The Soapbox

Joined: 09/08/2012 Posts: 989
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Interesting comment on the decision not to back Syrian rebels

However you feel about the decision, it does call into question Trump's oft-mentioned [mostly by himself] negotiating prowess.

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"It's a strategic mistake.... (support for the rebels) was a pressure point on Assad and a pressure point on the Iranians... and the Russians," according to Bob Baer, CNN Intelligence and security analyst and former CIA operative.

"It looks like, to me, that he just gave that as a gift to Vladimir Putin for no quid pro quo and that's not the way diplomacy works. We should've used this, we should've demanded, for example, safe zones so the Sunnis wouldn't get hit from the air... so this is just inexplicable, why he would do this.

"He's lost his pressure point... it's crazy, frankly, I've never seen anything like it."

Posted: 07/20/2017 at 12:47PM

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Interesting comment on the decision not to back Syrian rebels -- HoozOnTop 07/20/2017 12:47PM

As hoothat says, the guy is ex-CIA. Still thinks fomenting -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 2:21PM

Only problem with the whole Deep State hocus pocus is that the CIA -- Chuck Taylor 07/20/2017 3:19PM

I do disagree with all those presidents. What think tanks and philosophy -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 3:36PM

It is self discrediting because the basis is beyond vague. -- Chuck Taylor 07/20/2017 3:50PM

You don't have to ascribe to any conspiracy theory to understand -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 4:19PM

I'm on board with the establisment notion, as far as it goes. -- Chuck Taylor 07/20/2017 4:39PM

That's fair. I don't think it's right to pin it all on the CIA in any way. -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 5:02PM

You've never watched Homeland ** -- dajoka004 07/20/2017 3:22PM

My comment was about negotiating prowess, not that we should be there, but -- HoozOnTop 07/20/2017 2:36PM

But how does he use that pressure point realistically? -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 2:43PM

Also, do we know he didn't get any concession? -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 3:09PM

If he had we'd know. No way he keeps his yap shut about that.** -- WaxHoo 07/20/2017 3:12PM

Which is a problem. Sometimes you don't want things to be -- HoosWillWin 07/20/2017 4:47PM

There is precedent for the one way concessions. -- Chuck Taylor 07/20/2017 4:45PM

Fair point. ** -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 3:16PM

Does anything good ever come from CIA backed rebels? ** -- hokeyhokie 07/20/2017 2:20PM

A CIA guy disagrees? Shocking. ** -- hoothat 07/20/2017 2:12PM

CIA is part of the DeepState ** -- ConnHoo 07/20/2017 2:28PM

Oooh is that a new buzzterm? What does it mean? ** -- 111Balz 07/20/2017 2:48PM

Govvies more loyal to the Constitution than El Presidente Maximo. ** -- HowieT3 07/20/2017 2:54PM

More loyal to the Government party -- ConnHoo 07/21/2017 11:02AM

Do you speak Farsi? ** -- Hoocinogenic 07/20/2017 2:20PM

Point being? ** -- hoothat 07/20/2017 4:13PM

More importantly, has he ever been in a turkish prison? ** -- 111Balz 07/20/2017 2:49PM

Or hung around mens' locker rooms -- HoozOnTop 07/20/2017 4:18PM

But does he like movies about gladiators? ** -- Hoodafan 07/20/2017 5:21PM

We are all learning that his negotiating skills are not what -- HoosWillWin 07/20/2017 2:07PM

Why he would do this? You really need to ask? ** -- WaxHoo 07/20/2017 1:54PM

When the Black Sox threw the World Series in 1919, ... -- HowieT3 07/20/2017 1:47PM

I have complete faith that Trump knows what he is doing here. ** -- FfxStationHokie 07/20/2017 1:25PM

The Art of a Bigly Bad Deal? I'm not knowledgeable or intelligent enough -- Hoodafan 07/20/2017 1:00PM

Never understood BHO's support of Syrian Rebels -- ConnHoo 07/20/2017 12:52PM

For the very reasons in Hooz' post. With this concession now, why -- 111Balz 07/20/2017 1:06PM

Not continuing a path to war=supporting Putin. -- hoothat 07/20/2017 2:00PM

Can you try that again? I have no idea what youwere trying to say ** -- 111Balz 07/20/2017 2:02PM

Sorry, left out a letter. ** -- hoothat 07/20/2017 2:06PM

"path to war". I think we were smack in the middle of it -- 111Balz 07/20/2017 2:18PM

It's an example of (what should be) our interests aligning with Putins. -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 2:28PM

Yes and no. I don't think Putin gives a crap about the people of -- 111Balz 07/20/2017 2:47PM

It doesn't matter if Putin gives a crap about stability in the region. -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 3:15PM

I agree. It just grinds my gears -- Shenhoo 07/20/2017 2:32PM

That's reasonable. -- hoodeyo 07/20/2017 3:30PM

Maybe Barry just liked rebels (pic) -- Tuckahokie 07/20/2017 12:56PM