Fox News: "Mitt Romney slams Trump for withdrawing US troops from Syria, says cease-fire ‘far from a victory’"

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, on Thursday slammed President Trump for withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria and called the cease-fire between Turkey and Kurdish-led forces "far from a victory."

Speaking on the Senate floor after Vice President Mike Pence's announcement of a   five-day cease-fire , Romney said: “serious questions remain about how the decision was reached precipitously to withdraw from Syria and why that decision was reached.”

Romney's foreign policy from the 80's didn't work then an it won't work now.

Romney's foreign policy from the 80's didn't work then an it won't work now.

Here's what Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell just said about the mistakes of repeating past foreign policy mistakes:

Mitch McConnell Says Trump’s Syria Withdrawal Is A ‘Grave’ Mistake

“Sadly, the recently announced pullout risks repeating the Obama administration’s reckless withdrawal from Iraq, which facilitated the rise of the Islamic State in the first place.”

ALL "Past" policies haven't fixed a thing over there.

let 'em duke it out amongst themselves for awhile.

A LONG while too !

"Adding insult to dishonor, the administration speaks cavalierly, even flippantly, even as our ally has suffered death and casualty," Romney said. "We once abandoned a red line. Now we abandon an ally."

I sure am glad Trump is President and not Romney. 

I sure am glad Trump is President and not Romney. 

And Here's what Senate Majority Leader McConnell said:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said the "withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria would only benefit Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime."

Yeah I'm glad he's not the one making the decision. 

Chest thumpers like Mitt Romney are actually blowing smoke out their backsides.  According to the Military Times the US withdrawal from northeastern Syria involved between 50 and 100 special forces personnel.  The US presence in northeastern Syria wasn't that large.  The US didn't have enough troops in northern Syria to guard the ISIS prisoners.  There aren't enough US ground troops in Syria to hold back Turkey's military.

US withdrawal in Syria is only a small number of special operators, says Trump administration

What the US withheld was air support since there weren't enough troops to provide ground support.  The US utilizes two air bases in the region to fly ground support missions.  One is Al-Tanf located in southern Syria on the Syria-Jordan-Iraq border.  The other air base is Incirlik located in Turkey near the northwestern Turkey-Syria border.  The United States could not provide air support against Turkey by flying missions out of Turkey.

The choices for the United States were to withdraw or escalate the conflict.  An escalation would have required either defending or abandoning the Incirlik air base in Turkey.  And Turkey does have a lot of US supplied anti-aircraft weapons and Turkey also has an air branch in its military.  An escalation would have resulted in lost aircraft (which are outrageously expensive) and would have greatly hampered air missions against ISIS.  The US war against ISIS in Syria has been fought by aircraft and not by US ground forces.

All of the arm-chair generals on this site need to stick to the tactical challenge of games like that of Stratego, and leave the real tactical and strategic planning to the generals whom all agree that the pullout was a mistake.

As for me, I agree with the general's and should not have pulled out.

All of the arm-chair generals on this site need to stick to the tactical challenge of games like that of Stratego, and leave the real tactical and strategic planning to the generals whom all agree that the pullout was a mistake. As for me, I agree with the general's and should not have pulled out.

Why should the US remain in Syria?  What is the mission?

Generals do not determine foreign policy.  Now is the time for diplomats, not generals.

the pullout was a mistake

The only way in which I think it could be a mistake is if ISIS prisoners were not properly secured.

But if you're thinking about the status of the Kurds, then it can't possibly be a mistake. That's because ensuring a status of well-being for the Kurds was never our mission. It can't be a mistake to fail to do something we never set out to do.

the pullout was a mistake

The only way in which I think it could be a mistake is if ISIS prisoners were not properly secured.

Well, of course you're entitled to your opinion (obviously you thinkyou're some sort of expert on the situation).

But here's what Fox News is reporting re: the comments of the Republican Senate majority leaders informed opinion:

Mitch McConnell says Trump’s Syria withdrawal is a ‘grave’ mistake

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rebuked President Trump’s withdrawal of   troops from Syria   on Friday, calling it a “grave strategic mistake” in an op-ed that claimed the move had set back the U.S. fight against Islamic terrorism in the region.

“Withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria is a grave strategic mistake. It will leave the American people and homeland less safe, embolden our enemies, and weaken important alliances.”

“ Sadly, the recently announced pullout risks repeating the Obama administration’s reckless withdrawal from Iraq, which facilitated the rise of the Islamic State in the first place.”

Well, of course you're entitled to your opinion (obviously you thinkyou're some sort of expert on the situation)

And . . . Well, of course you're entitled to your opinion (obviously you thinkyou're some sort of expert on the situation).

How childish. Seriously.

claimed the move had set back the U.S. fight against Islamic terrorism in the region.

That's what I said. Is that so hard for you to admit? I endorse pulling our people out where we can. However, if we do so in a way that recklessly undoes the important mission we were on, then a good decision may be implemented in a bad way.

But most people aren't framing it in that light. It's all about some pretend promise we made to the Kurds that we are now supposedly breaking.

Why? Who can say? Probably politics, for the most part. I suspect that Democrats know that if they get too worked up about our ISIS concerns, someone might remind them that not long ago, they thought ISIS was the JV team and they never really gave a shit about fighting them in the first place.

How delightful! Now we'll see a bunch of Democrats who want to vote for Mitt Romney. Where were you people in 2012?

They were complaining about the very things BF and others have posted here. It is like a walk down memory lane. Seems the left will use anyone to get Trump.

Mitt Romney? 

Wow, the left must be desperate, they are dragging out every last geriatric piece of shit they ever complained about out of Republican purgatory, and acting like their opinion now matters to any conservative, anywhere. 

Hint, you think the right brings up Hillary too much? Bringing out these fossils is far worse than that. I guess anything to keep Trump in the news.

The "cease fire" that the Turks immediately violated was pure capitulation and nothing more. 

The "cease fire" that the Turks immediately violated was pure capitulation and nothing more. Of course Trump is a total bitch, has always been and always shown it so what do you expect? 

Why not put your money where your mouth is? Hell have those speaking out so eloquently about how we betrayed them join as well. You don't have to be Kurdish to join their fight.

npr

Stevens definitely wasn't alone. He says he was in a unit made up of other Westerners who all embodied a similar idealistic resolve.

"Sometimes our days were training, studying Kurdish, talking. There were a lot of militant anarchists," Stevens says. "There were some people who were there specifically because of their feminist beliefs. So, yeah, sort of people coming from all angles."

The State Department was reluctant to provide information about the number of Americans who have traveled to Syria to fight with the Kurds, telling the Tribune that "a small number" of Americans have died after going there to participate in the fighting.

"U.S. citizens who undertake such activity face extreme personal risks, including kidnapping, injury, or death," the State Department said. "The U.S. government does not support this activity."

O'Connell adds that unlike those who try to join ISIS, Americans who fight with the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces are unlikely to face any legal trouble upon returning home.

Stevens definitely wasn't alone. He says he was in a unit made up of other Westerners who all embodied a similar idealistic resolve.

"Sometimes our days were training, studying Kurdish, talking. There were a lot of militant anarchists," Stevens says. "There were some people who were there specifically because of their feminist beliefs. So, yeah, sort of people coming from all angles."

The State Department was reluctant to provide information about the number of Americans who have traveled to Syria to fight with the Kurds, telling the Tribune that "a small number" of Americans have died after going there to participate in the fighting.

"U.S. citizens who undertake such activity face extreme personal risks, including kidnapping, injury, or death," the State Department said. "The U.S. government does not support this activity."

O'Connell adds that unlike those who try to join ISIS, Americans who fight with the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces are unlikely to face any legal trouble upon returning home.

So just find the Kurdish page on facebook and join up. It is that easy. You won't even face legal repercussions for joining. Prove you (plural) are better than the rest of us. Join the Kurds today!

Why not put your money where your mouth is? Hell have those speaking out so eloquently about how we betrayed them join as well. You don't have to be Kurdish to join their fight.

Yes and its not only Romney!!!

Fox News reports:

Mitch McConnell says Trump’s Syria withdrawal is a ‘grave’ mistake

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rebuked President Trump’s withdrawal of troops from Syria on Friday, calling it a “grave strategic mistake” in an op-ed that claimed the move had set back the U.S. fight against Islamic terrorism in the region.

Fox News reports:

Mitch McConnell says Trump’s Syria withdrawal is a ‘grave’ mistake

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rebuked President Trump’s withdrawal of troops from Syria on Friday, calling it a “grave strategic mistake” in an op-ed that claimed the move had set back the U.S. fight against Islamic terrorism in the region.

McConnell's remarks cont'd:

“Withdrawing U.S. forces from Syria is a grave strategic mistake. It will leave the American people and homeland less safe, embolden our enemies, and weaken important alliances.”

“Sadly, the recently announced pullout risks repeating the Obama administration’s reckless withdrawal from Iraq, which facilitated the rise of the Islamic State in the first place.”