Trump's frontrunners for Pentagon job likely to share Mattis' views on Syria, Afghanistan

Fox News ^ | December 21, 2018 | Lukas Mikelionis

[marajade]

He certainly talks like he is.

Fruitcake anyone?

[central_va]

Don’t buy off on the Posse Comitatus lie. The military CAN LEGALLY AND SHOULD defend our border. They have in the past. The US BP was formed in 1924 so who was on the border before then? The US ARMY!

[piasa]

We have 15,000 troops in Kuwait and 5,000 in Iraq.

That's nothing. Here's what we had at just one battle in the Civil War:

...the First Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas), the engagement began when about 35,000 Union troops marched from the federal capital in Washington, D.C. to strike a Confederate force of 20,000 along a small river known as Bull Run.

WW2 D-Day invasion : 156,000 Brit, Canadian and US troops landed in one day.

Just for perspective. Not very many pencil pushers and JAGs in those days, either.

[central_va]

Everyone above O-6 usually has a lot of mental baggage.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"When is the last time we had rules of engagement that would permit it to do so? WWII?"

Probably. Keep in mind that even then they were learning the lessons of WWI where Germany signed an armistice then pulled back to negotiate peace. For years, the German people believed that politicians/jews stabbed them in the back and they weren't defeated. That's the only reason the gloves were off in WWII.

[bert]

You are no patriot

Today youcrossed the line

[Rusty0604]

He shifted his eyes and said he had no plans for public service.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Number 2 is pure fantasy."

They are in negotiations as I type this right now. If we pull out now, we will lose all of our leverage to have an outcome that is in our National Security Interests. This is why Russia and Turkey have come out in favor of our announced pullout. They don't have our best interests at heart. Who do you think has America's best national security interests in mind? The multitude of American defense experts who are against this or Russia and Turkey who are for this. That tells you all you need to know.

[Alberta's Child]

I haven't ... but then I haven't seen many comments on this from people other than politicians anyway.

Keep in mind that I am wary of anyone who is an "expert" in these matters. In fact, I wouldn't trust anyone who has been working for a Beltway think tank for any length of time.

[familyop]

Everyone who is educated on the general situation already knows it. The leaders of the nations know it, so here it is. It’s about containing Iran: the real main source of terrorism all along.

And yes, some Shiite and Sunni leaders of nations get along with each other, when they’re working against us. Iran’s leaders have threatened to annihilate the USA many times while trying hard to build and mount nukes.

But some people refuse to consider consequences. And our ruined society consumes the stinking weed for commies and sings,

“One, two, three, four
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today
(Hey, hey, hey)
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today
And don’t worry ‘bout tomorrow, hey
Sha-la-la-la-la-la, live for today
Live for today”

The more we back down, the sooner the nukes will fly.

[Rusty0604]

“Freaked out”? That’s not how his men would describe it.

[central_va]

Today youcrossed the line

Coming from you global boy that is a compliment.

[Old Teufel Hunden]

"Keep in mind that I am wary of anyone who is an "expert" in these matters."

Ok, look at it this way. The only ones in favor of our pullout to speak publicly so far is Putin in Russia and Erdogan in Turkey. Do you truly think they have America's best interests in mind?

[ek_hornbeck]

It seems to me that the people who are up in arms about Trump’s withdrawal from Syria are basically angry at him for fulfilling a campaign promise. This isn’t a sudden, capricious move on Trump’s part, he’s just doing what he’s been saying he would do for the past couple of years.

[Alberta's Child]

So many people act like the Russians are an invading force in Syria. Syria is a sovereign nation, and the Russians are there because the Syrian government WANTS them there.

WE are the invaders there. U.S. troops in Syria are the legal and moral equivalent of Chinese or Mexican troops in California.

[familyop]

"ANY VETERAN (unless criminal) is world and above far more honorable than ANY man in Washington. ANY"

Except for those who were only in the Guard, weren't lifers and didn't mobilize. Right?

[ek_hornbeck]

Mattis suggested that Trump pick a secretary of defense whose views are better aligned with his. The President ought to take that advice to heart - not just on foreign policy, but on any and all cabinet appointments. His agenda and political instincts are anti-establishment and mostly sound, and yet he’s been surrounding himself with pro-establishment advisors and continues to do so.

[Jarhead9297]

Hahahha! Maybe Coast Guard too lol

[yldstrk]

I completely agree.

[Candor7]

We need to build a permananent military base in Northern Iraq to protect the Kurds, Yazidhis and Christians, set up a new state and damn the Turks straight to hell.

Use the base to collect intel and fly armored ordinance in to set up a small Kurdish state. Make a runway long enough for B-52s.