You may not like it (neocons). You may doubt it will work (Beltway “experts”). Or you may just hate Trump (Dems).
But there is a plan.
Here it is...
Not to counter Iran. Or Russia.
(We can do that by simply withdrawing. More on that in a bit.)
Trump is thus asking: Can we leverage Iran, Russia, & Turkey to kill ISIS & achieve our goal?
Yes.
But that’s where their alliances & shared goals end.
Russia & Iran have long been at odds w/ each other, incl who controls Syria.
Russia & Turkey want different things in Damascus too.
It’s a mess.
1) All parties will attack ISIS / Islamic Sunni radicals (our goal), but
2) Remain so conflicted with each other that the war drags on, costing Turkey, Russia, & Iran major blood & treasure.
It’s their Vietnam.
Quite possibly yes.
And if it doesn’t — ISIS / Islamic radicals again take root — we’ll work with the Israelis & others to take them out.
We’ve done it before.
We’ll do it again.
No more American men and women putting on a uniform only to come back taking off prosthetic limbs or spiraling into emotional chaos with broken minds.
For what?!
Enough.
America has had enough.
They want a democratic Syria, built by gunpoint. Or mass confrontation w/ adversaries.
And that’s why they all hate Trump’s move.
But remember: they’re the same “experts” who sold us the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.
How smart.
Some are brave soldiers. Others are terrorists.
Some will now die. Others will quickly switch their allegiance to Assad to fight Turkey.
And that’s exactly what Trump and his team expect.
That is a cost created by Obama (Mr. “Red Line”) & Germany’s “Momma Merkel.”
Not Trump.
When nations get tired of fighting, diplomats will talk. People will return
We can still kill ISIS.
We can bog down the Russians, Iranians, Turks, & Syrians.
Yes, we lose a Kurdish ally made up of both honorable & terroristic fighters.
But there is a strategy.