The Ally No One Wants in War Against ISIS: The Jews

[King_David]

In last week’s speech, President Barack Obama said, “American military power is unmatched, but this can’t be America’s fight alone.” Good enough. And so, a very large group of nations has emerged over the past month or so, to support—in varying degrees of energy and enthusiasm—the American new effort to bring civilization to Mesopotamia.

The list includes many nations who, when you look into it, are listed for doing next to nothing. Which was the case with Bush II as well. One country which is eager to help and able to do a lot, will never be mentioned: the Jewish State.

“The truth is, Israel would love to be in the coalition,” Paul Pillar, a former U.S. national-intelligence officer for the Middle East, told the Voice of America, adding, “And that would strengthen even more, if it could be done overtly, their argument that they are a strategic asset to the United States,” he said.

But it’s never going to happen, that overt thing. Because, in the end, most of America’s allies would walk away if Israel were on board officially.



http://jewishbusinessnews.com/2014/09/21/the-ally-no-one-wants-in-war-against-isis-the-jews/

[The Magistrate]

1. A Point To Remember, Sir

When people trot out the claim Israel is maintained by the U.S. as a proxy for domination of the Near East. There was something to this back in the mature phase of the Cold War, when Israel counted as, more or less, an armor corps and tactical air group positioned to prevent any overt Soviet incursion into the region, but that was a long time ago. The fact is that now, and for some years previous, Israel has not been much use at all to any U.S. policy aimed at access to and control of the Middle East. If anything, alliance with Israel has been detrimental to U.S. goals in the region, or at the very least, a complicating factor in pursuing U.S. goals....

[King_David]

2. But they could really help in the war against ISIS

As opposed to the "help" given by the list of other nations who are officially "helping".

[The Magistrate]

3. It Is Trickier Than That, Sir

I agree that, viewed in purely military terms, Israel could be of great use. But in political terms, Israeli military action would be disastrous. Even in conventional war, there is a sizable political component, which cannot be ignored safely. In wars of revolution, of ideology, the political element is much greater, and generally is of more importance than the purely military.

Nothing would establish I.S.I.L. more firmly, make it more popular, than for it to be directly and openly assailed by the Israeli armed forces. Governments in Moslem countries aligned with the U.S. against I.S.I.L., even if all they were doing was providing diplomatic cover and the most token military actions, would face popular disorder and violence domestically, which could well rise to the level of revolution or military coup.

Recall the days of the Gulf War in the nineties, when the best contribution Israel could make was to accept missile volleys without military retaliation. Israel's military strength is, to the United States, at least, largely useless as an instrument of policy in the region.

[bemildred]

4. I've been waiting to see if they provoke something, ISIS.

Behead a few Israelis or something to get Israel involved too, like they did with the USA. A real free-for-all.

Allow me to concur with your comments in this thread. Our biggest error, after 9/11, was making it a war, making al Qaeda our enemy, thereby giving them standing, legitimacy, and publicity they would not have otherwise enjoyed. And it seems to me we are doing much the same thing for ISIS now. But things got out of hand, I suppose, and as usual expediency rules the day.

[NaturalHigh]

5. I was thinking the same thing.

That's a nightmare scenario in so many ways.

[bemildred]

9. I expect it to happen, if ISIS goes on long enough, and I expect they will last. nt

[oberliner]

6. They did behead an Israeli

One doesn't count as a provocation?

[bemildred]

8. Well, it's hard to tell who one is talking about here. However ...

There have been a number of provocations at the Golan border, but not a real organized campaign to antagonize and provoke Bibi, which is what you would do, how you would go about it, make it a personal dick-waving contest with Bibi, Lieberman, Bennett, and the fire-breathers. Mostly there have been shots fired back and forth. Some nameless jihadi group will shoot some mortars into the Golan and the IDF will fire some tank shells at Syrian gov't positions to tell Assad it's all his fault.

[King_David]

10. U.S. journalist beheaded by ISIS was Israeli citizen, Foreign Ministry says

http://www.haaretz.com/mobile/1.613849

[bemildred]

11. Yes, David. nt

[oberliner]

12. Why is it hard to tell?

Wasn't it widely reported that the late Mr. Sotloff was a dual US/Israeli citizen?

[bemildred]

13. It is hard to tell who is shooting at the Golan, or what their intentions are?

Various groups fighting back and forth for the crossing point and so on?

Edit: Nobody, including Bibi, wants to get involved in Syria, it's going to take more than one. Even with the USA it took more than one.

Edit: and ISIS, near as I can tell, is not on the Golan border.

[King_David]

7. Yes, I can't argue with anything you have written there nt

[Mosby]

14. they are helping behind the scenes in a really big way

By providing targeting and follow up data to the coalition that is coming from their satellites.

[bemildred]

15. I figured they were helping the Kurds. They go way back.

Edit: and come to think of it, I'll bet pissing off Erdogan sounds good too.