Trump Claims Responsibility for Gulf Crisis

[Bengalzona]

Looks like Qatar is investing in $15 billion in American fighter jets.

So this was what Trump was up to, eh.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-boeing-idUSKBN19531Y?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5941c12004d30112dd3a51c1&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(06-15-2017, 01:28 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: Looks like Qatar is investing in $15 billion in American fighter jets.

So this was what Trump was up to, eh.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-boeing-idUSKBN19531Y?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5941c12004d30112dd3a51c1&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

Nothing says consistent foreign policy like calling Qatar a supporter of terrorism one week then selling them F-15s the next week.

[Dill]

(06-15-2017, 01:28 AM)Bengalzona Wrote: Looks like Qatar is investing in $15 billion in American fighter jets.

So this was what Trump was up to, eh.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-boeing-idUSKBN19531Y?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5941c12004d30112dd3a51c1&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook

LOL more American jobs, I guess.

It's getting "complicteder and complicateder" over there.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/13/politics/us-ambassador-to-qatar-stepping-down/index.html
In May, Smith made headlines after taking the rare step of expressing frustration with the Trump administration for complicating American diplomats' work overseas.

Soon after FBI Director James Comey was fired, Smith tweeted: "Increasingly difficult to wake up overseas to news from home, knowing I will spend today explaining our democracy and institutions."

The exact target of her comment was unclear, but it was widely interpreted as criticism of President Donald Trump's dismissal of Comey.

[Dill]

(06-15-2017, 09:46 AM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: Nothing says consistent foreign policy like calling Qatar a supporter of terrorism one week then selling them F-15s the next week.

Hey Oncemore, were you I ever in Qatar?

 I thought maybe you passed through there once or twice or maybe went there for R and R.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(06-15-2017, 12:15 PM)Dill Wrote: Hey Oncemore, were you I ever in Qatar?

 I thought maybe you passed through there once or twice or maybe went there for R and R.

No.

I passed through Dubai once on a commercial flight for a Red Cross message. Closest I came to Qatar was my branch manager offered me a one year assignment in Korea, Kuwait, or Qatar after I just got back from Iraq. (They had to delete my orders for a 6 month tour in Honduras for JTF Bravo IOT deploy me to Iraq.) He promised a follow up assignment at Ft. Gillem. But, I knew he was BSing me cause he already filled that slot and that person wouldn't be reassigned for 3-4 years.

[Bengalzona]

(06-15-2017, 09:46 AM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: Nothing says consistent foreign policy like calling Qatar a supporter of terrorism one week then selling them F-15s the next week.

I suppose that "Find-Any-Way-to-Get-Their-Money" foreign policy is better than "Bats**t Crazy" foreign policy or "I-Don't-Know-WTF-is Going-on-in-the-World" foreign policy.

At least financially, if not ethically. 

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(06-15-2017, 03:32 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: I suppose that "Find-Any-Way-to-Get-Their-Money" foreign policy is better than "Bats**t Crazy" foreign policy or "I-Don't-Know-WTF-is Going-on-in-the-World" foreign policy.

At least financially, if not ethically. 

So Trump calls Qatar a supporter of terrorism to ratchet up the political pressure applied by countries like Saudi Arabia and Trump offers to mediate the increased sanctions he is partly responsible for a sale of F-15s?

At one point, I gave Trump the benefit of the doubt he might be crazy like a fox. He's not.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

Is Qatar a supporter of terrorism because we have a military base there? Or because they give us money for weapons so we can use that money to make more weapons we can sell those weapons to make more money?

Does Trump even know we have a base in Doha?

[Dill]

(06-15-2017, 05:32 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: So Trump calls Qatar a supporter of terrorism to ratchet up the political pressure applied by countries like Saudi Arabia and Trump offers to mediate the increased sanctions he is partly responsible for a sale of F-15s?

At one point, I gave Trump the benefit of the doubt he might be crazy like a fox. He's not.

No, he is not. He is a nightmare for the State and Defense departments.

But I think that foreign policy errors will be part of the pressure needed to finally get him out of office, so I am paying attention to what happens now in the Gulf. If Saudi Arabia doesn't like the US base in Qatar, or the arms sale there, I am wondering how manageable they will be in the future.  When you create a political vacuum and someone else fills it, it's hard to regain your influence.

(06-15-2017, 03:32 PM)Bengalzona Wrote: I suppose that "Find-Any-Way-to-Get-Their-Money" foreign policy is better than "Bats**t Crazy" foreign policy or "I-Don't-Know-WTF-is Going-on-in-the-World" foreign policy.

At least financially, if not ethically. 

If the F 15 sale is truly a consequence of Saudi pressure, maybe there was a bit of a plan there. I don't think so though. I think your three options are exactly what we have to work with here.  The top guy is making crazy decisions and all down the chain of command people are scrambling to repair the damage while telling the cameras things are working well.