March 25, 2015

"American warplanes began airstrikes against Islamic State positions in Tikrit late Wednesday..."

"... entering a struggling Iraqi offensive to retake the city for the first time after more than three weeks of remaining on the sidelines."
Even as some Iraqi security officials began worrying about the absence of airstrikes, Hadi al-Ameri, the prominent leader of the group of Shiite militias known here as popular mobilization committees, criticized any outreach toward the United States.

“Some of the weaklings in the army say that we need the Americans, but we say we do not need the Americans,” Mr. Ameri said.

50 comments:

Simon said...

It is, of course, too little; only time will tell whether it is also too late.

jr565 said...

And if we hadn't pulled out too soon we wouldn't have needed air strikes at all. Because ISIS wouldn't have dared invade.

Michael K said...

We've got to help the Iranians or they might ask for their 2012 contributions to OFA back.

Tank said...

I forget which side I'm supposed to be rooting for.

Michael Fitzgerald said...

Kill them all, let Allah sort it out.

Mountain Maven said...

Who are we bombing, the good guys or the bad guys, the Iraqis, ISIS, or the Iranians, the shia or the sunni, the persians or the arabs?

Maybe we should bomb anything military looking without further discrimination.

Maybe we should take our air groups home and let them sort it out themselves. Iran-Iraq War II

justlinkpicking said...

Obviously Ameri can fight ISIS all by himself.

Michael K said...

In General Hackett's book, "The Third World War," the original (losing) version was told in the last chapter by news bulletins from places that kept retreating to London. The present Iran war ending will be told by news bulletins from Yemen, then Riyadh and then from Italy as the oil runs out and the European civilization collapses. Italy is closest to Africa and al Qeada.

Yemen is gone. Saudi will be next.

Obama won't even meet with the NATO Sec General. Here we go, right on time for August 1914.

Steve M. Galbraith said...

So, US airplanes are providing cover for Iranian Qods forces.

Again, Iranian forces.

Swell.

But remember, those 47 Senators who wrote a letter were traitors because they provided aid and comfort to Iran.

Apparently providing aircraft for their ground troops is not giving aid and comfort to them.

Neither one is treason but if you say the first is then you sure as hell better say the second it soo.

n.n said...

Because of Obama's premature evacuation, Planned Terrorism is now needed to remove unwanted terrorists. Planned Parenthood can ride shotgun and use their human rights-approved "methods" to extract confessions from selected clumps of cells... I mean carbon emitters.

Sebastian said...

This must be what Joe Biden meant when he said in 2010 that Iraq would go down in history as one of the administration's great achievements.

holdfast said...

If Obama's mission was to aid Iran and harm the USA, while still maintaining cover as a "loyal" American, what, if anything, would he be doing differently? Anything?

Meanwhile, Spokesliar Josh Earnest, clearly high on crack, maintains that Yemen is an example of a successful counter-terrorism strategy.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/03/25/abcs_karl_hammers_whs_earnest_astounding_that_you_still_see_yemen_as_model_for_success_despite_chaos.html

Drago said...

Meanwhile, obama's fantastic success story in Yemen has resulted in the gov't we "support" dissolving, fleeing the country and the Iranians going full bore in support of the rebels.

Nothing to see here folks.

So now would be a great time to lock in a deal to give the Iranians a nuke.

'cuz Netanyahu and the jooos suck.

Drago said...

holdfast beat me to it.

But this story is simply astonishing and, per usual, the media has very little to say about it.

No doubt Candy Crowley will be out with a story shortly that the dems never claimed Yemen to be the very model of what a "successful" counter-insurgency looks like.

holdfast said...

Since Yemen is really kind of useless - not even oil - maybe we can get ISIS and the Houthis into full-on brawl and then just carpet bomb them all?

Yeah, right - not with this Administration - which is busy with much weightier defence matters:

US Officials: Military Worries About Easing Transgender Ban


WASHINGTON — Mar 25, 2015, 2:02 PM ET

By LOLITA C. BALDOR Associated Press

U.S. military leaders have expressed reservations about any move to lift the Pentagon's ban on transgender people serving in the armed forces, an issue since Defense Secretary Ash Carter's suggestion that he is open to the idea, officials say.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/ap-sources-concerns-easing-transgender-ban-military-29887691

YoungHegelian said...

"Some of the weaklings in the army say that we need the Americans, but we say we do not need the Americans,” Mr. Ameri said.

If I was a soldier in the Shi'ite militia & knew of Iran's penchant to be profligate with the lives of its troops, I'd be thinking, if not saying, "yeah, Ameri, we don't need no stinkin' Uhmericans, so you & your sons first over the top, motherfucker!"



Lem the artificially intelligent said...

I first read that as "American warplanes began airstrikes against Islamic State prisons..."

Islamic State "Positions" just don't register.

William said...

I always thought Obama was a Sunni. This is a surprising development. Perhaps he is the hidden iman that the Shiites have been waiting for these long many years......I don't know if this is the proper way to quantify success or failure, but it seems to me that there are more refugees and dead bodies in the Middle East now than when Obama took office. Of course, those dead bodies are not, for the most part, attributable to American actions so they don't really count, Arab lives matter but only when they're done in by Americans or Israelis.

Sebastian said...

"Military Worries About Easing Transgender Ban"

Must be some deep Barry plan to scare the Muzzies.

How about sending the Chaz Bono brigade to clean up Yemen?

Freder Frederson said...



It is, of course, too little; only time will tell whether it is also too late.

And what, exactly have you contributed to the effort. I bet you are too damn cheap to have even bought a ribbon car magnet.

Anonymous said...

The US military at the behest of our C-in-C fights for the "Death to America!" monsters.

Can we find him unfit for office yet?

Exactly what would it take for those who voted for him a second time to think so? Or do they all just want Death to America too?

I weep for my children and the world into which they will have to live as adults.

Anthony said...

Glad to see that Congress finally passed authorization for action. Oh wait . . .

Fen said...

Freder: "And what, exactly have you contributed to the effort. I bet you are too damn cheap to have even bought a ribbon car magnet."

Sit down and shut up Freder. By the rules of your own "chickenhawk" fallacy, if you haven't served you can't support or criticize the war effort. Or those who have served.

So sit down and shut up while your betters talk. In fact, how about you run into the kitchen and makes us a sammich.

JAORE said...

Iraq is a success, Yemmen is a success, Libya is a success, the Iranian nuke talks are a success because OBAMA.

To think otherwise is racist.

Trashhauler said...

Depending on the target and presuming the use of some terminally-guided munition, the bomb release point can be anywhere between 8,000 feet and 15,000 feet. A floor of 8,000 feet keeps you out of most ground fire.

But we don't drop bombs indiscriminately, anymore. And it's taken some time to get enough friendlies in the area to ID the targets. Now, there are probably few Iraqi militia trained to do such spotting. But they can certainly cover a few outsiders who can do that sort of work. No mention of feet on the ground need be made.

Paul said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Paul said...

All I see is nickel-and-dimeing... Or million-and-billioning depending on how you look at it.

Little here, little there but never enough to be decisive nor timely.

Obama is going to fuckup the whole Middle East and alot of innocent people are going to be killed as a result.

Achilles said...

Freder Frederson said...


"It is, of course, too little; only time will tell whether it is also too late.

And what, exactly have you contributed to the effort. I bet you are too damn cheap to have even bought a ribbon car magnet."

I was deployed there. Got the t shirt.

IF you supported Obama pulling out early and losing everything we fought for on purpose you are a piece of shit. I would ask that you move to any other country we didn't serve to protect.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Obama deserves a Nobel prize for this decisive, peace-keeping action. No, TWO Nobel prizes. And give his wife one as well.

Robert Cook said...

"IF you supported Obama pulling out early and losing everything we fought for on purpose you are a piece of shit. I would ask that you move to any other country we didn't serve to protect."

Sorry, Achilles; we protected no one and nothing except the American rulers and their imperialistic agenda. Our presence in Iraq was illegal from the start, and, rather than leaving prematurely--actually, we were asked to get out by the Iraqis when we wouldn't agree to their requirements for our continuing presence there--we left way too late...like 8 years too late.

gerry said...

And if we hadn't pulled out too soon we wouldn't have needed air strikes at all.

But...Nobel Peace Prize!

gerry said...

Obama is going to fuckup the whole Middle East and alot of innocent people are going to be killed as a result.

See Michael K's post at 7:17 P.M.

I'll repeat his hyperlink here: "Saudi will be next."

jr565 said...

Gerry wrote:
But...Nobel Peace Prize!

if this is peace then who needs war?
Seriously, have the left never heard of peace through strength?
It's almost an axiom that if we adopt liberals view of peace that there will be more wars.
Speak softly but Carry a big stick. Sometimes speak loudly and also carry a big stick. But always carry the big stick and if the loud words don't work, sometimes you swing the stick too.
For the left they want us to be silent and are giving the stick to our enemies, and they swing it with impunity.

holdfast said...

"I'll repeat his hyperlink here: "Saudi will be next."

Well, that will perk up oil prices at least.

jr565 said...

Robert cook wrote:
"Sorry, Achilles; we protected no one and nothing except the American rulers and their imperialistic agenda. Our presence in Iraq was illegal from the start, and, rather than leaving prematurely--actually, we were asked to get out by the Iraqis when we wouldn't agree to their requirements for our continuing presence there--we left way too late...like 8 years too late."

anything that occured in Iraq after we pulled out is on you pal.

Brando said...

Nobel Peace Prizewinners work in mysterious ways.

gerry said...

we protected no one and nothing except the American rulers and their imperialistic agenda.

KILL THE CLASS TRAITORS!

gerry said...

we protected no one and nothing except the American rulers and their imperialistic agenda.

Robert Cook, you really do kind of suck.

Robert Cook said...

Gerry,

If we had not invaded Afghanistan and Iraq, (and, through proxy by drones, the several other countries in the region on whom we are visiting violence), the explosion of chaotic violence in the region probably would not have happened, at least, not in the way or to the degree that it has. We have destabilized the region and are providing the incentive for terrorist recruitment, by those infuriated at our ongoing killing in their lands.

We blew open Pandora's Box when we set upon our completely wrong-headed response to 9/11.

Robert Cook said...

In fact, our sponsorship of terrorism--resulting in blowback for us--goes back beyond our response to 9/11.

Simon said...

Meanwhile, here's what our next secretary of state has to say about things.

HipsterVacuum said...

I thought the "violence we visited on" Afghanistan was the good war. But apparently WE caused it to break down into chaos. I do wish to learn more from the resident expert on Afghanistan and subscribe to his newsletter.

HipsterVacuum said...

"I was deployed there. Got the t shirt."

Awesome burn.

Robert Cook said...

"I thought the 'violence we visited on' Afghanistan was the good war."

No, it was not, despite what the Pentagon's and Wall Street's lackey in the White House may say.

HipsterVacuum said...

Many living there might differ in their opinion, many of whom are not looking at the withdraw of NATO forces with pleasure. Opinions vary there as much as anywhere else.

MAJMike said...

Rather wish both sides would lose.

Mountain Maven said...

Obama is a Shi'ite sympathizer. He has given Iraq to Iran. Letting Iran build the bomb
And I'll bet all those Islamists he blew up with drones were Sunnis

President-Mom-Jeans said...

It cannot be said enough.

Go fuck yourself Robert Cook. I curse the filthy whore that birthed you.

Robert Cook said...

Mmmm...President-Mom-Jeans is allergic to the truth, as evidenced by the Tourette's-like outburst above.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Mmmm...Robert Cook is a communist, as evidenced by the use of "lackey" above, which no one but a communist ever uses.