"No Boots on the Ground," my ass.

[WilliamPitt]

WASHINGTON — The 1st Infantry Division headquarters will deploy to Iraq soon as the U.S. military steps up its campaign against Islamic State militants, the Pentagon said Thursday.

It will be the first division headquarters assigned to Iraq since U.S. forces withdrew from the country at the end of 2011.

About 500 soldiers from the Fort Riley, Kan.-based division will be heading for the Middle East next month with about 200 of them going to Iraq, Pentagon press secretary Rear Adm. John Kirby said.

“They’re going to provide command and control of the ongoing advise-and-assist effort in support of Iraqi and peshmerga forces. And they’re going to continue to help us all degrade and destroy ISIL,” Kirby told reporters, referring to the Islamic State by one of its acronyms.

The rest: http://www.stripes.com/news/us/army-sending-division-hq-element-to-iraq-1.304965

Yeah, but no, don't worry. It's just a slight escalation to have THE 1ST INFANTRY DIVISION HEADQUARTERS deploy to Iraq. Again.

How some of you people can defend this shit frankly astonishes me. The "MY TEAM FIRST!!!" ethos in American politics is going to be the death of us all.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. They're being sent there to erect warehouses for the expected flowers flung by the grateful

people we don't kill. However few.

[whereisjustice]

110. +1

[leftstreet]

2. "After nearly nine years, America's war in Iraq will be over”

“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,” Barack Obama 10-21-2011

[CJCRANE]

3. Iraq War Reboot.

Imagine one of those "installing" gifs *here*.

[phantom power]

4. recommended

[KG]

5. C'MON we'll get it right this time, because...obama!

[Autumn]

6. Some of us fucking knew there would be boots on the ground.

No matter what he said we knew it. This isn't our first rodeo.

#t=66

[ballyhoo]

8. There was no doubt there would be boots on the ground. Over

time, one begins to read a person clearly. Obama is like an open book. I just wonder if
you will still be alive to write your next book on Iraq, or if anyone else will be alive to
read it. There are all kinds of bad things happening, and they seem to be peaking all
at once.

This post should be to Pitt.

[SammyWinstonJack]

99. American leadership in the world.

Is that what weŕe calling bombing the crap outta brown people, now? American Leadership in the World.

[morningfog]

7. For 10-20 years. Terms of decades.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025581847

This is going to get much much bigger. We will have troops in Iraq measured in thousads or tens of thousands.

Does anyone think the shit won't hit the fan if/when one of the 1,600 already there is killed?

[ballyhoo]

10. Yes, it will, but, frankly, with the fascists firmly in control

will that make any difference? I don't think so. Until there are virtually people in the streets not with garish signs playing loud music but rather sticks, shovels and other implements of destruction, nothing will be done. The only thing the one-percenters do is laugh. If just one thing were to occur, they would not be laughing anymore, but I can't say it here. And let's not talk about passing laws and handling it that way... There are roughly 40 members of congress that still have base ethics and morality. But doing anything that will affect their pay or the companies they represent? No, that won't happen anymore.

[Travis_0004]

9. hopefully they are just there to return the nobel peace prize.

[strawberries]

11. my ass too

what a shame. We just don't seem to learn from our past

How many sons and daughters will die now or suffer from PTSD or come home with body parts missing.

this sucks to the high heavens and there is nothing and I mean nothing we can do about it.

I had high hopes for Obama when it came to peace, not so anymore.

[BuelahWitch]

22. What's even worse, they will come home and get little to no care

because our "esteemed" representatives in Congress don't want to give money to the VA.

[lark]

12. +1,000,000

The war machine is what rules America. Presidents that don't go along (Carter) also don't last long. Actually, I dont know that anyone totally and truly anti-war would ever win the nomination in these Citizen United times. Seems to me they let Obama win because they knew that his anti-war rhetoric would not be matched by equally fervent anti-war actions.

What's going on now, though, is totally stupid. We created ISIS by funding anti-Assad fighters, now we are funding more anti-Assad fighters to fight the first group. Will they just join ISIS or create yet another hate group that we have to fight with boots on the ground? STUPID CRAZY! What makes us think we can get this one right when we constantly get it so wrong? I think the whole goal is
1 - create more need for weapons/planes/ammo
2 - raise the price of oil
3 - cut funding for anything helping the working class

[louis-t]

13. Military recruitment has been ramped up.

Lots of commercials for the Army and Navy on tv right now.

[strawberries]

27. and here I thought

we were laying off our army because we were too big. I guess I get the dunce award

[AnalystInParadise]

47. Actually that

is because the fiscal year is about to start and the DOD is about to get their 2015 money. So they always air a lot of commercials from August-November to anticipate the ability to start recruiting for fiscal year 2015.

[louis-t]

55. Thanks for that info.

[BrotherIvan]

14. Who could have possibly known?????????????????

[Zorra]

15. Gosh. Who knew, huh?

Come on kiddies, sing along!

Every generation lives this song.

BLACK SABBATH
"War Pigs"

Generals gathered in their masses,
just like witches at black masses.
Evil minds that plot destruction,
sorcerers of death's construction.
In the fields the bodies burning,
as the war machine keeps turning.
Death and hatred to mankind,
poisoning their brainwashed minds...Oh lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role to the poor

Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait `till their judgement day comes, yeah!

Now in darkness, world stops turning,
as you hear the bodies burning.
No more war pigs of the power,
hand of god has struck the hour.
Day of judgement, god is calling,
on their knees the war pigs crawling.
Begging mercy for their sins,
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings...Oh lord, yeah!

[F4lconF16]

46. One of my favorites.

Crank it up and annoy the neighbors!

[wandy]

16. Bush broke it, we bought it................

We tried to tell them. We warned it was going to turn into a real mess and was better off left alone. But no...........
Had to go looking for Iraq weapons of mass destruction which were hiding out with the Iraq unicorns. Had to make sure that Halliburton and the rest of the M.I.C made a good buck on the whole thing. Had to settle a score for daddy or fredumb or just to make a damn fool out of ourselves in front of the rest of the world.
Yup, if it was bad before we started, we went ahead and broke the crap out of it. Now what do we got? We got ISIS or ISIL or Kardashians or what ever the hell corporate media can sell us to be scared witless of this week. We got a bunch of corporate owned do nothing shills jokingly refereed to as congress running away from making a decision until they can find a way to turn it to political gain so they can get one more term of being corporate owned do nothing shills.

And what did that damned fool "MY TEAM FIRST!" ethos get us.
Karma.
Bush broke it and apparently we get to pay for it.

[mimi85]

49. Comparing ISIL to the Kardashians?

I'm sure the families of those beheaded men would really get a laugh out of that. Great analogy.

[wandy]

54. Not comparing. What did they call themselves before they became.......

front page news?
ISIS, ISIL, IS, Daesh , what scary name will M$M make up for them tomorrow.
How many other groups are their?
What do they call themselves?

I probably should just go with...

DCL 1 BAD_GUY_OTHER

Then we could reference todays name by base and displacement.

[tavalon]

93. Yup, but you know, we've always been at war with Eurasia

One day, I'm afraid there may be an equivalent to Godwin's Law for mentioning 1984. But that day is not today.

[Autumn]

59. Kardashians !!!

[Old and In the Way]

88. You are correct.

It is called policy continuity. Every liberal, progressive I know understands that Obama has had to play defense on domestic and international issues. His instincts was to get the fuck out of the ME...the reality is, he can't. Because the last administration blew up the ME and marginalized the vast majority of moderates. Now, who knows what or why a collection of radical morons are beheading people to accomplish what exactly? No one fucking knows. Especially people who have no skin in the game. But crucify Obama for dealing with this criminal gang...because someone has to be responsible for cleaning up and paying for the Pottery Shop mess that was already done when he was elected. Anyone that thinks they could do better, 2009 thru 2014, please tell me how you could have done better than PBO. No one here will, cuz no one has the guts to do what he did. Fuck all of these psuedo-progressives who sell out our side.


Will Pitt reminds me of Rush Limbaugh...they do their best work when the opposition is in charge of the WH. They are both better when they are on the offensive...neither can or wan't to play defense.

[tavalon]

95. The last administration broke it, so we have to fix it?

That's like saying the guy who raped a girl is responsible for helping her to get over it. The world nations, excluding us, need to help the ME heal. We only know how to keep hurting it. Yeah, we should send buckets and buckets and buckets of money with the others who will heal the ME but we, the US of A, need to get out of world politics and stand in the corner for a long, long time. We have proven we are incapable of being and should never have been, the world cop.

I do have one idea, though. Each and every time __________ (fill in the current boogeyman) beheads someone, we behead one of the members of the former administration. First Cheney, then Bush, then move on to Rice and even a few on the Supreme Court. Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

It won't do a fucking thing to stop this madness, but it might show that we get who fucked up the world in the first place.

[freebrew]

105. It's the oil, silly...

the BFEE wants it. They're gonna get it. The shiny new terrorist gets sold to us like the babies being tossed in the first Gulf War. It seems easy to prey upon the typical US citizen's sense of outrage. Funny, when it happens here, not so outrageous, eh?

Now, we get to build more planes and bombs and tanks so the PTB don't have to spend it on us peons.
Oh, right, most of that stuff is being outsourced to China. Sorry, no new jobs.

We keep giving our $$$ to the wrong people. As if we had any $ left.

[tavalon]

116. Alas, you hit that nail on the head

Sadly, I was hoping Obama was strong enough and savvy enough by now to push back. But his history is to go along to get along. Damnit.

[whatchamacallit]

18. The next domino... n/t

[99Forever]

19. Thou shalt not question the sacred holder of...

... Nobel Peace Prize, because...


..Reasons.

[Paper Roses]

35. Good way to put it. n/t

[WillyT]

20. Huge K & R !!!

[NCTraveler]

21. I was repeatedly told the war in Iraq was over.

Does this mean that we are starting a new war, introducing another non-combat operation, or is it the continuation of the last war that I was told had ended? I truly thought this was one area where different decisions would be made. This was an important area for me personally. I knew there would be great differences on many social issues. I didn't think our foreign policy would look like this. I have always thought and said that Bush was just the face of Rumsfield and Cheney's decades long foreign policy ideology. They were both insiders and power players for a very long time and much of the top brass of the military seems entrenched in their plan. Is Obama simply the new face of that same ideology. Obama went into office with extremely limited practice in foreign policy. I thought that was a good thing. Did he find himself overwhelmed? Seems he is simply taking the advice of those who support our decades old policy of aggression.

[CJCRANE]

29. I've come to the conclusion

that Obama's first term actually helped the neocons because it rehabilited America's image in the eyes of the world.

The rest of the world started to like and trust America again.

However, under the radar, the neocons were regrouping and plotting their comeback.

During that time, the neocons' allies both inside and outside the administration and in various countries planted the seeds, and nurtured them, of the events we've seen unfolding in his second term.

I actually think the neocons intended this war for Romney but Rove's plans in 2012 didn't quite work out.

So, as a result, Obama is stewarding events as best he can, against the background of half of Congress, most of the media, and various leaders in other countries, being beholden to the neocons.

[NCTraveler]

31. Having both parties at the executive level take part in these....

Having both parties at the executive level take part in these actions has to make Rumsfield and Cheney smile. The number of people going to the polls educated on all of these things is truly limited. Many often just think "if it is being done, it is necessary." With both parties doing it the thought gets entrenched in their minds even deeper. It does the opposite of what many want, which is to wake up the populace to how unnecessary these actions are. Instead it furthers the belief that what we are doing is necessary. Reality is that we have other options. Tons of them.

I know this is worded poorly but I think my point is there and clear. Thanks for the response.

[EEO]

23. Who would have known that sending military advisors would escalate?

There have been threads on DU warning about this for months.

[mimi85]

50. There's no doubt that our military advisors take orders from DU.

[EEO]

53. You should never underestimate the predictability of stupidity.

- Bullet Tooth Tony.

[woo me with science]

24. Manufactured consent.

we marinate in war propaganda and government voices telling us what we want.

[frylock]

25. this was predicted, and the usual suspects assured us it wouldn't happen

[Aristus]

26. It's Haldeman's The Forever War minus the time travel.

Soldiers will re-up and go back to the war zone simply because there's no other life available to them.

Since perpetual warfare is the only thing American has to offer, the sooner we break up into component parts, the better.

Long Live the Republic of Cascadia!

[malthaussen]

109. Soldier, ask Not...

Soldier, ask not - now, or ever,
Where to war your banners go.
Anarch's legions all surround us.
Strike - and do not count the blow!

Glory, honor, praise and profit,
Are but toys of tinsel worth.
Render up your work, unasking,
Leave the human clay to earth.

Blood and sorrow, pain unending,
Are the portion of us all.
Grasp the naked sword, opposing,
Gladly in the battle fall.

So shall we, anointed soldiers,
Stand at last before the Throne,
Baptized in our wounds, red-flowing,
Sealed unto our Lord - alone!

(Gordon Dickson)

-- Mal

[Maven]

30. I'M SHOCKED!

Oh but Obama sent them; what a relief. I'm sure he's engaging in a new ground war thoughtfully and with reluctance, and that makes me feel so much better.

[Chathamization]

32. Why are pro-war folks opposed to boots on the ground?

If you really think that is is a war that needs to be fought, and if you really think that the US military will effect a positive outcome in the war, wouldn't you be in support of sending in ground forces? The fact that people are saying, "don't worry, we won't send troops" seems to betray the fact that either this war is unnecessary, US forces are going to help, or both.

[leftstreet]

43. Good question n/t

[Fred Sanders]

71. Because the cliche means men with guns and tanks and other toys, not clip pads.

Because the cliche is a cliche.

[AnalystInParadise]

83. Other than weapons makers

who exactly is pro-war?

[morningfog]

117. They aren't, they just haven't been told to think otherwise.

Once the talking point changes, so will the support. It is hilarious to watch them shift as the mission creeps.

[JEB]

33. The 1% profit

and the rest of us pay with the blood of our children and the shiny new idea, austerity. Fuck this shit.

[frylock]

37. as the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy

we oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies

[rhett o rick]

34. The decision to escalate the Great Middle East War transcends the mere President.

The decision was made by someone with a higher pay-scale.

[Dont call me Shirley]

65. +1,000,000,000,000

[xocet]

76. Is that the higher pay scale? n/t

[Dont call me Shirley]

118. Yes, it's the race to be the worlds first trillionaire.

[Enthusiast]

101. You are correct.

[INdemo]

36. Might as weel send 100,000 troops because

either way Mr. President you lied. My thoughts go back to Vietnam when it was called a police action with just a few advisors. Us baby boomers all know how that turned out.. Sending 500 to Iraq is not even a force and is signing the death warrants of those young troops just to please the war mongering Republicans.
....And remember folks Hillary would use the same tactics..Give us great speeches and then her actions would be just the opposite of what she promised..Just like its been with Obama for 5+ years.So we sure as hell don't need another Obama


WARREN for 2016 !!

[CJCRANE]

40. IMO this is bigger than parties and personalities.

We need a Democracy Reboot in the entire western world because something went wrong along the way.

We need real leaders who can get round the table at the UN and bring the world together under international law.

[Fred Sanders]

38. They are not combat troops, cliche comparisons to reality is unproductive.

[cali]

42. oh please. they are being sent to a war zone.

[mimi85]

51. Exactly! Good post Fred.

[rhett o rick]

68. Yeah, let's call them advisers. That's the ticket. Is your point that it really isn't as bad as

it looks? Just a small escalation? They will be greeted as liberators.

[Cha]

69. You think that matters to the ones who like a good "my ass" whine? "unproductive"? rofl.. as if.

[AnalystInParadise]

84. I am sorry

will you be one of those troops going to Iraq after you were told the war was over? If I had not retired last year, it could have been me. I don't like being lied to. It pissed me off when Shrub did it, it pisses me off when PBO does it.

[marble falls]

114. Gotta agree with you. I disagree with the President I voted for (and would vote again for)....

and it doesn't mean anything more than that. I am skeptical about how we can accomplish anything good with this action.

[nationalize the fed]

39. A trillion here and a trillion there

[George II]

41. Unfortunately many don't understand the meaning of "boots on the ground"

[Marrah_G]

44. same shit, different day

People think politics is a fucking sporting event.

[Dreamer Tatum]

45. I commend you for leaving out "used car salesman" this time nt

[RandiFan1290]

60. 'I don’t know, Butchie,' instead

[ctsnowman]

48. What are you

some kind of nattering nabob of negativism?

[msanthrope]

56. These are not combat troops, Will. Your OP seems to suffer from a lack of

knowledge about military fundamentals.

[humbled_opinion]

74. Oh Please...

Army soldiers are combat troops are you suggesting we are sending in Seabees? or Yeoman? Just because you are falling for the lies don't drag others into your incoherent babble.....

Boots on the ground, Boots on the ground, Obama lookin like a fool puttin Boots on the ground.....

[msanthrope]

75. Obama is a fool? nt

[sheshe2]

89. According to DU...

Obama sucks 24-7~don'tcha know.

Democratic Underground We took a right turn.

Shame on DU!

[tavalon]

96. A correct turn.

Not the same as a right turn, but I can understand the confusion. There are some of us who believe that actually leaving the ME is the right thing and that never, ever having gone there is the right thing. Now, just substitute correct for every right.

[tavalon]

97. lookin' like

Read the guys message and try not to cherry pick.

[stevenleser]

78. Facts stopped working with OP & his crowd a long time ago. They love their rhetorical outrage

by this measure, troops in embassies mean that 98% of countries have troops in 98% of the other countries.

But this group won't let that get in the way of their lust for manufactured outrage.

[msanthrope]

81. Indeed...that is an apt comparison. We have 3k troops fighting Ebola....

so I guess we are invading there, any day now.

[still_one]

80. How dare you question the OP. Maybe the OP can start calling Obama

Profanities, like he did about the ACA

[AnalystInParadise]

85. Too bad

when soldiers die in war, the enemy does not distinguish between combat and non-combat troops. If any of these soldiers die in combat (because I can post you a link to Icasualties and you can see all the soldiers from Division Headquarters that died during the war), will their deaths not be combat deaths.

[Dustlawyer]

57. Gotta feed the MIC,

[sabrina 1]

58. "The "MY TEAM FIRST!!!" ethos in American politics is going to be the death of us all."

It's certainly been the death of a whole lot of innocent people now for a long time. They have it all figured out although I would been certain they were wrong had someone even suggested six years ago that if a Dem won the WH 'Liberals' would suddenly become War Supporters'.

Now I have seen it with my own eyes.

The silence of who we thought were our friends, not to mention the outright apologetics from others, has been astounding, but information we needed to have.

[Blue_Tires]

61. If you count SOF, boots have been on the ground for weeks...

[SomethingFishy]

62. It's ok... We're going to be treated as liberators.

[cwydro]

63. I gave up on Obama long ago.

But I never imagined he was this foolish.

[blkmusclmachine]

64. "Tell me sweet little lies."

[awoke_in_2003]

66. It is the same thing...

with drones and the NSA. If our side is doing it, it is okay.

[A Simple Game]

67. Your "MY TEAM FIRST!!!" comment

is right on target. Too few realize that they are being manipulated into focusing all of their energy on the wrong target. The 99% is made up of Republicans and Democrats, we have more in common with Republican rank and file than we do the 1% or even our Democratic Senators and Representatives. We have the same problems as the Republicans but we are divided by thinking "our" solutions are better than their solutions.

I sometimes wonder when the Koch brothers want a good laugh if they go to Free Republic first or to DU first. Either way they can see that their diversions are working.

[1dogleft]

70. stop being such a hater n/t

[Skittles]

103. there is nothing wrong with hating senseless war

[neverforget]

72. An Army Division HQ usually commands between 10,000-18,000 soldiers

http://www.army.mil/info/organization/unitsandcommands/oud/

In my opinion, it's definitely not a good sign but it doesn't mean that combat troops or that many soldiers are headed to Iraq. However the fact that a higher level HQ is going to Iraq makes me worry about mission creep.......

[humbled_opinion]

73. Boots on the ground, Boots on the ground...

Obama lookin like a fool puttin Boots on the ground...

(to the tune of Larry Platts AI Pants on the ground..)

[cheapdate]

77. Only unlike Bush's war, ISIL isn't imaginary.

You can argue legitimately over the need to respond militarily, but unlike Bush's war there's no disputing that ISIL exists in reality.

[Cleita]

79. So when is the last time you supported occupy WS?

It's all interconnected.

[IronLionZion]

82. Then let defense contracting firms work at cost, without profit

because patriotism. And raise taxes on every American over $100K, and eliminate all corporate tax deductions and subsidies and loopholes. Because of their patriotic duty.

And also some major reforms and increased budget for the VA hospital system, because patriotism.

How much is Koch industries willing to donate directly to the treasury to pay for this? Freedom isn't free.

We need healthy, educated, confident citizenry for this war, so lets implement universal single payer health system, universal public university education, and big infrastructure projects for public transit and data networks, and clean energy, and other similar stuff, because it will support the war effort. Support our troops by putting Americans back to work, because American exceptionalism.

At least there are more women and gays in the military now.

[Cleita]

87. Yes. Take the profit out of it.

Suggestions?

[whereisjustice]

111. exactly what is needed in the USA right now.

[obxhead]

86. Hey, hey LBJ, how many boys did you kill today?

Started with advisors on the ground.

Fuck this war.

[Cleita]

90. Learn your history. It was Kennedy who started it. n/t

[tavalon]

98. And LBJ who tripled down.

We know our history. Heck, we don't have to review history, history just keeps turning. Around and around we go.

[pablo_marmol]

91. "The "MY TEAM FIRST!!!" ethos in American politics is going to be the death of us all."

Reads like a GREAT sig line to me!

[tavalon]

92. I was on vacation when we went "to war"

I was flipping through the stations in the hotel and came upon Rachel Maddow. She was the one who told me and she wasn't happy at all. I like that about her. It's not about teams - if it was wrong under Dubya, it's wrong under Obama. Not a hard concept to get, IMO, but rare, apparently.

[Baclava]

100. The Memo is being changed from "search and destroy" the Vietcong to "degrade and destroy" ISIS

glad I could help

[Puzzledtraveller]

94. k&r for principal before party

[Bobbie Jo]

113. Yes!

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[Enthusiast]

102. Kicked and recommended!

[woo me with science]

104. kick.

[randome]

106. Why do you talk about your ass so much?

[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[WilliamPitt]

107. It's my best feature.

[emulatorloo]

112. Your brain is the better ass-et

[woo me with science]

115. kick