[Newsbot]

Title: US Defense Secretary Mattis: US will stay in Iraq a while
Category: Military
Posted By: N_Fiddledog
Date: 2017-02-20 09:36:40

[N_Fiddledog]

This is interesting, because there's an argument that wonders who should take the blame for the spread of ISIS, Obama or Bush?

The Obamaites say Barrack just inherited a bad situation. The Americans had won the war. They were entering the peace. There was an agreement signed by Bush saying the Americans would leave by a certain date. He simply honored that agreement.

The Americans left. ISIS got a foothold in Syria then spread throughout Iraq.

The counter to that argument is no it was possible to adjust the agreement with the Iraqis and leave a small expeditionary force large enough to counter any rebel attacks long enough to call for reinforcements. There were discussions to do just that. Obama screwed the pooch in negotiations (as was his MO).

The Obama supporters simply deny such an adjustment was possible and repeat 'No, Bush signed an agreement. Adjustments were not possible.'

OK...well why do adjustments seem possible now, under Trump then?

[N_Fiddledog]

Meanwhile, the cleanup in Mosul seems close to completion.

They're announcing "liberation" in the East.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/01 ... ast-mosul/

Elsewhere...

$1:

SOUTH OF MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi forces advanced Monday into the southern outskirts of Mosul on the second day of a push to drive Islamic State militants from the city's western half, as the visiting U.S. defense secretary met with officials to discuss the fight against the extremists.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/4bb44824 ... irts-mosul

[BRAH]

The United States is still in South Korea at a stalemate with the North so staying a while in Iraq makes sense.

[stratos]

$1:

The Obama supporters simply deny such an adjustment was possible and repeat 'No, Bush signed an agreement. Adjustments were not possible.'

They didn't talk that way about the missile agreement with Poland that Bush signed. Obama backed out of that the moment Putin started bitching. Over and over Obama backed down from Putin.