Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars (Read 13447 times)

Flapp_Jackson

President Trump's administration announces a reduction in troop strength in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Each country will have US forces reduced to 2,500 each.

This is part of Trump's commitment to end the never-ending wars in the Middle East.  After 20 years, it's probably time to bring our people home.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-- George Bernard Shaw

changemyoil66

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2020, 09:18:21 AM »
He has been reducing troop numbers greatly since he took office.  Barry also reduced some, but only very small amounts.

hvybarrels

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2020, 10:10:32 AM »
I dunno. It has only been 20 years. Are we sure we want to rush this?
Stop blaming lazy people. We didn’t do anything.

omnigun

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2020, 10:14:11 AM »
I only hope Iran, Al-Qaida, ISIS and Russia are not embolden by this.   Maybe this is leadup to trump bombing Iran's nuclear sites.  Get all our soldiers out before the retaliatory strikes.

ren

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2020, 10:59:51 AM »
I only hope Iran, Al-Qaida, ISIS and Russia are not embolden by this.   Maybe this is leadup to trump bombing Iran's nuclear sites.  Get all our soldiers out before the retaliatory strikes.

that's a pretty bold and profoundly dumb statement. Tell me about your education and/or experience with foreign policy
Deeds Not Words

groveler

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2020, 11:02:32 AM »
I'm a Vietnam era Vet.
I was in Strategic Air Command
working around nukes at age 18
I'm pretty pro military.
However the constitution clearly states
only the congress can declare War.
All this Political BS we have been doing from
Vietnam to now is Un-constitutional, which is
why we have lost all these "police actions".
Hard to win a war when you don't have a legally set goal.
Just to really get picky the only standing military
authorized in the constitution was the Navy.   
We need to re-think things.


drck1000

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2020, 11:07:33 AM »
that's a pretty bold and profoundly dumb statement. Tell me about your education and/or experience with foreign policy

Quote
In the foreign policy arena, video games can and should serve as a powerful tool for educating civilian and military personnel about war and foreign affairs.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2012/01/10/getting-serious-about-video-games/

Flapp_Jackson

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2020, 11:33:44 AM »
I only hope Iran, Al-Qaida, ISIS and Russia are not embolden by this.   Maybe this is leadup to trump bombing Iran's nuclear sites.  Get all our soldiers out before the retaliatory strikes.

That's the kind of fear-mongering that's kept us in those forever wars.

Just like marriage, there's seldom a perfect time to commit.  After 20 years, and with Trump getting peace and economic deals between Israel and a half dozen Arab nations, I think the rewards far outweigh the risks.

Maybe this is a lead-up to Trump NOT bombing ANYONE.  How many bombings has the US done on Iran the last 4 years?  Have you seen anything change that makes Iran more of a threat?

Your imagination is so ..... pro-war.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-- George Bernard Shaw

Flapp_Jackson

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2020, 11:45:56 AM »
that's a pretty bold and profoundly dumb statement. Tell me about your education and/or experience with foreign policy

Ever notice how the Obama voters believed if Obama were elected President, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars would end?  Instead, he increased those operations, withdrew from Iraq stupidly and had to redeploy to the country, allowed ISIS to gain power, got us involved in Syria over a natural gas pipeline for EU customers, royally screwed up in Egypt and Libya, and ramped up the drone operations all over the region, even killing American citizens without a trial.

Trump comes in and tries many times to draw down our forces there, and his Pentagon generals LIED to him about troop strengths, the media LAUGHED at that, he's cut force numbers overseas to all time lows, he's doing the biggest drawdown now, and THE SAME OBAMA VOTERS are crying, "But you can't do that!  Think of [fill in any imaginary consequence here]."

With the agreements from those nations that they are now responsible for their security, and leaving a training and advisory force in place, there's no EVIDENCE that now is not the best time to pull the rest out.

I'd like to see OMIGod enlist and volunteer to go the sandbox.  He might even qualify for officer's training with his college degree.  There are people his age AND YOUNGER, missing their lives in the US so he can go on here and cry about those same people coming home. 

Many of those fighting today were not even born before 9/11/2001.  Wars cannot drag on for generations.  That is the same military budget OMIGod was saying ought to be spent on welfare programs here, like healthcare, college, and so on.  Suddenly, the money spent there must continue to grow?

I wish stupidity was as painful for him as it is for the people around him.

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-- George Bernard Shaw

changemyoil66

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2020, 11:50:02 AM »

I'd like to see OMIGod enlist and volunteer to go the sandbox.  He might even qualify for officer's training with his college degree.  There are people his age AND YOUNGER, missing their lives in the US so he can go on here and cry about those same people coming home. 



He would fit in as a butter bar.

Flapp_Jackson

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2020, 11:52:34 AM »
He would fit in as a butter bar.

Or, as the Army calls them, "cannon fodder."
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-- George Bernard Shaw

changemyoil66

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2020, 11:53:43 AM »
I only hope Iran, Al-Qaida, ISIS and Russia are not embolden by this.   Maybe this is leadup to trump bombing Iran's nuclear sites.  Get all our soldiers out before the retaliatory strikes.

ISIS is almost wiped out. Trump did that within the first 18 months of him taking office.

AQ would be hard to defeat because their ideology uses Islam, which is a huge driving force for recruitment.  Anyone can join, which makes it easier to replace members as we take them out.

To bomb any nuclear site would be an act of war and cause lots of collateral damage, depending on which way the winds blow. 

drck1000

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2020, 12:08:59 PM »
He would fit in as a butter bar.
Will be funny when you have to salute him. . . ;D

omnigun

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2020, 12:14:57 PM »
That's the kind of fear-mongering that's kept us in those forever wars.

Just like marriage, there's seldom a perfect time to commit.  After 20 years, and with Trump getting peace and economic deals between Israel and a half dozen Arab nations, I think the rewards far outweigh the risks.

Maybe this is a lead-up to Trump NOT bombing ANYONE.  How many bombings has the US done on Iran the last 4 years?  Have you seen anything change that makes Iran more of a threat?

Your imagination is so ..... pro-war.

Umm trump was the one who initiated the bombing request?  What?  He bombed the Iran general.  And many ISIS.  I am not necessary pro war, but anti enemies.  Iran is progressing on their nuclear abilities.  They are getting closer to a bomb.  China, Iran and North Korea and less so Russia are our enemies. 


He would fit in as a butter bar.


I would join the airforce and do computer stuff,  maybe drones.  But combat ain't my thing.  Use people whos skills best work with the goal.


ISIS is almost wiped out. Trump did that within the first 18 months of him taking office.

AQ would be hard to defeat because their ideology uses Islam, which is a huge driving force for recruitment.  Anyone can join, which makes it easier to replace members as we take them out.

To bomb any nuclear site would be an act of war and cause lots of collateral damage, depending on which way the winds blow. 

The whole point of all recent events is not to allow them or others to get a nuclear weapon.  At all costs.  If that means war, so be it.   We must protect our interests and our future.  We all know how ignoring North Korea and letting them make a bomb turned out for us....

drck1000

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #14 on: November 18, 2020, 12:19:11 PM »
SNIP


I would join the airforce and do computer stuff,  maybe drones.  But combat ain't my thing.  Use people whos skills best work with the goal.

Not all drones are equal btw.  Just sayin' 

changemyoil66

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #15 on: November 18, 2020, 12:22:32 PM »



The whole point of all recent events is not to allow them or others to get a nuclear weapon.  At all costs.  If that means war, so be it.   We must protect our interests and our future.  We all know how ignoring North Korea and letting them make a bomb turned out for us....

Can you enlighten me how letting N. Korea make a bomb turned out for us?

My opinion on other countries with nukes is it's none of our business.  We are not the world police.  Let the UN decide and they can go in and wage war, we will contribute our fair share, but so does all the other countries in the UN.  Keep our troops home unless we are attacked first or asked for help from an ally.

macsak

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #16 on: November 18, 2020, 12:24:26 PM »
that's a pretty bold and profoundly dumb statement. Tell me about your education and/or experience with foreign policy

he FEELS that's what might happen...

drck1000

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #17 on: November 18, 2020, 12:25:18 PM »
he FEELS that's what might happen...
Well, foreign policy is an art. . .

ren

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #18 on: November 18, 2020, 12:30:53 PM »
Umm trump was the one who initiated the bombing request?  What?  He bombed the Iran general.  And many ISIS.  I am not necessary pro war, but anti enemies.  Iran is progressing on their nuclear abilities.  They are getting closer to a bomb.  China, Iran and North Korea and less so Russia are our enemies. 


I would join the airforce and do computer stuff,  maybe drones.  But combat ain't my thing.  Use people whos skills best work with the goal.


The whole point of all recent events is not to allow them or others to get a nuclear weapon.  At all costs.  If that means war, so be it.   We must protect our interests and our future.  We all know how ignoring North Korea and letting them make a bomb turned out for us....

I was warming up to your online persona but this last statement really showcased what you don't know. I really encourage you to enlist in the Air Force and only until you work at a combatant command will you really understand how things work.
Tell me what you know about "drones". First of all, with that generic term it tells people like me you really don't know much about "drones"; how they work, how they are employed, limitations, and planning considerations.
Deeds Not Words

Flapp_Jackson

Re: Acting Sec of Defense Announces MAJOR Troop Reductions in Middle East Wars
« Reply #19 on: November 18, 2020, 12:40:02 PM »
ME:
Quote
How many bombings has the US done on Iran the last 4 years?
YOU:
Umm trump was the one who initiated the bombing request?  What?  He bombed the Iran general. 
FACT:
Quote
Soleimani died along with nine other people in a drone strike near Baghdad airport in Iraq in January.
Show me how that says Trump bombed Iran?

Quote
I would join the airforce  Air Force and do computer stuff,  maybe drones.  But combat ain't my thing.  Use people whos skills best work with the goal.

So, how many people in those wars overseas are doing "their thing?"  You think they grew up dreaming of being in sand storms, 110+ heat in the Summer, 30- in the Winter in some regions, getting shot at, worrying about chemical agent attacks, wondering where the next IED is buried, being away from family and friends every single day, and so on?  You think Pat Tillman gave up his pro sports career (and his life), because he REALLY wanted to go kill people and be half way around the planet?  Or did he merely have "principles?"

If you don't experience, how will you ever know this is not "your thing?"  You only know what you've experienced.  Maybe having no choice but to get off your ass everyday will cure you of your chronic laziness.

And, if you'd join an organization like the United States Air Force, you should at least have enough respect to make sure you spell the name properly.   :wtf:

Quote
The whole point of all recent events is not to allow them or others to get a nuclear weapon.  At all costs.  If that means war, so be it.   We must protect our interests and our future.  We all know how ignoring North Korea and letting them make a bomb turned out for us....

How does having our men and women in uniform, many of them not old enough to buy an AR-15, deployed to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan prevent Iran from doing ANYTHING, in particular obtaining materials for and constructing a working nuke?  What the hell do you FEEL our military is doing there to start with?
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;
the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.
Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
-- George Bernard Shaw