Posted on 09/27/2015 2:27:45 AM PDT by JPX2011
Iraq says it has reached a deal to share intelligence with Russia, Iran and Syria in the fight against ISIS militants.
The announcement on Saturday from the Iraqi military cited "the increasing concern from Russia about thousands of Russian terrorists committing criminal acts within ISIS."
The news comes amid U.S. concerns about Russia's recent military buildup in Syria and would appear to confirm American suspicions of some kind of cooperation between Baghdad and Moscow
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
All the result of Obama’s “Strength through weakness” policy.
Good, let Russia take over. They won’t have their hands tied with the asinine Rules of Engagement.
While it's true that Russia's entry will provide relief to the various religious minority groups in Syria (no need to mention Iraq as all religious minority groups are either dead, enslaved, refugees, or at various levels of progression of those three possibilities), one should not be deceived and believe that Russia is there to save Christians. Not at all ...they are there for their own geopolitical reasons, and the solace to Christians and other Syrian minorities is simply a (fortunate) side effect of a geopolitical move.
Unfortunately, Obama has shown the world that his administration has zero credibility when it comes to truly helping a situation, and the after-effects of the Obama-led American action in Syria and Libya will, for a good time, weaken any future American-led coalitions simply based on the obvious results. This means that in instances where an American-led coalition would be absolutely helpful - for example, a situation similar to the US-led coalition to remove Saddam from Kuwait during the First Gulf War - it will probably be difficult to get a big enough coalition. Most definitely NOT from Europe as they are the ones bearing the most cost from the recent Syrian migration (and I seriously believe that 'cost' will go up in the future once some of the 'refugees' turn out to be anything but). That is a bad outcome as there will be instances in the future where a US-led coalition will be absolutely necessary.
Obama's adventures in Syria and Libya (and to a lesser extent Bush's move into Iraq ....sorry, I love Dubya as a man, and an honest man at that, but it was always not wise to go and effect regime change without having a credible replacement) have actually decreased the likelihood of America leading the Free World in a coalition against a future (real) threat. And by a future (real) threat I am not talking about some pathetic sandbox country or banana republic. I mean something real ...think China or Russia (with China the most likely option due to what's happening between it and it's neighbors, and Russia obviously not far due to its liking for messing about with its neighbors).
Whomever is going to be the next POTUS will have a lot of work to do fixing the issues created by the current POTUS. I hope the vote goes for someone who is strong, credible, patriotic, honest (I don't just mean honest to the voters, but also honest to enemies so that they clearly know he means what he says ...Reagan was great at this), and finally, a good man (why ...because America's strength, in the hands of an evil man, would result in an evil empire. Strength is but a tool, and under a good strong will is a tool for good, but under an evil strong will is a force for evil). The next POTUS will have a lot of work to do.
This unbalanced the power dynamics against the Sunnis in favor of the Shiites. It took The Surge to stabilize Iraq but more needed to be done. The cashiered Iraqi military made up the core of the insurgency and are now leading ISIS.
It is not good news as we have lost that area to Iran and Russia is the winner. Obama wasted the sacrifices of our military and allowed the Gov of Iraq to do as they wanted and he pulled out all US troops. Yes, the ROE’s sucked and so does mech infantry and all your supplies riding up and down MSR’s. Had we used the damn roads in Vietnam we would have been wasted by explosives too. The Mech Infantry BN CO’s and XO’s from Vietnam became the Generals in the mid 70’s who later sold the Army on everything is mech and we think and shoot at 45 MPH. Those were the West Point clowns who were Colin Powell’s heroes along with Emerson who let the troops do drugs.
Putin again fills the vacuum and strives to rebuild a Russian empire based on chauvinism and collaboration with the mad mullahs of Iran.
It was never meant to be like this, and unfortunately it doesn't seem like the US has an alternative solution.
It wasn't. But I would submit that it doesn't matter. In the end, the Middle East is a backward, third-world hole that gets far more attention that it deserves in the world of geopolitics. Blood and treasure lost? Yes. Tragic? Yes. But this is the place where the world comes to test it's theories. Whether it was Bush attempting the imposition of democratic rule on a people who have neither the inclination or the history to accept such a social order, or Obama continuing that notion through his support of popular revolt movements in Egypt, Libya and now Syria.
Same can be said for Putin and his dreams of global dominion. Even the advance of Chinese naval assets into the Mediterranean is nothing more that a test of its own abilities. From the standpoint of United States foreign policy there is absolutely nothing of worth in the Middle East beyond keeping our hand in to know what's going on.
The ultimate solution to the Middle East is theological and not political. It's a 1,400 year old problem. So it is in our interest to ensure they remain a third-world and moribund society for the foreseeable future until they see their way past the Mohammedan fever. That includes fomenting discord and conflict. Continue to use it as a test bed for our ideas to see if we can help them along. And yes from time to time that will cost us blood and treasure.
However, what we will have gained is invaluable knowledge and experience for dealing with Russia and China in the future if the time comes. Provided they both don't fall into self-imposed isolation which is their wont to do. History tells us that their expansionist plans lead to failure. Their cultures simply don't support it. They are inward-looking and ultimately short-sighted.
There will be setbacks such as what we see occurring in Europe. The 60 year American security guarantee freeing them to pilot their own socialist schemes to their demographic detriment. There will be violent spasms in reaction to the Mohammedan horde but they will be the death throes of a civilization that abandoned its fundamental principles. They deserve their fate. Same applies to Russia and China. Their demographics show that there will be no rise of China. Russia's death is assured.
The United States will remain the dominant power of the 21st century. But as you say it will require the right kind of leadership.
I agree. Even if Saddam needed to go, all his people did not have to go. Replacing the whole structure was simply not well though out (I am being politically correct ...a better phrase would have been ‘absolutely stupid,’ and a better word ‘asinine’).
Looks like Russia may finally be going to help out in Iraq. Hope Obama brought lots of lunch money for the meeting.
Good points.
I’ve seen reports that China is on the way to help also.
China has become the big hog at the mideast oil trough.
But that won’t be all wine and roses for the ragheads.
China is the folks with mafia business practices and 1.4 billion expendable people to enforce them.
Let the Russians have it. Maybe the Jihadi will turn their attention to them.
pretty much
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