Middle East allies accuse Barack Obama and David Cameron of failing to show strategic leadership in fight against Islamic State
by Con Coughlin, Defence Editor, The Telegraph, Jul 1, 2015
Kurdish Peshmerga fighters train on a weapon during a training session with British military advisers
The United States has blocked attempts by its Middle East allies to fly heavy weapons directly to the Kurds fighting Islamic State jihadists in Iraq, The Telegraph has learnt.
Some of America’s closest allies say President Barack Obama and other Western leaders, including David Cameron, are failing to show strategic leadership over the world’s gravest security crisis for decades.
They now say they are willing to “go it alone” in supplying heavy weapons to the Kurds, even if means defying the Iraqi authorities and their American backers, who demand all weapons be channelled through Baghdad.
High level officials from Gulf and other states have told this newspaper that all attempts to persuade Mr Obama of the need to arm the Kurds directly as part of more vigorous plans to take on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) have failed. The Senate voted down one attempt by supporters of the Kurdish cause last month.
The officials say they are looking at new ways to take the fight to Isil without seeking US approval.
“If the Americans and the West are not prepared to do anything serious about defeating Isil, then we will have to find new ways of dealing with the threat,” said a senior Arab government official. “With Isil making ground all the time we simply cannot afford to wait for Washington to wake up to the enormity of the threat we face.”
The Peshmerga have been successfully fighting Isil, driving them back from the gates of Erbil and, with the support of Kurds from neighbouring Syria, re-establishing control over parts of Iraq’s north-west.
But they are doing so with a makeshift armoury. Millions of pounds-worth of weapons have been bought by a number of European countries to arm the Kurds, but American commanders, who are overseeing all military operations against Isil, are blocking the arms transfers.
One of the core complaints of the Kurds is that the Iraqi army has abandoned so many weapons in the face of Isil attack, the Peshmerga are fighting modern American weaponry with out-of-date Soviet equipment.
At least one Arab state is understood to be considering arming the Peshmerga directly, despite US opposition.
The US has also infuriated its allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Gulf states, by what they perceive to be a lack of clear purpose and vacillation in how they conduct the bombing campaign. Other members of the coalition say they have identified clear Isil targets but then been blocked by US veto from firing at them.
“There is simply no strategic approach,” one senior Gulf official said. “There is a lack of coordination in selecting targets, and there is no overall plan for defeating Isil.”
Western leaders increasingly accept that the “war on Isil” has not gone well, from the moment last year Mr Obama called the group a “JV [junior varsity] team” of jihadists compared with al-Qaeda. At that point, Isil had seized Fallujah, which US forces took in a bloody battle in 2004. It went on to take much of western Iraq and large areas of Syria, and in May took Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province.
Britain is moving closer to expanding its role in the war. The Government on Wednesday gave its strongest indication yet that MPs will be given a new vote on whether to bomb Isil in Syria.
Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said it was “illogical” that British planes were able to hit extremists in Iraq but not across the border.
Any decision to bomb in Syria would have to be approved by MPs. In 2013, the Prime Minister lost a vote for British military action in Syria. However, Mr Fallon said: “It is a new Parliament and I think new Members of Parliament will want to think very carefully about how we best deal with Isil, and the illogicality of Isil not respecting the borderlines.”
Mr Fallon suggested that a bombing campaign could be mounted in revenge for the terror attacks in Tunisia if a link could be proved between the killer and Isil in Libya. Britain would only take military action in Libya “where we think there is an imminent threat, a very direct to British lives or, for example, to British hostages”, he said.
Senior Whitehall sources did not distance themselves from Mr Fallon’s comments but insisted there was no immediate prospect of military action.
The Telegraph understands that Mr Cameron is concerned that Labour might force the Government into another defeat over Syria.
– See more at: http://pamelageller.com/2015/07/obama-blocks-plan-by-allies-to-fight-isis-islamic-state.html/#sthash.gL4Ejqxn.dpuf
Note that Cruz refused to attack Trump…and that his 2nd quarter haul was $50+million.
@ mar55:
The important thing is that your clique should properly click.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
@ rsklaroff:
Sorry, I should have spelled “clique” rather than click in comment No.18
@ rsklaroff:
The Bushes think they have a right to entitlement. Do they think they are a dynasty? Bunch of idiots who do not do anything except hurt the country. Bunch of wimps.
If Cruz gets the nomination I’m campaigning. What we need with all the publicity he is getting is, Trump to support Cruz.
The problem with the Republicans they show the legislation they have passed. They are interested in the process rather than what can be done. Much legislation and no teeth.
What have they accomplished? Nothing. The WSJ had a very good letter this morning about the Republicans. I see if I can get it and paste it over here.
Nope.
@ rsklaroff:
Did you go to Harvard with Cruz? If you did we probably have a common friend from his group or (click?)
I did.
I’m hungry.
[I’m tired of plowing this pathway; you cite no examples and attack/attack/attack.]
I’m in no mood to “prove” anything.
Deal with it.
There is a difference between simply being a citizen and being a natural born citizen. Article II Section 1 of the Constitution states that no person except a natural born citizen could be president. If the founders would have accepted any citizen as president they would not have added the term natural born. So now prove that Cruz is “natural born”.@ rsklaroff:
Cruz’s mother was born in Baltimore and was an American Citizen; just like others [Romney, McCain], this will suffice.
One is either a naturalized or a natural-born citizen; he wasn’t naturalized and he is a citizen and, thus, he is a natural-born citizen.
The FIX isn’t secure; Bush will have the Midas-Touch [lotsa $ without ability to buy votes], certainly in the first three states.
Why bother even discussing Cruz’s chances of winning the presidency.Even though he’s constitutionally ineligible. The fix is already in and the brain dead Republican hierarchy have chosen another “moderate” loser.Jeb Bush. They’ll never learn that if the choice is between a real Democrat and a Democrat in Republican clothes the real Democrat will win.
You are channeling what Oren has said, publicly and privately.
This horrifying tour de force of depravity represents Example# 245,958,290 proving that Obama is a sympathizer with jihad. Shhhhh! Do not tell anyone this forbidden truth. Let them continue to pretend that Obama’s serial embrace of Islamism is INEXPLICABLE!
“We just can’t understand his seemingly irrational behavior.” Such a mystery…
Cruz is beating Perry/Bush regarding Texas-$, and he certainly draws nationally [and promises to continue to do so, noting how effective he has been during the past few days of book-rollout interviews].
Also, he righted himself with regard to the trade-deal vote, although I still want to “chat” with his staff regarding why–after his amendment failed to alter policy–he didn’t oppose the Iran deal [in terms of the voting process, as per a piece I wrote for the American Thinker, which Ted cogently assessed].
The man is so far ahead of the questioner [and now, has “auditioned” for a speaking-part on The Simpsons] that it’s uncanny; he should wipe-up during the debates.
I sent him $100; hope springs eternal, particularly because the race is “young” and Cruz has–by far–the most social-media activity and, thus, can translate this core of support to polling.
Remember that dropping the lowest tier [Pataki, Christie, Graham, Jindal, Santorum, Perry] which demonstrated its “staying power” by not generating a bump following announcement yields Cruz comfortably among the top-ten [even before the announcements of Kasich and Walker, with the former already recognized as harboring problematic policies].
I’m meeting Cruz in D.C. next Wednesday @ 10:30 to discuss the Kurdistan issue [congruent with a piece that I coauthored with Sherkoh Abbas and is to be released by the Washington Times next week]; will try to develop “inside” contacts while meeting his professional staff.
@ rsklaroff:
But is he also deep [of pockets]? If you know American big league politics, there aren’t many votes that money can’t and won’t buy.
Real Clear Politics (RCP) routinely tracks, averages and analyzes everybody running in the White House sweepstakes. Of the thundering herd of 16 GOP candidates for president, either announced or seriously expected, Cruz is competing with the bottom ranks of Wannabe City. And the succession of polls through June show him sagging to about 4 per cent. Which doesn’t look too promising with Jeb Bush hitting 15 per cent and Scott Walker following up with 10 per cent.
So unless some miraculous angel lands on his shoulder, with maybe $100 million to blast on this campaign, your guy has a rendezvous with the dead file of the history of American elections..
You know, RSK, I admit I don’t sound too nice. But I always tell it like I think it is. And I like it that way, because in old age, I sure as hell hate to be fooled by a crowd of folks who imagine, first, that they can get nominated; second, that they can get elected; and third, that they can actually govern this country out of its all but endless problems and, wish of all wishes, restore constitutional government to something Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and Lincoln would have understood, long before they all wound up as street names in big American cities. But go ahead, argue with me if it pleases you.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
Cruz is both swift [of mind] and strong [of heart].
@ rsklaroff:
Given the rapidly increasing social, political, and economic decay of this once-great country, I seriously doubt that Prez God Almighty could reverse the current American slide to imperial oblivion.
As for Governor Cruz attaining that exalted elected status, remember what sportswriter Damon Runyon once said about wagers:
“The race is not always to the swift nor the battle to the strong. But that’s the way to place your bets.”
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
@ rsklaroff:
Mr Cruz, who in any case is a very long shot contestant to be elected “Prez Cruz”, would in fact preside over a commonwealth whose social fabric is being eaten alive by a population largely supported by entitlements paid for solely by increasing the national debt; whose recipients are more concerned with recognition of homosexual marriages and the right of undocumented illegal aliens to vote in federal elections without any restrictions, than they are concerned for the right of the Jewish nation not only to build its Jewish state on all parts of its ancient homeland, and are hardly even more concerned about questions of the ultimate survival of any Jewish state; and who, in any case, are too busy in pursuit of legalized access to drugs which further addle whatever remains of their already empty minds.
I recall hearing a very long time ago that Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban, who placed strongest emphasis on building Israel’s ties to an infinitely more healthy United States of America some 55-60 years ago, one days was having a polite conversation with Andrei Gromyko, Eban’s counterpart, in the halls of the UNO in New York City. Regarding what Eban thought of Israel’s growing dependence on the USA, Gromyko told him:
“You are leaning against a weak reed, my friend.”
Exactly that has been proven as true as the relative permanency of Mount Everest.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
rsklaroff Said:
Cruz, nor any other Republican, will ever again be elected President, as the Democrats and their apparatchiks in the news media, Hollywood and in the universities have manipulated the populace into a permanent leftist majority, by doing four things — a) importing millions of Hispanics, who vote 70-30 Democrat, b) by having millions of Californians, Massachusettsans and New Yorkers migrate to other states, such as Oregon, Vermont, Washington, New Hamphsire and Maine – and bringing their failed leftist ideology with them, thus turning them Democrat
c) By encouraging a moral breakdown where 40+% of children are now born out of wedlock — making the mothers and kids permanently dependent on government handouts and thus lifelong Democratic voters,
d) Leftist indoctrination of students, starting in Kindergarten, to teach them that Republicans/Conservatives/Christians/Zionists/White men are evil and Democrats/Leftists/Minorites/Gays are pure and good.
So Arnold is right — America is going downhill and rapidly. I can say that on its present course, all of America in 25 years will be like California is today — one party Socialist, bankrupt, whites an oppressed minority, and a populace too indoctrinated and stupid to know how badly they are being screwed.
Israel’s real hope is not Russia, though. Israel’s real hope would be a breakup of the USA, with a Texas-led conservative southern/midwestern Republic leading the fight against the international left (they just have to make sure that unlike Ukraine, they get their share of nukes when they leave).
The accuracy of your diagnosis notwithstanding, your assumption that Prez Cruz won’t be able to reverse these forces is unfounded; thus, wouldn’t deal with Putin except as did RR with the USSR.
@ rsklaroff:
Putin is sufficiently reliable to fully serve Russia’s short and long-term interests. When was the last time the USA has had a president who could be depended upon to do the same?
I maintain that Russia in the long run, will make a better ally of the Jewish state and the Jewish nation than the USA, which is rapidly sliding downhill.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
Putin isn’t “reliable.”
The Russian government has announced it’s clear-cut support of destroying Isis. If so, one thing is certain is that nobody in the US government, including Obama, would issue the order for the US Air Force to shoot down Russian aircraft. Not unless Obama wants the Russian Army to call his bluff by invading Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, all of Ukraine at least as far west as the Dniepr River, and watching NATO dissolve. Because Germany never again will get itself involved in a war against Great Russia.
The time has plainly come for Israel to align itself with Russia, China, and India, and openly assist the fighting Kurds to get their hands on some of the best weaponry in the Middle East; while Saudi Arabia, Trans-Jordan, Egypt, and many others threatened by the Islamic State movement nod approval.
And don’t feed me any more bullshit about how strongly and malignantly the Russians hate Jews. Even if it all were true, I regard much of that as irrelevant in the present strategic situation.
Above all other considerations, Israel needs reliable relationships with reliable countries whose leaderships can be counted on at least to serve their own interests. All things considered, I do not think the Jewish state and the Jewish nation ever has had an honest and honored mutual relationship with the leadership elites of the USA. And now this society is decaying, probably too rapidly and too fundamentally ever to be repaired and restored. All hat is happening here is as if the Romsn empire had crashed in just 70 years.
Arnold Harris
Mount Horeb WI
It is plausible that bho blocked the Brits; when this info emerged last night, I reported it to the head of Kurdnas, who has found Congressional support for direct aid.
I despise Obama more than anybody else on this forum, but something seems off – if the Brits really wanted to airlift heavy arms to fight ISIS, what would Obama really do? Shoot British planes down?
If he is just objecting verbally, Cameron (who has an absolute Tory majority in Parliament now), can tell Obama to stuff it.