Hejira
Today, US President Barack Obama appeared on Face The Nation (CBS) -- here for video talking about Iraq, here for transcript.
Here's a section on Iraq:
BOB SCHIEFFER: Thank you. I want to start with your decision to basically double the size of the American force in Iraq and bring it up to about three thousand. When you ordered the airstrikes three months ago you didn't seem to think that was going to be necessary. What is-- what is this signal that what we've done so far hasn't worked?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: No. Actually, what it signals is a new face. First of all, let's be clear. ISIL is a threat not only to Iraq but also the region and, ultimately, over the long term could be a threat to the United States. This is an extreme group of the sort we haven't seen before, but it also combines terrorist tactics with on-the-ground capabilities, in part, because they incorporated a lot of Saddam Hussein's old military commanders. And, you know, this is a threat that we are committed not only to degrade but, ultimately, destroy. It's going to take some time. What we knew was that phase one was getting an Iraqi government. That was inclusive and credible. And we now have done that. And so now what we've done is rather than just try to halt ISIL's momentum. We're now in a position to start going on some offense. The airstrikes have been very effective in degrading ISIL's capabilities and slowing the advance that they were making. Now what we need is ground troops, Iraqi ground troops that can start pushing them back.
BOB SCHIEFFER: Will these Americans be going into battle with them?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: No. So what hasn't changed is our troops are not engaged in combat. Essentially, what we're doing is we're taking four training centers with coalition members that allow us to bring in Iraqi recruits, some of the Sunni tribes that are still resisting ISIL, giving them proper training, proper equipment, helping them with strategy, helping them with logistics. We will provide them close air support once they are prepared to start going on the offense against ISIL, but what we will not be doing is having our troops do the fighting. What we learned from the previous engagement in Iraq is that our military is always the best. We can always knock out, knock back any threat. But then when we leave, that threat comes back.
BOB SCHIEFFER: Should we expect that more troops may be needed before this is over?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: You know, as commander-in-chief, I'm never going to say never. But what, you know, the commanders who presented the plan to me say is that we may actually see fewer troops over time because now we're seeing coalition members starting to partner with us on the training and assist effort.
We will be noting the interview in snapshots this week.
We will not be noting Bully Boy Bush's interview today.
There have been two Congressional hearings since Labor Day that should have been noted here but were not because there is too much going on in Iraq right now.
So why would I cover Bully Boy Bush?
The best thing that ever happened in his eight years of occupying the White House was his departure.
He's nothing.
He's meaningless.
The same way Barack will be in two more years.
He spoke about Iraq.
Why?
He wanted some attention.
And there are people who will fawn over him and there are people who will let their blood boil over him.
I'll do neither.
My time is too important to me to examine what he said.
I have no interest in what he says.
Unless he's put on trial for War Crimes, he needs to hide under his rock. If he's too stupid to grasp that, that's on him.
But I'm not going to waste my time or our space by exploring his 'thoughts' and 'musings' on Iraq.
Barack's opinion matters because he's the sitting president.
No one mistook Bully Boy Bush for a deep thinker or even a casual thinker.
His thoughts don't matter and the best thing the world can do is ignore when he speaks and thank the heavens that we now have the luxury to ignore him because has no power at all.
I'm traveling in some vehicle
I'm sitting in some cafe
A defector from the petty wars
That shell shock love away
-- "Hejira," written by Joni Mitchell, first appears on her album of the same name
The number of US service members the Dept of Defense states died in the Iraq War is [PDF format warning] 4493.
New content at Third:
Here's a section on Iraq:
BOB SCHIEFFER: Thank you. I want to start with your decision to basically double the size of the American force in Iraq and bring it up to about three thousand. When you ordered the airstrikes three months ago you didn't seem to think that was going to be necessary. What is-- what is this signal that what we've done so far hasn't worked?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: No. Actually, what it signals is a new face. First of all, let's be clear. ISIL is a threat not only to Iraq but also the region and, ultimately, over the long term could be a threat to the United States. This is an extreme group of the sort we haven't seen before, but it also combines terrorist tactics with on-the-ground capabilities, in part, because they incorporated a lot of Saddam Hussein's old military commanders. And, you know, this is a threat that we are committed not only to degrade but, ultimately, destroy. It's going to take some time. What we knew was that phase one was getting an Iraqi government. That was inclusive and credible. And we now have done that. And so now what we've done is rather than just try to halt ISIL's momentum. We're now in a position to start going on some offense. The airstrikes have been very effective in degrading ISIL's capabilities and slowing the advance that they were making. Now what we need is ground troops, Iraqi ground troops that can start pushing them back.
BOB SCHIEFFER: Will these Americans be going into battle with them?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: No. So what hasn't changed is our troops are not engaged in combat. Essentially, what we're doing is we're taking four training centers with coalition members that allow us to bring in Iraqi recruits, some of the Sunni tribes that are still resisting ISIL, giving them proper training, proper equipment, helping them with strategy, helping them with logistics. We will provide them close air support once they are prepared to start going on the offense against ISIL, but what we will not be doing is having our troops do the fighting. What we learned from the previous engagement in Iraq is that our military is always the best. We can always knock out, knock back any threat. But then when we leave, that threat comes back.
BOB SCHIEFFER: Should we expect that more troops may be needed before this is over?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: You know, as commander-in-chief, I'm never going to say never. But what, you know, the commanders who presented the plan to me say is that we may actually see fewer troops over time because now we're seeing coalition members starting to partner with us on the training and assist effort.
We will be noting the interview in snapshots this week.
We will not be noting Bully Boy Bush's interview today.
There have been two Congressional hearings since Labor Day that should have been noted here but were not because there is too much going on in Iraq right now.
So why would I cover Bully Boy Bush?
The best thing that ever happened in his eight years of occupying the White House was his departure.
He's nothing.
He's meaningless.
The same way Barack will be in two more years.
He spoke about Iraq.
Why?
He wanted some attention.
And there are people who will fawn over him and there are people who will let their blood boil over him.
I'll do neither.
My time is too important to me to examine what he said.
I have no interest in what he says.
Unless he's put on trial for War Crimes, he needs to hide under his rock. If he's too stupid to grasp that, that's on him.
But I'm not going to waste my time or our space by exploring his 'thoughts' and 'musings' on Iraq.
Barack's opinion matters because he's the sitting president.
No one mistook Bully Boy Bush for a deep thinker or even a casual thinker.
His thoughts don't matter and the best thing the world can do is ignore when he speaks and thank the heavens that we now have the luxury to ignore him because has no power at all.
I'm traveling in some vehicle
I'm sitting in some cafe
A defector from the petty wars
That shell shock love away
-- "Hejira," written by Joni Mitchell, first appears on her album of the same name
The number of US service members the Dept of Defense states died in the Iraq War is [PDF format warning] 4493.
New content at Third:
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