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发帖数: 29846 | 1 11:21 AM, Sep 11, 2014 • By DANIEL HALPER
In deciding how to destroy ISIS, President Obama has rejected the "best
military advice." The advice was recently given to the commander in chief
from his military leaders.
"Responding to a White House request for options to confront the Islamic
State, Gen. Lloyd Austin, the top commander of U.S. forces in the Middle
East, said that his best military advice was to send a modest contingent of
American troops, principally Special Operations forces, to advise and assist
Iraqi army units in fighting the militants, according to two U.S. military
officials," the Washington Post reported just hours after Obama's address to
the nation last night.
"The recommendation, conveyed to the White House by Gen. Martin Dempsey, the
chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was cast aside in favor of options
that did not involve U.S. ground forces in a front-line role, a step
adamantly opposed by the White House. Instead, Obama had decided to send an
additional 475 U.S. troops to assist Iraqi and ethnic Kurdish forces with
training, intelligence and equipment.
"Recommitting ground combat forces to Iraq would have been highly
controversial, and most likely would have been opposed by a substantial
majority of Americans. But Austin’s predecessor, retired Marine Gen. James
Mattis, said the decision not to send ground troops poses serious risks to
the mission.
"'The American people will once again see us in a war that doesn’t seem to
be making progress,' Mattis said. 'You’re giving the enemy the initiative
for a longer period.'" |
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