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August 8, 2014
What Obama Told The Caliph

U.S. F-18 jets bombed two U.S. made artillery pieces the Islamic State was using to prepare its attack on Erbil in the Kurdish part of Iraq.

The attack came after Obama addressed Caliph Pol Pot II yesterday to suggest that the Islamic State should leave the few the areas which are of positive American interests off its target list:

Obama, in a statement delivered at the White House late Thursday, said that strikes would be launched against extremist convoys “should they move toward” the Kurdish capital of Irbil, where the United States maintains a consulate and a joint operations center with the Iraqi military.

“We intend to take action if they threaten our facilities anywhere in Iraq . . . including Irbil and Baghdad,” he said.

What Obama did not say is the actual message Caliph Pol Pot II will have received:

  • "You are free to target anything you like but the U.S. embassy in Baghdad and the Kurdish part of Iraq. There U.S. companies are invested in oil, there we have this big new intelligence station and and there the Israelis have their large, long running intelligence operation targeting Iran."
  • "Otherwise you are free to attack anybody in Syria or the rest of Iraq. We will do nothing, not even bomb the heavy weapons you have, to deny you total victory. Just like you we do not care what will happen to this or that minority or majority there. Fuck the Yazidis. (But do you really have to make these bombastic public relation efforts with all its massacre movies? They rill up these R2P idiots who don't understand the real purpose of that doctrine.)
  • "You took about four Iraqi divisions worth of fine heavy weapons and ammunition 'Made in U.S'. It is excellent stuff. Feel free to use it. We could of course bomb all of it without setting a foot on the ground. But that's not in my interest. Say 'Tanks for the memories', hehe. We will sell another set to those dupes in Baghdad. We hope to have them resupplied and ready for your next raid before you run out of your current stock."
  • "By the way – in case you need some additional anti-tank weapons. We have just given several dozens of TOW to some groups in north-west Syria. There is a good chance for you to 'negotiate' access to some of them."
  • "I am told you announced that you are preparing something big, like really big, like 9/11. Fine, but please leave us out of it. We are busy with our war on Russia. How about Jeddah?"
  • "Hey, or what about attacking Iran? I'd like to do that myself but my people won't let me."
  • "I really like your new Jihadi gift shop in Istanbul. My kids were asking for some of that merchandize. Do they take Visa?"
Posted by b on August 8, 2014 at 16:22 UTC | Permalink
Comments

lol… that is about it.. what obama didn’t say is and what politicians don’t say is always much more revealing..

Posted by: james | Aug 8 2014 16:35 utc | 1

The latest joke: US would invade Netherlands in case US citizens should end up in front of the Hague court. Unbelievable but dead serious:
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/internationales-strafgericht-us-kongress-droht-niederlanden-mit-invasion-a-200430.html

Posted by: T2012 | Aug 8 2014 16:42 utc | 2

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Obama will leave the Islamic state alone, so that the head choppers can confront the “AXIS OF EVIL” Hezbollah,Syria,Iraq and the biggest of them all Iran. All without US boots on the ground. That is why Iraq will wait till hell freezes over before they receive those already paid for F16’s and why Lebanon can only deploy a couple of Ex RAF jets[circa 1950]. This is all so obvious, the source of the problem, Saudi Arabia has to be recognized and dealt with. Somehow.

Posted by: harry law | Aug 8 2014 16:46 utc | 3

I think the US is about to get downsized significantly (not in terms of territory but in terms of power), same goes for the EU or what remains of it.
What I am a bit afraid of, what comes after the only (albeit usurped/occupied and under national emergency ever since Lincoln) truly free country is gone?

Posted by: T2012 | Aug 8 2014 16:46 utc | 4

Funny how america could bomb anyone these days, no one care, no critcism at all. But if Russia..

Posted by: Anonymous | Aug 8 2014 16:59 utc | 5

ISIS and Jordan
Does anyone have any thoughts about why ISIS has not attacked Jordan?
I recall reading that ISIS has taken positions on the Iraq Jordan border but have not read of any attacks on Jordan. ISIS fights in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Kurdistan but not Jordan.

Posted by: TomV | Aug 8 2014 17:02 utc | 6

TomV
Same as why they dont attack Saudiarabia, Qatar, UAE.

Posted by: Anonymous | Aug 8 2014 17:11 utc | 7

I believe the attack on ISIS in Iraq at this time is a practice run for attacking Iran before the end of year. US has a long history of creating false flag or bogus intelligence (like the use of CW by Assad)after long negotiations then end it suddenly to take military action. We all know Israelis are pushing for attacking Iran ASAP and US/Obama will never say no to them.

Posted by: Dan Esau | Aug 8 2014 17:27 utc | 8

@T2012 @2 – trolling again? That issue/link is from 2002. You want to get banned again?

Posted by: b | Aug 8 2014 17:52 utc | 9

Why is the dow jones up today with all this chaos going on? Why is brent crude down even though IS is knocking on the kurds door step. I guess the markets don’t get jittery for chaos anymore since chaos is the new normality. Or maybr they know something se peons don’t.

Posted by: really | Aug 8 2014 17:57 utc | 10

Funny how the war on terror happened after 9/11, yet the war hawks were trying to get Clinton to attack Iraq before then. And remember, Clinton had imposed sanctions on Iraq that killed over 500,000 kids and Albright thought that the sanctions and dead kids were worth it.
The US has murder over 18 million people since 1945. If they didn’t kill them themselves, they trained militaries in other countries to do the killings at the School of America. The US has committed at least 50 coups in well over 180 countries.
Now imagine any other country doing those things to the US, or telling us we have to have their military bases in our country. Why is it only called terrorism when it happens to the US? The US trained and armed the Syrian rebels, who became ISIS.

Posted by: Cynthia | Aug 8 2014 18:09 utc | 11

I agree with b’s sentiments here. Nonetheless, for ISIS to directly threaten Erbil, control Mosul dam and plow through the vaunted pesh merga as if they were the Afghan National Army I think is significant enough to conclude that the secret understanding between the Saudis, the U.S. and Israel regarding the caliphate is far from clear.
At the outset in June when Mosul fell it appeared a greater Kurdistan encompassing Kirkuk was part of the deal. Now there appears to be some confusion about that, prompting Obama to issue a few airstrikes. The CIA and Pentagon have plenty at stake in Kuridstan. I think the Saudis are testing Obama. They think he is weak to the point of catatonia. We’ll see now if ISIS pulls up and looks east to Baghdad and Iran.

Posted by: Mike Maloney | Aug 8 2014 18:42 utc | 12

Excellent translation of Obama’s NewSpeak, b.
The Big Oil fans of the Petrodollar wanted Iraq wrecked and Obama’s job is to keep it in ruins (and poverty) until Iraq’s oil is under the total control of Big Oil.
As Michael Moore once quipped.
“Keep Hope alive! Kill Eye-Rackies. They’ve got Our Oil!”

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Aug 8 2014 18:53 utc | 13

@12 I think much of ISIS’ behavior over the last month and going forward isn’t being shaped by the Saudis but by the local commanders who have delivered victories, cash, oil/resources, weapons, geographic integrity, and humiliated their enemies.
They don’t need Saudi advice or resources anymore. The caliph can try to get his guys to forget this, but the result would be a personal disaster and a new caliph.
As far as moving into Jordan and Lebanon, ISIS’s advance took planning, but ISIS has now prevented a counter offensive from Iraq, Kurdistan, and Syria with recent victories. They can move South in force.

Posted by: NotTimothyGeithner | Aug 8 2014 19:23 utc | 14

b I have no idea about T2012’s sincerity or motivation but the article itself is still quite a relevant point, at least in highlighting the hubris leading to the current state of international lawlessness and mercenarism. imo.

Posted by: L Bean | Aug 8 2014 19:36 utc | 15

If your hypothesis is correct NotTimothyGeithner, that ISIS is a Frankenstein monster no longer under the mad scientist Al Saud’s control, then, yes, next stop Amman, or possibly back over the border to Syria. I read somewhere that Aleppo is to be re-targeted.
But I don’t think this is the case. I think all the jihadi networks — the banking lifelines, the madrassas — are still dependent upon the Gulf Sheikhdoms. I don’t think there is anything organic about ISIS. It is not a homegrown guerrilla movement. More likely, ISIS got the green light to go after the Kurds because the Saudis think that Team Obama are a bunch of shit-birds who can be rolled at will.

Posted by: Mike Maloney | Aug 8 2014 20:02 utc | 16

@b, didn’t notice that, but alas – where was I “trolling”, prey tell? How does that compare to many unbacked nonsense and ad-hominem attacks of way worse examples here? And please back the “trolling” charge up with facts, no chatter. I can accept a failure and even appologize if you can prove me wrong.

Posted by: T2010 | Aug 8 2014 20:40 utc | 17

To be clear, what I mean is my claims about who runs all the games, the Empire/Commonwealth facts, the facts about fake-jew british masonic mafia in “Israel”/”Palestine” (correctly southern Syria), the land ownership, the banks ownership etc. – not my occasional nasty tone in some heated discussions, which I do admit.

Posted by: T2010 | Aug 8 2014 20:45 utc | 18

Back on topic (sort of), this might be interesting food for thought for the more serious bunch here: http://realitybloger.wordpress.com/2014/07/27/133-nations-join-against-united-states-government/

Posted by: T2010 | Aug 8 2014 20:58 utc | 19

When news of the first oil shipments to Israel leaked out, I couldn’t believe the Kurds would do that. Despite Western MSM’s efforts to convince everyone to the contrary, many average Kurds are wary of any involvement with the U.S., but especially so with Israel.
The average Kurd figured they were either just being played for an Israeli ‘arc of bomber access’ an intel posts along northern Syria and Iraq for the scheduled Iran genocide, or that U.S./Israel interests were only for the Pershmega to be the oil field/pipeline guards for the Kirkuk-to-Haifa pipeline currently being reconstructed. The Kurdish *people* know they are garbage to the U.S. and Israel, and the current Western MSM narrative ignores the dark forces within the KDP leadership that undermine every last Kurd’s freedom.
The U.S. and Israel always saw Kurdish independence as a side-show – it simply allows the ebola-like virus of U.S.-Israeli hegemony to spread easier. But in the end, it Kurdish cooperation isn’t absolutely necessary:

– Tens of thousands of Iranians will die and Iran will be disarmed and destroyed with or without the Kurds help.
– The Kurdish people will continue to live on their knees, serving U.S. and Israeli interests through whatever corrupt KDP puppet leaders they back.
– Half-price oil will flow to Haifa with or without the Kurds involvement, and the U.S. will ignore Iraqi’s claim to that oil or its profits

The U.S. and Israel have been schmoozing up to certain hand-picked corrupt Kurdish oligarchs for years, financing them and steering them to positions of power in the KDP and in the new Iraqi government. It’s always a good idea to have plenty of your puppets in place before you engineer their ‘independence’ from the very government you killed a million people to create, i.e., Iraq.
The average Kurd doesn’t want an independent Kurdistan created merely to exploit them and their neighbors. The average Kurd doesn’t want an independent Kurdistan in Northern Iraq merely to serve as a U.S./Israeli land-based aircraft carrier to slaughter Iranians.

Posted by: Paveway IV | Aug 8 2014 21:00 utc | 20

Phweeeeeeeeew…. Getting hot in here…

Posted by: Dan | Aug 8 2014 21:12 utc | 21

Back To Iraq amid ‘quick sand’
http://www.arabworld360.info/2014/08/back-to-iraq.html

Posted by: M. Tomazy | Aug 8 2014 22:14 utc | 22

Fabulous post. Hits the nail right on the head even better than I did on Red Pill Views today. I would post this on Red Pill Views and link to you but I can only do so many posts on the same news story. But Kudos. Here is the Red Pill Post.
The link got messed up so I will just send you the short post.
“If you have the normal amount of fingers on your hands, you can count the number of times that the Obamanation has told the truth during the six years of his presidency.
Here the Noble Peace Prize winner tells the world how he is bombing his very own Jihadhi mercenary group ISIS, to “save” Christians and other Iraqi minorities, that his Frankenstein monsters are threatening.
In reality of course the Obamanation got a frantic call from one of his many bosses, Rex W. Tillerson, (CEO of Exxon) that his idiot ISIS stooges are messing up Exxon’s business, and that if Obama doesn’t fix it quickly, the man affectionately called “T Rex” by his subordinates, will personally see to it that the end of Barack’s presidency will be a living hell.
The Obamanation’s bombing is in reality in support of the Kurdish forces backed by Washington. Ankara and Tel Aviv, (in other words Empire) who have been kicked out of the oil region of Kirkuk and disparately want to get back in. When the Kurds can do that, Exxon can get its business going again in the area and T Rex will be happy.
And Washington of course has learned the hard lesson of letting its Jihadhi psychopaths become self funding with oil money in Libya. Not Good!
The message of the bombing, “no more oil money for you crazy Jihadhis”. Back on your leash, back! Down boys!”

Posted by: Robert Gorden | Aug 8 2014 22:29 utc | 23

@22 No problem. It won’t be a prolonged mission. We’ll just mission around a bit then we’ll stop missioning.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/aug/8/obama-determined-avoid-prolonged-military-action-i/

Posted by: dh | Aug 8 2014 22:49 utc | 24

B, how are you always so on top of things? Damn.
It’s horrible that they’ve watched ISIS murder their way through Iraq and only deigned to scramble a few jets when the satrapy of Barzania was threatened.
The Kurds certainly didn’t live up to their media reputation of being tough fighters, when fighting outside prepared defensive positions.

Posted by: Crest | Aug 8 2014 22:49 utc | 25

I saw, via counterpunch, Marjorie Cohn’s excellent article on US/Israeli culpability for War Crimes in pursuit of their genocide of the Palestinian people. I’ll dig deep for email postage and send a copy of her conclusions, as a follow up to the Palestinian Open Letter to UNSG Ban Ki-moon on Gaza.
These people must be reminded that more and more of the world’s population are aware that there is an alternative to the rule of the raw and ruthless, that it is the world’s ‘leaders’ who are opposed to the rule of law and justice, and not any of the world’s peoples.
US Leaders Aid and Abet Israeli War Crimes, Genocide & Crimes against Humanity

Both Israel and the US have refused to ratify the Rome Statute. But if Palestine were a party to the statute, the ICC could exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed by Israelis and Americans in Palestinian territory.
The ICC could also take jurisdiction

if the UN Security Council refers the matter to the ICC, or
if the ICC prosecutor initiates an investigation of the crime.

The US would veto any Security Council referral to the ICC.
And the ICC prosecutor has not initiated an investigation.
So the question is whether Palestine can ratify the statute, thereby becoming a party to the ICC.
In 2009, the Palestinian National Authority filed a declaration [1] with the ICC accepting the court’s jurisdiction.
In 2012, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly recognized Palestine as a non-member observer state.
During the present war, the Palestinian minister of justice and the deputy minister of justice both submitted documents to the ICC indicating that the 2009 declaration is still valid.
On August 5, 2014, the Palestinian minister of foreign affairs met with officials from the ICC and inquired about the procedures for Palestine to become a party to the statute.
Although the Israeli and US governments continue to maintain that Israel has only acted in self-defense against Hamas’ terrorism, the weight of world opinion points in the opposite direction. There is overwhelming opposition to Israeli aggression in Gaza and calls for justice and accountability.
Both Israeli and US leaders must be criminally prosecuted for committing and aiding and abetting these crimes.
[1] http://iccforum.com/media/background/gaza/2009-01-21_Palestinian_National_Authority_Declaration.pdf

Posted by: john francis lee | Aug 8 2014 23:11 utc | 26

@16 I find it difficult to believe Saudi gangs and former Baathists are coordinating too closely in Iraq after the 2003 war. The potential local supporters don’t strike me as supporters of the house of Saud, and since the goal was the pipeline through Syria, strengthening the Assad regime and the Russian/Chinese alliance by undermining the U.S. strikes me as a rather unusual goal.
Politically, action was impossible until ISIS acquired a future MAD situation with control of the Mosul dam. The Saudis aren’t unaware of the. U.S. political scene. I know there are crocodile tears about the refugees in the mountains, but releasing the flood waters would kill more people in a day than the atomic bombs including one of the world’s great cities. You can’t ignore the destruction of new Babylon.

Posted by: NotTimothyGeithner | Aug 9 2014 0:17 utc | 27

now why would these guys want to raise the flag of their war god in the white house? and how would they achieve this? they cant get to USA in any greate numbers, or are they suggesting sunnis in USA will do this?
http://rt.com/usa/179036-islamic-state-white-house/

Posted by: brian | Aug 9 2014 2:17 utc | 28

Posted by: T2012 | Aug 8, 2014 12:42:47 PM | 2
id pay good money for a front row seat to that!

Posted by: brian | Aug 9 2014 2:31 utc | 29

id like to know who these ISIS guys are…only iraqis?

Posted by: brian | Aug 9 2014 2:34 utc | 30

Posted by: TomV | Aug 8, 2014 1:02:37 PM | 6
isnt jordan occupied by the US? its like asking why hasnt ISIS or al nusra or any jihadi attacked israel, esp with israel bombing muslims

Posted by: brian | Aug 9 2014 2:36 utc | 31

Posted by: T2010 | Aug 8, 2014 4:40:03 PM | 17
yes: an odd comment by b

Posted by: brian | Aug 9 2014 2:38 utc | 32

US chutzpah
Robina Creaser ‏@sharpfang 2h
“@abcnews US warns Russia against using humanitarian crisis in east Ukraine as reason to invade”
->as the crazed-US is BOMBING IRAQ again.

Posted by: brian | Aug 9 2014 3:05 utc | 33

US forces bomb Isis militant positions in northern Iraq
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/08/us-iraq-air-strikes-isis-irbil
One of the US arguments against using force against Isis earlier was that it might relieve pressure on Maliki to open up his government or step down.
David Cameron said it was the world’s duty to help religious minorities “in their hour of desperate need”.
So it was perfectly acceptable to the US for IS to slaughter Shias, Sunnis, Christians, and Syrians. But as soon as IS has some success in an offensive against the Kurds the US steps in for ‘humanitarian reasons‘. Right on cue poodle Cameron chimes in with his support. The only thing missing to confirm this lie is a statement from that fuckhead Blair.
Surely the reasons for the air strikes have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the Kurds are the only real allies Israel has in the Middle East. Nor that this may be facilitating the creation of an independent Kurdistan which Israel has already publicly supported, thereby fracturing Iraq and Syria, and creating new instabilities in Iran, Lebanon and Turkey, all of which just happens to be to the benefit of Israel. No, one would have to be downright cynical to think there may be something more to this grand ‘humanitarian’ gesture by the U.S.. After all, its not like they’ve ever done anything remotely similar in the past. Can anyone spell – Yinon Plan.

Posted by: pantaraxia | Aug 9 2014 6:00 utc | 34

#34 yep that is how it looks from here. I think that was b’s point. Israel has been cultivating the Iraqi Kurds for years. Their intelligence people have been stationed there for some time. It has become a major Israeli listening post for what goes on in Iran. This would be a critical station if Israel ever tried to attack Iran. The US will protect Israel’s interests without doubt. For the Kurds this is an alliance of convenience. It will not take too many changes in the relationships of the power players there to change the calculus. For example, it is now in Iran’s interests to help the Kurds repel the ISIS forces. There is really nothing Israel can do help the Kurds with their current problem. If the Iranians come in to help, I think we can see the end of the Israeli involvement in that part of the world.
This is something the Leverett’s have been saying for some time — Iran is a ‘major power in that part of the world. It’s influence will continue to grow. Israel is a tiny country about 1000 km away. There is not much they can do to help the Kurds. The logistics are simply too difficult. The only thing Israel can do is convince their lobbyists in the US to pressure Obama to provide air support. Given that this is a land war, that support will have very limited value. No way will the US provide the ground forces needed to repel the ISIS invasion. But Iran can.

Posted by: ToivoS | Aug 9 2014 6:23 utc | 35

Brian@ 28
The IS is taunting the US Lion in his den knowing that Amerikans react franticly to verbal threats to the Homeland. The hysteria will spread rapidly when the first US Occupier is captured and his head is displayed on a pike.
The IS has shown an uncanny ability to use PsyOps and PR to their advantage in a sphere usually totally controlled by the Hegemon.
This tactic is more of a recruiting tool than an actual threat and those young Muslims around the world. it seeks to recruit, see the IS as unafraid of even the most powerful military power in the world.

Posted by: Wayoutwest | Aug 9 2014 15:23 utc | 36

@34 The West is rapidly losing influence in Iraq. Politically, legitimate arms dealers can’t sell to ISIS, and Russian and Chinese weaponry crushing NATO weapons commanded by the guys who crushed NATO-TRAINED troops would be a disaster for the Western defense manufacturers.

Posted by: NotTimothyGeithner | Aug 9 2014 15:26 utc | 37

@34 pantaraxia.. thanks for articulating the obvious inconsistencies..i share in much of your speculation as well.

Posted by: james | Aug 9 2014 16:37 utc | 38

Way Out West
Pat Lang says ISIS goal is to destroy the House of Saud.
Of course, the original and assumed easily attained goal of the neocons in Iraq was to replace Saddam with a pro-Zionist, pro-Israel, anti-Iranian puppet. Who would already have had energy deals in full bloom with Israel.

Posted by: truthbetold | Aug 9 2014 20:03 utc | 39

Truth Be Told
The Caliphate has the goal of conquering everything from the Ganges to the Maghreb with a few chunks of Europe added for good measure. The Saudi royals will be eliminated early in this grand conquest along with other royals and Western lackey capitulators.
The neocons and the neoliberals have many warped illusions about remaking the ME and these new developements will be seen as an opportunity to again attempt to bomb the savages into submission, it won’t work this time either.
One bizarre outcome we may see is as the Caliphate grows Israel may be forced to buy oil from them just as Syria is buying their own captured oil back from the Islamic State.

Posted by: Wayoutwest | Aug 9 2014 20:44 utc | 40

Facts not in evidence: Does POTUS #44 even know what a caliph is? or what one does?

Posted by: Formerly T-Bear | Aug 9 2014 20:58 utc | 41

Way Out West
You believe Russia and China would allow Iran’s destruction by takfiris?

Posted by: truthbetold | Aug 9 2014 21:31 utc | 42

Truth be Told
The Russians still have a bad taste in their mouths from their Afghanistan debacle and they have many other problems of their own to face.
The Chinese are purely mercantile and also have their own Muslim problems.
Whatever happens we are living in very interesting times.

Posted by: Wayoutwest | Aug 9 2014 22:44 utc | 43

I would think that the ISIS advance on Erbil will be stopped by the US air-strikes. Any heavy equipment, like the mobile artillery mentioned, will be destroyed. The probability of taking Erbil was in any case slight. What is surprising is the loss by the Kurds of all the territory they’ve claimed in the north of Iraq. When I was in Erbil in 2011, the Kurds were advancing, taking territory. All of a sudden that has been lost, and Kurdistan is defending the last bridge before Erbil.
I don’t suppose Erbil will be taken, but the Kurds have lost a lot. ISIS don’t represent the Sunnis but in a way they do. They couldn’t succeed without their agreement. It’s astounding what has has happened.

Posted by: Alexno | Aug 9 2014 23:44 utc | 44

I remember western correspondents telling us how they advanced to within 200 metres of the ISIS positions in Mosul. That has all gone now. Those western correspondents are now worrying about whether they will be evacuated from Erbil.

Posted by: Alexno | Aug 10 2014 0:01 utc | 45

Funny that Congress goes on vacation and boom,there go the bombs.And if in and out quick(they have their fingers and toes crossed)no Congress critters to take electoral heat,as they had nothing to do with it.In public.Except for that looney McCain.sheesh.
This ISIS barbarity stuff;MSM BS or factual?How could they have support from the locals if so bloodthirsty?Something definitely hyped there.
ISIS was helped by the Saudis,so turning on the nobility? would seem a little fanciful,wouldn’t it?I think they are just Sunni revivalists,intent on taking back there Sunni heartland in revenge,just another spoke in the cycle.And yeah,we definitely supported them in Syria,and of course they are just another frankenstein going off the res,if the official narrative is true,but of course that is highly dubious,like everything the bastards spew.
And the corpse of the Graun stinks to high heaven,the smell is ported across the net,as they troll the depths of putrid war porn and antihumanity.They are definitely trying to away numb minds with selective avenues of commenting.And the absolute bigotry of many respondents is incredible,as kill them all is a common rant.And the funny thing is,the ranters mean them all,even the Yaziris?,but after the photo op and propaganda session,when the fickle finger of Ziocoverage moves on.

Posted by: dahoit | Aug 10 2014 0:49 utc | 46

@44 Airstrikes aren’t panaceas despite the hype. The Taliban still exists, but ISIS has better weaponry, combat experience, and hostages. Two, ISIS members have to win, or they will be killed. In this case, victory is life. Like the Ukranian-separatists, the best weapons against ISIS are low level planes with limited range which can be brought down without a fancy launch system.
We don’t have that kind of air power in the region, and the bases need to be defended which means a fair amount of man power or ships which are needed in other hot spots. The Enterprise is out of commission. The other carriers are quite a bit slower. It seems like a design flaw. Fighters can’t just fly for hours on end. They need extensive maintenance. Drones are great against random, desert dwellings, but urban areas are full of all kinds of pesky signals. Then of course, there are financial costs. Some people expect to get paid, and given the culture of corruption, there may be no room in the budget until after November.
It’s really important to remember the 2003 Iraq War was against no opposition. The Baathists expected the U.S. to come and leave handing the country over sans the Hussein family which was a concern. The two boys were like the older Assad brother, too obviously thuggish for succession. Nero and Caligula ascended as neo-Octavians, not street gang thugs.
Needless to say, I don’t think air power is the cure-all pentagon propaganda has made it out to be. Without the elaborate and costly medical lifts to Germany and post-Gulf War helmets, the U.S. KIA during the war on terror would have been astronomical. An enemy that can keep the helicopters and V-22s away is a very different ball game.
Remember, the U.S. pummeled Vietnam from the skies. We lost.

Posted by: NotTimothyGeithner | Aug 10 2014 2:22 utc | 47

19
“…referring to Sustainable Development and the stripping of wealth from Americans…”
Que?!
Where has this author been!? The 2000 PNAC Coup destroyed Mom & Pop’s 401ks; Sep 11th
ushered in their National Police State; Cheney’s Holy Oil Wars stripped the Treasury;
The Chosen’s Derivatives.Con in 2008 obliterated Mom & Pop’s home equity; then their
2011 QEn has completely bled out the SS Trust Fund, as T-Bill ‘buyer of last resort’!
I mean, Hegelian Dialect and Fukuyama you! The wealth has already done been stripped!!
What you’re seeing since 2014 is their End Game. Sustainable Development Carbon Tithes
are just making up tax revenues shortfalls. Bail-in’s and Capital Funds looting by
Mil.Gov will occur right after 2014 selections, with or without the feckless UN.
It’s so over, it’s not worth getting out of bed to pay the LandLords and UtiliEarls.
Then how much can you grow on your little 0.25 hectares, a pound of lettuce a day and
half pound of tilapia and a couple eggs? Cheap bag of rice, turn off the electricity,
then sit in the dark and cook your G20 comidas on dried cow dung, like everyone else.
Liber IMF-WB! Inequalite! Fratricide!

Posted by: ChipNikh | Aug 10 2014 3:25 utc | 48

40
You would make a good GE spokesperson for the future of Pay-Per-View MSNBC TV.
Or how about how, ‘Amazon is going to take over the entire global retail market!’
Oh, wait, no, there is that ZFuckbook boy!! His stock will be worth TRILLIONS!!!
The difference between Madison Avenue hype, and cold hard The Caliphate reality is
one or two US cruise misisiles plus a couple A-10s in full battle rattle, and there
ain’t no more ISIS! Just recall the Iraq Republican Guard Avenue of Tears in 1990.
ISIS is the Wurm. It will hollow out *that which it is allowed to hollow*, then die.

Posted by: ChipNikh | Aug 10 2014 3:35 utc | 49

28
This RT piece is a Call to Arms for all the US RightWing GOB Crackerheads. They finally get to kick some *Hippie Ass* back to the Stone Age. That’s all The Caliphate™ campaign is, the 1970’s as Remix, but without disco bellbottoms and polyester flowerprint shirts! ISIS is a straw dog marketing gimmick, a self-propagating psyop tool internet Wurm, used by the Saudis to destroy their oil competitors, and by Israel to demonize Islam to Born Again Christians, Christians who would drag a hippie behind their pickup truck trussed in barbed wire, while getting MIC lathered up to $TRILLION a year, with fat dividends to the KSA-IL shareholders.
Lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu-lu! Come on, let’s dance the Islam Disco Duck!!

Posted by: ChipNikh | Aug 10 2014 4:56 utc | 50

re 10
Why is brent crude down even though IS is knocking on the kurds door step.
That’s because there’s hardly any Kurdish oil. There may or may not be potential, but little actual production.

Posted by: Alexno | Aug 10 2014 8:45 utc | 51

The Leverett’s latest post directly addresses the US of A’s ongoing, cockamamie, plot – America’s Real Strategic Failure in Iraq (Aug 11).

Posted by: Hoarsewhisperer | Aug 12 2014 15:42 utc | 52

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