Saturday, July 11, 2015

Iraq snapshot

Saturday, July 11, 2015.  Chaos and violence continue, Congress and Gen Dempsey discuss more US troops in Iraq,  Senator Tim Kaine ignores the topic of troops in Iraq, Haider al-Abadi talks 'success,' War Crimes continue against the civilians in Falluja, and much more.




US Senator Tim Kaine led a delegation to Iraq last week and today he offers a column at the Richmond Times-Dispatch on the trip at which includes:


The next two days were in Iraq, beginning in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish Regional Government. President Masoud Barzani, whose Kurdish peshmerga fighters have battled valiantly against ISIL and achieved significant success, thanked us for strong American support, saying, “If your president had not started a bombing campaign against ISIL last August in our region, we might not be here today.”
Local forces are the best “boots on the ground” we have against ISIL and the close coordination of our airstrikes with Kurdish ground activity has dramatically reversed ISIL’s gains.
But the progress in Kurdistan is not seen everywhere in Iraq. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is still struggling to build confidence among Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds after former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s disastrous course that marginalized Sunnis and Kurds. The divisions were so sharp that when ISIL began gaining traction in 2014, Sunni areas in western Iraq would not join the government to battle the threat because of past mistreatment.

Abadi has gotten high marks in his first year, but his good intent remains to be translated into real unification of the country, which is ultimately critical to military success against ISIL. Thus in Iraq, the progress against ISIL is mixed — with notable successes in the northern Kurdish areas and eastern communities such as Diyala and Tikrit, but much less success in Sunni regions. This includes on the governance front, where greater reconciliation with Sunnis is necessary.


In his column, he argues for Congress authorizing Barack's latest stage of war on Iraq and authorizing the payment for it.

He doesn't say much more though, does he?

He doesn't talk about US forces on the ground in Iraq.

In fact, he doesn't even note them in his column even though the delegation met with US forces.  How very sad and sick of Tim Kaine.

But he doesn't want you to think about them or think about step two that would follow the authorization he wants: Even more boots on the ground.


Kaine serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee.  Tuesday's the Committee held a hearing on Iraq.  The Committee Chair is Senator John McCain and the Ranking Member is Senator Jack Reed.  Appearing before the Committee were Gen Martin Dempsey (Chair of the Joint Chiefs) and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.

We've noted Senators Joe Donnelly, Kelly Ayotte and Joe Manchin in Wednesday's snapshot.   In Friday's snapshot, we noted questioning from Senator Martin Heinrich and Joni Ernst.

We're going to note a key exchange today.




Senator Mike Rounds: You know, General, we pride ourselves and we point out fthe fact  that we truly do have the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen and yet right now we find ourselves -- as the President stated sometime ago, he called ISIS the jv [junior varsity] team.  Clearly, I do not think that's the position the administration would take today.  We've identified that they are clearly a threat.  We've identified a nine point plan, Mr. Secretary, in which you've identified all the things that have to happen including the defense of our country from these individuals.




There have been a number of plans regarding the Islamic State.  I'm unaware of what 9 point plan Rounds is speaking of but in his Monday speech, US President Barack Obama was emphasizing what the White House has dubbed "the four pillars" for the fight against the Islamic State.



  The Four Pillars of the U.S Strategy Against ISIL

1. A systematic campaign of airstrikes against ISIL
Working with the Iraqi government, the U.S. is expanding our efforts beyond protecting Americans and humanitarian missions, so that we're hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on the offense. We are pursuing terrorists wherever they are, which means the President will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria as well as Iraq. As he has said, "If you threaten America, you will find no safe haven." As of today, we've launched more than 5,000 airstrikes against ISIL. 
2. Increased support to forces fighting ISIL on the ground
The U.S. has sent a small contingent of service members to support Iraqi forces, including Kurdish fighters, with training, intelligence, and equipment. These American forces do not have a combat mission, but are providing the support needed for Iraqi forces to go on the offense. In Syria, we have ramped up our military assistance to the Syrian opposition, while pursuing the political solution necessary to solve Syria's crisis once and for all. 
3. Drawing on our substantial counterterrorism capabilities to prevent ISIL attacks
Working with our partners, we are redoubling our efforts to cut off ISIL's funding, improve our intelligence, strengthen our defenses, counter ISIL's warped ideology, and stem the flow of foreign fighters into and out of the Middle East. 
4. Providing humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians displaced by ISIL

We cannot allow innocent communities to be driven from their homelands. The U.S. continues to provide much-needed assistance to Sunni and Shia Muslims who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities.



Back to the hearing.


Senator Mike Rounds: At what point during this three year time frame or what is the possibility during this three year time frame that the patience that you've shown, General, and that the Secretary has alluded to here to build this up, what is the probability that this -- that this time frame gets away from us?  What -- Are we in a position to make this thing last for three years without literally upping on our own point to defend ourselves?  At what point does it look like we're going to have to amp this thing up  using our own resources to a greater degree than we have today?



Gen Martin Dempsey:  I said three years for Iraq.  ISIL -- and I've also described ISIL in general as a "generational problem." because of it's allure in notably the Sunni sect of Islam.  Look, we just have to have a Sunni partner in order to address this challenge of ISIL.  And so, although I've said three years for Iraq, it's more like a generation which I suppose is loosely defined as 20 years to address the violent extremist allure of ISIL in the Sunni world. And that allure will only be stripped away when someone takes care of them and governs them. But to your question.  Are there points at which we would and should consider the introduction of US military combat capabilities?  The answer is yes   I think you've seen us do that in the -- in the raid that we conducted into Syria to capture and kill the group associated with Abu Sayyaf -- the financial network of ISIL.  And I think we're always on the alert or on the lookout for those opportunities and can use our capabilities as necessary to deal with those.

Senator Mike Rounds: You feel that you're in a politically appropriate position that you would have the backing to step in when needed to take care of the problem when the time is right?  

Gen Martin Dempsey:  I -- If you're asking -- I can't answer what answer I would receive.  I have the confidence that my recommendation would be accepted and uh-uh debated in the context of everything else we're doing.

Secretary Ash Carter (stepping over Rounds): Senator, let me step in here and help out if I may.  Senator, I-I think that part of our strategy is to look for opportunities to do more in the sense of creating capable ground forces that we can --


And we'll stop there.  Before Carter jumped in -- and spoke over Rounds -- Dempsey and Rounds were talking about US forces and their being sent into fighting in Iraq.


That is what was taking place.

It may have been a little too vague for some to follow.

Clearly, the press appeared to miss it.

But that's what Rounds was calling for, what Dempsey was more or less agreeing to and what Ash Carter rushed in to divert attention from.


If you doubt that, Rounds made it very clear after Carter's long and distracting response.


Senator Mike Rounds:   Mr. Chairman, my time has expired, but I would make one comment and that is that it appears to me that if our strategy is waiting on other people to get their stuff in order, it doesn't seem to be as practical as taking advantage of and literally going out and proactively taking care of the problem if need be.  And we've got the greatest fighting force in the world and the last thing in the world I want to see is to have them engage boots on the ground but if it means boots on the ground or additional folks there fighting there as opposed to having a successful attack on this homeland then I think we all agree on what we ought to be doing. And I just hope that this strategy includes that as a possibility.



Again, that is what was being discussed.

On the boots on the ground issue (which we oppose), Senator John McCain feels that forward air controllers on the ground are needed.

We're opposed to boots on the ground.  That doesn't mean we don't note Senate or House discussions on the topic.  I was asked if I was going to note McCain's exchange with Carter?

No.  That sentence above is about it.

Not because I disagree with him but because it was too technical.  He and Carter were both hiding behind jargon.


But I will note McCain's opening statement in full.



Washington, D.C. ­– U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, delivered the following opening statement today at a hearing on U.S. strategy to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL):
“The Senate Armed Services Committee meets today to receive testimony on U.S. strategy to counter the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL. I am grateful to our distinguished witnesses for appearing before us today.
“The risk posed by ISIL must be seen in the context of what many of America’s most accomplished leaders and foreign policy experts have described as the most complex and uncertain international environment since the end of World War II. All across the globe, America’s interests in security and stability are at risk. 
“As part of a broader strategy to dominate eastern Europe, Vladimir Putin’s Russia continues its onslaught in Ukraine, with Russian troops and equipment leading an asymmetric campaign to undermine Ukraine’s government and independence as the United States has refused weapons for its defense.
“China’s destabilizing behavior also poses a growing challenge to U.S. national interests—its reclamation and militarization of vast land features in the South China Sea, its continued military build-up, and of course, its blatant and undeterred cyber-attacks against the United States.
“Iran is expanding its malign activities and hegemonic ambitions across the Middle East—as we see clearly in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, and elsewhere—and yet some in the Administration seem to be operating under the delusion that a nuclear agreement could lead to a new modus vivendi with the Islamic Republic.
“And in Syria, Bashar Assad’s slaughter of his own people, which has been the single greatest contributor to the rise and continued success of ISIL, goes on, and on, and on—aided by Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah. For four years, the President has said Assad must go as part of a political transition in Syria, but conditions on the ground have never allowed it. Tragically, that remains true today.
“What each of these growing threats has in common is a failure of deterrence, brought on by a dangerous perception of American weakness and lack of resolve, which our adversaries have taken as a provocative invitation for hostility.
“When it comes to ISIL, President Obama’s comments yesterday at the Pentagon reveal the disturbing degree of self-delusion that characterizes the Administration’s thinking. It is right but ultimately irrelevant to point out, as the President did, that we have conducted thousands of air strikes, taken out many ISIL fighters and much equipment, and pushed it out of some territory. None of the so-called progress that the President cited suggests that we are on a path to success.
“Since U.S. and coalition airstrikes began last year, ISIL has continued to enjoy battlefield successes, including taking Ramadi and other key terrain in Iraq, holding over half the territory in Syria, and controlling every border post between Iraq and Syria.  Moreover, the longer ISIL remains undefeated in Iraq and Syria, the more potent its message is to those around the world who may be radicalized and inspired to join the group and spread violence and mayhem on its behalf. 
“It is not that we are doing nothing; it is that there is no compelling reason to believe that anything we are currently doing will be sufficient to achieve the President’s stated goal of degrading and ultimately destroying ISIL—either in the short-term or the long-term. Our means and our current level of effort are not aligned with our ends. That suggests we are not winning, and when you are not winning in war, you are losing.
“The reality today is that ISIL continues to gain territory in Iraq and Syria, while expanding its influence and presence across the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia. There is no responsible ground force in either Iraq or Syria that is both willing and able to take territory away from ISIL and hold it, and none of our current training efforts of moderate Syrians, Sunni tribes, or Iraqi Security Forces are as yet capable of producing such a ground force. It is unclear why the latest gradual escalation of effort, the deployment of a few hundred additional advisers to Anbar, will make the difference that our previous efforts failed to achieve.
“While our coalition may own the skies, as the President said yesterday, our air campaign against ISIL continues to be limited significantly by overly restrictive rules of engagement and a lack of ground intelligence, which only gets worse as ISIL moves into urban areas to avoid coalition bombing. Pilots will tell you that they are only as good as the targets they receive, and when three-quarters of our air missions against ISIL still return to base without dropping weapons, that is indicative of a fundamental problem with our air campaign.
“What’s worse, none of our efforts against ISIL in Iraq can succeed while the conflict in Syria continues, and with it the conditions for ISIL’s continued growth, recruitment, and radicalization of Muslims across the world. As published media reports indicate, our Syrian train and equip program is anemic and struggling because our stated goal does not include going after Assad and his regime forces, and we still do not provide the forces we are training with the enabling capabilities to succeed in any engagement they may face inside Syria.
“Given the poor numbers of recruited and trained Syrian fighters thus far, I am doubtful we can achieve our goal of training a few thousand this year.  But even if the program achieves its goal, it is doubtful that it will make a strategic difference on the battlefield. Yes, we need a political solution in Syria. But no such solution is possible with Bashar Assad still in power. Unless and until the United States leads a coalition effort to put far greater battlefield pressure on Assad, a political solution will never be within reach, the conflict will grind on, and ISIL will thrive.
“The lack of a coherent strategy has resulted in the spread of ISIL around the world—to Libya, Egypt, Nigeria, and even to Afghanistan, where I visited last weekend. Afghanistan is certainly not Iraq, but the parallels are eerily familiar. As in Iraq, the United States is contemplating a drastic reduction in force presence that places at risk the hard-won gains of the last decade. While Afghanistan’s security forces are improving in quality, they are still missing the same set of key capabilities the Iraqis were missing when the U.S. withdrew in 2011, including intelligence, aviation, special operations, and logistics capabilities.  At the current pace, our military commanders know these capabilities will remain critically underdeveloped at the end of 2016, when President Obama has announced that U.S. and coalition forces will dramatically downsize to a presence solely in Kabul.
“We have seen this movie before. And if we make the same mistakes, we should expect similarly tragic results. I do not want to attend another hearing like this with your successors trying to figure out a strategy to clean up after avoidable mistakes.  What that means is that the President must provide our commanders on the ground with necessary forces, capabilities, and the authorities to help our Afghan partners in continuing to secure their country and defeat our terrorist enemies together.
“ISIL is not ten feet tall. It can be, and must be, defeated. But that will never happen if we continue to delude ourselves about our current campaign. The President is fond of the truism that there is no military solution to ISIL or any other problem. What he has so often failed to realize is that there is sometimes a major military dimension to achieving a political solution. This was the critical lesson that the United States learned in the Iraq surge, and we must learn again: security on the ground is a precondition to political reconciliation, not the other way around.
“The unfortunate irony is that a president elected in opposition to the war in Iraq is repeating some of its worst strategic mistakes. And what’s worse, despite obvious indications that the current strategy against ISIL is failing, he has yet to find the courage of his predecessor to admit mistakes and choose a new direction. This needs to happen sooner rather than later, or the disaster the next president will inherit—in the Middle East, but also far beyond it—will be overwhelming.
“It is clear we are living in a time of unprecedented turmoil.  We see it on our television screens everyday:  ISIL’s spread across the Middle East, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and China’s maritime expansion in Asia. 
“Once again I thank our witnesses and look forward to your testimony.”
###






What's the White House's main goal today?


Secretary Ash Cater:  What we need from the Iraqi government is the enrollment of Sunnis in the Iraq security forces and the commitment of the Iraqi government to pay them, to, uh, equip them with our help, which we provide, and then, to get back to the Chairman's question about direct support to them, when we have effective ground forces under the control of the Iraqi government, we are prepared to do more to support them but we need to have those effective ground forces because local forces on the ground, we know from experience, is the only way to create a lasting defeat of ISIL and that's what the strategy is all about. 



And the biggest understatement of the hearing probably came from Gen Martin Dempsey, "As the Secretary mentioned, the good intentions of Prime Minister Abadi have not always been met with activity in the echelons or bureaucracy beneath him."


And let's note the numbers.  During a tense exchange with Senator Jeff Sessions, Gen Dempsey declared, "We've got 1600 pilots flying over Iraq and Syria today.  We've got 3500 boots on the ground doing train and assist."




Moving over to the US State Dept, we'll note this from Friday's briefing moderated by Mark Toner:


QUESTION: One more on – there is a Stabilization Working Group – I believe Brett McGurk is part of that – to return the stability of the regions being liberated from ISIS in Iraq like Tikrit and Diyala. There are report talking about that only 20 percent of those people could – able to return to the area. Some of the problem is security issues; the others is because of the international coalition and the working – the Stabilization Working Group has not been able to provide the assistance they promised to do. Is there any update on that, on Tikrit --



MR TONER: Specifically what you’re – yeah, I’m sorry.


QUESTION: Yeah. Especially on Tikrit and Diyala, that there is still problem that the people fled from Tikrit and from Diyala, they have not been able to go back to their cities. Some of them is because of the militias threatening them and the others is because of lack of service that this Stabilization Working Group, which Brett McGurk is part of that --


MR TONER: Right.


QUESTION: -- was meant to solve this problem.


MR TONER: I don’t have any updates on people returning to those cities today. I mean, I know that – I can just speak broadly about the efforts of the group and within – working in Iraq and Syria, but I don’t have any specifically thing to add to it.


QUESTION: But that’s still going on, these efforts, around the --


MR TONER: These (inaudible) efforts --


QUESTION: Yeah.

MR TONER: But specifically, what are you talking about? In terms of returning --


QUESTION: Returning the residents and also providing the security for them and handing over is what was part of the kind of the bible for the group.


MR TONER: Yeah, right, right.


QUESTION: That – returning that order.

MR TONER: Yeah, no, those efforts continue, absolutely. Yeah.



On the topic of refugees in Iraq, MWC reports:


Aid groups say dozens of families are stranded on the Anbar side of the Bzebiz bridge after Iraqi officials closed it.
Iraqi authorities have shut down a bridge between Anbar and Baghdad used by people displaced because of fighting between security forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.
Aid agencies said the Bzebiz bridge between the town of Amariyat al-Fallujah and the capital was shut down on Wednesday, leaving dozens of families stranded on the Anbar side and prompting demands from provincial officials to reopen the crossing.



As Kat noted earlier today:

Where does the voice of international community come in condemning this?
Haider al-Abadi is dooming thousands of Iraqis by closing this bridge.
Where's the outcry?


Meanwhile the Iraqi military continues its year and a half long bombing of civilians and civilian homes in Falluja.  Amre Sarhan (Iraqi News) reports a medical source told them that Saturday "Fallujah General Hospital received the bodies of 25 people, including three children and four women, and 23 wounded, including five women and six children, as victims after their homes were subjected to mortar fire in different areas of Fallujah."  In addition, Iraqi Spring MC reports that the Iraqi military bombed civilian areas of Ramadi today.



Lastly, we'll note this from the office of Iraq's Prime Minister.



 
 


استقبل السيد رئيس مجلس الوزراء الدكتور حيدر العبادي في مكتبه اليوم الخميس السيد بريت مكورك مساعد وزير الخارجية الامريكية.
وجرى خلال اللقاء الاشادة بالانتصارات المتحققة على عصابات داعش الارهابية وتدريب وتسليح القوات المسلحة العراقية واعادة النازحين والتحديات الاقتصادية التي تواجه البلد ومستجدات الاوضاع السياسية والامنية في العراق والمنطقة.
وثمن مكورك جهود الحكومة العراقية لاعادة النازحين في محافظة صلاح الدين وبقية المدن واعادة اعمار المناطق المحررة واستمرار الدعم الدولي للحكومة العراقية والقوات الامنية في مواجهة عصابات داعش الارهابية.






Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi met with Brett McGurk of the US State Dept on the 7th to
discuss Iraq's 'victories' in the battle against the Islamic State.  It must have been a very
brief meeting.










Alan Grayson runs for the Senate

alangrayson


US House Rep Alan Grayson is running for a seat in the US Senate:





I announced today that I'm running for the Senate.If you read these e-mails, then there's a good chance that you and I think alike. We are kindred spirits. We see things the same way.

So in a way, it's sort of like you're running for the Senate. I'm just doing it for you.

Think about it. You and I have a lot of shared beliefs, a lot of shared values. You and I see what needs to be done, and how to do it. If I make it to the Senate, there's a good chance that I'll do that job just as you would.

And one thing is for sure: You deserve your support. As the Jewish scholar Hillel asked, "If I will not be for myself, who will be for me?"

The same goes for me: I deserve your support. Because if I'm elected, then I will do that job the way you would. I will be a champion for justice, equality, compassion and peace.

I think that you should support your candidacy with a modest contribution. You can join thousands and thousands of others who contribute $20.16 each month. Or a lump sum of $20, $50, $100 or $500. Every dollar counts, because every person counts.

Let's be realistic. You may not make it to the Senate next year. But there is a great chance that I will - if you help. And that's almost as good, isn't it?

I need your help, today, so that I can be a Senator that you will be proud of. Just as if you had the job.

Courage,

Rep. Alan Grayson
Candidate for the U.S. Senate
Email TwitterFacebook

Paid for and Authorized by the Committee to Elect Alan Grayson















Friday, July 10, 2015

Iraq snapshot

Friday, July 10, 2015.  Chaos and violence continue, Bully Boy Bush steps in it again, the US government is directly aiding the Kurds, the Defense Dept knows it and the Secretary has testified to this, the State Dept is in the dark, and much more.



Bully Boy Bush has done a fairly good job of hiding under his rock since leaving the Oval Office in January 2009.  But now he's surfaced in a big way over raking in $100,000 for a speech in 2012.  It's a frightening number for a poor speaker as Wally's "ON THIS ONE, WE BLAME THE VETERANS!" and Cedric's "On this one, we blame the veterans" humor posts noted yesterday.  It's even worse that this a speech to an organization that's supposed to be a charity for veterans, Helping a Hero.  In addition to the $100,000, he also got to travel via a private jet which left the charity with a $20,000 bill for that.  Lucy Stiegerwald (Antiwar.com) explained:


Even among folks who think that ex-politicians raking in millions of dollars from speeches is acceptable, W. charging such a hefty fee to speak in front of people he sent to war rankles. This is good. Even a small dose of shame is good for Bush, and for any other ex-politician who happily earns a tidy profit based on their blood-soaked reputation.
Soldiers aren’t overjoyed either. ABC quoted Eddie Wright, a wounded veteran who briefly worked with Helping a Hero, as saying “For [Bush] to be paid to raise money for veterans that were wounded in combat under his orders, I don’t think that’s right.” A former spokesperson for the charity countered that Bush had given them a discount on his usual fee, but Politico’s research suggests that that’s not true. Helping a Hero also excused the high prices by saying that W. and Laura Bush had participated in fundraising efforts for them before. So this is what? A way of paying them back? Breaking even? It still doesn’t seem very charitable.

This is the life of an ex-politician. No matter how much of a cute old cowboy W. appears to be; No matter that he spends more time painting pictures of the Dalai Lama than he does interfering in world affairs these days, he also happens to have earned some $15 million from speaking engagements just between 2009 and 2011. This pales in comparison to heavy hitters like Bill and Hillary Clinton who have earned upwards of $100 million from speeches. Bush’s numbers are still unnervingly high for someone who deserves a prison cell. (Though Clinton has enough Iraqi blood on his hands to stew next door.) 



Again, the speech was from 2012.  Details of it have only recently emerged.

The outrage is understandable.

Senator Patty Murray -- in office as she currently is or years from now when she retires -- would probably be a popular speaker a veterans group might want to book but you really can't imagine her stiffing them with a private jet bill or demanding some six figure salary.

That's because she's worked hard for veterans.

I've avoided mocking Bully Boy Bush for some of his events with veterans since leaving the White House and taking the attitude of 'if one veteran enjoyed biking with him, maybe his participation in that event was worthwhile.'  But there have been plenty of chances to criticize his efforts and we've passed.

Taking $100,000 from a group which is supposed to be raising money to assist and aid veterans is outrageous.  In fairness to Bully Boy Bush, it is equally outrageous for an organization insisting it is raising money for veterans to waste $100,000 on a speaker -- any speaker.

Again, you can't see Senator Patty Murray doing something tawdry like that but that's because she has a long history of helping veterans.  Yesterday, her office issued the following:




 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    CONTACT: Murray Press Office
Thursday, July 9, 2015                                                               (202) 224-2834
 
Sen. Murray Fights to Protect Services for Homeless Veterans

Bill prevents changes to VA policy that would cut off thousands of veterans from accessing housing services
 
MURRAY: We have a duty to care for veterans, not to create more barriers to care
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced The Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act with cosponsor Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), which would prevent thousands of homeless veterans from losing access to housing services. VA’s proposed changes to the decades-old policy for homeless services would bar access for veterans who served less that than two years continuously, or who had an other than honorable discharge. This bill would ensure that those changes can never take place. Last week, Sen. Murray toured the Randall Apartments in Tacoma, a 35-unit complex that serves homeless veterans. She also met with representatives from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, local housing authorities, and community groups to discuss her new legislation.
“Our veterans made great sacrifices while serving our country and our commitment to them is especially important,” said Senator Murray. “This bill makes it clear that our country takes care of those who’ve served, and we don’t allow bureaucracy to dictate who gets a roof over their head and who doesn’t.… If we ever hope to end veteran homelessness, we must do everything we can to reach this goal, and I want to make sure that the VA’s policies are moving us in that direction.”
 
“As we work towards ending veterans homelessness, it is imperative that we use federal resources to help our servicemembers and their families in need,” said Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. "Many of our vulnerable veterans saw combat and are fighting PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Instead of leaving these veterans out in the cold, we must ensure access to stable housing and other necessary services. This bill would codify VA practices that have proven to be effective in getting veterans off the street and into housing. I commend Senator Murray on her leadership and am proud to work with her on this important issue.”
 
The problem arose last year when a legal review concluded that veterans who served fewer than two years or had an other than honorable discharge may not be eligible for benefits such as housing services. As a result, when the VA instituted the policy last year, homeless shelters and providers who receive funding through the VA’s Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program were told to turn away new homeless veterans who didn’t meet the length of service or discharge requirements. Had this policy been fully carried out, this could have resulted in 15 percent of the homeless veterans population being turned away, and in certain urban areas could have been up to 30 percent. Sen. Murray introduced emergency legislation to reverse it, causing the VA to temporarily rescind the policy change.
The Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act being introduced today will ensure that in the future, veterans cannot be turned away from organizations because they don’t meet certain length of service or discharge requirements and that our country is fulfilling our promise to care for servicemembers and veterans.
Excerpts from Senator Murray’s remarks for the record are below:

“The Administration set the difficult but commendable goal of eliminating veteran homelessness.  Through tremendous efforts at every level of government, and with the help of community groups, non-profits and the private sector, we have made major progress toward achieving that goal.”
 
“But last year, after a legal review of its policies, VA was forced to prepare for a change that would have cut off services to veterans who did not meet certain length of service or discharge requirements, changing policies that homeless service providers had followed for decades. That would be a heartless, bureaucratic move that could have put thousands of veterans on the streets—practically overnight.”
 
“As a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the daughter of a World War II veteran, I’m proud that the bill I have introduced today would permanently protect homeless veterans’ access to housing and services. This bill makes it clear that our country takes care of those who’ve served, and we don’t allow bureaucracy to dictate who gets a roof over their head and who doesn’t.”
 
“If we ever hope to end veteran homelessness we must do everything we can to reach this goal, and I want to make sure that VA’s policies are moving us in that direction. I don’t just believe that the United States can do better; I believe we must do better for those who’ve sacrificed so much for our country.”

Senator Murray’s remarks for the record are below:

“Mr. President, today I am introducing the Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act of 2015. This legislation would ensure continued access to homeless services for some of our country’s most vulnerable veterans who are currently at risk of losing these critical services.
 
“The Administration set the difficult but commendable goal of eliminating veteran homelessness.  Through tremendous efforts at every level of government, and with the help of community groups, non-profits and the private sector, we have made major progress toward achieving that goal. But we know we have a lot of work to do. Veterans are at greater risk of becoming homeless than non-veterans and on any given night as many as 50,000 veterans are homeless across the United States.
 
“This is unacceptable. Our veterans made great sacrifices while serving our country and our commitment to them is especially important. This commitment includes providing benefits, medical care, support, and assistance to prevent homelessness.
 
“Two of our greatest tools are the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Grant and Per Diem program and the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program through partnerships with homeless service providers around the country. These important and successful programs assist very low-income veterans and their families who either live in permanent housing or are transitioning from homelessness. The programs help our veterans with rent, utilities, moving costs, outreach, case management, and obtaining benefits.
 
“But last year, after a legal review of its policies, VA was forced to prepare for a change that would have cut off services to veterans who did not meet certain length of service or discharge requirements, changing policies that homeless service providers had followed for decades.
 
“That would be a heartless, bureaucratic move that could have put thousands of veterans on the streets—practically overnight.  According to some of our leading veterans and homeless groups – including The American Legion, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans – had the policy been enacted, VA would have had to stop serving about 15 percent of the homeless veteran population, and in certain urban areas up to 30 percent of homeless veterans would have been turned away.
 
“The veterans community alerted me to this possible change-- and while I’m proud that we prevented these changes in the short-term—it’s very concerning that a legal opinion could be issued at any time to undo all of that. There is good reason to reverse this policy for good. A report from VA’s Inspector General, issued just last week, shows how VA’s unclear or outdated guidance hurts veterans, and how VA’s proposed policy changes work against efforts to help homeless veterans.
 
“As a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the daughter of a World War II veteran, I’m proud that the bill I have introduced today would permanently protect homeless veterans’ access to housing and services. This bill makes it clear that our country takes care of those who’ve served, and we don’t allow bureaucracy to dictate who gets a roof over their head and who doesn’t.
 
“Many veterans struggle with mental illness, substance abuse, or simply finding a steady job-all factors that can lead to homelessness. And veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are increasingly becoming homeless – numbers that will continue to increase in the coming years unless help is available for them.
 
“The idea that any of these veterans returning from service could become homeless because of these policies is unacceptable. If we ever hope to end veteran homelessness we must do everything we can to reach this goal, and I want to make sure that VA’s policies are moving us in that direction. I don’t just believe that the United States can do better; I believe we must do better for those who’ve sacrificed so much for our country.
 
“Finally, I’d like to thank Senator Hirono for cosponsoring this bill and being a champion of the men and women who have served our country. Thank you.”

###
Leah Kennebeck
Deputy Press Secretary
Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray
202-224-2834
 
 


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On the topic of politicians, let's drop back to  Tuesday's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.  The Committee Chair is Senator John McCain and the Ranking Member is Senator Jack Reed.  Appearing before the Committee were Gen Martin Dempsey (Chair of the Joint Chiefs) and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.

We've noted Senators Joe Donnelly, Kelly Ayotte and Joe Manchin in Wednesday's snapshot.  We're going to note the line of questioning from two other senators today.  Senator Martin Heinrich had some important and basic questions.


Senator Martin Heinrich: Let me start by saying that, 'surge' or no 'surge,' I think it's pretty clear, at least to my constituents, that the Iraq War remains one of the greatest US foreign policy mistakes of the last century and one that I've hoped we've learned a few lessons from.  I want to follow up, Mr. Secretary, on what Senator Hirono raised.  One lesson I feel that we should have learned by now is that eliminating one terrible Middle Eastern dictator can too often lead to even more brutal influences filling the leadership vacuum.  We've seen that play out too many times.  We've seen that to some extent in both Iraq and Libya.  Should we be concerned that in Syria, a post-Assad reality could create a vacuum that ISIL is far better positioned to fill than any of the other regional forces?  I'm not sure we should be --  I think we should be almost as concerned with forces like al Nusra Front [a splinter of al Qaeda which is operating in Syria].  And if Assad does fall, shouldn't we have more than discussions on the table?  Shouldn't we have a plan to make sure that some amount of governance remains, particularly in Damascus?

Secretary Ash Carter:  Uh, well, yes, we should and we do.  That is our strategy with respect to the political transition.  Now, uh, I've -- for reasons that are easy to understand, our influence with Bashar al Assad, our -- that is US -- influence is not great and so we are trying to influence those who influence him to remove himself, uh, from the government of, uh, Damascus while keeping intact the structures of governance for the very reasons that you adduce which is we know what happens in these Middle Eastern countries when the structures of government disintegrate and we would like to not see that happen in Syria even though we know that the persistence of Assad at the helm in Damascus  is in fact a fuel for ISIS and others who are fighting him so he needs to go to remove that fuel but we don't want to see the structures of governance go at the same time.  And that is the challenge but that is what we're trying to achieve.


Senator Martin Heinrich:  Well I think that's certainly the right goal, I just want to make sure we're prepared for that because we've sort of missed that goal in the past and Syria is an enormous country and if we saw it lose its governance capability, the implications for the region and the entire world would be enormous.  Secretary Carter, as you mentioned as well, to be successful on the ground against ISIL, the fight needs to be led by local, capable ground forces.  I don't think we should give in to impatience.  These should not be western forces.  These should not be American forces.  We've certainly heard that from our partners in places like Jordan.  This means we need to place a great deal of importance on training motivated and reliable partners.  And you've gone a little bit over the small number of Iraqi security forces recruited, what those challenges are, the bottle neck related to the vetting process but are there other factors you would attribute for the lack of trainees?  And I guess one of the questions I have related to that is what steps, in addition to the steps that you're taking, what steps is the Iraqi government taking to address this shortfall in order to meet those training targets.we'd like to see?

Secretary Ash Carter:  Uh, uh, thank you, Senator.  I think in Iraq, the principle limiting factor on Sunni trainees -- which is one of our focus -- our focuses -- has been their belief that the government in Baghdad was not fully supportive of them.  That is the challenge before Prime Minister Abadi.  He says he wants to do that and, uh, that's critical because only Sunnis can take back Anbar [Province], only Sunnis can govern Anbar when it's all over.  So if we are going to wrest Anbar from the likes of ISIL which we must do, we must have Sunnis on our side. And so Abadi is saying all the right things, as the Chairman noted.  We're trying to support him in doing all the right things. And --

Senator Martin Henirich: Mr. Secretary, I agree with you wholeheartedly in your analysis.  I guess my concern is is Abadi doing enough to begin to generate confidence in the Sunni population in that region?

Secretary Ash Carter: Uh, I think he is doing everything he personally can.  Uh, I think he is challenged in Baghdad by others who would have it the old way, the sectarian way.  And so he's not able to make everything happen when and as he says.  And we've had some delays and some frustrations as a result of that.  I think things are getting better.  We are getting more trainees.  It was noted earlier that there is some confidence among Sunni tribes that we will help them train, equip them, support them and get them back in the fight -- that there's a future for them  -- not even withstanding the difficulties of multi-sectarianism governance in Iraq.  That's the path we're on and, in the meantime, just to get back to something that Senator [Mike] Rounds said, I-I-I think and I-I said this before, I just want to restate it.  We need to take action to defend ourselves against ISIL, not just in Iraq and Syria, but elsewhere particularly foreign fighters even as we defeat them from the place from which they arose.  They have metastasized now, they aspire to be a global network and we have to fight them where they are.  We can't wait for that.  We need to do that -- and by the way, we do it every day.

Senator Martin Heinrich:  Secretary --

Secretary Ash Carter:  We did that just this past weekend.

Senator Martin Heinrich (Con't):  -- I want to leave you with one last question.  It's a very general one.  You may have seen the POLITICO article from a couple of days ago that examined what it called the "Da-aesh effect" -- and it's sort of a modern example of the ancient proverb that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend."  Whether it's Hammas or al Nusra or Iran, there are a number of entities that may be enemies to the US, certainly are enemies of our allies but currently share the same opposition to ISIL or Da'aesh.  What are your thoughts on that observation generally and wouldn't you agree that it's that reality that is part of the reason why this is such  a complicated nut to crack.


Secretary Ash Carter:  That is the reason why it's so complicated and, again, sectarianism is what brought us to this point so we are willing to -- and we are -- and have  supported elements of the Iraqi security forces that have a very large Shis composition to them but if and only if they're under the direction and control of the government of Iraq.  And there are Shia forces in Iraq that are not under the direction and control and we will not support them because that's sectarianism, that sectarian civil war.  We know what leads down that road and we're trying to stop Iraq from going down that road.



The hearing was Tuesday.  Wednesday this exchange took place at the State Dept press briefing moderated by Mark Toner:


MR TONER: Sure thing, Said. Go ahead.


QUESTION: The fight against ISIS?


MR TONER: The fight against ISIS.


QUESTION: (Inaudible.)


MR TONER: Sure.


QUESTION: I mean, now that we’ve had time --


MR TONER: Wouldn’t be a briefing without some discussion on --


QUESTION: (Inaudible.)


MR TONER: No, go ahead. I’m sorry.


QUESTION: No, I just wanted to follow up on some of the things that John said yesterday --


MR TONER: Yep.


QUESTION: -- but I (inaudible). He cited that when there is a – basically, implicitly, when there is a will to fight, such as the Peshmerga and the north fighting ISIS and the Kurdish fighters also in the north of Syria fighting ISIS, then we can see the outcome on the ground, that ISIS can be pushed back. Is the implicit suggestion there that the Iraqi army is not fighting or will not fight?


MR TONER: Not at all. We’ve long said that some of these local fighters have been absolutely integral to combating ISIL. But everything we do is through the Iraqi military and the Iraqi Government, and all the equipping and supplying that we do is conducted through them and with their concurrence. So there’s a recognition, I think, that this needs to be locally owned, if you will; that we need to really build the capacity of local forces, and that includes the Iraqi military itself, to be able to push back and combat ISIL.


QUESTION: Would that implicitly suggest that you – maybe you ought to give direct aid to the Peshmerga directly – heavy equipment, I mean. Not --


MR TONER: Yeah.


QUESTION: -- just rifles and guns and so on, but things like tanks and other battlefield equipment, heavy duty that they can use.



MR TONER: Well, again, we have been providing some assistance to the Peshmerga, again, through the Iraqi Government. We feel like that’s getting into their hands expeditiously. We don’t feel like there’s a delay mechanism or anything. We feel like that the system currently is working pretty well in terms of getting them what they need. In terms of additional support, obviously, we’re always looking at that, but nothing to announce.



In his exchange with Senator Kelly Ayotte on Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter made clear the US was directly arming the Kurds (as were the Germans and others, Carter also made clear).

Why does the State Dept not know this?

How stupid and uniformed is the administration that one group doesn't talk to the other and that a spokesperson does not know what's in public testimony?

This was what Senator Joni Ernst started with in her line of questioning, was the US government arming the Kurds as Ayotte had asked and as Carter had replied.  His only clarification was that they were providing these arms with the consent of the Iraqi government out of Baghdad.

But with that clarification, he again insisted that they were doing this.

Ernst had co-sponsored a bill with Senator Barbara Boxer earlier this year to make this direct aid -- with the consent of the Baghdad based government -- possible because Secretary of State John Kerry had insisted in a letter to Congress that they could not legally do this -- this what they are now doing without any new law.

Ernst pointed that out and pointed out that US President Barack Obama noted in his speech earlier this week that not only would this be happening but they would be expediting the process.

Let's move on to another issue of she raised.



Senator Joni Ernst: [. . . ] Sir, considering the fall of the most western part of Iraq to ISIS, that didn't trigger a decision point on the part of the Iraqi government in its commitment to Iraq or  -- I'm just not sure  what else the Iraqi government needs to fail at before the administration changes its strategy and how we support our willing partners in Iraq -- the Kurdish Peshmerga, they are willing partners, they are.  And I think we need to do more for them.  We cannot defeat ISIS in Iraq by continuing to beg, hope and pray that the sectarian Iraqi government -- which is still overshadowed, we've heard it a number of times, by previous prime minister [Nouri al-] Maliki and Iran.  We don't think that they would vigorously defend the Iraqi people equally.  I don't believe they will. But we've talked also about being more inclusive.  That word was mentioned again.  "More inclusive.'  I hear this time and time again.  But what -- I would like a definition of what does "more inclusive" look like and how do we measure "more inclusive"? Gentlemen, if you would address that please.

Secretary Ash Carter: I-I, uhm, would-would begin by noting the words of Prime Minister Abadi when he was here.  I think he used the word decentralized Iraq.  And that is one in which, uh, there is a central government in Baghdad an integral state of Iraq but there is substantial opportunity for self-determination around the country among Sunnis, among Shias, and among Kurds. It seems to me that's a wise way of approaching what multi-sectarianism means.  I think a, uh, government in Baghdad that allows the different parties there a degree of self-determination to maintain security within their own territory and to govern themselves, share in things like the oil wealth of the country and so forth, that is what he says he is for. And that's the way he described it when he was here in Washington to all of that.  And that is, in my judgment, certainly better than the alternative which is sectarian disintegration -- which could still occur in Iraq.  But I think we all -- looking into that abyss -- know what resides there -- further violence for the citizens of Iraq and further opportunities for groups like ISIL that don't -- aren't preoccupied with the long time welfare of the territories they occupy, they want to use them for further violence. So that is Prime Minister Abadi's definition and I think we're trying to support him in his aspiration to make good on that definition.

Senator Joni Ernst: Thank you.  General, anything to add there?

Gen Martin Dempsey:  Just that in the military, what we'll be watching for in terms of the intentions of the government of Iraq and its control over groups that are not directly responsive to the Ministry of Defense is whether there's retribution, whether they allow -- It was Tikrit I was speaking about, I think, Senator.  As these families come back to Tikrit after it was recaputered, we are watching -- and it's worth watching -- on whether they are able to return to their homes or not?  I think the same will be true once Ramadi is recaptured.  And we'll probably be watching how the campaign in Falluja unfolds to ensure that the popular mobilizations forces [Shi'ite militias] propagate a campaign that's not characterized by retribution.and-and dramatic collateral damage.  Those are all things to watch carefully.

Senator Joni Ernst: And I think we have willing partners there and I think we need to assist those willing partners.



Lastly, Margaret Griffis (Antiwar.com) counts 168 violent deaths across Iraq on Thursday.






































Thursday, July 09, 2015

Sen. Murray Fights to Protect Services for Homeless Veterans

 


 





Senator Patty Murray never stops fighting for veterans.  Her office notes:




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                    CONTACT: Murray Press Office
Thursday, July 9, 2015                                                               (202) 224-2834
 
Sen. Murray Fights to Protect Services for Homeless Veterans

Bill prevents changes to VA policy that would cut off thousands of veterans from accessing housing services
 
MURRAY: We have a duty to care for veterans, not to create more barriers to care
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced The Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act with cosponsor Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), which would prevent thousands of homeless veterans from losing access to housing services. VA’s proposed changes to the decades-old policy for homeless services would bar access for veterans who served less that than two years continuously, or who had an other than honorable discharge. This bill would ensure that those changes can never take place. Last week, Sen. Murray toured the Randall Apartments in Tacoma, a 35-unit complex that serves homeless veterans. She also met with representatives from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, local housing authorities, and community groups to discuss her new legislation.
“Our veterans made great sacrifices while serving our country and our commitment to them is especially important,” said Senator Murray. “This bill makes it clear that our country takes care of those who’ve served, and we don’t allow bureaucracy to dictate who gets a roof over their head and who doesn’t.… If we ever hope to end veteran homelessness, we must do everything we can to reach this goal, and I want to make sure that the VA’s policies are moving us in that direction.”
 
“As we work towards ending veterans homelessness, it is imperative that we use federal resources to help our servicemembers and their families in need,” said Senator Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. "Many of our vulnerable veterans saw combat and are fighting PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Instead of leaving these veterans out in the cold, we must ensure access to stable housing and other necessary services. This bill would codify VA practices that have proven to be effective in getting veterans off the street and into housing. I commend Senator Murray on her leadership and am proud to work with her on this important issue.”
 
The problem arose last year when a legal review concluded that veterans who served fewer than two years or had an other than honorable discharge may not be eligible for benefits such as housing services. As a result, when the VA instituted the policy last year, homeless shelters and providers who receive funding through the VA’s Grant and Per Diem (GPD) program were told to turn away new homeless veterans who didn’t meet the length of service or discharge requirements. Had this policy been fully carried out, this could have resulted in 15 percent of the homeless veterans population being turned away, and in certain urban areas could have been up to 30 percent. Sen. Murray introduced emergency legislation to reverse it, causing the VA to temporarily rescind the policy change.
The Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act being introduced today will ensure that in the future, veterans cannot be turned away from organizations because they don’t meet certain length of service or discharge requirements and that our country is fulfilling our promise to care for servicemembers and veterans.
Excerpts from Senator Murray’s remarks for the record are below:

“The Administration set the difficult but commendable goal of eliminating veteran homelessness.  Through tremendous efforts at every level of government, and with the help of community groups, non-profits and the private sector, we have made major progress toward achieving that goal.”
 
“But last year, after a legal review of its policies, VA was forced to prepare for a change that would have cut off services to veterans who did not meet certain length of service or discharge requirements, changing policies that homeless service providers had followed for decades. That would be a heartless, bureaucratic move that could have put thousands of veterans on the streets—practically overnight.”
 
“As a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the daughter of a World War II veteran, I’m proud that the bill I have introduced today would permanently protect homeless veterans’ access to housing and services. This bill makes it clear that our country takes care of those who’ve served, and we don’t allow bureaucracy to dictate who gets a roof over their head and who doesn’t.”
 
“If we ever hope to end veteran homelessness we must do everything we can to reach this goal, and I want to make sure that VA’s policies are moving us in that direction. I don’t just believe that the United States can do better; I believe we must do better for those who’ve sacrificed so much for our country.”

Senator Murray’s remarks for the record are below:

“Mr. President, today I am introducing the Homeless Veterans Services Protection Act of 2015. This legislation would ensure continued access to homeless services for some of our country’s most vulnerable veterans who are currently at risk of losing these critical services.
 
“The Administration set the difficult but commendable goal of eliminating veteran homelessness.  Through tremendous efforts at every level of government, and with the help of community groups, non-profits and the private sector, we have made major progress toward achieving that goal. But we know we have a lot of work to do. Veterans are at greater risk of becoming homeless than non-veterans and on any given night as many as 50,000 veterans are homeless across the United States.
 
“This is unacceptable. Our veterans made great sacrifices while serving our country and our commitment to them is especially important. This commitment includes providing benefits, medical care, support, and assistance to prevent homelessness.
 
“Two of our greatest tools are the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Grant and Per Diem program and the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program through partnerships with homeless service providers around the country. These important and successful programs assist very low-income veterans and their families who either live in permanent housing or are transitioning from homelessness. The programs help our veterans with rent, utilities, moving costs, outreach, case management, and obtaining benefits.
 
“But last year, after a legal review of its policies, VA was forced to prepare for a change that would have cut off services to veterans who did not meet certain length of service or discharge requirements, changing policies that homeless service providers had followed for decades.
 
“That would be a heartless, bureaucratic move that could have put thousands of veterans on the streets—practically overnight.  According to some of our leading veterans and homeless groups – including The American Legion, the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans – had the policy been enacted, VA would have had to stop serving about 15 percent of the homeless veteran population, and in certain urban areas up to 30 percent of homeless veterans would have been turned away.
 
“The veterans community alerted me to this possible change-- and while I’m proud that we prevented these changes in the short-term—it’s very concerning that a legal opinion could be issued at any time to undo all of that. There is good reason to reverse this policy for good. A report from VA’s Inspector General, issued just last week, shows how VA’s unclear or outdated guidance hurts veterans, and how VA’s proposed policy changes work against efforts to help homeless veterans.
 
“As a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the daughter of a World War II veteran, I’m proud that the bill I have introduced today would permanently protect homeless veterans’ access to housing and services. This bill makes it clear that our country takes care of those who’ve served, and we don’t allow bureaucracy to dictate who gets a roof over their head and who doesn’t.
 
“Many veterans struggle with mental illness, substance abuse, or simply finding a steady job-all factors that can lead to homelessness. And veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are increasingly becoming homeless – numbers that will continue to increase in the coming years unless help is available for them.
 
“The idea that any of these veterans returning from service could become homeless because of these policies is unacceptable. If we ever hope to end veteran homelessness we must do everything we can to reach this goal, and I want to make sure that VA’s policies are moving us in that direction. I don’t just believe that the United States can do better; I believe we must do better for those who’ve sacrificed so much for our country.
 
“Finally, I’d like to thank Senator Hirono for cosponsoring this bill and being a champion of the men and women who have served our country. Thank you.”

###
Leah Kennebeck
Deputy Press Secretary
Office of U.S. Senator Patty Murray
202-224-2834
 
 

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The continued non-progress in Iraq

At Foreign Policy, Elie Abouaoun offers "Beating the Islamic State Won't Fix Iraq" which includes:


Still, the simple reality is that the situation in Iraq has grown dire for many civilians, and the Islamic State has continually been able to exploit the sectarian cracks that have crept across the country. Sunni Muslims have been dealing with social and political marginalization since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which paved the way for the Shiite majority to acquire political control. In more recent years, indiscriminate violence by Iraqi military forces became a prime reason for local civilians to turn to the Islamic State, according to Iraq-based journalist Mohammed al-Dulaimy.
The military strategy against the terrorist group has included the elevation of anti-Islamic State militant groups in the area — a security-centered approach that has led to unhelpful cycles of regional and local violence. Regional conflicts have divided into local conflicts, and more and more civilian communities are being militarized. The collapse of the Iraqi Army last summer in several key battles has led such militias, many with Iranian, Kurdish, or Turkish backing, to fill the security vacuum, which introduced an extra dimension of sectarian complication.

Kurdish groups and the Iranian-backed Shiite militias who are fighting against the Islamic State are now responsible for a good portion of sectarian violence in both Syria and Iraq. Shiite militias entering traditionally Sunni areas of Iraq, for instance, has resulted in further unrest, despite their supposed anti-Islamic State mandate. Western support for supposedly moderate militias fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces has exacerbated sectarian rifts, as these militias have engaged in reprisal attacks against Sunnis.


The main thrust of the piece shouldn't be in dispute.  Abouaoun argues that you could eliminate the Islamic State tomorrow and Iraq wouldn't turn into a heaven on earth or even purgatory on earth.  The problems that led to the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq are not being addressed.

These problems have allowed one group after another to take root in the country.

And when one loses support, another pops up.

This is what, in June 2014, US President Barack Obama was getting at when he declared that the only answer to Iraq's crises was a political solution.

That's what Abouaoun is arguing.  Until the leaders can work on a unified Iraq -- which does not allow persecution of the minority populations (read all non-Shi'ites) -- the same problems fester and there's no progress towards unity.

We noted  Tuesday's Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in Wednesday's snapshot (and we'll note it again in tonight's) but one overall development that's not being noted is Haider al-Abadi.

He was supposed to be the reset button when he replaced Nouri al-Maliki as prime minister of Iraq.

And you get a lot of spin from the State Dept (especially Brett McGurk) and from the White House about what a great job Haider is doing.

The reality is that he's been in power since August and he's not addressing anything.

His 'big' accomplishment thus far is visiting a camp of refugees -- and the US State Dept twister his arm to get that photo op.

He's been unable or unwilling to do what is needed.

And though a few have been noting that (we have), the US government's position has been blind support.

At this week's hearing, you saw Secretary of Defense Ash Carter break away from that, if you paid attention.

His remarks indicated doubt as to whether or not Haider was doing what he has stated he was doing.

That's the first indication from anyone in the administration that there might be any doubts or questions about Haider's actions.

And there's a good reason for that:  Haider's achieved nothng.

And he was a quick reset.

It was not going to be put in a new ruler after Nouri's two terms and everything was fixed.

The whole point was getting a new ruler to show the Iraqi people that a new face on Iraq might mean ending the divisions and certainly the government persecution.

But Haider's not taken steps to do that.

Parliament, for example, is being allowed to debate the funding for the Justice and Accountability Commission.

That destructive body was supposed to have died following the 2005 elections.

Nouri illegally kept it alive and it has been repeatedly used since to try to derail the campaigns of Sunni politicians (and of Shi'ites who were enemies of Nouri al-Maliki and his State of Law).

There should be no debate as to how to keep it funded or alive.

It's part of the de-Ba'athification of Iraq imposed on the country by the US government -- and it was supposed to have ended -- remember those forgotten White House benchmarks -- in 2007.

None of this is being addressed and until it is the same problems continue, fester and they foster continued unrest.





















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