ISIS apparent goal is to get everyone mad at them

[sirs]

As a rule, military strategies are rarely announced publicly. So saying that Obama has no strategy because he has not described one in great detail is bogus.

And no one is advocating that Obama lay all our cards down to broadcast what we plan on doing.  What he has described IS NOT WORKING, and yet he wants to "stay the course" of a strategy that is patently NOT WORKING.  It's neither containing or slowing down the expansion of ISIS. 

Currently there IS NO MILITARY STRATEGY, outside of occasional pro-active drone strikes, and reactive "special forces".  Even Democrats are noting this, foremost being Senator Feinstein, by no means a conservative Democrat in any shape or form.  We HAD the capability of knocking down ISIS to a next-to-nothing rag tag extremists, devoid of any base of operation.  But instead, our President decided to punt his leadership to this....and of all people to punt it to, he gave it to Putin.  Now Russia is looked to as the go to leader to help bring down ISIS

Thank you President Leaderless

[Xavier_Onassis]

It would be a strategy to not reveal the strategy. Catch them by surprise.  Like the Trojan horse.

[Plane]

I wish that there were some sign of successful strategy, like wins for us or losses for them.

[sirs]

It would be a strategy to not reveal the strategy. Catch them by surprise.  Like the Trojan horse.

We've already seen and heard the "strategy"....and ITS NOT WORKING.  And the trojan horse in this case, it the asinine notion of bringing in thousands of these refugees, with no viable way of vetting them.  Then we get to witness our own version of what just happened in Paris, when France allowed so many of these refugees into their country

[Xavier_Onassis]

I suggest that you know nothing whatever about the State Department's vetting process or how effective it might be.

Admitting refugees is not really related to getting rid of Isis.

In a Frontline documentary last night, there were some Afghans that recently left the Taliban to join Isis. They did this because Isis was paying them $700 a month, guaranteed. This suggests that killing them is not always the best way to decrease the numbers of Isis.

[sirs]

I suggest I apparently know alot more than you do, considering your desire to give the Government carte-blanche in proclaiming anything they want, and taking their word for it.  Oh wait – we’ll vet them, and a "thorough vetting" it shall be! Leveraging the legendary competence of the federal government under Obama, we’ll review the detailed records that they will no doubt carry with them attesting to their disdain for bomb making. We’ll gather references from those who know them: “Abdul? Oh no, he would totally never even consider shooting up a K-Mart full of infidels to achieve the glory of martyrdom.” And we can count on their personal assurances that they aren’t jihadis: “I promise I won’t kill anyone. Cross my heart and hope to die and get my 72 virgins!” (sarcasm alert)

The fact is that importing Middle Easterners is a risk. Is it a huge risk? Maybe. Is it a small risk? Maybe, but either way, there is a risk in bringing these people in, and we just don’t want to take it, supported by about two-thirds of Americans

Nor have I made some direct connection that not admitting thousands of poverty riddled refugees into this country (when we have millions already) is tantamount to ridding ISIS.  Those are 2 completely different mechanisms at work, but leave it to you to argue some point, no one is making

And yes, killing ISIS is THE foremost way of decreasing their #'s.  But pinprick drone strikes are merely an annoyance to them.  We HAD the ability to severely dent their expansion and strength, with little need for "boots on the ground".  But instead, President Placate decided to try and play nice nice with terrorists, and scold our allies for daring to go after them with any sustained effort.  At this point, only boots on the ground can dent their #'s

And the most ironic part of all, was this was all thoroughly warned in advance, if we pulled our troops out prematurely.  Obama has truly solidified his "legacy"

[Plane]

I understand we are sending a few hundred special forces to Iraq, but they might be wearing sneakers.

[Xavier_Onassis]

The US has to date carried out EIGHT THOUSAND air missions against Isis. I think they consider this more annoying than a pinprick.\


The idea that somehow the number of immigrants allowed in should be decided upon by polls is  an interesting one.
Perhaps we should raise taxes the same way. Being as the right wing thinks of taxes as punishment. I imagine that the preferred tax rate would approximate zero.

To date, almost no immigrants have committed acts of terrorism. So the current vetting process seems to be successful.

[sirs]

Air "missions" is not the same as air strikes.  We were performing thousands of sorties a week, compared to what....7, maybe 8, currently?  Yes, its a mere pin prick to what we COULD do

And no one claimed polls should be used to decide, Professor deflection.  Polls simply indicate what the predominance of the country is supporting or not supporting at any given time

So, we're to just let them in, and HOPE we don't have our own version of Paris??  I think not...and nor does the vast majority of the rest of the country

[Plane]

  Pilots have been returning with their warload unused because the rules of engagement are so strict.

  This may change , and targets of opportunity may be engaged, with some increase in effectiveness and some increase in unintended damage.
http://wearechange.org/surprise-pilots-frustrated-at-white-house-for-ineffective-air-campaign-against-isis/?doing_wp_cron=1448325998.4685180187225341796875

Pilots are forced to seek approval before engaging each target, a process they say takes an hour on the average. By the time approval is received, conditions on the ground or the air often change.

..........................that U.S. pilots are averaging 14 strikes per day targeting the Islamic State.

“Compare that to the first Gulf War,” she said. “The United States averaged 1,125 strikes per day. In Kosovo 135 strikes a day.”

....................Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., recently charged that 75 percent of U.S. pilots return to base without having released a single weapon,

http://www.westernjournalism.com/us-military-pilots-get-fed-up-boldly-say-exactly-what-obama-didnt-want-them-to/

.............a similar statement made by a pilot of an American A-10 attack plane after it was revealed that the ISIS headquarters had been located in Raqqa, Syria. It was not destroyed, however, because of a heavy civilian presence. “We have not taken the fight to these guys,” the pilot told the The New York Times in an email.


............................... White House press secretary Josh Earnest reaffirmed the Obama administration’s rules of engagement. “There are military rules of engagement that our military leaders established for those airstrikes,” Earnest said. “We are very cautious about making sure there are no civilian casualties.”

[sirs]

Pilots have been returning with their warload unused because the rules of engagement are so strict.

Exactly.  It's a "semantics game", to claim "thousands of air missions", when 75+% of those planes come back with their full ordnance

[Xavier_Onassis]

I am not deflecting anything.

Isis in Syria is one group, and Isis outside of Syria is another. Destroying Isis in Syria will not necessarily prevent attacks like the one in Paris or the bombing of the Russian plane.

I am pretty sure that the specific battle plan against Isis is not going to be revealed to the world. The element of surprise is very important in all military operations.

[sirs]

ISIS IS ISIS REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE.  ITS THE SAME FRICKEN GROUP.  KILLING AS MANY ISIS SOLDIERS AND SUPPORTERS AS POSSIBLE, WHEREVER THEY ARE WILL GREATLY LESSEN SUBSEQUENT ATTACKS LIKE THE ONE IN PARIS AND BOMBING OF RUSSIAN PLANES

THERE IS NO ELEMENT OF SURPRISE, WHEN WE'RE NOT ATTACKING TO BEGIN WITH

UNDER THIS PRESIDENT AND HIS "BATTLE PLAN", HE'S ALLOWED THIS "JV TEAM" TO EXPAND INTO A TERRORIST MONSTER.  THE TIME FOR "SURPRISE" WAS REQUIRED LONG AGO, WHEN THEY WERE STILL THIS SUPPOSED "JV TEAM"