Video from two U.S. military targeted airstrikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets in northern Iraq.
The first attack occurred about 6:45 a.m. EDT when two F/A-18 aircraft dropped 500-pound laser-guided bombs on a mobile artillery piece near Irbil, the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan region. ISIL was using this artillery to shell Kurdish forces defending the city, where U.S. personnel are located.
In 2011 President Obama stated -to much controversy- he did not need to notify congress, or the American people, of his military engagements in Libya (which eventually he called R2P, Responsibility To Protect). His own White House attorneys were perplexed.
However, since then, and perhaps because the political risk (ie. polling disapproval) in year 6 is too great, he appears to have found his notification pen. (more…)
Let’s get the McCain story out of the way first….
Back in May 2013 Republican Senator John McCain made a secret trip to Syria to talk to the forces fighting against Assad.
BREAKING NEWS: US launches second round of airstrikes on targets in northern Iraq, official says http://t.co/b9JgqwAznv
— Fox News Alert (@foxnewsalert) August 8, 2014
(Via NBC News ) The United States launched another round of airstrikes against an ISIS target in Iraq on Friday, U.S. officials told NBC News. According to officials, the strikes occurred on a target northwest of Erbil. The strikes came a day after they were threatened by President Barack Obama.
Earlier Friday, two 500 pound bombs were dropped by two Navy F-18 fighter jets near Erbil, the strategically important city that serves as the Kurdish capital, and where the United States has a consulate. ISIS was using the artillery to shell Kurdish forces defending Erbil, the Pentagon said. (more…)
Earlier in the week we shared some amazing pictures of a truly remarkable World War One 100 Year Anniversary Tribute. Yesterday Kate Middleton and Prince William paid their respects. The symbolism magnifies.
It’s about friggin’ time ! President Obama says the action is to prevent “genocide” and provide relief to thousands of Iraqi religious minorities who have fled to the Northern mountains of Iraq. [Video ADDED 9:50pm EST More updates will follow soon]
The New York Times is reporting -based on ground sources in the region- that the U.S. is bombing ISIS positions in Northern Iraq.
However, I share with an abundance of caution -and I can most certainly be wrong- but my hunch is the ground reports, and as a consequence the New York Times, are crediting the wrong air force.
Additionally, the White House is strongly refuting the claims by the NYT. Here’s the report from the Times:
DOHUK, Iraq — American military forces bombed at least two targets in northern Iraq on Thursday night to rout Islamist insurgents who have trapped tens of thousands of religious minorities in Kurdish areas, Kurdish officials said.
Word of the bombings, reported on Kurdish television from the city of Erbil, came as President Obama was preparing to make a statement in Washington.
Kurdish officials said the bombings targeted fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria who had seized two towns, Gwer and Mahmour. Residents who had fled those areas by car were heard honking their horns in approval.
March 2011 approximately 100,000 al-Qaeda radical Islamists were fighting in Benghazi Libya – President Gaddaffi’s military was en route to eliminate them – when Samantha Power, Susan Rice, Hillary Clinton and President Obama announced the Responsibility To Protect (R2P) Doctrine:
…“To brush aside America’s responsibility as a leader and -more profoundly- our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are.
Some nations may be able to turn a blind eye to atrocities in other countries. The United States of America is different. And as President, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.”…
The R2P goal was to “save the Libyan rebels”. The “rebels” -as you are aware- were al-Qaeda affiliates, Ansar al-Sharia, or essentially, the Muslim Brotherhood. (more…)
Sometimes we finding ourselves asking why do we even bother to point out these contrasting narratives. The sad reality is that people do that which is important to them, and they avoid that which is unimportant. The same principle applies to President Obama.
Basketball-fan-in-chief Barack Obama personally took to Twitter on Wednesday to congratulate the San Antonio Spurs on becoming the first team in the NBA to hire a full-time female coach.
The 2014 championship team announced on Tuesday they had hired former Colorado State standout Becky Hammond as an assistant to head coach Gregg Popovich. (link)
Congrats to @BeckyHammon, @NBA's first full-time female coach. When #WomenSucceed, America succeeds — and we know the @Spurs will, too. -bo
— White House Archived (@ObamaWhiteHouse) August 7, 2014
As you can see the “official” Barack Obama “-BO” message was sent shortly following a press conference where he discussed the African Summit and various topics of interest to the media.
In addition to various African Union topics President Obama also mentioned: The ebola virus, Israel and Gaza, fighting in the Ukraine, an intransient congress, immigration reform, freedom of the press and terrorism. (more…)
Only cursory attention is being paid to the current situation in Ukraine / Russia.
Those who hold historical references are quick to note a combination of factors will generally lead to invasion:
1.) Talk of protecting ethnic Russians. 2.) Dismissal of international opinion. 3.) Weak to non-existent risk of military intervention. 4.) High internal favorability. All of these factors are currently present.
So will Russia Invade ?
[polldaddy poll=8231380]
DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) — The steadily advancing Ukrainian army is setting its sights on the largest rebel-held city in eastern Ukraine, while Western officials on Wednesday warned that a Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s border could herald a major incursion to protect the separatists. (more…)