OBAMA'S WAR ON ISIL 58,958

BLOG  POST
by Felicity Blaze Noodleman
Los Angeles, CA
2.20.15

OBAMA’S  WAR

ON  ISIL

War on ISIS Or Assad? Obama's Open-Ended Missions Will Lead To A Bigger Mess And A Larger U.S. Footprint In The Near East.  1. An excerpt from, "U.S. commandos quietly train Yemeni military" Tactical-Life.com, September 16, 2010: 

"Seldom visible in the Yemeni mountains, the elite U.S. commandos training the Yemen’s military represent the Obama administration’s quest to fight terrorism without inflaming anti-American sentiment.

That balancing act has become an administration trademark, funneling millions of dollars in aid and low-profile military trainers to countries such as Pakistan and Yemen in order to take on a more diverse, independent and scattered al Qaeda network.

 http://disquietreservations.blogspot.com/2014/09/war-on-isis-or-assad-obamas-open-ended.html

*  Special thanks to:  "msnbc", "CNN", "The Los Angeles Times",

We could not believe The Presidents announcement on Wednesday February the 11th. asking Congress for funding to fight ISIL. Now isn't  this the Democratic President who criticized the Bush administration's handling of the Iraq war and aren't these the Democrats who with drew their support of the same war half way into the job?  

After we worked so hard in Iraq to put the terrorists in check the Democrats and Obama the Dem's pulled the plug which led to the position the Middle East is in with ISIL today!  If the President would have continued to fight the terrorists in Iraq there might not be an "ISIL today.  Since taking office the Obama administration has fired a number of Military Officers and unwilling to take the advice offered from not only from the Bush administration but from the military as well.  Again it seems Bush and Chaney were right and Obama was wrong.

"Investors Business Daily" Reports "Obama will not purge a civilian or political appointee because they have bought into Obama's ideology," Vallely said. "The White House protects their own. That's why they stalled on the investigation into Fast and Furious, Benghazi and ObamaCare. He's intentionally weakening and gutting our military, Pentagon and reducing us as a superpower, and anyone in the ranks who disagrees or speaks out is being purged."
http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/102913-677116-197-military-officers-purged-by-obama.htm?p=2

http://www.westernjournalism.com/obama-terror/#ELw3e9cL0E3lz3pt.97

It's really difficult to take the President seriously when in so many ways he seems uncommitted to a war on terrorism.  He could not pick up the ball from the Bush administration, he is unwilling to take advice from the Military and he didn't support our allies in France at the "Unity Rally"!

The President really should have had all his ducks lined up before going public with his plans for a war with ISIL and above all he should have closed the deal with Congress.  Has the President really got any Ducks to begin with?  Whats missing from the Obama proposal is:

• Support from the American people
• Support and funding from Congress
• A United Nations resolution
• A Coalition of world support
• A nation to fight
• A plan

This is nothing like the Bush Administrations war in Iraq when the United States took on Saddam Hussein  and the terrorist group Al-Qaeda!  Fighting ISIL is like fighting the wind. ISIL has no central location and is active throughout the Middle East.  Yes; they are a hostile threat for the world at large but are unable to attack on a large scale.

What this request for war funding from Obama seems to be is purely political posturing and the President should know by now is Boehner will call his bluff every time.  The President will not achieve success with Congress until he has a realistic approach on a real issue!

"msnbc"

Obama Asks For New War Powers: ISIS Is ‘Going To Lose’

Copyright Getty Images

U.S. President Barack Obama announces he has sent Congress an authorization for the use of military force against Islamic State with (L-R) Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in the Roosevelt Room at the White House February 11, 2015 in Washington, DC. Obama wants Congress to authorize a three-year military campaign against the Islamic State, also called ISIS or ISIL, that would continue the use of air power and could include limited ground operations by American forces to hunt down enemy leaders or rescue American personnel.

CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES

http://www.10news.com/news/obama-asks-congress-to-authorize-war-against-isis

02/11/15 03:47 PM—UPDATED 02/11/15 11:02 PM

By David Taintor

President Obama asked Congress on Wednesday for new war powers to go after the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the brutal terror group that has beheaded American journalists and aid workers and has menaced the Middle East. The president’s request would replace the 2002 legislation that authorized the Iraq War but leaves in place a very broadly worded resolution passed in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“This is a difficult mission, and it will remain difficult for some time,” Obama said at the White House, flanked by Vice President Joe Biden, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Secretary of State John Kerry. But “ISIL is on the defensive, and ISIL is going to lose,” Obama added, using an alternative acronym for the terror group.

Earlier Wednesday, Obama, who won the Nobel Peace Prize early in his presidency, submitted a draft resolution seeking from Congress a three-year Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against ISIS. The resolution notably restricts the use of American ground troops and seeks to avoid a prolonged conflict in the fight against ISIS, which has taken control of large swathes of Syria and northern Iraq in its quest to establish a religious state in the Middle East.

Obama won the presidency in 2008 in part as a staunch opponent of the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003; under his leadership, American troops were withdrawn from that country in 2011. But the recent rise of ISIS – which began as an offshoot of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and has thrived in the vacuum created by the relentless and deadly civil war in Syria – forced his administration to take military action. Still, the president went to great lengths to differentiate his strategy in the region from the actions of his predecessor.

“I’m convinced the U.S. should not get dragged back into another ground war in the Middle East. That’s not in our national security interest, and it’s not necessary for us to defeat ISIL,” Obama said, adding he would only send American troops into harm’s way when “absolutely necessary.”

The Senate is set to vote Thursday on the confirmation of Ashton Carter, Obama’s pick to succeed Hagel as U.S. defense secretary. Carter was not at the White House event Wednesday, but he would be the top Pentagon official to see the military offensive through.

Congress overwhelmingly approved an AUMF proposed by President George W. Bush days after the al Qaeda terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. Critics later complained the authorization was too broad and formed the underpinning for questionable tactics to fight the war on terror, including indefinite detention and targeted killings.

“My Administration’s draft AUMF would not authorize long‑term, large-scale ground combat operations like those our Nation conducted in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Obama wrote in a letter to Congress. “Local forces, rather than U.S. military forces, should be deployed to conduct such operations. The authorization I propose would provide the flexibility to conduct ground combat operations in other, more limited circumstances, such as rescue operations involving U.S. or coalition personnel or the use of special operations forces to take military action against ISIL leadership. It would also authorize the use of U.S. forces in situations where ground combat operations are not expected or intended, such as intelligence collection and sharing, missions to enable kinetic strikes, or the provision of operational planning and other forms of advice and assistance to partner forces.”

The vague language in the draft resolution has raised fears among some Democrats that it opens the door to future ground troops across the Middle East. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee as wells as the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, told msnbc’s Alex Wagner that Obama’s resolution needs more restrictions against the use of ground troops.

“I am insistent that it needs to be narrowed or clarified or specified so that we are not in effect authorizing open ended operations,” Blumenthal said. He added that the president’s request provided a “starting point” for Congress.

Win Without War, an umbrella group that includes organizations such as Greenpeace and MoveOn.org, swiftly denounced Obama’s resolution.

“We strongly urge Congress to reject the pursuit of a military solution to a conflict that does not have one,” the group said in a statement. “American bombs have been falling on the Middle East for decades and they have only served to destabilize the region and prolong conflicts. We must recognize that no Congressional action will suddenly end the conflicts in Iraq and Syria. Instead we should redouble our efforts to find a truly comprehensive solution to these challenges that has a chance of finally bring peace – not more war – to the long-suffering people of this region.”

Former Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Rick Santorum, who is eyeing a White House bid in 2016, criticized Obama’s resolution as too limited. 

“All options need to be on the table in combating this Radical Islamic threat,” Santorum said in a statement distributed by his Patriot Voices PAC. “We need to take the fight to our enemy without the constraints this Administration is proactively placing upon itself and this President’s successor.  The next President needs to be able to have all the tools at their disposal to not just conduct military operations, but win this war.”

Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, who is also considering a White House bid, said Obama’s war proposal need only be one sentence. “I would say there is a pretty simple authorization he could ask for, and it would read one sentence. And that is: ‘We authorize the President to defeat and destroy ISIL, period.’ And that’s, I think, what we need to do,” Rubio said Wednesday in a speech on the Senate floor. 

The House of Representatives held a moment of silence Wednesday to honor Kayla Mueller, an American aid worker who died while being held hostage by ISIS. Lawmakers from Arizona – Mueller’s home state – led the moment of silence, saying she “stood as a beacon of light and hope.” Mueller’s family confirmed her death Tuesday. ISIS claimed last week that Mueller had died in an airstrike that targeted the terror group.

Obama announced his plan to launch airstrikes against ISIS back in September, and the White House’s AUMF resolution seeks to formalize the U.S. military campaign to “degrade and defeat” ISIS.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/obama-aumf-isis-war

"Los Angeles Times"

Boehner Says Obama's Military Authorization Request Falls Short

House Speaker John A. Boehner says President Obama's request to Congress to authorize military operations against Islamic State falls short of what's needed to defeat the militant group. (Mandel Ngan / AFP-Getty Images)

By KATHERINE SKIBA contact the reporter

February 15, 2015

House Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio said President Obama's request to Congress to authorize military operations against Islamic State isn't sufficient and that he will aim to strengthen it in the coming weeks.

 “I don't believe that what the president sent here gives him the flexibility or the authority to take on this enemy and to win,” the Republican leader said on "Fox News Sunday."

Obama ready to ask Congress to authorize fight against Islamic State

Boehner said he viewed the president’s submission as the “beginning of the process” and that there would be “bipartisan discussions about how we strengthen this authorization.”

Boehner also promised “exhaustive hearings” by three House committees: Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Armed Services.

Obama's request to Congress last week to authorize military operations against Islamic State set relatively few hard limits for him or his successor but appears designed to force lawmakers to shoulder more of the responsibility for a lengthy conflict.

Obama's proposal for a three-year authorization is aimed at bridging the divide among lawmakers, who must now weigh in themselves, a top White House advisor said Sunday.

"It is very important in questions of war and peace for Congress to be heard," White House chief of staff Denis McDonough said on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who as head of the chamber's Foreign Relations committee is a key voice in the debate, countered that the White House proposal fails to go far enough in detailing the president's strategy and that skepticism abounds on Capitol Hill about Obama's plans for a fight that Corker emphasized is likely to last for years.

Obama asks Congress to back fight against Islamic State, but is vague on limits

Still, some Republicans have complained that the proposal was too restrictive. "It is important," Corker said, "for Congress to get behind something that's prudent."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, warned against Congress restraining the president in the authorization for military action, saying it would lead to “535 commanders in chief.”

McCain noted that Congress has the power of the purse and could cut off funding if it disapproved of the president’s actions.

McCain, who was taken prisoner of war while serving in Vietnam, was highly critical of Obama on Syria and Iraq. He said “there is no strategy whatsoever” on Syria and called pulling out of Iraq in 2011 a “huge mistake.”

There needs to be a stabilizing force in Iraq, McCain said. “You’re going to also have to have American boots on the ground,” he added. “That does not mean the massive numbers as the president sets up that straw man all the time, but it does mean forward air controllers, special forces and many others.”

The president’s proposed authorization would allow for limited ground forces, including special operations troops.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-obama-congress-war-powers-20150215-story.html

"CNN"

Poll: Most Disapprove of
Obama Handling of ISIS

By Alexandra Jaffe, CNN

Washington (CNN)Americans are increasingly unhappy with President Barack Obama's handling of ISIS, and a growing share of the nation believes that fight is going badly, according to a new CNN/ORC survey released Monday.

The CNN/ORC poll found 57% of Americans disapprove of how Obama is handling the threat posed by ISIS, a significant decline in support for the President over the past few months. In late September, that number was 49%.

Fifty-seven percent disapprove of his handling of foreign affairs more broadly, and 54% disapprove of how the President is handling terrorism. Another 60% rate Obama negatively on his handling of electronic national security.

The declining approval ratings for Obama on national security come as a weekend of international turmoil further underscores the growing threats abroad.

Denmark's capital was rocked by two shootings, one at a free speech event featuring a controversial cartoonist and another just hours later outside a synagogue. The attacks left two dead and five police officers wounded.

And Egypt launched a second round of airstrikes against Islamic State strongholds in Libya on Monday, in retaliation for a video released Sunday that appeared to show ISIS militants beheading a group of 21 Egyptian Christians.

Obama issued a statement condemning the killing of the Christians on Sunday night, though Obama's Republican opponents have consistently made the case that the growing Islamic State threat is exacerbated by what they see as his weak leadership.

In the poll, Americans increasingly believe the U.S. military action against ISIS is going badly, with 58% saying so in the latest survey, up from 49% who said the fight wasn't going well in October.

Even among Democrats, nearly half — 46% — say things aren't going well in the battle against ISIS.

And about half of respondents, 51%, say they trust the President as Commander-in-Chief of the military.

But with ISIS affiliates continuing to commit brutal, gruesome murders and multiple terrorist attacks abroad grabbing international headlines over the past few months, support for sending ground troops to Iraq and Syria to confront the threat appears to be growing.

The survey suggests Americans are warming up to the idea of sending ground troops to combat the terrorist organization.

In November, just 43% supported deploying ground troops, while 55% of Americans opposed it; now the number in support has ticked up to 47%, the highest level of support yet measured, with just half of Americans opposed.

Still, the parties have become more polarized on the prospect since November, with 61% of Democrats opposed and a similar majority of Republicans supportive of the prospect, an eight-point increase. Independents, meanwhile, are split, with 48% in favor and 50% opposed.

The prospect of sending in ground troops remains a sticking point for both congressional Democrats and Republicans in the debate over Obama's Authorization for the Use of Military Force, which would give him legal authority to combat ISIS.

But the AUMF, and Obama's decision to go to Congress for the official authority to continue battling ISIS, is widely popular, according to the new poll.

Seventy-eight percent of Americans say Congress should give Obama the authority to fight ISIS, a slight decline from 82% who supported it in December. A similarly large majority say Obama was right to ask Congress for the authority, rather than proceeding with the battle unilaterally.

The survey was conducted among 1,027 adult Americans from Feb. 12-15, and has a margin of sampling error of 3%.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/16/politics/cnn-poll-isis-obama-approval/

So what should the President and America do about ISIL?  Wait!  It's just that simple.  The Nations of the Middle East must begin to take action against the terrorists.  ISIL is their problem and it won't go away until the Middle East forces the terrorists into submission. Leaders in Syria and Jordan are now playing an active part against ISIL but other nations must follow.  The Middle East is able to destroy the terrorists if they will only act together; something they all should have done long ago!

As always problems in the Middle East are too complex and never seem to end.  This is just the latest episode.  Felicity writing here again for the "Noodleman Group".

CARTOONIST GARY VARVEL: WILL OBAMA BEING DRAGGED INTO WAR IN IRAQ  THE ATTROCITIES THAT ISIS IS COMMITTING IN IRAQ HAVE FORCED PRESIDENT OBAMA TO ACT. THE QUESTION IS WILL THE TARGETED RESPONSE BE ENOUGH OR WILL THE UNITED STATES BE DRAGGED INTO ANOTHER WAR?  

http://patriotsbillboard.org/cartoon-obama-and-his-well-funded-and-trained-army/cartoonist-gary-varvel-will-obama-being-dragged-into-war-in-iraq/

http://fbnoodleman.blogspot.com/

 Tell your friends and associates about us! 

It's easy!  Just copy and paste me into your email!

* “The Noodleman Group” is pleased to announce that we are now carrying a link to the “USA Today” news site.We installed the “widget/gadget” August 20, and it will be carried as a regular feature on our site.Now you can read“Noodleman” and then check in to “USA Today” for all the up to date News, Weather, Sports and more!Just scroll all the way down to the bottom of our site and hit the “USA Today” hyperlinks.Enjoy!