Macgregor’s characterization of the neocons strategy having nothing to do with rational thought and being completely impulse driven was the money quote for me! How can you possibly expect anything but chaos and catastrophe when you are relying on impulse and emotion to guide your foreign policy. These people absolutely defy belief and every move they make just adds one more nail in the American empire’s coffin.
I agree yet consider this fundamental fact abut the ziocons.......catastrophes drive chaos and chaos is the profit motive and that drive the impulses and hatreds drive their emotions..
Mark, your hunch about the withdrawals from Syria and Iraq being a “clearing of the decks” in preparation for fighting elsewhere is (sigh) reinforced by LJ’s cogent piece this morning: more internal cat fighting in the military:
“The phrase of the day is “Great Power Competition.” It is the new hotness, the top issue, and it’s all China, China, China. The four star generals in the respective theater commands are duking it out over realigning forces. INDOPACOM wants as many air assets as possible on the table to be prepared to fight China. CENTCOM is insisting it absolutely needs the aircraft and re-fuelers in order to stop the Houthis from shuttering Israel’s ports. Word is that INDOPACOM has the upper hand.”
So busy this morning I hardly have time to give myself a back pat. :-) Playing catchup again. The bottom line is apparent from the quote: The US military can no longer do everything, if it ever could. The really troubling aspect is that the US can no longer dictate the terms of engagement but is still escalating mindlessly.
Mercouris said suggestion was dropped earlier (by Blinken?) that we pulled out of Afghanistan to prepare for upcoming conflict. Therefore pulling out of Syria, Iraq might not be all good news.
I've suggested that in the past--although pulling out of a super strategic place with top notch military and surveillance infrastructure like that to prepare for war with Russia-China-Iran is a bit counter intuitive. There are a number of ways to look at that.
If pulling out of Afghan was to prepare for war with Russia, it didn't work out very well.
Likewise re Syraq. Super strategic locations within range of major airbases at Incirlik and Qatar. Pulling out of Syraq opens door to Russia expanding Levantine presence, cuts off access to Caucasus, puts additional pressure on our Persian Gulf presence--which is now tenuous at best. Also puts pressure on Jordan and Saudis and Gulf states.
It may represent a clearing of the decks, but the forces being withdrawn are unlikely to be of much use against modern militaries and the pullback is likely to be permanent--i.e., no going back.
Bottom line, this looks like recognition of strategic overreach that can no longer be maintained, risks too high.
Israel is facing a real problem at the Lebanese border with an increasingly restive Hezbullah shown to be stronger than when they previously (2006?) kicked ass to the tune of ~120 IDF KIA. The Izzies have recalled their reservists and have not been shown to be a particularly adept force. The cavalry coming to the rescue will be US boots on the ground. The ensuing body bags returning to US soil should scotch Zhou's re-election chances.
Does Zhou even know any of this? Can he even find the region on a map anymore? He didn’t even realize his Sec of Defense was missing. Unimaginable for the country to be embarking on a war without a Commander In Chief. Fun times.
The United States is withdrawing all troops out of Iraq and Syria. Why? Why now?
two possible reasons, There may be others.
1. They want alls troops out of harms way because this is an election year and American deaths make Joe look bad.
2. The is going to be a War. Move the Troops now because they are not where they need to be under the current deployment footprint. So we need to get them out before we attack.
Macgregor’s characterization of the neocons strategy having nothing to do with rational thought and being completely impulse driven was the money quote for me! How can you possibly expect anything but chaos and catastrophe when you are relying on impulse and emotion to guide your foreign policy. These people absolutely defy belief and every move they make just adds one more nail in the American empire’s coffin.
I agree yet consider this fundamental fact abut the ziocons.......catastrophes drive chaos and chaos is the profit motive and that drive the impulses and hatreds drive their emotions..
Mark, your hunch about the withdrawals from Syria and Iraq being a “clearing of the decks” in preparation for fighting elsewhere is (sigh) reinforced by LJ’s cogent piece this morning: more internal cat fighting in the military:
“The phrase of the day is “Great Power Competition.” It is the new hotness, the top issue, and it’s all China, China, China. The four star generals in the respective theater commands are duking it out over realigning forces. INDOPACOM wants as many air assets as possible on the table to be prepared to fight China. CENTCOM is insisting it absolutely needs the aircraft and re-fuelers in order to stop the Houthis from shuttering Israel’s ports. Word is that INDOPACOM has the upper hand.”
So busy this morning I hardly have time to give myself a back pat. :-) Playing catchup again. The bottom line is apparent from the quote: The US military can no longer do everything, if it ever could. The really troubling aspect is that the US can no longer dictate the terms of engagement but is still escalating mindlessly.
Mercouris said suggestion was dropped earlier (by Blinken?) that we pulled out of Afghanistan to prepare for upcoming conflict. Therefore pulling out of Syria, Iraq might not be all good news.
I've suggested that in the past--although pulling out of a super strategic place with top notch military and surveillance infrastructure like that to prepare for war with Russia-China-Iran is a bit counter intuitive. There are a number of ways to look at that.
If pulling out of Afghan was to prepare for war with Russia, it didn't work out very well.
Likewise re Syraq. Super strategic locations within range of major airbases at Incirlik and Qatar. Pulling out of Syraq opens door to Russia expanding Levantine presence, cuts off access to Caucasus, puts additional pressure on our Persian Gulf presence--which is now tenuous at best. Also puts pressure on Jordan and Saudis and Gulf states.
It may represent a clearing of the decks, but the forces being withdrawn are unlikely to be of much use against modern militaries and the pullback is likely to be permanent--i.e., no going back.
Bottom line, this looks like recognition of strategic overreach that can no longer be maintained, risks too high.
You hit it on the head.
Mercouris on the Duran today: “ceaseless belligerence even though you’re losing.”
https://sonar21.com/u-s-prepping-to-abandon-bases-in-eastern-syria/
I thought Macgregor's talk with Tucker recently was first-rate. Wide-ranging and thoughtful. He would make an excellent Sec. of Defense, IMO.
Israel is facing a real problem at the Lebanese border with an increasingly restive Hezbullah shown to be stronger than when they previously (2006?) kicked ass to the tune of ~120 IDF KIA. The Izzies have recalled their reservists and have not been shown to be a particularly adept force. The cavalry coming to the rescue will be US boots on the ground. The ensuing body bags returning to US soil should scotch Zhou's re-election chances.
My $.02.
Does Zhou even know any of this? Can he even find the region on a map anymore? He didn’t even realize his Sec of Defense was missing. Unimaginable for the country to be embarking on a war without a Commander In Chief. Fun times.
The United States is withdrawing all troops out of Iraq and Syria. Why? Why now?
two possible reasons, There may be others.
1. They want alls troops out of harms way because this is an election year and American deaths make Joe look bad.
2. The is going to be a War. Move the Troops now because they are not where they need to be under the current deployment footprint. So we need to get them out before we attack.
So who really knows? Take your pick
Fear of Trump making an issue of U.S. deaths in Syria / Iraq is my guess.
And perhaps way to cozy up to Iran.
Question is will the Neocon war mongers allow this to occur?
With?