Obama says US ‘underestimated’ rise of ISIS, admits ‘contradictory’ Syria policy:
President Obama acknowledged Sunday that U.S. intelligence officials “underestimated” the threat posed by the Islamic State and overestimated the Iraqi army’s capacity to defeat the militant group…
Let’s be clear: Officials who were chosen and supported by Obama. The administration of Barack Hussein Obama underestimated ISIS.
Or else, we can make this entry #39,422 in the files of “Obama pretends that he hasn’t been president all these years”. In the interview, Obama goes on to also blame Iraq’s PM al-Maliki for the problems; never himself.
One more thing. Does Obama still have the U.S. backing the world’s evil dictators? It seems so:
Obama also acknowledged that the U.S. is dealing with a conundrum in Syria, as the U.S.-led military campaign against the Islamic State is helping Syrian President Bashar Assad, whom the U.N. has accused of war crimes.
“I recognize the contradiction in a contradictory land and a contradictory circumstance,” Obama said…
Bush practically would have been impeached, for saying that. (And Bush wouldn’t have said it because Bush did what he could, to push U.S. policy in the direction of overthrowing the world’s evil dictators.)
One more thing. Has Obama made it a thing of the past, that the U.S. might strike its enemies pre-emptively (or perhaps unilaterally, as the Left calls it)? Not so much:
Obama called the threat from the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, and other terror groups a more “immediate concern that has to be dealt with…” “…in terms of immediate threats to the United States, ISIL, Khorasan Group — those folks could kill Americans,” he said…
Both groups have been targeted by U.S. airstrikes in recent days…
Barack Obama: Just what the Left always *accused* Bush of being. And of course, the media lets him get away with it.
UPDATE: Some Democrats agree that it was the Obama White House, more than the U.S. intelligence community, which underestimated ISIS.
Former Rear Admiral Joe Sestak, a two-term Democratic member of the House of Representatives…appeared to surprise his MSNBC interlocutor when he noted that the only people who got ISIS wrong work in the Obama administration.
“If you remember back in January and February, the head — the general, the Defense Intelligence Agency, actually testified before the House and Senate that in 2014, ISIS would take over large swaths of territory,” the Navy veteran asserted. “In fact, at the time he testified, they had already seized Ramadi and Fallujah — 35 miles from Baghdad.”
A decade ago, Fallujah was a crucial victory for the Marines (some of whom gave their lives) against an earlier version of ISIS. I guess Obama threw it back.
UPDATE: A report that Obama was warned about ISIS in 2012. As Ed Morrissey puts it:
…the US intelligence community told him of the danger at the same time Obama ridiculed Mitt Romney during the presidential debates…for wanting a residual force in Iraq to prevent exactly what Romney warned would happen.
Any way, anyone looks at it; it’s dismal. He knows it. I think this is a distraction & is why he’s going the “I take responsibility route” today instructing his current paid liar to admit some responsibility for “underestimating” ISIS & that it wasn’t the intelligence community’s fault. Which, as you say is a false item since they’re run by his appointees.
This all points to one thing. Amateur hour.
He makes the mediocre, yet effective, Pres. Bush seem like a Reagan. His constant mention of Reagan now is an attempt to steal the un-earned glory & effectiveness.
MW – just as a point of information – do you have a link to Obama “going the ‘I take responsibility’ route today”?
In a very quick search just now, I didn’t find it. (Hence the point of my post: that in Sunday’s interview, Obama actually took no responsibility; his tack was “The U.S. underestimated ISIS” as if he hasn’t been president – rather than “My administration, or “I”, underestimated ISIS.)
Good point, ILoveCapitalism. I’m just paraphrasing several prominent pundits who today quickly interpreted the situation as Obama taking responsibility for recently underestimating ISIS, on their way to criticizing him for ignoring multiple warnings from lower administration officials & military sources back to Nov 13.
As I remember, I heard Limbaugh also make the same “mistake”.
Their point was, he didn’t listen to warnings up to almost a year ago. Your point being that he’s not taking responsibility. I agree with you all.
My only point being, that it’s a distraction. I am delineating, only; not offering any new insights.
I’m honored you took the time to question me. Thanks.
Well MW, I appreciate your good comments….and, if Obama has said anything like “I take responsiblity – I was wrong – the buck stops with me – I underestimated ISIS”, then I would need to post an update and give him some credit 🙂
Underestimated ISIS, did he forget he was arming them to fight Assad who kept things safe for x-tians & jews in Syria?
This is probably the best right take on bathhouse Barry sending troops to catch Ebola and bring it back to the states.
https://www.traditionalright.com/the-view-from-olympus-dont-shop-at-this-wawa/
I also received an email from a friend trying to make Africa a better place:
The plague is far worse here than anyone in the media is letting on. The numbers are mind boggling. And yet we will not give up. We will continue to fight. You have our vow that we will rid the continent of the infestation.
Sincerely,
Ebola
Welcome back, ILC… been missing your comments.
If BHO were to accept responsibility for much of anything, you could knock me over with a feather.
In hindsight, GWB’s policy of overthrowing the world’s evil dictators has been a bust. It looks more and more that it takes an SOB like Saddam to keep a lid on the likes of ISIS. I don’t know that Churchill, Reagan, and Thatcher could solve this puzzle.
I would hope that western pols will absorb the lessons – not all peoples have the same ideas regarding liberty and not all people are equally motivated to defend a political system they didn’t want (the Iraqi military disintegrated on contact).
Human beings are inclined to believe that there’s a solution to every problem. That’s not true.
Obama always blames somebody else for his failures. He loves to collect the laurels but when things go wrong he pushed somebody under the bus (and it’s pretty crowded under that bus).
Thanks KCRob. The summer months are always the busiest for me at work (hard to focus on much beyond that and my gym routine). I say, thank God for V the K! 🙂
Obama voted “present” on terrorism as long as he could get away with it. Now he is running a modified stalling game out of necessity. His whole “no boots on the ground” crapola is passing strange considering the death rate of American troops in Afghanistan he and the MSM have assiduously ignored during his regency.
No sentient person can believe that US sovereignty or defense is better off under Obama, let alone getting better.
I also do not want any boots on the ground under this wizard of smart deception, lying and neglect.
And how about that Chuck Hagel? Could Central Casting have come up with a more confused looking rubber ducky circling the bathtub?
The whole administration is a bunch of magnet high school liberals playing government. Samantha Power, Susan Rice, Valarie Jarrett, Mr. Teresa Heinz, Michelle O, Nan Pelosi, and so many other “strong women” take care of business while the Big Guy does the appearances and vigorish.
Go ahead an name for me just one Obama administration person who we can admire for the characteristics of putting the health and well-being of America first.
@4 ILC
Don’t hold your breath, it’ll never happen.
Anybody who has read the book, Blood Feud by Ed Klein, will have a good insight into Obama, and the inner workings of the White House.
He delays his responses to consult with his co-president, Valarie Jarret. It is she who puts ideas and words in his mouth, then tells him, “you are the President.”
If this wasn’t so serious I’d laugh, because it reminds me of the line that was uttered in the Bob Hope Movie, The Son Of Paleface; “You’re Junior Potter, the son of Paleface, the famous indian fighter.”
It is the feud between the Clintons and the Obamas, that some party members, now speak out in opposition. Obama threatened Hillary to lay the whole Benghazi Affair on on her. Bill has countered that he’ll make Obama’s remaining time in office difficult, viz a viz his comments on the present economy. It was a backhanded slap on Obama and his his loyalists.