I doubt we have to worry about Nikki Haley or even her handler/assistant, Jon Lerner. Most of what they can do at the UN is the equivalent of howling from the trees and flinging their poo at people passing by. Now Brian Hook and his Iran Action Group (IAG) may actually be capable of biting. In addition to the IAG, there is another dangerous beast, James Jeffrey, the State Department’s special representative for Syria. Two days ago, Jeffrey spelled out the Trump Administration’s present policy towards Syria quite clearly.
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The US will not withdraw its military presence from Syria, as announced by the US special representative for Syria, James Jeffrey on September 6th.
According to Jeffrey, the Trump administration is shifting towards a more expansive plan for Syria that involves not just the defeat of ISIS, but also reducing Iranian influence and preventing Bashar al-Assad from consolidating power.
According to James Jeffrey, President Donald Trump supports the strategy that envisions an indefinite military and diplomatic presence in Syria, contrary to the President’s previous inclination to withdraw US troops after defeating ISIS.
“The new policy is we’re no longer pulling out by the end of the year,” he told reporters in Washington. Initially the 2,200 US troops deployed to eastern Syria in support of the multi-national coalition against ISIS was supposed to leave. Instead, they will remain in support of a combined military and diplomatic effort to limit Iranian and Russian influence over post-war reconstruction. “That means we are not in a hurry,” Jeffrey said, adding that he was “confident” Trump supports what he called a “more active approach” in Syria.
As reported by the Daily Caller, the strategy had reportedly been under consideration for within the Trump administration for months, however it was not employed mostly because of Donald Trump’s reluctance to deepen the US involvement in Syria.
As reported by Hurriyet daily news, James Jeffrey’s remarks also hint at a more active US diplomacy against the Bashar al-Assad rule and its main supporters, Russia and Iran, in the new term. This new policy has already been observed at the U.N. Security Council in the last few days where the US, France and Britain have taken a very sharp position against the potential use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government in Idlib and elsewhere in the country. (SouthFront)
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At some point even the most ardent Trump acolyte will have to admit this is now Trump’s policy. It is not something done by the neocons, the deep state, the anonymous resister or the ghost of John McCain without Trump's acquiescence. He is not some clueless, oblivious Governor Willian J. LePetomane. Trump may not give a rat’s ass about Israel, the Palestinians or Assad, but he has a real hard on against Iran or to be more exact, Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. It’s all personal. The recently stated Syria policy is all about Iran. Now he’s tweeting warnings to Assad and Putin to leave Idlib alone. He’s not thinking geopolitically. It’s becoming more personal with every tweet. If Putin and Assad defy Trump’s tweet warnings, as they surely will, he’s liable to strike back in rage. And all those around him will goad him on. And then, good buddy, the shit will truly be on.
TTG
https://southfront.org/us-officially-admits-its-not-going-to-withdraw-forces-from-syria/
http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-syria-idlib-strikes-20180904-story.html#
