In saying this, Trump appears to be aware that taking Islamic State jihadis back is a suicidally stupid move, one that all to many European countries are willing to make. As is clear from the context of this exchange, the establishment media is eager for Western countries to play Russian roulette in this way.
“Macron says time for Turkey to clarify ambiguous stance on Islamic State,” by Michel Rose, Reuters, December 3, 2019:
…In an at times awkward news conference with Trump, Macron appeared exasperated when the U.S. president said he would pass the question to Macron on whether France should do more to bring French ISIS fighters home.
Paris has about 400 nationals, including around 60 fighters, held in northern Syria. It has refused to bring adults home saying they must face trial where their crimes were committed.
“Would you like some nice ISIS fighters? You can take everyone you want,” Trump said in a light-hearted tone.
Visibly irritated, Macron responded, saying “let’s be serious” and argued that number of foreign fighters from European countries was small, and that it would be unhelpful to focus on them rather than on the broader problem.
“It is true you have fighters coming from Europe but this is a tiny minority and I think the number one priority, because it’s not finished, is to get rid of ISIS and terrorist groups. This is our number one priority and it’s not yet done,” he said.
Trump suggested Macron had not answered the question.
“This is why he is a great politician because that was one of the greatest non-answers I have ever heard, and that’s OK,” Trump said.
Peter WF says
Well said President Donald Trump!
mortimer says
Yes, thank you, Mr.Pres. Those terrorists committed crimes against humanity and should be punished as were the Nazi war criminals as an example to other terrorists.
Reziac says
You want to end this crap? Bury them with dead pigs. I’m not kidding. It worked in Afghanistan, until the higher-ups put an end to it. Suddenly no more instant jihadis. Make the promise of paradise into the promise of hell, and the Believers will stay away.
I AM THE INFIDEL YOUR IMAM WARNED YOU ABOUT says
Where did you hear this crap about jihadis being buried with dead pigs in Afghanistan? That’s total crap
gravenimage says
When have US military personnel ever done this? What rot.
william carr says
Wait a moment, was Trump not a short time ago urging the EU countries to take back their ISIS citizens? I am confused a bit. I am no fan of Macron but I think his idea is best. If one takes them back it is admitting they are still citizens with the rights of citizens. So they will get liberal defence attorneys who will do their damndest to mitigate their crimes in courts with higher standards of proof. Plus the costs of collecting evidence and bringing witnesses to France (and other states) to try them which will most likely take years.
Let them be tried where their crimes were committed. Preferably in states which have death penalties!
Philis O'Shaughnessy says
It’s madness embracing islam/muslims;They are the deceivers, Liars, sex fiends,killers.
Kesselman says
At the NATO meeting in London President Trump was the considered grown up and left both Canadian PM Trudeau and French President Macron exposed as some gangling youth.
Stefan Ryznyk (@RyznykStefan) says
You won’t get much past Trump, who is draining the DC swamp. Cunning as a fox I’ll say, and he will slap you in a loving paternal way. Trudeau and Macron are both out of their league compared to a man of Trumps caliber and stature. Man of the year material as well as a Nobel Peace Prize Award. History will record that his is a divine mission of peace to save the American Constitution and the Republic from the swamp, restore government back to the people, and to stand with Israel in these last Jihad days.
Reziac says
And it’s hilarious watching these other so-called leaders reacting to Trump as if they’re all petulant teenagers. (Or occasionally like adoring but naughty little boys, as Rocketboy Kim does.) Trump is definitely the grownup in the roomful of world politicians.
Still, I wish the lot of ’em would take his example, and grow up. Funny how all the other adults hie from countries that have actual experience of foreign oppression (eg. Poland and Hungary).
Quazgaa says
Macaron est foutu!
And so is France..
Lavéritétriomphera says
La France est foutue (?).
Macron est en grande difficulté du fait de la crise sociale.
Nous devrions sortir de l’OTAN, et se rapprocher de la Russie.
Les US sont en Amérique, alors que nous habitons la même terre que les russes.
Dawne says
” et se rapprocher de la Russie.” – that didn’t end up well last time it was tried in 1941 did it? Anyway I doubt Macron wants to rapproche de la Russie; I rather think he fancies himself as the new Bonaparte at the head of a European army.
gravenimage says
Trump to Macron: “Would you like some nice ISIS fighters? You can take everyone you want”
…………….
I doubt Macron will learn anything from this.
mortimer says
Macron’s learning curve looks close to being a flat line. At least Macron stopped saying ‘Nothing to do with Islam.’
gravenimage says
I hope so, Mortimer.
Infidel says
There is really a simple solution to all this. Give the Kurds, or whoever else is holding these ISIS fighters, a carte blanche to execute those prisoners in any way they like. Don’t argue over Geneva convention or whether they are POWs or any of that legal mumbo jumbo: just make it clear to the captors: “You don’t have to keep them alive”.
The reason the question of their citizenship arises is that you have media in these countries arguing that if someone is a citizen of any of these countries, say France, that France is obligated to take them back. But by now, even the morons running these countries recognize what a stupid move that would be. Fair enough, but then, there should not be an expectation on the Kurds or Syrians or Iraqis or anyone else to keep them alive indefinitely. Just have them killed any which way, and pretend there’s nothing going on. If any country objects, ask them point blank whether they’re willing to take them back or not. Even Bangladesh, for crying out loud, has said that if Shamima Begum, that broad who went and procreated several Muslimlings, were a Bangladesh citizen, that they’d have executed her. There is no reason for anyone in the West to be ‘better than that’.
Reziac says
Best idea yet. A little judicious lack of supervision can put an end to otherwise insoluble dilemmas.
And whenever we say “we’re better than that,” the enemy sees this as weakness (since we’ve just declared what we won’t do) and exploits it, and now things are worse than before.
eduardo odraude says
I completely understand Macron. Why would he want to bring a few hundred French-speaking ISIS fighters home to France? Imagine what that would cost France in terms of incarceration and, when the fighters get released, in terms of surveillance and, when the surveillance fails, in terms of terror attacks? And how many votes would Macron lose in bringing piles of ISIS fighters into France?
I understand Trump also. I guess he wants France to take back its ISIS fighters because right now the US is paying to secure them in Syria and Iraq etc.
Anjuli Pandavar says
France will do as the OIC tells it to do, as will the EU.
mortimer says
European politicians are taking the jihadists back mainly because it fits their grand replacement agenda of replacing freedom-loving, pluralistic Europeans with Third-World nationals who are used to dictatorship and who will accept that.
The agenda of population replacement will go forward faster if the EU can create a manufactured jihad crisis and then crush all free speech and all resistance to a complete European dictatorship.
Norger says
A poll taken back in 2014 showed that 16% of all French citizens supported ISIS. 1 in 6 French citizens was an ISIS sympathizer. France is on the verge of civil war. Macron should bring back lots of those nice ISIS fighters; what could possibly go wrong?
It’s remarkable that Macron can be so dismissive; The Paris jihad terrorist attacks which took place November 2015, killing 130 people, including 90 at the Bataclan theater, were in fact led by a returned ISIS fighter, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. France is lost.
Giacomo Latta says
What gives Macron the idea that ISIS doesn’t exist any more? Check the minds of the ISIS fighters that want to return ”home”, Bozo. Syria no longer suits them because there is no one left to kill, the sex slaves have scattered and there’s nothing on TV. ISIS still exists and Macron wants to preserve it.
Richard Courtemanche says
Some complained of these elites behaving like children because of the rude exchanges. I suppose time has come to call a spade a spade in some instances.
Alec Rawls says
Robert is missing the full context that Trump provided. He said that WE, meaning the U.S., are paying to incarcerate a large number of ISIS prisoners and he wants other countries to carry their share of the load.
If Macron really wanted to “be serious” he would have offered on the spot to reimburse America for the cost of holding all France-originated ISIS captives while apologizing/explaining that France’s civilian justice system is not equipped to deal with prisoners from an ongoing war that will not end in anyone’s lifetime.