Posted on 03/27/2016 7:57:57 AM PDT by Nachum
Shavua tov, a good week to everyone.In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies yesterday, CIA director John Brennan made a startling admission: The Islamic State was decimated under George W. Bush and had just 700-or-so adherents left following the surge in Iraq. Said Brennan:But President Hussein Obama said in Turkey on Friday that the US is pursuing the 'right strategy' against ISIS. Maybe if he's trying to help ISIS get stronger....
[ISIS] was, you know, pretty much decimated when US forces were there in Iraq. It had maybe 700-or-so adherents left. And then it grew quite a bit in the last several years, when it split then from al-Qaida in Syria, and set up its own organization.But in September 2014, a CIA analysis found that:
[ISIS] can muster between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters across Iraq and Syria This new total reflects an increase in members because of stronger recruitment since June following battlefield successes and the declaration of a caliphate, greater battlefield activity, and additional intelligence.This means that, by the CIAs own estimate, ISIS has grown on President Obamas watch from just 700 fighters to between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters.That is an increase of between 2,700 and 4,400 %.
Moreover, Brennan tacitly acknowledged that the Obama administration had underestimated the ISIS threat. At CSIS, Brennan declared that:
Not content to limiting its killing fields to Iraqi and Syrian lands, and to setting up local franchises in other countries of the Middle East, South Asia and Africa, ISIL has developed an external operations agenda that is now implementing with lethal effect.That now obvious assessment directly contradicts the assessment of ISIS intent and capabilities delivered by Obama administration officials just one year ago.
In August 11 2014, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes wrote in a White House blog post:
While both [al-Qaeda and the Islamic State] are terrorist forces, they have different ambitions. Al-Qaedas principal ambition is to launch attacks against the west and US homeland Right now, ISILs primary focus is consolidating territory in the Middle East region to establish their own Islamic State. So theyre different organizations with different objectives.
Add the Uniparty republicans and I would agree with you.
Just like Obama planned. His success rate is 100%. He has succeeded as president and he is ecstatic. The only failure seen is by those who assumed zer0 wished For a different outcome and are disappointed.
I am standing up and cheering at your comment.
I don’t even recall ever hearing of ISIS during the Bush administration.
CIA director Brennan is on record as saying “The CIA has nothing to fear from Obama”. They are working hand in glove to destroy the country.
The Islamic State was "decimated" under George W. Bush and had just "700-or-so adherents left" following the surge in Iraq.
Under the Bush administration it WAWAS under Omama it ISIS.
Brennan needs to get out of office, tacitly hes part of Obama’s team...
Where is McConnell ?
Where is Paul Ryan ?
Oh, they funded the 170,000 Islamic “ refugees” coming to the USA.
Treason.
OK, just being a realist here. When did ISIS start? It was after Obama, right? So, I think it sounds more reasonable to say that AQ was defeated under Bush. Then, ISIS kind of gained momentum and even kind of competed with AQ for a while - mostly because Obama and his administration’s irresponsible/biased policies on the WOT. If I’m wrong, please correct me. I just don’t think that ISIS was defeated under Bush because they were not the focus, AQ was.
“I dont even recall ever hearing of ISIS during the Bush administration.”
Exactly what I was thinking. Yes, the Bush Admin was doing a great job defeating AQ.
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