December 27, 2018
Seth Frantzman
“ “We like to win; we are going to win,” US President Donald Trump told the troops at Al-Asad airbase in central Iraq.
It was his first visit to US forces abroad, and comes in the wake of Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria. It also comes in the wake of the resignation of US Defense Secretary James Mattis, who was popular with the troops, and also the resignation of anti-ISIS envoy Brett McGurk.
Trump’s decision to go to Iraq the day after Christmas is part of an attempt to change the narrative after being slammed for his reversal of Syrian policy and accusations that he made the decision without consulting the Pentagon or the State Department. By speaking at Al-Asad in western Iraq, he sought to reach out directly to the American military. This was an important and symbolic speech because it comes at a crucial point in his foreign policymaking and also midway into his administration.“ (…)
https://www.meforum.org/articles/2018/trump%E2%80%99s-rubicon-moment-in-iraq-praising-america%E2%80%99s
