IRAQ in a Freefall --- revised

I R A Q   IS…IS In A Freefall!

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM is MISSION UNACCOMPLISHED

Or “MISSION IMPOSSIBLE?”

The Colossal Failure of the U.S. in IRAQ Should Serve A Wake-Up Call for “We the People”

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

 

These are just a few of potential ideas for a title for the blog http://livingonthediagonal.blogspot.com/ as they came to overwhelm my brain.  There is a deluge of information transmitted daily by the BBC-Network and Reuters over the Internet since Monday this week. As I viewed, the photographs, read, watched live reports and some shocking videos, my mind was on overload and confusion.

I decided to waste time in checking what our major networks were up to as Mosul is being “overrun” by ISIS. This group is the latest to enter the fray and go by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria).  Every news program kept their focus on the tired over analysis of stories of Benghazi, Bergdahl, Eric Cantor and Hillary’s new book. I began to question what is occurring. Foreign news sources are reporting daily. While our government, our TV Media is on a mission to downplay, ignore or provide false or conflicting information from what we know from the BBC is actually happening on the ground.

It was not until 11:50AM Thursday; President Obama delivered a ten-minute crafted statement describing for the American public the “not too surprising” deteriorating conditions in Iraq, a call for change in political strategy by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki , with broadened “inclusion” and  to rally the demoralized defense forces American “taxpayers” spent billions in training and equipment. It is time for the Iraqi Army with ten years of our operative training to stand, fight and stop the (ISL) insurgents. He announced our full support, which to me without air strikes and boots on the ground must sound as a call of retreat to what remains of Baghdad government.

There exist only now a plethora of media reports with borrowed BBC video and radio pugnacious pundits,  facts and opinion in biased traditional media and those of foreign and independents online how this is just another failure, “a lack of our intelligence” to anticipate this massive strike by ISIS in Iraq. US Army Generals’ assessments made a mere month ago failed to detect any chink in the armor of the Iraqi defense forces. Did they not see target ranges built left by U.S. Army and left for practice go unused?  

However, here comes a contradictory statement by the President “that this threat was known by our intelligence for about a year.” So which is it? Are these selective responses carefully worded to veil the truth or outright disinformation (propaganda) or another massive collapse in communication among all of our intelligence forces?

I believe the answer unfortunately is ALL of the ABOVE.

In short, order the highly organized force of 1,500 – 1,700 ISIS combat hardened “soldiers” managed to take cities and entire regions in the North and West of Baghdad. Many of our news media still refer to ISIS as a “terrorist offshoot group” from Al-Qaeda. This is far from the truth. Al-Qaeda terrorist groups operated in small numbers of 10 -15, disrupting our forces with IUD and ambushes. ISIS is composed of a mix of former Al-Qaeda, Syrian rebels, and members of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi militia and even Sunnis who so vehemently oppose the Malaki government.

·        Fallujah was first to fall without a fight.  I recall how Marines back home agonized over the loss and permanently injured brothers in what was to be the single most important battle of the War, with weeks of intense, block-by-block fighting. Our forces paid a huge price in blood. (You may recall that the privately paid Special Forces contracted joined in the fight, but in the middle of battle found it too intense and bid a farewell, good luck and retreated).

·        Tikrit was the next city to fall. However, the Northern Kurds who long held claim to the region came to retake the city. Malaki not exactly a friend to the Kurds is now grateful.

·        Mosul, second largest city in Iraq with a population of 2 million is next. Approximately 1,700 ISIS fighters entered the city, took control of government buildings and a central police station where reports of hundreds of police were systematically murdered.

•       This is an astonishing defeat to the Malaki Army forces numbering 30,000 troops. The IRAQI Army outnumbered the ISIS rebels by a ration of 17-1! They are well-armed as the departing U.S. occupying force turned over billions of dollars in sophisticated equipment including tanks, humvees, armored personnel carrier, rocket launchers and God knows what else. These weapons are now in the possession of ISIS and provide additional firepower to promote their cause. The IRAQI forces refused to stand and fight. They beat a hasty retreat and worse left this cache of weapons in the hands of the enemy.
•       This raises a fundamental question. Report is that the IRAQI Army distrust the Malaki government and therefore believe it is fight to solidify his power and not a battle for their own citizens and the country of IRAQ. 

·        Five-Hundred Thousand (500,000) Mosul citizens are fleeing in terror and clogging the highway south toward Baghdad. ISIS leaders began immediately to impose strict SHIA Law where alcohol, football (soccer) and cigarettes banish. ISIS apprehension, detainment and quick to judgment beheaded the infidels including some of their own religious members.

·        The most shocking series of events in Mosul that left even John McCain rather speechless is the briefing and videos where members of Congress witnessed the collapse of 30,000 Iraqi forces. They failed to employ the tactics in defense we provided and almost immediately beat a hasty retreat. To add insult to injury the Iraqi Army abandoned, simply abandoned U.S. military equipment including tanks, HumVees and other armored vehicles as well as scores of weapons and ammunition!

·        There is the allegation that Iraqi officers ordered the retreat based upon their military training and through the negotiation with ISIS Command. The motivation for their acquiescence derives from sympathy to the rebels cause and the cash incentives handed to them. How is this even possibility by way of cash bribes? The answer is simple.  ISIS quickly seized the Central Bank in Mosul capturing an estimated $420M in cash! (The news media reports they are now the most highly financed terrorist group in the world. I wonder if they include the new $100 bill.)

·        Late yesterday, Friday, June 13, 2014, I heard and read reports that the ISIS Army is now within 40 miles of Baghdad where two-thirds of Parliament have already fled.




 

This is a Jihad with a magnitude to engulf even more bloodshed and regional control. This crisis is
only beginning. President Obama cautioned the American People who have the “right to know” that this is not an undertaking to quell overnight. This is not a spontaneous revolt but formulated by ISIS at least a year ago. Why most Americans left in the dark? More incredulous is where was the CIA, NSA and our INTEL?

As a Nation, we should now see the truth just as a post on a Face book timeline; “Gee-we-bin-had” and unless we recognize it as more of the same, it will go on indefinitely. Is it “one lump or two,” Tea Party?

Note: More on ISIS and the Goal of establishing a CALIPHATE.
          Who are the players? Shia, Sunni, Al-Qaeda, Syrians, IRANI