[Rashputin]

We obviously should have hanged a lot more of the Iraqi Officer Corps before we left.

The idea that those who Sadaam thought were loyal enough to command military units were going to be docile citizens of a new Iraq is just another example of how irrational some aspects of the US approach to war have become.

[Enlightened1]

What are you talking about???

We funded and trained ISIS when they were called FSA (The Free Syrian Army).

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/03/25/us-training-syrian-opposition-forces-in-jordan-for-months-sources-say/

http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/09/sources-defense-contractors-training-syrian-rebels-in-chemical-weapons/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/us-jordan-stepping-up-training-of-syrian-opposition/2013/04/02/e51831d2-9ba1-11e2-a941-a19bce7af755_story.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-19124810

http://www.vice.com/read/syria-deraa-USA-Jordan-FSA-regime-CIA

For the record...

Zbigniew Brzezinski as the National Security Advisor under Carter founded, armed and funded the Mujahideen which changed it’s name later into Al-Qaeda, which changed its name into the FSA (Free Syrian Army), which changed its name into ISIS, which changed its name into ISIL, which changed its name into IS (Islamic State)

http://www.counterpunch.org/1998/01/15/how-jimmy-carter-and-i-started-the-mujahideen/

This is the same group the entire time. They all operate under the Black Flag of Al-Qaeda.

https://www.google.com/search?q=black+flag+of+al+qaeda+and+ISIS&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=BC3_U_71GcXy8QGUnoHwBw&ved=0CDoQsAQ&biw=1600&bih=766

[Justa]

Rather, we shouldn’t have kicked them out of the new Iraqi government and military. They would be part of the solution today instead of the problem.

[spetznaz]

A much better solution would have been to not remove Saddam Hussein until a viable replacement was available. This is the biggest failing of American foreign policy - espousing regime change without any real consideration of what happens after.

Thus, you see Saddam being removed (active participation). Qaddafi removed (active participation). Mubarak removed (passive participation). A hearty attempt to remove Assad. In all of these cases hardly a thought on who would step in once the Big Bad Baddie was removed from power.

Unfortunately, in these cases the replacement has always been worse than what was there before. In Egypt the only thing that helped was that Mohammed Morsi, and his Muslim brotherhood, were kicked out by Al Sisi and the military. Otherwise it would have been more of the same story.

To be honest I would not be surprised if right now there are plans to kick out Putin - which would not necessarily be a bad thing, were it not for the probability that - as usual - none of the people working on such a plan have taken the time to think about what happens next.

While people like Assad, Mubarak, Qaddafi and even Saddam are no saints, it is folly to take them out without a passing thought as to who or what will fill the vacuum left.

[combat_boots]

0bama let the leadership go. Now, they earn millions everyday. Fallujah fell in January, an 0bama says there’s no strategy. Now, ISIS is on the Golan Heights.

And Christians, et al are being butchered like cattle.

Like h3ll, he has no strategy.