Posted on 10/28/2015 2:37:39 PM PDT by Brad from Tennessee
Under withering fire from political opponents, Barack Obama is once again shuffling his Syria cards, hoping against hope that he can salvage US credibility from the wreckage of his twin failures to defeat Isis terror and topple Bashar al-Assad.
Fear is driving Obama’s latest rethink: fear that Russia and Iran are winning the strategic tug-of-war for decisive influence in both Syria and Iraq; and fear that his Middle East legacy will be an anarchic arc of muddle and mayhem stretching from Mosul to the Mediterranean.
US officials told Congress this week the White House is considering a range of rejigged military options to fight Isis. They include temporary deployments of limited numbers of special forces in Syria, and attack helicopters in Iraq, plus more forward-based target-spotters to increase the accuracy and efficacy of coalition air strikes.
Ash Carter, the US defence secretary, indicated the Pentagon was encouraged by the success of last week’s Delta Force operation to rescue Isis hostages in Hawija, northern Iraq. He predicted “more of this kind of thing”.
(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...
Trying to “topple Bashar al-Assad” was a stupid goal to begin with and never should have been pursued as a matter of American foreign policy. What do the people calling for his ouster think will replace him? There is an utter lack of strategic thinking at the highest levels of government.
Barry is sending troops into Syria because everybody knows Putin has made him look like his prison bitch.
Erdogan is far more malignant than Assad, but Erdogan is a valuable “ally”.
Seriously it is probably to protect “our” jihadis - brave young men trying to make their country better, as McCain would put it.
Credibility? Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
He was going to be replaced by an ISIS or Al Qaeda affiliated Islamist. Based on all of Obama's other decisions this strategy was well thought out, you just have to understand the regime's goals.
They forgot to mention losing Iraq.
Advice to B.O.: Don’t pick up the soap. On the other hand, pick up the soap if it suits you.
Just like Kennedy got us into Vietnam when Khrushchev slapped him around, JV Barry will escalate us into Syria to try to look tough and save face from Putin. Liberals want to look tough, but they lack the mental toughness and planning to actually be tough.
Assad said he would protect Christians, so naturally President B.O. wanted him out.
I'm continually amazed the people he's put in charge beneath him are letting his stupidity show on an almost daily basis!
Obama knows exactly what he is doing and he even knows why he is doing it.
I’m sure that’s part of it, but what accounts for so many GOP politicians promoting the same idiocy?
I recall a wild-eyed Carly Fiorina a few weeks ago babbling about how the US needs to establish a “no-fly zone” to protect Islamist rebels, and shoot down Russian aircraft attempting to bomb them. Marco Rubio and others have said basically the same thing.
Are they being paid off, or are they just dumb?
Advocating acts of war against Stria and Russia...
John McCain is insane and he was the nominee! Why not Carly?
Good question. Neither Fiorina or Rubio appear overly bright so I’m voting “dumb”.
Very cool.
So cool it’s Antarctic cold.
They can’t help it.
If you bought them a dog and named it Clue....they would still be short one.
This is foreign policy courtesy of the short school bus crowd.
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