Syrian Hmong

[6andcounting]

(10-16-2019, 06:56 PM)Dill Wrote: Wondering why it makes "stragetic sense" to ally with groups that consider us enemies--unless there is some other threat that brought us together, as we allied with the Soviet Union during WWII.

So my question is, what was that threat and is it gone now?

Also if Russia fills the US vacuum in Syria and elsewhere in the ME, is that good for the US?

An even wilder question, if you have time.  How might China view a US departure from the ME. They are our future serious global competitor and equal.  Would they see the US withdrawal as weakening or strengthening China's future prospects as a Super Power?

We ally with and send all kinds of money to Pakistan. We also simultaneous didn't trust them enough to have them help with Bin Laden. We armed the Syrian rebels in the civil war against Assad. John McCain compared them to the founding fathers that fought England. They became ISIS. We partnered with them because they helped us fight a common enemy. Being the locals - they knew the land, culture, language and probably way more about the enemy than any drone could tell us. 


I don't think they threat will ever really go away. All these rulers, dictators and terrorists are fighting each other for power and will gladly accept US help, but they aren't going to turn friendly to the US or the west once they take the power they want. 

Russia taking over isn't a good thing for the US, which is way we've stayed in the middle east for 4 decades. Russia is a bigger long term threat to the US than some flavor of the month terrorist group with hand-me-down weapons or some loud mouth 3rd world shithole dictator who is personally profiting of his county oil who knows they are the next Saddam/Quadafi if they step out of line. That's how we justify I, but at what cost do we stop?

Good question. Never really considered, but I'll give my first thoughts. I don't think it weakens the US as a super power to leave the ME as a military presence. We don't have to cut economic ties and leaving the ME would be a separate issue from are business relationship with SA. China may try to boost their own power through meddling in the ME if the US left.