350 more troops assigned to US Embassy in Baghdad (Drip, Drip, Drip...)

[morningfog]

The U.S. is adding 350 more troops to help protect the American Embassy in Baghdad and its support facilities in the capital, raising the number of U.S. forces in the country to over 1,000, officials said Tuesday.

President Barack Obama approved the additional troops for protection of American personnel following a request by the State Department and a review and recommendation by the Defense Department, the White House said in a statement.

The buildup of U.S. troops in Baghdad follows the growing threat from Islamic State militants in northern Iraq. Since early August the U.S. has carried out 124 airstrikes against the militants, the latest taking place near Mosul Dam on Monday.

* * *

Approximately 820 troops have now been assigned to augment diplomatic security in Iraq, said Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon's spokesman.

The additional troops will come from within the U.S. Central Command area of operations and will include a headquarters element, medical personnel, associated helicopters and an air liaison team, Kirby said.

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/2014-09-02/350-more-troops-assigned-to-us-embassy-in-baghdad

[madokie]

1. Its not like our country pretty much caused most of the problems there to begin with

the dick and w had no business invading the country to begin with. We broke it so to some of us that means we need to do what we can to fix it. I spent 15 months in a similar war as this one years ago. We had no business invading VN then either. Oh and it was all based on a lie then too
Guess what, When I see a Vietnamese person on our streets I'm elated that they could find in their heart to forgive us the wrongs we did that ultimately led them to be here to begin with.

One thing about it President Obama and Chuck Hagel are good solid people and they're making these decisions based on facts as they see them. I happen to trust them to do the right thing. We don't see the same evidence that they see you can bet on that.

[steve2470]

2. ot

I value your perspective as a VN vet, also pinboy and other VN vets. I cannot understand ANY VN vet who disagrees with you. We need to fully learn the lessons of that debacle, but I'm afraid we have not and never will. War is now ingrained into our national soul, since 1945.

[madokie]

4. Thank you Steve

[steve2470]

6. Do you ever meet any VN vets who disagree with you ?

It must be difficult, if you do.

[madokie]

10. Yes I do

and yes it is difficult. To me there is no word that carries the same weight as the word Guk and it pisses me off big time when I hear it
I'm sure the people who disagree with me are fox noise watchers too, I'd bet on that
The word insurgent does the same for me too.
I know that if someone invaded my country I'd be an insurgent too. The Iraqi people had nothing to do with anything that happened on 9/1 and should not have had their lives and country torn apart because of it. I want so much to see the dick and w and the rest of that cabal of war criminals have their day in court over this

[steve2470]

12. so sorry you have to cope with that

At least you know, in your soul, that you are CORRECT.

[justiceischeap]

3. Benghazi!

If the President doesn't assign additional protection when asked for it, then that makes Benghazi real but in Iraq.

I'm okay with this decision.

And I think we should all face the fact that we are probably going to war again (as if we ever really left). President Obama has spent most of his Presidency trying to clean up Bush's mess in Iraq, and Afghanistan to some extent, unfortunately, that's the reality of the situation.

We can't expect him to sit there and do nothing when it comes to American's being beheaded (there are more hostages, BTW) and ISIS trying to drag us into war but we can expect a smart plan and reply to their murderous taunting and I suspect it won't be a peaceful resolution.

[morningfog]

5. Face the fact that we are going to war again? Hell no.

That is the last thing we need to do. I agree that IS wants to draw the US into war. When we start (continue) bombing populations, we make their recruitment posters for them. Let's not give them what they want.

We know the names of the Americans and western passport holders who have gone to fight with IS. We can prevent attacks on the US through good intel and good police work. War is not going to protect us in the end. It will only cause more innocent people to be killed, by both sides.

[justiceischeap]

9. I agree it's the last thing we need and I also agree that it creates more terrorists

but if the President and Congress decide we're going to war, how do we stop it? We (the American collective "we&quot have not been able (or willing) to stop much at all and too many people outside DU are calling for yet another war with IS. They've forgotten (or never knew) that OBLs plan was to pull America into a protracted war we could never win and I believe the war on terror is unwinnable unless you nuke every person who thinks terrorism is great and their family and their friends, etc. In order to win a war on terror, we'd have to nuke the whole world because at some point, we (again with the collective) become the terrorists and the tides would turn against us from places other than the ME.

However, it still looks like we're headed down the path to war--I hope I'm wrong but the signs are there.

[madokie]

7. Yes I appreciate that this President is taking his time

and putting thought into his actions, not shooting from the hip as the war mongers before he, who caused all this btw, did

There is no doubt in my mind that the bush/cheney cabal caused 9/11 by their actions leading up to that fateful day, if not directly. Until there is a full investigation the jury is still out on that one for me that is.

[morningfog]

13. I do appreciate that, as of now, Obama is speaking in terms of containment

of IS, and not complete defeat. When the US thinks it can use its military to destroy an ideology, we get stuck in endless wars.

Kerry is a little less careful with his language.

[madokie]

14. I have no bone to pick with Secretary of State Kerry

He as well as I know the wrongs in all this.
Most times when it seems that Kerry uses the wrong words its because they were taken out of context. Thats not his fault rather its the ones who can't or won't see that for what it is.

[HereSince1628]

8. Yes, I think this is in part a defensive move against such criticism

It's also partly a defensive move to protect the sunk costs of the long slog in Iraq...more or less an obligation to throw even more money and lives at a failure whose shame prevents us from recognizing it as such.

[morningfog]

11. At $7.5 millions a day, we are currently throwing more money down that drain.

[HereSince1628]

15. America never loses a war, we just don't let the losing efforts end.

This is the real punishing alternative to having exit strategies.

Exit strategies require avoiding getting into anything other than conflicts with clear, very limited, very achievable objectives. Even if the landscape of the conflict is a chaotic, unresolved political mess when you leave, you leave having the capacity to say you achieved your desired goal.