"Nothing is so good for morale ... "

"CENTCOM chief, Gen. Joseph Votel warns against throwing Syria's "moderate" rebels under the bus, Stars and Stripes reports. "I can think of a number of groups…who we have been working with, who have been very, very good partners to us and done our bidding with our support, with our coalition support. So I think we should look to do that, and I hope we will find a way to continue to do that," he told a conference in Washington on Wednesday."  Todays D Brief

 

***************

 "U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Joseph Votel on Wednesday urged the incoming Trump administration to reverse course and continue an Obama administration program to train and equip Syrian moderate rebel forces as the campaign to retake Raqqa gathers force.

That would amount to a major about-face for the president-elect. During the election campaign, Mr. Trump sharply criticized the program and the handling of the Syrian conflict, saying U.S. officials “have no idea who these people are.”

The four-star general, speaking at an event sponsored by the Foreign Policy Initiative in Washington, said the United States and its allies were reaping the benefits of a military training program in Syria." 

The program is an integral part of President Obama’s overall strategy to eliminate the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, from Syria and the rest of the Middle East.  Washtimes 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/30/gen-joseph-votel-seeks-syrian-rebel-training-under/

----------------

"Nothing is so good for the morale of the troops as occasionally to see a dead general." 
   - Field Marshal Lord Slim 

Slim was a truly great fighting soldier.  He understood that the Grunts want to know that their commanders share the risks.  A dead general makes that point. 

General Votel is clearly a creature of the Obama Administration's confused policies in the Greater Middle East.

It would be one thing if Votel is speaking here of the YPG/SDF forces that US SOF has been training, equipping and advising in Kurdish Syria.  IMO that should continue.

If, on the other hand Votel is talking about the Syrian and non Syrian medievalist scum fighting to destroy secular, multi confessional government in Syria, then he is deluded and should be removed pour encourager les autres. (Byng)  Our "moderate" allies in East Aleppo as well as all over Syria have routinely murdered prisoners of war, beheaded children who said things they disliked, destroyed and violated ancient places of worship, refused to allow civilian evacuations in Aleppo.  IMO they are not deserving of treatment as prisoners of war under international or, for that matter, US law.  The Syrian government should dispose of them as they see fit.

The Admiral Byng principle of using dismissal or worse as a means of encouraging better performance should be applied to the politically minded military losers who now inhabit so many positions in the US armed forces.  Trump was right in his campaign statements concerning general officers of the GWOT.  Let the axe fall wherever needed.  Flynn will have an opinion as to who should be retired.   Let us hope that the pseudo institution of the general officers mutual protection club does not apply.  pl  

Comments

[The Twisted Genius]

pl,

Wow! That is a truly offensive thing for Mark Shields to say. I expect him to issue a retraction and apology within the next 24 hours. There is little as sacrosanct as the custom of officers never eating before all the men are fed in the field. It is simply not done.

[BraveNewWorld]

Respectfully sir, that is not correct. His words were "dominant economic power". Israel may not do a lot of trade with it's neighbours but it most definitely is an economic power in the region thanks to all the US money spent to make it so. Oodles of arms, medical, electronics etc are designed and produced in Israel not to mention a fair bit of agriculture which is what they need the Palestinians for in the same way Americans need Mexicans.

They have preferential trade deals with the EU and LOTS of subsidies for their companies and research come from the EU. Do they have money like the Gulfies? No. But their economy isn't based purely on pumping oil either.

Thee reason that being the economic power is important is that it helps keep their military ahead of every one else's beyond what the US does.

Now having said that, if the US and EU stopped pumping so much money into Israel I think their economy would come very close to collapsing.

You are likely to ask for a link to the story I was originally referencing and I no longer have it or can't find it. I have looked for it a couple of times over the last couple of years. It was an address to a business group in one of the countries up near Russia but I don't remember which.

[Valissa]

The headline was the best part of that article. But, that is the ultimate question.

My intention has been to stay neutral and open-minded about Trump, but it's been a challenge. The drama of the paradigm shift versus status quo is very seductive, and it's hard to resist playing the speculation game.

BTW... Chris Cillizza, a key political analyst at WaPo, is turning the corner on his view of Trump. He gives a remarkably positive analysis of Trumps cabinet picks.

Maybe Donald Trump knows what he’s doing with these Cabinet picks https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/02/donald-trump-deserves-more-credit-than-hes-getting-for-his-cabinet-picks/
Still, viewed as of today with Hweitkamp and Manchin potentially in play and Mattis and Haley already picked, it's hard to say that the doomsday predictions for Trump's Cabinet have come true -- or anything close. What we've seen so far is a smart melange of close allies, well-respected establishment types and a few picks with helpful political repercussions for the party Trump now leads. Give credit where credit is due.
------------

The status quo is starting to accept Trump.

Then Trump goes for the paradigm shift...
Trump speaks with Taiwanese president, a major break with decades of U.S. policy on China https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/trump-spoke-with-taiwanese-president-a-major-break-with-decades-of-us-policy-on-china/2016/12/02/b98d3a22-b8ca-11e6-959c-172c82123976_story.html

Looks like he did this knowingly. This is one way Trump will be very different than Obama. Trump is going to want to meet and socialize with the other world leaders and get to know them so he can negotiate with them directly if need be. How will the State Dept. deal with it when he ignores their advice? Obama was not much interested in building relationships with the leaders of other countries. Expect this aspect of Trump's personality will have a significant impact on foreign policy.

[mike allen]

Never heard of him. Who is he?

[mike allen]

Never mind, I googled him and recognize him now. But the transcript adds the caveat: that I know. So he may have meant no offense and was only speaking from what he knew of his own service. Has he ever been a correspondent attached to Army units?

But I do recall hearing many years ago about the other story Shields told regarding General Mathis standing OD duty on Christmas Eve while a Brigadier at Quantico.

[turcopolier]

PA

"It was just a rumor, but it does give one an idea of the sort of mentality pro-war groups in the UK feel about the place, and where they place their hopes" Why are you spreading rumors? I "called" you on this before when you made statements of supposed fact that you could not support. If you want to state an opinion, do so but do not claim your opinion is a pseudo fact. pl

[turcopolier]

mike allen

Mark Shields was once an enlisted Marine. His head is filled with the usual Marine bullshit about the Army. You, of course, are suggesting that what he said about us may be true. pl

[Peter Reichard]

Trump is admittedly not well read in history and foreign policy and is on a steep learning curve. Lacking a deep understanding of these subjects makes him more vulnerable to having his decisions subtly tilted by his advisers towards their agenda through the selective information they feed him than someone like Henry Kissinger would be.

[robt willmann]

MRW,

The Iran nuclear deal will be difficult from a political standpoint to unravel because it is between Iran and six countries. From the preamble: "The Islamic Republic of Iran and the E3/EU+3 (China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States, with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy) have decided upon this long-term Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)."

United Nations security council resolution 2231 of last year addressed the agreement. Resolution 2231 and the JCPOA can be found here (104 pages, the Iran agreement starts on pdf page 8; you have to have 'cookies' on with your browser to view or download it)--

http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/2231(2015)

The Iran Sanctions Act of 1996 dates back 20 years. I have not read the JCPOA and do not know if it contains a provision looking at the Iran Sanctions Act. At the very least, the JCPOA, along with UN resolution 2231, will eventually remove all UN-related sanctions that exist because of Iran's nuclear program.

[Babak Makkinejad]

Due to the avowed and acknowledged leadership of the United States of the "Fortress West", the greater danger, in my opinion, is for the United States to commit herself and "The West", willy-nilly, into a centuries long war with Islam.

West of Diocletian lines, the intellectual ground for such a war could be sought in the Enlightenment Tradition. East of the Diocletian Lines, anti-Islam attitudes (for historical reasons) obtain in Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Hungary.

They would march gladly against Islam; expecting a quick victory due to their perceived strategic preponderance; in my opinion.

The only substantial constrain that I can see against a religious war between Fortress West and Islam is the Catholic Church and the Vatican.

[mike allen]

Colonel -

I may have suggested somesuch back when I was a Pfc. But back then I also suggested the same about Marine units other than my own. There is as you well know a great deal of mockery and insult among most military units. I have heard taunts and somewhat overripe slander from Soldiers in the 82nd, Sailors in the Silent Service and even from an Air Force tin-knocker. It comes with the territory and with the pursuit of team spirit. It would still be there if we all wore the mythical Joint Forces purple.

Regarding your comment about Mark Shields head being "filled with the usual Marine bullshit about the Army": Are you suggesting there is no Army BS about Marines and Sailors and Airmen? Maybe or maybe not in the O Club, but you know darn well there was some among the troops. Perhaps you or your NCOs even fostered it?

[turcopolier]

mike allen

Point taken. There is something about Shields' smugness that just pisses me off. I got on much better with Jim Lehrer who was another former Marine. pl

[turcopolier]

All

I don't think CIA, jihadis or anyone else can get in or out of East Aleppo now. pl

[turcopolier]

bravenewworld

Israel is not economically part of the ME. How can it dominate the region economically? pl

[Green Zone Café]

Ya, even though Iran is buying Boeings, the Congress voted to continue sanctions.

This will be the first test of Trump. He did say "no more regime change" in Ohio a couple of days ago.