Anti War......
This stands in stark contrast to Rep. Duncan Hunter’s (R – CA) claims that “at least 10″ ISIS fighters were caught along the border, and that he was secretly tipped off by the border patrol. The incident appears to have never actually happened.
Sequestration, agreed to because of a rising deficit, was supposed to slow the rate of growth for military spending. The reality is that Congress has ignored the sequestration rules in military budget dealsanyhow, though even this higher rate of growth was too slow for the Pentagon’s tastes, and they complained of “cuts,” which are only cuts compared to a hypothetical even less affordable budget.
Obama’s comments primarily centered around how many other nations are nominally members of the anti-ISIS coalition, and how heartened he is by that show of support.
At the same time, Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed the concerns publicly, saying that the “strategic objectives” of the US war were to attack ISIS infrastructure, and that the fall of Kobani was “not a priority.”
That is a Syrian “opposition” faction that is capable of fighting ISIS on the ground evenly, something which flat out doesn’t exist, as ISIS is by far the largest and best equipped rebel faction.
Evening tweets.....
DHS: ISIS Fighters Not Coming in From Mexico
Hysteria About ISIS Infiltration Untrue, But Rumors Continue
by Jason Ditz, October 08, 2014
The Department of Homeland Security felt the need to try to get out in front of the growing panic around ISIS fighters sneaking into the United States from Mexico,pointing out that’s not actually a thing that’s happening.
This stands in stark contrast to Rep. Duncan Hunter’s (R – CA) claims that “at least 10″ ISIS fighters were caught along the border, and that he was secretly tipped off by the border patrol. The incident appears to have never actually happened.
The story is such a good one that many politicians don’t want to let it being untrue stand in the way, and several, including Rep. Jeff Duncan (R – SC) and Gov. Rick Perry (R – TX) are continuing to hype it. Sen. John McCain (R – AZ), always eager to double-down on such fears, decided to go for broke and claim the Canadian border was the real threat.
The narrative ignores the nature of ISIS, and its recruitment of Westerners. The whole point of this, and the reason ISIS infiltration was seen as a threat in the first place, was not because Westerners are the only ones who know where Mexico is, but rather that these are US, EU, etc. citizens who don’t have to sneak in, and can legally enter the country with little problem.
Obama: Congress Must Stop ‘Draconian Cuts’ to Military Spending
Says Military Needs 'Equipment' for New War
by Jason Ditz, October 08, 2014
Speaking today after a meeting at the Pentagon, President Obama pushed the idea that Congress needs to completely do away with even the pretense of sequestration with respect to military spending, saying they have to prevent the “draconian cuts” mandated.
Sequestration, agreed to because of a rising deficit, was supposed to slow the rate of growth for military spending. The reality is that Congress has ignored the sequestration rules in military budget dealsanyhow, though even this higher rate of growth was too slow for the Pentagon’s tastes, and they complained of “cuts,” which are only cuts compared to a hypothetical even less affordable budget.
Congress has been champing at the bit since the new war with ISIS was launched to use it as an excuse to do away with the rules even on paper, and to return to the days when the ability to pay for spending increases was even less of a factor than it is now.
Obama insisted in the new speech that the military needs “equipment and the technology that’s necessary for them to be able to succeed” in the current war, while Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned major projects could be stalled if the rate of spending didn’t grow faster.
Hagel had initially presented the plan for sequestration as primarily reducing the number of ground troops, which seemingly wouldn’t be a problem if the administration was sincere about the current war not involving a US ground invasion of Iraq or Syria. Yet officials instead are now hyping a reduction in the rate of new warplanes acquired, along with ships used to launch missile strikes.
Either way, the funding for the actual war is coming out of an entirely separate budget, the Overseas Contingencies budget, which is itself already immune to sequestration and is seemingly once again on the rise.
Obama Claims ISIS ‘Progress,’ But Nothing to Back it Up
Reiterates Expectations for a Long War
by Jason Ditz, October 08, 2014
As US warplanes continue to launch attacks in Iraq and Syria, President Obama is loudly proclaiming “progress” has been made in the conflict against ISIS. Exactly what he means by progress, however, is uncertain.
Obama’s comments primarily centered around how many other nations are nominally members of the anti-ISIS coalition, and how heartened he is by that show of support.
Yet as ever, the coalition is largely of nations which haven’t committed to do anything at all in the war, and all indications are that the airstrikes are having little impact on the ground, with ISIS continuing to gain ground, particularly in Syria.
Beyond that, Obama and other officials talking of the conflict simply reiterated their expectations for a long war and a call for patience. They didn’t indicate how long “long” is going to be, but they also didn’t dispute recent talk of a 30-year war.
Kerry: Stopping Kobani Takeover ‘Not a Priority’
White House Insists US 'Deeply Concerned' About Kurdish Town
by Jason Ditz, October 08, 2014
The Obama Administration is continuing to use the imminent fall of the Kurdish border town of Kobani, Syria as a key talking point in the war against ISIS, insistingthey are “deeply concerned” about the plight of the town.
At the same time, Secretary of State John Kerry dismissed the concerns publicly, saying that the “strategic objectives” of the US war were to attack ISIS infrastructure, and that the fall of Kobani was “not a priority.”
Whether that’s actually the case or not is unclear, as the US has indeed launched a growing number of airstrikes around Kobani, seemingly making it a top priority to try to slow the ISIS advance on the town.
What happened, however, is that the airstrikes had little effect on the advancing forces, and now instead of admitting failure in those airstrikes, the administration seems to be playing a game of revisionism, claiming they weren’t really trying that hard to begin with.
The White House, while continuing to emphasize its “concern” for the Kurds, just in case they want to take another crack at an ISIS advance on Kurdish territory at some future date, is back to emphasizing just how long of a war this is going to be, and how patient everyone needs to be about it.
Yet even there, the policy reeks of failure, and the White House is openly admitting the airstrikes aren’t going to work at all without their hypothetical “moderate rebel” force, which isn’t going to be ready for another year, at best.
White House: Airstrikes Won’t Work Without Viable Syrian Rebel Force
Strategy Reliant on 'Something Not Yet in Place'
by Jason Ditz, October 08, 2014
Addressing the escalating ISIS war, White House spokesman Josh Earnest sought to downplay expectations of the air campaign actually doing anything, insisting the strategy “is reliant on something that is not yet in place.”
That is a Syrian “opposition” faction that is capable of fighting ISIS on the ground evenly, something which flat out doesn’t exist, as ISIS is by far the largest and best equipped rebel faction.
Congress funded an administration scheme to create a new pro-US rebel faction out of wholecloth earlier in the war, though the Pentagon says it has yet to make “critical decisions” on the training strategy.
Even then, the scheme aimed to have 5,000 rebels trained and armed within a year, meaning the US campaign in Syria will be by its own admission spinning its wheels for a solid year, just hoping they can cobble together a brand new force that can somehow rout ISIS.
Over 200 Killed Across Iraq in Airstrikes and Bombings
by Margaret Griffis, October 08, 2014
At least 202 people were killed, mostly militants. Another 61 were wounded. A car bomb killed a number of civilians in Sadr City, but shelling and artillery fire killed even more in Tikrit and Falluja.
Australia launched its first airstrike at an unspecified location in northern Iraq. The Netherlands has also carried out its first airstrikes.
For the second time in a week, militants shot down an Iraqi military helicopter overBaiji. The pilot and co-pilot were both killed.
A car bomb at a cafe in Sadr City killed 10 people and wounded 25 more.
As many as 14 people were killed during shelling in Tikrit. Thirty militants were killed.
Shelling in Falluja left five dead and 16 wounded, including women and children.
Four soldiers were killed and two were wounded during an attack in Duluiya.
A roadside bomb killed one Peshmerga fighter and wounded three more nearJalawla.
Militants executed a former parliamentarian and reportedly threw her body down a well near Tal Afar. She was kidnapped last month. Two female doctors were also executed.
In Muqdadiya, gunmen killed two civilians.
Two reporters were injured during demonstrations in Arbil. The attackers were supporters of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), which operates in Syria, not Iraq.
A clash in Jurf al-Sakhar left two volunteer fighters wounded.
The Iraqi army liberated three small but strategic towns in Anbar province:Dhabutia, Banat al-Hassan and Tarbulia.
Peshmerga forces have liberated 48 villages, in the Tuz and Hamrin areas.
A missile was used to break up a dammed river near Mansouriya. Militants had kept it closed so residents of several villages would not get water.
Sixty militants were killed in Jabriya, near Hit.
Nineteen militants were killed during the liberation of Doulab, near Hit.
Security members were able to killed seven militants in Hit itself.
Seventeen militants were killed when a couple of villages near Ramadi were liberated.
In Aziz Balad, eight militants were killed,
A militant leader and five aides were killed during an airstrike on al-Khamsah Kelo.
In the Hamrin Lake region, three militants were killed, including the head jailor and a commander.
In Mosul, a bomb killed two militants, and another one was shot to death.
In Abu Ghraib, militant was shot dead as he tried to enter the home of a Falluja former police chief.
A number of militants were killed when two villages in the Falluja area were liberated. An airstrike killed seven and wounded 11 militants.
Evening tweets.....
Thomas van Linge retweeted
Pieter Van Ostaeyen
Remarkable: airstrikes on #IS: about 300 in #Iraq by US and Western coalition. About 130 in #Syria with Gulf states
Twitter quickly withholds tweets for #Turkey’s ‘national security’ http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=238&nID=72759&NewsCatID=339 … @akhbar
Abdulkader Hariri retweeted
Kobane tensions shake Turkey, no of dead rises to 29, most in Kurdish cities. Two policeman also gunned down. Hard to overstate the gloom
Turkish ex-diplomat takes exception to my remarks about Turkey supporting ISIS: "This is Erdogan & DavutoÄŸlu's stupid policy, not Turkey's"
What do ISIS advances in Anbar say about coalition airstrikes? Not enough targets to spot? Not enough jets flying? Do ISIS move on bicycles?
2nd time IS flooded region of Diyala this time along Salahaddin border http://www.alsumaria.tv/news/112900/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%85%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4-%D8%A3%D8%BA%D8%B1%D9%82-%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A8/ar …
#IS reportedly holds Ramadi city center, probably the greatest extent of insurgent control in the city since summer 2006.
#IS overran an ISF base in the al-Shira' area of Ramadi, destroying 4+ Humvees. Note the ERB insignia and uniform:
Morning tweets.....
Joyce Karam
Forget Turkey +Gulf, #Biden should apologize to people of #Kobane fighting solo against #ISIS .My piece in AA. #Syria http://english.alarabiya.net/en/views/news/middle-east/2014/10/09/Biden-should-apologize-to-the-people-of-Kobani.html …
Aron Lund
Pro-gov paper al-Watan: gas station & service taxi/bus strikes in Damascus after gas price hike & ration cuts http://www.alwatan.sy/view.aspx?id=21680 … #Syria
Shami Witness retweeted
NusantaraWitness
#prt Looks Like Anadolu Agency has capturing Photo of newest #Islamicstate Flags in #Kobane/Ayn-Al-Islam
Thomas van Linge retweeted
cahit storm
Ypg are probably only in the west part of #Kobane . Turks prevent any help for them. The city is quiet but there is a lot of black smoke
#Iraqi President Fuad Masum calls on United States to protect #Kobane from falling into #ISIS hands. http://fb.me/1qn4Ebsoj
#Turkish FM: ground operation in #Kobani unrealistic | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR: http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Oct-09/273460-turkish-fm-says-not-realistic-to-expect-turkey-to-conduct-ground-operations-in-kobani.ashx#axzz3FXDiCVDa …
#US warns air power cannot save #Kobani from #ISIS | News , Middle East | THE DAILY STAR: http://dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Oct-09/273456-us-warns-air-power-cannot-save-kobani-from-isis.ashx#axzz3FXDiCVDa …
#Turkey asks #NATO secretary general to introduce safe haven issue to agenda: Ministry sources http://bit.ly/1riA903
Musings On Iraq United Nations Documents Islamic State’s Attacks Upon All Sectors Of Iraq’s Society http://musingsoniraq.blogspot.com/2014/10/united
#Jordan Turning Away Syrian Refugees, Aid Agencies Say http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/world/middleeast/syrian-refugees-jordan-border-united-nations.html?_r=0 …
Coalition air strike reportedly killed a number of #YPG snipers who took positions around #ISIS site in #Kobani via @NusantarWitness #Syria
Syrian price spikes: Aleppo gas prices increase by 150% http://almon.co/28fr
While the US turns a blind eye, the Kurdish population in Kobani accuses Turkey of supporting #ISIS - http://almon.co/28bs
Davutoglu is trying to convince the US that the real enemy is the Syrian regime, but appears to be failing to do so - http://almon.co/28dk
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