The Fox report below suggests that Bolton opposed withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and Syria. But the Washington Post said several days ago that Bolton opposed the peace talks with the Taliban:
Competing versions of what led to the cancellation of the meeting and, at least temporarily, any further U.S.-Taliban negotiations, exposed internal administration tensions that have flared as a deal seemed near in recent weeks.
Those tensions have pitted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whose chief negotiator, Zalmay Khalilzad, said a week ago that agreement “in principle” had been reached after 10 months of talks with the militants, and Trump national security adviser John Bolton, who opposed the talks.
Zalmay Khalilzad is an old Bush administration retread who is to a tremendous degree responsible for our being bogged down in the endless quagmire in Afghanistan. Between withdrawing and entering into a spurious and fruitless peace agreement with the Taliban, there is a third alternative: leaving with no peace agreement, which will never be honored by the Taliban anyway, and working to contain the jihad threat from spreading beyond Afghanistan. But no one seems to be considering that.
“Trump ousts National Security Adviser John Bolton, says they ‘disagreed strongly’ on policy,” by Brooke Singman, Fox News, September 10, 2019:
President Trump announced Tuesday that he has fired National Security Adviser John Bolton, saying he “disagreed strongly” with his suggestions on a range of issues.
“I informed John Bolton last night that his services are no longer needed at the White House,” Trump tweeted.
“I disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions, as did others in the Administration, and therefore I asked John for his resignation, which was given to me this morning,” he continued. “I thank John very much for his service. I will be naming a new National Security Advisor next week.”
While Bolton swiftly challenged Trump’s version of events — saying he offered to resign — the two have had well-known disagreements on a range of hot-button national security issues, perhaps most significantly on plans for a troop drawdown in Afghanistan.
Bolton’s removal comes after the hawkish adviser was reportedly sidelined from high-level discussions about military involvement in Afghanistan, after opposing diplomatic efforts in the region.
“Simply put, many of Bolton’s policy priorities did not align with POTUS,” a White House official told Fox News on Tuesday.
While Trump announced a 4,000-troop increase in 2017 as part of an effort to break the stalemate in the country, he has been moving toward agreeing to a phased withdrawal of troops. Some 14,000 U.S. troops have remained in Afghanistan, advising and assisting Afghan forces and conducting counterterrorism operations.
Inside the administration, Bolton also advocated caution on Trump’s strategy with North Korea and against Trump’s decision last year to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. Bolton also led a quiet effort inside the administration and with allies abroad to convince the president to keep U.S. forces in Syria to counter ISIS and Iranian influence in the region….
Bolton fired back Tuesday, tweeting moments after the president’s announcement that he offered his resignation on Monday evening, saying it was not immediately accepted by Trump.
“I offered to resign last night and President Trump said, ‘Let’s talk about it tomorrow,’ Bolton tweeted.
Bolton also told Fox News on Tuesday that he and the president were discussing Afghanistan on Monday evening, when he offered to resign.
“I offered to resign last night,” he told Fox News in a text message. “There was no request for a resignation.”
A source also told Fox News that Bolton sent his resignation letter late Tuesday morning, after which Trump tweeted on Bolton’s removal…
gravenimage says
Bolton out as Trump’s National Security Adviser
……………….
Hard to know why.
Bolton is tough on Jihad, which I love–but he also seems to believe that Muslim nations can be civilized, which is entirely mistaken.
Terry Gain says
GI
Where do you get the idea that Bolton today believes Muslims can be civilized? Trump seems to think they will keep an agreement. Bolton doesn’t.
Sabri S. says
One satanic Zionist down, 8 million worldwide to go…death to Israel and their lobbyist…allah u akbar!!
Westman says
Is playing at Nazi as much fun as reliving Woodstock? We’ll never know through personal experience. Could you enlighten us?
gravenimage says
*Of course* the vile Sabri S. is a big fan of the Taliban–stoning women to death seems just about his speed.
Linde Barrera says
To Sabri S- You are a vile monster in human skin.
I pray to the Triune God for all Muslims to be converted by the Holy Spirit to see and hear and feel that Triune God, and not Allah, the supposed deity who created all people but only loves Muslims and only wants Muslims to succeed. Simply put, Allah is a pagan god.
Thankfully, there are millions and millions of nice Muslims who are NOT like you, who do not wish other people dead regardless of their beliefs.
Trick_or_Treat says
Sabri S
You may have heard of this term,
‘You’ll keep!’
Robert Porter says
Sabri S., what you spew is all too typical pig shit dropping of Muslims.
gravenimage says
Actually, Terry, you are right–Bolton was *against* negotiating with the Taliban. Thanks for the correction.
Angemon says
“Hard to know why. ”
I have a theory: Bolton is a warhawk, and his departure may signal Trump is open to negotiations. I don’t believe either the Taliban or Iran will honour them though…
shosh shosha says
“Bolton also led a quiet effort inside the administration and with allies abroad to convince the president to keep U.S. forces in Syria to counter ISIS and Iranian influence in the region….” With Bolton gone will Iran take over Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and bring Russian, Turkish troops to guard military bases producing nuclear bomb components to be used by Iran to attack Israel ? If this happens, wave goodbye to the U.S. economy and our national security and social freedoms. Hello communist socialist USA.
elee says
Special applause to Mr. Spencer for pointing out the third alternative, above. Leave if we have to, but no negotiations with these terrorists. Mr. Bolton will not be missed by anyone who worked for him, but his departure hurts the nation.
gravenimage says
Agreed, elee.
shosh shosha says
When America abandons Israel, the glory of the L-rd will depart from America.
Stanton Lore says
Competent foreign policy advisers cannot continue working for this President. Why?
(Rhetorical question)
Spiro says
I have the feeling Trump is not a hawk
As an ex military person myself I can appreciate that
Finally a president who thinks before committing US forces into senseless
wars
Wellington says
This is what I am convinced is the larger issue, to wit, when dealing with Islam it is like dealing with the drug problem, i.e., there is no really good solution and thus one is relegated to choosing between a host of bad options and hopefully the least bad option will be implemented.
Drug addiction is a curse to mankind. And so is Islam. So, choose your least poisonous “route.” And lots of luck with your choice because you’re going to need it.
The immense burden to humanity which is Mo’s creed continues. You bet it does. On the eve of the 18th “anniversary” of 9/11 I say to all Muslims, no exceptions, your religion sucks and is a curse of the first order.
gravenimage says
All grimly true, Wellington.
mortimer says
Islam is a hydra. Cut off one head and others spring out of the stump.
Terry Gain says
Oh no. Wellington has told Muslims that their “religion” sucks. Sorry. Once it is conceded that that barbaric ideology is a religion Muslims have won. They are free to come to America and practice their “religion” of conquest and be protected by The First Amendment.
Reziac says
This is one reason why I describe it as proto-Marxism with hellfire pasted on top (to keep the proles in line). It is not a religion; it *uses* faith to conquer.
gravenimage says
Terry, your pretending that Wellington is pro-Islam–simply because he refuses to feign Islam not being a religion–is calumny. And you *know* that he is an Anti-Jihadist, so this is disingenuous.
Muslims did not win at Poitiers, or at the Battle of Lepanto, or at the gates of Vienna, because the defenders knew that Islam was a religion.
And no–the First Amendment does *not* protect Muslim conquest of America. In fact, constant demands that we destroy the Constitution for Muslims is far more likely to weaken us.
dsinc says
Islam is a crime against humanity.
mortimer says
Islam is an empire.
Trick_or_Treat says
Would be of only it could be, Mortimer. Please, let’s not unwittingly fall into the trap of bestowing any form of unwarranted deifications or elevations on this c**t of a doctrine, there’s already enough trying that on as is.?
jewdog says
I’m very disturbed by this development, as I’ve always admired Bolton, despite some disagreements – there’s much worse out there. At least Trump had the good sense to cancel the Taliban talks after their attack, but what else did we expect? We shouldn’t have even considered such a move in the first place.
On to the next victim, er…appointee.
Terry Gain says
Trump didn’t have the good sense to know that there is no point in negotiating with he Taliban. Very disturbing.
Reziac says
Trump is evidently willing to give everyone a fair chance to play by the rules. And usually he’s right; look what’s happened with North Korea. But I don’t think he’ll continue to negotiate with the treacherous; indeed, he just said he can’t negotiate with people who open by tossing corpses, as the Taliban did. (Some reported asked him this morning if talks were still on, and he said no, absolutely not.)
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
When it comes to dealing with Moslems, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. It’s been 1400 yrs now, and we’re still waiting for the first time an Infidel nation came out ahead in a deal with them. Or even just came out even.
thomas aprice says
muslims consider peace talks a sign of weakness. They only agree to peace if near defeat. The time of peace will only last until they are strong enough to fight again.
gravenimage says
Grimly true, Thomas.
somehistory says
“As frustration with Bolton mounted, Trump reached out to ex-adviser McMaster”
According to NBC
gravenimage says
Oh, this isn’t good…
Ginny says
No. McMaster is Bohemian Grove material. I fear for the worst
Demsci says
It was a hard blow for me and many others that the president fired John Bolton. I was very disappointed, disillusioned even with the president. I thought: He has fallen for the propaganda of the left and Islam. Thought that the president was foolish with this. But hoped another good security adviser could be found. But it would be even worse if he rehires McMaster! I suppose that may win him (precious little) praise from domestic and global enemies and well meaning appeasers and ignoramuses. But I feel that he will lose a lot of trust from many defenders of democracy.
I also admire Tucker Carlson generally, but I deplore and detest his role in attacking John Bolton. Which may well have contributed to Boltons ouster, as it is rumored that Tucker has “the president’s ear”. Tucker posits that “War with Iran is not in America’s interest” and he seems to think that war with Iran is the same bad idea (in his view) as war with Iraq. But I think much more is at stake now.
I for one think that it is pretty likely Iran will get and eventually use nukes, even as ‘gigantic suicide bombers”. John Bolton foresaw this and wanted to act accordingly and rationally. Will the president and Mike Pompeo now still be willing and able to do anything necessary to stop Iran with nukes-development?
No Muzzies Here says
What good is an adviser if he’s fired for giving advice? Trump fires everybody who disagrees with him. That means he is the sole person in charge of the government. Not good.
And so he surrounds himself with yes-men who will tell him what he wants to hear.
Trump should get a voice recorder, record his voice, and play it back so he will hear what he wants to hear.
UNCLE VLADDI says
Definitely get our of Syria.
gravenimage says
Right–curse you ‘filthy Infidels’ for having defeated the Islamic State, and be sure and give Iran and Hezb’allah a free hand–this is what Uncle Vladdi means.
David says
Good riddance to that war monger from the Bush administration.
Terry Gain says
David
You have no idea what you taking about. Being opposed to negotiating with the Taliban is not warmongering.
Read this. https://issuesinsights.com/2019/09/11/john-boltons-art-of-the-non-deal/
gravenimage says
How does balking at negotiating with Jihadists make you a “war monger”?
peter says
John Bolton might have lost his job but not his integrity . People come and go in any administration but it is the people with integrity ,that count . I may not agree with John Bolton on everything but no one can say that he is cheap unlike many other but kissers in the administration . Thank you sir for your services to this country and your integrity and charector!