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Offline Suppressed

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Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« on: March 17, 2018, 11:52:38 am »
March 16, 2018 - 07:56 PM EDT
Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/378884-retired-four-star-army-general-trump-serious-threat-to-us
BY JACQUELINE THOMSEN

A retired four-star Army general said that he believes that President Trump is a “serious threat to US national security.”

Retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey tweeted Friday that he reached the conclusion about Trump because the president “is refusing to protect vital US interests from active Russian attacks.”

“It is apparent that he is for some unknown reason under the sway of Mr. Putin,” he added.

[...]
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Offline Suppressed

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2018, 11:53:38 am »
Hard to take this general seriously.  He says "unknown reason" when Trump has, in his own words, expressed admiration for totalitarianism.
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Offline TomSea

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2018, 12:57:28 pm »
"....  and led the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy for five years during the Clinton administration."
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Offline Victoria33

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #3 on: March 17, 2018, 01:02:33 pm »
@Suppressed

Based on Trump's behavior, the general believes there is a connection between Trump and Russia but does not know what it is.  It's either Trump "likes" Putin, wants Putin's approval, or Putin has some hold on Trump to cause him to act this way.
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Offline TomSea

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2018, 01:05:39 pm »
Quote
McCaffrey has harshly criticized American treatment of detainees during the War on Terror. According to McCaffrey: "We should never, as a policy, maltreat people under our control, detainees. We tortured people unmercifully. We probably murdered dozens of them during the course of that, both the armed forces and the C.I.A."[53][54] He "supports an investigation of the government lawyers who knowingly advocated illegal torture, and he specifically cited Bush's White House counsel and attorney general in the same discussion, emphasizing that 'we better find out how we went so wrong.'"[55]

In June 2005, McCaffrey surveyed Iraq on behalf of U.S. Central Command and wrote an optimistic report afterwards.[56] In the report, McCaffrey described U.S. senior military leadership team as superb and predicted the insurgency will reach its peak from January-to-September 2006, allowing for U.S. force withdrawals in the late summer of 2006. A year later, however, after visiting Iraq again, his assessment was grim: "Iraq is abject misery ... I think it's a terribly dangerous place for diplomats and journalists and contractors and Iraqi mothers. Trying to go about daily life in that city is a real nightmare for these poor people." He called Abu Ghraib "the biggest mistake that happened so far."[57] In an official memorandum,[58] McCaffrey nevertheless expressed optimism about the operation's longer term future:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_McCaffrey#Comments_on_the_War_on_Terror_and_the_Iraq_War

Works for MSNBC. Sounds like he could be against Republicans and his prognostications have turned out false.

Calling Trump as admiring authoritarians seems off-basis as well.
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Offline Weird Tolkienish Figure

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2018, 01:24:16 pm »
Quote from: Victoria33 on March 17, 2018, 01:02:33 pm
@Suppressed

Based on Trump's behavior, the general believes there is a connection between Trump and Russia but does not know what it is.  It's either Trump "likes" Putin, wants Putin's approval, or Putin has some hold on Trump to cause him to act this way.

I dunno, aren't we now fighting Russians in Syria? I'm more worried that all this "Trump collaborates with Russia" talk could make Trump overreact vs. the Russians.
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Offline libertybele

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #6 on: March 17, 2018, 01:52:43 pm »
Quote from: Victoria33 on March 17, 2018, 01:02:33 pm
@Suppressed

Based on Trump's behavior, the general believes there is a connection between Trump and Russia but does not know what it is.  It's either Trump "likes" Putin, wants Putin's approval, or Putin has some hold on Trump to cause him to act this way.

Keep in mind though that there has been absolutely no evidence of Russian collusion and in fact the evidence points in the opposite direction. So, what is the general basing his 'hunch' on?  Trump mentioned early on that he had and admiration for Putin; probably because they have similar personalities.  Both are strong, bold and assertive in nature and set out to accomplish their goals.  I'm not so sure that Putin has anything on Trump rather than it is Trump is smart enough to know he needs to keep his enemies close.
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Offline Sanguine

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #7 on: March 17, 2018, 01:53:50 pm »
Oh, McCaffery.  I was counting on it being Weasley Clark.
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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #8 on: March 17, 2018, 03:35:06 pm »
Quote from: Victoria33 on March 17, 2018, 01:02:33 pm
@Suppressed

Based on Trump's behavior, the general believes there is a connection between Trump and Russia but does not know what it is.  It's either Trump "likes" Putin, wants Putin's approval, or Putin has some hold on Trump to cause him to act this way.

@Victoria33

Yes, I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek.  You're right; there are a few possibilities, none of which are good for America's security.
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“The most effectual means of being secure against pain is to retire within ourselves, and to suffice for our own happiness.” -- Thomas Jefferson

“He's so dumb he thinks a Mexican border pays rent.” --Foghorn Leghorn

Online Bigun

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #9 on: March 17, 2018, 04:59:58 pm »
Quote from: Sanguine on March 17, 2018, 01:53:50 pm
Oh, McCaffery.  I was counting on it being Weasley Clark.

Same difference if you ask me.
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Offline Jazzhead

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #10 on: March 17, 2018, 05:09:38 pm »
Quote from: Weird Tolkienish Figure on March 17, 2018, 01:24:16 pm
I dunno, aren't we now fighting Russians in Syria? I'm more worried that all this "Trump collaborates with Russia" talk could make Trump overreact vs. the Russians.

Me too.  What we all know beyond doubt is that Trump is inexperienced in world affairs.  At the same time, he is more and more being treated like a cornered dog,  and we all know what a dangerous and unpredictable scenario that is.   
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Offline Sanguine

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #11 on: March 17, 2018, 05:14:29 pm »
Quote from: Weird Tolkienish Figure on March 17, 2018, 01:24:16 pm
I dunno, aren't we now fighting Russians in Syria? I'm more worried that all this "Trump collaborates with Russia" talk could make Trump overreact vs. the Russians.

Yes, TomSea or Endicom posted an article here about a guy calling himself "Vagner" who leads the Russian mercenaries fighting in Syria, and one of the comments from one of the mercenaries was that they weren't fighting for Syria, they were fighting the U.S.
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Offline edpc

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #12 on: March 17, 2018, 05:17:53 pm »
Quote from: Weird Tolkienish Figure on March 17, 2018, 01:24:16 pm
I dunno, aren't we now fighting Russians in Syria? I'm more worried that all this "Trump collaborates with Russia" talk could make Trump overreact vs. the Russians.


I just hope the people around him keep things in check and prevent him from releasing the terrible might of the Space Force.
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Offline Weird Tolkienish Figure

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #13 on: March 17, 2018, 05:32:36 pm »
Quote from: edpc on March 17, 2018, 05:17:53 pm

I just hope the people around him keep things in check and prevent him from releasing the terrible might of the Space Force.

People mock that idea but it might need t be a bad one depending on the details.
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Offline Sanguine

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #14 on: March 17, 2018, 05:34:22 pm »
Quote from: Weird Tolkienish Figure on March 17, 2018, 05:32:36 pm
People mock that idea but it might need t be a bad one depending on the details.

I remember the way Reagan was mercilessly mocked for "Star Wars".
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Offline edpc

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #15 on: March 17, 2018, 05:43:48 pm »
Quote from: Weird Tolkienish Figure on March 17, 2018, 05:32:36 pm
People mock that idea but it might need t be a bad one depending on the details.


We've explored anti-satellite weapons since the 50s and have had the capability to discreetly target them since 1985.  Flights of the X-37B have been conducted since 2006. 
« Last Edit: March 17, 2018, 06:13:53 pm by edpc »
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Offline Night Hides Not

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Re: Retired four-star Army general: Trump ‘serious threat to US national security’
« Reply #16 on: March 19, 2018, 02:51:06 pm »
Quote from: Sanguine on March 17, 2018, 01:53:50 pm
Oh, McCaffery.  I was counting on it being Weasley Clark.

Most retired generals I wouldn't give a bucket of spit for. I admit my bias...my last job in the Army, I was a HQ battery commander, and my mess hall was used a couple times a month by retired officers for breakfast get togethers. They never took off their rank, and I'd hear it from my boss if they weren't treated like royalty.

IMO, they would have been better off at IHOP, or some other establishment off post. Damn, they were a pain in the ass.
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