President Obama today acknowledged ISIL jihadists in Iraq and Syria, whom he once derided as “the JV team,” present a serious terrorist threat to the United States, asserting that an extended counterterrorism operation against them is underway but not offering details on how it will be carried out.
Obama, who spoke at the White House today before departing for a two-week vacation to Martha’s Vineyard – to be interrupted at midpoint by a brief return to the White House – continued to be vague on the U.S. military commitment to Iraq, refusing to put a timetable on it. Other than declaring there would be no involvement of U.S. combat troops – even though some are currently in the country – and invoking the “leading from behind” doctrine with the assertion that Iraqis must ultimately solve the problem, it’s not quite clear what Obama is going to do.
Obama pointedly tried to suggest that he’s been on the terrorism case, which he DIDNT’ EVEN MENTION in his address to the nation on Iraq Thursday night, for a long time:
My team has been vigilant, even before ISIL went into Mosul, about foreign fighters and jihadists gathering in Syria, and now in Iraq, who might potentially launch attacks outside the region against Western targets and U.S. targets. So there’s going to be a counterterrorism element that we are already preparing for and have been working diligently on for a long time now.
Okay, so what does that mean? Special forces? A supply of virgins to make heaven less attractive?
Obama had previously suggested that the main thrust of U.S. military intervention would be to help refugees stranded on a mountain and protect Americans in the Kurdish capital of Irbil.
But today, in a possible sign of lightening-fast mission creep, he spoke not only of counterterrorism, but of seeking to prevent ISIL from destroying the country’s infrastructure and wanting to “bolster” the Iraqi government and “preserve a space” for them while they sought to get their act together.
We can assist and our military obviously can play an extraordinarily important role in bolstering efforts of an Iraqi partner as they make the right steps to keep their country together, but we can’t do it for them . . .
We have to make sure that ISIL is not engaging in the actions that could cripple a country permanently. There’s key infrastructure inside of Iraq that we have to be concerned about.
So we now have an vague, open-ended military commitment to Iraq. Even after Obama won reelection just 21 months ago on an “I ended the war” platform.”
The president apparently thinks that bombing people is not an act of war. That using the air power alone isn’t a serious military commitment. It’s about like saying cavalry charges were wars between horses.
Obama does not want to admit he’s back in Iraq, right where Bush was. The level of self-deception is frightening. But he is in fact a president at war in Iraq again; he’s has taken on ISIL, and he’d better win.
21 thoughts on “Obama: We’re Now Fighting Terrorism in Iraq Too”
Face it–we’re back in. Send troops to protect advisors, then troops to protect those troops, blah blah….Terrorists coming here any sec…the usual scare. Maybe some of those kids are terrorists–our kids… The kids on the mts aren’t “ours”–what? They are? OK, they are all our kids. Status of forces…OMG! Val, Val–you need to get a grip.
There are no words.
What government in Iraq? Which part of Iraq? Which side is he on?
His words today made no sense at all…did he have a point in even being in front of a camera?
All I got out of it was that he previous administration left a mess…again…Blame Bush.
Yes, George Bush…..we do really miss you.
If he was aware of ISIL when they were gathering in Syria and did nothing to stop them, one could draw the conclusion that he didn’t want to stop them. He has always sided with dictators, i.e. the Ayatollah, Morsi, Erdogan…even the Honduran guy several years ago.
One could also draw the conclusion that his failure to supply weaponry to the rebels in the early days of Syria and more recently, the Kurds, was also an indication that he was on the other side. His silence in Tehran and Cairo was also another indication that he supported his MB amigos, especially Morsi – a kindred spirit. What did he say when Morsi was invited to the WH? Our kids are the same age, or something like that? Or was that Erdogan. I get the MB guys all mixed up sometimes.
Obama’s ‘JV team’ chickens are coming home to roost and, unfortunately, we Americans are all going to pay the price. With 100 Americans in the chicken coop, they have already outsmarted the WON. ISIL is a new breed – hipper, smarter, wealthier, and just plain bloodthirsty.
I bet Obama wishes he could take his words, “JV team” back! He knows he is in their crosshairs…and he must be skeered. He is, first and foremost, a coward at heart. He will always be looking over his shoulder…and so wiil we. Thanks, Baraq!
Obama dosent care if he can take his words back because the sycophants in the “WH press corps” and biased “Mainstream Media” WILL NEVER bring ceartin words or phrases Obama has said and throw it back in his smug face…
He made a comment of how we were going to get them down from the mountain, and where we can relocate them.
That is their home, and towns for centuries.
I posted this in the “Look Who’s Working” thread, but he said it wouldn’t have made any difference if we left a residual force there…this would have happened anyway. He declared any criticism like this as “bogus” and “wrong” – being “peddled” by “folks” who are defending previous policy decisions. What an arrogant SOB.
Does anyone know why Obama says ISIL and most news agencies say ISIS? Is ISIL more politically correct such that Obama uses it not to offend an of our enemies?
I was wondering myself. Every other person on the news is using one or the other.
One is: Islam State in/of Iraq & Syria.
2nd: Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Type in what does one or the other stand for and you will have a long read.
I typed in Levant. It is also know as: Eastern Mediterranean
We shouldn’t forget that Obama knows Arabic well (and Nicholas Kristof says his accent is “first rate.”) ISIL is the one used by his administration, including the Arabist State Dept. It denotes greater territory (Levant) than just Iraq and Syria. According to this WaPo report, the Levant would include southern Turkey, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian terrortories.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/06/18/isis-or-isil-the-debate-over-what-to-call-iraqs-terror-group/
“This is going to be a long project…” says Obama as he jets off to Martha’s Vineyard.
Photos of the house in MV along with part of the family ready to hop on the helicopter-the dog, Mrs Robinson and Sasha are missing so they must be taking a separate plane. Story and photos on
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news The comments section after the story is interesting-lots of UK people blaming Bush and Blair.
Yikes those pictures are disturbing, especially the first one! Gag
“Project” ?????? Sheez. Scrap booking is a project !!!!!!! This latest group is the most savage. Beheadings on public display!!!!! Good grief. It took bho a long time to use the word, “terrorist.” How will he ever get his arms around “blood thirsty, heathen, savage animals.”
“sounds as if “mission creep” morphed into “mission leap”.
Good post, Keith.
Obama blamed ISILs rise on bad intell. If he had bad intelligence, how would he have been aware of ISIL? I thought he acquired all he needed to know from newspapers. He has no strategy for Iraq, must make it up as he goes. The man is a danger to us and the world, even on vacation.
He is scary — finally, he is using the word terrorists and/or terrorism?? Sounds like Bush to me, the man he blamed for everything. I’ll say it again, he is scary, that he doesn’t even know what he is doing and how serious it is. He blames Israel for the exact same thing. He doesn’t know where these 500 pound bombs will land. Obama, stop blaming Israel and help Israel — declare that Hamas is a terrorist group also, you never have? You never open your mouth in defense of Israel? Maybe it would help them, but I don’t think you want to help Israel, you want Israel to be gone, admit it Obama.
He blames Israel because he went to a rabidly anti semitic, anti American, anti white, marxist church for 20 years.
The more I read about how Islam and many of its followers are resorting to greater levels of violence, the more I believe that this is a war against a barbaric, and inhumane religion. While world leaders keep on trying to convince us that Islam is a peaceful religion, I have to wonder how many have actually read this horrid book known as the Koran.
Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of one of Hamas’ founders has rejected Islam, and calls it a lie. It is a lie, and one of the greatest threats to any civilized country. We, in the West, need to stop being so damned P/C about this situation, and call it was it is, a Holy War.
There needs to be an understanding on the part of all western leaders that, until this threat to our way of living is destroyed, there will never be any peace any where. Bush 41 built a coalition to take on Saddam, the same now needs to be done to take on ISIL, and drive this monster out of Iraq, crush it completely, and reestablish a rule of law in Iraq, and surrounding areas.
Syria and Iraq are just the starting point. ISIL will soon be heading for Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Jordan, and all of the Arabian Peninsula. Then what will the West do? Oil will stop flowing, then maybe ISIL will have every ones attention.
How are we not sending “combat troops” if we are sending bombers ? Are bombers not combat troops.?
If you have a chance, go to this link and read the interview Obama did with Tom Friedman from the NYT. It will make your day!
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2014/08/10/Obama-Extremist-Ideology-That-s-Taken-Over-GOP-Balkanization-Of-Media-Has-Blocked-My-Agenda
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