Iraqi Drama Catches U.S. Off Guard (Senior U.S. Off.: Makes you want to kill yourself)

The Wall Street Journal ^ | Thursday, June 12, 2014 | Adam Entous and Julian E. Barnes

[kristinn]

At a closed-door gathering of Gulf states in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in May, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his Arab counterparts all signaled agreement on one thing for the first time: Islamist forces seizing territory in Syria and Iraq had become a regionwide menace that can't be ignored.

What they didn't agree on was what to do about it, U.S. officials said.The fall this week of the Iraqi cities Mosul and Tikrit to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham rebel group shows how the insurgent threat is outpacing the response and posing a challenge to President Barack Obama's approach of limiting U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.

The quickly unfolding drama prompted a White House meeting Wednesday of top policy makers and military leaders who were caught off guard by the swift collapse of Iraqi security forces, officials acknowledged.

State Department and Pentagon officials have long warned about ISIS's desire to create an Islamic state based in the Sunni-dominated parts of Iraq and Syria.

Now, current and former officials say Washington's options for helping the Iraqi army fight back are limited—both because the threat in Iraq is so entrenched and because the U.S. hasn't invested in building up moderate allies on the Syrian side of the border.

SNIP

Some military officials now believe ISIS is the single greatest terrorist threat the U.S. and its allies face—stronger than the al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen or Africa and far more powerful than al Qaeda's central leadership in Pakistan. Other senior U.S. officials say ISIS has yet to carry out any attacks directly targeting the U.S.

"It makes you want to kill yourself," a senior U.S. official said of the intelligence on ISIS, which was presented by U.S. and Gulf allies during the May meeting in Jeddah.

[NormsRevenge]

I await Director Clapper’s remarks.

Catches US off guard?

like Obama’s rise to power.

[miliantnutcase]

You are being proven right. :-(

[livius]

Sorry, the world isn’t like that anymore. That’s why - and how - a bunch of nutcases from an 8th century culture fighting an 8th century war took out 3,000 people who were just going to work on a beautiful fall morning in NYC.

[USAF80]

Islam is not just a religion. Until the rest of the world gets that they will continue to cause chaos and mayhem.

[Future Snake Eater]

Dome of the Rock, too.

[Major Matt Mason]

Obama could care less. This turmoil in Iraq represents chaos, which Obama is all about. Cloward-Piven and all that. He is going to leave as big a mess as possible.

[Netz]

How is it that since Pearl Harbor, all the way to 9/11, the US is ALWAYS caught off guard? The world's best INTEL, the best Technology, brightest people, etc.?
I think it is a conceptual problem. It must be based on policies that are shortsighted, unrealistic and NIAVE that then render the INTEL community blind.
The current administration is not only blind but the most dangerous to global US interests since Pearl Harbor. We are witnessing Global US retreat. Eventually the dangers will reach US soil once again.

[devolve]

- Obama is playing golf in Bagdad and on his cellphone to his Al-Kidder advisors… Good morning Iraq!

[mojito]

When is the president going to make a statement on the situation in Iraq?

I know he's busy watching the World Cup today, but if he could just spare a moment to acknowledge his criminal negligence and outright malfeasance, we can all go back to the match.

[griswold3]

Sort of like rubbing your nose in the mess with an Obama Cheshire like grin.
This will teach us a lesson I’m sure.

[SisterK]

and ISIS is getting good stuff we left in Iraq....like Blackhawks.

say, is this the same Isis related to Horace and Set?

[Grampa Dave]

I love watching Clapper sweat and stumble on his words.

He was the funniest when he did his snort and remark about countries spying on each other:

General Clapper Tells Congress White House Knew About ...
news.firedoglake.com/.../general-clapper-tells-congress-white...
Firedoglake
Oct 30, 2013 - We’re talking about a huge enterprise here, with thousands and ... That it was dishonest for other nations to pretend they did not know about these programs. ....

[Jim Robinson]

Can we impeach this idiot yet?

[Blackyce]

But a senior U.S. official disputed the idea the Pentagon is "hapless and helpless" to stop ISIS. The administration has pursued a containment strategy, aimed at keeping the al Qaeda threat from spreading beyond Syria and Iraq to neighboring states, particularly Jordan. Oh, well, never mind then...

[Genoa]

WSJ: Iran deploys Revolutionary Guard to fight ISIS.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/iran-deploys-forces-to-fight-al-qaeda-inspired-militants-in-iraq-iranian-security-sources-1402592470

[fision]

It’s not his fault. He’s been working with “the international community” and they just can’t finish the job”. /sarc

[USAF80]

We have had the intel on the Middle Eastern threat all the way back in the late 80s and it was briefed then. The Russian Bear was the bigger threat at the time so the info was just filed away.

The US military always knew that airplanes can be used manned cruise missiles. Think Okinawa in 1945 where airplanes wrecked havoc with the fleet.

[Cheerio]

Obama be brilliant!!!!!!!

Obama Is Our Smartest President?
Historian Michael Beschloss was interviewed Monday on Don Imus’ radio show and he made the claim that President-elect Obama’s IQ is off the charts and that he is the smartest president we have ever had. Here is the meat of the conversation:
Historian Michael Beschloss: Yeah. Even aside from the fact of electing the first African American President and whatever one’s partisan views this is a guy whose IQ is off the charts — I mean you cannot say that he is anything but a very serious and capable leader and — you know — You and I have talked about this for years …
Imus: Well. What is his IQ?
Historian Michael Beschloss: … our system doesn’t allow those people to become President, those people meaning people THAT smart and THAT capable
Imus: What is his IQ?
Historian Michael Beschloss: Pardon?
Imus: What is his IQ? .......more