NATO? Will Germany and Turkey, through an ungodly alliance, dominate Europe?
Ungodly Indeed.
Good Question.
Wonderful ally! Their “religion” commands them to lie to us and murder us in any way possible.
Totalitarianism in all forms is EVIL.
Freedom Works. (I just heard VP Pence, say the 2nd line this week in a speech.)
First things first. Before dumping Turkey, the US needs to take over and manage the Bosporous like the Panama canal was.
It never was our friend.
I am reminded of what was said about fifty years go between an American and Turkish officer.
The American said the US and Turkey were friends.
The Turkish officer said in rebuttal...”WE ARE NOT FRIENDS! We just happen to have the same enemy!”
“git that sh!t away from me!”
Turks are nasty people. Like Greeks.
At least the Greeks don’t practice genocide.
I’m sure that some Turks and some Greeks are good people. I don’t know many of either.
My conversations in the past with US Military personnel who were stationed in Turkey were sobering. There are people here on FR that grew up in Turkey. I respect those people, they have said when they were young growing up in Turkey that they were treated very very well. That is not what I’ve heard from more recent military personnel who were stationed there. They generally hated it.
I know some Greeks in the US. The ones I know are good people. Greece is a NATO member and I respect them for that.
Turkey is a NATO member, but many of those Turkish officers connected to NATO either are now exiled abroad or they have been arrested on returning to Turkey.
Thank you. I think the statement is most appropriate. At least from what I’ve seen said by their leaders in recent times.
True that.
I think Russia feels they have dibs on that. They just have not told Turkey yet.
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