Iraq’s Civil War

Posted on Tuesday, June 24, 2014 by Post Scripts

by Jack

What a mess, all those live and all those billions of tax dollars…wasted. At the moment all Obama can do is prolong what seems the inevitable end. That is, unless we’re ready to commit tens of thousands of troops to save President Maliki and we’re not! And why should we? Haven’t we given enough to Iraq? It’s on them now and the winner of the civil war can have it all.

As far as our obligations go to Iraq’s President Maliki, he’s the guy who told American forces to get out, we were not needed or wanted.

We went into Iraq with the stated purpose of enforcing the UN peace treaty, putting an end to any potential security threats from WMD’s and to rid the country of a dictator who was obsessed with murder and war.

We were not there to set up an American style democracy… and we didn’t. And we were absolutely not there to solve centuries old issues between Sunnis and Shias.

What we did do, and it was a mistake, is to temporarily empower a minority religious faction, the beaten down Iraqi Shiites. When it came to reconciling with their former enemies, they took the low road. Sunnis were linked to the Baathist’ Regime, but not all of them. In Saddam’s Iraq, it was play ball with those in power or die, so many Sunnis played ball and those that didn’t… well, our presence made it possible for the Shiite to use what they learned from years under Saddam. They were looking for payback and they got. They let their new found power go too far and they overestimate their ability to be competent administrators.

No amount of US money could ever make up for the bungling mixed with a need to punish Sunnis. Civil war not just predictable, it was inevitable. Everybody could see that except for two leaders, Nuri al Maliki in Iraq and Barrack Obama in the US.

When the Bush White House did a hand off of Iraq to Obama it was nearing stability, but what was needed failed to happen. The Iraqis needed a strong army, not a regional militia. They needed power sharing with Sunnis and Kurds – they didn’t need payback for past transgressions. And they needed competent administrators to keep the lights on, the Maliki government couldn’t even do that and the corruption that was endemic only made matters worse.

Secretary of State John Kerry said, “The future of Iraq depends on decisions made in the next few days and weeks,” Kerry said after meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, the man who some observers say needs to step down. BULL S – The future of Iraq depended on what peace terms the Iraqi’s could agree too in order to share power and rebuild. Obama showed no leadership, never pushed them towards sharing and was focused on bailing out and hoping that somehow it would work out. Hope is not a strategy, but it seems to be the cornerstone of Obama’s administration, that and change. Change is coming too, but it won’t be for the better. Obama’s lack of foresight and poor leadership has more likely sown the seeds for WW III.

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12 Responses to Iraq’s Civil War

  1. Libby says:
    Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at 12:30 pm

    “The future of Iraq depended on what peace terms the Iraqi’s could agree too in order to share power and rebuild.”

    You guys just repeatedly amaze me. When, exactly, would this have happened? 2003? 2004? 2005? 2006? 2007? 2008? You do remember that when the O-man came into this mess, any terms would have been made and executed (theoretically) during the previous six years?

    • Post Scripts says:
      Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at 1:14 pm

      Libby, don’t pretend to be so naïve, because you are not. I know you Libby, you’re not stupid, you know the score here! Obama is the President of the United States that makes him a defacto leader for peace. He presided over the withdrawal of troops from Iraq and had he listened to his advisers about the build up towards a civil war he might have at least tried to broker a deal for a peaceful resolution. It would be a long shot, I know that, but he chose to do nothing! NOTHING – despite the extreme sacrifices we made to build up a moderate and fair trading partner in the Middle East. We had a lot invested and a lot to lose by a radicalize overthrow and the O-man did absolutely N-O-T-H-I-N-G. He wouldn’t listen to anyone, and everybody in State and CIA saw it coming…it was going to be bloody awful and he did NOTHING! That’s shameful. He’s spent more time lobbying for carbon credits than trying to save the Middle East from a holy war!

  2. Tina says:
    Tuesday, June 24, 2014 at 4:46 pm

    After nearly six years it’s easy to forget exactly what the conditions were in Iraq as GWB left. The memory is foggy…the amount of criticism Bush continued to undermine any clarity…the ambitions of the alternate party were, IMO, more important to our media than was reporting correctly on conditions at the time. It’s unfortunate that some in politics put party before the good of our nation and the free world.

    The following is from a transcript of President Bush’s talk to troops in Iraq in December of 2008 posted at Blackfive. I post it as a reminder from the perspective of the one man that had authority to speak to the leaders involved and had first hand knowledge and experience of conditions in Iraq and achievements of the military

    (I have excerpted from the speech those things I think demonstrate the conditions in Iraq, the attitude of GWB, and his observation and knowledge of our goal and the Iraq he handed to Obama because of the efforts of our military. I have left out the applause lines and Hoo-ah’s. I have highlighted some portions.)

    I want to thank the Iraqi citizens who are here with us today. I appreciate your courage. I know there are members of the coalition who are here with us. There have been a lot of troops from around the world who have come to help this young democracy survive and thrive. And so I want to thank the citizens of those country [sic] and the troops who have served here before us.

    This is my fourth trip to Iraq — and you’ve probably heard I’m heading into retirement — (laughter) — so it’s going to be my last trip as the President. But thanks to you, the Iraq we stand in tonight is dramatically freer, dramatically safer, and dramatically better than the Iraq we found eight years ago.

    And as a result of the sacrifices of our troops, America is safer, and America is more secure.

    I want to take you back to what life was like eight years ago here in Iraq. Iraq had a record of supporting terror, a record of developing and using weapons of mass destruction, was routinely firing at American military personnel, systematically violating United Nations resolution. Life for the Iraqi people was a nightmare, with Saddam Hussein torturing and murdering anyone who did not support his repressive rule. Iraq was a sworn enemy of the United States at the heart of the Middle East; the region was a serious threat to the us.

    After the attacks of September the 11th, 2001, America concluded we could not tolerate a regime like this in a pivotal region of the world. I gave Saddam Hussein a chance to peacefully resolve the question as to whether or not he had weapons of mass destruction. You might remember, I went to the United Nations, where a body said: disarm, disclose, or face serious consequence. It was his choice to make. And he made the wrong choice. And so the United States military, with a vast coalition removed this man from power and the world is better off for it. (Applause.)

    Thanks to you, 25 million Iraqis are free.

    Thanks to you, Iraq is no longer sponsoring terror — it is fighting terror. It’s making American people safer as a result.

    The enemies of freedom in Iraq are determined, and this fight has been tough. Two years ago, the situation had grown dire — the political process was frozen and sectarian violence was spiraling out of control. Some of you were here then/

    Many said the mission was hopeless; many called for retreat. Retreat would have meant failure — and failure is never an option.

    So instead of pulling troops out, we sent more troops in — called the surge. And because of you and because of your courage, the surge is one of the greatest successes in the history of the United States military.

    Terrorists who once held safe havens across the country are being driven out of their strongholds. The political process that was once stalled is moving forward. Iraqi citizens once afraid to leave their homes are going back to school, and shopping in markets, and leading a more normal life. And American troops are returning home because of success.

    The dramatic turnaround you led in Iraq culminated in the two agreements completed last month, which the Prime Minister and I affirmed in a ceremony earlier today.

    These agreements formalize the ties between our two democracies in areas ranging from security and diplomacy to culture and trade. These agreements show the way forward toward a historic day — when American forces withdraw from a democratic and successful Iraq, and the war in this land is won.

    There’s more hard work to do before we reach that day. But if there is any — but if there is no doubt — but there is no doubt in my mind, there’s just no doubt that we’re going to reach that day. I am confident because our cause is just. And freedom is universal. I’m confident because the Iraqi people are showing unshakable determination and courage.

    And above all, I am confident because I know the character and the strength of those who wear the uniform of the United States military.

    Over the past five years, you have shown the world some unmistakable truths:

    You have shown that when America is tested, we rise to meet the test.

    You have shown that the desire for freedom is more powerful than the intimidation of terrorists.

    You have shown that there is no task too difficult for the United States military.

    And so I have a message for you and all who serve our country: I want to thank you for making the noble choice to serve and to protect your fellow Americans. Sometimes it can be hard to tell when history is being made, particularly if you’re in the middle of the action. What you’re doing in Iraq is as important, and courageous, and selfless as what American troops did in places like Normandy and Iwo Jima and Korea. Your generation is every bit as great as any that came before it. And the work you do every day will shape history for generations to come.

    I guess what I’m telling you is your grandchildren some day are going to say, “Thank God you showed up and served.”

    America now has a strong friend and a partner in the fight against extremism in the heart of the Middle East, and that is historic.

    People across this troubled region of the world now have an example for a more hopeful path — a model of liberty that can prevail over tyranny and terror. Killers who wanted to take the lives of Americans back home have been brought to justice before they reached our shores.

    Because of you all who work to protect this nation — and all who work to protect the nation, America has done something many said was impossible: We have gone seven years without a terrorist attack.

    We think of those who have laid down their lives for freedom here in Iraq. Their children are growing up without a mom or a dad. But all of our children are growing up with something else — the promise of a safer America and a better world. And that is the lasting memorial of all who have sacrificed here in Iraq. And thanks to you, that memorial will be achieved — and their sacrifice will not be in vain.

    We think of your comrades who have been wounded. And this nation pledges that we will give them all the care and all the support they need to recover.

    We think of all your families back home. I know many of you have a sweetheart who misses you, or a daughter who longs for her dad, or a mom who worries about you day and night. For many of you, it won=t be your first holiday away — and that certainly doesn’t make it easier. So I’m going to give you an order: When you get out of here, call home or email home; you tell your families you love them; and you tell the Commander-in-Chief came by to thank them for their sacrifice along with yours. (Applause.)

    Thanks — thanks for coming by to let me say hello. Thanks for serving the United States of America. They ask me what I’m going to miss as the President. I’ll tell you what I’m going to miss: being the Commander-in-Chief of such a fabulous group of folks. May God bless you, and God bless America. (Applause)

    Try 2008, Libby. In 2008 the only thing left to do in Iraq was diplomatically dealing with Maliki, reminding him of what he owed our nation and what was possible for the future of all Iraqi’s. What was needed was a negotiated US presence for the sake of stability…an extended presence for decades (as in Germany and japan)

    Obama didn’t just walk away from Iraq. He blundered away, mocking the former President of the US and declaring himself unique in all the world to bring peace to the region. He called the war in Iraq stupid…why not just spit in the faces of Milaki and every other elected representative of their parliament as well as the many Iraqi’s that risked their lives alongside our service men as they fought for their freedom…and all of the nations that gave us support over eight long years!

    Obama then set about insulting all of our allies and kissing up to our enemies.

    Of course he has made this mess! Of course the result has been a revived and emboldened enemy! Of course there is chaos…that is what happens absent a strong leader!

    The US looks like the worst nation on earth who cannot be counted on. (I warned back then that this is what Americans end up doing when leftist president do their thing. I warned we needed a strong unified front that remained dedicated to the end)

    Obama (And all of the Democrats who turned their backs on our mission for politics) undermined and made the mission more difficult…made the message to the Middle East fuzzy…set up the perfect conditions for America to be that nation that can’t get the job done and can’t be counted on to follow through)

    Of course Obama is responsible! He’s been President for nearly six years!

    • Post Scripts says:
      Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 9:36 am

      Libby, Obama had years to shore up this situation and he sat by, preached about global warming, invested taxpayer money in Solyndra and trusted, Eric Holder and Lois Lerner to be fair and impartial. Obama is a modern day version of Nero.

  3. Libby says:
    Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 11:50 am

    We have no more leverage over Maliki than we did over Hussein. The Saddam “solution” made the Maliki mess. This (for a change) is the simple fact of the matter, and neither you nor any of those neocon troglodytes will be permitted to “revise” history.

    “Obama had years to shore up this situation ….”

    Which situation … and how? I’m right tired of these vague pronouncements of your disapproval. How was Obama supposed to make Maliki take Sunnis into his Cabinet of Ministers, for instance?

    Or we could take the Assad situation. That filthy excuse for a human being runs a savagely repressive state, but it could be argued that our support of the rebels create conditions wherein ISIS could thrive and grow.

    So, tell us? What, explicitly, was the O-man to do about this?

    • Post Scripts says:
      Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 2:45 pm

      “Which situation … and how? I’m right tired of these vague pronouncements of your disapproval. How was Obama supposed to make Maliki take Sunnis into his Cabinet of Ministers, for instance?” Libby

      Libby, we were talking about the fall of Iraq to ISIS and Sunnis… that would be the situation in question. Obama has known from the start of his presidency about the growing unrest among displaced Sunnis and for well over a year he has known about insurgents aligned with al Qaeda and ISIS that were growing in power within Iraq and in Syria. Do I really need to be that precise for you to get it?

      What was he to do about it, you ask? Well, I’m not the president, so I couldn’t really say what HE might do. But, give anyone a month of briefings and the advise of WH his experts and even I could come up with some kind of plan! But, lets not do a bait and switch. The issue is, why didn’t the POTUS have a plan in place to try at least to put a lid on this brewing civil war? Where’s the plan? Where’s the proactive thinking? Where’s this leadership and statesmanship?

  4. Tina says:
    Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 4:40 pm

    The Weekly Standard shows the progression of Obama’s Iraq policy:

    As the situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate, President Obama’s Iraq policy is coming under increasing scrutiny. On the Senate floor today, Senator John McCain even said: “It’s time that the president got a new national security team.” (emphasis mine)

    But the White House website’s page on Iraq continues to tout Iraq as a “promise kept,” noting that in President Obama’s first inauguration speech, he said, “We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people,” a mission he gave his national security team on his first full day in office (see photo and content from WH web posting)

    The text at the bottom of the above image says “On President Obama’s first full day in office, he directed his national security team to undertake a comprehensive review of our strategy in Iraq to determine the best way to strengthen that foundation, while strengthening America’s national security.”

    In 2010, Vice President Biden even called Iraq one of President Obama’s “great achievements.” But two and a half years after the president’s October 2011 remarks on “ending the war in Iraq,” that legacy is in grave doubt.

    And what did the President say in October of 2011?

    THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. As a candidate for President, I pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end — for the sake of our national security and to strengthen American leadership around the world. After taking office, I announced a new strategy that would end our combat mission in Iraq and remove all of our troops by the end of 2011.

    As Commander-in-Chief, ensuring the success of this strategy has been one of my highest national security priorities. Last year, I announced the end to our combat mission in Iraq. And to date, we’ve removed more than 100,000 troops. Iraqis have taken full responsibility for their country’s security.

    A few hours ago I spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki. I reaffirmed that the United States keeps its commitments. He spoke of the determination of the Iraqi people to forge their own future. We are in full agreement about how to move forward.

    So today, I can report that, as promised, the rest of our troops in Iraq will come home by the end of the year. After nearly nine years, America’s war in Iraq will be over.

    His strategy was leaving and success would be measured by leaving. (Sarcasm: Tough mission!)

    I’m sorry but his strategy, leaving Iraq to the Iraqi’s, taking credit for himself, announcing that his strategy is to bring troops home, and then ignoring Iraq for the duration as he fumbled his way through uprisings and drone strikes in neighboring nations.

    Oops….pi$$ poor strategy begets pi$$ poor result.

    And Libby it is utter BS that we had no leverage with Maliki, who is now begging for our assistance. We had a LOT of leverage (The cash we spent and the blood we spilled) but we needed a leader who knew how to negotiate and neither Obama nor his then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are savvy enough nor capable.

    The missteps are numerous but the most obvious were enough to predict failure. Announcing to the world that you intend to exit on a specific schedule is like waving the white flag. Sucking up to Iran and the brotherhood has also been a disaster.

    Jonathan Tobin in Commentary:

    The election of a new supposedly moderate president was already being used by those who were eager to go down the garden path with Iran as an excuse for more pointless diplomacy, but now it appears that Tehran is using its close ally in charge of Iraq to convince the United States that it’s ready for direct talks. As the New York Times reports this morning, Iraqi President Nuri al-Maliki was the conduit for a message from the ayatollahs that they were ready to open up a new round of nuclear negotiations. But in the absence of any change in Iran’s position on the issue in hand, the eagerness of the administration to jump at the chance for direct talks says more about their desire to avoid having to make good on the president’s promise than it does about the possibility of actually stopping the nuclear threat. The odds that this scheme is anything other than one more Iranian ruse designed to win them more time to build their program are slim.

    The President is sadly seen as a very weak man that can be played like a fiddle. There is probably nothing he can do to alter this situation because he showed from the beginning that he was weak and lacked resolve.

    Our enemies as well as our allies had respect for President Bush because he demonstrated a position of strength and never wavered…even under the constant criticism he was receiving at home.

    We need someone to lead our country that has, and will project, that kind of strength and resolve. We need someone to lead this nation that has the nation, instead of his (or HER) own interests, foremost in his mind.

    Until that happens…we, and the situation, are scr#%ed.

  5. Tina says:
    Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at 4:45 pm

    Gee Jack imagine having to point out that you would consult with advisers (talented people in a position to give advice) and then choose a plan and execute.

    From what I’m hearing the nation is being run by Valorie Jarret and Obama the designated box checker. Someone said she sticks a list of options under his nose and he checks off the box next to the option he prefers. That’s because a man as brilliant as he shouldn’t be bothered with details.

  6. J. Soden says:
    Friday, June 27, 2014 at 8:00 am

    Obumble has moved from Community Disorganizer to Global Disorganizer – with murderous results.

  7. Libby says:
    Friday, June 27, 2014 at 10:06 am

    “Libby, we were talking about the fall of Iraq to ISIS and Sunnis… that would be the situation in question.”

    Which happened because, among other things, Maliki would not have the Sunnis in the government. So, tell us what the O-man was to do about this.

    And do not change the subject, or deny the subject, or contrive some other subject … or blather.

    You give me an answer.

  8. Tina says:
    Sunday, June 29, 2014 at 3:39 pm

    If Maliki “not having the Sunni’s” is the crux of the problem then walking away was certainly not the best a solution to the problem. Constant diplomatic pressure and presence would have been preferable to walking away. In that instance you adjust as events unfold. Walking away, and bashing as you leave, leaves zero options. In fact it pushes Maliki toward enemies for his own preservation. You think the Islamists don’t know he fought with the “Great Satan” against them? Geez you are dim…as dim as our president!

    What you suggest is that the left doesn’t give a rip about the blood we spilled, the money we spent, or in seeing Iraq survive as a democratic nation. The left is more interested in idiological power and in demonstrating to the world that they are smarter than anyone else.

    The Presidents inflated ego was more important than the mess he would leave by turning away, talking up himself, bashing his predecessor and the effort to free Iraq. Spitting in everyone’s face that had anything to do with the war in Iraq was more important than making an effort with Maliki…he would make his mark in Afghanistan…fight the “good” war.

    We now see how poor his strategy was, how his ideas have worked out badly, and we see how much more dangerous the world is for everyone.

    Your demand for an answer is hilarious since its six years too late.

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