Retired Marine Gen. John Allen to coordinate Iraq, Syria effort

Retired Marine Gen. John Allen will coordinate the broad international effort to battle the Islamic State militants, as the campaign against the extremist group ramps up and nations begin to determine what role each will play, U.S. officials said Thursday.

Allen, who has been serving as a security adviser to Secretary of State John Kerry, is expected to work with the almost 40 nations around the world who have agreed to join the fight and help them coordinate what each will contribute, several officials told The Associated Press.

The officials spoke about Allen's expected appointment on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter ahead of an announcement.

Allen comes to the job with vast experience coordinating international allies on the warfront. He served as deputy commander in Iraq's Anbar province from 2006 to 2008, working with Arab partners on organizing the Sunni uprising against al-Qaida. He moved from there to serve for two years as the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, which oversees military troops and operations in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia.

Allen next became the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2013, where he worked with international allies who sent troops to the battlefield.

As a result of his experience, Allen is very familiar many of the Middle East nations and leaders considered crucial to the latest effort to degrade and destroy the Islamic State group militants who have seized control of portions of Iraq and Syria in a ruthless reign of terror. He also has worked closely with most of the key military and diplomatic leaders, including Gen. Lloyd Austin, the current head of U.S. Central Command, who will oversee America's military campaign.

President Barack Obama announced Wednesday night that the U.S. will be expanding airstrikes in Iraq and into Syria, in an aggressive move to root out the Islamic State group extremists where ever they are. Obama, Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel have spent the last week meeting with international leaders overseas in an effort to build a broad coalition of nations — particularly Arab countries in the region — to aid the fight.

Officials are looking for partners to help train moderate Syrian rebels, work with the Iraqi security forces, contribute equipment, ammunition, intelligence, logistics and funding, as well as possibly also launch airstrikes.

“the process is being deliberately twisted by pulling a retired GO in to work for the State Dept instead of bringing him back on active duty, (which can be done), and having him report through a military chain of command”

Interesting point. Their is always some degree of friction between DoD and Dept of State during any operation. This may be the liberal wet dream of how to run an operation - give them their own Generals and allow them to tinker however the feel.

If a senior General is committed to doing the right thing and defending our country while there is an administration like this one in power, they have to choke back criticism, or they will be fired. If they lack the restraint, maturity and commitment to do this, then some less qualified or totally unqualified replacement will call the shots.

If they just throw up their hands and quit when the letfies show up, they would be surrendering the future to them. I don’t necessarily condemn those who stay on duty during leftist administrations - they may be holding the fort and enduring frustration for the greater good. I would not want to have to put up with their crap. I am grateful for those who do.

almost 40 nations,, operating under the direction of a retired Marine General.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

1) I doubt that Obama’s imposed “consensual-cooperation” model will work as an effective method for chain of command necessary for genuine strategy. IMHO this whole situation is a recreation of the historical Veitnam syndrome, where “war” is not war, where there is no shared definition of victory ( we can’t beat the pests , only co exist with them in a continuous state of mutual anihilation ( that barely works only as long as there are no nukes or WMD involved).

Obama is creating a meat grinder for America’s servicemen and women, just as Vietnam had become under the left in the 1960s.And it has no end point except that provided by say, Russia/China.Russia is waiting to see how weak NATO becomes, which is why the Europeans are not buying in to the “Obama plan.”Their immediate threat is to the East in the Ukraine.

2) The Marine general is retired for a reason. He is more vulnerable to political influence in his execution of battle plans and command over allies, so called. We are involved in a religious war , with the prize being Mecca itself.Yet no one in the United States will even begin to publicly acknowledge this fact. Allen is appointed to make sure that this fact is NEVER acknowledged, and to also make sure that the rich oil fields that fund ISIS will never come under the control of the USA as a method of paying for this never ending war. In fact we should take all the oil we can to pay for Obama’s 17 Trillion dollar deficit budget and put the USA back into its leading economic position.There is opportunity, but no one will seize the initiative, until after 2016 , IF a real US president is elected, or until the Iranians bring their nuclear bombs on line in the Gulf.

Obama and his minions are a curse on America. We need rid of them.

I like Fred Nerks analysis , that we should just watch the Islamofascists destroy each other, with one caveate. We should be taking all the oil we can with boots on the ground, so we can pay ourselves for the ordance that must be expended.

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