General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Intercept: Obama's best hope against ISIS was just killed, so let's make friends with Iran
The loss of Abboud and his lieutenants only underlines the need for a reset of U.S. policy in the region. While American politicians have cast ISIS as a mortal threat to their country, the groups primary conflict today is not with the United States even if ISISs horrific beheadings of U.S. citizens served the groups propaganda goals, and even if Americas catastrophic military adventurism facilitated its creation and ascendance.
No, ISISs real focus today is on expanding its territory by combating regional governments Iraq and Syria at the moment and by fending off rival militias. And it turns out this has done wonders for relations within the Middle East. For the first time in three years, the interests of Iran, Turkey, Syria, Qatar and Iraq are all aligned towards stifling the existential threat posed by the radical insurgency of ISIS. Even the Iranian and Saudi governments normally bitter rivals are seeking to set aside their differences to confront this rising danger.
Within this new political alignment lies Obamas best hope for the military defeat of ISIS. The future of Abbouds group is in doubt, the much-vaunted Kurdish Peshmerga has never mounted a successful offensive operation in its history, and the U.S-trained Iraqi Army has demonstrated its combat effectiveness by literally running at the sight of ISIS advances in Mosul. But theres one party that has demonstrated both a willingness and ability to combat ISIS: Iran.
https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2014/09/10/americas-incomprehensible-isis-policy/
KeepItReal
(7,769 posts)Al Qaeda and ISIL using the same playbook it appears.
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)brilliant idea. It is a regional threat and ISIL is a common enemy to all 5. And it will keep the focus off the U.S.
cilla4progress
(24,760 posts)it's the upside to this mess!
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)And those plans have been in place for several administrations now.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)that assumes the jurors will not risk checking the link, clever, even if deceitful. There was even a discussion about this tactic in MIRT.
Response to Luminous Animal (Reply #4)
Post removed
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)AUTOMATED MESSAGE: Results of your Jury Service
Mail Message
On Wed Sep 10, 2014, 05:29 PM an alert was sent on the following post:
The Intercept: Obama's best hope against ISIS was just killed, so let's make friends with Iran
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025515399
REASON FOR ALERT
This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.
ALERTER'S COMMENTS
Link is loaded with malware.
You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Wed Sep 10, 2014, 05:35 PM, and the Jury voted 2-5 to LEAVE IT.
Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Malware is a good reason to hide. Cannot verify, but will give alerter the benefit.
Juror #2 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: I'm voting this down because the alert says the link has malware. I'm taking it on faith that this is true, and not some new loophole the Cave trolls have disovered.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No, You should check yourself for a trojan, your software is picking it up somewhere else
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No malware here.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)will just take the alerter's word for it rather than risk exposure by following the link.
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)Maybe alert on your results message so Admins can see if it is the same alerter as the kpete thread.
Edit: discussion about kpete's hide here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025509052
Sid
Dragonfli
(10,622 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)Not saying I can find it all, but I didn't find any malware at the link.
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)I was going to do that myself but then had some distractions.
Hope they move on this soon.
SoCalDem
(103,856 posts)yet this rag-tag group of gangsters seems very able to motivate their trainees.. Our well-trained, well-equipped Iraqi military shook off their uniforms , handed over their equipment, and ran for their lives..
All the money we wasted on training and equipping, ( and destroying their country) would have been better spent if we had built houses, schools, hospitals, power companies, and just handed out money to the people, so they could grow a real economy..
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)No, no. The idea was to create a weak Iraqi military - we wouldn't want a military force that could possibly rival our Shitty Little client State in the region, after all. But more than that, we wanted them dependent. The Iraqi military is currently totally reliant on American equipment. And where do they get that equipment? well, we sell it to them, don't we? We're basically pushers, keeping our addicts strung along, looting htem every time they get a jonesing. And if they fail, well, then we have an excuse to come in and "help" - a move which lets us target who we want where we want.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)does that writer have any idea what he's saying??
Luminous Animal
(27,310 posts)Build a coalition, that includes Iran, across ideological lines to enable a regional solution against a common enemy.
MADem
(135,425 posts)You think there are people HERE who love conspiracy theories? That one is as popular as Christmas in December in New England!
ISIS doesn't care for the shi'a one whit, and Iran is mostly shi'a. It's a huge country chock-a-block full of a small sect, in essence!
It is an opportunity for rapprochement on a small scale, over this specific issue. There's a lot of fence mending to do, though. This is going to take a long, long time.
Major Hogwash
(17,656 posts)Secretary Kerry said that Iran would not be included in any effort to fight ISIL.
MADem
(135,425 posts)Erich Bloodaxe BSN
(14,733 posts)But they have to deal with a corrupt and brutal government. Which, come to think of it, isn't all the different either.
KG
(28,752 posts)Oilwellian
(12,647 posts)after we handed Iraq to them.
roamer65
(36,747 posts)This whole mess is a proxy war between Riyadh and Tehran. Let them solve it.
karynnj
(59,504 posts)1) The organization whose leaders were killed is one rebel groups with extensive links to AQ - thus it never would have been "Obama's best hope" (There are a huge number of rebel groups - those not in ISIS are not all "together" - they have huge differences.
2) While the idea that ISIS threatens that long list of states, it is probably hard to picture them all working together as many have long been against others. (It would be beyond credible to imagine all of them - even if they are not friendly - were willing to work together on anything - much less something as important as this. It would be a whole different (better) ME.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Do people really think that is a good idea?
cilla4progress
(24,760 posts)"NEW WORLD ORDERRRRRRRRRRRRR"!