Obama on Afghanistan Deal - The War in Afghanistan

The White House: Statement by President Obama on the US - Afghan Deal to keep US troops in Afghanistan after this year, the President states, " Today we mark an historic day in the U.S.-Afghan partnership that will help advance our shared interests and the long-term security of Afghanistan. After nearly two years of hard work by negotiating teams on both sides, earlier today in Kabul the United States and the new Afghan Government of National Unity signed a Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA). This agreement represents an invitation from the Afghan Government to strengthen the relationship we have built over the past 13 years and provides our military service members the necessary legal framework to carry out two critical missions after 2014: targeting the remnants of Al Qaeda and training, advising, and assisting Afghan National Security Forces. The signing of the BSA also reflects the implementation of the Strategic Partnership Agreement our two governments signed in May 2012.

Today, Afghan and NATO officials also signed the NATO Status of Forces Agreement, giving forces from Allied and partner countries the legal protections necessary to carry out the NATO Resolute Support mission when ISAF comes to an end later this year.

These agreements follow an historic Afghan election in which the Afghan people exercised their right to vote and ushered in the first peaceful democratic transfer of power in their nation’s history. The BSA reflects our continued commitment to support the new Afghan Unity Government, and we look forward to working with this new government to cement an enduring partnership that strengthens Afghan sovereignty, stability, unity, and prosperity, and that contributes to our shared goal of defeating Al Qaeda and its extremist affiliates.

This day was only possible because of the extraordinary service of our men and woman in uniform who continue to sacrifice  so much in Afghanistan on behalf of our security and the Afghan people. The American people are eternally grateful for their efforts. "

Lets Get Real:

Thus a deal between the US and Afghanistan, will it work? When it comes to Afghanistan history it does not bode well, at least President Obama is trying and not making the same mistake as he did with Iraq, lets see what happens, it might work, but not holding my breath. Some things such as peace is not a word you would associate with Afghanistan.  Poor Afghanistan. 

The Blame Game Part 2 - The New War on Terror

The New York Times: Reports the backlash from US intelligence on the blame placed on them by POTUS for the rise of IS and how it caught out the Oval Office, the article notes the following, " ..the reports, they said, generated little attention in a White House consumed with multiple brush fires and reluctant to be drawn back into Iraq.  "

Lets Get Real:

The Obama Administration is political terms is on the way OUT, those that live in Washington D.C are looking forward to 2016 Presidential Election, thus the Foreign Elite are covering their backsides against the charge they dropped the ball when it comes to Iraq and Syria.   As noted in this blog and by others the President seems to be out of the loop when it comes to crisis points in his Administration.  One can argue that POTUS makes Reagan look like a micro manager of his administration and that includes Iran - Contra.   The US voter likes it when a President takes the blame, Kennedy for the Bay of Pigs and Reagan for Iran - Contra, this makes them like everyone else, they make mistakes.   For what ever reason the Obama ego can not do this, or has never had that ability, when people say your great all the time, it must go to your head.   Thus Obama passes the buck and it is thrown right back at him, who is telling the truth, time for Congress to investigate. 

IS and Baghdad - The New War on Terror

Telegraph: Reports " Isil gunmen were reported to be six miles away from some points of Baghdad, and were holding their ground at a front line on the major northern highway to Fallujah in Iraq. "

Lets Get Real:

If IS can take part of Baghdad or control Baghdad this would force the West to take action on the ground, it would be a humilation for President Obama if after ordering air strikes they failed to push IS back and even showed they could take the strikes and still get a foothold in Baghdad.  One has to assume that US and UK Special Forces are on the ground to make sure the Iraqi Army or what is left of it and trying to hit IS before they make any more gains. The very fact that IS is so close is a major worry, also the fact that the RAF has not dropped any bombs, what was the House of Commons recall for, can't they blow something up, and fast, the public when supporting action want action, they want to support the RAF in doing its job.  This is a war that the West can not afford to lose. 

The Blame Game when it comes to IS, ISIS, ISIL - The New War on Terror

The Daily Mail: Reports " President Barack Obama's intelligence briefings have provided him with specific information since before he won re-election in 2012 about the growing threat of the terror group now known alternatively as ISIS and ISIL, an administration insider told MailOnline on Monday. "

Lets Get Real:

As this blog predicted there would be leaks against the Oval spin that President Obama has been let down by US Intelligence, it was not a failure of intelligence, it was a failure of one man, that man is President Obama.   The President was more interested in winning re-election than telling the truth to the voter.   At its essence Al Qaeda and its franchise is still about, in fact IS, ISIS, ISIL has gone one better than Al Qaeda of 9/11, it has declared itself a State.   The very fact that the West is back in Iraq and bombing Iraq and Syria shows that the Obama message was ALL spin.   The question now is when US and Western troops will go back in to Iraq, if Baghdad comes under serious threat the Oval will have no choice, it would have to have boots on the ground.   While the Oval is fighting a War the political war will go on, no one wants the blame of IS, thus expect more leaks and public fighting. 

US and Afghan Deal - Afghanistan War

BBC News: Reports " The new Afghan government has signed a security deal with American officials that will allow US troops to remain in the country beyond this year. "

Lets Get Real:

On the one hand this a good deal, it keeps a US presence in Afghanistan should the Taliban and Al Qaeda try to move on the Capital of Kabul.    On the other its a major mistake by the US and its allies, the Taliban and Al Qaeda will not step up their attacks on Western forces, they need the constant PR that they are fighting another invader.   The US Force is so small that should the Taliban go for a major offensive the Pentagon will have to send in extra troops.    At the least the UK is OUT, the UK done Afghanistan to many times, we have tried it all,  in the end the UK left and kept Imperial Planes in NOW Pakistan to bomb suspected threats, the grandfather of drones.    Once all Western Forces leave the natives will be back to having their civil war, Afghanistan is about endless repeats of history. 

POTUS vs. US Intelligence - The New War on Terror

Fox News: Reports on President Obama blaming US Intelligence for the growth of IS in Syria and Iraq, the article notes the following, " But sources say Obama nevertheless was looped in on the rise of ISIS for a while.   A military intelligence official told Fox News that the Obama administration had options on the table to target senior leadership of ISIS -- as well as the Al Qaeda-aligned Khorasan Group -- in the 18 months leading up to the strikes in Syria which began last week.  "

Lets Get Real:

This move by the Oval to blame the intelligence agencies is a massive mistake, unlike some critics of the Obama Administration they can fight back with leaks that could hurt  Obama Administration hard, the Oval could be asked to release ALL intelligence files in connection with IS from the past 18 months, then the voter can decide who dropped this very critical ball when it comes to IS and the mysterious Khorasan group.    The Obama Oval seems to be a passer by in his own Administration, one would think that a clever guy like Obama would love to see the raw intelligence of the CIA and the NSA.   The result of the War in Syria and Iraq will be the legacy of the Obama Administration, time for these fellows to get their act together and to win, coming 2nd is not an option, also there is the need for ground troops in Iraq and Syria, otherwise it just become another Vietnam but worse. 

Obama vs. Clinton on Syrian Conflict - The New War on Terror

CNN - Politics: Reports on President Obama pushing back on his critics for his  decision not to arm the Syrian rebels in 2012, the article notes the following, " In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" that aired on Sunday, Obama said that arming Syrian rebels in 2012 in their fight against President Bashar al-Assad "would have been counterproductive."

Lets Get Real:

When nearly the entire National Security Team is telling you to arm the Syrian rebels and you think that your point of view is better than theirs you have a problem.   President Obama made serious mistakes in the first term, he allowed his Vice President to be the front man for the Administration when it came to Iraq and thus no agreement to keep US troops there after 2011, then he thought he knew better on how to deal with Syria, that end result shows President Obama does not have a clue about foreign policy or the Middle East.  Also on the political front he has made enemies of the Clintons, they will not allow the mistakes of the Obama years to fall on them, thus if the Obama polls are in the tank in 2016 they will dump on him from on high.   The President is trying to rewrite history, history bites back, Obama is neither as great as he thinks he is or as bad as his critics state, he is human, he makes mistakes. 

Syria Update - The New War on Terror

Guardian: Reports " US-led air strikes pound Isis bases in Syria...Coalition raids target oil facilities held by Islamic State while Syrian army bombs areas in Aleppo province overnight "

Lets Get Real:

The US and its allies have become the air force for the Assad Regime and its backers Iran, the Free Syrian Army is in no shape to take the land that is being bombed by the Allies.  The only way this War can be a net plus for Obama before his term ends is to place troops in Iraq and Syria.  POTUS will have to be forced by public will to place troops in these two Countries, it runs against who POTUS is and what he ran on in 2008 and 2012, either POTUS changes his mind or the US will never win this new war.  Of course POTUS might want to hand the problem over to his successor in 2017, that will not look good for the Obama legacy even if it makes the liberal base happy.   No War can be won with just air power, only someone who has never fought or does not understand military history would think that the bomber theory is still a plus.   Time will tell, the US voter will want results nor constant rhetoric that does not make any changes. 

IS near Baghdad - The New War on Terror

BBC News: Reports " Iraqi ground forces, backed by air strikes, appear to have halted advancing Islamic State (IS) militants in a town west of Baghdad. "

Lets Get Real:

This blog would not be surprised to hear one morning that the black flag of IS has been seen on buildings in Baghdad, the threat from IS it seems has not been pushed back by the air attacks of the US and its allies.   This lack of success means that the West has to place ground troops in Iraq in the near future, the bombing stalls IS but only that, to hold and keep ground either the Iraq Army has to find its backbone or President Obama has to allow military advisors to help the Iraqi forces.   Why does Iraq remind me of Vietnam at this moment. simple, weak government, no great support in the country and the enemy within is winning.   Will 2014 look like 1965 ALL over again. 

The Caretaker - Doctor Who Review

Doctor Who News: Reports " 4.89 million viewers watched Doctor Who - The Caretaker according to unofficial overnight viewing figures.  "

Lets Get Real:

This is a crucial episode in the relationships between Doctor and Clara and the Doctor and ex Soldier Danny.   The threat this week was just a way for the Doctor to meet Clara's boyfriend Danny, and for Danny to learn that his girlfriend is a time traveller  with the Doctor. The Guardian notes " But as Clara’s carefully constructed house of cards collapses around her, the deftness of this series begins to play out......The Doctor and Danny’s rivalry is an absolute dead heat as to who is right and who is wrong, and if either of these male egos were to make her choose (something which I doubt she would stand for anyway) I couldn’t call which way she would go. "   The Telegraph states the following, " Peter Capaldi lent his usual irascible charm to the latest incarnation of the nation's favourite alien. ".  Thus the big question when will Danny join the TARDIS crew, the Doctor and Danny would bicker over who had the biscuits first, IF it happens its going to be a FUN.   One can see the Doctor throw any maths questions to Danny, even maths on time travel, just to see his reaction. Must see episode for the 2nd time. 

Hitting IS in the pocket - The New War on Terror

Daily Mail: Reports " Bombers destroy ISIS' black gold: New wave of airstrikes hit oil fields in Syria in war on black market trade that earns jihadis £2million a DAY "

Lets Get Real:

While hitting IS terror targets is the main job the US and its allies in Syria it is showing that it understands that you have to cut off the money that goes in to the pocket of IS from black market oil.  It has been estimated that IS has pocket worth of 1 billion, that gets you lot of new weapons from the arms trade, also one day IS could get its hands on nuclear material, lets be very real, if IS had the bomb or nuclear material it would use it the Middle East and Europe.    Thus once UK is in action in Iraq it should start to make plans for action in Syria, the longer IS has some kind of protection in Syria it will grow and keep its head down while the US and its allies strike.   This will be a LONG WAR, not weeks, not months, but years, and there will be Western ground troops, call them special forces or whatever you want, you have to take IS down on the ground, that is job for US/UK Special Forces. 

Next Syria for the RAF - The New War on Terror

Guardian: Reports " David Cameron has held out the possibility of extending British air strikes against the “psychopathic” forces of the Islamic State (Isis) from Iraq into Syria, saying there were no legal barriers to a change in the mission. "

Lets Get Real:

The blog is not a five star general, but its easy to work out the next moves, the UK starts with bombing IS in Iraq, after that it will be Syria, you can not leave Syria alone as it would allow IS to hide its troops in Syria, then strike when the UK has withdraw after doing half the job.    The IS base in Syria has to be taken down, this will take the bombing of the US, the Arab allies and the UK.  Also there will be the need for ground troops, rather than call them boots on the ground, they will be Special Forces, in fact boots on the ground, but its a piece of PR to keep the public happy.   Then we come to Assad, this regime also needs to be taken down, thus the US and its allies will have to destroy IS first then Assad.   This is long and costly operation, there are going to be ups and downs, the public can not allow itself to be haunted by the 2nd Gulf War, there is no time for that kind of soul searching or muttering, time for action and not talks. 

The Case for UK action in Iraq - The New War on Terror

BBC News: Reports " Islamic State (IS) is a threat to the "streets of Britain" and the UK has a "duty" to confront it, David Cameron has said as MPs debate air strikes. "

Lets Get Real:

This is the first stage of UK actions in Iraq, it can be argued that PM Cameron has given himself enough room to attack Syria if there is a urgent need to act, then the PM would come back to the House of Commons to seek support.   If the RAF are in action over Syria then the House of Commons will give it support, even through there will be mutterings from the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. 

Thus the UK is in its third action, the Vote in the House will be yes as the Conservative Party, Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats support the action, the next question is what next, the IS terrorists want the West to take action on the ground, the West can not afford to be dragged in to another action, it has to get the Iraqi Army up and ready to fight, it has to arm the Kurds, and also use UK and US Special Forces in the region.   This will be a long War, it could still be going on during the general election, by then Syria could also be a target.   It will be interesting to see the ramifications of this War on public opinion and during the General Election of 2015. 

France and IS - The New War on Terror

Telegraph: Reports " France considers expanding air strikes to Syria..France carries out more airstrikes against Islamic State (Isil) and says it is considering extending its attacks to Syria after beheading of French tourist "

Lets Get Real:

This blog sometimes makes fun of the French, who does not, but on terror and taking action the Middle East the French can be proud of their government,  they have not had endless discussions about doing the right thing, they just did it, one could only have wished that the French had taken this action during the 2nd Gulf War, in that time period they froze the UN and thus Bush 43 and Tony Blair could not get UN sanction for the War, the left will never forgive Blair for that, as there was no WMD in Iraq the War of 2003 is seen as a criminal action by some of the left.   One wonders will the French at a later date place ground troops in Iraq and Syria, an air campaign will not destroy IS, it will need ground forces to take and hold land.    Thus one can expect the US, UK and France to carry that load, the Kurds and the Iraqi Army will not be able to take the big towns, while the US and the UK have a history in Iraq.    

IS Update - New War on Terror

Guardian: Reports " Major terrorist attack is ‘inevitable’ as Isis fighters return, say EU officials...EU’s 28 governments are said to be struggling to respond to threat of Islamist fighters coming back from Iraq and Syria "

Lets Get Real:

Thus the EU has to get real when it comes to terrorism, it has to allow the security services to act to protect the peoples of the EU, this means that personal freedoms will have to take a backseat for a while.   If another 9/11 or 7/7 happens in Europe the people will not care if EU countries had a hard choice to make, they will want their leaders to come down had on the terrorist threat.   This might shock some people, but the EU and EU Countries should bring back the death penalty for treason.   The terrorists have to know that if they take an active part in a event then they will face the 100% sanction of the State.   The EU has to get over the fact that the good old days are over, its time for 100% security, time for action, time for Western intelligence to have its eyes and ears open, they have to be right 100% of the time, 99% will not do this time.

Holder OUT as Attorney General - 2nd Term Blues

BBC News: Reports " US Attorney General Eric Holder is to announce his resignation, White House officials have confirmed. "

Lets Get Real:

This has come out of nowhere, so far as this blog can recall there were no rumours that Holder was going, it might be the cynical political hack in the dark soul of this political blog but WHY?.    Attorney General Holder was Obama's RFK, protected the Oval at all costs, even if that bought critics down on his head, it can be wearing being Attorney General, but just to leave, Fox News states that " Holder has "no immediate plans" after leaving the post.   The choice of successor will bring the Party arguments front and centre, the Democrats have the votes in the Senate to confirm any new successor, but they might not have after the Mid term elections. That could be the reason for the resignation, Holder does not fancy being grilled by a Republican controlled Senate. 

Obama vs. The New York Times

The New York Times: Reports on the papers Editorial view of the Syrian attacks, the paper states the following, "  In the absence of public understanding or discussion and a coherent plan, the strikes in Syria were a bad decision. "

Lets Get Real:

The Oval must be jumping with joy, it has been attacked by the liberal New York Times, that means its doing something right, also if the NYT is opposed then the right will support the action.   The candidate of 2008 is  not the President in 2014, Yes We Can has become, if you cant beat the Republicans you might as well ACT as a Republican President, in the area of national security.    Thus these attacks on IS in Syria and Iraq is Obama's War, even Bush 43 never attacked Syria, the War will be long, it might take years, and it will need Western special forces to take out IS in the major towns.   One can not see the New Iraqi Army, the Kurds wanting to take out IS in cities were they are not a major ethnic majority, thus the Iraqi Government will have to request that he US help.    That is down the line, there will be days, even months of action from the air.  Lets hope no Western or Arab airplanes are shot down, that would require boots on the ground to get them, that might be tricky in Syria and Iraq. 

The Recall of the UK Parliament Part 2 - New War on Terror

Guardian: Reports " Parliament to be recalled to endorse UK air strikes in Iraq..Opposition leader Ed Miliband has told the PM he will support UK involvement in Iraq, but not at this stage in Syria "

Lets Get Real:

At least the UK will part of the action to take down IS, Syria is complicated by the fact that the West does not want to talk to Assad or get his permission to attack IS, the US informed the Assad Regime of its strikes but did not ask for their approval.   The Labour Leader Ed Miliband has to careful that he does not come off as weak, has to many other presenting problems to get away with that, thus David Cameron should get the RAF in to action and then move on Syria at a later date, the IS group can not be allowed to have protected areas in Syria.   This is will be  long and complicated War, the West and the UK has time to increase it attacks, lets start with Iraq first. 

IS franchise beheads Frenchman - New War on Terror

BBC News: Reports " France has confirmed that an Algerian jihadist group linked to Islamic State (IS) militants has beheaded tourist Herve Gourdel, seized on Sunday. "

Lets Get Real:

The French were being blackmailed, either stop bombing in Iraq or face this result, the French stood firm, you can never talk with these kind of terrorists as stated by President Obama today at the UN.   One can expect more Westerns being taken and other countries come under threat, the West has to stand firm, it can not allow IS to dictate the foreign policy of the West.   There was never a time for talking with IS, there can only be one result, the destruction of IS and its franchise groups.    This will take years, the West better get ready for the long haul, there will be ups and downs, that is WAR. 

The Recall of the UK Parliament - New War on Terror

No 10: Reports the following, " A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The Speaker has agreed to the Prime Minister’s request to recall Parliament this Friday to debate the UK’s response to the request from the Iraqi government for air strikes to support operations against ISIL in Iraq.

The Commons will meet on Friday for a debate on a substantive motion. The Prime Minister will open the debate and the Deputy Prime Minister will close the debate. The Prime Minister has called a meeting of the Cabinet tomorrow at 1pm. "

Lets Get Real: 

The House of Commons should vote for the UK to strike IS targets in Iraq and Syria, the last time the Parliament discussed Syria it blew it, it voted against, that was due to the Iraq War and the failure to find WMD.   IS is a real and current threat to the Middle East and the West, there are no talking with this kind of enemy as President Obama stated at the UN, they only understand force.   The UK is a leader among nations, it does not lead from behind, even the French have started airstrikes before us, time to get in to action, the RAF has the best men and machines, they can help rid the World of IS. 

President Obama at the UN - New War on Terror

The White House: Here are the main points from the speech by POTUS at the UN, "  First, the terrorist group known as ISIL must be degraded and ultimately destroyed.

This group has terrorized all who they come across in Iraq and Syria.  Mothers, sisters, daughters have been subjected to rape as a weapon of war.  Innocent children have been gunned down.  Bodies have been dumped in mass graves.  Religious minorities have been starved to death.  In the most horrific crimes imaginable, innocent human beings have been beheaded, with videos of the atrocity distributed to shock the conscience of the world.

No God condones this terror.  No grievance justifies these actions.  There can be no reasoning -- no negotiation -- with this brand of evil.  The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force.  So the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death. 

In this effort, we do not act alone -- nor do we intend to send U.S. troops to occupy foreign lands.  Instead, we will support Iraqis and Syrians fighting to reclaim their communities.  We will use our military might in a campaign of airstrikes to roll back ISIL.  We will train and equip forces fighting against these terrorists on the ground.  We will work to cut off their financing, and to stop the flow of fighters into and out of the region.  And already, over 40 nations have offered to join this coalition.  "

Lets Get Real:

The UN speech was tough and clear as to the aims and objectives of the US, President Obama was clear that IS is evil, its the type of language used by the great President, Ronald Reagan.   The West know has to destroy IS, it has to have night and day bombing, it has to make sure that the Iraqi Army, the Kurds and the Free Syrian Army use the airstrikes as way to roll back IS, this will take time, might take years, the West can not afford to lose this fight.  Hat off to POTUS, good speech. 

The NEXT IS Flashpoint = Turkey - War on Terror

The New York Times: Reports " More than 130,000 refugees have flooded into Turkey from Syria in recent days, fleeing attacks by Islamic State militants on their villages..."

Lets Get Real:

The growth of IS a threat to the entire Middle East, lets recall Turkey is part of NATO, it only takes one attack on Turkey for NATO to come in to the picture, also IS is a threat to Iran, thus while Iran rebukes the US for its actions it needs the US to carry on with its airstrikes, while they use their military presence in Iraq to support the Baghdad Government.    One would think that the leadership of IS would understand that an attack on Turkey would be a grave mistake, but that does not mean that there are not other targets, refugees have flooded, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan, as Jordan is a close ally of the US and the West the US would have to protect the Kingdom should come under threat.    The question is can airstrikes on IS work without a ground operation, no one outside the Oval seems to think that you can ONLY do airstrikes, you need troops on the ground to take ground and keep it, thus we are back to the question of boots on the ground, lets hope the Oval gets over its ego and gets the troops ready for action, it is coming, reality and the wishes of the Oval are about to hit each other, rhetoric is good but you have to have boots on the ground. 

Panetta BLAMES Obama for IS - 2nd Term Blues

Fox News: Reports in essence that former Secretary of State Leon Panetta places the blame for the growth of IS in Syria on President Obama and his refusal to arm secular rebels in 2012.  Also states he supported keeping troops in Iraq after 2011.

Lets Get Real:

The simple answer is that Panetta and co, that being Hillary Clinton and the Defence Department does not want to take the blame for IS, they are quite willing to throw President Obama under the bus, those that have left or want to a job after 2017 are creating a defence against the charge that they dropped the ball when it comes to IS.   The problem for the Oval is that it is not running again and its VP is a laughing stock when it comes to the prospects that he could win the Democratic nomination.  If Obama had a dog in the race then people who be more afraid of speaking out, but VP Biden is punchline for jokes.   The nomination is for Hillary Clinton to lose, thus she has been making distance between herself and Obama when it comes to national security.   That is the price that Obama pays for having a weak VP with no prospects of being POTUS. 

New Afghanistan Deal - Afghanistan War

BBC News: Reports " A deal to form a government of national unity in Afghanistan has been signed at a ceremony in Kabul. "

Lets Get Real:

Thus a successful piece of diplomacy by US Secretary of State John Kerry, given the law of averages he was bound to find success somewhere, the new national government has agreed to allow US troops to stay in Afghanistan after the NATO mission comes to an end, this allows the US to train Afghan Forces but also allows them to keep Al Qaeda on their toes.   It is a pity that POTUS did not take an interest in Iraq during their talks with the US, if the US had kept a force in Iraq this could have prevented the rise of IS, and the new war on terror.   The most interesting part will come when the majority of Western troops have left, how long before the Taliban and Al Qaeda start to undermine the new Afghan Government and step up attacks on US troops in country.    This is a high point, there will be low points, that is the nature of Afghanistan for any power. 

Obama on IS - The War in Iraq

The White House: Reports on the weekly address by POTUS.  Here are the remarks, " Over the past week, the United States has continued to lead our friends and allies in the strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL.  As I’ve said before, our intelligence community has not yet detected specific plots from these terrorists against America.  Right now, they pose a threat to the people of Iraq, Syria, and the broader Middle East.  But its leaders have threatened America and our allies.  And if left unchecked, they could pose a growing threat to the United States.

So, last month, I gave the order for our military to begin taking targeted action against ISIL.  Since then, American pilots have flown more than 170 airstrikes against these terrorists in Iraq.  And France has now joined us in these airstrikes.

Going forward, we won’t hesitate to take action against these terrorists in Iraq or in Syria.  But this is not America’s fight alone.  I won’t commit our troops to fighting another ground war in Iraq, or in Syria.  It’s more effective to use our capabilities to help partners on the ground secure their own country’s futures. We will use our air power. We will train and equip our partners.  We will advise and we will assist.   And we’ll lead a broad coalition of nations who have a stake in this fight.  This isn’t America vs. ISIL.  This is the people of that region vs. ISIL.  It’s the world vs ISIL.

We’ve been working to secure bipartisan support for this strategy here at home, because I believe that we are strongest as a nation when the President and Congress work together.  We’ve been consulting closely with Congress.  And last week, Secretary of State Kerry, Secretary of Defense Hagel, and military leaders worked to gain their support for our strategy. 

A majority of Democrats and a majority of Republicans in both the House and the Senate have now approved a first, key part of our strategy by wide margins.  They’ve given our troops the authority they need to train Syrian opposition fighters so that they can fight ISIL in Syria.  Those votes sent a powerful signal to the world: Americans are united in confronting this danger.  And I hope Congress continues to make sure our troops get what they need to get the job done.

Meanwhile, because we’re leading the right way, more nations are joining our coalition.  Over 40 countries have offered to help the broad campaign against ISIL so far – from training and equipment, to humanitarian relief, to flying combat missions.  And this week, at the United Nations, I’ll continue to rally the world against this threat.

This is an effort that America has the unique ability to lead.  When the world is threatened; when the world needs help; it calls on America. And we call on our troops. Whether it’s to degrade and ultimately destroy a group of terrorists, or to contain and combat a threat like the Ebola epidemic in Africa; we ask a lot of our troops.  But while our politics may be divided at times, the American people stand united around supporting our troops and their families.  This is a moment of American leadership.  Thanks to them, it is a moment we will meet. "

Lets Get Real:

I wish President Obama would stop saying that there will be no ground troops in Iraq, the US has 1,600 troops on the ground already, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs has stated that these Military Advisors could go out on missions with their Iraqi colleagues.   Thus the US does have boots on the ground, it also needs spotters for the air strikes, Vietnam started with military advisors.  In 1965 LBJ placed the Marines in South Vietnam to protect US planes, will Obama in 2015 send real ground troops back in to Iraq, there is more chance of that than the US leaving Iraq for good. 

Time Heist - Doctor Who Review

Doctor Who News: Reports " 4.93 million watched Doctor Who - Time Heist, according to unofficial overnight figures, a share of 23.8 % of the total TV audience. "

Lets Get Real:

This was a fun episode, the Doctor as a bank robber, but the reason for the robbery is a spoiler, the demise of two characters through the episode was shocking but seeing the result of action taken by spoiler you could see why they did it, then at the end manipulative side of the Doctor came through, the two deaths had a different outcome, again spoiler.   The wonderful Keeley Hawes was the Bank Manager was was the enemy of the Doctor, she was smart, and an equal to the Doctor, but of course she lost but also won at the end, there are to many spoilers to tell this part of the story, lets just say its open for Ms Hawes to come back, timelines are great for Time Lords.   One thing that was retro was than the Bank of Karabraxos was a real building, just the most secure building in banking, if your up to something the bank will know, and what the Doctor stole is a spoiler.   See episode again, do feel sorry for the bank and the Manager! Bankers are nice are they not, but then my memory is gone, did I ever visit the bank of Karabraxos!!  Spoiler alert there too!! 

The House SPLIT on Syria - 2nd Term Blues

The New York Times: Reports on the mixed vote in the House to grant approval to POTUS  to train Syrian rebels, the motion was opposed by those who thought it was not tough enough, that being Republicans and those who thought it was the wrong policy, that being Democrats.  The article notes the following, " Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio and Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the minority leader, actively and strongly backed the legislation, and both sought to portray it as a modest measure. "

Lets Get Real:

No one thinks that you can take hundreds of rebels out of Syria, then train them and send them back, the training will take time, in that period, Assad and IS will try to gain from the weakness of the rebels, thus when the moderate rebels do go back they will need US Special Forces or they will be wiped out by either enemies.   The US has tried troops on the ground in Iraq, and it worked before POTUS removed all the troops in 2011, this was a major strategic mistake, thus the growth of IS.   The liberals in the Obama Administration think air power alone will work in Syria and Iraq, good luck with that move, it will not work, you need to hold ground.  One can postulate that Obama wants to hand the problem over to his successor, he wants to keep IS and Assad from winning, but will only do enough to keep the problems from making him look weak.   The history of Iraq in the 21 Century looks lot like Vietnam, time for leaders to re - read the history of the period. 

Obama vs. The Generals - 2nd Term Blues

Telegraph: Reports on the reaction of the liberal base of the Democratic Party to the suggestion that  ground troops could be used in Iraq, the article notes the following, " The suggestion angered and alarmed Mr Obama's liberal supporters and prompted the White House to hastily rule out the possibility of Americans on the front line. "

Lets Get Real: 

As this blog tweeted the White House would have to row back the remarks by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the liberal base elected President Obama, they are not happy will recent developments in Iraq, they would rather not take on IS.   Either IS is a major threat or it is not, the Oval can not have it both ways, what if IS starts to cause problems in Jordan and Lebanon, at some point the Oval will have to either break with the liberal base or allow IS to become a State in the Middle East.  Neither is a great choice for President Obama, well Obama wanted the job, not a lot of Presidents leave the White House happy, the exception being Reagan and Clinton, and Reagan had the edge because his VP was his successor.   Thus what will the Oval do when it comes time to really decide about Iraq and Syria. 

Funding of the New War in Iraq and Syria

Guardian: Reports " House of Representatives approves Obama plan to arm Syrian rebels "

Lets Get Real:

This new Obama plan for Syria is NOT going to work, those in the House and the Senate know it will not work and even if it worked there is a great chance that the battlefield will look different by the time US had trained the Syrian rebels.    This move by the House is getting the US further in to the Wars in Syria, thus far the Oval has not attacked Syria, how many beheaded Americans does it take, for the Oval to understand that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs understands better than the Oval, in open remarks the Chairman stated that Military Advisors could be part of any attacks on IS.  Also if the Obama plan fails there will be the need for ground troops.   The Congress will come back to this issue, after the Mid Terms.   This smells like Vietnam all over again. 

Obama and Iraq - The New Iraq War

BBC News: Reports " President Barack Obama has told an audience of US troops their comrades fighting Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq will not have a combat mission. "

Lets Get Real:

Lets hope that the Oval understands the above is a holding statement. there is no way the Iraqi Army and the Kurds will be able to take large towns, that takes experts, thus US Special Forces, also there has to be a question will the Kurds go in to towns that are majority of a different ethnic group, the Iraqi army is going to take time to build and re -arm, thus again the need for Special Forces.   It can be postulated that no on with a brain cell believes that POTUS wont use ground troops, if not it will be Vietnam pre 1965 again, it will be a battle to keep gains, and prevent IS aka the Viet Cong from taking more ground.  Interesting times ahead in Iraq. 

VOTE NO - Scotland

The Voters in Scotland 

VOTE NO

Remain Part of the United Kingdom 

God Save the Queen

VOTE NO

Al Qaeda and IS - The Terror Threat

Telegraph - IS Live: Reports the following in its 6.26pm post. " Al Qaeda has sent jihadists from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Syria to recruit Western fighters for a new suicide bomb plot targetting US-bound flights,.. "

Lets Get Real:

As much as a threat to the West that IS is, one should never take one's eyes off the constant threat from Al Qaeda, they want another major terror event to place themselves back on the map, thus Western intelligence should have their eyes and ears open for chatter.   As 9/11 and 7/7 has shown it only takes a few men to cause major destruction and damage.    IS and Al Qaeda share the same terrorist mind set, one can not say that IS would not give Al Qaeda Western men with clean passports as to mount another 9/11 operation.  The above is the reason that the NSA has to bug everybody, its for the security of the West and to save people. 

Hillary Clinton and Iowa - 2016 Race

Guardian: Reports " Hillary Clinton returns to Iowa as steak fry sizzles with talk of 2016  Presumed frontrunner flirts with media at event for Senator Tom Harkin while volunteers offer stickers, T-shirts and support "

Lets Get Real:

The race is on folks for the Democratic nomination in 2016, at this stage it has to be Hillary Clinton is the only runner, and in less some brave Democrat raises to the challenge she will be the Democratic Nominee in 2016.  Lets recall Hillary was fav in 2008 and she lost to then Senator Obama, so the Clinton brand can lose, the Democratic left does not trust  Hillary, thus it can be expected that someone will run to her left, what about Biden, sorry that was a joke, then there is Senator Warren the darling of the liberal left, that would be great for the Republicans if she beat Clinton, the Republicans would destroy a liberal left candidate for President, the US wants a strong right wing leader, thus the need for the Republicans to get another Ronald Reagan, that is not easy in the present field.   Thus it will be interesting to see the twist and turns in the race, its going to be a long two and half years of polls, elections, great if your a political geek. 

NATO and the Ukraine - Ukraine Crisis

BBC News: Reports " About 1,300 troops from 15 countries - including the US and other Nato members - have begun a military exercise near Lviv in western Ukraine. "

Lets Get Real:

This is of symbolic importance, it tells the Russian Bear that NATO is serious when it come so the security of the Ukraine, the Russians will see from this deployment that the West when pushed can match its rhetoric.   Lets hope that the Russians get this message, and do not cause an incident that would bring Russians troops in to conflict with the West, mistakes occur, the fog of war, can lead to events developing out of the control of leaders.   One can expect that Moscow will keep a firm hand over its troops in Eastern Ukraine, even if it can not control the Russian rebels all the time. 

Obama vs. Reagan and the Middle East

The New York Times: Reports on how President Obama came to the decision to place the US on a War footing when it comes to IS, the article notes Obama's thin skin when it comes to critics and how he thinks of one former President, " At one point, Mr. Obama noted acidly that President Ronald Reagan sent Marines to Lebanon only to have hundreds of them killed in a terrorist attack because of terrible planning, and then withdrew the remaining ones, leaving behind a civil war that lasted years. But Reagan, he noted, is hailed as a titan striding the earth. "

Lets Get Real:

They ALL want to be Reagan, when in the Oval and you see what President Reagan got away with and how much the critics jump on you if you make even small mistakes, you can really get annoyed by Reagan and the myth of Reagan.  What must really get under the skin of POTUS is the fact the he was supposed to be the liberal Reagan.   That has not happened, he now has the same poll ratings as Bush 43, the President that Obama has been critical of for the past six years, that must be a tough scar.    The difference between Reagan and Obama is the fact, that one was a good politician, knew how to deal, worked with Congress, while Obama only seems happy if people are fainting at his feet, when the applause goes away and people are looking for the next President the job can make you old before your time, just look at the  hair of POTUS its gone white, Reagan looked great at the end of his Presidency.   The Great Communicator was a Master on how to use the Oval to get his agenda across, he dealt with Congress very much like LBJ, while Obama has no interest in the Hill, one can almost say he hates the Hill, he can not deal or has no interest in dealing.   One can postulate that Obama thinks he is an Imperial President, but again they all think that after some time, its the nature of the job, but at least Gipper could laugh at himself, one has seen that POTUS does not have much of a sense of humour, that could be his FLAW. 

President Obama on the Murder of David Haines - New War on Terror

The White House: President Obama's Statement, " The United States strongly condemns the barbaric murder of UK citizen David Haines by the terrorist group ISIL. Our hearts go out to the family of Mr. Haines and to the people of the United Kingdom. The United States stands shoulder to shoulder tonight with our close friend and ally in grief and resolve. We will work with the United Kingdom and a broad coalition of nations from the region and around the world to bring the perpetrators of this outrageous act to justice, and to degrade and destroy this threat to the people of our countries, the region and the world. "

Lets Get Real:

The idea that air strikes alone will take down IS is WRONG, at the end of the day it will take US/UK Special Forces, the air planes need spotters for the targets, the local secular rebels need to be trained in Syria and the Iraq Army has to be built from scratch, it will take that dreadful word to leaders, boots on the ground to finish the job, anything else is just a plaster. On the non military side the CIA and MI6 should take down the oil fields the control of IS and also make sure they do not make any money from the selling of this illegal oil, there is always a market for cheap oil.   IS it has been stated has about 1 billion dollars in reserve, lets hope that is WRONG also, they could buy lot of weapons on the black market for that mind of cash.   This is going to be a VERY long War, some Wars never end, there are just high and lows, were at a high moment at this moment, what will IS do when it has killed ALL its hostages, take more, use terror on Western Europe, time will only tell the future. 

Will Scotland leave the UK ? - VOTE NO

BBC - Referendum Vote Live: Report on the latest poll of polls  from Scotland, the No campaign leads by 51% to 49%.

Lets Get Real:

In my political black soul I want Scotland to leave, that makes a political sense to a Conservative, it would mean Labour could never form a majority Government in London, if in 2015 Labour does win by having Scottish MPs while they are leaving it will make a government weak, you could not have departing Scots telling the rest of the UK what government it should  have for the next five years.  It is the political interest of Labour to get their bloody vote out, time to makes those calls, knock on doors, get those people out, but the fear of God in to them, once Scotland leaves that IS IT.  There is no coming back with your tail between your legs when it turns out to be a disaster.    Make my black political smile and leave, but as am loyal subject of the Crown, stay even if it means a Labour Government.  YOUR CHOICE, DO YOU WANT YOUR WALLET AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE SNP.

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