ISIS takes control of Mosul.

[kage69]

Best get your people out of the embassy too. Isn't there like 6000 Americans manning that station?
That's going to hurt when ISIS moves into the worlds largest and most expensive embassy

Yeah, should be a total push over. Just like Khe Sanh.

 

[bradly1101]

It seems like in the game of geo-politics the one lesson we have not learned since Vietnam is that for every action there is a larger and opposite reaction.

 

[cuafpr]

We blundered in and overturned a delicate balance of power where the Sunnis ruled for the last 1500 years.

We don't understand the history, we don't understand the politics, we don't understand the people, and they sure as shit don't want to listen to us.

We were never going to impose our will on Iraq. Not if we stayed another year or decade. We would just burn up more blood and treasure on a pointless mission.

Nice job trying to blame Obama. Some ideas were just too bad to fix.
This is all on bush and the GOP.

Some truths there but sorry Obama takes some blame in this he could've turned it around, or the min. no say publicly we are bring troops home on this date (which some GOP did as well). but some of the fault rest on him even if the majority is on Bush's handling of the way.

 

[Vic]

i would so buy one of those patches

"Highway to the danger zone. . "

 

[squarecut1]

The divisions within Iraq go way beyond the American misadventure there. An artificial state created by colonial powers to suit their interests.

That state is now disintegrating.. Thanks in part to another western intervention in 2003

There is fear of a massive humanitarian and refugee crisis.

 

[boomerang]

 

[Orignal Earl]

Well unless you supporting AQ in Iraq, they will be gone soon

 

[Genx87]

Well unless you supporting AQ in Iraq, they will be gone soon

Not sure if that is something to be bragging about. It sounds like these guys are too extreme for AQ. I didnt know that was even possible.

 

[Atreus21]

The divisions within Iraq go way beyond the American misadventure there. An artificial state created by colonial powers to suit their interests.

That state is now disintegrating.. Thanks in part to another western intervention in 2003

There is fear of a massive humanitarian and refugee crisis.

Yes, I'm glad we got all their oil.

 

[phillyTIM]

The first problem is that Iraqi President al-Malaki's government has excluded the Sunnies from participation in their own country. Until 11 years ago, Iraq had been under Sunni control for centuries. al-Malaki does nothing but crack down on those Sunnis with violence.

The second problem is that George W. Bush & Dick Cheney perpetrated an illegitimate war for revenge & profit in Iraq.

The third problem is that the United States cannot afford to perpetually plug every leaking hole in Iraq nor prop up puppet governments.

ISIS, composed in large part by Sunnies, simply is al-Malaki/Bush/Cheney chickens coming home to roost.

It is up to Iraq to show leadership in the face of recent insurgent victories. The United States cannot be sucked into another round of war.

Sooner or later the laws of natural selection must kick in. Iraq must sink or swim on its own without being propped up by puppets. America's mistake was George W. Bush.

 

[hal2kilo]

I'd rather send Bill Kristol and hang onto Mike Wazowski if it's all the same to you.

Damn, I never get his name spelled right. Who's the Mike guy.

 

[squarecut1]

The first problem is that Iraqi President al-Malaki's government has excluded the Sunnies from participation in their own country. Until 11 years ago, Iraq had been under Sunni control for centuries. al-Malaki does nothing but crack down on those Sunnis with violence.

Yes, that is a major cause behind the recent events.

 

[Zebo]

Nah, but . . .

I don't always think of boobs. But when I do think of boobs, I think of real life boobs, not cartoon boobs. lol


Hopefully this has taught us a lesson - the next time we decide we have to go to war with an Islamic nation, we don't try to make it a democracy or find the "good guys" and put them in charge. That's like pissing in the wind, if one pissed nitro glycerin or pure sulfuric acid. Next time, let's just destroy their air and sea ports, train stations, power plants, communications, military assets, etc. and call it a day. At the end of the day they're happier in the seventh century anyway, so let's just concentrate on keeping them isolated in the shit holes they so love to create.

I somehow doubt this will teach the powers that be any lessons. Vietnam didnt. It's not like we didnt know this would all happen. ALL 16 US intel agencies warned Bush.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/25/AR2007052501380.html

The Arab league warned him along similar lines. Retired Generals like Odem and Scrocroft warned. Millions protested UK and US streets. We went anyway.

Same deal in Libya. US and our corps that run govt love war. It's very profitable and pesky details like world stability get in way.

 

[kage69]

Damn, I never get his name spelled right. Who's the Mike guy.

Heh, just bustin ya balls. Do you not have kids then? I get to hear Billy Crystal's voice in the living room at least once a week.

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0004380/bio

 

[Zebo]

The first problem is that Iraqi President al-Malaki's government has excluded the Sunnies from participation in their own country. Until 11 years ago, Iraq had been under Sunni control for centuries. al-Malaki does nothing but crack down on those Sunnis with violence.

The second problem is that George W. Bush & Dick Cheney perpetrated an illegitimate war for revenge & profit in Iraq.

The third problem is that the United States cannot afford to perpetually plug every leaking hole in Iraq nor prop up puppet governments.

ISIS, composed in large part by Sunnies, simply is al-Malaki/Bush/Cheney chickens coming home to roost.

It is up to Iraq to show leadership in the face of recent insurgent victories. The United States cannot be sucked into another round of war.

Sooner or later the laws of natural selection must kick in. Iraq must sink or swim on its own without being propped up by puppets. America's mistake was George W. Bush.

There is no pluralism in that culture. You're either victors or vanquished. You see this in Saudi where sunni totally exclude their minority Shi'a, Bahrain where the ruling Sunni totally exclude the 80% Shi'a. Iran where minority Sunni is treated like dogs.

In fact pluralism is fairly foreign in all cultures and you have to force it. and takes a long time. We are still in Germany, Japan and korea just in case they revert. Saddam forced it somewhat.

The war was a massive mistake of epic proportions but pulling out was too.

 

[hal2kilo]

Heh, just bustin ya balls. Do you not have kids then? I get to hear Billy Crystal's voice in the living room at least once a week.

http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0004380/bio

Slow on the uptake this morning. Need more coffee. Haven't seen much of the comedien lately.

 

[Jaskalas]

I'd just like to point out, that when President Obama and Congress were railing against Assad in Syria, guess who they were going to hand Syria over to?

Guess who was going to control Syria and its CHEMICAL WEAPONS?!

Thank you Russia and Iran, for interfering with the US arming terrorists with WMDs.

Where ISIS Is Gaining Control in Iraq and Syria

 

[K1052]

I'm half tempted to say that we should make a deal with Iran to support Maliki in exchange for most of what we want in the nuclear negotiations. Conditionally the Kurds should be allowed to sell some oil to bolster their own defenses over the long term, it is unlikely they will return Kirkuk to Iraqi control without major concessions from the central government . After that I don't think we should give Iraq another thought.

 

[phillyTIM]

I dig Obama's guarded approach, knowing that dropping a bunch of bombs won't stop the problem; but appearing to require contingencies of internal Iraq political action on any further protection.

McCain, would someone please finally put that old warhorse out to pasture? His steroid-induced cries of FIGHT!FIGHT!FIGHT! really ring hollow anymore. Who's listening at all?

 

[phillyTIM]

delete

 

[CaptainGoodnight]

Can we just go back to supporting dictatorships like we did in South America?

 

[Thebobo]

Anyone wonder if Russia could have some involvement in this?

 

[Jaskalas]

REPORT: 200 American contractors surrounded by ISIS...

A U.S. contractor in Iraq told WND the Iraqi Air Force has begun evacuations from Balad Air Force Base, where 200 American contractors were trapped

Americans surrounded in Iraq, evacuations by air... while under fire. You CANNOT evacuate everyone by air, eventually there won't be enough men to hold to perimeter of the base. By tomorrow you'll have reports of people captured of killed, likely Americans.

American military is immediately needed to LAY WASTE to the ISIS forces attacking Balad Air Force Base. Send in the air cover, send in the special forces. Make the evacuation possible.

 

[werepossum]

Damn, I never get his name spelled right. Who's the Mike guy.

Who is -

Damn, that just cost you all credibility, dude.

There is no pluralism in that culture. You're either victors or vanquished. You see this in Saudi where sunni totally exclude their minority Shi'a, Bahrain where the ruling Sunni totally exclude the 80% Shi'a. Iran where minority Sunni is treated like dogs.

In fact pluralism is fairly foreign in all cultures and you have to force it. and takes a long time. We are still in Germany, Japan and korea just in case they revert. Saddam forced it somewhat.

The war was a massive mistake of epic proportions but pulling out was too.

True, but they wanted us gone. Part of being legitimate is to leave when asked, otherwise we'd just be another colonial power.

REPORT: 200 American contractors surrounded by ISIS...
Americans surrounded in Iraq, evacuations by air... while under fire. You CANNOT evacuate everyone by air, eventually there won't be enough men to hold to perimeter of the base. By tomorrow you'll have reports of people captured of killed, likely Americans.

American military is immediately needed to LAY WASTE to the ISIS forces attacking Balad Air Force Base. Send in the air cover, send in the special forces. Make the evacuation possible.

Yep, that needs to happen immediately. Special Forces, Marines, fucking 82d Airborne, whatever it takes.

 

[phillyTIM]

True, but they wanted us gone. Part of being legitimate is to leave when asked, otherwise we'd just be another colonial power.

That's exactly right - Iraq wanted us out of there; and much of the reason was that behind the scenes Iran pressured Maliki to get us out of there. Iran = Shia, which is what Iraq has become post-Saddam.

US stays in Germany, Japan, etc. because they are our friends and want us there; Iraq is NOT our friends, not even Maliki, and they wanted us out. The American people wanted us out, that's exactly why Barack Obama became President and was re-elected President over war-mongering McCain & Romney.

I agree with McCain about he predicted the current state of events, back in 2011. The United States FINISHED the job in Iraq; we left it a stable state in 2011, as stable as Iraq could possibly be, that is. We all knew Iraq was being balanced on sticks and plates, because that's just the nature of Iraq. It was always destined to revert back into warring factions, once we artificially put Humpty Dumpty (Iraq) back together again. This is a big reason why it was wrong for Bush to invade Iraq in the first place; the occupation could never end because the can of worms that is Iraq would be opened. The basic fact is that some countries just can't handle democracy, let alone having a puppet government.

If Bush/McCain/Romney (and the like) warhawks were still in power, the United States would have gone into Syria, Libya and God knows who else, and would never ever have been able to leave. The US could not afford that, either in money or lives.

Iraq is at war with itself, and it will be until a power of natural selection emerges. The big fish eat the little fish. That's just the way life is. Look at the US today, big money (and its lobbyists) is overwhelmingly controlling this country.