NeoCons freak out as Biden gets forced into doing the right thing

Three U.S. troops were killed earlier today in Jordan in a drone strike. Another 25 were wounded.
American troops have been under attack ever since President Trump had Qasem Soleimani assassinated. If you think Iraq had forgotten about this, think again. Just this year an Iraqi judge ordered the U.S. to pay $50 billion in fines and delivered a criminal indictment of Trump. These attacks have ramped up dramatically since October 7.
It has also forced Biden to consider doing the right thing.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed on Thursday that the US and Iraq will start talks on the future of the US military presence in Iraq in the “coming days,” which could result in a US withdrawal.

Baghdad has been calling for an end to the presence of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition in response to recent US airstrikes in Iraq. Tensions are soaring as Iraqi Shia militias have been attacking US bases in both Iraq and Syria due to President Biden’s support for the Israeli slaughter in Gaza.

There are about 2,500 US troops in Iraq as part of the anti-ISIS coalition, known as Operation Inherent Resolve. In recent years, the US presence in Iraq has been more about pushing back against Iran’s influence in the country as ISIS has been reduced to small remnants.
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There have been reports that indicate the US is also considering ending its military occupation of eastern Syria. There are about 900 US troops, and the US is able to control about one-third of Syria’s territory by backing the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Iraq voted to expel U.S. troops after the assassination of Qasem Soleimani in 2020, but the Trump administration flat out refused at the time. Iraq has once again asked the U.S. to leave, but this time we might actually do it.
Syria never asked us to occupy 1/3rd of their nation and there is no congressional action which justifies it. Interestingly, the Pentagon is looking for its own exit strategy from Syria.

The Pentagon has floated a plan for its Syrian Kurdish allies in the campaign against the Islamic State (ISIS) to partner with the Syrian regime, part of a renewed review of the United States’ Syria policy that is currently ongoing at the State Department and for which Turkey, a key NATO ally, has been tapped for its input, according to well-placed sources with knowledge of the deliberations who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition they not be identified by name.

Of course the neocons have freaked out.

Lister, an early and stalwart supporter of the al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgency against Assad in Syria, warns of “the catastrophic effect that a withdrawal would have on U.S. and allied influence over the unresolved and acutely volatile crisis in Syria,” adding that, “it would also be a gift to the Islamic State.”
..
Bertrand quotes MIC-funded CSIS “deep thinker” Jon Alterman:

Still, rumblings of a potential US change in its force posture in Iraq would be a victory for Iran, Alterman said. ‘Any sign that this is the beginning of the end would be widely celebrated in Iranian corridors.’

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US military 'changing their posture'
is double speak for get the friggen' outa there
as in Afghan and Ukrastan. Posturing my *ss.

Just dump their sh*t on UK and EU and turn tail.
Y'all deal with it.

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Lookout's picture

The U.S. base hit by drone attack is being identified by Jordanian officials as al-Tanf, basically at the Syria-Iraq border. U.S. has had a "special operations base" there since 2016, ostensibly to fight ISIS, but used more for pressure on local militias and to choke off the nearby Baghdad-Damascus highway.
source

If true, it is a horse of a different color as we are illegally occupying Syria.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

@Lookout

prevented all of these acts of aggression?
US and ISR have been getting away with murder
for as long as I can remember without any serious
consequence. Hope that CH, RU and BRICS 10 can
change this .. it may be our only hope.

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@Lookout al-Tanf is indeed in Syria.
I've watched this base for a long time because unlike the rest of the Syria occupation, al-Tanf is not in an area with Kurdish allies. al-Tanf only exists for one reason and that is to prevent Iranian support for the Syrian government.
Also, al-Tanf serves as a base for an al-Qaeda-related anti-government group.

Actually I just discovered that it was across the border from al-tanf

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snoopydawg's picture

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But this is the pattern of US interventionism of the past more that two decades: intervention begets more intervention... then begets US occupation at some far-flung outpost... militant attack on said outpost begets greater escalation and yet more intervention. It seems that the cycle never ends (perhaps by design) as the continuing legacy of the neocons' GWOT which kicked off with the era of the Iraq and Afghan invasions.

We have no right to be in Syria and stealing their oil. None whatsoever and yet the neocons think that any country defending itself from US aggression should be put down with strong actions so they won’t dare think of doing it again. See above. And it’s not just the neocons who want us to hit Iran. I saw a few shitlibs suggesting that we bomb a few oil platforms there.

Lol…Kos admitted that the site laughed when Bush had his axis of evil, but now that it’s democrats in power he thinks that Russia, China and Iran are the current axis of evil…you just can’t make this shit up.

Even more funny is asking our allies the Kurds to fight our other allies ISIS. I’m sure y’all noticed that they were very silent for years until America and Israel needed them to make mayhem in Iran.
Hey remember when Obama ordered a ceasefire in Syria, but the pentagon and the CIA broke it and had their terrorist groups fight each other?

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Voting is like driving with a toy steering wheel.

@snoopydawg unless there might be some off shore.

So what are we doing there? Who knows?

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Mary Bennett

@Nastarana

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Cassiodorus's picture

Trump wanted to withdraw, but Lindsay Graham said "don't do it," and Trump was thusly encouraged in his laziness. So he didn't do it. From Rolling Stone back in 2019:

Trump Could Be Our Laziest President Ever, According to Leaked Schedules

People forget this about Trump, that he's lazy and incompetent. Everyone's caught up in all of the image-work that is done about him.

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"Israel is in the process of destroying itself" -- Miko Peled

snoopydawg's picture

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There is a danger that people should be cognisant of, things are not going well for Israel, needless to say. They would very much like to get the US involved in an open hostility with Iran. Neocons in Washington are positively lusting after that kind of thing. Fortunately for the World, the Iranians are not rising to the bait, so where does that leave the Israelis?

Watch out for a false flag attack folks. The Israelis, when push comes to shove, will do what they can to blame Iran for whatever kind of Casus belli they develop and mouse trap the US and the administration into supporting Israel full bore, if I didn't think there was a 50% percent chance of of that then I wouldn't mention it in this forum. But I do think it is 50% ....

Yep. That was my first thought. But hey you would think that America would do all it could to protect the base by having some Patriot missiles there and if it does then it shows again how it’s not all that.

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snoopydawg's picture

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So 4 bases were hit?

In continuation of our approach to resisting the American occupation forces in iraq and the region, and in response to the Zionist entity's massacres against our people in Gaza, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq attacked at dawn today. Sunday 1/28/2024, using drones, four enemy bases, three of which are in Syria. They are Al-Shaddad base, Al-Rukban base, Al-Tanf base, and the fourth base inside our occupied Palestinian territories, which is the Zevulun naval facility. The Islamic resistance confirms its continuation In destrovina enemy stronoholds
(And victory is only from God. Indeed, God is Mighty, All-Wise)
Islamic resistance in Iraq
Sunday 16 - Rajab - 1445 AH

It’s understandable how things could get so confusing, what with so many illegal American bases strewn about like candy wrappers, and all. But in reality, this is likely an attempt to downplay and conceal US’ al-Tanf activity and give the appearance of legality by misdirecting everyone to the Jordanian base which US actually has legal permission to be in—unlike al-Tanf.

But before we go on, I’d like to remind everyone of this report. I may have posted it long ago—it’s from an Iranian attack in 2021. But it is an absolute must watch. I strongly, strongly urge everyone to watch this below and see if you don’t come away with a different opinion of the ‘invincible’ US military as portrayed by Hollywood:

During America’s occupation of Iraq…..

Strange how America doesn’t think that it holds any responsibility for why Iran attacked the base or thinks that their hands aren’t covered in blood of the innocent civilians it’s killed. I had to bite my tongue and not respond to the men who think they are virgins! Hey guys, buy a fcking mirror.

BTw the general being interviewed is full of crap Iran gave them warning that it was sending bombs their way. But gee after American troops killed hundreds of thousands if not millions of Iraqis why do they think that retaliation isn’t warranted? Sam hates it when I yell at my iPad so my tongue is very sore.

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Voting is like driving with a toy steering wheel.

@snoopydawg

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Cassiodorus's picture

this was on tonight's Simplicius:

Simplicius, for the record, does not think it's impossible that we could see some real desperation idiocy from the White House. He merely argues that further US aggression won't accomplish anything. It would appear from his column that the main problem for the US will be in readying the increased troop strength necessary for a wider war. It's hard to imagine Biden calling for a military draft at this time. That'll go over really well with the voters, uh-huh.

Another vote for the prediction of more idiocy comes from Moon of Alabama: The Time of Monsters

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"Israel is in the process of destroying itself" -- Miko Peled

and a call for cooler heads to prevail.

The question is; ARE THERE any cooler heads in the halls of power in DC?

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“What the herd hates most is the one who thinks differently; it is not so much the opinion itself, but the audacity of wanting to think for themselves, something that they do not know how to do.”
-Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

@ovals49

Does not portend well for the US military bases scattered thru-out the region.
His recommendation to close all of those bases and remove all personnel is
the only sane solution. But, the empire is not sane. So if the US decides to
strike Iranian targets, it will cause much counter damage.

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