The Common Ills: Iraq and the realities Barack avoided in the hollow speech

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Iraq and the realities Barack avoided in the hollow speech

Last night, US President Barack Obama blathered on about a couple who fell in love and it was one of the most embarrassing speeches ever given as a State of the Union Address. We focused on Iraq and included Guantanamo.

As we've done for months now, we noted his failure to attempt diplomacy in Iraq.

If you've missed that reality, check out this typical Tweet from Brett McGurk:

Brett McGurk @brett_mcgurk · 15 hours ago

Details on 74 new coalition airstrikes against #ISIL targets in #Iraq & #Syria over last 96 hours: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=123997 … #ISIS #daesh

26 retweets 5 favorites

You wouldn't know it from the Tweet, but McGurk is with the State Dept and he holds the titles of Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs (Iran and Iraq) and Deputy Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL.

Like the State Dept's John Kerry, Brett appears to believe he's running some operation out of the Pentagon.

If you're still not getting it, grasp this: The Iraqi people aren't believing anymore in the 'change' Haider al-Abadi was supposed to bring with him when he was made prime minister of Iraq in August.

Alsumaria reports protests in Basra today. This isn't the first time since August that young people in the province have taken to protesting outside the oil field and demanding jobs. This is, however, the largest turnout so far and, more importantly, each turn out builds.

You've got protests springing up in Anbar Province as well. Iraqi Spring MC notes residents turning out to protest the destruction of their region by the bombing campaigns led by the US government.

That will grow as well and is totally expected (as we noted before August came to an end).

All of this goes to the US government's failure to focus on the real issues.

You want the Islamic State of Iraq?

Improve the lives of the Iraqi people and they'll have no reason to support or look the other way when it comes to the Islamic State.

Haider al-Abadi appears to be in a panic.

And he should be.

He grants an interview to the Associated Press where he complains that he's not receiving enough military help from the US-led coalition and that he wants to see them speed up the help they are supplying.

There's a chance that the 'help' may not come quick enough to help Haider.

He had his window of opportunity and he did not seize it.

Iraqi Spring MC reminds everyone about the displaced resulting from the bombing of civilian homes -- not by the Islamic State. No, these bombings are carried out by the Iraqi military.

اعلام الربيع العراقي @IraqiSpringMC ·

النازحون؛ جراء القصف العشوائي المتعمد من قبل الجيش الحكومي على منازل المدنيين. 

13 retweets6 favorites

These bombings continue. Today, in Falluja, they left 1 woman dead and six more civilians injured.

September 13, Haider announced to the press that these bombings (which are War Crimes) were over. Less than 24 hours later, the bombings continued. And all the outlets rushing to cover Haider's promise -- all the non-Iraqi outlets rushing to cover it -- suddenly grew silent.

They could report the claim.

They could even report the claim as fact and as having been carried out.

But when the claim was proven untrue, the press had other things to do.

Someone forgot to tell Iraq the 'good news' and 'success' Barack was extolling last night.

Among other harsh realities for the White House? The discovery of a bag containing the heads of two women in Iraq today.

No real time for Iraq in his speech. But if you want to know the reproductive cycle of Rebekah and Ben Erler of Minneapolis, he can tell you all about that.

He can tell you about anything except the job he's supposed to be doing.

The speech, like the man, was an embarrassment.

And let's not forget his administration continues to fail veterans. None of the promises have been delivered and suicide has increased. But we didn't hear about veterans did we, not about their issues.

His remarks were as empty as his gestures.

The following community sites -- Iraq Inquiry Digest and Antiwar.com -- updated: