Posted on 05/18/2015 6:27:56 PM PDT by tcrlaf
The Obama administration Monday called the fall of the capital of Iraq’s Anbar province to the Islamic State a temporary setback that Iraqi forces would reverse with U.S. support. Experts dismissed that assessment as ludicrous.
“Delusional, really, is the better word,” Ali Khedery, a former U.S. official who served as an adviser to five U.S. ambassadors to Iraq and three heads of U.S. Central Command, said of the administration’s statement. “It’s unbelievable, frankly. I now know what it’s like to have lived through Vietnam, I guess.”
Experts called the loss a stunning blow to the Iraqi government and U.S. strategy.
It wasn’t clear why the administration clung to an upbeat message three days after the Islamic State overran most of Ramadi and a day after Iraq’s best special forces unit fled the city with other troops, local police and tribal fighters. The message was delivered in nearly identical verbiage by White House, State Department and Pentagon spokesmen and was reinforced by a statement from Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...
See also, from CNN:
Khedery: 6,000 Iraqi forces fell to 150 ISIS fighters
http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/05/18/intv-amanpour-ali-khedery-isis-ramadi-takeover.cnn
The CJCS is a political job, not a military one.
Good grief. Did the Iraqis use their second stringers in this fight?
Michael: I saw an interesting thing today. A rebel was being arrested, and rather than be taken alive, he pulled the pin on a grenade he had hidden in his jacket. He killed himself and the captain of the command.
Guest: Ah, the rebels are lunatics!
Michael: Maybe. But it occurred to me, the soldiers are paid to fight; the rebels aren’t.
Hyman Roth: What does that tell you?
Michael: They can win.
More likely ISIS used their “JV” team. Ask Obama.
What a perfect storm these White House idiots have created.
No, no, everything is fine, it only cost 37,000,000 in weapons to take out 4 bystanders, 2 goats, a small shelter and one minor ISIS leader. Everything will be under control shortly.
Seriously, why aren’t spook ships flying over the target zone 24/7? This is exactly what they were designed for, not these silly drone launched princess weapons.
The MSM will still be shouting “It’s Bush’s fault!” even after ISIS takes Cleveland.
If those numbers are anywhere near accurate, we are being brother-in-lawed.
What pisses me off is I attended the funeral of a Marine ( my wife taught him in HS) who gave everything in Ramadi in 2005. Dear Leader bails and basically pisses on the graves on all who gave everything in Anbar/Falluja/Ramadi in 2003- 2007
This Memorial Day will suck
They already have Toledo. Now that was minor setback.
We may see the Iraqi Shiites in Baghdad and the Iranian Shiites both go after Sunni Isis, and push ISIS back, and the Shiites extend Iranian borders into Iraq, taking over Baghdad.
Since the Sunnis already have atomic weapons in Pakistan, and the Sunni Saudis are looking to get some of those atomic weapons from Pakistan, the Iranian Shiites will have to go full bore to get atomic weaponry of their own.
The Sunnis and Shiites hate each other, but one thing they can agree on, is us Infidels should be targeted by both.-Tom
"“ISIL’s gains in Ramadi are a serious setback for its long-suffering inhabitants. It is also a setback for the ISF (Iraqi Security Forces),” said Dempsey. “Setbacks are regrettable but not uncommon in warfare. Much effort will now be required to reclaim the city. We will continue to support Iraq’s security forces with U.S. airstrikes, training and equipment.”
IN other words we are turning this event over to Iran now.
If they can subdue or kill the remaining Sunni's, and their military arm, ISIS, they can have this mess.
Oh, and Saudi royal family? Yeah, it's time to load up your gold and find another neighborhood.
Saddam's generals are back. And they're some p!ssed off, murderous bastards.
In strategic terms, Charlie's cut the country in half... the civilian press are about to wet their pants and we've heard even Cronkite's going to say the war is now unwinnable.
There is something to be said for running a honeypot to draw the jihadis away from North America. That said, the ROEs should be way looser for such an operation.
The JV team’s getting kinda scary...
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