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Iraqi Drama Catches U.S. Off Guard (Senior U.S. Off.: Makes you want to kill yourself)
The Wall Street Journal ^ | Thursday, June 12, 2014 | Adam Entous and Julian E. Barnes

Posted on 06/12/2014 6:30:34 AM PDT by kristinn

At a closed-door gathering of Gulf states in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in May, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and his Arab counterparts all signaled agreement on one thing for the first time: Islamist forces seizing territory in Syria and Iraq had become a regionwide menace that can't be ignored.

What they didn't agree on was what to do about it, U.S. officials said.The fall this week of the Iraqi cities Mosul and Tikrit to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham rebel group shows how the insurgent threat is outpacing the response and posing a challenge to President Barack Obama's approach of limiting U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.

The quickly unfolding drama prompted a White House meeting Wednesday of top policy makers and military leaders who were caught off guard by the swift collapse of Iraqi security forces, officials acknowledged.

State Department and Pentagon officials have long warned about ISIS's desire to create an Islamic state based in the Sunni-dominated parts of Iraq and Syria.

Now, current and former officials say Washington's options for helping the Iraqi army fight back are limited—both because the threat in Iraq is so entrenched and because the U.S. hasn't invested in building up moderate allies on the Syrian side of the border.

SNIP

Some military officials now believe ISIS is the single greatest terrorist threat the U.S. and its allies face—stronger than the al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen or Africa and far more powerful than al Qaeda's central leadership in Pakistan. Other senior U.S. officials say ISIS has yet to carry out any attacks directly targeting the U.S.

"It makes you want to kill yourself," a senior U.S. official said of the intelligence on ISIS, which was presented by U.S. and Gulf allies during the May meeting in Jeddah.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; bho44; bhogwot; bhosecdef; iraq; iraqmeltdown; isil; isis; leadingfrombehind; mosul; obama; secdefhagel
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1 posted on 06/12/2014 6:30:34 AM PDT by kristinn
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To: kristinn

The first Obama heard of this was in the newspapers.


2 posted on 06/12/2014 6:32:17 AM PDT by skams19
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To: kristinn

This is what happens when you have children who hate America in charge.

The primary goal of Team BO has been to surrender power abroad and to infiltrate the military with open homosexuals and trannies. THAT is the priority for the Clown.


3 posted on 06/12/2014 6:35:59 AM PDT by SoFloFreeper
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Comment #4 Removed by Moderator

To: kristinn
This is Obama just 6 months ago on ISIS:

“The analogy we use around here sometimes, and I think is accurate, is if a jayvee team puts on Lakers uniforms that doesn’t make them Kobe Bryant,” Obama told Remnick.

"I think there is a distinction between the capacity and reach of a bin Laden and a network that is actively planning major terrorist plots against the homeland versus jihadists who are engaged in various local power struggles and disputes, often sectarian.”

5 posted on 06/12/2014 6:42:30 AM PDT by Corporate Democrat
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To: kristinn
Now, current and former officials say Washington's options for helping the Iraqi army fight back are limited—both because the threat in Iraq is so entrenched and because the U.S. hasn't invested in building up moderate allies on the Syrian side of the border.

This is more of the same BS about moderate Syrian rebels.

6 posted on 06/12/2014 6:43:18 AM PDT by Zhang Fei (Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always.)
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To: Corporate Democrat

I just can’t wait for our most effective Secretary of State, skerry, to give his excellent advice.


7 posted on 06/12/2014 6:44:10 AM PDT by hal ogen (First Amendment or Reeducation Camp?)
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To: kristinn
The quickly unfolding drama prompted a White House meeting Wednesday of top policy makers and military leaders who were caught off guard by the swift collapse of Iraqi security forces, officials acknowledged.

After having been told it would happen for a decade.

8 posted on 06/12/2014 6:45:16 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (ObamaCare IS Medicaid: They'll pull a sheet over your head and send you the bill.)
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To: kristinn

Heckuva job CIA and NSA.


9 posted on 06/12/2014 6:45:40 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: kristinn

You know what.... Let the middle east just kill each other. They will never, ever stop. Tell them that they are on their own and if they decide to attack Israel or the U.S. well nuke them off the planet. And mean it.


10 posted on 06/12/2014 6:45:43 AM PDT by baddog 219
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To: kristinn

Question:

How many men do we have left in Iraq? Are they all in Baghdad?


11 posted on 06/12/2014 6:46:07 AM PDT by Doctor 2Brains
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To: kristinn
Sorry, but the vast majority of Americans outside this board don't give a crap. Too busy chasing the good life and the free handouts, don't ya know.

We're nothing but a celebrity worship culture now, chasing the lifestyle of the worst dregs to ever disgrace our shores. Let the goat pluggers run rampant in the Middle East, who cares? If it starts to affect ME, then I'll start to cry about it until someone else does something about it.

12 posted on 06/12/2014 6:46:21 AM PDT by Redplum
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To: Carry_Okie

I said the first day we rolled into Iraq, that we had to be there for at least 20 years, or else it would quickly crumble.

In hindsight, it was better to leave Saddam in charge.


13 posted on 06/12/2014 6:46:34 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: kristinn

This is ISIS....

Repent or die.

https://twitter.com/RaquelEvita/status/477082270160154624/photo/1


14 posted on 06/12/2014 6:46:46 AM PDT by winoneforthegipper ("If you can't ride two horses at once, you probably shouldn't be in the circus" - SP)
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To: kristinn

Then why in the world are we spending such big bucks for our intelligence organizations?

It starts at the top. Our dumbass President couldn’t be bothered with daily intelligence briefings. He had more important things to do like raise money for the Democrat Party.


15 posted on 06/12/2014 6:46:55 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: kristinn
Some military officials now believe ISIS is the single greatest terrorist threat the U.S. and its allies face

Is the ISIS getting arms and supplies headed for Uncle Scam's Al Qaeda allies in Syria?

16 posted on 06/12/2014 6:47:22 AM PDT by Count of Monte Fisto (The foundation of modern society is the denial of reality.)
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Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: SoFloFreeper
Most Americans refuse to see that everything Obama does is purposely designed to bring down this country. Yet NOTHING could be more obvious.

People are in denial. Perhaps its because they just can't handle the truth or simply don't care. Whatever, that fundamental truth is...

If its bad for America, Obama is for it.

18 posted on 06/12/2014 6:47:58 AM PDT by Starboard
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Comment #19 Removed by Moderator

To: winoneforthegipper
I thought this was Isis

Where's Shazam?

20 posted on 06/12/2014 6:50:03 AM PDT by dfwgator
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