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WSJ: Obama Reportedly Mulling an “International Rescue Mission” in Iraq
Townhall.com ^ | August 13, 2014 | Daniel Doherty

Posted on 08/13/2014 5:40:17 AM PDT by Kaslin

According to the Wall Street Journal, the situation on the ground in northern Iraq is so perilous that President Obama is seriously considering sending a rescue mission to save the displaced Yazidi refugees trapped on Mount Sinjar. The details of such an operation are still in their earliest stages of development (and, of course, there’s no telling whether or not the president would even sign off on such a daring operation) but such a rescue attempt, if approved, would send shockwaves through the nation for one obvious reason: it would almost certainly involve redeploying U.S. ground troops to Iraq:

The U.S. military is exploring plans for an international rescue mission to save thousands of desperate Yazidi refugees trapped by Sunni militants in a barren northern Iraqi mountain range, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

While the proposal is still under development, U.S. officials said the military is considering staging a dangerous rescue operation that could for the first time put American troops in direct confrontation with a militant group calling itself the Islamic State.

Any plan would have to be approved by President Barack Obama. U.S. officials said the rescue mission is one of many options the U.S. military is weighing after dropping food and water to dying refugees for the past six days.

"People are looking at ways to do something more than just drop water and supplies," said one senior U.S. official. "You can only do that for so long."

On Tuesday, the Pentagon said it is sending additional 100 military advisers to northern Iraq to develop options the Pentagon can present to Mr. Obama.

It’s true that humanitarian aid can only go so far. But such a proposal is also fraught with inherent dangers and difficulties. What, for example, is the U.S. supposed to do with upwards of 35,000 refugees stranded on the mountain? Many are too old (or sick) to walk to find food and water. Are U.S. forces supposed to carry them to safety? And where will they go? These are only some of the logistics our newly deployed “military advisers” will have to figure out, and soon, if such a proposal is going to succeed.

At the same time, the president finds himself in an impossible predicament: if he doesn’t sign off on a rescue mission, and ISIS slaughters more Yazidis and Christians, he will be accused of letting innocents die on his watch. If, on the other hand, he authorizes the operation and it goes south (or, God forbid, an American soldier is killed) he will be accused (especially by his base) of recklessly re-prosecuting a war he supposedly already won. There are no good options here. But perhaps the worst option would be to sit back and allow an entire sect of people to be systemically exterminated by a rabid band of Islamic extremists.

Either way, the president has an important decision to make. Tick tock.

UPDATE: The U.S. is sending 130 (not 100) military advisers to Iraq.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: iraq
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1 posted on 08/13/2014 5:40:18 AM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

130? That’s not even a company-sized unit!


2 posted on 08/13/2014 5:42:06 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Remember Mississippi!)
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To: Kaslin
"People are looking at ways to do something more than just drop water and supplies," said one senior U.S. official.

Anyone thought about dropping weapons?

3 posted on 08/13/2014 5:43:09 AM PDT by skeeter
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To: Night Hides Not

And these are just advisers who are probably not allowed to shoot


4 posted on 08/13/2014 5:45:12 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

That would be some serious boots on the ground.


5 posted on 08/13/2014 5:45:54 AM PDT by GonzoII ("If the new crime be, to believe in God, let us all be criminals" -Sheen)
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To: Kaslin

International Rescue Mission - translation - I don’t have the balls to do it myself. I have got to have someone else to blame when things get FUBAR.


6 posted on 08/13/2014 5:47:48 AM PDT by N. Theknow (Kennedys-Can't drive, can't ski, can't fly, can't skipper a boat-But they know what's best for you.)
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To: Kaslin

There is one, exactly one, case where obama isn’t backing the most muslim side.

It’s protecting the Yazidis.

Who are the Yazidis?

The Yazidis are an ancient religion, one whose people revere Melek Taus, who is also known as the Peacock Angel, or Shaytan, or in English: Satan.

IOW, obama consistently supports any muslim over any Christian, the most radical muslims over more moderate muslims, and Satan worshipers over the most radical of muslims.

Any questions?


7 posted on 08/13/2014 5:48:22 AM PDT by null and void (If Bill Clinton was the first black president, why isn't Barack Obama the first woman president?)
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To: Kaslin
International Rescue?

Thunderbirds are Go!

8 posted on 08/13/2014 5:49:26 AM PDT by corkoman
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To: Kaslin

Like he did 129 times in Illinois, 0bama votes ‘Present’ .....


9 posted on 08/13/2014 5:50:13 AM PDT by Servant of the Cross (the Truth will set you free)
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To: Servant of the Cross

Very well said


10 posted on 08/13/2014 5:56:43 AM PDT by Kaslin (He needed the ignorant to reelect him, and he got them. Now we all have to pay the consequenses)
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To: Kaslin

Simple solution.

Have the EPA designate the Yazidi refugees as an endangered species.

They’ll be eating steak in a 5 star restaurant within a week.


11 posted on 08/13/2014 5:58:53 AM PDT by panaxanax
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To: Kaslin

You know whatever he does will be a day late and a dollar short.


12 posted on 08/13/2014 6:00:30 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: corkoman

Beat me to it. Good graphic.


13 posted on 08/13/2014 6:06:28 AM PDT by wally_bert (There are no winners in a game of losers. I'm Tommy Joyce, welcome to the Oriental Lounge.q)
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To: Kaslin

“RESCUE MISSION”????
The true result: getting rid of remaining Christians and helping to establish Caliphate for terrorist savages.

Thank you Nobama for vacating Iraq, making room for savages aaaaand going golfing!


14 posted on 08/13/2014 6:06:33 AM PDT by Leo Carpathian (FReeeeepeesssssed)
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To: Kaslin

Obama has been “mulling” since January 2009...

He is the most “mulling” President in history.

When he’s at Martha’s Vinyard, he’s mulling.

While teeing off, he mulls.

At his press conferences and fund raisers, he mulls.

Can we “mull” him out of office ASAP?


15 posted on 08/13/2014 6:07:52 AM PDT by Netz
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To: Netz
Can we “mull” him out of office ASAP?

The Rats will just want a mulligan, and we'll have to do it all over again with whatever socialist idiot they come up with next.

16 posted on 08/13/2014 6:10:25 AM PDT by tacticalogic
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To: Kaslin

I posted a comment in another thread a couple of days ago that whilst humanitarian aid is needed, countries like France, Australia & Britain should address the cause (ISIS) in Iraq. I now think if other Muslim countries & some of their clerics view ISIS as unIslamic, then they should actively join force with the west to get rid of ISIS to begin with in Iraq. I’m thinking countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt & lets say a few of the Sheikhdoms like Qatar. After all, the west alone can’t continue to deal with these (Islamic) savages all the time. Lets see real unity.


17 posted on 08/13/2014 6:14:30 AM PDT by odds
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To: Kaslin

If it was a “Christian” army murdering Muslims we’d have been involved long ago.


18 posted on 08/13/2014 6:17:08 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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To: tacticalogic

We need a viable candidate, a Conservative with spunk. Any suggestions because if Hilliary wins, it’s all over...


19 posted on 08/13/2014 6:18:52 AM PDT by Netz
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To: skeeter

Probably few of the victims would be able to use them without some training, and they’d end up in the hands of the aggressors.


20 posted on 08/13/2014 6:19:13 AM PDT by JimRed (Excise the cancer before it kills us; feed & water the Tree of Liberty! TERM LIMITS NOW & FOREVER!)
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