Abanding Kurds Will Haunt Americans

Treachery in war isn't new. It's not even new for America. Though usually on the receiving rather than performing side. Countries have been doing treacherous things to each other during war for thousands of years. But this time it's us.

This isn't even the first time America has suddenly turned its back on the Kurds or betrayed them. Numerous reports put the count a eight. In one case, Henry Kissinger was brought before the House Intelligence Committee to explain betraying the Kurds for the Shah of Iran. Kissinger's response to Congress was

"Covert action should not be confused with missionary work.".

I disagree with Dr Kissinger here. In my opinion, all covert action is missionary work. Your mission is improving relations with others for your Country. You're not just on a mission. You are a Missionary. Even dark duty has a purpose of creating better relations. Which is why betrayal is bad mission work. Even when a perceived short-term benefit exists, it always comes at long-term bad feelings. Even a Country's Friends & Allies now know...You will betray.

In the backs of their minds will always be the question "Are we next?"

This is nothing knew. Not even for today. It's one of the many cruxes of the problems that stem from abandoning and betraying the Kurds in Syria. This isn't domestic politics. No matter how much some want to turn it into that. The blood stains are on every American. And so is the lasting stench and stigma. George W Bush took the immediate blame for the Iraq War. (He and to a lessor extent Tony Blair) But America has taken the long-term blame. The lack of trust, the anger, resentments, bitterness, even vengeance is aimed at all Americans.

The same will be true of this. In 20 years, this won't be Donald Trump who betrayed the Kurds. It'll be the United States of America. Each and every one of those 8 instances of America betraying the Kurds in the past came with specific names. But America bears the lasting blame & shame.

For each and every one of them. And for this 9th time. Nine times in the last 100 years now.Even typing it feels creepy.

The short answer is awful. They're angry and ashamed. Many saying they've felt felt ashamed of their Country before. It's something that should have the Pentagon taking a good hard look at what to do next.

And what should they do next?

Along with Small Business, the US Military has public support that is off the charts. All others are so far below in the public's eye, they can barely look up high enough to see the Military's beltline. It wasn't that way for years. The Vietnam War turned "The Pentagon" into a four-letter word. But the War on Terror put a complete stop to that view. Maybe it was the falling towers and burning Pentagon Building. Maybe it was seeing how many "neighbors", in the form of National Guardsmen, went off to fight. Every town was affected. Not just "Military" towns.

Maybe both and a whole lot more. America had a "just" war. Which is something President Trump is going to have to really think long & hard about before he decides to make "endless wars" his next Campaign Mantra. Americans were sick and tired of questionable wars. The Iraq War brought back alot of those old feelings. But it didn't take the righteousness out of the cause of ending terrorism once and for all.

Is that an "endless" mission? Probably. But we're entering an era where Terrorists can easily obtain the most advanced Information & Psychological Warfare systems & techniques and attack Americans in very small bands from anywhere in the World. With nothing but a laptop or a SmartPhone. Oh but that can't be all that serious can it?

Russian Information Warfare is blamed for manipulating the 2016 Presidential Election and the BREXIT Vote in the United Kingdom. But if that isn't enough, Russian Military Intelligence picked the NFL Player "Anthem Protests" as a backdrop for targeting Americans. On one Sunday alone, it sent almost 3000 tweets directed at Football Fans and anyone following President Trump's Twitter Fight with the Players, NFL and Sports Media. All designed to make Americans fight each other.

Still not sure why you should care? Because Russia's Military does.

NATO has looked very closely at this. They even have a handbook available online. Why? Because the #1 Target in Russia's Information Warfare Doctrine is "an enemy's major Media". Manipulating a Country's Media to unknowingly do its bidding. But that's not the biggest reason to care when Terror Groups get their hands on this. It's because using Information and Psychological Warfare is now the preferred method of defeating an "enemy" by Russian Military. Their first position is that it is "more effective than bombs and bullets at defeating an enemy".

More effective than bombs and bullets at defeating an enemy.

Let that one really sink in before you want to treat it like nothing more than internal political hay. Which is all our Political Parties and Media have done. Americans have abandoned their own Children to these attacks.

And they're already being carried out by Terror Organizations. Including ISIS. If anyone says to you that ISIS can't hurt you from there, you don't listen to them. Because they are completely wrong. They're living in another century's political fights.

This century has already passed them right by. Unfortunately, the same is true for America's President and anyone currently running to take the job from him. The reason they all sound like they're selling dead ideas is because they are.

So with all of this as a backdrop, US Troops have been ordered to leave Northern Syria under the mantra being tested of "ending endless wars".

Just before they go to Saudi Arabia as some sort of Rent-a-Soldier or something. Abandoning their allies who bled with them fighting ISIS. And being turned into Mall Cops. Not a good week to be a US Soldier. Hard to say if they're more angry or hurt.

But the word "ashamed" is the most common uttered by Troops. And that is just about the last word any Soldier ever wants to use.