Trump hates ISIS. He will escalate the use of American forces against it. The Pentagon delivered preliminary options and plans to him yesterday. When ISIS springs up in regions other than Iraq and Syria, expect a Trump administration to expand American involvement. If other terror franchises regain momentum, expect the same. Expansion of American forces in Iraq and Syria and on a permanent basis in Iraq are possible and likely. We shall see.
This decision to enlarge the intensity and theater of the war on terror is a defining moment in Trump’s foreign policy. Trump will escalate. He will commit to Americanizing a war against ISIS. The current strategy, which is Obama’s, limits the American presence in both Iraq and Syria. ISIS is being defeated without expanding the commitment in numbers or in geographical reach. There are such other horizons for Trump as Yemen, Afghanistan, Libya, west and central Africa, the Philippines, Thailand, that is, anywhere in the world that some violent extremist group can start a franchise operation.
On biased reporting, CNN is skilled. In the linked article about the Pentagon’s plans, which is quite informative, there is this gem: “…ISIS’ territorial footprint has also been eroding in Syria.” Eroding? Have it been wind, water or other natural agents that have diminished the presence of ISIS and other terrorists in Syria? Not at all. It has been Russian bombing and military assistance, Syrian army and air force units, Iranian Republican Guard units and Hezbollah fighters. CNN mentions only the Kurds who have fought the terrorists: “… Kurdish groups currently carrying out some of the most effective fighting against ISIS in Syria.” What happened to the highly effective fighting being done by the Syrians, Russians, Iranians and Lebanese? They are the ones who have liberated the most Syrian territory and people.
Why has CNN excised them from mention? It’s because the U.S. government views Syria as an enemy and Russia as a threat; and it views Iran and Hezbollah as terroristic. The U.S. has sanctions on Syria and broke diplomatic relations 5 years ago. The U.S. has sanctions on Russia and has adopted anti-Russian positions on Ukraine and Crimea. In this piece of reporting, the CNN reporters have absorbed the U.S. position on Syria and Russia into their reporting. They simply could not report the reality of the successes of Syria, Russia, Iran and Hezbollah without going against the current U.S. attitudes toward all four of these.
8:36 am on March 1, 2017
