Discussion: Obama: US Lacks 'Complete Strategy' For Fighting Islamic State

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Discussion for article #237224

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  1. Don’t own the problem.
  2. Urge them to settle on their own version of the Biden plan.
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I would suggest that most of the civilized world lacks a ‘complete strategy’ for dealing with non-state actors that are wielding the power of a quasi-state player. Our military is designed around the model sometimes characterized as the ‘Napoleonic model’ wherein the military’s task is to capture the enemy’s central base or capitol. These non-state players are organized as gorilla (or perhaps criminal) organizations. As such, the only way to defeat them is in detail or any node left alive will serve as a magnet attracting assets and/or fighters that will continue the fight.

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Perhaps we should spend less on Iraq and more on the government’s computer infrastructure. Just sayin.

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guerilla

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I suppose you just had to do that.

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…and so does everybody else (lack a complete strategy).

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There have to be muddy grunt tactician US Grant type officers (gentlemen-barbarians) who don’t mesh with the techno corporate alpha freak Pentagon. If there aren’t, get some.

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The US has spent billions upon billions “training and equipping” the Iraqi army. That should be enough to identify problem number 1…they are not and never will be capable of defending Iraq. They just don’t give a shit. Iraq is never going to have a competent army.

ISIS is not a political or state entity. It sure as hell isn’t a religious one. It’s a bunch of maniacs on a crime spree. They have no one they are fighting for but themselves hence they have no regard for anyone’s life. So collateral death is useful to them and they situate themselves to cause as much of it as possible. You cannot fight them clean.

In other words the USA has no reason or method to fight them.

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One of the biggest blows will come from giving up oil and the money it generates that is now flowing into ISIS’ coffers. See the G7 just agreeing to phase out fossil fuels by 2100.

As for Obama’s statement: how could anyone have a “complete strategy” against wildlings like ISIS? The only thing that is going to rid the world of their horror is for the Sunni/Shia conflict to be resolved, state by state. Since the politicians of the Middle East never can figure out how to get two sides together peacefully, we can expect this to be a perpetual battle, and one that we need to keep at arms length.

I’m glad the US could monitor ISIS wannabes in our country who are bent on beheading for the fun of it and block them. Hope other Western nations and Eastern nations can do likewise. But these ME fanatics are bent on destroying their own civilization and it isn’t going to be resolved easily or peacefully.

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