Saturday, August 9, 2014

In It But Not Really Committed to Iraq

President Obama told Americans on Saturday that we must be braced for a sustained military involvement in Iraq, adding that we are prepared to launch more airstrikes to protect our diplomats and citizens, but mostly our diplomats, and others under attack by ISIL, the terror group formerly known as ISIS, and now actually known as IS, not ISIL. 

"I don't think we're ah, going to solve this problem in weeks," Obama said. "This is, ah, gonna be a long-term, ah, project."

It's calming to know that the president sees the violence and barbarism as a project--he makes it sound like an extra-credit assignment in high school--but he went on vacation anyway.

The Yazidis fled into the Sinjar mountains in the north. They ran out of water and food and Obama's immediate strategy was to help them before going on vacation. Planes have dropped food and water, most of which hit the target, but some of which ended up in the bloody hands of IS troops. I imagine they had a good laugh over that and taunted us by waving empty bottles of Poland Spring.

Obama also said that he wants to provide safe passage for the Yazidis and allow them to return to the Kurdish regional capital Irbil.  (Obama's mother wanted to name him Irbil, but ended up with Barack upon the insistence of Barack Senior.)


Obama would like to help Iraq establish a functional and inclusive government, which is possible in a Muslim country that has no Jews to include. Obama hopes to do all of this by the 9th hole or 124 strokes, whichever comes first.

Currently, Mr. Obama, his broad wife and two sweet kids are vacationing at Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. We know he brought his golf clubs and a basketball, but let's hope he remembered to bring a case of beer, just in case he needs to hold a beer summit.


No comments:

Post a Comment

UN official and Hamas supporter resigns

His book: "Lipless in Gaza" Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (U...