Trump tweeted last wk after call with Erdogan Us getting out of Syria. NSC & State officials subsequently said just 50-100 special operators
now, sec def announcing basically all US troops departing.
the gap between the president and everyone else in admin, and *the denial* everyone else in admin is in on what the policy is...
State officials swore up and down no green light. but of course, Trump gave Erdogan a green light. they are just in extraordinary denial
even if they sanction Turkey now, it will just be a salve after the fact for what Trump assented to and keeps saying was the right decision
& the incoherence. the announcement on friday US sending 2000-3000 US troops to KSA. (seen different #s). which Trump said KSA paying for.
who can explain how this decision was made. if Trump is right KSA paying. who are they paying? how much? did that influence his decision?
is it unreasonable to think that congress would want to have urgent hearings on that? that US troops deserve to know if being deployed
to profit somebody?
Saudi def min slipped in for meetings w/Esper &Pompeo last wk before decision announced. will they say how much KSA paying for US troops?
these deals cut with foreign leaders with almost no explanation to the US public, & the Ukraine stuff shows US interest never a factor
State spox objected when a NYT reporter dared ask at a briefing on the ksa deployment friday how it fit with cut and run in syria.
I was sent in circles from agency to agency Friday night about Trump saying KSA paying for the US troops.
going back to top of thread, i tend to believe trump on this. KSA paying for the US troops, &that influenced his decision to send them.
That this would happen without Congressional hearings and public debate as US flees for exits in Syria is hard to fathom.
correction to above, Saudi deputy defense minister, not Def Min, h/t @Dr_Ulrichsen
