Article

2015-05-26 Iraq

Joint Chiefs Chairman says U.S. blindsided by fall of Mosul

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Posted by gorb 2015-05-26 12:46|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 There are none so blind as those who will not see.

I think that's Simon and Garfunkle.

Posted by Bobby 2015-05-26 12:55|| 2015-05-26 12:55|| Front Page Top

#2 Or Thomas Dolby maybe

Posted by Shipman 2015-05-26 13:04|| 2015-05-26 13:04|| Front Page Top

#3 What's that word again? Ah yes, unexpected.

Bunch of Yes Men and sycophants leads to a lot of 'unexpected'.

Posted by Procopius2k 2015-05-26 13:09|| 2015-05-26 13:09|| Front Page Top

#4 But Dempsey's remarks would appear to take the issue to a new level by admitting the lack of any "worst case scenario" planning inside the Pentagon despite months of warnings from some U.S. intelligence officials that IS was advancing rapidly through northern Iraq and Syria.

Who has time for "worst case scenario's" or war gaming. We've got to get female sojurs through Ranger school dimmit !

Besides, the Champ doesn't want bad news, or a General Petraeus re-hash regarding the risks of a total U.S. pull-out of Iraq.

Posted by Besoeker 2015-05-26 13:10|| 2015-05-26 13:10|| Front Page Top

Ok, so let's whiteboard all the possible downsides shall we? Not enuf space on a standard whiteboard? Ok, butcher paper then, lots of it, a dozen black markers, and 5 rolls of 90 mph tape. Someone order sandwiches and Pepsi. We'll likely be here most of the day.

Posted by Besoeker 2015-05-26 13:17|| 2015-05-26 13:17|| Front Page Top

#6 I'll bet they have the War on Global Warming down pat...

Posted by Pappy 2015-05-26 13:55|| 2015-05-26 13:55|| Front Page Top

#7 a) blindsided
b) just not paying attention
c) don't really care anyway
d) golf!
e) all of the above

Posted by Chick Glemp4272 2015-05-26 13:58|| 2015-05-26 13:58|| Front Page Top

#8 admits in a new interview that the U.S. military had done no contingency planning to prepare for the fall of Mosul

Wouldn't have taken much planning - a few hundred surplus artillery pieces and plenty of shells pre-positioned in Irbil might have made a big difference.

Posted by Glenmore 2015-05-26 13:58|| 2015-05-26 13:58|| Front Page Top

#9 They were too busy watching me read Rantburg.

Posted by KBK 2015-05-26 14:23|| 2015-05-26 14:23|| Front Page Top

#10 Must have misplaced that particular PowerPoint slide.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2015-05-26 14:30|| 2015-05-26 14:30|| Front Page Top

#11 I read a book once how the US was surprised at how quickly South Vietnam collapsed. Did anybody in power learn anything from our previous history?

Posted by rjschwarz 2015-05-26 14:34|| 2015-05-26 14:34|| Front Page Top

#12 Promoting commanders for complaisance & compliance instead of competence and courage leads to credulity, corruption, and collapse.

-- Oldspook's rule of Military C's.

Posted by OldSpook 2015-05-26 14:43|| 2015-05-26 14:43|| Front Page Top

#13 Did anybody in power learn anything from our previous history?

Of course they did - the administration and Democrats (and not a few Republicans) have been trying to repeat that segment of history ever since the war started.

This makes perfect sense once you consider what the desired outcome is. (Hint: Repeat of Vietnam and the fall of Saigon - the liberal 'glory days'). Just ask 'the war is lost' Reid and company.

Posted by CrazyFool 2015-05-26 15:15|| 2015-05-26 15:15|| Front Page Top

#14 Well CF, it was a pub war.... right? Can't stumble around sustaining pub efforts, past or present, now can we ?

Posted by Besoeker 2015-05-26 15:20|| 2015-05-26 15:20|| Front Page Top

#15 "Did anybody in power learn anything from our previous history?"

History began when obama took office.

Posted by newc 2015-05-26 15:38|| 2015-05-26 15:38|| Front Page Top

#16 History began when obama took office.

Except for that which is BOOSH'es fault!

I hear you Besoeker. Liberals don't have any 'victories' or 'good works' they can lay claim to so they resort themselves with tearing everything else down to their level.

It would be pathetic if it weren't for all the innocents killed in the process.

Posted by CrazyFool 2015-05-26 16:02|| 2015-05-26 16:02|| Front Page Top

#17 Repeat of Vietnam and the fall of Saigon - the liberal 'glory days'

Can't have it without draft, CF.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2015-05-26 16:10|| 2015-05-26 16:10|| Front Page Top

#18 Actually the fact that we are all volunteers makes the failures even more aggravating - we *want* to fight the good fight.

Posted by OldSpook 2015-05-26 17:06|| 2015-05-26 17:06|| Front Page Top

#19 Exactly right OS. It still pains me to think what a thrashing an Army aviation elements at FOB Speicher or Balad could have handed ISIS recently.

Posted by Besoeker 2015-05-26 17:38|| 2015-05-26 17:38|| Front Page Top

#20 "US Blindsided .." > I doubt it, as Anti-US US OWG Globalist POTUS Obama + aligned are PCorrectly-Deniably helping IRAN [+ Putin Russia + China, etc.] expand their "Spheres of Influence".

Iff the fall of Mosul helps IRAN, E-T-A-L rise to MilPol/Geopol "Parity" wid the US as a "US-Style" OWG Globalist Co-Superpower, then the Bammer + Globies have succeeded.

* FYI FREEREPUBLIC > [New American] US INTEL: OBAMA COALITION SUPPORTED [preferred] ISLAMIC STATE IN SYRIA.

* CNN AM > GUEST ANALYSTS = denoted that CHINA IS MOVING = EVOLVING FROM A HISTORICAL OR TRADIONAL LAND-BASED, CONTINENTAL, + REGIONAL POWER, TO BEINGA GLOBAL NAVAL + MARITIME POWER.

* IIRC "MANILA BULLETIN" COMMENTARY = CHINA IS A [aggressive] RISING POWER, SEEKING TO INCREASE ITS [Mahanist?] GEOPOL INFLUENCE AROUND THE WORLD, WHEREAS THE US IS A [established]"STATUS QUO" POWER THAT SEES ITSELF AS A REFEREE.

-------------------

* Lest we fergit, OWG GLOBALISM = THE "TIP-OF-THE-SPEAR-IN-SETTING-UP-ANTI-US-OWG-NWO" US IS ULTIMATELY TO BE JUST ONE OF SEVERAL, MANY, OR MULTIPLE "PAR", "CO-SUPERPOWERS" IN THE WORLD.

Just as there is no conclusive evidence that the Global Secular Lefts can or will control the Global Jihad + Global Jihadists, THERE IS NO CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE THAT ANY FUTURE, EX-"SOLE" SUPERPOWER-NOW-OWG-CO-SUPERPOWER USoAMERIKA CAN CONTROL OR DOMINATE ITS FELLOW CO-SUPERPOWER SIBLINGS + VARIOUS WANNABES.

UNTIL THEY DO, THE RISK OR SCENARIO IS THERE THAT ALL THE US, WESTERN GLOBIES ARE ACCOMPLISHING IS HELPING THOSE ENEMIES OR PROTAGONISTS THAT COULD OR WILL DESTROY THEM GET STRONGER.

> The US is helping IRAN to nuclearize, despite recogniz the risk that the Islamic World + espec the Hard Boyz may get access to the NucBomb Techs.
> The US is helping Iran + Russia + China, Other? to expand their spheres of influences to the detriment of US Regional Allies + US Strategic Interests.

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG!?

Posted by JosephMendiola 2015-05-26 20:10|| 2015-05-26 20:10|| Front Page Top

#21 As for GUAM-WESTPAC, ETC...

* FREEREPUBLIC > [Telegraph.UK] US-CHINA WAR "INEVITABLE" UNLESS WASHINGTON DROPS DEMANDS OVER SOUTH CHINA SEA.

Earlier this week ...

* RELATED SAME > CHINA STATE PAPER [Global Times] WARNS OF WAR IN SCS UNLESS US BACKS DOWN.

* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > US WARNS "NEXT STEP" COULD BE TO [militarily] TEST BEIJING'S TERRITORIAL CLAIMS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA.

* SAME > US HAS DENIED CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER SPRATLYS AND PARACEL ISLANDS, CHINA [+ Asia?] MAY FACE 2-3 FRONT WAR.

* MANILA TIMES > US: NO STOPPING SPY FLIGHTS [Air + Sea Patrols] ON SOUTH CHINA SEA RECCE.

* GLOBALNATION.PH > AQUINO: PH WILL NOT YIELD TO CHINA'S AIRSPACE CLAIMS, in disputed SCS = Sea Territories.

* WORLD MILITARY FORUM > CHINA HITS BACK AT US PATROLS IN SOUTH CHINA SEA WID PLAAF H-6K BOMBER INCURSIONS INSIDE JAPAN'S SOVEREIGN MIYAKO STRAIT. CHINA REMAINS LIKELY TO STRIKE/ATTACK ANY + ALL MAJOR US BASES IN PACIFIC IN CASE OF US-CHINA SOUTH CHINA SEA WAR.

GUAM + CNMI is at the other end of China + PLA's straight-line, "Strategic Direction/Route of Attack" thru SCS + Northern Philippines into WESTPAC.

IFF SYRIA + IRAQ FACE THE SPECTER/PROPECT OF PARTITION, IN SUPPORT OF THE GLOBIE AGENDA ALA IRAN, SO ALSO CAN THE PHILIPPINES + MARIANAS, ETC. IN SUPPORT OF THE GLOBIES' AGENDA ALA CHINA.

Iff the US can sink Guam + other Paxcific isles one day in order to deny to China or Nuclear Islam, etc. GLOBIE CO-SUPERPOWER "PARITY" + "GREAT GAME" SEZZES THE US ITSELF, OR LARGE PARTS OF SAME, CAN ALSO BE SUNK.

AREN'T MAINSTREAM AMERICA = AMERIKA GLAD OR HAPPY WE WERE ASKED TO VOTE FOR ALL THE ABOVE ...

Oh wait, we didn't vote ...

OOOOOOOOPPPPPSSSSSIES!

Posted by JosephMendiola 2015-05-26 20:33|| 2015-05-26 20:33|| Front Page Top

#22

Or Thomas Dolby maybe

You know the connection between "She Blinded Me With Science" and the Green Berets?

Posted by Rob Crawford 2015-05-26 20:41|| 2015-05-26 20:41|| Front Page Top

#23 To be fair, Dempsey was busy with other pressing responsibilities: https://youtu.be/NwWYrmjqkbM

I mean - is that intimidating to the bad guys, or what???

Posted by Lone Ranger 2015-05-26 21:49|| 2015-05-26 21:49|| Front Page Top

#24 Guts and Glory replaced with Gays and Global Warming.

Posted by Ebbomosh Hupemp2664 2015-05-26 22:09|| 2015-05-26 22:09|| Front Page Top

#25 No, do tell Rob.

Posted by Shipman 2015-05-26 23:16|| 2015-05-26 23:16|| Front Page Top

23:34 DarthVader
23:25 Shipman
23:22 Shipman
23:19 Shipman
23:16 Shipman
23:13 Shipman
23:03 USN, Ret.
22:25 JosephMendiola
22:09 Ebbomosh Hupemp2664
22:02 Neville Unusonter7252
22:01 Old Patriot
21:49 Lone Ranger
21:36 JohnQC
21:33 lord garth
21:05 phil_b
20:50 Zenobia Floger6220
20:47 Mullah Richard
20:42 Frank G
20:41 Rob Crawford
20:33 JosephMendiola
20:30 Zenobia Floger6220
20:26 Pappy
20:20 Frank G
20:20 Deacon Blues