Editor,
A veteran of war, Mayor Pete Buttigieg of Indiana, stood strong in the October Democrat debates and addressed the impulsive Trump (DT) decision to pull out USA troops in Syria. He disagreed that the USA presence in Syria amounted to an endless war. He also claimed that a small number of our soldiers had prevented Turkey from the genocide of Kurds and a resurgence of ISIS terrorism. Here are his words: “The slaughter going on in Syria is not a consequence of America’s presence. It’s a consequence of a withdrawal and betrayal by Trump of American allies and values.” Furthermore, he asserted that our soldiers for the first time feel ashamed of what the USA has done. When he was in Afghanistan, he believed that our flag on his shoulder kept him safe. But now, he worries that our allies will not think the USA will keep its word. He fears that our troops are now more unsafe, worldwide.
DT’s unilateral tweet to withdraw troops from Syria has resulted in 400,000 more Syrian refugees, 220 Kurdish deaths, and 100s of wounded. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham has decried DT’s withdrawal of troops in Syria and has said that this could be the “biggest mistake” of Trump’s presidency. He asserted on Fox News that he will become Trump’s “worst nightmare” if the withdrawal of troops is not reversed. He went on saying: “I will not sit along the sidelines and watch a good ally, the Kurds, be slaughtered by Turkey and watch Iran move into Syria and become another nightmare for Israel. This is a defining moment for Trump. He needs to up his game.”
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii ripped Trump over the decision to withdraw troops from Syria and turn operations over to Turkey. As an Iraq War veteran, she said that even though she supported Trump’s initial decision in December 2018 to move troops from the region, she said he has now failed to do so in a responsible way. Furthermore, she went on: “All that he has done is remove them from the northern border of Syria and really laying out a red-carpet, a green light for Turkish President Erdogan and Turkey to launch an ethnic cleansing and offensive against the Kurds. Because of Trump’s failure to end the regime change war in Syria, the Kurds are now paying the price.”
Retired USA Navy Admiral William McRaven – former Navy Seal who went after Osama bin Laden in 2011 – has also weighed in regarding Trump’s decision with Syria by saying that DT is gutting the country of our “nation’s principles.”
In his most fierce condemnation of Trump, Admiral McRaven expressed his sentiments in a New York Times opinion column. He referred to examples of the USA neglecting its duty to be “the protectors of the less fortunate” and cited Trump’s decision to withdraw troops in Syria. General David Petraeus concurs with Admiral McRaven, as well.
Last month, Republican and Democrat lawmakers accused Trump of betraying American allies. In a USA House vote, 354 Representatives voted to condemn Trump versus only 60 of his supporters. This becomes a first for many Republicans to stand up to him and say NO. Now that Rep. Elijah Cummings has just died – one appreciated by Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy – we can wonder if other strong voices will rise up and critique DT as he continues his sudden and solo deadly decisions for allies of USA troops in our world.
Given that in one year from now, we will have results of USA elections and know who will be our POTUS for four more years as of 2021 – we can continue to brace ourselves as decisions are made in Washington, DC for us, our children, and the future. As for me, I encourage others to listen to “On Point” via KANW.com at 8 a.m. Monday thru Friday, to the “1 A” show on KANW.com at 11 a.m. and to the “Democracy Now” show via KUNM.org at 4 p.m. Their perspectives give the rest of the news story which major TV programs often cover in limited ways. We must know what is happening to be responsible citizen patriots in these sometimes scary and often unpredictable times.
Glen Thamert
Jemez Springs