Remember 2008? That was the year that Barack Obama told America about the "bad" war in Iraq and the "good" war in Afghanistan. Obama was elected president and "ended" the bad war. He also greatly increased the violence and casualties constituting the good war only to plan an end to that war much like the one imposed in Iraq. All wars were ending in the Obama world view as of only six months ago. In recent days, however, war is again here. This time the enemy is ISIL (or ISIS or IS), and American participation is to be through air power and non-combat troops on the ground.
This question then arises: if Iraq was a bad war and Afghanistan a good war, what sort of war is the current struggle with ISIS? So far, the best description of the fight with ISIS is "incoherent". Our war with ISIS is incoherent.
Think about it. In the space of just over a week since the war was announced in grave tones in Obama's speech to the nation, the following has happened:
1. The war became a non-war and then switched back to being a war again.
2. The international coalition turned out to be almost non-existent. Despite there being essentially no countries willing to participate in the fight, Obama is still telling us that he has formed this coalition.
3. The Syrian rebel forces whose ability to fight Obama called a fantasy not long ago are now the principal actors in the destruction of ISIS in Syria. No one has yet to explain what changed so as to result in Obama's new view.
4. America's friends and allies, the Kurds, who were the only people in Iraq to stand and fight against ISIS have been removed from all discussions of how the war will be waged. The one fighting group that could actually stand against ISIS is not only pushed to the background, but America is not even going to help arm them.
5. The greatest threat in the Middle East to the peace of the world and to America, namely Iran, has been approached by Obama to join in a coalition to fight ISIS. There is no word yet on just how Iran would be removed from Iraq if its troops were to enter as part of coalition forces.
6. The idea that the composition of the Iraqi government is important continues in the thinking of the Obama White House. This is the same Iraqi government that controls basically Baghdad and some of its suburbs only. When the Iraqi army collapsed, so too did the authority of the Iraqi government. Despite that, Obama continues to treat that government as if it has real power.
7. Obama has announced that ISIS is neither Islamic nor a state. One has to wonder what Obama will come up with next. Will we learn that Israel is not Jewish or that the Vatican is not Catholic?
8. Obama announced that there would be no boots on the ground, and then he sent hundreds more troops to Iraq, bringing the total to nearly 2000.
In short, there seems to be no coherent strategy, no organizing principle to this war against ISIS. Indeed, it seems that Obama has abandoned his old mantra of "don't do stupid stuff" and has adopted a new one: "Do stupid stuff!"
This question then arises: if Iraq was a bad war and Afghanistan a good war, what sort of war is the current struggle with ISIS? So far, the best description of the fight with ISIS is "incoherent". Our war with ISIS is incoherent.
Think about it. In the space of just over a week since the war was announced in grave tones in Obama's speech to the nation, the following has happened:
1. The war became a non-war and then switched back to being a war again.
2. The international coalition turned out to be almost non-existent. Despite there being essentially no countries willing to participate in the fight, Obama is still telling us that he has formed this coalition.
3. The Syrian rebel forces whose ability to fight Obama called a fantasy not long ago are now the principal actors in the destruction of ISIS in Syria. No one has yet to explain what changed so as to result in Obama's new view.
4. America's friends and allies, the Kurds, who were the only people in Iraq to stand and fight against ISIS have been removed from all discussions of how the war will be waged. The one fighting group that could actually stand against ISIS is not only pushed to the background, but America is not even going to help arm them.
5. The greatest threat in the Middle East to the peace of the world and to America, namely Iran, has been approached by Obama to join in a coalition to fight ISIS. There is no word yet on just how Iran would be removed from Iraq if its troops were to enter as part of coalition forces.
6. The idea that the composition of the Iraqi government is important continues in the thinking of the Obama White House. This is the same Iraqi government that controls basically Baghdad and some of its suburbs only. When the Iraqi army collapsed, so too did the authority of the Iraqi government. Despite that, Obama continues to treat that government as if it has real power.
7. Obama has announced that ISIS is neither Islamic nor a state. One has to wonder what Obama will come up with next. Will we learn that Israel is not Jewish or that the Vatican is not Catholic?
8. Obama announced that there would be no boots on the ground, and then he sent hundreds more troops to Iraq, bringing the total to nearly 2000.
In short, there seems to be no coherent strategy, no organizing principle to this war against ISIS. Indeed, it seems that Obama has abandoned his old mantra of "don't do stupid stuff" and has adopted a new one: "Do stupid stuff!"
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