Posted on 09/17/2014 5:26:46 AM PDT by blam
Brett LoGiurato
September 17, 2014
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates on Wednesday said US ground troops will have to be part of the equation if there's "any hope of success" in President Barack Obama's strategy to "degrade and destroy" the extremist group ISIS (also known as ISIL or the Islamic State).
"The reality is they're not going be able to be successful against ISIS strictly from the air, or strictly depending on the Iraqi forces, or the Peshmerga, or the Sunni tribes acting on their own," Gates said in an interview on "CBS This Morning" on Wednesday.
"So there will be boots on the ground if there's to be any hope of success in the strategy. And I think that by continuing to repeat that" he won't send ground troops, Gates said, Obama "in effect traps himself."
Gates' comments come a day after the White House sought to clarify comments from the administration's top military officer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, who opened the door for US ground troops if the situation on the ground deteriorates.
"To be clear, if we reach the point where I believe our advisers should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against specific ISIL targets, I will recommend that to the president," Dempsey said.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest subsequently reiterated Tuesday afternoon that Obama believes US ground troops should not have a combat role in Iraq.
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(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
to be clear; NO! Let the Saudis deal with their own nightmare... we are not their hired hands.
I seriously doubt it with this POTUS.
Pound sand Gates. 31,000 (latest estimate) “hijackers” of the “religion of peace”. Not our problem. Enough of the fear-mongering psyops.
This is BS for low info morons.
0bummer will say it is Gates’ fault and the other general who twisted his arm and it was THEIR decision, so technically, to his satanic mind, he’ll be keeping his “promises”. I’ll bet Rush covers this today.
Let’s see, have a multi year war draining resources for a decade or more, or put boots on the ground and end it within the year. Or, to put it another way, a war of attrition v a war of decisiveness.
There is no hope of defeating ISIS unless America returns to being the Nation that fought and destroyed the Nazi.
Because we are not at war with ISIS, we are at war with Islam.
It was not “Germany” that tried to conquer the world it was Nazism. It is not ISIS or Hezbollah or Al-Queda or Iran or iraq that is trying to destroy the western world, it is Islam.
There is no hope of defeating ISIS unless America returns to being the Nation that fought and destroyed the Nazi.
Because we are not at war with ISIS, we are at war with Islam.
It was not “Germany” that tried to conquer the world it was Nazism. It is not ISIS or Hezbollah or Al-Queda or Iran or iraq that is trying to destroy the western world, it is Islam.
There is no hope of defeating ISIS unless America returns to being the Nation that fought and destroyed the Nazi.
Because we are not at war with ISIS, we are at war with Islam.
It was not “Germany” that tried to conquer the world it was Nazism. It is not ISIS or Hezbollah or Al-Queda or Iran or iraq that is trying to destroy the western world, it is Islam.
You hear that soldiers? Your own Defense secretary and CinC have no faith in your ability to win a war.
Now he has to assume command and take military offense (not to mention this is six weeks before an election and any action will alienate his base)?
I doubt he is capable. I really think he's heading for a nervous breakdown.
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