Posted on 04/11/2017 5:16:56 PM PDT by monkapotamus
Amid rising complaints that his aides are saying different things about Syria and that his policy is confusing, President Trump emphatically cleared the air Tuesday.
Were not going into Syria, he told me in an exclusive interview. Our policy is the same, it hasnt changed. Were not going into Syria.
The president, speaking by phone, called Syrian president Bashar al-Assad a butcher and a barbarian for using sarin gas on his own people, but said last weeks successful missile strike on an air base there was not the start of a campaign to oust the dictator.
Our big mission is getting rid of ISIS, Trump said. Thats where its always been. But when you see kids choking to death, you watch their lungs burning out, we had to hit him and hit him hard.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Changing circumstances would change the options to be sure. I think the only thing Trump made clear on that account was that it would hurt a lot more. That's where lack of specificity is not only a tactical advantage but an effective negotiating tool as well. Let Assad's imagination run wild with possibilities.
I truly believe Trump is learning everyday.
Figuring out his true allies and setting situations up to garner more information on who he can work with.
This takes TIME and support from the base. His unique base.
If we don’t grow faint, we will ALL be rewarded.
It’s ten bucks a minute, DO. Valid credit cards only! And I talk real slow. ;^)
I guess reading and responding to them generates more traffic so great, they exist, the butt hurt people need beaten and I feel sure I can rely on you, my good man, to do that every chance you get.
Grimmy, if that’s true then they don’t belong here.
Sure it’s reasoned to have policy differences if something has cooled down and fully understood, but we can’t sit here and carp incessantly moment to moment before we even know all the facts.
Does Conservatism need to have a cheering squad? I believe it does. That should never mean we buy off on everything, but by and large we need to support this guy.
There has to be some support, or his goals / many of our goals will not be realized.
If Free Republic isn’t going to support Trump for the most part, exactly who is? Congress? The RNC? The MSM? The DNC? Blogs spots like Glenn Beck’s?
This activity over the last few days has been disgusting.
Everyone was panicked Trump was going to invade Syria. That’s exactly what Trump wanted everyone to think. He wanted Assad laying there at 3:45am the next morning wondering if he should install a catheter for incontinence.
STOP USING CHEMICAL WEAPONS YOU DOLT!
Trump head faked many folks here. They need to grow up and develop some patience.
Not a problem, it didn’t hurt at all. :-)
Just wasn’t sure what you were getting at.
Peace, prosperity and happiness to you and yours!
I’ve got it, but I haven’t read it. I should.
Exactly. Glad you mentioned Assad having to wonder.
Here’s a post I just made. It mentions the same idea:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3543294/posts?page=125#125
To see why I started the post the way I did, go here:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3543294/posts?page=106#106
Oh well, maybe I’ll call next month. LOL
As big a fraud as that woman was, I used to laugh.
Hey if you’re going to be silly enough to call her, it’s on you.
I believe Rex and Haley said the the regime change should be done politically. They did NOT mention using force.
Please don’t mistake what I’m saying. I’m not trying to excuse them. Just pointing out motivation for some of them that they themselves may not fully understand. Subconscious fear works like that.
And, there are those who’s day job is to create exactly the sort of division we’ve been experiencing lately.
Imo, both are enemy. Either accidentally or on purpose, in the end, it doesn’t matter.
But, also imo, it helps in arguing (and lets be honest, ‘debate’ is something that only happens in classroom settings in a competition where the outcome has no impact other than in class standing and grades) against the wafflers, boat jumpers and saboteurs, that many of them might not even understand what’s driving them and some are purely mercenary in their agitproping.
Yes, we are and the liberals are going to use this to divide us and undermine Trump in spite of the handwringing cries that "the liberals support Trump, what does that tell you?"
Dem Congressman: What if Trump and Putin coordinated on Syria strike to cover up their collusion?
It tells me they couldn't criticize Trump immediately because it would make them seem to be OK with gassing women and children. But given a few days they can work themselves up to it without sending their Ctrl-left base into hysterics.
Which means I think hardly anyone who was worried thought Trump had a plan to go in to Syria is a patently false statement.
Which comment?
Can you post the link to it?
Grimmy, I took your post in a positive way. I knew you were just trying to explain their thinking.
Here I once again recognize that and agree with your thoughts.
I thought later maybe I should have made that more clear, with regard to your first post. I’m glad to do it here.
I think the ones that have honest concerns are willing to express that idea in their posts. You can see it. I don’t have a problem with that. It’s the dedicated ones that are just certain Trump is almost a criminal that stand out to me. I try to take them to task.
The others, I think they’ll work it out. I saw some who had. It took them a while. It took me 6-12 hours to grasp what he was up to. My first knee jerk reaction was to think it was a mistake. If Assad conforms, and we get action on North Korea, and Russia eventually comes around, it will turn out to have been a brilliant move.
China moving on Korea alone is pretty significant.
I’ve seen that as kind of a hollow statement though, because I don’t see North Korea breaking any of those ‘red lines’.
We’ll see.
Thank you for your posts. I appreciate them.
I agree with #125. We’re on the same page.
I think they were specific about that. I know Trump was when he addressed it. He said he wanted other nations to step up and be a part of it.
Thanks. I’m glad.
I appreciate it.
Take care.
Assad is not secular. He is Alawite muslim. He generally isn’t brutal either except against the more extreme elements who want to create a caliphate.
A secular replacement ruler with a ‘heart’ would not be accepted. You cannot maintain relative peace in Syria or anywhere in the region except Israel unless you’re an iron fisted 10th century bastard. Anything else is a Halmark movie.
“Defeat religious extremists.” You cannot defeat them unless you do what the Spanish did after throwing out the Moors.
So point 2 turns into “create a power vacuum. Fill it with some of the worst behavior in recorded history”. Waste more money and treasure. Lose the next election to Chelsea Clinton because Americans are too lazy and stupid to do anything but read an occasional CNN headline. Get frog marched to the nearest re-education camp.”
Yeah cause the million tweets we sent him had nothing to do with it or the fact that his support tumbled.
I am THRILLED but your silly statement takes some of the thrill away :)
BTW, WE ARE IN SYRIA TRAINING MODERATES, ACE.
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