KEANE NOT KEEN ON SYRIA MOVE – AT 1:43 P.M. ET:  Retired Army General Jack Keane, normally a supporter of the president's policies, makes clear his dissent over Syria.  We're hearing a lot of this today.  From Mediaite:   

Fox News senior strategic analyst General Jack Keane made it very clear tonight that while he has agreed with many of President Donald Trump‘s foreign policy decisions, he strongly disagrees with his announcement today that the U.S. is withdrawing from Syria.

Keane spoke with Trish Regan on Fox Business Network tonight and bluntly stated, “This I believe is a serious strategic mistake, it’s going to have dire consequences. I think it’s a decision the President will come to regret, to be frank about it.”

“When we prematurely withdraw forces,” he argued, “because we’re frustrated of it or tired of the time it took––Vietnam, Iraq, and now Syria––the consequences are usually unfavorable and quite dire.”

Keane laid out the consequence of this move, saying that “Russia and our adversaries will look at this not as a victory by the United States, they will look at this as weakness.”

And Lindsey Graham, who has strong national-security cred in the Senate, doubled down on his initial criticism of the move.  From Mediaite: 

On Wednesday evening, Sen. Lindsey Graham spoke on the Senate floor about President Donald Trump‘s Twitter-announced decision to pull troops out of Syria, calling it “disastrous.”

“So the decision today by the president — and I think it was his alone — I think is disastrous to our own national security,” Graham began.

The Trump-supporting Republican senator continued on noting those we hate are celebrating this decision: “The Russians are up to no good all over the world, and their statement says everything you need to know about this decision. The only reason they’re not dancing in Tehran and ISIS camps is they just don’t believe in dancing. They are as happy as they will ever be, and they are not into being happy.”

He added: “So to the president, you win the election, you beat me and many others. You have the right to make this decision, but the Congress has the duty to hold you accountable.”

Then, turning to the fact Trump is declaring the war against ISIS won, Graham called it “fake news.”

“I give the president all the credit in the world for changing our policies regarding the fight against ISIS, but I will not buy into the narrative that they have been defeated in Syria, Iraq, and I just got back from Afghanistan, haven’t slept in two days,” Graham said on the Senate floor.

COMMENT:  That is strong tonic from two allies.  The president's enemies are no doubt lying back and enjoying the spectacle. 

France today bluntly stated that ISIS is not defeated, contradicting the president.  Our Kurdish allies, sold out again, said the same thing.  The Israelis, clearly upset over a decision that can result in Iranian troops on their border, are playing it cool, not wanting to upset their good relationship with Trump.

The president should immediately meet with his critics.  The decision can be reversed, or partially reversed.  But the president, who is not loved by his own party, is in deep trouble on this surprise decision.

December 20, 2018