The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[CountDeMoney]

In my mind, Hillary won't be able to press the reset button on Obama's foreign policy, she was an integral part of it.  She may see now where it's wrong, but I'm not at all convinced that she has the ability to make the right calls going forward, without the benefit of hindsight.

Oh I don't know, she was a dissenting voice on more than one occasion, along with Biker Joe.  Which is a good thing, since administrations with no dissenting voices usually wind up manufacturing false intelligence and invading Iraq.

[CountDeMoney]

I give Obama 10 extra credit points for the repeated use of the Hellfire missile as Isalmotard eraser. And not giving a fuck who dislikes it.

And gigged 20 points for deferring the decision to use of shock and awe as the righteous arm of non-proliferation to Congress, who hasn't been able to do anything the last 4 years other than rename post offices and lose votes with itself 54 times.

[Razgovory]

The Army is now purging itself of that experience in order to return to a more classic role as they have done after each conflict since Korea. That way they ensure they make the same mistakes next time around. The Army is really run by idiots.

I remember in the mid-90s there were an awful lot of guys who attended CAS3 and other schools during Desert Storm and got promoted over guys who actually served in Desert Storm and had valuable combat experience.  And of course many of the latter left the Army.

I thought Hans ran the army.  After all he seems to be the doing the firing of officers.

[Admiral Yi]

Nonsense.  I dislike his foreign policy, and I would vote for Hillary as she actually possesses one, albeit more Gore hawkism than Clintonian US-power-as-free-trade-guarantor.  Blacks and hipsters will just have to suck it up.

Obama's been a total flop on foreign policy save the Pacific pivot, and even that's been ignored for the last year because we're back to the same goddamned Muslims-on-monkey-bars reruns on HansyTV.

I disagree.  I think that significantly more than 50% of the population disagrees with Obama's foreign policy.  I may have to vote for Hillary in 2016, because frankly Republicans are still many years away from regaining sanity, but I really hope that Democrats come up with a worthier candidate than Hillary.

In my mind, Hillary won't be able to press the reset button on Obama's foreign policy, she was an integral part of it.  She may see now where it's wrong, but I'm not at all convinced that she has the ability to make the right calls going forward, without the benefit of hindsight.

I said dislike *him*, not dislike his foreign policy.  Quite a bit of difference.

[CountDeMoney]

I said dislike *him*, not dislike his foreign policy.  Quite a bit of difference.

The people who dislike him for his foreign policy

Quite a bit of difference?  Maybe to a lawyer.

[DGuller]

I said dislike *him*, not dislike his foreign policy.  Quite a bit of difference.

Not very well contrasted originally, you have to admit.

[Berkut]

Unless Obama's popularity gets a surge between now & 2016, her service in his administration could become a pretty big anchor for her.

The people who dislike him for his foreign policy are never going to vote for Hillary anyway.  So she gains 3 votes from the Council on Foreign Relations and loses black and hipster votes for pissing on their boy.

I disagree.  I think that significantly more than 50% of the population disagrees with Obama's foreign policy.  I may have to vote for Hillary in 2016, because frankly Republicans are still many years away from regaining sanity, but I really hope that Democrats come up with a worthier candidate than Hillary. 

In my mind, Hillary won't be able to press the reset button on Obama's foreign policy, she was an integral part of it.  She may see now where it's wrong, but I'm not at all convinced that she has the ability to make the right calls going forward, without the benefit of hindsight.

Have to agree with dg on all points.

[Berkut]

Hillary should ask Gates to be her VP.

[mongers]

Twenty-five minute video of a lecture given by former SIS chief, Sir Richard Dearlove, to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) about terrorism and what is the appropriated level of attention/intelligence that should be focused on it.

In the light of the Islamic States activities in Iraq, some rather interesting comments from around 8.30 in the video.

https://www.rusi.org/events/past/ref:E539EC3CF6F5A4/#.U7rENdzGvlJ

Overview of talk:

A lecture by Sir Richard Dearlove KCMG OBE, Master, Pembroke College, University of Cambridge and former Chief of the British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).Sir Richard Dearlove KCMG OBE

Countering the threat of terrorism since 9/11 has greatly altered the nature, size and deployment of the British intelligence and security community. Has the response been proportionate to the threat, or has the domestic political pressure which the threat can generate distorted our national security priorities? Recent events in Ukraine have provided a strong reminder of the importance of keeping a balance in how we use our scarce national security assets.

As the radical Islamist threat morphs into a full-scale war across two Middle Eastern countries, has the time come to recast our thinking about Al-Qaeda and counter-terrorism and adopt a more traditional nation state approach to our intelligence requirements? Ten years on from his retirement as Chief of SIS, Sir Richard Dearlove offered his reflections on the changing face of national security.

[DGuller]

Cliffs?

[mongers]

Good to see the US backing Kurdish efforts to push back ISIS and retake the Mosul damn.

German foreign minister showing solidarity with the Yazidis:

[The Brain]

Have you heard the news? Can't afford no shoes.

[Ed Anger]

NSA stole his shoes

[CountDeMoney]

They're in the pile with the other shoes, with the suitcases and gold teeth fillings.

[Razgovory]

The other night I saw a bunch of Kurds staying in a Catholic Church sleeping on the pews.  I was wondering what the Muslims were thinking when they came in.

"Hey, these guys have seats in their place, sweet!  Don't know what all these things near your feet are for though".