Trump teases 'decision' on Afghanistan strategy

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill




BY ALICIA COHN - 08/19/17 07:56 AM EDT

President Trump on Saturday signaled he has made decisions on Afghanistan, following extensive meetings at Camp David.

"Important day spent at Camp David with our very talented Generals and military leaders. Many decisions made, including on Afghanistan," he tweeted.

Link to tweet

Trump may have been pushing back on reports that he put off a strategy decision despite the meetings. The highly anticipated meetings at Camp David on Friday included Defense Secretary James Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, CIA Director Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. Vice President Pence cut short a trip to South America to attend the meeting.

Trump's national security adviser H.R. McMaster earlier this month defended the lack of comprehensive strategy announcements on the war in Afghanistan, which the president has teased for some time were coming “very soon.” Trump has already made “a number of decisions" on the military approach there and does not necessarily attend to telegraph his entire strategy publicly, McMaster said.

###

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/347200-trump-teases-decision-on-afghanistan-strategy

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

1. He's privatizing it, so his boy Prince and his half wit asshole sister

can get even more filthy.... rich that is.

[dalton99a]

4. Bingo.

[keithbvadu2]

2. "talented"? - How about 'professional'? No respect for those who he 'knows' more than they do.

[rickford66]

10. Right. Everything is showbiz.

I've cringed every time he's ever used the term. Almost like he's projecting that every one else is faking or acting as he himself does.

[L. Coyote]

3. He's just covering up the fact that he was subjected to a major de-Nazification intervention.

And he probably was threatened with the 25th amendment solution if he didn't make some real changes.
Albeit, they aren't worried about his fascism, just his public support eroding and the political consequences in 2018.

[Blue Idaho]

5. He's taking direct control of the military

And has already been measured for his general's costume?

[DK504]

7. He's trying. In the end, which will be soon, they will not back him.

Blackwater Boi is toast with his desired mercenary plans. The Armed Forces won't allow this again, they were badly damaged because of the last time.

[Blue Idaho]

13. Totally!

I'm not a huge fan of the military but there are real heros there and real patriots who have shed blood for this country. They ain't going to tolerate the Lunatic Trump's psychotic Commander in Chief spoof for ever. They swore an oath to protect America from all threats foreign and domestic - and that's just what they are opgoing to do - neutralize Trump's threat.

[Ford_Prefect]

6. Erik Prince is Toast. Pentagon won't have him and do not trust anything he's involved in.

He's being investigated internationally on money laundering and other questions. His so-called "troops" have a terrible rep on the ground for inadequate training and performance in the field. Both are severe no-nos when it comes to mercenary forces. You may be many things in that trade but if you don't deliver the goods you'll have a brief and ugly career.

[keithbvadu2]

11. Prince's BW killed four of his mercs in Fallujah and left two hanging on a bridge.

[Ford_Prefect]

14. Yes they did. His current enterprises are worse still.

[LudwigPastorius]

8. I think he's planning a limited military action.

He probably asked for a plan that would have the least immediate downside, and would reap the most political benefit.

That could mean action in Venezuela or lobbing a bunch of expensive cruise missiles into the desert somewhere in Afghanistan.

[Sunlei]

9. I read this week that the Saudis will re-build Iraq. The Republicans recently flattened cities there

So I guess the Saudis will handle paying the 'for profit' war contractors, so it looks like the USA 'for profits' have nothing to do with private contractors.

probably do the same thing with Afghanistan, if Afghan people don't kick out the USA soon. They'll be full of war contractors.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. Neither the majority Shia in Iraq nor Iran

will like that if true. I can't see that going over very well.

[Sunlei]

15. don't remember where I read the article. It mentioned Saudis want to rebuild Iraq to keep Iran out.

who knows. Saudis may hire usa for profits, they hired Blackwater to crush protest.

Share the billions in re-build costs-use OUR Federal funds.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Oh hell yeah, I'm sure they DO want to get in there

Ever since Saddam and the Baathists (who were Sunni) were toppled, Saudi has been out of the loop in there for far too long. And with Iran on a short leash due to that non-nuclear proliferation agreement, and due to the fact that as part of that agreement, Iran is ramping up their oil exports... and then there are those pipelines running through Iraq to Turkey & Syria, Saudi definitely wants a say as long as they get "protection" to do so. Thing is, they were purported funders of fellow Sunnis ISIL, so it just makes the thought of their being there more complicated.

And yeah, the "rebuilding of Iraq" has been a 25+ year racket (since the original Persian Gulf War). Every time we took our taxpayer $$$ to fix a pipeline or bridge, they were immediately breached or destroyed. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Infrastructure jobs!!!1!!!!1

[Sunlei]

17. good points. 3-trillion Fed.-funds could have built nice American infrastructure & local jobs.

imagine how great today would be if the economic stimulus plans weren't partly blocked by the anti-America "for personal profit" political party.

[BumRushDaShow]

18. +infinity

[bagelsforbreakfast]

19. Just wait till they see our new Panzer division! n/m

[mdbl]

20. From one pig to another!

[Thor_MN]

21. Trump doesn't know how to spell "Distraction", tweets "Decision"...