Posted on 11/30/2015 6:06:21 PM PST by jazusamo
The major Arab powers once deemed essential to the fight against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq have largely pulled back from the U.S.-led military campaign, undercutting the Obama administration's claims about the depth and reach of the coalition it has built with allies in the region.
The Obama administration consistently touts the "65-nation coalition" it has assembled to fight the group also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh -- but critics say the fewer than a dozen nations today are contributing anything significant to the campaign.
And behind closed doors, administration and military officials admit that air support from such key Arab allies as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) -- something the White House once touted as an unprecedented and essential part of the coalition -- has all but evaporated.
One Pentagon official directly involved in the counter-ISIS fight told The Washington Times that the Saudis haven't flown a mission against the group in nearly three months. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Bahrain is still involved, but confirmed that Jordan stopped flying sorties against the extremists in August and the UAE hasn't flown one since March.
A top former Obama administration official who helped built the coalition last year, meanwhile, said that Persian Gulf Arab powers made a strategic gamble months ago to focus their military resources on helping Saudi Arabia wagewar against Houthi rebels seenas Iranian proxies in neighboring Yemen -- wagering that the U.S. and the European Union would lead the fight against ISIS.
During the months leading up to last summer's nuclear deal between Tehran and the West, Yemen had emerged as ground zero for a proxy war pitting Saudi Arabia, the Middle East's top Sunni Muslim power, and Iran, the region's largest Shiite power.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
It was just a prop anyway.
Leading from behind, baby!
That’s “leading with his behind”.... as per the islamo preference.
Obama’s not anti-Islamic State. His coalition never existed.
Don’t worry folks.
We still have that secret weapon of ours, our commitment to fight Global Warming!
Outstanding graphic, says it all about his loyalties and priorities.
Hard to blame them - I don’t think any of us can follow the logic of this administration and not conclude that they are dangerously wrong on pretty much everything in the Middle East.
This administration encouraged and acted like cheerleaders for removing regimes that had largely been stable (albeit imperfect in some respects) in a region that needed stability. What happened afterwards has been a complete disaster and it not only threatens these nations, but all of the nations in the Middle East. We proved we would not stand behind our friends when ill winds blew so they are smart to be cautious. We turned our back on an ally who had kept the peace and turned Egypt over to radicals.
It really is incredible. Imagine for a second if the Egyptian Military had not bailed the world out and got rid of the Muslim Brotherhood! Just imagine that - the most populated nation next to Israel in the hands of radicals. The Obama plan for foreign policy could have been even worse had the Generals in Egypt not stepped up (at great risks to themselves by the way) to save their nation and preserve peace.
Another fail for the One. Oh well ...
You said it very well.
0bama and his administration have worked diligently to displace the leaders who have fought radical Islam in the ME and supported Christians, doesn’t take a genius to figure out whose philosophy Bambam supports.
Amen, can’t wait for January, 2017 to arrive.
Active Duty ping.
"I am an American fighting man. I serve in the forces guarding our country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense." |
True that, my FRiend.
Something tells me that the rest of the world is not very impressed with Obama’s “pen and phone”.
OBAMA NEVER HAD A REAL COALITION. IT WAS ALL FOR SHOW & A PRETENSE.
It was no more real than John Kerry’s valor.
0bama is obviously pro-isis.
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