A year after ISIS took control of Mosul and 18 months after dismissing it as “jayvee,” President Obama still does not have a “complete strategy,” and he is blaming it on the Iraqis and the Pentagon. Speaking at a press conference in Austria at the G7 meetings:
Obama under fire for saying no ‘complete strategy’ yet for training Iraqis
Published June 08, 2015 - FoxNews.com
Obama points finger at Pentagon for incomplete ISIS strategy
President Obama took heat Monday for admitting he doesn't yet have a "complete strategy" in hand for training Iraqis to fight the Islamic State -- months into the coordinated campaign to defeat the deadly terrorist network.
"When a finalized plan is presented to me by the Pentagon, then I will share it with the American people," Obama said, adding, "We don't yet have a complete strategy."
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said in a statement: "It is no surprise this administration does not have a 'complete strategy' for training Iraqis to fight ISIS. What is surprising is that the president admitted it."
The president addressed the ISIS fight during a press conference on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Germany. He appeared to be speaking specifically to a new strategy for accelerating the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces. "We're reviewing a range of plans for how we might do that," Obama said.
A U.S. official afterward stressed to Fox News that Obama was indeed talking only about optimizing that train-and-equip mission, "including integration of Sunni fighters," and not "overall strategy." State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke also said Obama was not speaking to overall strategy.
But the comments nevertheless fueled critics' concerns about the direction of the U.S. mission, particularly on the heels of ISIS gains in Ramadi, and the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria.
Obama says US reviewing range of options for training Iraqis
Obama meets with Iraqi PM to discuss ISIS strategy
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., tweeted: "Pres Obama admits: 'We don't yet have a complete strategy' to combat #ISIS"
Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Short cited a similar comment Obama made 10 months ago, saying in a statement, "the fact he still doesn't have a final plan for the deteriorating situation in Iraq is unacceptable."
A military official also took issue with Obama's claim that he was waiting for options from the Pentagon. "What the f--- was that? We have given him lots of options, he just hasn't acted on them," the official told Fox News.
Obama, similarly, said last August that the U.S. did not "have a strategy yet" for confronting ISIS in Syria. The administration later approved airstrikes in Syria.
Underscoring the work to be done training Iraqi forces, a Pentagon official told Fox News that zero soldiers are being trained at the al-Asad Air Base in Anbar -- the province where ISIS seized the city of Ramadi last month.
However, the Pentagon says 2,598 are in training at other locations in Iraq. And 8,920 Iraqi soldiers have been trained to date by the U.S. military.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren backed up the president on his assertion he was still awaiting a "finalized plan" from the Pentagon. He said Defense Secretary Ash Carter has assembled a group of "experts" to develop courses of action to "increase support" to Iraqi forces. Warren would not give a timeline on when this "finalized plan" would be presented to the White House.
A separate defense official told Fox News that any potential increases in the size of the U.S. military presence would likely be in the "train-and-equip" mission and not tactical air controllers to call in close air support against ISIS forces by U.S. aircraft flying overhead.
Echoing the president, the official said, "the problem is the number of recruits" that the U.S. military can train. "We are sending weapons as quickly as we can to Iraq, I don't think we can send anymore," he said.
Obama put some of the responsibility on the Iraqis themselves, urging them to be more inclusive. Speaking Monday, shortly after meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Obama said a "big part" of the solution is "outreach to Sunni tribes."
"We've seen Sunni tribes who are not only willing and prepared to fight ISIL, but have been successful at rebuffing ISIL. But it has not been happening as fast as it needs to," he said. "And so, one of the efforts that I'm hoping to see out of Prime Minister Abadi and the Iraqi legislature when they're in session is to move forward on a national guard law that would help to devolve some of the security efforts in places like Anbar to local folks and to get those Sunni tribes involved more rapidly."
http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/08/politics/obama-abadi-iraq-germany-g7/index.html
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2015/06/obama_admits_still_no_complete_strategy_for_isis.html
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-isis-fight-complete-strategy/story?id=31606260
http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/obama-no-isil-strategy-118743.html
Cut him a little slack. He's busy dealing with global warming, social justice, and spreading wealth around. What's the hurry?
What part of the statement about awaiting for a final plan from the Pentagon did you two geniuses not understand?
Mission Accomplished.
Cut him a little slack. He's busy dealing with global warming, social justice, and spreading wealth around. What's the hurry?
It's OK if there are things that are above your level of comprehension.
How dare he not jump into a war until a strategy is complete? What a loser. Did he not learn anything from Bush - attack first and then figure out a strategy later!
What part of the statement about awaiting for a final plan from the Pentagon did you two geniuses not understand?
Two effing years in? Obama would just as soon wait another two. Run the clock out and hand it over to the next President. That's not leadership.
Waiting for a plan from the Pentagon? What a joke. He's likely to blow off anything they tell him anyway. Typical Obama, there's always someone else to blame.
[Edited on 6/10/2015 by alloak41]
Okay lets see Bush #1 when Iraq invaded Kuwait. he went fishing up in maine and wasn't worried he was on "VACATION". I Bush # 2 in the summer of 2001 him and chenyey were too busy. trying to cover Enron and their cronies and the cheney secret oil barron meeting at which was never made public. So what did Obama inherit? A big FUCKING MESS! The pachiderm party is nothing but a bunch of spoiled belly aching brats.
Swerve and deflect over to something about Bush. Usually the first indication the Obama fans have no good answer.
Obama has no intention of “degrade and destroy” ISIS.
He is doing the least possible and trying to run out the clock while ISIS and Al Qaeda continue to grow in numbers, strength and land.
Obama’s War on ISIS: 3 out of 4 US Warplanes Return to Base With Bombs
Posted on 6/4/2015, 9:40:50 AM
In September 2014 Obama announced his War on ISIS.
“Our objective is clear. We will degrade and destroy ISIS.”
But eight months later we now learn that 3 out of 4 US warplanes return back to base with their bombs. Richard Miniter at Forbes reported:
Three out of every four times that Obama dispatches American warplanes over Iraq, they return to base without dropping any bombs or firing any missiles.
“Seventy-five percent of the sorties that we’re currently running with our attack aircraft come back without dropping bombs, mostly because they cannot acquire the target or properly identify the target,” said U.S. Army General (ret) Jack Keane in testimony before the U.S. Senate last week.
On the few occasions a target is identified, the pilots must request authorization to drop their load or fire a missile. Theater command must request consent from the Pentagon which have to get approval from the White House which rarely is given or takes too long to make a decision.
That’s why White House and Pentagon briefers usually talk about the number of sorties, not the number of air strikes. The number of missions flown is four times larger than the number of bombing runs.
What part of the statement about awaiting for a final plan from the Pentagon did you two geniuses not understand?
___________________________________________________________________
The Pentagon has submitted numerous plans and they have been repeatedly rejected by Obama and his handlers.
Why do you think Obama is now on his 4th SECDEF in 6 years?
Why do you think Obama has lost 17 Generals in his tenure either by resignation or firing?
Moral at The Pentagon and amongst the troops is at its lowest since the Vietnam war.
Obama has virtually no respect in the military. That is not a good thing for a President nor the nation.
What part of the statement about awaiting for a final plan from the Pentagon did you two geniuses not understand?
___________________________________________________________________
The Pentagon has submitted numerous plans and they have been repeatedly rejected by Obama and his handlers.
Why do you think Obama is now on his 4th SECDEF in 6 years?
Why do you think Obama has lost 17 Generals in his tenure either by resignation or firing?Moral at The Pentagon and amongst the troops is at its lowest since the Vietnam war.
Obama has virtually no respect in the military. That is not a good thing for a President nor the nation.
Show us some links to those "plans". Otherwise, shut up, you're clueless.
What part of the statement about awaiting for a final plan from the Pentagon did you two geniuses not understand?
Two effing years in? Obama would just as soon wait another two. Run the clock out and hand it over to the next President. That's not leadership.
That's funny. Isn't that what Bush did with his two wars? Let's see, yeah, you blamed that on Obama, 😛
Swerve and deflect over to something about Bush. Usually the first indication the Obama fans have no good answer.
We can tell when you have no answer. It is evident a couple of times in this thread. 😛
Waiting for a plan from the Pentagon? What a joke. He's likely to blow off anything they tell him anyway. Typical Obama, there's always someone else to blame.
[Edited on 6/10/2015 by alloak41]
Where is your evidence of that? Oh yeah, you have no answer so just make a idiotic statement.
His track record.
What part of the statement about awaiting for a final plan from the Pentagon did you two geniuses not understand?
Translation: Valerie Jarrett doesn't have a plan yet. She needs more time.
What part of the statement about awaiting for a final plan from the Pentagon did you two geniuses not understand?
Translation: Valerie Jarrett doesn't have a plan yet. She needs more time.
________________________________________________________________
Don't forget Susan Rice... or as the Pentagon refers to her: General Rice.
Obama’s own Sr. State Dept. staffer says ISIS plan will not work:
Amb. Burns: Current US strategy 'cannot defeat ISIS'
Jun. 09, 2015 - 4:33 - Troubling assessment from former State Department undersecretary and current member of Secretary Kerry's Foreign Affairs Policy Board
What part of the statement about awaiting for a final plan from the Pentagon did you two geniuses not understand?
___________________________________________________________________
The Pentagon has submitted numerous plans and they have been repeatedly rejected by Obama and his handlers.
Why do you think Obama is now on his 4th SECDEF in 6 years?
Why do you think Obama has lost 17 Generals in his tenure either by resignation or firing?Moral at The Pentagon and amongst the troops is at its lowest since the Vietnam war.
Obama has virtually no respect in the military. That is not a good thing for a President nor the nation.
Show us some links to those "plans". Otherwise, shut up, you're clueless.
_________________________________________________________________________
Information research is a basic skill which most teenagers have mastered.
People who gather their “information” by internet link are the very definition of the low-information voter.
Interestingly almost every news outlet in the world is reporting this humiliating admission by Obama.
Three out of every four times that Obama dispatches American warplanes over Iraq, they return to base without dropping any bombs or firing any missiles.
“Seventy-five percent of the sorties that we’re currently running with our attack aircraft come back without dropping bombs, mostly because they cannot acquire the target or properly identify the target,” said U.S. Army General (ret) Jack Keane in testimony before the U.S. Senate last week.
Damn that Obama!!!! There is absolutely no excuse for not dropping a bomb or firing a missile if you can't find your target. If Obama doesn't start wasting bombs and misses soon, all hope will be lost of him catching up on the wreck less spending of the previous Republican administrations.
we have been training the iraqui army for 10 years. how much more training will help these cowards. for whatever reason, they dissolve in the combat situation and flee. the only hope is the kurds who seem to be effective at pushing back isis. illegal immigrants kill more americans than issis yet we are in complete denial over whats happening in our own backyard.
we have been training the iraqui army for 10 years. how much more training will help these cowards. for whatever reason, they dissolve in the combat situation and flee. the only hope is the kurds who seem to be effective at pushing back isis. illegal immigrants kill more americans than issis yet we are in complete denial over whats happening in our own backyard.
We agree on something for once OG.
The idea that the Iraqi's Army will suddenly become some effective fighting force with more training is absurd. The only motivation they seem to have is to survive and have no stomach to fight a war they did not start.
This is Vietnam all over again where we "liberated" the South Vietnamese and tried to jam democracy down their throats. We trained the ARVN, gave them the best equipment, and the same thing happened then where they did not have the motivation fight and just wanted to go back to their regular lives.
I love this country but we continue to make the same mistakes over and over with regards to our foreign policy. We think we can just go into a country, dispose the local government we don't like, and expect the people there to just embrace Western Democracy and fight to defend their new found freedom.
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." (George Santayana)
And for those here who are blaming Obama for Isis what exactly do you think he should do? put more U.S. boots on the ground? Do you really think this will solve the problem? Do you think some temporary military victories is going to eliminate Isis?
How did that work in Afghanistan with the Taliban? We supposedly "defeated" them in 2001 as well and they are still there fighting us after 14 years.
Without support and resolve from the locals and other Arab countries we will never defeat or control Isis as this is a guerilla group without a country. U.S. troops on the ground is not the answer as it is just a temporary band aid. We can't stay there forever so unless the Saudi's and other Arabs nations take the offensive to police their region Isis will never be defeated or even contained.
[Edited on 6/10/2015 by Bill_Graham]
How dare he not jump into a war until a strategy is complete? What a loser. Did he not learn anything from Bush - attack first and then figure out a strategy later!
He's been in the war for over a year already. And how long does it take to complete a strategy? He has no strategy because his aims are incompatible with the means hes willing to use but he won't admit it so he simply passes the blame to others. It's disgraceful and more disgraceful how his die hards continue to defend this naked emperor.
How dare he not jump into a war until a strategy is complete? What a loser. Did he not learn anything from Bush - attack first and then figure out a strategy later!
He's been in the war for over a year already. And how long does it take to complete a strategy? He has no strategy because his aims are incompatible with the means hes willing to use but he won't admit it so he simply passes the blame to others. It's disgraceful and more disgraceful how his die hards continue to defend this naked emperor.
So what exactly do you propose he do Doug? Other than putting boots on the ground again what creative strategy is going to defeat this enemy that really will never be defeated by America?
We created this trainwreck when we deposed Saddam and destabilized the whole region
Do you actually believe the U.S. can solve the ISIS threat? IMHO this is now unfortunately an Arab problem now and the only ones who have a chance to control this is the Arab nations we screwed by creating this mess.
[Edited on 6/10/2015 by Bill_Graham]
What part of the statement about awaiting for a final plan from the Pentagon did you two geniuses not understand?
___________________________________________________________________
The Pentagon has submitted numerous plans and they have been repeatedly rejected by Obama and his handlers.
Why do you think Obama is now on his 4th SECDEF in 6 years?
Why do you think Obama has lost 17 Generals in his tenure either by resignation or firing?Moral at The Pentagon and amongst the troops is at its lowest since the Vietnam war.
Obama has virtually no respect in the military. That is not a good thing for a President nor the nation.
Show us some links to those "plans". Otherwise, shut up, you're clueless.
_________________________________________________________________________
Information research is a basic skill which most teenagers have mastered.
People who gather their “information” by internet link are the very definition of the low-information voter.Interestingly almost every news outlet in the world is reporting this humiliating admission by Obama.
I looked. There is no information on that anywhere. I guess you haven't mastered the art of research. Or, you are a liar. Take your pick. 😛
Obama blames The Pentagon for lack of a plan. Obama lies yet again:
Testifying before Congress today General Michael Flynn, Obama’s former DIA chief was “stunned” by Obama’s admission of a lack of a plan.
He stated that there have been a number of plans presented to Obama and each has been rejected.
Gen. Flynn, very close to the E-Ring at The Pentagon confirmed the frustration and low morale.
One of the most telling embarrassments was The BBC anchor, after playing the tape of Obama’s admission, said “I cannot believe The American President actually admitted that on International Television”
.
Obama blames The Pentagon for lack of a plan. Obama lies yet again:
Testifying before Congress today General Michael Flynn, Obama’s former DIA chief was “stunned” by Obama’s admission of a lack of a plan.
He stated that there have been a number of plans presented to Obama and each has been rejected.
Gen. Flynn, very close to the E-Ring at The Pentagon confirmed the frustration and low morale.
Let's look at what Flynn suggests.
One is retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn, the former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under Mr. Obama. Mr. Flynn is urging a much more aggressive approach to the Islamic State and jihadis worldwide.
“Unless the United States takes dramatically more action than we have done so far in Iraq, the fractious, largely Shiite-composed units that make up the Iraqi army are not likely to be able, by themselves, to overwhelm a Sunni stronghold like Mosul, even though they outnumber the enemy by ten to one,” he wrote in Politico. “The United States must be prepared to provide far more combat capabilities and enablers such as command and control, intelligence, logistics and fire support, to name just a few things.”
Globally, he said, “We must engage the violent Islamists wherever they are, drive them from their safe havens and kill them. There can be no quarter and no accommodation.”
Do the American people want to just invade Iraq again? Didn't we try that once already? The Iraqi army outnumbers ISIS in Iraq, but they don't have the courage to fight them. Are you suggesting that we save this country from... whatever again? The Middle East created these groups. Let the Middle East destroy them.
BTW, Flynn testified before Congress in January. You tried to make it look ike is was today. And, Flynn has been out of the DIA since August. Which brings me to this.
The following is an exit interview with James Kittfield of Breaking Defense. Nowhwere does he mention ISIS as being a major problem, probably because when he left the DIA, ISIS was just starting to be seen on the terrorist act.
Meanwhile, your uncredited comment was from an opinion piece on Fox that took much of what Flynn said out of context. Basically, Flynn has a more of a problem with the intelligence community that he does with Obama.
I know, research is very very Difficult for you. 😛
