Lindsey Graham Wants 10,000 Troops in Syria (also slammed Rand Paul and jabbed Ted Cruz)

[Suzanimal]

Calling Iraq and Syria a "single battle space," Sen. Lindsey Graham said he'd place around 10,000 troops in Syria today if he were president, in order to eradicate the heart of the Islamic State group's attempted caliphate.

That call amounted to one of the most aggressive proposals by a 2016 presidential candidate regarding dealing with Syria, which has been engulfed in years of fighting between the government, rebels and Islamic militants.

In remarks before The Atlantic Council on Wednesday, Graham, R-S.C., said half-measures like arming the Kurds to fight the Islamic State group were insufficient, and name-checked two of his GOP rivals – Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul – in his critique.

"Sen. Cruz often talks about, 'Just arm the Kurds.' Does anyone really believe the Kurds have the capability, the will and the desire to go and liberate Syria?" Graham asked. "The idea that the Kurds are going to go into Ramadi [in Iraq] as a ground force is not going to happen. The idea that that the Kurds could be the liberating force inside of Syria is a fantasy."

Cruz has stopped short of calling for U.S. ground troops to confront the Islamic State group. Through a spokesman to U.S. News, Cruz called Graham "a good man, and a friend," but maintained that rather than "train and equip a handful of 'moderate' Syrian rebels, it makes far more sense to refocus our efforts on the tens of thousands of available Kurds in both Iraq and Syria."

Graham was much harsher in his assessment of Paul, whom he slammed as "the one voice in the Republican Party that I think has been weaker on foreign policy than President Obama."

"Everybody running except Rand Paul could get a better deal from the Iranians," Graham asserted, referring to the ongoing negotiations involving the U.S. and Iran over that country's nuclear capabilities.

Paul's chief strategist returned the fire, turning the national security squabble into a fiscal debate.

"Today, Sen. Graham shows how little he understands about American foreign policy and how to stop making the same mistakes. The greatest threat to American national security is our debt, and unlike Sen. Graham, Sen. Rand Paul does not think the U.S. should continue sending our hard-earned tax dollars to warlords and nations that persecute Christians, women and minorities," Paul strategist Doug Stafford said. "What funds make it past the kickbacks, fraud, and embezzlement often end up supporting programs like French pastry classes in Iraq, or worse they fund the actions of oppressors.

"Meanwhile, Sen. Graham supports the failed solutions of the past – more spending and more counterproductive nation building and policing the world."

Graham, who also proposed placing 10,000 troops in Iraq and leaving 9,800 in Afghanistan, argued that the fates of Iraq and Syria are inextricably linked.

http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/ru...000-troops-in-syria-to-battle-isis?src=usn_fb

 

[Foreigner]

He says he wants to fight ISIS. But he also wants to depose Assad. So we can assume that he wants to fight both of them.

10.000 troops is a laughable small number for that task. It's gonna take 200 000-300.000 well-trained troops minimum.

And, will they be fighting alongside Al Qaeda? Or should they attack them to?

In the latter case, they can team up with the total of 60 moderate Syrian rebel soldiers Obama managed to identify - that are now receiving training. Maybe some Kurds will jump in as well, but then you can rule out help from Turkey who hates them much more than ISIS. They will be pitted against the 3 different main factions in the brutal civil war. It's gonna make Game of Thrones look like a orderly skirmish.

Russia will love it because it will be one of the last nails in the coffin for the US economically. Maybe if one removes all social security one can afford this war - which will dwarf Iraq.

 

[Danke]

I'm willing to airdrop him in if someone has a spare parachute.

 

[acptulsa]

I'm willing to airdrop him in if someone has a spare parachute.

What's the parachute for?

Oh, yes, your plausible deniability. I get it. Good idea all the way around.

 

[Ronin Truth]

Give Lindsey a rifle and deliver him to Syria. He'll get point and see the light, PDQ.

 

[rg17]

 

[r3volution 3.0]

From the main forum, all that appears is "Lindsey Graham Wants 10,000..."

I thought, ..."dollars from Haliburton?"

..."young men servicing him?"

..."excuses to tell God to save his ass at the Pearly Gates?"

 

[Jan2017]

South Carolina’s Sen. Lindsey Graham called Sunday for boots on the ground, including those of American soldiers,
to take back territory in Syria from, and successfully destroy, the Islamic State group.

with Graham warning us of the "Paris on Steroids" attack.

“Syria and Iraq combined are the best platform to launch an attack on the United States I’ve seen since 9-11,” Graham said.
“You’ll see a Paris on steroids here pretty soon if you don’t disrupt this organization and take the fight to them on the ground.”

The “Paris on steroids” comment is a reference to the January attack on the French satirical weekly magazine Charlie Hebdo,
where two Islamist terrorists killed 11 staffers, later a police officer, and injured another 11 people."

http://www.postandcourier.com/artic...d-for-regional-force-to-destroy-islamic-state

 

[cindy25]

this will be popular among the GOP base. they want war, especially a small brief war. of course it would end up much longer and many more troops. but that is not what they will believe. Kasich also said he would send troops, as did Walker, so Graham is not alone. Rand is the only one I would believe would not send troops (maybe Trump and Cruz)

 

[Ronin Truth]

If you won't go fight yourself, then don't send OUR kids, CONgresscritter assholes.