Obama says in the “days head” he’ll think over his move in Iraq; leaves town as ISIS radical Islamists creep closer to Baghdad.
The fall of Iraq has been dramatic and painful. The blood and treasure spent to get rid of Saddam Hussein and bring some semblance of organized self rule to this country has been the victim of two things, 1) Mission creep by President Bush and, 2) a breach of faith by President Obama.
The president left town on Friday to attend fund raisers and go to a golf outing. Before hopping on Marine One he gave a press conference on Iraq in which he said he’d be making a decision on what to do with this mess “in the days ahead”. This was after the Islamists had already sacked Fallujah, Tikrit and were a 100 miles away from Baghdad.
Re-litigating the war in Iraq is unnecessary. We know of Saddam’s sponsorship of terror, his successful ruse to the world that he was this close to getting nuclear weapons and the hot and cold running terrorists using his country and money to commit acts of terror. We know of the Iraqi who helped in setting the table for bin Laden’s 9/11 plot.
Highlights in Iraq include the Second Battle of Fallujah, Operation Phantom Fury, in which we flushed out the Al Qaeda types in close, close combat that hadn’t been seen since Vietnam (according to Our Man in Fallujah); the Anbar Awakening, when President Bush and General David Petraeus surged troops and enlisted Sunni tribal elders to drop dime on Al Qaeda, winning hearts and minds; and presiding over national elections, in which women were fully given the franchise (see the picture above of a woman who proved she’d voted by dipping her finger in ink).
Now we are told Islamists who sacked the Nineveh province have dropped leaflets instructing secularists and others to toe the line…or else. Women should only go out if necessary. Shop owners will be given ‘a chance’ to convert.
Here are some of the rules, as translated by reporter Jenna Moussa
No Title
ISIS rules: We warn tribal leaders and Sheikhs not to “work with government and be traitors.” (5/11) #Nineveh @akhbar
“Repenting” involves throwing in with Islamists or be killed.
No Title
ISIS rules: For the police, soldiers &other kafir institutions, u can repent. We opened special places that will allow you to repent. (7/11)
Gun confiscation will occur.
No Title
ISIS rules: Gatherings, carrying flags (other than that of Islamic state) &carrying guns not allowed. God ordered us to stay united. (8/11)
And women: do you REALLY need to be on the street?
No Title
ISIS rules: For women, dress decently and wear wide clothes. Only go out if needed. (10/11) #Nineveh @akhbar
Obama has brought this on.
We always should have left our troops in Iraq. We won. To the victor go the spoils. No, not oil (although I’m not opposed). The spoils could have been a presence, such as the ones we have in Germany and Japan. President Obama couldn’t be bothered with reopening the Bush Status of Forces Agreement as President Maliki desired, however. He phoned it in. He voted present. There is no further SOFA because he didn’t feel like it.
The president has misused American power. He doesn’t know how to make deposits in the bank of badass, he only knows how to plunder them. He assumed America’s reputation was an automatic that, like a button, could turbo charge his dealings with world leaders. He thought giving speeches fueled leadership. He remains clueless on how to fill the tank.
Obama allowed Iraq to fall under the spell of Islamists. Iran’s Quds forces have rushed the border to help Iraq’s president, Syrian friendly Islamist groups have flooded the zone to fight them.
Now, President Maliki is asking Obama for help. We shouldn’t send ground forces. I think when you’ve ground your heel into the spilled blood of our troops through sheer fecklessness unbefitting a serious person it’s unfair to ask our troops to do it again. We couldn’t trust Obama to keep our troops there much less trust him with sending them back.
This is not only a failure of leadership. It’s a failure of an American public so rapturously involved with their own navel gazing they were beguiled into thinking they “were the ones we’ve been waiting for.” Well President “We’re the ones we’ve been waiting for”, you own it. It gives me no pleasure to say you can’t blame this one on President Bush, though the friendlies in the media will try.
