Remember those little conflicts with Daesh that have been ongoing in Iraq and Syria for a while?\u00a0 (I say “conflicts” because from my perspective they are indeed multiple separate, apparently uncoordinated efforts.) You know, the ones the POTUS pledged to \u201caccelerate\u201d?\u00a0 The ones that the POTUS said would require no US \u201ccombat troops\u201d or \u201cboots on the ground\u201d?<\/p>\n
Well, we have some recent updates from the Pentagon and the IC regarding the \u201cbig picture\u201d status of operations against Daesh. \u00a0And it turns out things are apparently going . . . a bit slowly.<\/p>\n
Yes, we\u2019ve supposedly beaten up their financial infrastructure somewhat via air strikes.\u00a0 But on the ground things don\u2019t exactly seem to be going well.<\/p>\n
Per Pentagon sources, since December US allies have retaken a 5% of the territory Daesh held in Iraq at maximum extent.\u00a0 That\u2019s an average of a whopping 1% per month<\/em>.<\/p>\n At that rate, it will only take 55 more months<\/u> (40% had been recovered prior to December) – or until December 2021 \u2013 to eradicate the Daesh regime in Iraq.\u00a0 Behold the Swift Success, doubters!<\/p>\n Oh, and regarding retaking Mosul:\u00a0 don\u2019t hold your breath.\u00a0 Last week the US Director of National Intelligence said that it\u2019s \u201cunlikely (Daesh) would be pushed out of Mosul, Iraq\u2019s second-largest city, during the Obama administration\u201d.\u00a0 Gee, that\u2019s . . . wonderful.\u00a0 Just freaking wonderful.<\/p>\n Even so, things seem to be going substantially better for US allies opposing Daesh in Iraq than in Syria.\u00a0 Per Pentagon officials Daesh controls about the same amount of territory in Syria today that it did in January.<\/p>\n Oh, and did I mention that it appears we now have a \u201csmall number\u201d of us troops on the ground in Libya opposing Daesh elements there as well?\u00a0 I guess US involvement in two simultaneous and \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0poorly thought-out and unsuccessfully executed interventions based on fatally flawed strategy<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 less than perfectly successful interventions against radical Islamic forces just isn\u2019t enough for the current Administration.<\/p>\n