Syria looms large in US troops’ future

AFP reports that Harakat Hazm, the group of “moderate” Syrian rebels that Secretary of State John Kerry told us last year were most likely to receive US arms and training, dissipated and melted into the ranks of ISIS. I guess they took their arms and training with them;

…after suffering a devastating defeat at the hands of Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate at the weekend, Hazm appears to have disbanded, with many of its fighters reported to have joined an Islamist coalition.

“The collapse of… Hazm means that, in effect, there is no substantial and credible Western-backed ‘moderate’ opposition throughout most of Syria,” intelligence consultancy The Soufan Group said in a brief.

Well, there goes that idea.

Meanwhile, yesterday, according to the Military Times, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was in Congress again slowly turning up the heat on that pot of lobsters;

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, testified on Capitol Hill that military commanders will consider the need for small teams of U.S. troops to help local Iraqi and Syrian forces if that is critical for defeating the Islamic State militants.

“If the commander on the ground approaches either me or the secretary of defense and believes that the introduction of special operations forces to accompany Iraqis or the new Syrian forces, or JTACS, these skilled folks who can call in close-air support, if we believe that’s necessary to achieve our objectives, we will make that recommendation,” Dempsey told the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel.

Maybe if they just wait a little longer, someone will step and do it and solve it all while this administration sits on it’s hands some more. You know, that same strategy that has worked so well for us in Libya and Tunisia.

And, oh, by the way, the REALLY good news is that a Quinnipiac University National poll supports sending US troops to do battle with ISIS;

American voters support 62 – 30 percent sending U.S. ground troops to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria, with strong support across all party, gender and age groups, according to a Quinnipiac University National poll released today.

Men back U.S. troop deployment 68 – 28 percent, while women support it 57 – 33 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds.

Not coinicidently;

American voters believe 63 – 28 percent that President Obama loves America.

[…]

“Most Americans believe President Obama loves America, but they are not in love with his job performance,” Malloy added

Which should be reassuring for the troops tagged for yet another deployment to Iraq. Or not.

Obama gets a negative 44 – 50 percent approval rating for handling the economy. His approval ratings on other issues are:

Negative 35 – 55 percent for foreign policy;
Negative 39 – 54 percent for terrorism;
Negative 38 – 56 percent for immigration;
Negative 35 – 55 percent for ISIS.

But, hey, as long my kid doesn’t end up in Iraq…you can send that kid down the street and I’ll feel better about myself.

Category: Terror War