Special Forces soldier: "I am ashamed for the first time in my career."

[htuttle]

Here's a twitter thread from Jennifer Griffin from Fox News, of all places, reporting on Syria:

I just spoke to a distraught US Special Forces soldier who is among the 1000 or so US troops in Syria tonight who is serving alongside the SDF Kurdish forces. It was one of the hardest phone calls I have ever taken.

"I am ashamed for the first time in my career."

This veteran US Special forces soldier has trained indigenous forces on multiple continents. He is on the frontlines tonight and said they are witnessing Turkish atrocities.

"Turkey is not doing what it agreed to. It's horrible," this military source on the ground told me.
"We met every single security agreement. The Kurds met every single agreement. There was NO threat to the Turks - NONE - from this side of the border." "This is insanity," the concerned US service member told me. ""I don't know what they call atrocities but they are happening."

...more
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1182053870744276993.html

[Mike 03]

1. I'm following her because she's telling the truth.

First Fox News person I've ever followed.

Try to read this thread if you can. It's chilling and shameful.

[Anon-C]

2. De Oppresso Liber!

[Johnny2X2X]

3. I wonder if some of our troops decide to fight anyway

I can't imagine being order by the President to stand by and do nothing while you watch civilians being butchered.

[GulfCoast66]

4. No they won't. But I bet they 'accidentally' leave some shit behind

Things like missiles, commo gear and ammo.

[Kurt V.]

10. +1 yep.

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. That wouldn't surprise me.

[Docreed2003]

5. Disgusting and maddening....

For years we heard from the right about how Obama was too cautious at times, other times to impetuous...NO, Obama was a LEADER who listened to those who were in positions of leadership beneath him and he took in all of the available information and he made the best decisions he could.

This fucker who currently occupies the Oval Office has no concept of his role or the role and responsibilities of this country and he cares not one shit to do so. Trump makes decisions only and ONLY to either appease his "friends" or enrich himself. That's it. And these fuckers hide behind "well I promised to withdraw American troops from needless wars"...FUCK THAT SHIT...that means absolutely nothing when your bullshit, shoot from the hip, decisions mean the deaths of American allies and the loss of any credibility we might have in the region. I agree completely that we cannot afford to needlessly be involved in wars without end, but goddamnit we are in this moment and have committed to these people and we're just going to stand by and watch them be annihilated! It's fucking appalling, disgusting, and a stain on anything we claim to stand for as a country. And a big FUCK YOU to ANYONE on the right who bad mouthed Obama again and again and refused to be sensible because they didn't want Obama to have a win and yet excuse this madness.

[ClusterFreak]

14. Amen to everything you said. n/t

[BlancheSplanchnik]

16. This. n/t

[Evolve Dammit]

6. "This is insanity" You're absolutely fucking right. More service personnel need to shout it out.

The GOP is in a cult trance and are unreachable. Cowards all.

[alwaysinasnit]

7. tRump approved genocide.

[Hulk]

8. "Ashamed for the first time...?"

Seriously? Have you been in a coma for the past three years?

I have such little respect for these “Johnny come lately’s”. This is just the latest travesty brought on by this psychopath. Just pathetic. I’ve been ashamed of my country often, even before this disgraceful mini-Mussolini took control. I’ve been ashamed EVERY FUCKING DAY SINCE!

So sad...you finally were affected. Idiot!

[GulfCoast66]

12. That's too harsh. In my respectful opinion.

Chances are this Special Forced guy has spent the last 3 years fighting side by side with the Kurds to defeat ISIS. Which is something to be proud of. And Special Forced have a real high chance of being killed or injured with no one even hearing about it.

I doubt he has spent way less time reading places like DU or even CNN or FOX than the average Americans. These guys train all the time and due to their skills we have been burning thru them like gas in a race car.

For all we know he is a democrat.

[Hulk]

20. That is your opinion.

Maybe you read this post on DU...maybe not?

"they fought along side of us" is "gas lighting".


"Even most supporters of the Kurds are presenting the bloody, horrific 5 year war to take away the Islamic State's Caliphate in such an unbalanced way that it's essentially dishonest.

The Kurds fought the Islamic State half a mile to several miles OUT IN FRONT OF US, or 3,000 to 20,000 feet BELOW US. NOT "side-by-side" or "shoulder to shoulder" with us. That's how the Kurdish Pesh Merga lost 11,000 killed in action - men and women soldiers alike - while we lost 10.

Some of those 11,000 killed were captives of the Islamic State's sadistic butchers and rapists before they died, too.

Our special forces were back on some hilltop or knoll with laptops, overhead photography, maps, and laser ranging tools, sending the Kurds up front coordinates and images of where THEY should "engage" the ISIS fighters next. And of course our warplanes above bombed the holy hell out of ISIS fighters... then flew safely back to their bases or carriers.

We purposefully used the Kurds to keep Americans safely out of rifle and RPG range. And they accepted that, did the actual ground fighting, and died and were wounded (24,000) in large numbers as a result.

That's quite some ally we had there.

And then Trump after one of his famously nuts phone calls turns the Turks loose on them"

I'm a Vietnam infantry veteran. I saw plenty, and I speak from the same spot this military person speaks from, only 50 years later with technology and news much more readily available than in my day.

Yes, it is harsh. I have very guarded respect for any current or recent military personnel.. The great majority are ignorant supporters to this republican BS. I've parted ways with these fools, and I have little sympathy for their blind stupidity. It's harsh...but it's grounded in a lot of experiences with veterans and current military personnel. It happens to be my opinion...not proud of it, but I feel pretty safe in having drawn it.

[ck4829]

25. +1

[roamer65]

9. He should be ashamed. We all should be ashamed.

ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES.

[TeamPooka]

11. Trump brought this shame upon you and your brothers and sisters in arms

What are you going to do about in 2020 soldier boy?

[JHB]

13. "He doesn't understand the problem. He doesn't understand the repercussions of this."

Troops on the ground in Syria and their commanders were "surprised" by the decision Sunday night.
Of the President's decision: "He doesn't understand the problem. He doesn't understand the repercussions of this. Erdogan is an Islamist, not a level headed actor."

It's not that he doesn't understand the problem. It's that he's not even slightly interested that there will be problems. Trump is even less of a "level headed actor" than Erdogan is.

[questionseverything]

19. all he understands is putin wants assad to stay in control in syria

putin wants Erdogan loyal to putin so he gives him this gift, the sacrifice of American allies

[ancianita]

15. The military doesn't like being used this way. Civilian command is one thing. Civilian command that

smashes the military mission is another. It's hard enough to keep an all volunteer military in hard foreign situations; to toss out the troops' mission is to force them to realize their commander can't solidly command.

Photos of atrocities are coming in.

This will turn Trumpists in the military against their CiC.

[Kaiserguy]

17. Trump betrays everyone

sooner or later. The only thing he cares about is putting money in his pocket. Both his supporters for enabling him and Trump deserves a special place in Hell.

[orleans]

18. is the military truly at trumps beck and call?

if he told the military to go into chicago and kill everyone would they follow his orders?

[Celerity]

21. he would be removed via the 25th Amendment if he ordered that

zero percent chance he would not be

[NCLefty]

22. It feels creepy to be agreeing with Fox News. GET IT OFF!!! :p

That's really messed up though. It's very hard to get morale back once it's gone. I hope he and his buddies don't vote for Trump. The GOP may feed more money into the military but they also extract more blood.

[ck4829]

24. As he should be

[Joe941]

26. Was he ashamed during Iraq war by bush?

Maybe he wasnt in office back then.

[duforsure]

27. The people in our military

Should never vote republican and for trump again unless they want to find themselves in even worse positions from their choices in OUR government. This will only get worse as long as Republicans and trump are in power.