Daniel Pipes says The West Lacks a Plan
Sher Zieve says, Obama has No Intention of Stopping ISIS
Kissinger: Iran is a bigger threat than Islamic State because the threat posed by the militants is “more manageable” than a confrontation with Iran.
My concern is that ISIS and the MB both share the same goal of installing Sharia in America though their means may vary. While we are focussed on the violent Jihad, we are ignoring the stealth Jidad.
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is preparing to carry out a campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria that may take three years to complete, requiring a sustained effort that could last until after President Obama has left office, according to senior administration officials.
The first phase, an air campaign with nearly 145 airstrikes in the past month, is already underway to protect ethnic and religious minorities and American diplomatic, intelligence and military personnel, and their facilities, as well as to begin rolling back ISIS gains in northern and western Iraq.
The next phase, which would begin sometime after Iraq forms a more inclusive government, scheduled this week, is expected to involve an intensified effort to train, advise or equip the Iraqi military, Kurdish fighters and possibly members of Sunni tribes.
The final, toughest and most politically controversial phase of the operation — destroying the terrorist army in its sanctuary inside Syria — might not be completed until the next administration. Indeed, some Pentagon planners envision a military campaign lasting at least 36 months.
Mr. Obama will use a speech to the nation on Wednesday to make his case for launching a United States-led offensive against Sunni militants gaining ground in the Middle East, seeking to rally support for a broad military mission while reassuring the public that he is not plunging American forces into another Iraq war.
“What I want people to understand,” Mr. Obama said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that was broadcast Sunday, “is that over the course of months, we are going to be able to not just blunt the momentum” of the militants. “We are going to systematically degrade their capabilities; we’re going to shrink the territory that they control; and, ultimately, we’re going to defeat them,” he added.
The military campaign Mr. Obama is preparing has no obvious precedent. Unlike American counterterrorism operations in Yemen and Pakistan, it is not expected to be limited to drone strikes against militant leaders. Unlike the war in Afghanistan, it will not include the use of ground troops, which Mr. Obama has ruled out.
Unlike the Kosovo war that President Bill Clinton and NATO nations waged in 1999, it will not be compressed into an intensive 78-day tactical and strategic air campaign. And unlike during the air campaign that toppled the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, in 2011, the Obama administration is no longer “leading from behind,” but plans to play the central role in building a coalition to counter ISIS.
“We have the ability to destroy ISIL,” Secretary of State John Kerry said last week at the NATO summit meeting in Wales, using an alternative name for the militant group. “It may take a year, it may take two years, it may take three years. But we’re determined it has to happen.”
Antony J. Blinken, Mr. Obama’s deputy national security adviser, has suggested that the United States is undertaking a prolonged mission. “It’s going to take time, and it will probably go beyond even this administration to get to the point of defeat,” Mr. Blinken said last week on CNN.
Mr. Kerry is scheduled to head for the Middle East soon to solidify the anti-ISIS coalition. And Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is traveling to Ankara, Turkey, on Monday to woo another potential ally in the fight against the Sunni militant group.
Although details of how the emerging coalition would counter ISIS remain undecided, several American officials said that they believe the list of allies so far includes Jordan, offering intelligence help, and Saudi Arabia, which has influence with Sunni tribes in Iraq and Syria and which has been funding moderate Syrian rebels.
The United Arab Emirates, officials said, has also indicated a willingness to consider airstrikes in Iraq. Germany has said it would send arms to pesh merga fighters in Kurdistan. And rising concern over foreign fighters returning home from Syria and Iraq may also have spurred Australia, Britain, Denmark and France to join the alliance.
Administration officials acknowledged, however, that getting those same countries to agree to airstrikes in Syria was proving harder.
“Everybody is on board Iraq,” an administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the policy is still being developed. “But when it comes to Syria, there’s more concern” about where airstrikes could lead. The official nonetheless expressed confidence that the countries would eventually come around to taking the fight into Syria, in part, he said, because “there’s really no other alternative.”
The talks between Mr. Hagel and the Turkish leadership may be crucial in determining whether the United States will be able to count on Ankara on a number of fronts, including closing the Turkish border to foreign fighters who have been using Turkey as a transit point from which to go to Syria and Iraq to join militant organizations and allowing the American military to carry out operations from bases in Turkey.
But Turkish officials have been wary of attracting notice from ISIS, given that the group holds the fate of 49 kidnapped Turkish diplomats in its hands. In June, Sunni militants with ISIS stormed the Turkish Consulate in Mosul, Iraq, kidnapping the consul general and other members of his staff, and their families, including three children.
Senior officials have repeatedly ruled out sending ground combat troops, a vow Mr. Obama reaffirmed in his appearance on “Meet the Press.”
“This is not going to be an announcement about U.S. ground troops,” he said. “This is not the equivalent of the Iraq war.”
But it is not clear if that declaration would preclude the eventual deployment of small numbers of American Special Operations forces or C.I.A. operatives to call in airstrikes on behalf of Kurdish fighters, Iraqi forces or Sunni tribes, a procedure that makes it much easier to distinguish between ISIS militants, civilians and counter ISIS fighters.
During the recent operation to retake the Mosul Dam, Kurdish soldiers, using a more roundabout procedure, provided the coordinates of ISIS fighters to the joint United States-Kurdish command center in Erbil, which in turn passed them to American aircraft, Masrour Barzani, the head of Kurdish intelligence, said in a recent interview.
The White House is counting on an effort by American, Iraqi and Gulf Arab officials to persuade Sunni tribesman in western Iraq, now aligned with ISIS, to break their ties after chafing under the harsh Shariah law the group has imposed.
Unless the new Iraqi government is substantially more inclusive, American encouragement and support for these groups to turn on ISIS may be far less effective than it was in 2007, when many tribes fought the forerunner of ISIS, Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Some Sunni tribal leaders are still bitter at the treatment under former Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, a Shiite.
“Even if they try we will not accept it,” said Sheikh Ali Hatem Suleimani, a tribal leader in Anbar who lives in Erbil. “In the past, we fought against Al Qaeda and we cleaned the area of them. But the Americans gave control of Iraq to Maliki, who started to arrest, kill, and exile most of the tribal commanders who led the fight against Al Qaeda.”
Peter Clifford online seems to collect somewhat objective and detailed news about the situation in Iraq and Syria.
The chart below show the violence in Iraq in the last few days – it certainly is a maelstrom. I don’t see much of any of this detailed news in the MSM.
http://www.petercliffordonline.com/wp-content/uploads/Iraq-ISW-Situation-Report-5-to-7th-September-14.png
http://www.petercliffordonline.com/syria-iraq-news-4/
The situation certainly requires more than a lame duck, anti-war President who is afraid to tarnish his image especially tarnish it in the Islamic world.
..
(“Maxie” heh the Kathy Bates of Isra really has a crush on me 🙂 )
Max Said:
Like I said you are clueless of any facts, totally ignorant and must cover up your ignorance by insults…you employ this same tactic with everyone….It only demonstrates what a silly little ignoramus you are.
Are the questions so difficult that you can only cover it up with insults? Perhaps your “elites” can give you answers
Max Said:
that’s very nice, but truth is usually factual and you demonstrate that you dont know any facts, if you did you could answer questions.
still waiting max, for you to answer the simple questions.
Max Said:
thats a nice psychobabble story, you havve learned the tricks well from dweller, but it’s irrelevant to the discussion.
However, I do see how it helps you to avoid questions and obfuscate the issues….like the questions you never answered, as usual:
bernard ross Said:
bernard ross Said:
bernard ross Said:
Is your criteria that “work gets done” and “they are the good guys”…can they be furthering the interests of your “elite” and still be the good guys?
Perhaps you can answer the questions and clear up what appears to to a contradiction in your posts…..perhaps you can tell us how the CIA relates to your “ELITE”….?
Its convenient to run away like a little boy and avoid the issues, facts and questions……how about it maxie?
An angel must be protecting BR from the truth that will set him free.. 🙂
@ bernard ross:
Before you have a nerv-ous brea-kdown you should quickly go to the nearest C-I-A office and tell them everything you know about Bengh-azi. Go in person, don’t hesitate , America needs your help!
yamit82 Said:
The Black Budget
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/national/black-budget/
Work gets done. They are the good guys , they are the warriors on the front line. Try living without this org – we’d all be eating borscht, using chopsticks wearing burkas (both men and women) and waiting to get our heads chopped off.
You are the guy who is irked that Abraham Lincoln was so effective at his job of directing the winning of the Civil War. I somehow don’t think you are quite so objective or too concerned about our survival here in North America.
bernard ross Said:
no joke Virginia. There really are people who wish to protect North America from it’s enemies and have careers doing so.
Unlike yourself , I criticize the West in order to help reform it. I actually don’t think you have a purpose or objective – just a confused purposeless person.
Max says:
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
September 9, 2014 at 11:34 pm
@ bernard ross:
@ bernard ross:
Benghazi!
Booya!
Before you have a nervous breakdown you should quickly go to the nearest CIA office and tell them everything you know. Go in person, don’t hesitate , America needs your help!
@ Max:
especially for you:
Max Said:
Any thoughts on why he “held back” and why he “let”…?
My understanding is that he had originally planned to go in to support the “rebels” but changed his mind, so what changed his mind? I also understood that his “involvement” in Libya and his “reasons” for engaging in Syria were based on the “responsibility to protect” doctrine. The question of who perpetrated the chem attacks started to resemble the Bush WMD claims in being a basis for war.
you are somewhat correct IMO, he would not want to lose his constituency for upcoming elections. Perhaps, rather than “dragging feet so it is someone else’s problem” he merely shunted the burden to his existing partners in arming, funding and training the rebels. When he did not enter, as expected, it meant that a greater share of the burden for deposing Assad fell on the “rebels” and their sponsors. Perhaps the sponsors who now shouldered the greater burden just decided to do it their usual way and not bother with all the bureaucracy engendered by doing it semi overtly in collaboration with the US. Perhaps Obama decided also that would be a better strategy so as not to endanger his electoral base. Right now he appears as an anti war, anti coup and lawfully observant president maintaining an apparently reluctant to enter war stature while others do the job.
Max Said:
Is this a joke, or are you serious?
Max Said:
Not scandalized, just pointed out your obvious omission from your wikipedia citation. As you were on about the champion of democracy I thought it a very relevant fact in considering his character, motives, goals and agenda. Did you omit the info intentionally or was it an oversight?
Max Said:
really? I thought you said that canamerica were owned by the elites and that we all work for them?..Does the CIA also work for them, do they further “our” interests or the “elites” interests? I thought you were not on the side of the “elites”? Should I be on the side of my “owners and slavemasters”?
Max Said:
what is your criteria for “doing a good job”, is it a performance related criteria?
Max Said:
Any evidence on which you base this ludicrous statement? Are North american interests and the interests of your “elite” synonymous? Do you support your “elites” interests?
yamit82 Said:
I guess that makes us even.
But let me guess…hmmm.. difficult
lol
it was “Anti–CIA”! Quelle Surprise!
comment to max in moderation 🙁
@ Max:
Main function and duty of the CIA is the collection and interpretation of intelligence. With all the resources at their disposal they haven’t gotten a dammed thing right as long as anyone can remember. N Korea getting Nukes, Pakistan and India getting Nukes, Qaddafi’s nuklear program, Syrias Nuke reactor, Yom Kippur war preparations by Egypt, The Arab spring, the overthrow of Morsi and hundreds of lesser regional and geopolitical events since WW2. Seems they re always being surprised by events, Many of which they themselves were involved in instigating where their predicted results evolved into contrary conclusions of what were designed and expected. Eventook them 10 years to track Ben Laden if it really was the in the end the real villain. No proof of death ever revealed.
Seems you live in some fantasy world of Heroes and Villains, good guys bad guys, black hats, white hats and picture yourself as the white Knight slaying the black knight in mortal combat but that movie already exists.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikssfUhAlgg
Good grief Ted your so called twitter account @Israpundit with your picture is still active and the items posted still link back to the old website. The latest posting was a few minutes ago.
If it’s not you, then you should get twitter to take it down.
yamit82 Said:
Some mistakes are made – so what, it’s to be expected.
Your disrespect has nothing to do with their function nor with their performance, you like BR don’t want them to succeed in their mission to protect North American Interests.
If I had another life I would consider a commission in the USA armed forced, with the uni program, a degree in psych, a few tours of duty ki–ll–ing goo–ks and applying to the CIA perhaps specializing in Psy-ops.
such dreams may come – can’t have everything I suppose.
Max Said:
Your respect must be based on more than performance outcomes.
Wonder what that can be?
bernard ross Said:
That’s right CIA was training some rebels to fight against Assad. But Obama held back – so he let the ISIS, Al Nusra and other Jihadist groups rise to power. I think the FSA is very very weak now as Western backed allied force.
However Assad versus rebels, rebels versus each other ( 12 or more major and different, often oppositional groups) keeps them divisive – only ISIS though, came out strong.
..
I believe you were scandalized that the CIA trained General Haftar at one point. You know Mr. Twisted, that’s good because the CIA is on our side ie Western Security Interest especially CanAmerica.. which apparently is not your side. I have a lot of respect for them, I think they do a good job.
Obama was elected on an anti-war, leftist platform. He doesn’t want to be a “war president” – so he will drag his feet so it is someone else’s problem.
@ yamit82:
I read that Hagel will advise Mr. Obama about the “consequences” of dealing with IS…
@ Steve Smyser:
I agree. Mr. Obama knows that the tools to terminate the menace are available. He does not want to do it.
I worked on certain programs while with Uncle Sam’s Military Avionics Programs as a Senior-Fellow Engineer.
SHmuel HaLevi 2 Said:
Years to destroy only if they are allowed to grow and expand.
Hamas has more fighters and they are better trained and dug in. ISIS can effectively be degraded and dealt with by air-power.
@ Steve Smyser:
According to reports on all the News sources they have some 10-20k fighters and not all trained. They don’t even have the expertise yet to use effectively much of the weapons they have captured. Irag is open flat desert no place to hide. Even if they hide within populations of towns and cities under their control they have long open vulnerable supply lines. Their military threat is minimal against any well trained and equipped opposing military formation with air-power. Hamas has more and better trained fighters and they are dug in. ISIS isn’t.
Since America has armed the Gulf stated and the Saudis with Hundreds of Billions of Americas best tools of war might one expect them to use it against what they themselves consider an existential threat??? If not, why not??
I don’t see them yet as a major military threat to any nation except Iraq the Gulf States and the Saudis. They still have not been able to overthrow a degraded and weakened Assad Regime.
The chicken hawks in America are salivating over another war and creating the equiv of the old Red Menace to scare the American people into supporting more war. Wall st needs this.
@ SHmuel HaLevi 2:
Isis is maybe 50 or 60 thousand “troops” – a few flights of B2 type dropping fuel air bombs would take care of the entire situation, followed up by helicopters to take out the stragglers – all done in three to five days. Do it before this “cancer” spreads.
President Obama will be so disappointed. Israel may actually survive with a solution like this one. /sarcasm
ISIS was created in months… Will take years to destroy.
Does it make sense?