Posted on 08/08/2014 12:39:54 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
The U.S. gambled on local militias to keep ISIS in check. The president’s authorization of airstrikes is an admission that bet didn’t pay off.
Friday morning, with a humanitarian mission already underway, the United States began airstrikes on ISIS in northern Iraq. What had been the U.S. policy—to rely on local forces to contain ISIS while waiting for a new Iraqi government to reach a political solution—is finished. The new policy is still taking shape, but it may eventually lead to more involvement from the special operations troops who have been in Iraq for weeks.
President Obama said Thursday night he had authorized airstrikes to protect American personnel and the Yazidi minority group stranded by ISIS on top of Mt. Sinjar. A senior administration official later stressed to reporters that U.S. forces were not launching a “sustained campaign” against ISIS in Iraq.
But with the Kurds, America’s closest allies in the fight, recovering from heavy losses, some analysts and military veterans say that airstrikes alone may not be enough to turn the tide. A sustained—if small-scale—campaign may be the only way to achieve that.
The Peshmerga, the Kurdish military, had been acting as a bulwark against ISIS, keeping the group tied up on a northern front while it also battled against the Iraqi military in the south and west.
Then, starting on Saturday evening, came the waves of ISIS attacks on positions in northern Iraq. A senior administration official described it as “a multi-pronged attack across hundreds of kilometers in northern Iraq.” This official said ISIS “acted with tremendous military proficiency.”
The Kurds were overrun. The surviving religious minorities and other vulnerable groups who had lived under their protection fled into the mountains to escape ISIS.
(Excerpt) Read more at thedailybeast.com ...
Drop pig blood bombs, or a tactical nuke. I think napalm is appropriate here and should be brought back.
MASSIVE air strikes would be a huge factor
With the correct air assets
Not little cautious pin pricks
We need to ally with the IDF/IAF and base our A-10’s in Israel and allow them to respond to IDF requests as well .
Enough of this PC BS , gloves off , kill the islamist enemy anywhere we can get them
We should be air dropping guns as well as food and water....
Hey, we’re involved with Russia.
Obama’s plan the same plan as bubba Clinton’s and the aspirin factory...the mid-terms!
He’ll drop a few, declare a victory, and then strut around for the cameras a bit, and it’ll all be over. Eradication of ISIS is not on his mind, just hold’m out of Baghdad until after November.
And they won’t do it if the peshmurgas and the Iraqi Shiites won’t stand up and fight.
BUMP!!!!
RE: And they won’t do it if the peshmurgas and the Iraqi Shiites won’t stand up and fight.
The Peshmargas ARE standing up and fighting. They’re just running out of ammo. As for the Shiites... they’re a lost cause.
The right policy IMHO is to allow the Kurds to form their own country INDEPENDENT of what used to be called, Iraq.
I guess all those peace talks and negitiations and the U.N sanctions aren’t workning with these ISIS terrorists.
Hmmm, they’re such peaceful Islamists, what could be up. Maybe Omabab can have a beer with them.
RE: I guess all those peace talks and negitiations and the U.N sanctions aren’t workning with these ISIS terrorists.
With ISIS, you don’t talk, you destroy. ‘Nuff said.
I guess that’s what we can expect from now on now that obozo has fired or cashiered damn near anyone with, you know, actual combat planning experience!
And it will only get worse.
bttt
I like this idea; with a caveat. We need some Army special forces or some Marine Raiders to make sure those weapons reach the right recipients (sorry SEALs, we need you snooping and pooping in the enemies back yard and making a general mess out of the place during training - i.e., distraction). Following that, some training and technique and then extract our folks (NO MISSION CREEEP).
Ammo too... and we have plenty. Might even be good to get some of the supply out of feral hands.
I wasn’t in front of the TV and not listening closely but someone that was on FNC a little while ago said that the Pentagon had been planning this for some months. If that’s the case, why didn’t they start this sooner (somewhat rhetorical - I know the CiC had to approve - must have taken him this long to think it over).
Absolutely correct. it will take total war to deal with (if not eliminate) this Islamist menace. So obviously we have yet to deal with it. I hope we realize it before we are disarmed further.
Yes indeed, the Killer Flaw administration is right on track with still another flawed plan .
Almost as if they’re trying to set a record for the most flaws ever.
If allies like the Kurds are lost then what would the United States be but effectively islamist?
This is what happens when you elect someone to be President who has no military experience. He’s only making it worse. We dropped two five hundred pound bombs and some water? S**t, let’s have a pizza delivered to them. Don’t ask for the job of President if you can’t deal with military problems. Do you hear that Hillary?
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