Sending another 217 advisors to Iraq, President Barack Obama continued his toe-in-the-water strategy hoping to spare the Iraqi military more embarrassment as they anticipate battling the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS] to retake Mosul. Lost to ISIS June 14, 2014, ISIS controls Iraq’s northern oil capital, making million in illicit oil sales to Turkey and other Mideast states. Capturing Mosul is a major promise of 63-year-old Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Al-Abadi took over July 8, 2014 from former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, former President George W. Bush’s handpicked prime minister after toppling Saddam Hussein April 10, 2003. Bush’s Iraq war destroyed more than his approval ratings. It hit the Mideast with a wrecking ball, turning Saddam’s authoritarian regime into full-fledged anarchy, with Islamic terrorists flooding Iraq. When Obama ended the Iraq War Dec. 15, 2011, he left the country ripe for a terrorist takeover.
Three years later, former members of Saddam’s Baathist regime under the fake Islamic banner of ISIS, sacked the beleaguered Iraqi army, seizing some 30% of Iraqi territory, including seizing oil-rich Mosul. Adding 217 more troops to the over 3,000 U.S. advisors in Iraq will have negligible effect on Iraq’s attempt to dislodge ISIS from Mosul. Only a combined ground operation with the Kurd’s Peshmerga fighters has any chance of ridding ISIS from Mosul. As Syria peace talks proceed in Geneva, U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura has his work cut out for him convincing Saudi Arabia and Turkey back off demands to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Iraq found out the hard way what happens when you topple a Mideast dictator. Bush’s plan to “democratize” the Middle East backfired. President Barack Obama and his Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton both backed toppling Libya’s dictator Col. Muammar Gaddafi, turning Libya into a terrorist haven.
Beefing up U.S. advisors in Iraq does nothing while Obama backs the Saudi policy of toppling al-Assad. Obama and Hillary’s foreign policy pits the U.S. against Russia that backs al-Assad’s Syrian regime. Letting the Turks bomb the Kurds shows Obama’s self-destructive foreign policy in Iraq and Syria. Instead of joining Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in keeping al-Assad in power, Obama rubber stamps Saudi’s proxy war killing over 250,000, displacing millions more to neighboring countries and Europe in the biggest humanitarian crisis since WWII. Neither Obama nor Hillary can explain why the back the Saudi proxy war against Syria. They both claim they want to stop the war but back Saudi Arabia’s attempt to continue an endless proxy war. Obama and Clinton can’t be serious about winning the battle against ISIS when they back Saudi Arabia and Turkey’s attacks on the Kurds’ Peshmerga fighters.
Neither Saudi Arabia nor Turkey wanst to battle ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Turkey’s ongoing war against the Kurds proves they have no intent of joining the fight against ISIS. Obama and Hillary can’t have it both ways: Backing the Saudi proxy war in Syria and battle ISIS in Iraq or Syria. Pushing U.S.-Russian relations to Cold War lows, Obama and Hillary can’t explain why they back the Saudi proxy war. Joining Russia and Iran enables the U.S. to mend fences with two former allies, now opposing U.S. foreign policy. By starting to re-align U.S. foreign policy to back Russia and Iran, Obama would put the U.S. on the track of developing the kind of coalition needed to defeat ISIS. Sending more advisors to Iraq won’t help the battle against ISIS unless the U.S. gets the Turks to stop bombing the Kurds, the only hope for retaking Mosul. Obama can’t battle ISIS, Russia and Iran without compromising U.S. national security.
U.S. foreign policy requires “linkage,” showing that relationships with former enemies pay rich dividends in unexpected ways. If Obama had better relationships with Russia and Iran, it would make containing North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un more feasible. Letting relations with Russia and Iran deteriorate has hurt U.S. national security. Allowing the Saudis to dictate U.S. Syria policy has lost the U.S. credibility, no longer a partner with traditional allies, especially in the European Union. EU officials have concerns about terrorism spreading on the continent but back the Saudi proxy war against Syria. Obama can put more advisors in Iraq but can’t win the battle against ISIS without telling Saudi Arabia and Turkey to back off demands to topple Bashar al-Assad. Letting Turkey bomb the Kurds in Syria shows Obama has no coherent plan to defeat ISIS. De Mistura must stand up to the Saudis or watch Syrian peace talks fail just like the last time.
Meeting with Kurdish Iraq Leader Mahmoud Barzani, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter must find a way to get through to the Turks and Saudis. Painting all Kurds as his enemy, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erodgan shows he has no intent of ending the Saudi-funded proxy war. Putting more U.S. advisors in Iraq can’t complete the mission of retaking Mosul without Kurdish help. Serving as the main on-the-ground fighting force, the Kurds have become the only practical U.S. strategy of destroying ISIS. Allowing Erdogan to bomb the main U.S. –backed fighting force against ISIS makes no sense. Obama must send Kerry to Geneva with a new Syrian policy and message to Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir. He must tell Jubeir to end the proxy war against al-Assad. Before Obama sends more advisors to Iraq, he needs to correct a failed Syrian policy, backing the Saudi proxy war damaging the EU, causing the worst humanitarian crisis since WWII.d global news.
