A Strategy is Emerging...
by: Les Carpenter
Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth
As NATO meets in Wales this week to discuss the many vexing problems facing the world a strategy is developing among western powers. One that is based on a coalition looking a lot like prior engagement strategies. Sensible and ultimately the only way to fly if we wish to succeed.
It will be interesting to hear and read the uber conservatives take on what is almost certainly the strategy Obama has had in mind all along. What most of us have always wanted to know is the President is taking this situation seriously and is working to arrive at a strategy with the best chance of success.
It appears this is what is happening.
Read the full story BELOW THE FOLD
.
Via: Memeorandum
Rational Nation USA
Purveyor of Truth
As NATO meets in Wales this week to discuss the many vexing problems facing the world a strategy is developing among western powers. One that is based on a coalition looking a lot like prior engagement strategies. Sensible and ultimately the only way to fly if we wish to succeed.
It will be interesting to hear and read the uber conservatives take on what is almost certainly the strategy Obama has had in mind all along. What most of us have always wanted to know is the President is taking this situation seriously and is working to arrive at a strategy with the best chance of success.
It appears this is what is happening.
President Obama and other world leaders are currently meeting in Wales to discuss the bevy of issues that are currently vexing the world, including the political turmoil in Afghanistan ahead of the alliance’s withdrawal this year and a newly emboldened Russia that has sent troops into neighboring Ukraine. But at the top of the minds of many of the Western leaders was how to push back against ISIS, which since June has controlled a vast swath of territory in both Iraq and Syria. According to the New York Times, “diplomats and defense officials from the United States, Britain, France, Australia, Canada, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Poland and Denmark conferred on what they called a two-pronged strategy: working to bolster allies on the ground in Iraq and Syria, while attacking Sunni militants from the air. They said the goal was to destroy the Islamist militant group, not to contain it.”
When compared with the list of those countries who provided the bulk of the support for the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the new coalition provides a few interesting points of divergence. Then, only four countries played a major role in actually taking control of the country from Saddam Hussein: America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and to a lesser extent Poland. The rest of what would become the Multinational Force – Iraq, including countries like Romania and Honduras, would be deployed later to help attempt to stabilize the country.
Read the full story BELOW THE FOLD
.
Via: Memeorandum
Sooner than I expected; but what I want to see is more Arab participation, not merely diplomatic cover.
ReplyDeleteDiplomatic cover? I suppose you could call it that. And I wholeheartedly agree more Arab participation would be wholly desireable. In fact the more the merrier.
ReplyDeleteI would call Arab participation an absolute requirement.
ReplyDeleteKeeping going in this direction... it won't work without Arab participation.
ReplyDeleteI'm all for other Arabs to be the combat force to destroy ISIS. However, let us remember the issue of how many Americans in Afghanistan were killed by their Afghan "allies." I believe something similar happened in the Iraq War too.
ReplyDeleteAny Western coalition had better be very careful about arming anyone over there right now. In fact, I personally do not favor the West's arming anyone! In my view, doing such a thing will lead to no good consequence.
All the more reason to know who are your most trustworthy allies ... and not jump to conclusions (or accuse the president of indecision before all the facts are known).
DeleteSince my last comment (above): this story appeared on the AP newswire:
Delete"Uprooting the Islamic State group, which has seized roughly a third of Syria and Iraq, may potentially open the way for the Syrian army to fill the vacuum. The alternative would be to finally get serious about arming the mainstream Western-backed rebels fighting to topple Assad. But there is a reason the administration of President Barack Obama has been deeply reluctant to throw its weight behind them.
The relatively moderate rebel factions fighting in Syria are in tatters. There are no secular groups, and the strongest factions are Islamic groups, many of which work with al-Qaida's official branch in Syria, the Nusra Front."
There's a lesson in this. Those neo-cons who have criticized the president for being to timid, reluctant, or indecisive, such criticism is merely wrong. Some folks are just too impatient for facts; and some are just too partisan to reserve judgment.
Well have to wait and see how it unfolds.
ReplyDeleteAt this juncture it is becoming clear the President has not been asleep or disengaged.
Ideally, one would hope we could work toward elimination of the very similar and closely allied groups of Hesbollah and Hamas, but that is probably too much to hope for.
DeleteWe'll have to wait and see how it unfolds.
DeleteI think it is time I stopped using my cell phone to comment on the fly.
Regarding the 2H club. Hamas was severely wounded in the latest Gaza conflict, and Hezbollah (a militant Shia group) finds itself in the crosshairs of ISIS (a super militant Sunni group). Thus, neither has faired well these past few months. Since the Arab League is now solidly in support of the NATO coalition, it appears time is running out on militant groups.
ReplyDelete(O): I made a mistake in calling them close allies. They share some commonality of goals and ideology... and of course some major common enemies (the US, and all Jews), but of course aren't in lockstep and these groups will readily butcher each other at the drop of a head-towel.
DeleteWell dmarks if they "readily butcher each other at the drop of a head-towel" I guess the problem everyone is concerned with would be resolved. Right?
DeleteYeah, if you can trick them all into the Thunderdome together...
DeleteWe certainly can be hopeful time is running out on these scum. However, given the uncertainty and history of the region we shouldn't be blinded by too much hope.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I would prefer to have the Arab League assume responsibily and a more active role in cleaning up their own background, there is concern among Western allies that the ISIS phenomenon will creep into our borders. Case in point (from Reuters News Service:
ReplyDelete"A French journalist held hostage for months in Syria said on Saturday that one of his captors was a Frenchman suspected of killing four people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels in May.
The reporter, Nicolas Henin, said he recognized Mehdi Nemmouche from video shown to him as part of an investigation."
This story confirms official suspicions.
Given the literal text of the Qur'an it is part of the grand plan of the prophet mohamed is it not?
ReplyDeleteConvert, be subjugated, or die. A dangerous 7th century "religion" that if unchecked threatens the entire non Muslim world as well as moderate non violent Muslims.
We should be concerned. Very concerned.
Your intrepid cephalopod is more cautious in characterizing Islam as inherently violent. As you pointed out under a previous post, the Holy Bible and the Qu'an are co-equal in terms of scriptural violence. Scholars interpret scripture in in terms of "tribal history;" fundamentalist interpret the same scripture as "The word of God." There are scholars and literal fundamentalists in all religions. In fact, I could argue: Such stereotypes add fuel to the fire of Jihadists who want nothing more than holy war.
DeleteIn a WaPo article last week, Fareed Zakaria made an interesting point, one worthy of consideration: The relationship between oppressive regimes and religious fervor. When you strip an entire population of their civil liberties - the right to free speech, free assembly, free press, and open democratic participation - what you have left, what oppressive regimes cannot take away from their people, is their religion. The more oppressive the regime, the more radical is the religious backlash. It explains events in Syria with uncanny insight.
Your intrepid cephalopod is more cautious in characterizing Islam as inherently violent. As you pointed out under a previous post, the Holy Bible and the Qu'an are co-equal in terms of scriptural violence.
DeleteThis may be so (O)CT(0)PUS, however I believe I also pointed out that Islam at several levels (that being the many extremist factions) remains stuck in the 7th century while the Jewish faith moved beyond the barbaric violence stage and genocidal BS long ago.
As for the remainder of your observations I will merely say, I agree.
And yet RN, as the Jewish faith moves forward, how do we explain Mr Duck Dynasty saying recently that Muslims should convert, or face death?
ReplyDeleteI've seen little commentary from Christian conservatives denouncing this theology which is very reminiscent of the Spanish conquistadors method of evangelism at the tip of a sword.