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Good.
I’d want more preparation than actually stopping ISIS; I want us to be prepared to take them out. But any movement toward action, and against standing around is a good thing. At least we’re seeing a spark of life.
How this develops will tell the tale.
What some guy named Churchill said: Americans can be counted on to do the right thing, but only after exhausting all other possibilities.
About time he did something. This man is a dysfunctional procrastinator. I hope it’s not too late. Even so, it’s too measured. We really need to take the country back with an invading force. I know, easier said than done, but I think it should be done.
I agree. We need to take them out completely. The region will never be stable with their existence.
Wonder what’s in it for Obama?
Pressure from some major donor? Deflect attention from the revelation that at least 20 officials in his administration have also been destroying emails? The death of Major General Greene killed by a gunman wearing an Afghan Army uniform. He doesn’t want his legacy sullied by doing absolutely nothing after leaving Iraq flat thereby virtually insuring this kind of thing would happen?
I’m glad, of course, but it’s difficult not to be cynical about whether he can do the job, and I’m preparing myself to having to listen to him take credit for anything remotely good that comes out of this. Shame on the entire Democrat party for not screaming about his pusillanimity, though I imagine even some Democrats have been worried.
Wag the Dog
Never should have had to happen if we had proper number of forces in place and gotten the status of forces done properly. But, the smartest mf on the planet knows best. Now he spins it as if we’re coming to help from out of the blue and not that when we left we helped creat the vacuum that allowed the chaos to fester and grow.
I support the president’s decision to carry out airstrikes.
God I just wish for once he would stop his speeches half way in. He was doing so well and then he went on to explain how we really wont work to solve this problem. I wonder though if this small and ancient religion was not threatened with annihilation would he even have bothered? Because the pogrom against Christians and Shiites did not seem to elicit much in the way of a response.
I will say this Ibril is the Kurdish capital. The Kurds have been our best friends there in Iraq and for us to let them stand alone against the fire breathing hydra that is ISIL should bring us shame for a thousand years.
I wish I could feel hopeful about this … I’m just waiting for this to turn into a disaster, not because our military doesn’t have the capability to do something useful, but because of the administration. Sigh.
Remember the days when violence in Iraq was blamed on the U.S. presence there? I don’t know which is sadder, the details of the horrors in Iraq or the fact that it was so predictable.
Not that the Bush administration won’t continue to be blamed.
Doesn’t the President at least have to pretend to consult congress before starting a war?
1. I support the President’s actions.
2. Stopping the advance is one thing; rolling them back is another. “Targeted strikes to protect our personnel” doesn’t get ISIS’s hands off the dam or the oil wells. I have the feeling we just recognized all their territorial gains as a fait accompli.
Could it be that Obama’s record of complete inaction has made us welcome any action at all, even if it’s woefully inadequate? I confess, for me, I’ll take anything at this point.
A few weeks back, we had a discussion about the tactic of bringing terrorist suspects to New York for trial, and letting the legal system handle terrorism. Given the current situation, I thought then (and still do) that we’re simply going to have to fight these guys sooner or later. So now, my attitude is: why wait? It’s a legitimate American interest, and it saves lives – the perfect dovetail of conservative & liberal motives. Besides, it’s about time we gave these creeps a dose of reality.
As do I.
I just wish he didn’t inform the enemy of our plans… again.
BO’s moronic press secretary blamed the iraqi government. While there is blame to go around we did break the place. And, while putting it back together, I think we are obligated to stick around and make sure it took. Clearly that’s not what we did. And, predictably, here we are.
How long were we in Germany?
How long were we in Japan?
Oh that’s right! We’re still there! And clearly not only was our extended presence required, but (in my opinion) it laid the foundation for our enduring alliances with those nations. As you implied, Jeff, the contrasts could scarcely be more stark.
And by the way the use of the word moronic in this context is redundant.
I am afraid that is precisely the case.
Even when Kerry was discussing an “unbelievably small, limited kind of effort.” with regards to Syria I cannot imagine anyone contemplated something as minuscule as we are currently seeing in Iraq.
Unless these token efforts are simply part of some sly battlespace prep prior to an actual sustained air campaign they amount to nothing more than a sick joke, false hope given to desperate people.
No, not since we attacked Libya. Obama claimed “war” required “boots on the ground”, and bombs and missiles were below the threshold of “war”. Who knew?
The POTUS decides who is moderate and suitable to be in government, unfortunately that’s the problem.
ISIS? The One said ISIL. I’m sure he screwed that up as well.
Obama knows not how to do this. He’s a community organizer. He is not smart, he’s an ideologue. There is no reason to be optimistic. We should have never left without a reasonable force on the ground. This will end badly. We have 2.5 years left of a pen and a phone. Ugh. This will get worse before it gets better.