Mr. Obama, Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

One week after publicly announcing that the United States did not yet have a strategy to deal with ISIS, President Barack Obama has indicated that the current goal of the US effort in Iraq is to diminish the extremist group to "a manageable problem." His comments, once more,instead of reassuring America and the world, raise more questions about whether the President has a clear and useful vision for eliminating the threat of ISIS and other jihadists. Before saying that his goal is to make ISIS "manageable," he had said the United States planned to "destroy" ISIS. But that has apparently changed, morphing into : "We know that if we are joined by the international community, we can continue to shrink ISIL's sphere of influence, its effectiveness, its financing, its military capabilities to the point where it is a manageable problem," Obama said during a speech Wednesday in Estonia, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. Obama also said in the speech that the administration's objective is to "degrade and destroy" ISIS in Iraq, and that the US has already been "moving effectively" to achieve that goal, The Hill reported. The remarks have created agitation among critics who argue that the comments are contradictory. Illinois GOP Representative Adam Kinzinger told "Fox and Friends" Wednesday that the President needed to decide whether the United States was going to "contain or crush" ISIS."That's the big question. Are we going to contain ISIS, or are we going to crush ISIS? And, the President has not answered that." Conservative radio show host Laura Ingraham also criticized Obama, saying his comments are nonsensical :"When you hear the President talk about destroy and degrade [ISIS], that makes sense. When you hear the President talking about managing the problem, that doesn't make sense," Ingraham said on "Fox and Friends," according to Politico. "I mean, we manage all sorts of problems in our daily lives, this is not a manageable problem, this is a force of evil." ~~~~~ The position of Pentagon leader Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hasn't been clear, either. On August 21, at a press conference with General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Hagel said : "ISIS is beyond "just a terrorist group" and poses a greater threat than al-Qaida. This is beyond anything that we've seen....ISIS is as sophisticated and well-funded as any group that we have seen. They marry ideology, a sophistication of strategic and tactical military prowess. They are tremendously well-funded. So we must prepare for everything. And the only way you do that is that you take a cold, steely, hard look at it ... and get ready." General Dempsey said it was possible to "contain" ISIS, but "not in perpetuity....This is an organization that has an apocalyptic, end-of-days strategic vision and which will eventually have to be defeated." Hardly a vote for Obama's current "manageable" ploy. But, Hagel tried to fall into line this week, when Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said that Obama's statements are consistent with one another : "It's actually both. And I know that sounds a little bit strange to hear." But, Kirby said the US can degrade, disrupt, and destroy ISIS "targets" in Iraq but cannot destroy ISIS as an organization. "The only way you're going to destroy an organization like this is by defeating their ideology," he said. "You can bomb them every day, and you're not going to get rid of the ideology that allows them to fester and to continue to get resources and to grow, to train and to equip. There's got to be a broader-based strategy, and we're working on that right now," That last phrase - working on that right now - is consistent, showing that the strategy has not been finalized. ~~~~~ And there is still the fundamenral criticism of Obama's Iraq, and al-Qaida / ISIS, policy -- that he let al-Qaida bounce back in Iraq because he pulled out US troops in 2011, thus setting the stage for the development of ISIS, a criticism most recently voiced by former Ambassador to Iraq Paul Bremer. The United States had defeated al-Qaida due to the 2007 surge, a fact that "President Obama admitted himself when he came into office," Bremer told Fox News. "We beat al-Qaida in Iraq under the surge directed by General Petraeus, and, obviously, authorized by President Bush," Bremer said Thursday. "The problem in Iraq is what has happened in the last two to three years, particularly after we pulled out the troops in 2011, which was a big mistake." By retreating from Iraq, "the vacuum allowed al-Qaida to regain strength, ultimately spawning ISIS, which now poses a threat to Middle Eastern countries....The West Arab countries would be willing to join with the United States to defeat ISIS, but they wanted to see American leadership in the effort." A lot of the Arabs in the Middle East have substantial military capabilities. They could be engaged to help fight ISIL. But, they won't do it unless they are persuaded America is prepared to take the lead," he said. "Saudi Arabia has a quarter-million men under arms. They have an advanced American-supplied air force. There's a lot that other countries in the region could be doing to help, but they won't do it unless they see a clear American commitment." ~~~~~ What we have is a US President who refuses to full-steam commit American resources and military forces into eliminating ISIS, even though the entire world is urging him to take up the challenge. A "manageable" ISIS is a very weak "strategy," if that is what it is, to use to confront an aggressively apocalyptic military force determined to rule the Middle East and the western world. Does Obama hesitate because he refuses to admit that the George Bush strategy worked and because it would nullify his sophomoric "no boots on the ground" position. Or is he simply incapable of making military decisions -- he has not made a single one that goes beyond airstrikes since becoming President. The US has had military aircraft, naval carriers and other ships and advisors in and near Iraq for several months, all capable of intelligence gathering. Regional allies have certainly added to this. If Obama really wanted to announce a strategy to destroy ISIS, he has had more than enough time to do it. It is long past time to act. ~~~~~ So, dear readers, what should the US strategy be? A friend who's a Middle East expert talked to me recently about the future for Iraq. His take is that what's going to happen to the Iraqi people is going to happen, and it is too late to stop events that will be painful to watch unfold. But, he said, now we must make sure that the spillover doesn't continue into Syria, Turkey, Israel, France, Italy -- the list keeps expanding outwardly because of US inaction. If eliminating ISIS and al-Qaida and their affiliates means destroying much of Syria and Iraq, that is the price those countries and the world must pay to be free of terrorism. The US will lead in rebuilding them and putting the Middle East on its economic and political feet, just as we did in Europe after WWII via the Marshall Plan. Even the oil fields, if rendered inoperable now, can be re-drilled and made operable later. But it has to be done now. Innocent people will die, but not as many if we turn and run. My friend addressed the tactical strategy and I took away the sense that the US knows where ISIS is -- its various headquarters and camps, its escape routes. It seems to me that it's possible to destroy ISIS, but that every day Obama dithers makes the job harder and more painful for the Iraqi and Syrian people. However, the pain would be much less than that of falling into the hands of the murderous, marauding beheaders who control ISIS. They need to be wiped out. And the way to do that seems to be so clear - the extinction of their army and leadership. There is such an urgency to act that any reaction that it is a religious war against Islam should be dealt with while the attack continues. If Obama is unable or unwilling to act, it is now up to Vice President Biden, the Joint Chiefs and Congress to force his hand. We have tried everything rlse with this President. It is now time, with Thomas Paine, to say, Mr. Obama, "Lead, follow, or get out of the way."

The World Is Waiting for the Obama ISIS Strategy

An ISIS spokesman said recently that the group plans to raise "the flag of Allah" over the White House. ISIS has also said that they will meet America in New York City and "drown" Americans in blood. But on August 28, President Obama told America that "we don't have a strategy yet" for dealing with ISIS. And as of today Obama has not yet given any indication of having found a strategy. The President continues to react, rather than lead an offensive against ISIS. Obama orders airstrikes and sends a few hundred US military, mostly Special Forces units, to Baghdad and Irbil, but strategic action is lacking. Here are some of the major points made by American and other officials as the ISIS crisis continues and escalates. ~~~~~ Former CIA agent Bob Baer told CNN in mid-August that ISIS cells are already in the United States, and some of them have entered by crossing the Mexican border. Baer told CNN that people working in intelligence-gathering have told him they don't know what ISIS members' plans are, but "it's a definite concern." People who do this for a living are very alarmed," Baer said. Other ISIS members are American citizens who have been to Syria and have returned, he said, adding that while intelligence agencies are aware of some of the people they suspect of being ISIS members and are working to gather evidence to apprehend them, they fear there are more that they don't know about. This was brought home yesterday when we learned that the Department of Homeland Security has "lost" 9,000 people, many university students, whose visas have expired. ~~~~~ On August 21, ISIS released the video of the beheading of American journalist James Foley. Yesterday, ISIS released a video of the beheading of American journalist Steven Sotloff. ISIS had threatened to behead Sotloff at the end of the James Foley video if the United States did not cease airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq. Baer told CNN that he had expected the killings after US airstrikes helped hinder ISIS' efforts in Iraq. "They have no choice in their minds but to strike back," Baer said. Foley and Sotloff were among at least four Americans publicly known to be held by ISIS, and Baer said they essentially grabbed the first American they could in order to carry out the grisly actions that they then released on video. With ISIS continuing to be hurt by American attacks, Baer said he expects them to continue to behead Western captives. "I think there'll be more," he said. ~~~~~ In early September, just after the James Foley video appeared, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said that the President believes "military might is not the only tool in the tool box here," when asked whether Obama agreed with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel's earlier statement that ISIS is "an imminent threat to every interest we have" and "beyond anything that we've seen." Earnest responded, "What is true is that there is a serious threat that's posed by" ISIS. And when asked whether there was "an imminent threat to America," he replied, "Well, it certainly is an imminent … [threat to] American interests." ~~~~~ Speaking at the same press conference as Defense Secretary Hagel, Army General Michael Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, characterized ISIS as an apocalyptic organization that cannot be merely halted, but must be defeated not only in Iraq but in Syria. Dempsey said : "Can they be defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in Syria? The answer is no. That will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a nonexistent border." ~~~~~ In an early September speech to ambassadors in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah warned the US and Europe that they will be attacked if there is not a strong international response to terrorism. "They could be in Europe in one month, America in two months," he said, urging the ambassadors to relay his message directly to their heads of state. ~~~~~ In August, retired General Michael Hayden, a former CIA Director, warned it is not prudent for the United States to withdraw from Afghanistan, as President Barack Obama has pledged to do before the end of his second term. "The President has promised this withdrawal by the time he leaves office....he's going to make Afghanistan look like Iraq. That's not a good plan," Hayden said. ~~~~~ Dear readers, there is a lopsided debate in the US between President Obama and the rest of America about whether ISIS does or does not yet have the capability to strike America, even as it threatens American interests and allies in the Middle East. The operative word here is “yet.” If there are ISIS cells in the US, it has a current ability to strike America. With this intelligence warning, President Obama ought to act now to degrade and destroy ISIS, before it builds up a greater capacity to attack American targets on American soil. The US non-reaction to James Foley's and Steven Sotloff’s beheadings could be seen as weakness and embolden ISIS. Against this, we should consider that ISIS may be overstretched with the territory it already controls. As the Wall Street Journal reported : Initially, many in the sunni-majority city of Mosul were pleased to see ISIS fighters send the mostly shiite Iraqi army fleeing after sectarian tensions in the country worsened under Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. But, “People aren’t sympathizing with them anymore. People wanted to get rid of the Iraqi army. But after [ISIS] turned against Mosul, the people of Mosul started turning against them.” The  intelligence community estimates that ISIS has 10,000 to 17,000 fighters -- a rather large terrorist organization, but perhaps not large enough to continue to control cities and conquer more territory, especially if or when sunni militias begin to join the fight against ISIS. Of course, controlling territory requires a large group, but terrorist attacks in the US would require only a few ISIS returnees with a target and plan to hit it. American intelligence estimates that 300 ISIS fighters are American citizens, according to a Washington Times report. This is a real threat that Obama needs to pay attention to, along with following the British lead of closely controlling the mobility of US passport holders who have joined ISIS. In another area, America has not heard anything from Obama about any new effort to free American hostages held by ISIS and other jihadist groups. While British foreign secretary Phillip Hammond said the UK is looking "at every possible option to protect" the 44-year-old British citizen now threatened with beheading in the Sotloff video, today President Obama could only describe the video as "barbaric," adding that the US will not be intimidated by the radical Islamists and vowing to build a coalition to "degrade and destroy" ISIS. But, also today, Lord West, the former head of the British navy, described the ISIS executioner of Foley and Sotloff as "a dead man walking" and said US Special Forces will hunt him down in the same way they tracked and killed Osama Bin Laden. Evidently, either Lord West knows something we don't know, or, he joins all Americans in having great faith in the US military, with or without an Obama ISIS strategy to follow.

Cameron Acts while Obama Fiddles and Another American Is Beheaded

Last week, Great Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron cut his vacation short to deal with the exploding ISIS dilemma, while President Obama continued his golfing on Martha's Vineyard. Obama did return to Washington briefly during his vacation and made formal statements from Martha's Vineyard, but he was sharply criticized in America for playing golf just minutes after making a statement about the beheading of American journalist James Foley. Cameron had by that time already called the killing of Foley an act of murder, which was allegedly carried out by former UK rapper Abdel-Majed Abdel Bary. The prime minister returned from his holiday in Cornwall immediately after learning that Foley's executioner was British. Cameron said on Friday that the terror level in the UK was raised to "severe" in response to news of increasing violence by ISIS in Syria and Iraq, where the group is trying to establish a caliphate. Several members of ISIS may be British citizens, FoxNews reported. "This is not some foreign conflict thousands of miles away that we can hope to ignore," the UK prime minister said. "The ambition to create an extremist caliphate in the heart of Iraq and Syria is a threat to our own security here in the UK. We cannot appease this ideology. We have to confront it at home and abroad. To do this we need a tough, intelligent, patient, comprehensive approach to defeat the terrorist threat at its source." While Cameron took action, raising Great Britain's terror threat to "severe," Obama told Americans, "We don’t have a strategy, yet." And, Obama has not followed Cameron's action on raising the terror alert, despite high-ranking US military voicing suspicions that there are hundreds of Americans fighting for ISIS. Meanwhile, the White House scrambled on Friday to explain the comment Obama made on Thursday that his administration doesn't "have a strategy yet" for how to deal with ISIS. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" that the Obama administration does have a "comprehensive strategy" for confronting ISIS, adding that Obama was referring to military strikes in Syria and whether he will "seek congressional authorization to order military strikes inside of Syria." ~~~~~ Whether through complacency or real indecision, President Obama followed on during the Labor Day weekend by raising money for Democrats. Can we blame lawmakers and political analysts, including Red State's Erick Erickson, who are asking : "Can we borrow David Cameron?" Even New York Representative Peter King chastised Obama. King told Newsmax Friday that "there's no way any of us can excuse" Obama's admission that he doesn't have a strategy for dealing with ISIS, explaining that it makes the United States look weak to both our allies and our enemies. On Sunday, King said he wishes "our President was showing the same leadership David Cameron showed. What is President Obama waiting for?" King asked in an interview Sunday on CBS News' "Face the Nation." The contrast between Obama's response to the ISIS threat to that of Cameron's was also emphasized by conservative commentators and on Twitter. Townhall.com's Cortney O'Brien wrote Friday that "unlike someone we know, it sounds like United Kingdom Prime Minister David Cameron has a strategy for defeating Islamic extremists." Erickson tweeted Friday "Can we borrow David Cameron? He fights— Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) August 29, 2014." ~~~~~ The US has launched airstrikes and provided humanitarian aid in ISIS-captured regions of Iraq. But, otherwise, it's Obama the fundraiser-in-chief, as usual. Obama headlined several fundraisers over the Labor Day weekend. Contrast that with Cameron's actions. He said on Monday that he will force airlines to share flight-lists with security services and give police the power to confiscate passports as he outlined Britain’s response to the rise of ISIS. In a statement to Parliament, Cameron also said the government will look at how to restrict the movements of suspected terrorists in Britain and stop those who are British nationals returning to the UK. “What we need is a targeted power to exclude British nationals from the United Kingdom,” the prime minister told lawmakers in London today. “We need to address any potential gap in our armory to keep our country safe.” Meawhile, President Obama appeared to be downplaying ISIS, as well as Russia's threat against Ukraine while speaking to Democratic donors at a New York fundraiser Friday, saying that this "is not something that's comparable to the challenges we faced in the Cold War. The world has always been messy," Obama said. "We will get through these challenging times just like we have in the past." Cameron's plans to widen Britain's anti-terror laws, which are likely to be approved by parliament, are aimed at preventing attacks by Islamist militants returning from terror training in trouble spots in the Middle East. Like other Western countries such as the US, France and Germany, Britain is worried that citizens who travel abroad to join terror groups could threaten their home country when they return. Intelligence and security services believe that around 500 Britons have gone to fight in Syria and potentially Iraq. Cameron described the extremism of the ISIS group as the biggest security threat of modern times - surpassing that of al-Qaida - and said it poses a direct threat to Europe. Britain's Home Secretary already has the authority to withhold passports in some cases, but Cameron said more is needed to ensure police at border crossings could act in time when they spot a suspect. "We will introduce specific and targeted legislation to fill this gap by providing the police with a temporary power to seize a passport at the border, during which time they will be able to investigate the individual concerned," Cameron said. ~~~~~ Dear readers, Americans are as worried about ISIS as Britain and Europe are. But, the difference is that America has a President who refuses to engage in the battle to eradicate the jihadist extremists of ISIS. Obama's leisurely consideration about how to proceed has already caused more displacements of Iraqis and Syrians, as well as the murder of soldiers caught on the field of battle. And, today we have the horrible news that another American journalist, Steven Sotloff, 31, has been beheaded and a video of the gruesome ordeal has been released. What does it take to impel Barack Obama to action? There seems to be no answer to that question. Will the American President turn his back on other Americans and British being held by ISIS. Is he willing to let the world twist on a rope while he considers and reconsiders his choice of strategies. Must America literally look to David Cameron and Great Britain for help and leadership. It is beyond anything the United States has ever experienced -- a President frozen in place while terrorists behead her citizens and advance toward her borders. Must America be invaded by ISIS jihadist cells and face American deaths on US home soil before President Obama wakes up.

American Labor Day 2014

Today is Labor Day in the United States, where the unemployment rate is 6.2%, although experts say the real unemployment rate us about 12.6%. ~~~~~ **Eurozone unemployment remained unchanged in July at 11.5%. It is much higher in countries hardest hit by Europe's debt crisis. Spain has an unemployment rate of 24.5%, although it fell from 26.2% compared to a year ago. The German unemployment rate is up slightly to 6.7%, with 2.90 million jobless (Minneapolis Star Tribune - 8/28/2014). **The inflation rate has fallen to 0.3% in countries that use the Euro; pressure is on the European Central Bank to act this week act to avoid deflation (FOX News - 8/29/2014). **In the Middle East and North Africa, the economic growth rate in 2013 was too low to generate sufficient employment opportunities for a rapidly growing population, and unemployment remained the highest in the world. In Sub-Saharan Africa, paid employment opportunities are scarce and the 'vulnerable' employment rate of those whose jobs are on the margin of the economy, at 77.4% in 2013, remained the world's highest. ~~~~~ Dear readers, while Americans lucky enough to have jobs celebrate their national Labor Day by having a holiday, all of us should give a thought to the hundreds of millions of people who do not have jobs because of war, or displacement as refugees, or economies too weak to provide jobs for all who want and need to work. So, today while many in America celebrate their work - and even in America there are millions of unemployed who lost their jobs in the Great Recession and have not found jobs for several years - give a thought to those all over the world who would gladly work today, if only they had a job.