It never ceases to amaze how Republicans and conservatives who create obviously epic disasters have all the answers, and mountains of criticism, for President Obama in his effort to clean up their messes. They are still assailing Obama for a deficit Republicans piled up with two unfunded wars and tax cuts for the rich regardless the President’s herculean efforts to save the economy and successfully reduced the deficit they created. Now they are lining up at the annual Aryan-sponsored conservative conclave to accuse the President of all manner of malfeasance in cleaning up and dealing with George W. Bush’s religious crusade in Iraq that engendered the rise of Islamic extremists known as the Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL).
Of course, media whore Sarah Palin added her half-a-pence blaming the President for ISIS because he adhered to George W. Bush’s ‘status of forces‘ agreement and did not violate America’s agreement and leave a residual force of American troops to wage war on Islamic State extremists. Wisconsin’s Scott Walker said he could do a better job waging war on ISIS because he successfully waged war and defeated peaceful protestors in Wisconsin. Those battle-hardened protestors who teach citizens’ children, put out fires at burning homes and businesses, and serve as law enforcement officers keeping Wisconsin resident’s safe. Now, it is Marco Rubio who is accusing the President of allowing ISIS to wreak death and destruction on Syria and Iraq because he is inept and afraid of hurting Iran’s feelings.
While speaking to Sean Hannity, Rubio said the President “lacks a military strategy to confront ISIS for fear of upsetting Iran.” He said, “if we wanted to defeat them militarily, we could do it. But Obama doesn’t want to upset Iran.” That may play well for the racist and theocrat crowd at CPAC, but it is contrary to reality on two fronts. First, the President has confronted ISIS with a strategy Republicans cannot accept; and second, Iran is just as concerned about and invested in defeating ISIS as any nation in the region. This is not a revelation for any conscious human being, but for Rubio and Republicans in general, it is another false talking point to criticize the President, pander to Benjamin Netanyahu, and demonstrate typical conservative incredible ignorance about events in the Middle East; likely it is all of the above.
Rubio said, “In Obama’s mind, this deal with Iran is going to be the Obamacare of the second term, and he doesn’t want them sending military to the region.” However, if Rubio was not an idiot, he would know that Iran has called for assistance from America, and vice versa, to combat ISIS extremists in Syria and Iraq. Iranian leaders have publicly, that’s right, publicly urged America to take a bigger role in fighting ISIS, and President Obama has taken the unprecedented step of communicating with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei suggesting cooperation between America and Iran to combat ISIS extremists. Early in the conflict, Iran and America made sure to keep out of each other’s way during air missions to bomb advancing ISIS extremists.
President Obama and America’s global partners’ have made over 2,500 air strikes on ISIS in Syria and Iraq, and are in the process of training moderate Syrian and Iraqi forces to take the battle directly to ISIS. It is not the military strategy of putting tens-of-thousands of American boots on the ground, but it is a potent strategy all the same. It is a strategy that Iran has adopted, and expanded on, and it is curious why Rubio thinks the President is sitting on his hands so as not to hurt Iran’s feelings or disrupt nuclear negotiations. Rubio’s remarks not only make no sense whatsoever, they are contrary to the facts.
Iran has been, if not a part of ‘America’s global partners,’ a willing party in combatting ISIS; this is in spite of their accurate appraisal that “The United States is the cause of the unrest and problems in Iraq and is the reason for the terrorist operations.” It is a sentiment echoed by Syrian President Assad who warned early in the Iraq War that the unrest and problems now plaguing the region would be the result of America’s invasion and occupation. Still, Iran is assisting America’s effort to clean up the extremist mess America created when it invaded Iraq and sent disaffected Sunnis fleeing extermination into Syria. Not only has Iran launched military strikes against ISIS, it has assisted in propping up the American-created Iraqi government, sent the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps to coordinate and assist in the defense of Baghdad, and helped the country’s Shiite militias stop the ISIS militants’ advances on the Iraqi capital. Iran’s assistance in stopping ISIS belies Rubio’s claim that “Obama doesn’t want Iran sending military to the region.”
Besides already sending over 2,000 Iranian troops to Iraq to help combat the extremists, Iran has urged the entire world to assist in combatting the ISIS extremists. Early in the rise of ISIS, Iran’s secretary of the Supreme National Security Council said, “The expansion of terrorist elements of ISIS and their violent acts in Iraq was a warning for the region. There is a need for attention and action from governments and the international community.” President Obama has answered the call; partly out of a responsibility to clean up the ISIS disaster America (BUSH) created, and to stop the spread of the “terrorist element” in the region. Rubio, Republicans, and the cretins at CPAC know this is true.
For Rubio, or any incompetent Republican to claim the President has no military strategy against ISIS because he is wary of upsetting Iran is beyond belief, but it is par for the course among Republican no-nothings. It is no secret that the President called on Iranians to help combat ISIS, or that Iran reciprocated in urging America to help combat ISIS; it is after all a George W. Bush creation. Most Americans understand Republicans want American ground forces to battle ISIS in Iraq and Syria nearly as desperately as they want an American invasion force to battle Iran on Benjamin Netanyahu’s behalf. All-out war using American troops is the only Middle East policy Republicans can countenance and support and it is precisely why they have no business having a voice in any Middle East policy.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn't look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
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