Dangerous Illusions of War

President Obama took pride that he unilaterally led US troops out of Iraq in 2011 (without achieving a Status of Forces agreement) and promises to do the same in Afghanistan by 2016.  Casual political observers may now conclude that President Barack Obama has dispensed with the dangerous illusion about optional wars after the aerial bombing  of ISIS and Khorasan Group targets in  Syria. US CentCom claims that the Khorasan Group was in the final stages of an imminent attact on US targets, potentially even in the U.S. Homeland.

However, in the run up to the still unnamed mission from the nascent anti-ISIS coalition, President Obama insisted on being clear about not having American boots on the ground.   

Congress voted for funding to train Syrian rebels, but that training is said to take a year to accomplish.  Now that American airpower decimated ISIS and Khorason targets near Aleppo and Raqqa, Syria, an ISIS pull out would leave a power vacuum.  Without American boots on the ground, who re-establishes order?  Prior to the bombing, former Marine Corps Commandant (Ret.) General James Conway suggested that Mr. Obama's apparent strategy against ISIS did not have a snowball's chance in hell of succeeding.

Mr. Obama may still harbor the illusion about cafeteria conflicts, but General Douglas MacArthur's warning that: "It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it" rings true today.  

America acting to stop the brutality and belligerence of terrorist armies like ISIS and the Khorason Group which threaten US is a tardy step in the right direction.  However, not having a clearly defined plan of action other than ruling out boots on the ground may keep the chimera alive for the Commander-in-Chief.

h/t: Bob Englehart 

Pope Francis' Cri-de-Coeur on Syrian Slaying

Dutch Jesuit Fr. Francis van der Lugt was brutally murdered in Homs, Syria by masked gunman. The septigenarian cleric was beaten by a masked man on the street in front of the Jesuit monastery in Bustan al-Diwan, a Christian portion of the Old City,  and then he was shot twice in the head.

Fr. van der Lugt who was a trained psychotherapist, had spent fifty years living in Syria ministering to disabled people at the Al Ard Center near Homs.  The Center also took in refugees from the Syrian Civil War, but that mission curtailed as the staff fled since they could not ensure the safety of their guests.  Fr. van der Lugt tried to be a companion to those in mental distress and give them as much food as possible.

Fr. Frans refused to be part of the February 2014 UN supervised evacuation of 1,400 people from the city, which had been besieged for a year and a half.  In the Old City of Homs, the Christian population had shrunk from tens of thousands to just 66.  Christians used to make up 10% of the Syrian population before the Civil War, but Christians have been brutalized for their faith during the conflict Fr. van der Lugt reasoned that he was the only priest remaining to minister to his people so how could he leave.

In January, Fr. van der Lugt made pleas through the media that gained world-wide attention to have humanitarian aid sent to the city to feed the starving Muslim and Christian population.




This led to meeting with UN officials to receive aid and hear first hand accounts of the humanitarian trials in Homs. Fr. van der Lugt procured four kilos of kilos of flour a week from a Muslim charity so that he could make bread and distribute half a loaf to the enclaves neediest 30 people.

Besides, Fr. van der Lugt considered Syria to be his home. The Jesuit proclaimed:  "The Syrian people have given me so much, so much kindness, inspiration and everything they have. If the Syrian people are suffering now, I want to share their pain and their difficulties."  Per the priests instructions, his earthly remains will be buried in Syria.

Syrian opposition forces were quick to blame the Bashar al-Assad government for the slaying, claiming that government would be the only ones to benefit from the killing.  Yet Fr. van der Lugt believed that even after eighteen months of being under siege that the opposition was not popular among Syrians.  The amnesty which was offered in January only applied to Syrians.  Thus the foreign fighters who remained in the Old City may have looked askance at one who was not a co-religionist.

Regardless of who was responsible, Fr. Francis van der Lugt was a martyr for the faith. Aside from Pope Francis' cri-de-coeur at his fellow Jesuit's brutal slaying, the Vatican voiced outrage over the killing of Fr. van der Lugt.  Federico Lombardi, spokesman for the Holy See declared: "This is the death of a man of peace, who showed great courage in remaining loyal to the Syrian people despite an extremely risky and difficult situation."  Lombardi added that the Dutch priest had offered "the testimony of Jesus to the end." 

Fr. van der Lugt's selfless dedication to his fellow man and openness to serve the Lord even unto death echos the ultimate sacrifice that our Lord Jesus Christ which we will celebrate next week in the Triduum.

Servicemens' Selfies Skeptical of Syrian Strike

After news of a chemical weapons  in Syria on August 21st , American President and 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Barack Hussein Obama and his Administration rattled the sabre about striking Syria, claiming that Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad had crossed "the red line."  But after the British House of Commons rejected supporting military action  in Syria and the American people were reminded of Mr. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden's hypocrisy about imperial presidencies,  Mr. Obama has shilly shallied and will let Congress vote. 

Now there is a phenomenon on social media which seems new and surprising-- Servicemen posting selfies.  Thankfully, it is not as revolting as Geraldo Rivera's recent Twitter  self expose, as they are pictures with a public policy purpose that are skeptical about American involvement in the Syrian Civil War. 

Unlike convicted Wiki-Leaker "I Want to Change My Privates" Bradley (a.k.a. Chelsea) Manning, he did not want to shame the military.  And the military members are not rebelling like convicted Ft. Hood shooter Nidal Hasan who did not want to deploy in Muslim countries so he killed 13 and wounded 34 in a so called  "workplace violence"  incident.  

Normally, our brave voluntary members of the Armed Forces salute smartly when the Commander-in-Chief speaks.  Why would they risk prosecution under Article 88 of the UCMJ which prohibits contemptuous words against "the President, Vice-President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense" et ali. Moreover, they could also be pursued under the catch all Article 134 which prohibits acts of speech "that are prejudicial to good order and discipline or that could bring discredit upon the Armed Forces"?

While President Obama has claimed that he has decided to respond to the chemical weapons attack, he deferred to Congress.  Multiple leaks from the Obama Administration indicated that it was going to be a short (two to three day) aerial assault to degrade deployment capabilities and not aim for regime change.  

While it may be a questionable geopolitical objective to be the world's policeman, waiting for so long before action while leaking what the US was considering doing certainly gave the Assad regime time to hide the munitions and move innocents into place so a Tomahawk Cruise Missile strike would look like an American atrocity. 

As that President Obama has supposedly deferred to Congress without calling them back into session means at least another fortnight's delay.  Would a limited strike do any good?  What will the Obama Administration send to Congress?  

Even if the limited strike does what was intended, degrading the Assad regime's capabilities throws US into a Syrian Civil War supporting rebels that includes actual cannibals and Al Qaeda elements who remain at war with US. 

These social media postings show that some servicemen have gotten the picture in Syria. Will Congress and the American people, or will we continue to be seduced by the bluster and balderdash from this Administration?

Editor's Note 9/02/2013 22:30 EDT

The answer to why servicemen risked so much to posted skeptical signs about the Syrian strike is for propaganda purposes.

The Syrian Electronic Army hacked and hijacked the Marines.com for several hours on Labor Day  and used the striking servicemens' collage.  This suggests that the photos were staged and meant to stoke up anti-war sentiment or that a prospective enemy is capitalizing on organic opposition.  

While the spoofing cyber-attack may be an astro-turf opinion shaping, the message about involvement in an international civil war deserves vigorous debate by Congress.  Our government should conduct a cost/benefit analysis, discern if it is truly an American national interest and if the objective can be easily accomplished by a short strike or if our involvement would complicate the situation without solving the crisis. 

Meet the New Friends of US-- Are You Syrian?

Last summer, President Barack Obama warned that the United States would become actively involved in the Syrian Civil War if the Bashir Assad government crossed the "red line" and used chemical weapons.   This probably falls under the theory of Obama UN Ambassador nominee Samantha Power "Responsibility to Protect" which embroiled America in the war in Libya.  

Al Jazeera reported in late December 2012 that the Assad  forces used chemical weapons.  But only last week, the Obama Administration confirmed that the Syrian regime crossed the "red line" and used chemical weapons, which justified the US arming the rebel Syrian forces.   Aside from the fact that the Syrian rebels are now dominated by Al-Qaeda affiliated forces,  who are Mr. Obama's new bosom buddies?

The Blaze shared some video shot which showed a Free Syrian Army  rebel commander disembowling an enemy troop and then eating the human heart and liver on video.  The only thing this is missing is fava beans and Chianti.

It is amazing to think that former KGB agent Russian President Vladimir Putin could have the moral high ground lecturing America for aligning itself with Syrian cannibals.

While the Bashar Assad regime is a despicable dictatorship, it did not slaughter Christians or pride itself on feasting on the entrails of enemies.  Had the United States become involved in the Syrian crisis two years ago, maybe our influence might have influenced democratic forces.  Instead, now when we go in to arm rebels with an attitude of the "Responsibility to Protect", we arm Al Qaeda affiliates who lionize cannibal commanders.  

Are you Syrian (sic)?  Really?  It might be time to push the reset button on the Obama Foreign Policy reset button.  Foggy Bottom is the location of the State Department -- this should not be a description of American foreign policy.  

Budgeting Time for Barack-etology

As March Madness begins in earnest today, President Obama took the time before his quick Spring Break trip to the Middle-East to fill out his NCAA March Madness Brackets.  

The Celebrity-in-Chief then taped an ESPN segment to explain his choices--

While the POTUS picks have been one in four during his tenure in the Oval, it calls for an even basic question--why is he wasting time on inconsequential items when he has a nation that he should be governing?

As sequestration comes into full effect, and the Obama Administration cancelled school tours of the White House and threatens the Easter Egg Roll (while still having costly golf outings with Tiger Woods and a St. Paddy's Day party), he vexes over college hoops.   As Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) call for US boots on the ground in Syria, additional missile interceptors are deployed on the West Coast for a North Korean nuclear ICBM threat and Iran is close to having nuclear weapons, our re-elected leader plays with Barack-etology? 

The law requires that the Executive Branch submits its Federal Budget by February 4th.  As it stands,  the Obama Administration won't have it done by April Fools Day. 

If it's any consolation,  Barack Budgets have gotten zero votes in  Congress. So it seems that he does better at his Bracketology than budgeting anyways. 

Perhaps we could profit from the POTUS picks and make up the sequestration shortfall.  But considering that he chose safe picks: Ohio State, Florida, Louisville and Indiana, it won't have much of a payout.  Unlike if someone chose in Paddy Pool chose Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio in the Conclave Championship --The Sweet Sistine. The man who became Pope Francis paid off at 33-1. 

We do not need  bread and circuses.  We need leadership from Washington.  A couple of weeks ago, President Obama went through the motions of a Capitol Hill charm offensive.  Then he cracks wise against Congress when setting foot on foreign soil. It make one wonder if he is serious about the responsibilities as the Leader of the Free World, or if he just seriously enjoys the spotlight and the trappings of the Oval Office.