Friday, November 20, 2015
Saturday Politics : Obama, the US Military's Weak Link
It's Saturday politics after a tumultous week in which we were forcefully reminded how fragile civilization is. ~~~~~ One of the problems related to the war on jihadist terrorism - which President Obama refuses to call by its real name - cuts across political and military lines. An Air Force official recently told Congress that Obama's 'zero civilian casualty' policy to prevent civilian deaths and collateral damage, keeps US military pilots fighting ISIS in Iraq from dropping 75% of their payloads. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce says the policy is being attacked by military leaders who believe it has enabled ISIS to gain strength in the region. Royce says : "You went 12 full months while ISIS was on the march without the US using that air power and now as the pilots come back to talk to us, they say three-quarters of our ordnance we can't drop, we can't get clearance even when we have a clear target in front of us. I don't understand this...this is what has allowed ISIS the advantage and ability to recruit." Retired four-star general Jack Keane agrees with Royce, calling it "an absurdity from the beginning....the French are in there not using the restrictions we have imposed on our pilots." As for the Russians, Keane said : "They don't care at all about civilians." But, an unnamed Pentagon official told the media : "The bottom line is that we will not stoop to the level of our enemy and put civilians more in harm's way than absolutely necessary. The fact that aircraft go on missions and don't strike anything is not out of the norm," illogically adding that ISIS goes out of its way to put civilians at risk. Despite President Obama's "zero civilian casualties" policy, a new NBC poll released Thursday found that 70% of Americans reject his approach in favor of expanding the fight against ISIS. ~~~~~ The Obama's inability to “degrade and destroy ISIS,” or even to “contain” it, as he foolishly claimed last Friday, is an embarrassment to the unquestioned superiority of the US military. Obama and his national security team that one retired general describes as “pathetically weak” -- Susan Rice, former human rights activist, and Valerie Jarrett, lawyer and former real estate developer -- have produced headline failures in Syria, but military commanders have been silenced with political-style purges by a President and White House team that apparently values its control of military decision-making more than it values the US military. ~~~~~ Examples. Obama's failure to train and arm moderate rebels in Syria -- $50 million produced six soldiers -- has made the military seem incompetent. Recently, the White House announced it would send in dozens (fewer than 50) military advisors, as a show of resolve, but insists they won't engage in combat. The New York Times recently detailed efforts to disrupt Highway 47, ISIS’ critical supply route between Syria and Mosul. The US apparently hesitated to bomb the key road for fear of civilian casualties. There have been 250,000 people killed in Syria, but Obama seemed worried about truck drivers who, the NYT says, may be working for ISIS. Yesterday, the US launched airstrikes on hundreds of oil tanker trucks, destroying 116, but, reportedly avoided civilian casualties by dropping leaflets an hour before the strikes, alerting ISIS to the bombings. ~~~~~ Dear readers, where are US military commanders? Despite the lackluster performance against ISIS, senior officers are almost silent about switching to a winning strategy. Why? Confronting President Obama is risky. Senior military commanders who have disagreed in public often face early retirement. Sir Hew Strachan, a senior UK defense strategist, cites the ouster of General Stanley McChrystal, saying : “The concern about the military speaking out shows a lack of democratic and political maturity.” Senator John McCain accused the White House of pushing out Marine General James Mattis from US Central Command and Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn from the DIA for contradicting Obama policies. Obama - the US military's weak link.
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There has been 16 National Security Strategies in the past 28 years. President Obama has produced 2 of these National Security Strategies (NSS) in his occupancy.
ReplyDeleteThe substances of Obama’s NSS is: “leading from behind”, Iranian appeasement”, “Strategic patience=Strategic Weakness”, “The U.S. can’t even define its own enemy”.
But in the real world vs. Obama’s idyllic world (which doesn’t exist) America must always lead on the world stage. If we don’t, no one else will. And we must lead with a faithful, trusting military. Neither of which is present in today’s upper military command staff.
Open disgust and disbelief in Obama leadership ability from the military brass has reached crisis levels never seen before in the United States.
Obama has work tirelessly to isolate himself and his administration from the military. He has clearly demonstrated that he has only repugnance to anything military. He has stated between the lines of his NSS that his administration is in a “go it alone” mode that has no room for military involvement.
Obama’s attempt at developing a military free foreign policy …Don’t worry if plan A fails there are 25 more letters in the alphabet.
ReplyDeleteHistory, if there are humans left in a century or so to write it, will view the emergence of Barack Obama and a mesmerized class of unimaginable fools who have supported him, as the greatest catastrophe of the 21st century. After six years of this insanity there is no corner of our national life, of our civilization that is not crumbling under the combined assault of Obama's colossal ego and even more colossal incompetence and the complete loss of contact with reality by the millions of persons who have blindly support him.
ReplyDeleteNot just our economy, our military strength, our standing in the world, our technological, political and moral leadership, but 50 years of progress in civil rights and race relations, the fabric of our society, our laws, our Constitution, all lie in ruin.
"Life is short, Art is long, Opportunity fleeting, Experience treacherous, and Judgement difficult" .- Hippocrates (I believe)
ReplyDeleteWe have a president that is driven by his desire to establish a solid ‘Internationalist Socialists’ government in the United States. He himself is much further left than being an Internationalist.
ReplyDeleteSo then why should be at all surprised that our president is so willing to slice and dice the United States Military both for his own philosophical views but that of his ‘friends’ in the control seats of the Internationalists movement.
As far as Obama and friends at Internationalists headquarters are concerned the U.S. Constitution, Rule of Law, Bill of Rights, our Freedoms (each and every one), our Military are all in their way to proceeding to the next installation level of their socialists one world government, serfdom for all (except George Soros and his minions), equality in poverty for all world.
They would be happy to have matching dirt street in NYC, LA, Paris, London, etc. as they themselves never walk on in any town in the Middle East.
Obama and his friends would be happy to have us all raise our glasses for a toast to simplistic equality … our glasses would be paper Dixie cups – theirs would be Waterford crystal goblets.