By now anyone interested in the war in the Middle East knows of the loss of the Iraqi city of Ramadi to the forces of ISIS……and by now the fingers are pointing in every direction…..who is to blame for this loss?
The US SecState has an opinion………
There is little denying that the war against ISIS is going poorly, and everyone is looking for a scapegoat. Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Ash Carter placed the blame squarely on Iraq’s military, saying they simply aren’t willing to fight.
After that bomshell was dropped the Iraqis fired back…….
Baghdad has authorized the deployment of Shi’ite militiamen, but many believe the militiamen could further aggravate sectarian relations. The U.S. government says it is looking into more training and weapons for local tribes. Meanwhile, local security forces in Anbar complained they have not received any support from Baghdad.
Basically it is the US fault for not properly supplying the Iraqi army……at least according to Iran…..
Iranian officials are feeling the loss of Ramadi too, but instead of blaming the Iraqis are placing the fault on America’s doorstep, with Gen. Qassim Suleimani declaring the US “has no will to fight” against ISIS and was leaving everything up to them and the Iraqis.
Love it when accusations go flying around like snowflakes on a wintery morn…….
Enough with the who did what…….what is the proper response?
The Congressional War Hawks are thumping their chests as always…..especially my fave Hawk, McCain………
McCain on Sunday said the Obama administration needs a more defined strategy to defeat the terrorist group and suggested “a number of thousands” of Americans could do the job.
“We need to have a strategy,” he said told CBS News. “There is no strategy, and anybody that says that there is, I’d like to hear what it is, because it certainly isn’t apparent now, and right now.”
Nothing new there….that is people like McCain’s only plan….send in American troops to fight and die……if not that…..what?
How about the testimony before a Senate committee…….
Witnesses testifying before the Senate Armed Services panel May 21 all agreed that the current strategy is failing and that the United States must work closely with Sunni fighters battling the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS). They stopped short of endorsing a surge in combat troops — a nonstarter after the 2003 invasion — but argued for a boost in the number of US advisers and a substantial increase in their role.
“Without adequate force structure on the ground — and commitment — you cannot get out there and engage with the Sunni Arabs … They won’t believe you’re serious unless you put enough skin in the game,” said retired Col. Derek Harvey, the director of the Global Initiative on Civil Society and Conflict at the University of South Florida. “And to do that we’re going to need, in my judgment, about 15,000 or more” extra advisers on top of the 3,000 or so already there.
Really is there a real plan?
NOTHING! Keep on keeping on…..there is not one Congressional person with enough balls to put anything down on paper that can be used against them in an election…..after all that is what is paramount….preserve the campaign cash.
Winning an election is far important than winning the war of terror……
Keep in mind…..the longer a war continues….the more money is made……
And there is the plan you have been looking for all this time!
So, all over this country, I have been talking to people, and they say, “How does it happen? I’m producing more, but I’m working longer hours for lower wages. My kid can’t afford to go to college, and I’m having a hard time affording health care. What happened, while at exactly the same time, 99 percent of the income being generated in this country is going to the top 1 percent?”