The West is waging a 'CNN war' in Syria as ISIL makes gains in Iraq

The Telegraph ^ | 10/25/2014 | By Sofia Barbarani, Erbil and Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent

[SeekAndFind]

On the barren wastes of Mount Sinjar, the Yazidis are once more surrounded and fighting for their lives. "We saw Isil, there are daily clashes with Isil. Today and yesterday there was heavy fighting," said one stranded Yazidi man, Dre'i Shamo, last week. "The situation is very tragic and critical."

Further south, the advance of the jihadists of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Baghdad continues, slower than before but still with no sign of a reversal of fortune. Another district fell last week, after a major military base the week before, while scores more innocent civilians have died in a rise in bombings in the city itself.

The jihadists have also reached Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province and the last major city in western Iraq not in Isil's hands.

The world's attention has been focused on the medium-sized Kurdish town of Kobane, on the Syria-Turkey border, whose accessibility has provided countless opportunities for telegenic news coverage of American air strikes, which have multiplied in size and number. But Kobane is a secondary focus of the war that has been waging in Syria for more than three years; and that war is itself supposed to be secondary in strategic heft for America and its allies, including Britain.

They have deemed Iraq the first target of the fight against Isil. Yet the number of air strikes in supposedly less significant Syria has now reached double that in Iraq, as America and its allies seek to bolster Kobane's defences.

Analysts and some Iraqis now wonder whether President Barack Obama's declared strategy in the Middle East has been abandoned in favour of pursuing a short-term agenda dictated by the news agenda: that the "CNN factor was at play",

[Blood of Tyrants]

This is what happens when the president personally has to approve of the targets.

[rdcbn]

As per a previous post, the fate of the entire Middle East possibly world peace is currently being hinged on small unit engagements where the deployment of two 500 lb is the decisive factor.

In other words we are losing a war where even a reasonably well supported number Airborne or Marines would wipe ISIS out in short order.

[omega4412]

when the president personally has to approve of the targets

Vietnam 2.0

[Blood of Tyrants]

Yep. Just like Johnson.

[cardinal4]

Obola’s JV team. This whole thing reminds me of Hitler countermanding his generals at Stalingrad. Hitler was nuts, why is Obola not allowing HIS generals to fight properly against these savages?

[Salman]

I'd say O is just marking time and making looking good enough until the election.

After that, ISIS takes Baghdad.

[AceMineral]

Why did President Johnson “approve” targets in Vietnam? Could it be an urban legend?

[Blood of Tyrants]

I heard that he not only approved them, but he personally selected them.

[AceMineral]

What would be the point of that? From his and the military’s perspective?

[Blood of Tyrants]

It is said that Johnson thought of himself as something of a military genius when he was fool.