White House, Pentagon Differ on the Semantics of Combat
Posted in Main Blog (All Posts) on September 20th, 2014 11:08 pm by HL
White House, Pentagon Differ on the Semantics of Combat
Alexis Simendinger, RealClearPolitics
President Obama’s insistence that American military forces in Iraq and potentially in Syria “do not and will not have a combat mission” conflicts, at least rhetorically, with the Pentagon’s pay system, which views the military advisers and troops operating in Iraq as in “imminent danger.” Asked Friday if more than 1,600 military personnel deployed to support Iraqi efforts to destroy Islamic State terrorists are receiving combat pay, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said he did not know and that the Defense Department had the answer. That answer, the…
After Syrian Vote, War Debate Will Follow Congress Back Home
Caitlin Huey-Burns, RealClearPolitics
Just a week after President Obama addressed the nation about the threat posed by Islamic State militants and asked Congress to approve arming and training Syrian rebels to fight them, lawmakers gave him what he wanted Thursday evening. The action was quick, by this Congress’ standards, and bipartisan, featuring the formation of atypical alliances — but not without due drama and reservations. The 78-22 tally included nine Democrats and 12 Republicans voting no (along with independent Bernie Sanders). The Senate action follows House passage on Wednesday. As part of a bill that also…
What Will Victory Look Like?
Pat Buchanan, RealClearPolitics
“Congress must now vote to support the first steps of what will be a long march toward victory,” said Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy. Following this clarion call, 71 House Republicans bolted to join 85 Democrats in voting no to U.S. funds to train and arm Syrian rebels. Why the hesitation? Because our strategy in Syria is to rely on a Free Syrian Army that has been the least effective force in that civil war, and untrustworthy to boot. Units of the FSA have handed their U.S. weapons over to ISIS. Yet these “feckless” rebels, says Sen. Bob Corker, constitute “our entire ground game.” John…
No Labels’ 2016 Campaign; Urban Innovations; Nanny State/Police State; Circle of Greed
Carl M. Cannon, RealClearPolitics
Good morning, it’s Thursday, September 18, 2014. The House of Representatives has signed off, at least for now, on President Obama’s plans to militarily confront ISIL. Next in the barrel is the U.S. Senate, which takes up the question, in a slightly different legislative format, today. Meanwhile, the president has other theaters of conflict to attend to, which he will do in back-to-back events this afternoon: At 2 p.m., he meets with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, presumably to talk about continued Russian territorial designs on his country. Following that session, the…
