The Common Ills: Iraq, Barack and the deeply stupid

Tuesday, October 07, 2014

Iraq, Barack and the deeply stupid

As Barack's 'plan' to solve the issues in Iraq and Syria continues to revolve around bombs from the sky, Sky News reports, "Turkish President Recep Erdogan says Syrian border town Kobani is 'about to fall' to Islamic State militants and that a ground operation is needed to defeat the group. It comes as fresh airstrikes targeted fighters who have been laying siege to the town."

Barack's non-plan is (and maybe was intended to be) a road to increased US involvement.

David Alexander and Phil Stewart (Reuters) report:

U.S. troops flew helicopters against ISIS fighters on Sunday and again on Monday as they struck at mortar teams and other units near Fallujah, said a spokesman for Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East.
“This was the first time rotary wing aircraft were used in coordination with and in support of ISF (Iraqi Security Force) operations,” Army Major Curtis Kellogg said in an email. “The Iraqi government asked for support with this capability near Fallujah to push back (Islamic State).”

And does the increase stop there?

No.

Add Democratic member of the House of Representative Dutch Ruppersberger's voice to the cry for more war and US boots (officially) on the ground in Iraq. Peter Sullivan (The Hill) reports the House Intelligence Committee's Ranking Member appeared on Erin Burnett's CNN program last night and noted he was open to (more) US troops on the ground in Iraq. He observed, "We have boots on the ground right now but they're not out there fighting." Ruppersberger apparently wants them to be but frets that this would be announced ahead of their entering combat because, he says, "The only thing I'm concerned about, you don't tell the enemy what you're going to do."

Oh, Dutch.

You're so deeply stupid.

Dutch and Joe Biden are shaping up to be a big part of today's snapshot.

The following community sites -- plus FPIF, Antiwar.com and Jody Watley -- updated: