New anti-ISIS Strategy Focuses on More Airstrikes, Raids
“Raqqa, Ramadi, and Raids”
Defense Secretary Ash Carter has laid out a new plan for U.S. forces sent overseas to “degrade and defeat” ISIS. The Obama Administration has fielded several month’s worth of criticism over the ineffectiveness of current strategy; Carter’s changes reflect a growing need to take a more active role.
From ABC News:
The changes are intended to build on the Obama administration’s strategy to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria where the tactical fight against the terror group has stalemated.
“The changes we’re pursuing can be described by what I call the ‘three R’s’: Raqqa, Ramadi, and Raids,” Carter said in testimony today before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The idea of more raids builds on Carter’s previous comments a Pentagon news conference Friday that there would be more raids similar to the one where American special operations forces assisted Kurdish troops in the rescue of 70 hostages held by ISIS.
Carter did not recommend the creation of a buffer zone, no-fly zone or humanitarian zone that has been advocated by several members of Congress.
“Raqqa” refers to the de facto capitol of the Islamic State in Syria. This is where the modified “train and equip” strategy comes into play. Carter’s goal here is to support moderate Syrian rebels in an effort to take Raqqa. Earlier this month we fielded mixed messages from the Pentagon, where officials insisted that the training program had not been abandoned; however, this new plan will focus on established, “vetted” anti-ISIS groups as opposed to totally new fighters, and will rely heavily on increased airstrikes against valuable ISIS targets.
“Ramadi” refers to the military’s desire to encourage and increase cooperation between existing ground forces to retake territory conquered by ISIS. This strategy has produced results in the past—but it’s not without problems.
From The Hill:
Coalition and Iraqi forces have been working to retake the provincial capital back from ISIS and eventually go northward to Mosul.
“As we see more progress toward assembling capable and motivated Iraqi forces under Baghdad’s control and including Sunni elements, we are willing to continue providing more enabling capabilities and fire support to help our Iraqi partners succeed,” Carter said.
But Carter warned that Baghdad would have to make sure the Shia-dominated government and security forces distribute weapons to Sunni tribes and that its forces are paid regularly.
“Raids” refers to a tweak in the plan that would allow U.S. forces to have a larger role on the ground by “supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL, or conducting such missions directly, whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground.”
This is a controversial move, especially in the wake of last week’s raid on an ISIS prison in northern Iraq that freed 70 hostages but led to the death of American serviceman Master Sgt. Joshua Wheeler.
This “prong” of Carter’s new plan toes the line between the military’s current “support role” and “combat.” Last Friday, Carter said that he expects similar raids, saying, “We won’t hold back from supporting capable partners in opportunistic attacks against ISIL, or conducting such missions directly, whether by strikes from the air or direct action on the ground.”
If implemented, this new plan would send American troops closer to the front lines in both Iraq and Syria.
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[AP-WashDC] – Citing his promise of ‘no boots on the ground’, President Obama today ordered that military operations by American ground troops in the Middle East be conducted from skateboards, stilts, and pogo sticks.
Air Jordans. The Back To The Future hover-board edition…
Obama only cares about Obama.
He doesn’t even take a dump without considering its political ramifications to him personally.
Putin slapping him around like the idiot he is obviously pissed him off.
All Obama is doing is the bare minimum to leave this mess for the next President, and leaving that President with far reduced resources.
The Washington Post, in a rare fit of honesty before the decision to invade Iraq, characterized George W. Bush’s decision to ask for war authorization as a decision “to grasp the nettle.” When they were being honest, they allowed that there was a whole lot more to this than the presence or absence of WMD.
Now we have a President who decided to try out the strategery of “Suppose they gave a war, and Nobody Came?” only to find out that there are a lot of nobodies out there, and some of them have command of the resources of entire countries.
“The changes are intended to build on the Obama administration’s strategy…”
objection! cites facts not in evidence.
traditionally, you have to have a strategy in order to build on it. the only thing Obola has done since he took office was to run away and, in the process, destroy everything good that our previous sacrifices in Iraq and Afghanistan had accomplished.
I’m not sure anything we are doing at the moment can be cited as evidence of strategy.
Yet more evidence they don’t plan on doing anything substantive to combat the Islamic State. They’re not serious about “degrading and defeating” it.
If they were, they wouldn’t be pussy-footing around, keeping their hands clean while getting our fair-weather “allies” to do the heavy lifting or die trying (or more likely, drop their weapons, retreat, and disappear).
If they were serious about defeating the Islamic State, they’d get their hands dirty and get $#!@ done.
Meanwhile Russia kicks ISIS’ behinds and send them running along with the ‘moderate’ rebels straight into desert to die.
Obama pens a strongly worded letter protesting the killing of ISIS and defeat of his moderates (all five of them) that provided manpower, material, and cover for the head chopping majority of the rebels.
Fake female, fake Syrian, fake lesbian, fake moderate bloggers hardest hit.
Honestly, until the mindset of many people is changed, it will be more of the same. The media coverage of Blackhawk Down carried grave consequences: War would never be viewed again in the same manner, as it had been, from that point on. No one had the stomach for it. Our enemies watched as Clinton made this country, and our elite forces, look like a “paper tiger”. It had dire consequences that came to fruition on 9/11 in that OBL took it all in. Weakness carries grave consequences with it in the mid east. Obama’s weakness is his weakness.
Applying not only to Afghanistan is the following regarding General Tecumseh Sherman:
“For a man not known for oratory skills in his time, the quotes he generated are stunning. The absolute most famous one that lingers still is War is hell. This one has stuck in our American culture, but the number of people who can rightly attribute it to “Uncle Billy” dwindles every day. Many of his troops lovingly called him Uncle Billy because he was like a beloved Uncle to everyone. He was loved by his men, but most of his close friends called him “Cump”.
Here are a few more choice quotes pertaining to war from the wise warrior:
– “War is cruelty. There is no use trying to reform it. The crueler it is, the sooner it is over.”
– “Every attempt to make war easy and safe will result in humiliation and disaster.”
– “In our country…one class of men makes war and leaves another to fight it out.”
– “I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.”
– “War is the remedy that our enemies have chosen, and I say let us give them all they want.”
– “I would make this war as severe as possible, and show no symptoms of tiring till the South begs for Mercy.”
There are many more but those are some of the best. I’d like to see a General go on Good Morning America or The View or Fox for that matter and say any one of these. Then we could watch the left come unglued. If any of those quotes were true today for how we were fighting Afghanistan, wouldn’t it be different? If fought like this, wars would be shorter, much shorter.
Few realize the genius of William T. and that he understood a few things about war. These things aren’t popular, but they do allow your side to win. It’s the kill people and break things theory.
Currently, our White House Occupant has no idea how to actually win a war. These statements are as a foreign language to him. Our President has but one goal, to end all war and it doesn’t matter if the objective was reached or who won. Just schedule the ending. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/05/28/see-the-reception-obama-received-from-the-u-s-military-academy-that-cnn-anchor-says-is-pretty-icy/
Check out the icy reception from the 2014 West Point grads. Supposedly, less than 25% gave him a standing ovation why would they? They are the brightest of the bright military minds in America. It doesn’t take a West Point Grad to see the destructive force this Commander in Chief is to our military might.
Sherman is most famous for his March to the Sea. He said, “I intend to make Georgia howl.” And he did. He is credited with creating what would be called Total War. This idea was really the forerunner to “Shock and Awe”. He pretty much burned everything in his wake, fed his army with the crops and livestock, and destroyed everything. He understood the power of fear and demoralizing an enemy. He wrote to Lincoln and said, “I beg to present you as a gift the city of Savannah.” I won’t mention Atlanta. I’m still uneasy to share my name in that town because of what he did. Burn it all.
In this Ode to Cump, I must tell of his fondness for the media. Another reason he would be derided today. He despised the media and we weren’t on the 24 hour news cycle yet. No Twitter, no Facebook, no TV, no phones, nothing but word of mouth and print newspapers. So apparently, the way media people are is an actual character thing, not a technology thing, because they were no different in the 1860’s as they are now. Here are a few priceless quotes from the General that would have scrolled along the bottom as breaking news back in the day.
— “If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world, but I am sure we would be getting reports from Hell before breakfast.”
–“I hate newspapermen. They come into camp and pick up their camp rumors and print them as facts. I regard them as spies, which, in truth, they are.”
That kind of talk won’t get you interviews or invited to the Correspondents Dinner! The present day left could write Ole Cump off as a crazy, shell-shocked veteran, which in his day they actually did. They could say he was a murderous villain. They may even call him barbaric. To some degree they would be right, but they forget that he was also something we don’t see much of today, extremely loyal. Loyal to his country yes, but more loyal to his friends, his brothers in arms.”
http://clashdaily.com/2014/05/whats-love-general-william-tecumseh-sherman/
Daesh chose to write a check and it’s high time that it is cashed. Two months time to purge the evil that arose and it’s lights out for those savages. NO MERCY.
Never forget.