BloggerRhythms

An article in today’s New York Times by Tim Arango, Kareem Fahim and Ben Hubbardjune discloses information collected by Brian Fishman, a counterterrorism researcher at the New America Foundation. 

 

According to the writer’s, “Under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who spent time in an American detention facility,” the group now known as ISIS “has shown itself to be unrelentingly violent and purist in pursuing its religious objectives, but coldly pragmatic in forming alliances and gaining and ceding territory.”

 

While Mr. Fishman has described the group as “a governmental amoeba, constantly shifting its zone of control across Iraq’s western expanses” as its forces redeploy, an astounding fact is addressed.

 

It seems that, as far back as 2007 “the group published a pamphlet laying out its vision for Iraq. It cited trends in globalization as well as the Quran in challenging modern notions of statehood as having absolute control over territory. And one of the most important duties of the group, according to the pamphlet, is something that it has done consistently: free Sunnis from prison.”

 

“When you go back and read it, it’s all there,” Mr. Fishman said. “They are finally getting their act together.”

 

So, here’s further confirmation of the fact that the incumbent has not only placed his legacy and political beliefs above reality, but also leads to the most basic administerial question of all: How is it possible that the one in charge of the most sophisticated intelligence system in the world didn’t know this? Or, what’s even worse, knew but didn’t care. 

 

However, by electing to neglect responsibility and illogically choosing the political path, that decision itself has now returned what’s likely the most damaging result imaginable. Because since he himself removed any and all chances of attaining a satisfactory result, the U.K.’s Guardian reports that: “Tehran hints at cooperation with US to aid Nouri al-Maliki as jihadist group threatens to take Baghdad.”

 

Thus, this situation’s been so badly botched that a bitter enemy may now be needed for assistance. But then, what might have to be given in return for that help? My first thought would be, relaxation of the nuclear weapons ban on that nation, allowing them to build their bomb above board. And it’s doubtful any worse mistakes could be made than the one that has now been evidenced here.

 

That’s it for today folks.

 

Adios