Iraq: We Didn't Ask for U.S. Ground Operations

[IDemo]

Source: NBC News

The Iraqi government said Wednesday it didn't ask for — and doesn't need — the "direct action on the ground" promised by the Pentagon.

The revelation came a day after Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said the U.S. may carry out more unilateral ground raids — like last week's rescue operation to free hostages — in Iraq to target ISIS militants.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's spokesman told NBC News that any military involvement in the country must be cleared through the Iraqi government just as U.S.-led airstrikes are.

"This is an Iraqi affair and the government did not ask the U.S. Department of Defense to be involved in direct operations," spokesman Sa'ad al-Hadithi told NBC News. "We have enough soldiers on the ground."

Read more: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iraq-we-didnt-ask-u-s-ground-operations-n452756

[7wo7rees]

1. But, but, but WHAT???

This can't be!!

"sarcasm"

[erlewyne]

3. No longer needed

That sounds about right.

We have way too many people in our midst that need a real job.

They can be found in the Pentagon and our congress.

They just have their hands out collecting corporate welfare
paid for by the 1%.

[bigdarryl]

2. What a cluster fuck

The President is letting the neocons run his foreign policy

[Android3.14]

4. Something is definitely happening regarding who is controlling our military

WTF Obama?

[Renew Deal]

5. I think it has to do with turf wars with Russia

Obama and the military probably don't want to give Russia anything.

[Android3.14]

10. I hope it is something so mundane

But with the arm twisting with China, I have to wonder.

[Renew Deal]

12. That's about turf wars too

[hollowdweller]

18. I totally agree with you

One thing I always liked about Obama over Clinton in 08 was he did not operate from the Cold War paradigm.

However there are still the republicans and even a lot of older dem senators that do.

Then (I think) that Putin has been such an asshole directly to Obama that all the above factors are starting to force Obama into that way of thinking.

However I think it's really important for him and others to remember that it was the back and forth with the US and Russia in Afghanistan that spawned the large, nationless, multi national Islamic fighting force that is now ISIS.

US has tons of oil now. There's really no reason we can't just let Russia play in the mess alone except for some on both sides wanting to replay the cold war. Putin for political reasons and politicians in the US mostly out of habit.

[bemildred]

6. This is embarrassing. nt

[AzDar]

7. Think of the War Pigs!! Won't somebody PLEASE think of the War Pigs?!?

[restorefreedom]

8. wow this is getting ugly

so after invading a country that did nothing to warrant it, murdering its awful but soverign leader and his sons, destabilizing an entire region, unwittingly promoting the birth and growth of ISIS, and promising to get our troops out of there now that they finally have a functioning government, we are going to basically crap all over their sovereignty AGAIN and start another ground war that they did not request?

if this is not a screaming endorsement of a non-interventionist policy and the leaders who will implement such a policy, I don't know what it is. The MIC is not going to stop waging war, unless we get a president in there and preferablya congress who just says no more war.

[Fuddnik]

11. They didn't ask to be bombed into oblivion either.

[uawchild]

13. Since Iraq is a thriving democracy thanks to the US...

what excuse would we have now to send troops into their country without Iraq's consent?

[Justice]

14. Likely Iraqi Government didn't care about the hostages

so didn't think anyone was needed on the ground to rescue them.

[TwilightGardener]

16. We don't care about foreign hostages either--why would we waste highly decorated special forces

soldiers to free whatever motley collection of Iraqi prisoners happened to be in that compound? No, it was a raid for some other reason, and the fact that some got free was nice, but probably not the purpose of it. And our Delta Force guy who died was actually leading the raid (hardly an advisor, then), not caught up by accident in gunfire the way Carter said. So he lied.

[TwilightGardener]

15. Holy shit. So...it's obvious the Pentagon also didn't bother to seek

a new status of forces agreement for their planned little ground war, either. Fustercluck.

[nyabingi]

17. Unlike the Russians who received permission

from the Syrian government for military action, the US once again shows that it is has no intention of cooperating with anyone if it doesn't comply with what we want to do.

[OnyxCollie]

19. Thank goodness Obama ended the Iraq war. nt

[cprise]

20. Lots of dog-wagging going on. n/t