President Obama and Ben Rhodes (Pete Souza/White House)
White House Adviser Lays Out Scenarios For U.S. Troops To Fight Iraqi Militants -- Washington Times
President Obama promises that the U.S. troops he’s sending to Iraq won’t get into another shooting war, but a top White House adviser has listed several scenarios that would prompt direct military action against Islamic militants.
Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser to the president, said the U.S. “has a role to play in a number of different ways” that could result in military engagements in Iraq. The government in Baghdad is fighting militants loyal to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and Mr. Obama has sent nearly 500 U.S. troops to protect the U.S. embassy and the airport in Baghdad, and to serve as military advisers.
“I think the threats that we would look to, for instance, would include an evaluation of whether ISIL is posing a threat to U.S. interests that would necessitate our taking action against them, as we have against terrorist organizations in other parts of the region,” Mr. Rhodes said. “I think the security and safety of our personnel would certainly be of profound interest to the United States.”
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My Comment: Talk about mission creep.
2 comments
ReplyDeleteJust another thing to dislike about Obama. He should have been upfront about sending troops. He should spell out America's interests. If those interests are not spelled out the anti-war crowd will stir up a shat-storm. They will anyway. But by being upfront and having defendable interests, it makes the predictable protests more manageable.
Maybe there is no desire to head off the anti-war crowd with sound & moral reasons After all th antiwar crowd is mostly of the left. The Democrats mange it like Iran managed the chaos of the Iraq war. The Iranians gave to all sides of the war, Sunni and Shia. they felt they were able to better cope with the chaos. The Democrats probably feel the same way about the antiwar crowd.
Instead Obama like some other presidents is resorting to subterfuge or maybe he he is just reacting and bumbling
Ben Rhodes wrote the 2009 Cairo speech? He says he is just gaining experience and providing technical help,but you run with dogs too long what are we to call Ben?
I read Ben's biography. Fine he has a MFA. Wonderful! but that gives him acumen when it comes to foreign affairs?