General Discussion

DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Thu Jun 12, 2014, 12:16 PM Jun 2014

Washington Doesn't Care About the Havoc It Has Wrought in Iraq

More than a decade after former President George W. Bush launched the war in Iraq, the country is spiraling into turmoil, and nobody in D.C. seems to want to talk about it.

Over the past few days, militants from the al Qaeda splinter group ISIS have seized control of the Iraqi cities of Mosul and Tikrit, and are now en route to Baghdad — which has been left open to attack after troops fled the capital city.

The New York Times reports that Iraqi leaders have feared the brutal takeover for some time, and repeatedly asked the U.S. — which pulled out of the country in 2011 — to interfere:

Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq’s foreign minister, last year floated the idea that armed American-operated Predator or Reaper drones might be used to respond to the expanding militant network in Iraq. American officials dismissed that suggestion at the time, saying that the request had not come from (Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki).... In a May 16 phone call with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Mr. Maliki... suggested that the United States consider using American air power. A written request repeating that point was submitted soon afterward, officials said.

But Washington did not step in, and officials have commented more recently that it has no intention of doing so. Pentagon spokesman Rear Adm. John F. Kirby said that “ultimately, this is for the Iraqi security forces, and the Iraqi government to deal with."

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Washington Doesn't Care About the Havoc It Has Wrought in Iraq (Original Post) DonViejo Jun 2014 OP

Some in Washington, not all. The worst mistake we could do is committing troops there lostincalifornia Jun 2014 #1

They care--there's just not much we can do. We trained and equipped the TwilightGardener Jun 2014 #2

we have groups of people in THIS country machine gunning cops and school kids weekly KurtNYC Jun 2014 #3

"We got him!" moondust Jun 2014 #4

Most are worried about the oil alsame Jun 2014 #5

Not at all. n/t Autumn Jun 2014 #6

Link to the rest of the article... PoliticAverse Jun 2014 #7

lostincalifornia

(3,639 posts)

1. Some in Washington, not all. The worst mistake we could do is committing troops there

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Jun 12, 2014, 12:19 PM

Jun 2014

I have no doubt McCain and others are blaming Obama for this by pulling the troops out, but the problem was invading Iraq in the first place

Obama is trying to undo the damage caused by bushco

TwilightGardener

(46,416 posts)

2. They care--there's just not much we can do. We trained and equipped the

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Thu Jun 12, 2014, 12:23 PM

Jun 2014

Iraqi army, and they're refusing to fight. We have two options: continue equipping them, and watch our assets go into enemy hands, or fight ISIS ourselves while Iraq cowers. Those are our choices, and they both suck.