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Sen. Mitt Romney raises a troubling theory about Trump and Turkey

TU Curmudgeon

B.A. (Sarc), LLb. (Lex Sarcasus), PhD (Sarc.)
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From The Washington Post

Sen. Mitt Romney raises a troubling theory about Trump and Turkey


Sen. Mitt Romney delivered perhaps the most thorough Republican rebuke of President Trump’s Syria withdrawal Thursday, calling Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds there “a bloodstain on the annals of American history.”

But while that line will get a lot of play, there’s something else Romney said that shouldn’t escape notice. He also floated a theory about how Trump arrived at the decision: that he got bullied into it by Turkey and that he backed down.


“It’s been … suggested that Turkey may have called America’s bluff, telling the president they are coming no matter what we did,” said Romney, of Utah. “If that’s so, we should know it. For it would tell us a great deal about how we should deal with Turkey, now and in the future.”

Romney then returned to the idea that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might have given Trump an ultimatum that was met with acquiescence.

COMMENT:-

Considering that what Turkey wanted was a 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria and an end to the autonomous Kurdish political unit of Rojava and what Turkey got was a 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria and an end to the autonomous Kurdish political unit of Rojava, Mr. Romney's supposition doesn't appear to be all that far fetched.

Of course the facts that the Turkish government quickly has said that it has NOT signed off on any "deal", and also considering that, it is also taking the position that the "deal" is not a ceasefire and also considering that the Syrian Kurdish leaders are rather miffed about the "deal" because they weren't consulted at all (and that they also completely reject the "deal"), make it seem that Mr. Romney's speculation is even less far fetched.
 
From The Washington Post

Sen. Mitt Romney raises a troubling theory about Trump and Turkey


Sen. Mitt Romney delivered perhaps the most thorough Republican rebuke of President Trump’s Syria withdrawal Thursday, calling Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds there “a bloodstain on the annals of American history.”

But while that line will get a lot of play, there’s something else Romney said that shouldn’t escape notice. He also floated a theory about how Trump arrived at the decision: that he got bullied into it by Turkey and that he backed down.


“It’s been … suggested that Turkey may have called America’s bluff, telling the president they are coming no matter what we did,” said Romney, of Utah. “If that’s so, we should know it. For it would tell us a great deal about how we should deal with Turkey, now and in the future.”

Romney then returned to the idea that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might have given Trump an ultimatum that was met with acquiescence.

COMMENT:-

Considering that what Turkey wanted was a 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria and an end to the autonomous Kurdish political unit of Rojava and what Turkey got was a 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria and an end to the autonomous Kurdish political unit of Rojava, Mr. Romney's supposition doesn't appear to be all that far fetched.

Of course the facts that the Turkish government quickly has said that it has NOT signed off on any "deal", and also considering that, it is also taking the position that the "deal" is not a ceasefire and also considering that the Syrian Kurdish leaders are rather miffed about the "deal" because they weren't consulted at all (and that they also completely reject the "deal"), make it seem that Mr. Romney's speculation is even less far fetched.

Exclusive: Official Who Heard Call Says Trump Got 'Rolled' By Turkey and 'Has No Spine'
 
The logical response to Turkey "going rogue" and (permanently?) militarily occupying a neighboring country's territory should be ejection from NATO, no more USAID funds and imposing the already promised extreme economic sanctions/penalties. I doubt any of that will happen because the MIC profits handsomely (and in return bestows loads of campaign cash upon congress critters) by having Turkey treated like a US ally in good standing.
 
From The Washington Post

Sen. Mitt Romney raises a troubling theory about Trump and Turkey


Sen. Mitt Romney delivered perhaps the most thorough Republican rebuke of President Trump’s Syria withdrawal Thursday, calling Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds there “a bloodstain on the annals of American history.”

[/INDENT]

Romney is no Republican and I would 100% expect Romney to betray our NATO ally Turkey because "Backstabber" is Romney's middle name.
 
The logical response to Turkey "going rogue" and (permanently?) militarily occupying a neighboring country's territory should be ejection from NATO, no more USAID funds and imposing the already promised extreme economic sanctions/penalties. I doubt any of that will happen because the MIC profits handsomely (and in return bestows loads of campaign cash upon congress critters) by having Turkey treated like a US ally in good standing.

I think Turkey has been trending east for a while now....
 
I think Turkey has been trending east for a while now....

That was certainly hinted at when they started buying arms from Russia, but such actions are apparently hard to read as signs of trouble while they still have ties to (i.e. are a source of profit for) the US MIC.
 
Anal bloodstains sounds pretty bad. Trump should get that checked out. :unsure13:
 
From The Washington Post

Sen. Mitt Romney raises a troubling theory about Trump and Turkey


Sen. Mitt Romney delivered perhaps the most thorough Republican rebuke of President Trump’s Syria withdrawal Thursday, calling Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds there “a bloodstain on the annals of American history.”

But while that line will get a lot of play, there’s something else Romney said that shouldn’t escape notice. He also floated a theory about how Trump arrived at the decision: that he got bullied into it by Turkey and that he backed down.


“It’s been … suggested that Turkey may have called America’s bluff, telling the president they are coming no matter what we did,” said Romney, of Utah. “If that’s so, we should know it. For it would tell us a great deal about how we should deal with Turkey, now and in the future.”

Romney then returned to the idea that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might have given Trump an ultimatum that was met with acquiescence.

COMMENT:-

Considering that what Turkey wanted was a 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria and an end to the autonomous Kurdish political unit of Rojava and what Turkey got was a 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria and an end to the autonomous Kurdish political unit of Rojava, Mr. Romney's supposition doesn't appear to be all that far fetched.

Of course the facts that the Turkish government quickly has said that it has NOT signed off on any "deal", and also considering that, it is also taking the position that the "deal" is not a ceasefire and also considering that the Syrian Kurdish leaders are rather miffed about the "deal" because they weren't consulted at all (and that they also completely reject the "deal"), make it seem that Mr. Romney's speculation is even less far fetched.

So Turkey, a Nato Ally, calls and says they are going to move their army into an area in Syria in order to secure their border and we need to get our 50 guys out of the way so none of them get injured, and we are supposed to do what?
 
So Turkey, a Nato Ally, calls and says they are going to move their army into an area in Syria in order to secure their border and we need to get our 50 guys out of the way so none of them get injured, and we are supposed to do what?

Yes, because until now it’s been completely common for US allies to attack us militarily. As usual your position requires the pretense of absolute obtuseness.
 
Yes, because until now it’s been completely common for US allies to attack us militarily. As usual your position requires the pretense of absolute obtuseness.

Of course, you didnt answer the question. Care to give it a try or are you just here to take up space?
 
Of course, you didnt answer the question. Care to give it a try or are you just here to take up space?

Answer my question first: until now, how often have US allies deliberately attacked our forces?
 
Answer my question first: until now, how often have US allies deliberately attacked our forces?

So you are here to take up space. Carry on.
 
That was certainly hinted at when they started buying arms from Russia, but such actions are apparently hard to read as signs of trouble while they still have ties to (i.e. are a source of profit for) the US MIC.

So many clues.

spotdifference.jpg
 
From The Washington Post

Sen. Mitt Romney raises a troubling theory about Trump and Turkey




Sen. Mitt Romney delivered perhaps the most thorough Republican rebuke of President Trump’s Syria withdrawal Thursday, calling Trump’s abandonment of the Kurds there “a bloodstain on the annals of American history.”

But while that line will get a lot of play, there’s something else Romney said that shouldn’t escape notice. He also floated a theory about how Trump arrived at the decision: that he got bullied into it by Turkey and that he backed down.


“It’s been … suggested that Turkey may have called America’s bluff, telling the president they are coming no matter what we did,” said Romney, of Utah. “If that’s so, we should know it. For it would tell us a great deal about how we should deal with Turkey, now and in the future.”

Romney then returned to the idea that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan might have given Trump an ultimatum that was met with acquiescence.

COMMENT:-

Considering that what Turkey wanted was a 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria and an end to the autonomous Kurdish political unit of Rojava and what Turkey got was a 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria and an end to the autonomous Kurdish political unit of Rojava, Mr. Romney's supposition doesn't appear to be all that far fetched.

Of course the facts that the Turkish government quickly has said that it has NOT signed off on any "deal", and also considering that, it is also taking the position that the "deal" is not a ceasefire and also considering that the Syrian Kurdish leaders are rather miffed about the "deal" because they weren't consulted at all (and that they also completely reject the "deal"), make it seem that Mr. Romney's speculation is even less far fetched.


Trump's bone spurs are showing.
 
So Turkey, a Nato Ally, calls and says they are going to move their army into an area in Syria in order to secure their border and we need to get our 50 guys out of the way so none of them get injured, and we are supposed to do what?

Then perhaps they should act like one. More importantly the buffer zone they're seeking to create is one which would displace Kurds who have been living in the region well before any of the current issues began. They're essentially looking to displace Kurds and replace them with Arabs; unless one lives under a rock, it's pretty clear this kind of displacement is a recipe for future conflict. Also, Turkey will continue to have Kurds at their border except now they'll have an even bigger gripe because of the new land grab. The bottom line is if an ally threatens another, it's a good time to reconsider that relationship. Erdogan is taking Turkey in a direction that isn't in line with other NATO allies and I expect that to continue as he continues establishing a better relationship with Russia.
 
Romney is no Republican and I would 100% expect Romney to betray our NATO ally Turkey because "Backstabber" is Romney's middle name.

Ah...4 posts in and someone took time out from his busy schedule of admiring Trump's shining face to pull the "Romney isn't a Republican" failure. Well done, joko! We can always count on you for such weak idiocy.
 
Then perhaps they should act like one. More importantly the buffer zone they're seeking to create is one which would displace Kurds who have been living in the region well before any of the current issues began. They're essentially looking to displace Kurds and replace them with Arabs; unless one lives under a rock, it's pretty clear this kind of displacement is a recipe for future conflict. Also, Turkey will continue to have Kurds at their border except now they'll have an even bigger gripe because of the new land grab. The bottom line is if an ally threatens another, it's a good time to reconsider that relationship. Erdogan is taking Turkey in a direction that isn't in line with other NATO allies and I expect that to continue as he continues establishing a better relationship with Russia.

Erdogan is a bad guy and Turkey isnt much of an ally. Yet they are still a Nato member. So as long as that is the case, Im not sure what we are supposed to do with them.
 
That was certainly hinted at when they started buying arms from Russia, but such actions are apparently hard to read as signs of trouble while they still have ties to (i.e. are a source of profit for) the US MIC.

...but an interesting shift nonetheless. Turkey stated opposition to US sanctions against Russia over the Crimea situation. Little subtle things that make sense to keep an eye on.
 
Erdogan is a bad guy and Turkey isnt much of an ally. Yet they are still a Nato member. So as long as that is the case, Im not sure what we are supposed to do with them.

Erdogan is an authoritarian who right now is making the most of this incursion for internal PR; it's a way for him to give the public something to get behind because of the troubles he's facing domestically. Some members of the EU, who are also NATO members, have agreed to suspend arms sales to Turkey; that's more than what the US has chosen to do. It's a tricky situation for sure, but by acquiescing to their aggression by removing the troops, the US lost its negotiating edge. I don't think for one second Turkey would have crossed that border knowing the US was opposed to it and had a presence (however minimal) in the region.
 
So Turkey, a Nato Ally, calls and says they are going to move their army into an area in Syria in order to secure their border and we need to get our 50 guys out of the way so none of them get injured, and we are supposed to do what?

Pretty sure they plan to keep that buffer as their own.
 
So Turkey, a Nato Ally, calls and says they are going to move their army into an area in Syria in order to secure their border and we need to get our 50 guys out of the way so none of them get injured, and we are supposed to do what?

Tell the Turkish CINC that there is no way, as CINC of the US military, that I, Donald J. Trump, am taking orders from you. Any attack on US forces or our allies in Syria by Turkish forces will be considered an act of war and, NATO ally or not, you will find out what that entails with extreme prejudice.
 
So Turkey, a Nato Ally, calls and says they are going to move their army into an area in Syria in order to secure their border and we need to get our 50 guys out of the way so none of them get injured, and we are supposed to do what?

"I have not yet begun to fight!" This was the immortal retort of Captain John Paul Jones to a request to surrender as he and his crew engaged in a desperate battle with a British frigate off the northern coast of England during the American Revolution.


This is in some slight contrast to "YessSUH Massa I'z a doin' id raht sma'tly Massa.".

(Admittedly some people have a great deal of difficulty in making the distinction.)
 
Then perhaps they should act like one. More importantly the buffer zone they're seeking to create is one which would displace Kurds who have been living in the region well before any of the current issues began. They're essentially looking to displace Kurds and replace them with Arabs; unless one lives under a rock, it's pretty clear this kind of displacement is a recipe for future conflict. Also, Turkey will continue to have Kurds at their border except now they'll have an even bigger gripe because of the new land grab. The bottom line is if an ally threatens another, it's a good time to reconsider that relationship. Erdogan is taking Turkey in a direction that isn't in line with other NATO allies and I expect that to continue as he continues establishing a better relationship with Russia.

What the Turks wanted was a (roughly) 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria (read as "Kurd free area next to the Turkish border"), and an end to the "autonomous Kurdish political unit" of Rojava.

Through his highly successful brand of diplomacy, more successful than the diplomacy of any other American President (past or future), Mr. Trump succeeded in getting significant concessions from the Turks such that the Turks had to swallow their original demands and settle for an end to the "autonomous Kurdish political unit" of Rojava and a (roughly) 20-mile-wide zone of control in northern Syria (read as "Kurd free area next to the Turkish border").

There has never in history been a stable genius leader like Mr. Trump who could pull off such a masterful diplomatic tour de farce (and there never will be).
 
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