Obama Says U.S. Intelligence Underestimated Islamic State threat

[Robby999 1,024]

President Barack Obama said U.S. intelligence underestimated that the political chaos in Syria over the past several years would create an environment for extremist group Islamic State to thrive.

"This became ground zero for jihadists around the world," he said in an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, according to an excerpt aired by the network on Sunday.

The president said Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, was able to attract former members of Saddam Hussein's military in Iraq who brought a more sophisticated military strategy to the movement.

This "gave them some traditional military capacity and not just terrorist capacity," Mr. Obama said, adding that it was "absolutely true" that the U.S. overestimated the ability and willingness of the new Iraqi government to push back against Islamic State.

The U.S. and international partners, particularly in the Middle East, would have to come up with political solutions in Iraq and Syria, Mr. Obama said.

But the near-term plan was to destabilize Islamic State.

"We just have to push them back and shrink their space and go after their command and control…and work to eliminate the flow of foreign fighters," he said.

The full 60 Minutes interview is slated to air Sunday evening.

Also on CBS, Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken reiterated that the U.S. military planned to continue airstrikes but would not send troops into the conflicts.

"We've been clear that there will not be a U.S. ground invasion of Iraq or Syria," he said. He left the door open, however, to the idea that a no-fly zone could be established over Syria at some point.

On ABC News "This Week," House Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) indicated that sending in American combat troops could become necessary to eliminate the Islamic State threat.

While Mr. Obama has said that he opposes sending U.S. ground troops into combat against Islamic State, Mr. Boehner suggested that such troops might be needed if the international coalition can't defeat the militants.

"At some point, somebody's boots have to be on the ground," Mr. Boehner said. So far the White House and its allies have deployed airstrikes against the militants and are preparing to train pro-Western Syrian rebels to fight on the ground.

Earlier this month, Congress authorized the White House to train and equip those rebels. But many Republicans have said they aren't persuaded that the administration's strategy will be forceful enough to eradicate the danger posed by the militants.

"Maybe we can get enough of these forces trained and get them on the battlefield," Mr. Boehner said.

But if the international coalition doesn't come together, "we have no choice," Mr. Boehner said of the possibility of sending in U.S. fighters. "These are barbarians. They intend to kill us. And if we don't destroy them first, we're going to pay the price."

http://online.wsj.com/articles/obama-says-u-s-intelligence-underestimated-developments-in-syria-1411918072

Seems this adminstration underestimates almost everything!

[LibCampFireClub 635]

Steve Croft, CBS 60 minutes correspondent, has a habit of softball interviews with 0bama:

Steve Kroft's Softball Obama Interviews Diminish '60 Minutes'

[Curmudgeon 227]

It's about time American politicians stopped using this excuse. It's a certainty that if you take away the stabilizing political leadership in a country the vacuum will be filled. Guessing that the vacuum will be filled by people who support American ideology is wishful thinking, not logic.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

Edited September 28, 2014 by ExExpat

[UncleBeer 244]

Seems this adminstration underestimates almost everything!

They OVERestimate GDP and such, grudgingly 'revising' the numbers months later to reflect reality. And of course these revisions get little or no media play.

[Curmudgeon 227]

They OVERestimate GDP and such, grudgingly 'revising' the numbers months later to reflect reality. And of course these revisions get little or no media play.

Like that NEVER happened pre Obama.

Not that that has any relevance to the topic. The topic is, was the president 'misinformed' about what might happen if you take away a regime and have nothing to replace it with? No, he wasn't and nor was Bush, or at least if they were advised that, it was knowingly bad advice.

[UncleBeer 244]

Like that NEVER happened pre Obama.

EVERY single GDP forecast the O'bama posse has made has been wildly optimistic and they've had to (discretely) roll it back. Every one. Compare that to the evil cowboy Boooosh.

Not that that has any relevance to the topic.

I understand it's easier to brush aside the facts, claiming they're "not germane". The topic was raised and I addressed it.

was the president 'misinformed' about what might happen if you take away a regime and have nothing to replace it with? No, he wasn't and nor was Bush, or at least if they were advised that, it was knowingly bad advice.

No. The preznit is such an arrogant twurp that he willfully ignores the informed advice of experts. There's no helping idiots like that.

Obama Rejected “Best Military Advice”

As he laid out his strategy to combat the Islamic State in both Iraq and Syria, President Obama rejected the “best military advice” of his top military commander in the Middle East.

Quoting two U.S. military officials, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday that Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), said “that his best military advice was to send a modest contingent of American troops, principally Special Operations forces, to advise and assist Iraqi army units in fighting the militants.”

Austin’s recommendation was taken to the White House by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey. The White House rejected CENTCOM’s “advise and assist” contingent due to concerns about placing U.S. ground forces in a frontline role.

In a press briefing Thursday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said that the president had rejected Austin’s recommendation because he believes “it is not in the best interest of American national security to send American combat troops in a combat operation to act on the ground in Iraq.”

[Curmudgeon 227]

EVERY single GDP forecast the O'bama posse has made has been wildly optimistic and they've had to (discretely) roll it back. Every one. Compare that to the evil cowboy Boooosh.

I understand it's easier to brush aside the facts, claiming they're "not germane". The topic was raised and I addressed it.

No. The preznit is such an arrogant twurp that he willfully ignores the informed advice of experts. There's no helping idiots like that.

US presidents have used the excuse that they were not given enough information about the potential harmful after effects of their aggressive actions since Vietnam. This is not new, it's called political expediency. Only you seem to think this is a partisan issue. Oh well.

[LibCampFireClub 635]

[UncleBeer 244]

US presidents have used the excuse that they were not given enough information about the potential harmful after effects of their aggressive actions since Vietnam. This is not new, it's called political expediency. Only you seem to think this is a partisan issue. Oh well.

It's not just this. Remember the $831,000,000,000 stimulus program that O'bama pushed through? Later he 'joked' that there weren't nearly as many "shovel ready" jobs as they'd thought. Har har. Remember all the 'surprises' during Obamacare's rollout? "Unexpected", except to those who were paying attention and predicted them way in advance. I could make a LONG list if you'd like.

This is what you get when you put hubris-fueled amateurs in charge. And that's making the generous assumption that all this destruction isn't in fact deliberate.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

It's not just this. Remember the $831,000,000,000 stimulus program that O'bama pushed through? Later he 'joked' that there weren't nearly as many "shovel ready" jobs as they'd thought. Har har. Remember all the 'surprises' during Obamacare's rollout? "Unexpected", except to those who were paying attention and predicted them way in advance. I could make a LONG list if you'd like.

This is what you get when you put hubris-fueled amateurs in charge. And that's making the generous assumption that all this destruction isn't in fact deliberate.

Yea, I'm sure it's deliberate. Most President's try to destroy the country. Take off the tinfoil hat.

[UncleBeer 244]

Most President's try to destroy the country.

Utter nonsense.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Utter nonsense.

Try reading it again. Maybe you'll get it the second time around.

[decocker 7,198]

It's not just this. Remember the $831,000,000,000 stimulus program that O'bama pushed through? Later he 'joked' that there weren't nearly as many "shovel ready" jobs as they'd thought. Har har. Remember all the 'surprises' during Obamacare's rollout? "Unexpected", except to those who were paying attention and predicted them way in advance. I could make a LONG list if you'd like.

This is what you get when you put hubris-fueled amateurs in charge. And that's making the generous assumption that all this destruction isn't in fact deliberate.

we'd have a ton of shovel ready jobs right now if we could have had something moving in the way of rebuilding infrastructure at the same time as the stimulus rollout. it's about priorities really, not the stimulus itself.

[UncleBeer 244]

we'd have a ton of shovel ready jobs right now if we could have had something moving in the way of rebuilding infrastructure at the same time as the stimulus rollout. it's about priorities really, not the stimulus itself.

Hey, nobody made the preznit promise these things (or "keep your doctor", or reducing the deficit, or "the discussion re: Obamacare will be on CSPAN" or numerous other lies); he made those without provocation. In face, he had every reason NOT to "extend the truth".

He seems to be a pathological liar, and on a scale unseen in history. Can you agree that's not ideal in a politician?