Defense One: Dunford: US Will Rethink Its Iraq Presence If Russia Goes In
Russia’s actions in the Middle East have U.S. lawmakers launching heated questions at top Pentagon officials. The answers so far have been less than reassuring.
If Russian aircraft start bombing ISIS targets in Iraq, the U.S. military will rethink its presence there, the Pentagon’s top military officer told lawmakers Tuesday.
“I tried to explain to [Iraqi leaders] that our continued support really would be problematic were they to invite the Russians in to conduct strikes,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “I was assured that they had not extended that invitation and that they did not intend to extend an invitation to do that.”
Dunford said he raised the issue with Iraq’s prime minister and minister of defense during his visit to Baghdad last week. Lawmakers asked whether Iraq could stop Russia from conducting strikes, and the Marine general replied that Iraq’s air force has “limited air-to-air capability.”
WNU Editor: I have been watching/listening today's testimony from U.S. Sec. of Defense Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford. To say that their comments are not reassuring is an understatement. To put it bluntly .... the past year has shown that their planning and strategy has been a failure .... and the U.S. Senate members are picking up on that. C-Spans video coverage of today's testimony is here.
1 comment:
I watched Senator Graham's interrogation of Dunford and Carter. While I do not at all agree with his assertion that "the Syrian people" want Assad gone, I could not help but laugh at Carter and Dunford's replies to his questions.
He did make a good point that "thee Arabs" meaning the Saudis and friends won't stand for Assad staying. I believe he missed a point that "the Arabs" are about sick and tired of his Saudi allies.
Mr Graham, for all his probity, is caught in an ideological loop which does not reflect reality in its totality in the ME. Carson and Dunford are caught in the White House's political BS. Both expended a lot of energy avoiding some very disturbing truths about US and allied policies.
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