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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TuESDAY, JANuARY 1, 2019
OPINION
editor@dailyastorian.com
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Publisher
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GUEST COLUMN
Mattis rejects a president who betrays allies
J
ames Mattis’ resignation letter
laid bare the frightening future of
national security under President
Donald Trump.
The defense secretary made it clear
that he could no longer serve a president
who betrays our friends and bows to our
adversaries. The last straw was Trump’s
green light to Turkey to massacre our
Syrian Kurdish allies.
But what finally drove Mattis out was
not just Trump’s cal-
lous indifference toward
America’s friends. It
was also the way Trump
has turned foreign pol-
icy-making into a one-
man show based on
personal whim — or
TRUDY
self-aggrandizement.
RUBIN
The last significant
foreign policy brake on
the self-styled “genius”
in the White House will now be gone.
Americans better hunker down for 2019
— because Trump’s stunning deci-
sion on Syria highlights every danger-
ous component of his policymaking
approach.
Consider them one by one:
Trump’s foreign policy process has
become so chaotic it is almost nonexis-
tent. Trump suddenly tweeted the news
that 2,000 U.S. forces would leave Syria
within weeks without prior consulta-
tion with any of his team — not the Pen-
tagon, not his secretary of state, not his
national security adviser, not his com-
manders, not Congress, not NATO allies
fighting alongside us in Syria, not the
Kurds.
In the preceding weeks, almost every
top Trump adviser on Syria — both mil-
itary and civilian — had been stating
publicly that those troops would stay for
some time to prevent an Islamic State
revival or further advances by Iran.
Syrian Kurds had also been recently
reassured.
AP Photo/Susan Walsh
President Donald Trump, center, stands with Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, second from
left, before the Army-Navy game in December.
Just last month, the U.S. special
envoy to the anti-Islamic State coalition,
Brett McGurk, told reporters: “Ameri-
cans will remain on the ground after the
physical defeat of the (Islamic State)
caliphate, until we have the pieces in
place to ensure that that defeat is endur-
ing. Nobody is declaring a mission
accomplished.”
From Mattis on down, all of these
U.S. officials were blindsided by
Trump’s tweet. As were the Kurds.
Trump’s foreign policy decisions
appear driven more by personal issues
than security concerns. In a video
defending his Syria decision, Trump
declared, “We have won against ISIS.”
Not true.
There are an estimated 20,000 to
30,000 Islamic State fighters believed
to be in Syria and Iraq, who could
re-emerge if U.S. troops leave prema-
turely. U.S. special forces — while small
in numbers — give Kurds and Sunni
tribesmen the confidence to keep fight-
ing, while training them to take over
after a future U.S. exit. They also gather
intelligence on the growing Iranian pres-
ence in Syria.
Those U.S. troops provide Washing-
ton with its main leverage in ongoing
international negotiations over Syria’s
political future, preparing the ground for
U.S. troops to ultimately leave. Trump’s
move has cut the legs out from under
U.S. negotiators.
So why did Trump tweet now? No
sign security interests were considered.
It’s possible that the unusual crit-
icism he took recently from far-right
Fox News commentators about the bor-
der wall convinced Trump he needed
to fulfill a different campaign promise
and bring the troops home. Or — since
Trump shows little interest in long-term
strategic thinking, and views every for-
eign policy issue in terms of making the
best monetary deal — his phone con-
versation last week with Turkish Pres-
ident Recep Tayyip Erdogan may hold
the key. The two leaders discussed new
arms deals — a quid pro quo for letting
Turkey crush the Kurds?
Which brings us to the third compo-
nent: Trump emboldens autocrats while
betraying allies. The president kow-
towed to the despotic Erdogan, despite
Turkey’s pledge to bury the Kurds. The
Turks have already bombed the Kurdish
Afrin region of Syria.
Moreover, those who will gain most
from the U.S. withdrawal, besides Erdo-
gan, are Russia’s Vladimir Putin and
Iran’s ayatollahs, whose hold on Syria
will be solidified after a total U.S. exit.
Putin swiftly praised Trump’s decision
to quit Syria. (Mattis has long been dis-
turbed by Trump’s attraction to the Rus-
sian leader).
And, of course, the Kurds, who face
Turkish slaughter from the sky, are
stunned. It was Trump’s indifference to
their fate that reportedly propelled Mat-
tis to quit. He also knows that Trump’s
betrayal will discourage any putative
allies from working with the United
States in the future.
And so, the retired Marine gen-
eral reached his limit. (He also opposed
another sudden Trump order for half
the 14,000 U.S. troops in Afghani-
stan to return home, undercutting new
U.S. efforts to negotiate a deal between
Afghan leaders and the Taliban.)
But Mattis’ stand won’t curb Trump
unless the retired Marine general speaks
out publicly. And unless a critical mass
of Republican senators finally recog-
nizes the danger of an unrestrained
Trump and confronts him.
Trudy Rubin is a columnist and
editorial-board member for the Philadel-
phia Inquirer.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Why does Trump
protest so much?
President Donald Trump’s rantings
against the Mueller investigation have
intensified, leading most to wonder if an
innocent man would protest so much?
Because the inappropriate attacks are so
over the top, I began to wonder if the col-
lusion might go beyond just political sup-
port for the 2016 election, but might mean
that Trump sold his soul (and ours) to the
Russians.
Most of us, even if we had $1 billion,
would not even think about pursuing more
money, but greed is a disease like gam-
bling. What if Putin offered Trump $100
billion in money, gold, and real estate to
deliver the U.S. to Russia? The road map
to deliver: sow hate and division among
the American people. Done, check.
Attack and undermine American insti-
tutions like the FBI, CIA, and the Justice
Department. Check. Abdicate leadership
in and support of NATO. Done. Alien-
ate U.S. allies. Check. Create chaos in the
Executive branch. Check. Undermine the
Joint Chiefs of Staff for our military by
replacing experience with inexperience.
Underway.
Create discord in western trade and
environmental agreements by trashing or
terminating those agreements. Attack or
destroy nuclear proliferation agreements.
Ongoing. Create distractions such as
immigration and walls, and finally, prema-
turely back out of a long, hard, successful
effort in Syria against ISIS, with Putin’s
thanks.
Perhaps Trump is just faking incompe-
tence and stupidity. Maybe he was born in
St. Petersburg?
DAVID FITCH
Astoria
Council ignored residents’
appeals against hotel
On Dec. 12, the Astoria City Coun-
cil voted 3-2 in favor of allowing a
wealthy, out-of-state hotel developer to
construct a four-story, shoe-box shaped,
view-blocking, out of proportion mon-
strosity along our riverfront, and in so
doing, voted against the residents of
Astoria (“Riverfront hotel project in
Astoria wins appeal,” The Daily Asto-
rian, Dec. 13).
In a packed City Hall, a stream of res-
idents provided unanimous testimony
against permitting the hotel as proposed.
But a slick presentation by the hotelier’s
team bamboozled the mayor and two
councilors into approving the 45-foot-
high wall of a hotel just a few feet from
the Riverwalk in the Bridge Vista section
of Astoria.
One councilor’s words will forever
ring inside the council chambers — “In
a few years you won’t even notice the
hotel is there.”
The two votes for the people and our
town were cast by Cindy Price and Zetty
Nemlowill. Councilors Price and Nem-
lowill got it right, and provided valid
logical reasons to reject the hotel as
designed. Both are leaving the council in
January but will long be remembered for
their service, consistently thoughtful and
meaningful opinions, and their input to
council deliberations.
Their votes supported a vision of
Astoria that recognizes the value of its
history and preservation of its environ-
ment and character, while allowing and
encouraging changes that will benefit the
future community at large, rather than
assisting a few individuals to profit at the
expense of Astoria residents.
CHRISTOPHER FARRAR
Astoria
Amazing transformation
An amazing transformation has begun
on the beach dunes of Gearhart. This has
all happened through the hard work of
City Manager Chad Sweet, Mayor Matt
Brown, the City Council, Planning Com-
mission and city staff in bringing a new
code to our city after years of work. I
want to sincerely thank them for their
efforts, and for their diligence in the care-
ful management of the ongoing work,
with a path leading to restoration.
As you now walk to the beach, or
through the dunes, there are areas of
openness and light. Finally, the fire
department has vehicle access to defend
areas of the city and the dunes. Residents
and visitors can walk safely through sev-
eral open areas. At long last, the man-
agement of acres of impenetrable Scotch
broom and initial battle with blackberries
has begun.
I’m most thankful for the forthcom-
ing restoration of the grace and beauty
of Dune Meadows Park — west end of
Pacific Way, dedicated in 1947 specifi-
cally for the use of the community to see
the ocean. It seems most fitting to end
this 100th year of historic Gearhart, and
start the next 100, in the heart of our city.
Thanks to funding from generous home-
owners, all in the community will again
be able to sit on the benches and enjoy
the Pacific Ocean.
You are providing an amazing begin-
ning to 2019 and the next 100 years of
community kindness in reclaiming the
beauty of our precious beach. You have
my deepest appreciation.
MARGARET MARINO
Gearhart
An ill-advised project
The proposal to build a new city hall
and police station on the South Wind
property (“Cannon Beach gets a reality
check on South Wind,” The Daily Asto-
rian, Dec. 24) is ill-advised economi-
cally, as well as geologically. The prop-
erty is located within a large landslide
mapped by state geologists and published
in 1972. The marine sedimentary rocks
in this region are highly landslide prone,
with an estimated 70 percent of the entire
upland area of this portion of the Coast
Range having undergone some type of
downslope movement in the past, accord-
ing to the 1972 state report.
As a geologist, I mapped landslides
along most of the developed shoreline of
Clatsop County for the Clatsop-Tillamook
Intergovernmental Council in 1977 and
1978, and can attest to the instability of
much of the region, especially on moder-
ate to steep slopes.
When weighing the risk of tsunamis
versus landslides it should be kept in mind
that major earthquakes, such as those gen-
erated along the Cascadia Subduction
Zone, also commonly cause large land-
slides. This, in combination with the prop-
erty having been largely logged off, make
it a poor choice for development.
MARTIN ROSS
Rockport, Massachusetts
House bill supports
bipartisan issues
In November, a Pew study found that
53 percent of people get stressed when
talking politics with someone they dis-
agree with. We need to focus on reversing
this trend in very key ways that engage
people, and encourage them to defend the
roots of what created our democracy, and
to fortify the institutions which hold it
together.
Focusing on values that resonate in
bipartisan ways with people, regardless
of political persuasion, will help to unite
us. Additionally, electing legislators with
the interest of protecting people, and the
passage of legislation that will effectively
patch the cracks in the fabric of our bro-
ken system, will further the
endeavor.
Which is why, as part of Indivisible’s
“Whose House, Our House” nationwide
observance on Jan. 3, we invite people to
join us in supporting House Resolution
(HR) 1. This bill spearheads efforts to
address issues that have been expressed
as important to people from all along
the left, right, and center of the political
spectrum: to make voting more accessi-
ble, reduce the influence of big money in
politics, and to fortify government eth-
ics laws.
We’re seeing a very real opportu-
nity for these issues to finally be tack-
led, but the effort needs our help. We ask
that you all join us in a coordinated effort
Jan. 3 to contact our federal legislators —
Sen. Jeff Merkley, Sen. Ed Wyden, and
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici — and encour-
age them to support HR 1. And then,
of course, please reach out to President
Donald Trump and encourage him to sign
it.
TIFFINY MITCHELL
ERIC HALPERIN
BEBE MICHEL
KEVIN WIDENER
TIM KELLER
KEN POTTER
MARY BETH COTTLE
Indivisible Vote the Future Team