ARCHIVE - BUDDY READ - THE ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENED - DISCUSSION (No Spoilers, please)

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

All of the citations, articles and links in the Notes segment for Chapter One which is this week's reading assignment have been added and posted.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

And so we begin:

CHAPTER 1
THE LONG MARCH TO A WEST WING CORNER OFFICE

"One attraction of being National Security Advisor is the sheer multiplicity and volume of challenges that confront you. If you don’t like turmoil, uncertainty, and risk—all while being constantly overwhelmed with information, decisions to be made, and the sheer amount of work, and enlivened enlivened by international and domestic personality and ego conflicts beyond description—try something else.

It is exhilarating, but it is nearly impossible to explain to outsiders how the pieces fit together, which they often don’t in any coherent way. I cannot offer a comprehensive theory of the Trump Administration’s transformation because none is possible. Washington’s conventional wisdom on Trump’s trajectory, however, is wrong.

This received truth, attractive to the intellectually lazy, is that Trump was always bizarre, but in his first fifteen months, uncertain in his new place, and held in check by an “axis of adults,” he hesitated to act.

As time passed, however, Trump became more certain of himself, the axis of adults departed, things fell apart, and Trump was surrounded only by “yes men.”

Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. "How was" and "why was" Washington’s conventional wisdom on Trump’s trajectory wrong according to the author? Do you agree with or disagree with his assessment? Why or why not?

2. How did the extremely heavy turnover of Trump's inner circle (either because Trump fired them or because they left out of desperation) contribute to the remaining or the new inner circle being afraid of telling the president that he was making errors in judgement or that his decisions would cause major turmoil? This reminds me of the old folk tale of "The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson.

3. Bolton stated - "I had long felt that the role of the National Security Advisor was to ensure that a President understood what options were open to him for any given decision he needed to make, and then to ensure that this decision was carried out by the pertinent bureaucracies. The National Security Council process was certain to be different for different Presidents, but these were the critical objectives the process should achieve." What did Bolton discover about Trump and how he made decisions which would make the National Security Advisor role much more difficult or nearly impossible?

4. Bolton further stated - "Because, however, the axis of adults had served Trump so poorly, he second-guessed people’s motives, saw conspiracies behind rocks, and remained stunningly uninformed on how to run the White House, let alone the huge federal government."

a) Was this the result of the nepotism in the White House with his daughter and son in law cocooning him into thinking that he did not need to bring in outside temperate authorities and experts to advise him and/or to counter "conspiracies" or at the very least to keep him informed?

b) And whose responsibility was it to also make sure that the President was not surrounded by "yes men"?

c) What are your thoughts on General Kelley? Did General Kelley appear to be a "yes man" to you or General Mattis? Why were these men also not successful with the new president?

d) Was or is President Trump just unfit for the job of President of the United States? Successful real estate moguls do not always seem to fit into a government structure or organization. What are your thoughts? Does Bolton seem reliable and truthful?

5. Is Trump just unable or incapable to place the nation or fellow Americans ahead of his personal self interests?

a) Is Trump's make up - just another way of saying - "What is in it for me?"

b) Is that why we are having so many difficulties with the coronavirus in this country with folks thinking that it is all about them and not wanting to wear a mask to protect others and also themselves?

c) Where did the politicizing of masks and pretending that the coronavirus would disappear in the summer originate?

6. Bolton said the following: "Trump is Trump. I came to understand that he believed he could run the Executive Branch and establish national-security policies on instinct, relying on personal relationships with foreign leaders, and with made-for-television showmanship always top of mind. Now, instinct, personal relations, and showmanship are elements of any President’s repertoire. But they are not all of it, by a long stretch. Analysis, planning, intellectual discipline and rigor, evaluation of results, course corrections, and the like are the blocking and tackling of presidential decision-making, the unglamorous side of the job. Appearance takes you only so far.

a) Is Bolton saying that analysis, planning, intellectual discipline and rigor as well as being able to evaluate results, do course correction and the like are distinctly foreign to Trump and are clearly just not part of his DNA? How do you think that history will judge Trump and his presidency given that sort of assessment?

b) Does Bolton believe that Trump thinks that the job of being President is just like being the star/host of The Apprentice and it is not that difficult - that it is all smoke and mirrors and showmanship? What are your thoughts pro or con?

7. Was anybody familiar with what Bolton was referring to as the government's operating manual? I did add a link below but I am unfamiliar as to whether this is what Bolton is referring to since there is no bibliography - which I think is a big minus for a book like this one. Notes are fine but source material - books, articles, web sites, interviews should all be cited properly and I have to say that I am disappointed that this book is lacking all of the above aside from the Notes section which is a hodgepodge of everything jumbled together. Where was the editing and the finishing touches for this book? Did anybody else have the same impression?

Sources: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (p. 1 - 2). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

More:
https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collectio...

by Hans Christian Andersen

by Mark A. Abramson (no photo)

A West Wing Tour of the White House with sign language as well:
Link: https://youtu.be/lsrd9m7rx90

Sources: The White House, GovInfo

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Discussion Topics and Questions:


Thomas Hobbes

1. What were your thoughts regarding this quote on the environment at the White House?

"Constant personnel turnover obviously didn’t help, nor did the White House’s Hobbesian bellum omnium contra omnes (“war of all against all”).

It may be a bit much to say that Hobbes’s description of human existence as “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short” accurately described life in the White House, but by the end of their tenures, many key advisors would have leaned toward it.

2. What were your thoughts and ideas about Bolton's details regarding the Trump transition team?

Note: For those of you who are wondering where this quote came from and this is understandable because there is no bibliography - Bolton is referring to the Hobbes classic - Leviathan.

Sources: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (p. 3). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition, Yale Books Blog

More:
https://yalebooksblog.co.uk/2013/04/0... (quite a pessimistic view of the White House but possibly true according to Bolton and others)

by Thomas Hobbes

by Nigel Warburton

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Just today:

Trump's former adviser says President is trying to avoid responsibility - The Lead

Former national security adviser to President Trump, John Bolton, says that it is hard for him to believe that the President was not informed about intelligence that suggested Russia might be offering bounties to kill US soldiers in Afghanistan.

Link to interview: https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2...

Net, net - Bolton states that the President has trouble owning his decisions!

Source: CNN

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

VOA Interview: Former US National Security Advisor John Bolton

Link: https://youtu.be/euTUvnCixSk

Bolton discusses US foreign policy, President Trump's leadership and America's foes

Source: Youtube

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Bolton claims that he was addressing threats on all fronts including the fact that because Barack Obama had been President - that there was a lot to repair?

He claimed that there were threats from 1) Russia 2) China 3) Iran
4) North Korea 5) Islamic Terrorism in the Middle East including Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen 6) Afghanistan 7) Cuba 8) Venezuela 9) Nicaragua



Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. Why would Bolton say that there was a lot to repair under President Obama? In fact, it would appear that Obama had accomplished a great deal on the world stage including the Iran Nuclear Deal which Bolton lobbied to undue? How did you feel when you read that statement.

2. What about the countries that Bolton listed as national security threats or strategic threats or nations desiring nuclear weapons, or countries sponsoring Islamic Terrorism or those deemed in our own hemisphere? How do you feel about the threats from these countries and are some more of a concern than others?

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Bolton stated that his philosophy and policy frameworks were "pro American" and he followed the ideas of the following: (Smith (Economics), Burke (Society), The Federalist Papers (Government), Dean Acheson and John Foster Dulles (National Security) and Goldwater (Politics).

by Adam Smith

by Edmund Burke

by Alexander Hamilton

by Dean Acheson

(no image) The Spiritual Legacy of John Foster Dulles: Selections from His Articles and Addresses by John Foster Dulles (no photo)

by Barry M. Goldwater


Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. Based upon Bolton's admissions of who he admired and why and given that he also indicated in which spheres he was influenced by these individuals - how would you categorize Bolton?

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Bolton stated that his philosophy and policy frameworks were "pro American" and he followed the ideas of the following: (Smith (Economics), Burke (Society), The Federalist Papers (Government), Dean Acheson and John Foster Dulles (National Security) and Goldwater (Politics - he stated that he campaigned for Barry Goldwater in 1964 and that was his first campaigning).

by Adam Smith

by Edmund Burke

by Alexander Hamilton

by Dean Acheson

(no image) The Spiritual Legacy of John Foster Dulles: Selections from His Articles and Addresses by John Foster Dulles (no photo)

by Barry M. Goldwater


Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. Based upon Bolton's admissions of who he admired and why and given that he also indicated in which spheres he was influenced by these individuals - how would you categorize Bolton?

2. Bolton goes into great detail regarding the number of jobs he was considered for and his predecessors as well as the fall out from those who were appointed before him. What are your thoughts concerning the disarray of the hiring process and the lack of strategy that the Trump team had in hiring? What did you find unusual about the Presidential team's approach?

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Bolton discusses H. R. McMaster and his excellent book:

Dereliction of Duty

by H.R. McMaster

Synopsis:

"The war in Vietnam was not lost in the field, nor was it lost on the front pages of the New York Times or the college campuses. It was lost in Washington, D.C." - H. R. McMaster (from the Conclusion)

Dereliction Of Duty is a stunning new analysis of how and why the United States became involved in an all-out and disastrous war in Southeast Asia. Fully and convincingly researched, based on recently released transcripts and personal accounts of crucial meetings, confrontations and decisions, it is the only book that fully re-creates what happened and why. It also pinpoints the policies and decisions that got the United States into the morass and reveals who made these decisions and the motives behind them, disproving the published theories of other historians and excuses of the participants.

Dereliction Of Duty covers the story in strong narrative fashion, focusing on a fascinating cast of characters: President Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, General Maxwell Taylor, McGeorge Bundy and other top aides who deliberately deceived the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. Congress and the American public.

Sure to generate controversy, Dereliction Of Duty is an explosive and authoritative new look at the controversy concerning the United States involvement in Vietnam.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Bolton stated that Trump's White House did not resemble Addison's Cato but more the song Hotel California.

by Joseph Addison

The Eagle's song Hotel California:

Link: https://youtu.be/niIX0QcYRzE

“You can check out any time you like / But you can never leave.”

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

What were your thoughts regarding the following two quotes:



1. "We talked about the Philippines and the Chinese threat to bring nearly the entire South China Sea under its sovereignty."



2. "Life at the White House developed its own rhythm, with Trump firing FBI Director James Comey later in May (at Kushner’s suggestion, according to Bannon), then meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (whom I had known for over twenty-five years at that point) and allegedly being less than cautious in discussing classified material, calling Comey a “nutjob,” according to the unbiased New York Times.

I was in Israel in late May to give a speech and met with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, whom I had first met in the Bush 41 years.

Iran’s threat was the centerpiece of our attention, as it should have been for any Israeli Prime Minister, but he was also dubious about assigning the task of bringing an end to the Israel-Palestinian conflict to Kushner, whose family Netanyahu had known for many years.

He was enough of a politician not to oppose the idea publicly, but like much of the world, he wondered why Kushner thought he would succeed where the likes of Kissinger had failed."

Sources: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (pp. 20-21). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition, The Diplomat, The National Post

More:
https://thediplomat.com/2020/06/china...
https://thediplomat.com/2020/05/amid-...
https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn...

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

The remainder of Chapter One showed (unless Bolton is bragging) that he was the one who influenced Trump to declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel and move the embassy to that location, to declare the Revolutionary Guards as Terrorists, to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, to destroy the Iran Nuclear Deal - and he influenced and fostered the decision to cut funds for the UN Relief and Works Agency, and he proposed the policy of not bothering to even try to achieve a fair and equitable Arab - Israeli dispute while at the same time undermining Tillerson - and as if we could forget - he also according to his own words - was urging the bombing of Iran for the downing of an American surveillance drone - yikes!

Fortunately, the White House did not follow through with a plan to bomb NK or Iran. Thank goodness for Mattis, McMaster and Tillerson at the time.

Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. What are your thoughts about any of the above and any of Bolton's policy stances - pro or con? Was Bolton too much of a hardliner - but also more worrisome - is Trump really of the same ilk? Do you worry about sudden military strikes which are not in the United States interests?

2. Given the state of international affairs under Trump and the decisions which appear to coincide with Bolton's positions - do you believe that Bolton held sway over these decisions? Why or why not? Or were these positions that Trump held already and he just wanted to have someone else agree with his hard line positions?

3. Were you in agreement with the US pulling out of the Paris Climate Accord or of the US not assisting with the UN Relief and Works Agency which helped the refugee situation? Why or why not?

4. Do you believe that Bolton was a positive influence on the White House?

5. So far and I must say - "very sadly" - it appears that Bolton is telling the truth about the state of affairs and the hardline positions that the White House has taken on foreign affairs and international relations. Do you agree that despite Bolton's flaws that he is indeed truthful? Why or why not?

a) Having said that, do you find Bolton likable even though he may be telling the "shocking" truth? Or do you feel that he has demonstrated a lack of accountability and responsibility to the American people by not coming forward prior to publication? Do you think that he had an ethical responsibility to support the staff that testified?

b) Bolton describes a Trump who is only out for Trump - but hasn't Bolton demonstrated that he is only interested in Bolton by his actions; and he has certainly not demonstrated any keen interest in protecting the security of this country because he refused to come forward before the book was published? If things were as bad as he proposes they were - didn't he have a civic and moral duty to step forward and be heard as soon as possible?

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

I would like to again comment on the set up and structure of the book itself. I do not like the footnotes which you have to click on which bring up a footnote that you cannot easily access nor do I like the format of the Notes at the back of the book. There are many books and authors referred to - yet there is no bibliography whatsoever to ascertain the book, edition, publication date etc. And many of the books cited are nowhere to be found in the Notes.

As I stated before there should be a sources segment in the book - with books noted (Bibliography), or mentioned and/or excerpts identified.

Articles should be placed together and there should be a section on any urls referenced. I personally have found the set up of the book lacking.

I would be very interested to hear if folks who have hard copies have the same issues as the Kindle version. I think that the editing of the book should have uncovered these issues and corrected them prior to publication.

Despite the above, this book is extremely important because this is a book by a member of the President's inner circle and we hear the words of the President himself in these meetings. Bolton is a primary source! No matter if he is personally likeable or not - the book and its contents are important!

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Any member can join a buddy read at any time. Just sign here and post and let us know that you are joining us. If you stay with the reading assignments - you do not have to use spoiler html; but if you do go ahead you do.

For example: (identify the chapter you are talking about and make that bold) - Then place what you have to say about the chapter within spoiler html so that your text is not showing and hidden.

Chapter Three
(view spoiler)[I found this chapter to be very interesting because of ______! (hide spoiler)]

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Today's Progress:

✓ Moderator has completed adding all discussion questions and topics for the Week One assignment which included Chapter One - The Long March to a West Wing Corner Office.

Please post if you are joining in on the discussion and post weekly regarding your progress and pitch in and discuss any of the discussion topics and questions and/or offer your perspective.

Have a nice day!
See you next week.

Regards,
Bentley

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Next week's reading assignment:

Week Two: - July 6th - July 12th

Chapter 2 - Cry "Havoc!" and Let Slip the Dogs of War - 43

This chapter deals with the events of April 7, 2018, when Syrian armed forces, using chemical weapons, attacked the city of Douma in southwest Syria and other nearby locations. The details regarding how the United States would effectively use bombing as a deterrent to the use of weapons of mass destruction is discussed.

Chapter 3 - America Breaks Free - 61

Chapter Three begins with a trip to Florida to attend a rally with the President and then on to Mar-a-Lago. The purpose was to prepare the President for the visit of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe where the North Korean nuclear weapons program would be the leading topic. Trump detested the “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” and did not want to acknowledge Russia's meddling in US politics. The Haley incident occurred and there appeared to be friction between Haley and some of the other counterparts including Bolton himself. Events turned to the Iran Nuclear Deal which Pompeo and State were initially not willing to withdraw from. The conversation was testy between Bolton and Pompeo. Bolton repeats his arguments against the deal. Talks turned to the China trade issues and all that these issues entailed. Trump inserts himself into the discussions causing much angst. The French State Dinner takes place without any issues. The Trump-Merkel April 27th working meeting was not without rancor. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrives for discussions.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

I found this article done by NBC News to be rather interesting - here the network is discussing a speech that Bolton gave last Fall in NYC (2019) prior to the publication of his book this year.

I have included it below and I am interested to hear your thoughts or opinions on what Bolton had to say (in light of the book that we are discussing currently) - here is the article:

In private speech, Bolton suggests some of Trump's foreign policy decisions are guided by personal interest

The former national security director was especially critical of the president's handling of Turkey, according to multiple sources present for his remarks.

Updated Nov. 12, 2019, 12:54 PM EST - By Stephanie Ruhle and Carol E. Lee


Then-national security adviser John Bolton, in the Oval Office on Aug. 20, 2019.Alex Wong / Getty Images file

Former national security adviser John Bolton derided President Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in-law during a private speech last week and suggested his former boss’ approach to U.S. policy on Turkey is motivated by personal or financial interests, several people who were present for the remarks told NBC News.

According to six people who were there, Bolton also questioned the merits of Trump applying his business acumen to foreign policy, saying such issues can’t be approached like the win-or-lose edict that drives real estate deals: When one deal doesn’t work, you move on to the next.

The description was part of a broader portrait Bolton outlined of a president who lacks an understanding of the interconnected nature of relationships in foreign policy and the need for consistency, these people said.

Bolton has kept a low public profile since he left the administration on Sept. 10, and efforts by Democrats to have him testify in the House impeachment inquiry into the president have stalled. But his pointed comments, at a private gathering last Wednesday at Morgan Stanley’s global investment event in Miami, painted a dark image of a president and his family whose potential personal gain is at the heart of decision-making, according to people who were present for his remarks.

Bolton served as Trump’s national security adviser for 17 months. The Ukraine scandal began to unfold about a week after his contentious departure. Trump said he’d fired him, though Bolton said he had resigned.

Multiple people who attended Bolton’s private speech in Miami did not recall him mentioning Ukraine but said he told attendees that he had kept a resignation letter in his desk for three months. Bolton declined to comment for this article.

Bolton is a potential linchpin witness in the inquiry into Trump’s efforts to elicit help from the Ukrainian government to investigate the family of former Vice President Joe Biden, given his central role in the White House during that time. The impeachment inquiry moves to public testimony this week.

Current and former administration officials have testified about Bolton’s strong opposition to the Ukraine pressure effort, which was led by Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and allegedly involved withholding military aid and a presidential meeting until the Ukrainian government publicly committed to investigations, including into 2016 U.S. election interference and a business associated with Biden's son Hunter.

Bolton’s lawyer teased his client's value last week in a letter to House Democrats that noted that the former national security adviser had been present for “many relevant meetings and conversations” on Ukraine, including some that have yet to be disclosed to investigators. His lawyer, Charles Cooper, said Bolton is willing to testify if a federal court approves it and issues a ruling that essentially says he can defy the White House’s position that he can’t speak to Congress.

Bolton, a long-time foreign policy hawk who also served in the administration of President George W. Bush, expressed support in his private remarks for Trump’s stance against China on trade, people present said. But Trump and Bolton had a litany of policy differences — on Iran, North Korea, Syria and, apparently, Ukraine.

Bolton told the gathering of Morgan Stanley’s largest hedge fund clients that he was most frustrated with Trump over his handling of Turkey, people who were present said. Noting the broad bipartisan support in Congress to sanction Turkey after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan purchased a Russian missile defense system, Bolton said Trump’s resistance to the move was unreasonable, four people present for his speech said.

Bolton said he believes there is a personal or business relationship dictating Trump’s position on Turkey because none of his advisers are aligned with him on the issue, the people present said.

The Trump Organization has a property in Istanbul, and the president's daughter Ivanka Trump attended the opening with Erdogan in 2012. Though it’s a leasing agreement for use of the Trump name, Trump himself said in a 2015 interview that the arrangement presented “a little conflict of interest” should he be elected.

During an Oct. 6 phone call with Erdogan, Trump agreed to pull back U.S. troops from northeast Syria so Turkish forces could launch an attack against America’s Kurdish allies in the area. The presence of U.S. forces had deterred Erdogan from invading Syria, which he had threatened to do for years. Trump’s decision, followed by an order for all U.S. troops to exit Syria, was widely criticized even among the president’s Republican allies and was seen by many as a gift to the Turkish leader.

Erdogan is set to visit the White House on Wednesday.

Like other former Trump advisers, Bolton said regardless of how much evidence is provided to Trump that Russia interfered in the 2016 election, the president refuses to take any action because he views any move against Moscow as giving credence to the notion that his election is invalid, the people present for Bolton's remarks said.

At one point in his closed-door remarks, Bolton was asked what he thinks will happen in January 2021 if Trump is re-elected, people present for his remarks said. Bolton responded by taking a swipe at Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump — both of whom are senior White House advisers — and at Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., three people familiar with his remarks said.

Bolton said Trump could go full isolationist — with the faction of the Republican Party that aligns with Paul’s foreign policy views taking over the GOP — and could withdraw the U.S. from NATO and other international alliances, three people present for his remarks said.

He also suggested that Kushner and Ivanka Trump could convince the president to rewrite his legacy and nominate a liberal like Lawrence Tribe — a Harvard Law professor who has questioned Trump’s fitness for office and was a legal adviser to Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign — to the Supreme Court, the people present for Bolton's speech said.

Bolton said, with an eye roll that suggested he doesn’t take them seriously, that Kushner and Ivanka Trump could do so in an attempt to prove they had real influence and were in the White House representing the people they want to be in social circles with at home in New York City, the people present for his remarks said.

Those present said that at that point, the audience appeared shocked.

Bolton has been writing a book, having reached a deal with Simon & Schuster, and people present for his remarks in Miami said he suggested to the audience several times that if they read it, there would be much more material along the lines of what was in his speech.

Source: NBC News

More:

Link to article and news video: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/dona...

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Bolton Statement regarding Col Vindman:

"Based on not just his service, but his twin brother's service at the NSC, both of whom were pushed out of their assignments early,

I think they certainly deserve promotion based on what I saw," Bolton said to CNN's Jake Tapper while promoting his new book "In the Room Where it Happened."

"They shouldn't be discriminated against. I hope there's nobody in the White House who's holding this up or putting bureaucratic obstacles in the way," he added. "I think this is something, this kind of corruption of this promotion process, unfortunately, typical of a number of things that have happened in the administration, I think it's a bad signal to all of our military -- John Bolton

Today's News:
Exclusive: Vindman to retire from military. His lawyer blames White House 'campaign of bullying, intimidation and retaliation - article and news reporting by Jim Sciutto, CNN - Wed July 8, 2020
Link to news article: https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/08/politi...

Source: CNN

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

And so we begin:

Chapter Two

CRY “HAVOC!” AND LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR

"On Saturday, April 7, 2018, Syrian armed forces, using chemical weapons, attacked the city of Douma in southwest Syria and other nearby locations. Initial reports had perhaps a dozen people killed and hundreds wounded, including children, some grievously sickened by the dangerous chemicals.

Chlorine was the likely base material for the weapons, but there were claims of sarin gas activity and perhaps other chemicals.

Bashar al-Assad’s regime had similarly used chemical weapons, including sarin, one year earlier, on April 4, 2017, at Khan Shaykhun in northwest Syria.

Only three days later, the United States responded forcefully, launching fifty-nine cruise missiles at the suspected site from which the Syrian attack emanated.
Syria’s dictatorship obviously had not learned its lesson. Deterrence had failed, and the issue now was how to respond appropriately.

Unhappily, a year after Khan Shaykhun, Syria policy remained in disarray, lacking agreement on fundamental objectives and strategy.

Now it was again in crisis. Responding to this latest Syrian chemical-weapons attack was imperative, but we also urgently needed conceptual clarity on how to advance American interests long-term.

An NSC meeting held the week before Douma, however, pointed in exactly the opposite direction: US withdrawal from Syria. Leaving would risk losing even the limited gains achieved under Barack Obama’s misbegotten Syria-Iraq policies, thereby exacerbating the dangers his approach fostered. Responsibility for this policy disarray, one year after Khan Shaykhun, rested at that iconic location where the buck stops: the Resolute desk in the Oval Office.

Source: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (pp. 43-44). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. What is the truth surrounding the Douma, Syrian reported attack? The Russians and the Syrians have put together propaganda pieces refuting the claims and Intercept tries to analyze the evidence. One thing that appears to be evident is that there are an abundance of players trying to manipulate the news to their own advantage in the propaganda war and some of them are in fear of repercussions.

2. Bolton's preference for not leaving Syria is stated as follows: "US withdrawal from Syria. Leaving would risk losing even the limited gains achieved under Barack Obama’s misbegotten Syria-Iraq policies, thereby exacerbating the dangers his approach fostered. Responsibility for this policy disarray, one year after Khan Shaykhun, rested at that iconic location where the buck stops: the Resolute desk in the Oval Office."

Source: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (pp. 43-44). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

What are your thoughts regarding the US pulling out of Syria and leaving Syria to Iran, Russia and Assad? Does it make the United States more or less vulnerable? And are we abandoning the rebels who fought against Assad with this decision? How did you feel about Bolton's not so hidden conclusions about what he called "Barack Obama's misbegotten Syria-Iraq policies?"

3. How do you think Bolton felt about Trump's tweets about the alleged chemical attack in Syria? Why are these tweets dangerous if they are posted even before consulting with the National Security Team and in this case Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster and there was no National Security Advisor onboard until the following Monday? Was it wrong for the White House to block Bolton's efforts to pull together a meeting on Sunday - saying that Bolton would not be an official government employee until Monday (the next day)?

4. How did Trump make the chemical attack response something about "him"? How was Trump's honor at stake? And why was a foreign minister calling Kushner? What are your feelings and observations?

5. How many of you have read Thucydides - The History of the Peloponnesian War? What are your thoughts in comparison?

by Thucydides

6. What were your thoughts about what Bolton "suggested" to the NSC staff as potential avenues to explore: "....to ascertain all they could about the Assad regime’s actions (and whether further attacks were likely), and develop US options in response. I called an NSC staff meeting for six forty-five a.m. Monday morning to see where we stood, and to assess what roles Russia and Iran might have played. We needed decisions that fit into a larger, post-ISIS Syria/Iraq picture, and to avoid simply responding “whack-a-mole” style."

Source: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (p. 45). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

WHAT HAPPENED IN DOUMA? SEARCHING FOR FACTS IN THE FOG OF SYRIA’S PROPAGANDA WAR - James Harkin - February 9 2019, 2:32 p.m.



THIS MUCH WE KNOW: To have been in the Syrian town of Douma, the final rebel military holdout in the suburbs of Damascus, on Saturday, April 7, 2018 must have sounded and felt very much like hell on earth. Since 2013, when a shifting cast of rebel militias wrested control of the area, the whole region of Eastern Ghouta had been under effective siege by the Syrian government. Food and medicines were expensive or impossible to come by. Already miserably poor, it was all the locals could do to stay alive. Last February, the Syrian army, backed by Russian airplanes and emboldened by joint military successes elsewhere, began a final, determined assault. The operation was branded “Damascus Steel,” and it met with surprising success. By March the Syrian army and its allied militias had carved Eastern Ghouta into three distinct enclaves, each under the control of a different militia. The first two quickly agreed to deals, under whose terms the fighters and their families could choose to be bussed out to northern Syria or take their chances by surrendering to the Syrian army. Jaish al-Islam, or the Army of Islam, which maintained a tight grip on Douma, held out. As March gave way to April the Syrian army was about a kilometer away, and closing in.

This was the endgame. For nearly two months, in between shaky truces, Syrian helicopters and airplanes had intermittently pounded Douma. After yet another ceasefire and round of negotiations failed, they returned on Friday, April 6 with a vengeance. The government was losing patience. So were many Damascenes, who’d grown sick of the volleys of mortars being sent back into central Damascus by the rebels. Tens of thousands of civilians in Douma were caught between them, enduring skyrocketing prices, malnutrition and the outbreak of disease. Cameras from regime-friendly TV channels were trained on Douma to watch the ongoing campaign, primed for imminent victory. On Saturday, according to one account, the onslaught from shelling, airstrikes, and barrel bombs lasted a full six hours. There would have been blinding clouds of dust, breaking glass, and exploding concrete from the constant shelling, the smoke and stench of ordnance, the juddering of helicopters waiting low overhead to drop their improvised barrel bombs. It was worse than anything that had happened before. Those who could took cover underground in basements, tunnels, and other subterranean shelters.

Remainder of article - also video:
https://theintercept.com/2019/02/09/d...

Source: The Intercept

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

John Bolton cites this source - if you have a NYTimes subscription you will be able to view article.

Dozens Suffocate in Syria as Government is Accused of Chemical Attack - byline - BenHubbard


Very sad photo published in the New York Times article

Link to article:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/08/wo...

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Douma chemical attack



On 7 April 2018, a chemical warfare attack was carried out in the Syrian city of Douma.

Medics and witnesses reported that it caused the deaths of between 40 and 50 people and injuries to possibly well over 100.

The attack was attributed to the Syrian Army by rebel forces in Douma, and by the United States, British, and French governments.

The Syrian and Russian governments asserted that a widely-circulated video allegedly showing the aftermath of the attack was staged.

On 14 April 2018, the United States, France and the United Kingdom carried out a series of military strikes against multiple government sites in Syria.

On 6 July 2018, an interim report was issued by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). Various chlorinated organic chemicals (dichloroacetic acid, trichloroacetic acid, chlorophenol, dichlorophenol, bornyl chloride, chloral hydrate etc.) were found in samples, along with residues of explosive, but the designated laboratory 03 stated that no CWC-scheduled chemicals or nerve agent related chemicals were detected.

In September 2018 the UN Commission of Enquiry on Syria reported: "Throughout 7 April, numerous aerial attacks were carried out in Douma, striking various residential areas. A vast body of evidence collected by the Commission suggests that, at approximately 7.30 p.m., a gas cylinder containing a chlorine payload delivered by helicopter struck a multi-storey residential apartment building located approximately 100 metres south-west of Shohada square. The Commission received information on the death of at least 49 individuals, and the wounding of up to 650 others."

While it was initially unclear which chemicals had been used, in 2019 the OPCW FFM (Fact-Finding Mission) report concluded: "Regarding the alleged use of toxic chemicals as a weapon on 7 April 2018 in Douma, the Syrian Arab Republic, the evaluation and analysis of all the information gathered by the FFM—witnesses’ testimonies, environmental and biomedical samples analysis results, toxicological and ballistic analyses from experts, additional digital information from witnesses—provide reasonable grounds that the use of a toxic chemical as a weapon took place.

This toxic chemical contained reactive chlorine. The toxic chemical was likely molecular chlorine."

The OPCW said it found no evidence to support the government's claim that a local facility was being used by rebel fighters to produce chemical weapons.

Remainder of article:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douma_c...

More:
https://www.bellingcat.com/news/mena/... (Open Source)
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/5/2...

Source: Wikipedia, Bellingcat, Democracy Now

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

The Khan Shaykhun attack in Northwest Syria on April 4, 2017

Syria chemical 'attack': What we know


BBC News photograph with on line article


More than 80 people were killed in a suspected chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in north-western Syria on 4 April.

Hundreds suffered symptoms consistent with reaction to a nerve agent after what the opposition and Western powers said was a Syrian government air strike on the area.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said the incident was fabricated, while his ally Russia said an air strike hit a rebel depot full of chemical munitions.

What happened?
Witnesses and activists say warplanes attacked Khan Sheikhoun, about 50km (30 miles) south of the city of Idlib, early on 4 April, when many people were asleep.

Mariam Abu Khalil, a 14-year-old resident who was awake, told the New York Times that she had seen an aircraft drop a bomb on a one-storey building.



Remainder of article plus videos (some disturbing with warnings)
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle...

Source: BBC News

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

These are a couple of John Bolton's footnoted sources:

Statement from Pentagon Spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis on U.S. strike in Syria - APRIL 6, 2017

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Rele...

Sources: Defense Department, NYTimes, Washington Post (The Times and the Post need subscriptions)

More:
2  See Sarah Almukhtar, “Most Chemical Attacks in Syria Get Little Attention. Here Are 34 Confirmed Cases.” https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...
4  See Karen DeYoung and Missy Ryan, “Strike on Assad for use of chemical agents unlikely to advance wider US goals in Syria,” https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/....

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Thucydides

War is human. People fight today for the same fundamental reasons the Greek historian Thucydides identified nearly 2,500 years ago: fear, honor and interest.”


Statue of Greek philosopher Thucydides in front of Parliament building in Vienna, Austria. Eye Ubiquitous—Getty Images

More:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/re...
https://time.com/4826839/thucydides-t...
https://winstonchurchill.hillsdale.ed...

The Thucydides Trap
Link to article and video: https://www.belfercenter.org/thucydid...

Graham Allison discusses Thucydides’s Trap on Fareed Zakaria GPS – 4/9/17
Link: https://youtu.be/BflS_jSNkqk

by Graham Allison (no photo)

by Thucydides

Sources: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Time, The Churchill Project, The Harvard Kennedy School - The Belfer Center of Science and International Affairs, Youtube, CNN

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Will Macron do in Syria what Obama wouldn’t?



According to Bolton's book which uses this article as a source - "The White House statement after this call said Trump and Macron had agree of a "strong, joint response."


Don Emmert, AFP | France's Ambassador to the UN François Delattre and the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley at the UN Security Council on April 9, 2018

Like former US president Barack Obama, France’s Emmanuel Macron has said that the use of chemical weapons in Syria is a “red line” that would prompt a military response. Obama never followed through on his threat, but France has now vowed action.

With the alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma on April 7, the Syrian government has “reached a point of no return,” French Ambassador to the UN François Delattre told the United Nations Security Council on Friday. The world must provide a “robust, united and steadfast response,” he added.

And he promised his nation would act. “France will shoulder its responsibility to end an intolerable threat to our collective security,” he said.

Syria has denied a chemical weapons attack in Douma, but even if they are proven to have been used, will Macron have the support to strike?

At least 42 people died in the April 7 attack. In its aftermath, photos circulated on social media showing families that had died together and children with foam in their mouths. Survivors said they struggled to breathe. But the Syrian government denies the use of chemical weapons.

Much of the world community, though, maintains that the indications all point to a chemical attack. The World Health Organization said Wednesday that about 500 people had been treated for “signs and symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals.” French President Emmanuel Macron said in a television interview on Thursday that he had “proof” of a chemical attack. And US officials have said that blood and urine samples taken from the victims tested positive for both chlorine gas, which has been widely used in the seven-year civil war, and a nerve agent.

A team from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is headed to Douma and will begin investigating on Saturday.

Russia, which has been a staunch ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, has its own interpretation of events. On Friday, the Russian Defense Ministry accused Britain of staging the attack. Britain responded by calling the charge “a blatant lie.”

During Thursday’s interview, Macron warned that the Syrian government had crossed a line that could prompt airstrikes. The statement is not a new one: Macron has repeatedly said that if chemical weapons were used in Syria, France would retaliate.

In a phone call Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Macron promised “coordination” with Russia to “de-escalate the situation,” the Kremlin said.

Exactly what that coordination would entail was not specified, but it could relate to Russian soldiers on the ground in Syria. Russia has told the US in the past that it would not allow its troops to be put at risk by military action, and the two nations maintain contact to avoid direct confrontation.

But tough talk doesn’t guarantee action. In August, 2012 Obama said that the use of chemical weapons would be a red line for his administration, but he didn’t follow through on his threat when they were used in Ghouta a year later.

Macron faces resistance at home. Both right-wing National Front leader Marine Le Pen and far-left politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon have said they oppose military action in Syria.

Remainder of article:
https://www.france24.com/en/20180413-...

Source: France24

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According to one of Bolton's cited sources: "Trump raised the possibility of Russian responsibility publicly later in the day: So if it's Russia, if it's Syria, if it's Iran, if it's all of them together, we'll figure it out and we'll know the answers quite soon."

Remarks by President Trump at Cabinet Meeting - April 9, 2020

Link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-...

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Sir Mark Sedwill - UK National Security Advisor

Sir Mark Sedwill: Top civil servants now 'fair game' for hostile briefings, warns departing chief

The departing cabinet secretary and head of the civil service tells MPs and peers of "a regrettable feature of modern politics".


Boris Johnson and Sir Mark Sedwill in Downing Street in July 2019

Article with videos: https://news.sky.com/story/sir-mark-s...

Source: Sky News

Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. Wasn't it odd that Boris Johnson called Kushner (why?) - I would have understood Johnson calling the President or Bolton even. And it also is "understandable" now in view of Sedwill being pushed out today that he called his contemporary. Sidwell said that Britain's view was to use enough force that was militarily and politically effective in dismantling Assad's chemical capabilities and re-creating deterrence which sounded right to Bolton. How did the White House miss the target on this one and was Mattis on the critical path? What are your thoughts?

2. Sedwill took the news from Bolton stoically and was surprised to hear that the US would be withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Deal. Of course, he was surprised because the current White House advisers "before Bolton" arrived uniformly at the same logical conclusion and resisted withdrawal! Does Bolton consider this a "feather in his cap" that he managed to get his personal bias and preference finally done by a President who he readily admits does not understand the decisions he makes and their impact on the world? Have to wonder though - how did this decision assist Trump personally or was he giving a win to Bolton as the new guy? Your thoughts and input are welcome for all of the questions. That is why they are all here.

3. Is it safe for the country and the world for America to have a chaotic White House which cannot get its "ducks in a row" for even a global initiative? Who really is in charge?

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Bolton cites these articles as footnotes:

8  See Catherine Lucey and Jill Colvin, Associated Press, “In run-up to missile strike, an orderly, chaotic White House,” https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpo... and Dion Nissenbaum, Michael Gordon, and Stacy Meichtry, “U.S. Presses Allies to Back a Military Strike on Syria,” https://www.wsj.com/articles/watchdog...

Sources: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (p. 498). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

In run-up to missile strike, an orderly, chaotic White House
Catherine Lucey, The Associated Press and Jill Colvin, The Associated Press - April 15, 2018 - 535



WASHINGTON — For the second time in his presidency, President Donald Trump stared, horrified at pictures of children killed in a chemical attack in Syria.

Remainder of article plus a video: (pretty impressive Tomahawk missile launch
https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpo...

U.S. Presses Allies to Back a Military Strike on Syria
President Trump and aides confer with international counterparts as American and French warships armed with cruise missiles move within firing range of Syria - By Dion Nissenbaum and Michael R. Gordon in Washington and Stacy Meichtry in Paris

The Trump administration worked Tuesday to rally international support for a possible military strike against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for an alleged chemical-weapons attack, drawing initial backing from France, the U.K. and Saudi Arabia, all of whom vowed a forceful response.

As President Donald Trump and top administration officials conferred with international counterparts, the U.S. and France positioned warships armed with cruise missiles within firing range of Syria.

Remainder of article - only viewable if you subscribe: https://www.wsj.com/articles/watchdog...

Sources: Military Times and The Wall Street Journal

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Discussion Topics and Questions:



1. Why does Bolton continue to disparage his former colleagues - was Haley that bad in her role? Bolton wanted to show a unified front but Haley only wanted picture of herself alone giving the US statement in the Council? Does Bolton have a point?

2. How did Bolton absolutely pull the rug out from underneath the NSC staff that was working so hard to save the Iran Nuclear Deal?

3. Does Macron have an "ego problem" as hinted at by Bolton in that Macron stated his intentions were for a joint response to the chemical attacks but then afterwards took credit for?

4. Was it surprising that Michael Cohen having his office raided by the FBI was not on Trump's mind at all and that the Cohen issue never came up?

5. I never got the impression that May and Trump did not like each other. Was Bolton believable that Trump did not like May and vice versa? Or was it simply another instance of the "women issue" that Trump appears to have with women heads of state? (Like Merkel)

6. Why was Mattis so dug in regarding Syria and the unified response?

7. Is Erdogan getting too close to Russia versus his NATO allies? Is Turkey moving towards becoming (of is it already) more of a hard line country when in the past it had made such great strides? To Bolton - Erdogan sounded like Mussolini speaking from his Rome balcony (direct quote).

8. What does this say about the current occupant of the Oval office if he spends most of his time in the small dining room with a wide screen television on the wall opposite the chair watching Fox News versus being in the Oval Office? And this is where Bolton, Pence and Trump discussed the upcoming strike and where Bolton stated to the President that Mattis was sandbagging them. Why was Mattis and Dunford dragging their feet and then only had one low option available?

9. All anybody was concerned about were Russian casualties and according to Bolton nobody was discussing Iranian ones? Why did Mattis flatly refuse to give Don McGahn? Bolton stated that the media got the meeting wrong (which was promptly leaked) and that Mattis was acting like Stonewall Jackson. Why? Is the Pentagon apparatus really in charge and the ones making the decisions?

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Bolton ended the chapter with this thought:


Edward S. Corwin told the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 17, 1937 that the Supreme Court erred in finding parts of the New Deal unconstitutional.

To borrow Professor Edward Corwin’s famous phrase, Syria policy remained “an invitation to struggle.”

More:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3291

Source: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (p. 60). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. What did Edward Corwin mean and why did Bolton conclude the chapter with that quote?

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Today's Progress:

✓ Moderator has completed adding all discussion questions and topics for the Week Two assignment regarding Chapter Two - Cry "Havoc!" And Let Slip the Dogs of War.

Please post if you are joining in on the discussion and post weekly regarding your progress and pitch in and discuss any of the discussion topics and questions and/or offer your perspective.

Have a nice evening!
See you later on this week when we discuss and complete Chapter Three which is what we will discuss next.

Regards,
Bentley

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

And so we begin:

Chapter 3
America Breaks Free

"On the Monday after the Syria attack, I flew with Trump to Florida, taking my first ride on Marine One from the South Lawn to Joint Base Andrews, and then Air Force One to Miami. Our destination was nearby Hialeah for a rally boosting Trump’s efforts to create a positive business climate.

The over-five-hundred-strong audience consisted largely of Cuban- and Venezuelan-Americans, and when Trump introduced me, in the context of the Syria strike, I got a standing ovation. Trump, obviously surprised, asked, “Are you giving him all the credit? You know that means the end of his job.” What fun. Senator Marco Rubio, however, had foreshadowed the ovation earlier when he raised my appointment as National Security Advisor: “It’s a bad day for Maduro and Castro, and a great day for the cause of freedom.”

I had long worked on these issues, and the crowd knew it even if Trump didn’t. Air Force One flew afterward to Palm Beach, and we then motorcaded to Mar-a-Lago. I continued preparing for Trump’s summit with Japanese Prime Minister Abe, with a heavy focus on North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program, the main purpose of Abe’s trip."

Source: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (p. 61). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition.

Summary:

Chapter 3 - America Breaks Free - 61

Chapter Three begins with a trip to Florida to attend a rally with the President and then on to Mar-a-Lago.

The purpose was to prepare the President for the visit of Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe where the North Korean nuclear weapons program would be the leading topic. Trump detested the “Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act” and did not want to acknowledge Russia's meddling in US politics.

The Haley incident occurred and there appeared to be friction between Haley and some of the other counterparts including Bolton himself. Events turned to the Iran Nuclear Deal which Pompeo and State were initially not willing to withdraw from. The conversation was testy between Bolton and Pompeo.

Bolton repeats his arguments against the deal. Talks turned to the China trade issues and all that these issues entailed. Trump inserts himself into the discussions causing much angst. The French State Dinner takes place without any issues.

The Trump-Merkel April 27th working meeting was not without rancor. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson arrives for discussions.

Discussion Topics and Questions:

1. What were your thoughts about John Kelly's reaction when Bolton said that the issues were White House staff issues not a Trump problem?

2. Why do you think Bolton appears to be so hard on Haley - do you think that Haley was just trying to showboat herself by trying to get ahead of the announcement? How did State and Bolton decide to rein in Haley and how did that go over with her? Was Haley in over her head at the UN?

3. The French state dinner went off without a hitch and Macron tried to convince Trump of the Four Pillars? Macron wanted to fix the Iran Nuclear Deal and Bolton put the kibosh on that too. What are your thoughts regarding Bolton and the fallout regarding his positions?

4. Why does Trump not deal well with women foreign dignitaries like Merkel and May?

5. Why was there such a perennial problem with Treasury under Mnuchin? Why was he always dragging his feet and everything that he has been asked to do has always had delays and foot shuffling?

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Next Week's Reading Assignment:

Week Three: -July 13th - July 19th

Chapter 4 - The Singapore Sling - page 77

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

Hello all,

This week's reading assignment is:
Week Six: - August 3rd - August 9th
Chapter 7 - Trump Heads for the Door in Syria and Afghanistan and Can't Find It - 183

Next week's assignment is:
Week Seven: - August 10th - August 16th
Chapter 8 - Chaos as a Way of Life - 223

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

And so we begin:

CHAPTER 4
THE SINGAPORE SLING

"Even as we neared withdrawing from the wretched Iran nuclear deal, Trump’s focus on North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program resumed.

The more I learned, the more discouraged and pessimistic I became about a Trump-Kim summit.

I was deeply skeptical of efforts to negotiate the North out of its nuclear-weapons program, which Pyongyang had already sold many times to the US and others in exchange for economic benefits.

Despite breaching its commitments repeatedly, North Korea always cajoled a gullible America back to the negotiating table to make more concessions, ceding time to a proliferator, which invariably benefits from delay.

Here we were, at it again, having learned nothing. Worse, we were legitimizing Kim Jong Un, commandant of the North Korean prison camp, by giving him a free meeting with Trump.

It called to mind Winston Churchill’s dark 1935 observation about Britain’s failed policies toward Germany:

When the situation was manageable, it was neglected, and now that it is thoroughly out of hand, we apply too late the remedies which then might have effected a cure.

There is nothing new in the story. It is as old as the Sibylline books. It falls into that long, dismal catalogue of the fruitlessness of experience, and the confirmed unteachability of mankind. Want of foresight, unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective, lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until emergency comes, until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong—these are the features which constitute the endless repetition of history.

Sources: Bolton, John R. . The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir (p. 77). Simon & Schuster. Kindle Edition and Winston Churchill, Speech in Parliament, May 2, 1935, quoted in John H. Maurer, “Churchill and the Outbreak of the Second World War in Europe,” Orbis, Summer, 2019, p. 313.

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

This week's reading assignment is:

Week Ten: - August 24th - August 30th) (pages 287 - 319)

Chapter 10: Thunder out of China - 287

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

For those reading this book along with us - up through Labor Day - the following was Week Eleven's assignment:

Week Eleven: - August 31st - September 6th (319 - 363)
Chapter 11: Checking into the Hanoi Hilton, then Checking Out, and the Panmunjom Playtime - 319

And for those moving forward on this wonderful Labor Day - this week's reading assignment is as follows:

Week Twelve:- September 7th - September 13th (363 - 423)
Chapter 12: Trump Loses His Way, and Then his Nerve - 363

[Bentley, Group Founder, Leader, Chief]

This is this week's assignment:

Week Thirteen: - September 14th - September 20th (pages 423 - 445)

Chapter 13 - From the Afghanistan Counterterrorism Mission to the Camp David Near Miss (page 423)