Thread: FLASHBACK: Obama Team Predicted Rosy Future for Iraq in Congressional Testimony

FLASHBACK: Obama Team Predicted Rosy Future for Iraq in Congressional Testimony



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FLASHBACK: Obama Team Predicted Rosy Future for Iraq in Congressional Testimony http://wfb.tc/TSMrno #Obama #Iraq 


BY: David Rutz

June 13, 2014 5:00 am
Obama administration officials spoke of bright days ahead for Iraq in June 2011 during a hearing about the country’s future following withdrawal of American troops, which was completed that December.
Now, as Iraq faces total collapse with an al Qaeda offshoot threatening to seize Baghdad, they could hardly look more naive.
The White House has spoken glowingly of Iraq as a major national security success with the ending of U.S. troop presence there, but the country lies in total disarray after another al Qaeda-linked group seized control of Mosul Tuesday. NBC reporter Richard Engel described the dire circumstances facing Iraq Thursday on MSNBC, saying that ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) is a “disgusting organization” that’s still been able to attract less radical allies within the country. The key city of Fallujah, which U.S. troops waged two hard-fought battles to win, fell to al Qaeda in January.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari told CNN on Thursday the government has “taken a number of steps to push back the terrorists,” but the fall of Mosul was a “major security setback.”
But on June 1, 2011, then-Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East Colin Kahl painted an optimistic picture of the Iraqi security force’s ability to maintain control over the country during a hearing entitled “Preserving Progress.” Kahl stated that ever since they took the lead on security operations in 2009, they had more “capably embraced” the role with each passing month.
“We need to be clear that the Iraqis are very much in charge,” Kahl said. “And they simply no longer need such large numbers of U.S. forces to help them keep the violence in check.”
“Iraq still faces dangerous and determined enemies, but it is important to emphasize that these enemies do not have the support of the Iraqi people, and these attacks have not sparked a return to widespread insurgency or communal civil war,” he added. “Moreover, despite these recent attacks, the underlying security situation remains strong.”
Kahl said the administration had assessed that the Iraqi security forces will have “pretty good capabilities in terms of internal defense.”
“Iraq has gone now through a period of instability following the 2003 invasion, but it has come out of that and is now on the right trajectory,” he said.
Then-Iraq Transition Coordinator for the State Department Patricia Haslach called the time “right for this transition” and one “vital to our national interest.”
“This transition is one of the most important international endeavors that the United States is undertaking, and its success or failure will have global implications,” she said. “We cannot fail.”
Iraq, she added, was poised to become “a political and economic leader in the Middle East region. ”
“As the Middle East faces steep challenges and an unknown future, Iraq must take center stage as a beacon of democracy and an anchor of U.S. support for the region,” she said in her opening testimony. “Countries in the region and around the world look to our efforts in Iraq to assess the sincerity with which we approach the Arab world, and the people of the Middle East and North Africa look to Iraq as an example of what is possible in the region.”
White House reporter Jonathan Karl challenged spokesman Jay Carney Thursday on whether the administration could claim Iraq as a success story at this point. Carney could not offer a direct reply.
[H/T Elliott Abrams]

http://freebeacon.com/national-security/flashback-obama-team-predicted-rosy-future-for-iraq-in-congressional-testimony/

US Planning to Return Forces to Iraq

June 13, 2014 in Exclusive, Government, War, World


After the Prime Minister of Australia Tony Abbott allocated some $12.4BN AUD to purchase a fleet of Texas-made F-35 fighter jets in preparation for what he described as “the unexpected.” Abbott then said, regarding talks during his most recent visit to the White House, that Australia would be an “utterly dependable ally” when in comes to the possibility military operations in Iraq.
As reported by The Australian times, in April of this year, PM Abbott described the decision to purchase the F-35 jets as one of caution, citing the unforeseeable future as necessitating Australia’s need to be defensively prepared. While there were voices within the government which advised the new jets be proven to be capable of their functional purposes before the contract is signed, the Pentagon assures anyone asking that these jets will “see first, shoot first, and kill first.”
“Shortly after President Obama states “all options” being on the table for “aid” to Iraq, Australia buys a fleet of fighter jets to prepare themselves for the unexpected”

Now, fast forward to this month’s White House visit by Abbott where he and President Obama had “wide-ranging discussions.” After the dust had settled and US media outlets spun Abbott’s contribution to the discussions as relating to climate change, The Australian noted that Abbott had basically sworn an allegiance to the United States, should they decide to rekindle their operations in Iraq. Citing the United States’ wars to secure “freedom” as a lonely one, the prime minister justified the Australian position of being an “utterly dependable ally” by stating; “[The] United States should never have to do all that work on its own.”
So shortly after President Obama states “all options” being on the table for “aid” to Iraq, Australia buys a fleet of fighter jets to prepare themselves for “the unexpected,” followed by the Australian Prime Minister schlepping it to the White House to pledge allegiance to the United States’ militant foreign policy practices. You don’t have to be Rain Man to see a pattern in these cards.
While planning ahead doesn’t deserve any bad marks, ordering a fleet of fighter jets without a decent idea of when one might be using them would seem a bit over-zealous. While you might make fun of a friend succumbing to such an expensive indulgence, countries don’t make financial commitments of that nature unless they are given assurances.
Whether the Australian plan gets enacted or not, it would seem safe to assume that the resumption of bombing within Iraq is being considered heavily enough for US allies to buy fleets of fighter jets to carry the bombs.

UPDATE: At ~11:50 AM EST on Friday 6/13/2013
President Obama addressed the nation from the south lawn of the White House regarding the developing situation in Iraq. Obama said the US had no plans to send troops back into Iraq therefore his national security team was preparing other “options” to lend support to Iraq’s security forces. He expressed his intention of reviewing those options in the days ahead.
When asked if the escalating violence in Iraq is a result of the Syrian civil war spilling over the border, Obama said:
I think that’s been happening for some time. ISIL has been able to gain a foothold in Syria. That’s part of the reason why we’ve been so concerned about it. That’s part of the reason why we’ve been supporting the Syrian opposition there.
Obama, while responding to questions conveyed that should the “terrorist” threat within Iraq manage to disrupt major output within the oil refineries, there would be cause for major concern. He then concluded by stating the United States wouldn’t “involve itself in a military action in the absence of a political plan by the Iraqis.”
A full transcript of the address can be found courtesy of the Washington Post

http://www.thewestwire.com/us-return-iraq/

Lets have another fake war that no one goes to!!!!

Iraqi Terror Group Instates Sharia ‘Code of Conduct’ in Seized Cities

Iranian leader reportedly in Baghdad



An ISIS militant stands in front of a burning Iraqi Army Humvee / AP



BY: Adam Kredo

June 13, 2014 12:57 pm

The Islamic extremist group that has captured several Iraqi cities and pushed the country into chaos has now begun issuing a “code of conduct” to all residents living in the seized territories, which are now under strict Islamic control.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a terror group bent on establishing a radical Islamic sate throughout the region, has begun issuing a 16-point set of guidelines to residents of Mosul and other Iraqi cities where the group has taken hold.

The code of conduct “relies on the sharia,” a radical interpretation of Islamic law, “and denounces the laws that existed thus far under the [U.S.-backed] Al-Maliki government, which it calls ‘the infidel Shi’ite government,” according to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which translated the document for reporters.

Meanwhile, reports have emerged in recent days that a top Iranian military commander is in Baghdad making preparation to defend the city from ISIS, which has already coordinated a “March on Baghdad“ campaign to seize the city and fully depose the ruling U.S.-backed government there.

ISIS claims to have received in recent days “additional manpower, funds, weapons and military vehicles of all kinds,” according to a separate announcement also translated by MEMRI.

The recent code of conduct issued by ISIS provides one of the clearest windows into the terror group’s thinking and plans for the future.
It seeks “to reassure the locals and minimize opposition from them, while also keeping them in line,” according to MEMRI. The document goes on to praise ISIS’ military victories and tout progress on “the path to establishing the Islamic Caliphate.”

“The introduction states that ISIS’s goal is one: ‘to enact the law of Allah worldwide, expand the influence of the sharia, and uproot the laws of the jungle from Muslim lands,’” according to MEMRI’s translation.

All members of the “apostate” Iraqi security forces who do not “repent” will “face the death penalty,” according to the ISIS document.
Iraqi citizens now living under ISIS rule are additionally encouraged “not to cooperate with the Al-Maliki government, whose heresy has become apparent,” according to MEMRI.

ISIS goes on to admit in the document to freeing Iraqi prisoners who were locked in local jails. The group vows to inflame ethnic tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims living in Iraq, a move that could push the country into a full-fledged civil war.

ISIS promises “to topple the regime that oppressed the people,” and promises to remove “the Shi’ite serpents that have wrapped around the necks of the [Sunni] Muslims,” according to MEMRI’s translation of the code of conduct.

All Iraqi citizens who embrace ISIS’ extremist brand of Islam will be protected, according to the document, which states: “Those who until yesterday bore a grudge against us today become safe citizens, unless they turn their backs [to us] or slander [us], or renounce Islam.”
Meanwhile, a top military leader with Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is reportedly stationed in Baghdad to help protect the city from ISIS attacks.

IRGC’s Quds Force Commander Qasem Suleimani is currently coordinating “preparations to defend the city,” according to multiple reports from those on the ground in Iraq.

Iranian leaders have vowed in recent days not to stand by as its neighbor Iraq comes under attack, creating the possibility that the chaos will spill over Iraq’s borders and possibly ignite the region.

A showdown in Baghdad could be coming in the next days, potentially forcing the White House to decide if U.S. intervention is necessary to protect Iraq.

ISIS’ “March on Baghdad” campaign involves “intensified attacks on government forces and Shi’ite militias in the Iraqi capital and its environs,” according to MEMRI, which translated excerpts from an announcement about the campaign.

ISIS also sent a warning to Iran in its statement: ““We say to the Safavid [i.e., Iranian-controlled] government and its parties, militias, and security apparatuses: be aware that tragedies will befall you in the coming days, Allah willing.”

U.S. lawmakers have expressed great concern about the situation in recent days and lashed out at the Obama administration for saying and doing very little to help get the conflict under control.

“It is clear that we need a new strategy in Iraq and across the Middle East,” Rep. Buck McKeon (R., Calif.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement issued Friday.

“The president had hoped that as America stepped back from the world, other responsible actors would step forward to provide stability. That hasn’t worked. It isn’t going to work,” McKeon said. “Our vacillation and inaction in Syira, abandonment of Iraq, politically driven withdrawal from Afghanistan, and senseless cuts to national security resources has allowed the resurrection of a transnational terrorist threat. These extremists now have unprecedented wealth, technology, and a safe haven from which to launch attacks on the United States. They must be stopped.”

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9/11: WTC 7 Now A Proven Case Of Controlled Demolition
The latest research establishes that World Trade Center Building 7 was destroyed by controlled demolition. The press release below will be sufficient in informing people to the latest developments.

PRESS RELEASE: World Trade Center Building 7’s Controlled Demolition: 9/11 Consensus Panel Releases New Evidence from Witness Testimonies and Architectural Drawings

The 24-member 9/11 Consensus Panel – which includes physicists, chemists, engineers, commercial pilots, attorneys and lawyers – today announced three new studies confirming the controlled demolition of World Trade Center 7.

The studies scientifically refute the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) claim that, for the first time in history, fire caused the sudden and complete collapse of a large, fire-protected, steel-framed building on 9/11.

wtc7



(Note that whereas the Consensus Panel uses a scientific methodology to peer-review its work, the NIST report was not peer-reviewed.)

The first Panel study deals with the NIST computer simulations, which purported to show that fire-induced thermal expansion caused a girder to be pushed off its seat at Column 79, thereby initiating a global collapse of the entire 47-story building at 5:21 in the afternoon. www.consensus911.org/point-wtc7-5

However, a recent FOIA request has produced WTC 7 architectural drawings showing that the NIST simulations omitted basic structural supports that would have made this girder failure impossible.

The second Consensus Panel study deals with NIST’s claim that it did not recover any steel from this massive steel-frame skyscraper. www.consensus911.org/point-wtc7-6

This is extraordinary, given the need to understand why a steel-frame building would have completely collapsed for the first time in history from fire alone, and to thereby prevent a recurrence.

The third Panel study shows that on September 11, 2001, many people were told hours in advance that WTC 7 was going to collapse. www.consensus911.org/point-wtc7-7

MSNBC reporter Ashleigh Banfield said early in the afternoon: “I’ve heard several reports from several different officers now that that is the building that is going to go down next.”

Many members of the New York Fire Department were confidently waiting for the building to come down:

Firefighter Thomas Donato: “We were standing, waiting for seven to come down. We were there for quite a while, a couple hours.”

Assistant Commissioner James Drury: “I must have lingered there. There were hundreds of firefighters waiting to — they were waiting for 7 World Trade Center to come down.”

Chief Thomas McCarthy: “So when I get to the command post, they just had a flood of guys standing there. They were just waiting for 7 to come down.”

In addition, CNN and the BBC made premature announcements.
This foreknowledge corroborates the evidence presented in previous Consensus Points (WTC7-1 to WTC7-5) that WTC 7 was brought down by controlled demolition.