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Making Sense of the Meltdown in Iraq
Austin Bay: US interest in Iraq is not simply energy or economics it is political example. Irans dictatorship and various violent Islamic militant groups know that a successful Iraqi democracy would be fatal to them and to their goals.(1) The US and Iraq must negotiate a new Status of Forces Agreement. To stabilize, Iraqis need confidence; a long-term US security presence inspires confidence. American kept a security nightlight in Germany and Japan for half a century.(2)OPERATIONAL MILITARY: Iraqi forces need US airpower, now. They need US special operations forces (SOF) teams to coordinate air strikes and tap US intelligence assets. First, target ISILs truck-borne flying columns. Air attacks devastate light vehicles in the open, and northwestern Iraq is open. The US has US Navy carrier aircraft within range; so is NATOs huge Incirlik air base. Posted by: KBK 2014-06-13 |
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