Posted on 01/06/2014 8:22:20 AM PST by SeekAndFind
The US fought for years to free Anbar province from the grip of al-Qaeda during the Iraq War. Fallujah and Ramadi turned into pitched battlefronts, and later “the surge” convinced local Sunni tribes to join the US effort to dispel AQ from the region. More than two years after the US pulled all of its forces out of Iraq, AQ is back — and Ramadi and Fallujah appear to have fallen once again:
The city center of Iraq’s Fallujah has fallen completely into the hands of fighters from the al-Qaida-linked Islamic State in Iraq and Levant, police said Saturday, Jan. 4, yet another victory for the hardline group that has made waves across the region in recent days.
ISIL is also one of the strongest rebel units in Syria, where it has imposed a strict version of Islamic law in territories it holds and kidnapped and killed anyone it deems critical of its rule. Also on Saturday, it claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing in a Shiite-dominated neighborhood in Lebanon.
Hadi Razeij, head of the Anbar province police force, said police had left the city center entirely and had positioned themselves on the edge of town.
“The walls of the city are in the hands of the police force, but the people of Fallujah are the prisoners of ISIL,” he said, speaking on Arabic language satellite broadcaster al-Arabiya.
The US, which is still at war with al-Qaeda under the terms of the October 2001 Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF), and who has allied with the government in Baghdad, wants to help “in any way possible,” Secretary of State John Kerry announced this weekend. That is, any way that doesn’t involve fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq:
Secretary of State John F. Kerry said Sunday that the United States is ready to help Iraq in any way possible as that country began a major offensive to wrest control of two cities from al-Qaeda-linked militants. But he made it clear that no American troops would be sent in.
Kerry described the militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, as “the most dangerous players” in the region. But as Iraqi forces launched airstrikes and clashed with the militants in western Anbar province on Sunday, Kerry said it was Iraq’s battle to fight. …
“This is a fight that belongs to the Iraqis,” Kerry said toward the end of a visit to Jerusalem. “We are not, obviously, contemplating returning. We are not contemplating putting boots on the ground. This is their fight, but we’re going to help them in their fight.”
Kerry didn’t give details of what assistance the United States might provide but said it would do “everything that is possible.” After Maliki appealed in November for more U.S. support in fighting extremists, Washington sent 75 Hellfire missiles and promised to dispatch drones.
It’s worth pointing out that the same group has upended Barack Obama’s Syrian policy, too. Both could have been avoided had the US worked out an extension of the security agreement that kept American troops on the ground in Iraq to deal with al-Qaeda. Then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates fully expected that to happen, and so did Leon Panetta. Even Nouri al-Maliki expected the Americans to stay, or return almost immediately after the withdrawal two years ago.
Instead, both Obama and Joe Biden twiddled their thumbs and ended up with no position at all in Iraq. Not surprisingly, the vacuum left in western Iraq allowed al-Qaeda to regroup, and then attempt to destabilize both Iraq and Syria. Instead of stamping out the cancer, we let it metastasize again, this time more virulently than before.
That’s not to say that Kerry isn’t doing anything. He’s, er, inviting Iran to expand its influence in the region:
The Obama administration opened the door for the first time Sunday to Iranian participation at the Syrian peace talks in Switzerland later this month.
Softening the former hard line against any role for Iran if it refuses to endorse the Jan. 22 conference ground rules, Secretary of State John F. Kerry suggested that Iran might be able to participate from the sidelines.
“Could they contribute from the sidelines? Are there ways for them conceivably to weigh in?” Kerry said of the Iranians, who oppose the conference’s goal of establishing a transitional government in Syria, its ally and neighbor.
Kerry suggested that Iran’s diplomatic office in Geneva might be able to help as an unofficial participant.
Smart power.
allowing al quada to establish a safe haven for training and planning purposes is what led to 9/11 in the first place.
this seals it. we will see another attack, perhaps even more spectacular than 9/11.
Public support for sending US troops to Iraq would be around 10 or 20%.
McCain, Grahamnesty, Bill Kristol, probably Cheney, ....only the neo-con club wants to go through that again.
Now, too busy being an ambassador for global homosexualization than to be concerned about Fallujah.
Not our problem.
Muslims are animals and aren’t deserving of American blood being wasted.
Now, too busy being an ambassador for global homosexualization than to be concerned about Fallujah.
EXACTLY what I was thinking.
Why would we attack them when they are helping us in Syria? Or vice versa, whatever.
What? Is he now Commander-in-Chief too?
We all knew this would happen. Now Iraq will have to figure it out without us.
Our troops will be back in the Middle East once the jihadi takeover is accomplished. Then, we can be shocked, SHOCKED I TELL YOU, that this area poses a threat to Freedom (cue "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") around the globe.
It's time for World War III!!! (Corporate defense contractors all cheer at this point)
There is an old saying that”Afghanistan is the place where big nations go to die.” That is not only true but also includes pretty much all if the Middle East. These tribal nations have no understanding of truly representative government and little or no desire to live within its confines. There has been almost constant war or invasion since 5000 B.C. in most of that region. Who in hell are we to think that sort of history can be reversed? Drill our own oil and tell them to shove theirs back where the sun don’t shine.
No, mac daddy tell horse face what to say therefore when the shi* hits the fan mac daddy can once again say he knew nothing about what was going on and only found out about it from the nws today.
The only true friends we have in the mideast is Israel. I also include Jordan but that’s only true for as long as Abdulla lives. I suppose we could also include Egypt for as long as we continue to pay them.
Personally I would quit screwing around with troops and money in the mideast and park a carrier group in the eastern Mediterranean and make a solid trade and defense pact with Israel.
Obama’s friends and allies have taken what we gave lives and wealth to capture. Of course we won’t do anything to stop them. Little Obama is probably giddy.
RE: These tribal nations have no understanding of truly representative government and little or no desire to live within its confines. There has been almost constant war or invasion since 5000 B.C. in most of that region.
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Remember our original rationale for going to Afghanistan?
It was to get Osama Bin Ladin. DONE.
It was also to drive Al Qaeda and the Taliban away from Afghanistan. NOT DONE.
Maybe we might just want to forget the second goal... well what’s to stop the next Bin Ladin from taking over the place and recreating another 9/11 if we leave the place?
We might not be interested in war, but war is interested in us.
Where do we stand on THAT tally ?
Or does it really matter ?
I think you badly overestimate the popularity of sending in troops.
So
Your solution is to stay in Afghanistan for how long exactly? Until what happens?
The enemy center of gravity is in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Conquer there, and Afghanistan becomes meaningless.
Leave them in peace, and our sacrifices remain meaningless.
Your call.
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