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BrentWil

(2,384 posts)
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 07:56 PM Jun 2014

Iraq has asked for help in defeating the ISIS. What should be President Obama's response?

Iraq has asked for help. ( http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/13/world/obama-voices-concern-over-militant-advance-in-iraq.html?hp&_r=0 ). How should the President respond?

My answer would be to help. I would use US air-power, special operations forces, and military training and weapons. ISIS is a legitimate threat to the region and US interests. Just because there is a past in which we should not have acted does not mean that the answer to every question is the same.

18 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Iraq has asked for help in defeating the ISIS. What should be President Obama's response? (Original Post) BrentWil Jun 2014 OP
Call Tehran. roamer65 Jun 2014 #1
No SummerSnow Jun 2014 #2
Hi, you've reached the voicemailbox of the Whitehouse, please leave your name and number... NightWatcher Jun 2014 #3
I am going to go with somewhere between NO and FUCK NO! dilby Jun 2014 #4
US interests = corporate profits arcane1 Jun 2014 #5
Their leader has managed to escape U.S. capture rocktivity Jun 2014 #6
this problem is entrely caused by the current Iraq government's oppression nt msongs Jun 2014 #7
The Iraqi military is melting away. Obviously they don't have will to fight them. neverforget Jun 2014 #8
Many of those running away are fellow Sunnis who don't want to shoot their own. Viva_Daddy Jun 2014 #9
But if extremists take over Iraq and start attacking our interests.... davidn3600 Jun 2014 #10
Are we supposed to go over there again and force them to fight? neverforget Jun 2014 #11
We made a mess, it's our job to clean it up davidn3600 Jun 2014 #17
Uh no. We trained the Iraqis to fight for themselves. If 30,000 Iraqi troops melt away in the face neverforget Jun 2014 #18
the problem is because of the treatment of the Sunnis and problems in Syria JI7 Jun 2014 #12
It sickens me to think of what the United States has done to Iraq. WorseBeforeBetter Jun 2014 #13
I would say help them as well Victor_c3 Jun 2014 #14
Didn't he say something about dumb wars? rug Jun 2014 #15
He should tell them customerserviceguy Jun 2014 #16

NightWatcher

(39,358 posts)
3. Hi, you've reached the voicemailbox of the Whitehouse, please leave your name and number...
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:06 PM
Jun 2014

I hope he screens his calls

dilby

(2,273 posts)
4. I am going to go with somewhere between NO and FUCK NO!
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:09 PM
Jun 2014

And I am leaning a lot further towards FUCK NO!

neverforget

(9,464 posts)
8. The Iraqi military is melting away. Obviously they don't have will to fight them.
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:40 PM
Jun 2014

It's Iraq's problem now. The US helping the Iraqi's would blow up a bunch of shit and kill some bad guys, but it's ultimately up to the Iraqi's to fight their own battle. It's their country, not ours.

 

davidn3600

(6,342 posts)
10. But if extremists take over Iraq and start attacking our interests....
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:46 PM
Jun 2014

...it will quickly become our problem.

neverforget

(9,464 posts)
11. Are we supposed to go over there again and force them to fight?
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:48 PM
Jun 2014

If they don't want to fight, we can't force them. Bush fucked Iraq up and we now have to live with it. Enough American blood has spilled and spilling more American blood isn't going to solve a civil war.

 

davidn3600

(6,342 posts)
17. We made a mess, it's our job to clean it up
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 09:42 PM
Jun 2014

We sponsored terrorists in order to get the Russians out of Afghanistan. We didnt clean up the mess and the Taliban took over. And then what happened on 9/11/01?

This is the problem when you stick your nose into things where it doesnt belong. The decision was made to go into Iraq. We toppled Saddam's government. When we left, it created a power vacuum. And what takes over might be even worse than what Saddam was.

The ISIS is so radical that even Al-Queda kicked them out. And now they are going to take over Iraq. You think they won't mess with our interests?

Yeah, Bush fucked this up really, really bad. But the mess now has to be cleaned up. It will lead to more American blood no matter what. Right now the mid-east is too important to our economy to allow it to fall into chaos. Which was another massive blunder of our government (dependence on mid-east oil).

neverforget

(9,464 posts)
18. Uh no. We trained the Iraqis to fight for themselves. If 30,000 Iraqi troops melt away in the face
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 09:48 PM
Jun 2014

of 800 insurgents, there is nothing we can do. They don't have the will to fight, so why should we put Americans on the ground again when they don't fight for themselves? What is our strategy? How do we win? How many troops do we put over there? How much will it cost?

This is a civil war and they have to figure that out themselves. Fuck putting more Americans in the Middle East. It breads resentment of Americans and helps foment terrorists. BTW, once we leave Afghanistan, the same thing is going to happen there. Military force is not the answer for everything.

JI7

(90,720 posts)
12. the problem is because of the treatment of the Sunnis and problems in Syria
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:53 PM
Jun 2014

the IRaqi Govt is a part of the problem and kind of allowed it to happen with the treatment of their own people.

WorseBeforeBetter

(11,441 posts)
13. It sickens me to think of what the United States has done to Iraq.
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 08:53 PM
Jun 2014

Fuck the BFEE, and any and all elected officials who voted for war, Democrats included.

As to what to do now, I don't really know the best solution. But we are morally obligated to help the Iraqi people. Although our "help" caused death, destruction, and instability in the first place. Be proud, America.


Victor_c3

(3,557 posts)
14. I would say help them as well
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 09:00 PM
Jun 2014

If the Iraqi people asked for help, give it to them. I would limit it to air support, training, and some arms deals. Definitely not ground troops.

We weren't invited in 2003, yet we showed up to "help" them. As much as I want to stay out of Iraq, now that we've broken their country I think we kind of owe it to them when they ask us for help.

Most Iraqis are good and decent people and want the same thing for their families as we want for ours. They want relative security and a decent shot at life for their children. This Isis group is a legitimate threat to that and, unfortunately, we created the environment that allowed them to threaten to control the country. We broke Iraq and we owe it to the people of Iraq to help them when they legitimately want us there.

customerserviceguy

(25,187 posts)
16. He should tell them
Thu Jun 12, 2014, 09:33 PM
Jun 2014

that we've already poured way more than enough blood and treasure into that miserable stinkhole, and that we're as done as we were in Vietnam in 1975.

The "leaders" can split and live off their Swiss bank accounts, the successors can negotiate peace. Or, they can let Saudi Arabia and Iran get into it, and see what happens. The annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca would certainly be spiced up a bit next year.

Our intervening between sects of Islam makes about as much sense as the Chinese sending ships and men to Western Europe five or six hundred years ago to settle things between the Catholics and the Protestants.

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