Pentagon Begging For More Troops In Iraq

by JASmius



I'm guessing this is because U.S. military commanders are growing alarmed that the successful Russo-Syrian ground offensive against ISIS may see no reason not to keep rolling right across the border into Iraq - whose rump government, remember, is already in the Russian orbit:

The {Obam]agon is moving to increase the number of American troops in Iraq amid strikes that have killed the Islamic State's finance minister and other senior leaders. Still, top U.S. defense officials say the deaths won't "break the back" of the [Muslim] group, which is in a fierce fight for an ancient city in Syria and claim responsibility for bombing a soccer stadium in Iraq.

Defense [Commissar] Ash Carter said Friday the U.S. progress in eliminating members of the ISIS "cabinet" was hampering its ability to conduct and inspire attacks against the West.

Despite the fact that jihadist leadership has been strikingly resilient in perpetually finding capable and zealous replacements.  Indeed, the very raison de tere of the Global Jihad is decentralization so as to make true "decapitation" strikes functionally impossible.  They're like Hydra: "Cut off one head, and two more shall take its place".

Are the Russians using the "whack-a-mole" approach?  No, they're not - and they're winning:

The announcement came as the battle to retake the Syrian city of Palmyra entered its third day and Iraqi forces continued their march to recapture Mosul. A suicide bombing in a soccer stadium south of Baghdad, killing nearly thirty people, underscored the difficult fight ahead.

Which is why we're not using the Russian approach - crushing ISIS with sufficiently large military forces to do the job - and presages where this Obamagon drive for reinforcements is going to wind up:

General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told [Obam]agon reporters that recommendations on ways to increase U.S. support for Iraq's ground fight against ISIS will be discussed with Barack Obama soon.

And how do you think THAT conversation is going to go?

Allow me to save the general some time.....



"It's Vlad's sphere of influence - he can take care of it.  I'm going shopping for more tees".