Stephen Lendman

Trump straightaway in office proved his noninterventionist campaign promises were baloney!

He escalated Bush/Cheney/Obama wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen, threatens possible nuclear war on the Korean peninsula, dashed hoped for improved relations with Russia, and likely intends sending thousands more combat troops to Afghanistan - America’s longest war, lost years ago.

No increased US troop strength can change things. America’s presence is the root cause of raping and destroying the country, devastating long-suffering Afghans - ruled by illegitimate pro-Western puppet governance.

Trump abdicated militarism and warmaking to administration generals and Pentagon commanders. They want authority to deploy more US forces - for front line combat against Taliban fighters, without White House permission.

Claiming they’re solely to train and advise is cover for direct participation in combat - how US forces are used in Iraq and Syria with little reported about it.

Special forces deployed in war theaters directly confront elements Washington wants defeated, especially government forces in Syria, the phony pretext of combating ISIS used to justify naked aggression.

On Tuesday, Trump approved arming Syrian Kurds with heavy weapons, again on the phony pretext of combating ISIS in Raqqa, according to Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White, saying:

“(T)he president authorized the Department of Defense to equip Kurdish elements of the Syrian Democratic Forces as necessary to ensure a clear victory over ISIL in Raqqa, Syria Washington was keenly aware of the security concerns of coalition partner Turkey.”

“We want to assure (Ankara) that the US is committed to preventing additional security risks and protecting our NATO ally.”

White House press secretary Sean Spicer made similar comments, saying the Pentagon will equip Kurdish YPG fighters “as necessary to ensure a clear victory over ISIS in Raqqa.

Fact: Washington created and supports ISIS, al-Nusra and other regional terrorist groups, used as imperial foot soldiers.

Fact: Illegally deployed US forces in northern Syria are at war with Damascus for regime change, using ISIS, other terrorist groups and Kurdish fighters to serve Washington’s imperial agenda.

Until now, the Defense Department only admitted arming anti-government Syrian Arab Coalition terrorists, falsely called “moderate rebels.”

Erdogan strongly opposes aiding Kurdish fighters. Next week he’ll meet with Trump at the White House. Arming YPG forces tops his concerns.

On Tuesday, Deputy Turkish Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said “(w)e cannot accept the presence of terrorist organizations that would threaten the future of the Turkish state. We hope the US administration will put a stop to this wrong and turn back from it.”

US forces in Syria are embedded with Kurds and anti-government terrorist fighters. Claiming they’re only involved in training, advising and assisting is a ruse.

At least 1,000 US special forces and marines are directly involved in northern Syria combat, numbers likely to increase ahead.

Washington may have a southern offensive in mind to control territory close to Damascus, part of a possible balkanization scheme to destroy Syrian territorial integrity, increasing the risk of direct confrontation with Russia.

On Tuesday, Sergey Lavrov arrived in Washington for a two-day visit. He’ll meet with Rex Tillerson at the State Department, then Trump at the White House before he departs.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed it. Talks will focus on Syria, Ukraine and dismal bilateral relations, more likely to worsen ahead than improve.

Last month, Vladimir Putin said the level of trust between Moscow and Washington “degraded” since Trump took office.

Nothing in prospect suggests improvement, both countries world’s apart on key geopolitical issues.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at http://www.sjlendman.blogspot.com.