“When I first got in and I was talking to Brett McGurk, who was the envoy on behalf of Biden”
This may be a simple error by a media outlet, but if it’s not, this is deeply troubling.
In response to an inquiry from Ynet, the White House did not deny reports of indirect contact with Hamas. A State Department official said, “We cannot comment on ongoing negotiations, but we note recent statements from Qatar and Egypt indicating their continued efforts to reach an agreement. Brett McGurk and his team remain involved in these efforts.”
We already know from Steven Witkoff, the current envoy, that he largely outsourced the whole original ‘ceasefire’ to Brett McGurk who was Biden’s envoy.
Witkoff then lavishly praised McGurk.
In Jan, at Mar-a-Lago, Witkoff stated that “the Biden administration is the tip of the spear” in the Hamas negotiations. Biden has “got a solid team, and I appreciated that they’re allowing us to be collaborative.”
Much later, Witkoff told Tucker, “When I first got in and I was talking to Brett McGurk, who was the envoy on behalf of Biden, he was a smart guy.”
“He said to me, ‘This is where I want to get to, Steve.’ And so when I went in there, I went in with the imprimatur of the president.”
“Steve became a close partner of mine, I think it’s safe to say a friend,” McGurk told PBS.
McGurk’s involvement should have ended when the Biden administration did. Is that actually the case? Witkoff’s ‘big accomplishment’ in Gaza was implementing McGurk’s proposal as he already admitted. If McGurk is still involved that would raise a lot of red flags since he also joined Lux Capital which keeps bashing Trump.
But lately the Trump foreign policy on Israel and Iran is looking as if it’s being copied from the Biden administration, and that would make sense if Biden’s people were still running it.
Wellington says
Troubling. I will withhold any final judgment but troubling preliminarily. I certainly hope that Trump does not make the same mistake FDR did by way of trusting Joseph Stalin, whom FDR sometimes affectionately called “Old Joe.”
Winston Churchill knew better about Stalin and tried many times to warn FDR (e.g., at Yalta respecting what should happen in Poland) but the man from Hyde Park did not listen. I hope Trump is listening to the wisest advice now proffered him. Better be.
And I don’t like Trump accepting a plane from Qatar. Not at all.
James Lincoln says
100% agree, Wellington.
Pres. Trump is, overall, doing a fantastic job.
However…
No country would gift a very expensive plane without expecting something in return – at a later date.
And Witkoff should be replaced with a solid MAGA patriot who fully understands islam, e.g., John Guandolo.
Constance says
James , I totally agree that John would be a excellent choice !!
I don’t trust Steve at all
PacosMojo says
All you NeoCONs desire is more war! Trump has previously demonstrated he’s more than willing to employ lethal force (Iran, Yemen, Syria) when U.S. national security is at stake. Let me repeat that last sentence so that it sticks in your warmongering, Bush loving brains; When U.S. national security is at stake. Not Israeli security, not Ukrainian security, not Indian security, U.S. national security!
Wellington says
I essentially agree with you but sometimes the security of another nation is in the interests of America. It certainly was back in WWII days when America backed Britain through programs like Lend-Lease and Destroyers for Bases even before the US came into the war.
And so I would argue now For example, Israeli security is a key factor in America security. Were Israel to perish (perish the thought), this would be highly deleterious to American interests, to put it mildly.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Like I said yesterday, that’s fine! However, he has no business telling other countries – be it Israel, be it India, be it Ukraine or Russia – to hold off on attacking their enemies. Just like us, they too have their red lines, even if they may have nukes. Since they are on the other side of the world, just as we have no business being there, we also have no business interfering in what they do
Also, not everything about the Bush Doctrine was wrong: countries that harbor terrorists need to be subject to the same consequences as the terrorists themselves. The place where the Bush Doctrine was wrong was where it co-opted the Sharansky doctrine – of unleashing democracy on those defeated countries, and trying to rebuild them in “our own image”. Being muslim countries, that was never gonna happen. But it was that aspect of those wars that turned us against them
The Afghanistan war ended in December 2001, and the Iraqi one also ended in days. That’s when we should have gotten out. In Iraq, we could have spent a few weeks searching and confirming that there were no WMDs, but once confirmed, just be out of there
Goldfinger says
@Infidel: you write: ‘(…) we have no business being there (…)’. Poppycock. Ask Elon.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Ask Elon what, exactly?
James Lincoln says
Great points, Infidel.
The United States should not engage in “nationbuilding” – and attempt to force a “Jeffersonian democracy” on muslim majority countries.
Robert Powell says
Muslim Countries should not be attempting through the Genocide of Christians, and
building obamas Countries within Countries as in Texas. Within the Global assault on Christianity, the Sharia law is now active in the United States.
Goofy says
Disagree wholeheartedly with you here. You have to keep in mind that U.S. national security also involves the proactive and forceful outward projection of US military force, not the constant folding of its cards, which is what president Dump is doing. All the time: first a big mouth and then ‘the art of the deal’, at the same time spitting in the face of your former allies.
Jusfein says
Signore e signori, ecco a voi PACIS MOJO, un altro cieco ed ottuso pacifista che NON VUOLE rendersi conto che gli USA e tutto l’ OCCIDENTE sono sotto l’attacco mortale , combinato ed instancabile delle ideologie sanguinarie di ISLAM e COMUNISMO, ideologie che noi occidentali abbiamo colpevolmente lasciato crescere, ubriachi di pace e benessere sviluppati dopo la WW2 e dalla idea suicida di voler esportare la “democrazia” di tipo occidentale fra quei popoli che la combattono ferocemente e incessantemente perché legati appunto a ideologie sanguinarie e anti evolutive, adatte più ad animali che a esseri umani.
somehistory says
hamas is a terror organization, bound and determined to destroy Israel and take the Land, while sending their members to the U.S. to take over universities and influence politics to the point of destroying the U.S. and setting up islimic rule.
If a man found a serial killer in his home, would he sit down with him to *negotiate* so the killer would leave quietly, no police would be called and the homeowner would offer his young daughter as companion to the murderer?
‘
Negotiating with hamas makes as much sense.
James Lincoln says
All true, somehistory.
Negotiating with a hamas is like trying to negotiate with satan.
somehistory says
Thank you, James. Yes, essentially, it is the same thing.
somehistory says
OT
The mayor a NJ city was arrested for trespassin at a detention facility. So several members of Congress went to a detention facility, and as a busload of illegals….many if not most convicted criminals… were going inside, the congress members went in also. They had no legal right to be there.
One woman member, dressed in red, was talking very loudly and demanding they be allowed inside the building. she kept saying the same thing over and over, and telling the ICE agents to keep their hands off.
The Congress members were shoving and pushing the agents.
They were asked to leave; ordered to leave and kept refusing to do as they were ordered.
Then, loudmouthed aoc is making claims and giving warnings….as if those three *dem oc rats* are above the Law everyone else must follow.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-warns-trump-admin-if-they-lay-a-finger-on-members-of-congress-we-are-going-to-have-a-problem/ar-AA1EHEeQ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=9d118b08de434711b8259fb0e109fa1f&ei=12
41 says
Ertodgan managed to kill Abdul-Ghani al-Kikli through mercenaries. Don’t think Trump is worse than Biden for jihadist lunatics.
Ed says
When these polaticians leave office they should be restricted from all contacts like this unless the serving president ok’s it!
Pilar says
Trump took a bribe from Qatar and betrayed Israel. Now HTS and Hamas will have a free hand to destroy Israel.