Mission creep in Iraq
In NBC, they pay tribute to Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler, the 39-year-old senior NCO who was killed in a raid on ISIS last week while assigned to the Army’s “Delta” unit. The article says that Wheeler “rushed into action” when he heard gunfire in the prison.
Those actions, Defense Secretary Ash Carter told reporters on Friday, weren’t part of the original rescue mission plan, but were critical to its success.
“I am immensely proud of this young man,” Carter said adding that his thoughts and prayers go out to Wheeler’s family.
Earlier Friday, Defense officials confirmed to NBC News Wheeler, 39, as the American Delta Force commando killed in a rescue mission in Iraq on Thursday.
In a late night email, COB6 reminded us that Delta doesn’t “train and advise” foreign fighters like the President tells us why we have folks deployed to Iraq – that’s the job of special forces – the force mutipliers. Delta pulls triggers – that’s their only job and that’s why they’re so good at it.
Carter said that the military expects “more raids of this kind” and that the rescue mission “represents a continuation of our advise and assist mission.”
This may mean some American soldiers “will be in harm’s way, no question about it,” Carter said.
So, it must be 1993 all over again. I just watched Carter say that Wheeler witnessed the unit he was advising and assisting come under fire and he rushed to help them. Well, then they must have changed the mission of Delta. Or, more likely, Carter lied about Wheeler and Delta’s presence in the theater.
Category: Terror War
A – Carter lied.
B – Carter’s a putz.
I’ll take all of the above for $500, Alex.
Keen observation. Imagine if there was a report of a cat in a tree. You call the fire department for help in rescuing the cat. Fire Dept personnel arrive–with chainsaws to drop the tree–as does SWAT to protect them.
You’re in Baltimore, too?
If anybody ever actually called me and my engine for a cat in a tree, you’re Goddamn right I’d cut the tree down!
Better yet just shoot the cat out of the tree. Multiple problems solved.
And in other news…..
White House spokesman Eric Schultz said the Pentagon, not the White House, signed off on the operation under the U.S. military mission against ISIS.
“The Secretary assessed the situation on the ground, saw that U.S. forces could make a difference here, could perhaps make this operation more successful, and at the end of the day there are 70 people whose lives were saved as a result of this,” Cook said.
Cuz ya know BHO said “no boots on the ground” right?
Not fit to wear MSgt Wheeler’s boots much less call himself Commander in Chief.
MK75Gunner, when you’re right, you’re right. Obama always has six layers of blame between him and anything that goes badly. If it goes well, he was the play calling quarterback all the way. He’s not fit to shine MSgt Wheeler’s boots. His only true concern in my opinion was, “How many of our poor Muslim brothers were killed?”
Special Forces aren’t the only guys that train foreign fighters, Delta,SEALs, even Rangers. Hell even conventional forces train them. Is their profile supposed to be lower? Yea, but even as advisors we still will roll on missions with them.
Obama lied, men (and women) died.
Gosh, you mean politicians and their nose embedded syncopants lie? They wouldn’t know the truth if it bit them at the seat of their problem.Rectocranial inversion, I calls it.
The more significant part of his briefing was that Carter said, “This is combat…”
I believe the white house press explainer guy tried to back-pedal that and talk about what he really meant. Because “we aren’t conducting combat operations there”.
The only reason to send the big D, is to kill the enemy extra-specially and to conduct missions like this where there’s an extreme need for those that can do it expertly.
And its not like the big D got on a plane to go there for a couple days for this one mission. I’m guessing they’ve been there a while and are there for the “oh shit” stuff. Otherwise known as “combat operations / direct action”.
Who do you suppose has been calling in all those air strikes in Iraq and Syria? Its definitely not the pilots just choosing a random target and I doubt we have given our ‘allies’ there our comsec.
The transport carrying MSG Wheeler will be arriving at Dover in about 30 minutes.
One of Delta’s primary missions is “hostage rescue”, so it could be plausible that they were training these folks and providing observation and overwatch of their “students”. It’s also plausible that there was/were high value target(s) present that we’ll never hear about that drove Delta’s involvement.
Bottom line is that we lost another Soldier doing his duty and our prayers and blessings go to him and his family.