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‘Frustration and confusion’ among US troops over mixed message on ISIS
Fox News ^ | September 4, 2014

Posted on 09/04/2014 10:19:26 AM PDT by jazusamo

America's GI "boots on the ground" in Iraq are so frustrated with the White House message about their mission against the Islamic State -- which Vice President Biden vowed Wednesday to chase "to the gates of Hell" -- that they're wondering how they'll accomplish the goal "when we can't even leave the front gate of our base."

Biden on Wednesday delivered what was probably the toughest statement to date from the administration, declaring, after another U.S. journalist was beheaded by the Islamic State, "we will follow them to the gates of Hell until they are brought to justice."

But his tough talk was at odds with a message delivered earlier in the day by President Obama, who said that while his administration's goal is to "destroy" ISIS -- it also is to "shrink" it to a "manageable problem."

Amid the mixed messages, a source in contact with special operators in Iraq told Fox News that "frustration and confusion reign" among Americans on the ground there.

The source relayed the complaint of an unnamed special operator: "Chase them to the Gates of Hell? How the [f---] are we going to do that when we can't even leave the front gate of our base!?"

Ostensibly, U.S. personnel on the ground in Iraq are there to defend U.S. facilities. The president earlier this week deployed an additional 350 personnel to Baghdad to provide security at the U.S. Embassy and related facilities.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: iraq; isis; isisiraq; obama; presidentmaybe
Rep. Jason Chaffetz is mostly right in saying Obama's a definite maybe, but maybe he's just a weak maybe.
1 posted on 09/04/2014 10:19:26 AM PDT by jazusamo
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To: jazusamo

Obama will have Biden walk his comments back.


2 posted on 09/04/2014 10:27:07 AM PDT by umgud (I couldn't understand why the ball kept getting bigger......... then it hit me.)
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To: jazusamo
I can hear Obama:

‘Okay, you didn't like my no-strategy strategy and my base doesn't want boots on the ground, so I will compromise and have boot on the ground.’

‘What do you mean, How will that be implemented? I came up with the strategy. Do I have to do everything? That is why I have military advisers. Ya’ll find a way to implement it. I already did the hard part — I came up with the strategy. Now, I gotta run; I am scheduled for 18 holes this afternoon.’

3 posted on 09/04/2014 10:27:25 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: umgud

And Biden will be frustrated and confused, not having yet read Obama’s own bio book.


4 posted on 09/04/2014 10:28:33 AM PDT by stanne
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To: umgud

No doubt he will then rip him again for opening his big mouth.


5 posted on 09/04/2014 10:29:43 AM PDT by jazusamo (Sometimes I think that this is an era when sanity has become controversial: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

I think Biden’s tough talk is practice to see how it goes as he contemplates a 2016 run. If he does decide to run, he will need some things to create distance from the Obama policies.


6 posted on 09/04/2014 10:30:01 AM PDT by TomGuy
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To: jazusamo
Chase them to the Gates of Hell?

But just remember, once you return home, every action you were involved in will be gone over with a fine tooth comb to make sure no one was in any way abused, humiliated, and no religious freedoms were withheld.
Be sure to keep absolute proof that any kill was of an enemy combatant and not an innocent "civilian".

7 posted on 09/04/2014 10:30:03 AM PDT by oldbrowser (We have a rogue government in Washington)
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To: TomGuy

That could be. He’s not the brightest bulb but he knows he’d have to distance himself from 0bama.


8 posted on 09/04/2014 10:36:24 AM PDT by jazusamo (Sometimes I think that this is an era when sanity has become controversial: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

Prayers for all those over there now, and in the near future as they haven’t any leadership from this alleged President in name only, and nobody else is going to step in to replace him, and make it right. Nobody.

I am thoroughly disgusted.

I was fortunate to be in S. Korea instead of Viet Nam where friends died back in the sixties, but even under that lyin’ SOB LBJ there was some leadership. He wasn’t a Viet Cong as this guy is a Moozie with loyalties to our enemy. NOPE, he was just a damned Democrat.


9 posted on 09/04/2014 10:40:12 AM PDT by rockinqsranch ((Dems, Libs, Socialists, call 'em what you will. They ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.))
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To: rockinqsranch

Well said, rqsr and right on the mark.

It’s criminal that we have a CINC who sympathizes with the enemy and in my view he’s cost many American lives because of it.


10 posted on 09/04/2014 10:46:31 AM PDT by jazusamo (Sometimes I think that this is an era when sanity has become controversial: Thomas Sowell)
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To: jazusamo

The U.S. Military needs Rules of Engagement that allow them to WIN, without exposing our troops to needless risk.

That means the neither the State Dept. or any Democrat can be involved in drafting the ROE.


11 posted on 09/04/2014 10:48:23 AM PDT by G Larry (Which of Obama's policies do you think I'd support if he were white?)
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To: G Larry

Absolutely and sadly that won’t be happening very soon.


12 posted on 09/04/2014 10:53:34 AM PDT by jazusamo (Sometimes I think that this is an era when sanity has become controversial: Thomas Sowell)
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To: umgud

Nah, it’s just Joe being Joe.

IF the military is so upset about this there is something they can do about it. In fact, they’re the only group who really does have the power to do something about it. The first thing would be to remove all the political appointees from the chain of command.


13 posted on 09/04/2014 11:23:58 AM PDT by VerySadAmerican (Liberals were raised by women or wimps. And they're all stupid.)
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To: jazusamo

G.I.s: ISIS’s Speedbumps.


14 posted on 09/04/2014 11:33:17 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (FReerepublic: Bring a FRiend!)
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To: G Larry

Petraeus wrote the COIN strategy. I doubt they will change the rules except to make it worse.


15 posted on 09/04/2014 12:08:11 PM PDT by huldah1776
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To: jazusamo

A good, if not disturbing report. I’d rather hear from the boots on the ground before those behind LMD’s (Large Mahogany Desks)


16 posted on 09/04/2014 12:38:44 PM PDT by SueRae (It isn't over. In God We Trust.)
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To: jazusamo

“President Obama, who said that while his administration’s goal is to “destroy” ISIS — it also is to “shrink” it to a “manageable problem.”

HAHAHA. Right. And by the time YOU shrink anything to a “manageable problem”, Jesus will have already come and gone a second time.


17 posted on 09/04/2014 1:38:54 PM PDT by ourworldawry
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