Exactly What did the Monday Air Attacks on Syria Accomplish?

By Rob Janicki

Like any kid, I like watching "stuff" getting blown up and that's what we saw from news sources fed by the Obama administration since the Monday air campaign began to attack ISIS targets in Syria .  The problem is that we have no way of knowing whether these air attacks accomplished any measurable goal to degrade and destroy ISIS, the now stated strategy announced by President Obama after previously announcing he had no strategy to deal with ISIS.  Frankly, I have my doubts that much was accomplished and here is why.

Obama, two weeks prior to the Monday air attacks, announced to the world that he had no strategy to deal with ISIS, but he did announce that an air attack campaign would occur in the very near future.  Now, I don't want to be so provincial as to believe that ISIS is so stupid as not to notice such a pronouncement from President Obama and act on it in advance of the promised air attack campaign.

Obama,briefing ISIS on his plans to contain/destroy them,every step of the way&where not to be at any particular time pic.twitter.com/h9McfyexVa
— Elizabeth Nelson (@ElizabethNels0n) September 25, 2014

Quite the contrary.  ISIS is a very sophisticated operation with communications that would rival most countries.  Their understanding of the internet is top notch.  Surely, they read the New York Times to find out what the Obama administration is up to.  That said, I'm of the belief that they moved out of their ISIS headquarters in Raqqah, Syria and dispersed their command and control functions to multiple remote locations.  That would seen reasonable, even for the butchers and barbarians of ISIS.  These people aren't stupid.  Given a two week notice, it is not reasonable to assume that they would not sit on their hands waiting to be attacked.

The conclusion I have drawn is that most of the ISIS command and control functions have been removed from Raqqah and what we have seen in videos was a very nice choreographed piece of American propaganda released to give Americans the idea that President Obama is taking a leadership role to degrade and destroy ISIS, when in reality we have spent a lot of money more than likely destroying inconsequential targets that have been abandoned.

@GlennFo

It will take months of a comprehensive air campaign to really degrade and deter ISIS from engaging in expanding operations in Iraq.  At best the air campaign will change the nature of the conflict with ISIS as they adopt new means to expand their war on humanity in Syria and Iraq.  

Expect ISIS to revert to more traditional terrorist practices that we saw from al Qaeda during the war in Iraq.  Expect to see more lone wolf attacks to terrorize the population of the affected areas.  Expect to see more kidnappings of westerners and the resulting beheadings for the shock effect that ISIS continues to use as a psychological weapon to demoralize their enemies.

Do not expect to see a mercenary armed force raised and trained by the U.S. to seriously engage ISIS troops in the field.  Training of such a mercenary force will take 6 to 12  months and will only involve 5,000 troops.  Considering ISIS is reputed to have something like 30,000 troops, it would seem to be a mismatch even with heavy weapons for the mercenaries along with air support.

In conclusion, expect ISIS to morph their operations to adapt and meet the changing challenge they will face from the U.S. and its allies as the months, and possibly years, pass.

"We don't have a Strategy;" Our Biggest "Tool" Against ISIS is Obama

By Elizabeth Nelson

America, although we've often been seen in a bad light as the big brother that stepped in to stop a fight, we were always either feared or respected for leading the way.  If you don't think the world isn't still looking to America, to lead, follow or get out of the way, regarding ISIS/ISIL, think again.

Israel has had enough and is calling Obama on his liberal double standard:

President Barack Obama has rightfully condemned the ISIS beheading of American James Foley in the strongest terms. Why then the double standard regarding ISIS and Hamas? At the same time that President Obama has called for an all-out war against the “cancer” of ISIS, he has regarded Hamas as having an easily curable disease, urging Israel to accept that terrorist group, whose charter calls for Israel’s destruction, as part of a Palestinian unity government. I cannot imagine him urging Iraq, or any other Arab country, to accept ISIS as part of a unity government. Continue Reading the Jewish Press

And the rest of the community has noticed that something is amiss in our Country, because unlike Israel, the US Sees Different ways to "Confront ISIL?"  Not Destroy them:

U.S. Sees Different Ways to Confront ISIL Besides Military http://t.co/ufWcQdqUcA
— USEmbassyTelAviv (@usembassyta) August 26, 2014

Even our allies, who don't trust us and our enemies, who don't fear us, are noticing that the one tool that is needed, our Military, isn't even being put on the table to be considered, because our real Tool - our Screw Driver - hasn't told this country that the inevitable is coming. 

President Obama has not yet made any decision to pursue military options in Syria against Islamic State extremists.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said August 25 that while the United States is serious about confronting the Islamic State threat, military force is not the “only tool in the toolbox.”

He added that the only sustainable solution will require the active involvement of an effective and inclusive Iraqi government.

Earnest said there currently is no evidence of an active plot underway by the Islamic State against the U.S. homeland.

Earlier August 25, Syria said it was willing to work with the international community, including the United States and Britain, to fight the advance of Islamic State militants inside Syria, but warned that any attacks should only be carried out in coordination with Damascus.  Continue Reading US EMBASSY

All Obama has chosen to voice is, "We don't have an ISIS strategy, yet [even though I've authorized strikes against them, and woke the bear, and got Foley beheaded.]" Loose, half-truth, translation, "plan C, al-Assad hasn't agreed to allow us to go into Syria and I have no idea how Bush got Putin to agree to allow the US troops to go into Afghanistan so easy, Al doesn't like me."

Yet, our Lead-from-Behind Empiric Leader is more than likely being told by his political advisers, not military advisers, that if he puts boots on the ground, he will lose the Senate in November - which is probably true. However, if he does, he would actually look Presidential, because he would be protecting not only the American people but the world, by destroying the world's most dangerous terrorist threat, before they activate their US sleeper cells that are already in our Country.  

Oh, don't look so shocked, we've already found a second American (Douglas McCain and Troy Kastigar) fighting, and dying, for ISIS.  Now, ISIS isn't just targeting our young men but our young women too.

Hagel: "ISIS Beyond Just a Terrorist Group" an "'Imminent Threat' to US Interests"

By Elizabeth Nelson

America, do you see a pattern forming here?  Hagel goes on CNN and tells them that "ISIS is a long-term threat" and a "beyond anything we have seen."  Oh wait, this doesn't sound like a JV team to me, does this sound like a JV team to you?

"They have not standard of decency, they are an Imminent Threat to US Interests, at home or abroad."

"ISIL is  sophisticated  and well funded as any group that we have ever seen,  they are beyond just a terrorist group;  they marry ideology, sophistication or strategic and tactical prowess, they are tremendously well funded,  oh this is beyond anything we have seen.  We must prepare for everything and the only way we do that is we must take a steely cold hard look at it and get ready."   

Hey liberals, with your head in the sand, now General Dempsey, who has always reluctant for us to go into Iraq, is now agreeing with Hagel that we need to take the fight to ISIS in Syria, because "drone strikes are not enough to defeat ISIS."  Four-Star General Jack Keane was on Fox putting a bow on this issue, being quite blunt  about it,  and translating what is going to happen soon militarily. 

"The Administration has minimized the threat from ISIS and they an no longer ignore that threat, ISIS is willing to attack...we are now going to do something about it...we are going to put a comprehensive plan together to deal with it, probably reluctantly begrudgingly, because we do not have an alternative."

"We need a ground force in Iraq and air power not just to stop ISIS but to defeat it. The air power campaign in Syria as well in Iraq"

"In time we need ground forces and air power, I'm convinced we'll get there."

"ISIS is forcing the President to act...we need a military strategy, and in time the President will approve it."

What we're seeing here is, Hagel, Dempsey and Keane preparing Americans for the cold hard fact that the "War on Terror" is not over, as Obama once declared it was, because the other side hasn't relented their arms and hatred of Americans.  

The only problem with going into Syria, to fight ISIS is, Obama will be leading the charge and he's no President Bush, who had Putin as an un-likely ally, when went through Russia and Putin rallied others to fight the war on terror with us.  Do we really see Obama getting the same warm welcome and a spirit of cooperation with al-Assad, Putin or any or our allies? 

Look for Trouble, you Find it: Foley Went to Support Terrorists & got His Head cut Off

By Elizabeth Nelson

Okay, this blog is going to hit a nerve, so if you're a "touchy feely" reader that can't handle hearing it like it is, you might as well stop reading now and go back to bed. If Bergdhal wandering off base, in support of the Taliban and getting picked up was "his own damn fault, for putting himself in harms way," and if he'd died in captivity, at the hands of his "captor," even though it would have been tragic, I would have agreed with the initial statement, because he went looking for his fate. Unfortunately, James Foley is no different than Bowe Bergdhal, in that he willingly went to Syria in support of the Sunni terrorists and they cut off his head for his support.

Foley considered himself a "new breed of journalist" I'd say he was the perfect person to radicalize, a "sympathizer."  He "sneered at America's War on Terror" while tweeting to "arm the Jihadists" and cheering on the Sunni Muslim Terrorists.  Then, during the Israel and Hamas war, it was all about the pro-Sunni propaganda. 

Foley came to Syria to support the Sunni Islamist rebels against the Syrian government. He was a vehement advocate and while he didn’t necessarily side with any single group, he echoed the one sided narrative rather than telling the truth about the Islamists. His Twitter feed was full of urgings to arm the Jihadists.

When Newsweek’s Muslim Rage cover story came out, Foley mocked it too. Raging Muslims. How silly and Islamophobic. Read More FrontPage News   

Notice, in Foley's tweets, he mentions ISIS:

He was a huge advocate for Syria. His voice, role, love and support for Syria was tweeted loud and proud:

 Of course, he was an Obama supporter and showed his disdain for Romney

Opps, guess Obama has shown his own weakness, no help was needed from Romney.

He also showed his disdain for Israel in his support of Hamas and what they were doing to the Palestinian people:

His Romney bashing and disdain for America continued:

 

Never underestimate the power of our uniformed voters and the ignorance of the retweeter:

That was your boy, Obama's appointed, John Kerry and he actually said Israel, "could become an apartheid state, full of second-class citizens," it wasn't Romney.  Great research on that retweet.

The only major difference between Bergdahl and Foley, during their captivity, was that Bergdahl was treated like a guest of honor and Foley was an "ISIS propaganda whipping boy." However, they both found what they were looking for, when they went out to discover their terrorists of fascination.  The people, that for some strange reason, they found it in their hearts and minds to empathize and sympathize with, but in Foley's case, it wound up biting him in the butt and he lost his head over it, but what did he expect, they are extremists for crying out loud? You can't dance with the Devil in Hell and not expect to get burned.