Topic: Joseph Dunford

President Trump announced the immediate withdrawal of 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria, claiming ISIS has been defeated. The decision stunned Senate Republicans like Lindsey Graham and military leaders who argue the mission is incomplete. The hosts speculate that U.S. energy independence via shale oil has reduced the strategic necessity of Middle Eastern involvement, potentially leading to a similar withdrawal from Afghanistan.

A US F-18 shot down a Syrian Su-22 fighter jet near Raqqa after it reportedly dropped bombs near US-backed forces. Russia retaliated by threatening to track coalition aircraft as targets and suspending safety communications. Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford cited the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) as the legal justification for the action, a move the hosts criticize as a stretch of 16-year-old legislation.

General Joseph Dunford, nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified that Russia presents the greatest existential threat to the United States. State Department spokesperson John Kirby refused to explicitly endorse Dunford's assessment, highlighting a rift between military and diplomatic rhetoric. The hosts note how drastically the political stance on Russia has shifted since the 2012 election.

During his confirmation hearing, General Dunford avoided attributing the OPM data breach to China, despite leading questions from Senator Kelly Ayotte. Dunford emphasized the difficulty of cyber attribution and focused on providing the President with a range of response options. The hosts interpret his refusal to name China as a sign of professional skepticism toward intelligence "memes."