President Obama - June 8, 2016: "We Don't Yet Have a Complete ISIS Strategy"

[Christians4LessGvt]

President Obama on ISIS Fight: "We Don't Yet Have a Complete Strategy"

Jun 8, 2015, 12:07 PM ET

By ARLETTE SAENZ and BENJAMIN SIEGEL

Ten months since the start of the American-led intervention against ISIS in Iraq, President Obama said today that the United States does not have a "complete strategy" to defeat ISIS and stem the group's rise in Syria and Iraq.

"We don't yet have a complete strategy," Obama said at the G7 summit of world leaders in Germany. "The details of that are not yet worked out."

Obama said he will announce a proposal for escalating the speed and scale of the training of Iraqi forces "when a finalized plan is presented to me by the Pentagon." He said the Iraqis still have to make commitments to make the strategy complete.

The president's comments echoed a statement he made last August shortly after U.S.-led airstrikes against ISIS first began.

"We don't have a strategy yet," the president said. This came in response to a question whether he would seek congressional approval for the military campaign against ISIS.

Ten months later, the administration's plan to combat ISIS is under fire as the Islamic state has secured victories in Iraq and Syria.

Prior to his news conference, Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the G7 Summit in Germany today to discuss the fight against ISIS. The two men vowed ISIS would eventually be defeated.

"I'm confident that although it is going to take time and there will be setbacks and lessons learned, that we are going to be successful, ISIL is going to be drive out of Iraq, and ultimately it is going to be defeated," the president said in the meeting.

"Undoubtedly, we will win the war," Abadi said.

It was the first time the two men have met since ISIS took control of Ramadi last month. Abadi assured the president that the loss of Ramadi will not be permanent. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter recently made controversial comments suggesting the Iraqi security forces lack the will to fight ISIS, a statement that surprised the Iraqi prime minister.

Before they met in private Monday, there was an awkward moment between the two leaders. Obama was engaged in a deep conversation with Italian Prime Minister Mario Renzi and IMF head Christine Lagarde when Prime Minister Abadi sat down next to the three leaders. But none of the leaders acknowledged Abadi as they sat merely a foot away from him.

The three leaders eventually stood up, prompting Abadi to stand as well. Unrecognized by the leaders involved in conversation, Abadi looked at his watch as his translator lifted his hands in the air and eventually walked away.

Though Iraq is not a member of the G7, Abadi participated in the summit as a member of an outreach group to discuss terrorism and development. Newly elected Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Tunisian PresidenT Beji Caid Essebi also participated in the summit.

ABC's Justin Fishel contributed to this report.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-obama-isis-fight-complete-strategy/story?id=31606260

[Xavier_Onassis]

He is clearly being honest here.  Any strategy to get rid of Isis must be carefully planned. The American people do not want an invasion, and experience has proven that invading does not work. As soon as the invaders leave, the terrorists start terrorizing again. The Iraqi Army seems to be even less brave and patriotic than ARVN, the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, many of whom were expert only in retreating.


Of course, the moment he announces that he has a strategy (which surely will involve some secret details) , all umpteen of the GOP candidates will say that it is the wrong strategy and start blathering about turning Syria and Iraq into medieval deserts. This, of course, will NOT go over well with Syrians and Iraqis, none of whom want their country turned into a medieval desert.

[Christians4LessGvt]

He is clearly being honest here. 

I'm not so sure.
I think Obama is lying again.
I tend to think Obama's minders....the Oligarchy has ordered a MuzzyKillMuzzy campaign.
It keeps them killing each other instead of focusing all their hate at the West
After a few years of keeping them busy killing each other (MuzzyKillingMuzzy).
Iraq, Libya, and Syria will end up partitioned.
Then it will be...
Look at all the death and destruction
We must intervene and partition to keep the peace.
Divide and conquer....but first let a few hundred thousand kill each other.

[Xavier_Onassis]

It would make Israel happy if Syria were partitioned, but I doubt that will happen.
I do not think partitioning any country is part of any US government strategy.
The goal is to prevent Isis from becoming more powerful and avoiding introducing another US invasion force, which is the sort of thing that Lindsey Graham and John McCain would seem to like.

[Christians4LessGvt]

I agree XO....it is not wise to invade
why when you don't have to?
this partitioning plan and simply watching from the sidelines
while they kill each other seems like a much more prudent strategy
this will keep them and Iran busy (costly) for years!

[Xavier_Onassis]

I doubt that any country will actually be partitioned, but Libya and Syria are less likely to have this happen than Iraq.

I do not think that Kurdistan will end up entirely separated from Iraq, as the present situation seems to be working. Kurds now have gained power in Turkey.
I don't think it is likely that a unified Kurdistan will happen, because the Kurds speak several languages and are only united in their fashion sense and the fact that they are neither Shiites nor Arabs.