NY Times: "Obama Warns of ‘Long-Term’ Iraq Strikes" (And we're off to the races!)

[markpkessinger]

Who could have predicted it? Jesus Fucking Christ!

[font size=5]Obama Warns of ‘Long-Term’ Iraq Strikes[/font]

[font size=1]By MICHAEL D. SHEAR and TIM ARANGO AUG. 9, 2014[/font]

WASHINGTON — Laying the groundwork for an extended airstrike campaign against Sunni militants in Iraq, President Obama said Saturday that the strikes that began the day before could continue for months as the Iraqis build a new government.

“I don’t think we’re going to solve this problem in weeks,” Mr. Obama told reporters before leaving for a two-week vacation on Martha’s Vineyard. “This is going to be a long-term project.”

The president repeated his insistence that the United States would not send ground combat troops back to Iraq. But he pledged that the United States and other countries would stand with Iraqi leaders against the militants if the leaders build an inclusive government in the months ahead.

Hours before Mr. Obama spoke, Sunni militants in northern Iraq ordered engineers to return to work on the Mosul Dam, the country’s largest, suggesting that the extremists who captured the dam last week after fierce battles with Kurdish forces will use it, at least for now, to provide water and electricity to the areas they control, and not as a weapon.

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[TwilightGardener]

1. The goal is to keep them at bay until a better Iraqi government forms itself

and is better able to get Sunnis on board with resisting the nuts. Right now the less-rabid Sunnis/Baathists are letting ISIS do its thing in order to weaken the Maliki/Shiite grip on Iraq and get them out of power. Once Maliki goes (let's hope so), there's a chance for cooperation with Sunnis to get rid of ISIS. They're just using ISIS as a weapon of sorts to get their way, from what I've read. They don't want to actually live under their rule.

[markpkessinger]

6. We have been trying to control outcomes in Iraq for the last 25 years . . .

F. . . and every move we have made has made the situation worse. I think it is beyond naive to think it will be any different this time. It is not up to the U.S. to determine what the make=up of the Iraqi government should be. We may prefer a Sunni/Baathist controlled government, but Iraq is still a majority Shia country. This is fucking nuts.

[TwilightGardener]

9. I don't know that we prefer a Sunni government--I know Saudi Arabia does, of course,

and wants that as a hedge against Iran, but they've helped create a Frankenstein that is getting hard to control. I think we're just trying to get a more inclusive government that will resist Islamic terrorism in its midst. We don't and can't control it, all we can do it try to keep the worst effects of ISIS at bay (genocide, American personnel and important assets being harmed, that sort of thing) until someone, somewhere gets their shit together and drives these crazies back to Syria.

[markpkessinger]

2. "i don't think we're going to solve the problem in weeks" as opposed to what he said the other day..

... which was that "there is no military solution for Iraq." Which is it, Mr. President? And if there is no military solution, why are you ordering military action?

[TwilightGardener]

5. He's right, there is no military solution, ultimately. Our airstrikes aren't a solution,

they're not a strategy--they're a tactic. The solution is this: an Iraqi government that doesn't overly favor Shiites, Sunnis, or Kurds, and doesn't oppress/shut out any faction. The real question is whether or not they will divide up or stay together as a cohesive nation.

[markpkessinger]

12. And how does such a government come about . . .

. . . in a majority Shia country in which that Shia majority has not forgotten how it was treated the last time Baathists ruled the country? Do the people of Iraq have a right to self-determination or not? Are we going to prop up yet another government in defiance o the will of the people of Iraq/

[TwilightGardener]

14. Well, we've seen what happens when the Shia majority rules there, for the last

few years, with less and less regard and tolerance for the minority. This is what happens--the ones who feel shut out will latch on to terrorist movements, or at least tolerate them, to gain influence. They did it with Al Qaeda, they're doing it again with ISIS. This is how the Middle East as a whole seems to function, really. Just ever-nastier groups pitted against each other.

[markpkessinger]

17. If you think Shia voters will shift their allegiances over this . . .

. . . you are sadly deluded.

[TwilightGardener]

19. No, I don't think that. But this is bigger than just the groups themselves, this is Iran

vs. Saudi Arabia. It's a big, ugly, dangerous situation that needs to be cooled off or resolved regionally.

[markpkessinger]

22. No argument with you there

But you haven't demonstrated how these airstrikes will in any way address the objective of cooling things off. The Sunnis in Iraq will interpret the strikes as the U.S. continuing to prop up the Maliki government which they despise. Hard to see how that cools anything off..

[TwilightGardener]

24. The airstrikes are just to relieve the pressure on the Kurds, Yazidis, and American

personnel, for now. I don't know if we're going to just limit them to that narrow purpose, or try to set back ISIS on a larger scale.

[octoberlib]

3. This gives me a sick feeling

in the pit of my stomach.

[RKP5637]

7. Yep, we've all been through this before ... know all the symptoms .... n/t

[PowerToThePeople]

4. Obama, "Look at this great ride I've got over here." n/t

[Brigid]

8. Here we go again.

I knew it!

[woo me with science]

25. As predictable as the sunrise.

The MIC must be fed.

[markpkessinger]

10. President Obama: ever in search of a little Neocon love! n/t

[Newsjock]

11. 'Now, watch this drive.'

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014866544
Obama leaves DC for Massachusetts island vacation

[BeyondGeography]

13. Oh look, it's another Internet fainting party

over imaginary Obama as Bush scenarios.

Awesome.

[markpkessinger]

15. I didn't say Obama was Bush . . .

. . . I merely pointed out that he's taking us down the same rabbit hole. And I don't think I imagined the story in the NY Times.

[NutmegYankee]

16. We bombed Serbia in 1999 to stop a genocide, and we didn't get into a protracted conflict. nt

[markpkessinger]

18. We didn''t have the long and troubled history of military action and meddling in Serbia as om Iraq..

...nor, in 1993 did we have such a large cabal of neocons constantly pressing for greater military engagement.

[NutmegYankee]

20. I don't see Obama putting us back into a long protracted war.

I expect it will be air missions like we did under Clinton.

[conservaphobe]

21. Sounds good to me.

I have the highest confidence in this administration to do the right thing. They have an outstanding track record in foreign policy and measured use of military power.

[markpkessinger]

23. Doing more of what hasn't worked for the last 25 years and expecting a different result . . ..

. . .Hmmm, that has a familiar ring to it. Like maybe a definition of something I heard somewhere along the way.

[soryang]

27. Mission Accomplished

...to coin a phrase. we would like to thank our allies and intelligence services for paying, arming and equipping ISIL, so that our necons have another fait accompli to force further military intervention in Iraq. Of course we too were involved as this group of mercenaries, bagmen, murderers, thugs and fanatics was supposed to overthrow Syria's Assad government but it didn't work out. At least they can block any overland lines of communication from Iran and Iraq to Syria. That will help in our strategic plan to dominate the area and continue the high level of military expenditures and profits to which our war contractors have grown accustomed.

[woo me with science]

28. kick