Iraq | Hope is Not a Foreign Policy

Archive for the ‘Iraq’ Category

Friday, July 9th, 2010 at 2:23pm

Mattis is a Great Pick to be CENTCOM Commander

Posted by Tom Skypek in Afghanistan, American Foreign Policy, Iraq

U.S. Marine Corps General James N. Mattis, who currently serves as the commander of U.S. Joint Forces Command, has been selected to lead U.S. Central Command. This is an outstanding pick by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Mattis is an exemplary general officer and a true strategic thinker. Not surprisingly, the mainstream media is beating up on Mattis for some comments he’s made in the past about warfare. His remarks were candid and, unfortunately, have been taken out of context. One misleading headline reads: “James Mattis: ‘It’s fun to shoot some people.’” Here’s the context for the quote:

You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years, because they didn’t wear a veil. You know guys like that ain’t…

No Comments Tags: Afghanistan, CENTCOM, Central Command, Iraq, James N. Mattis, JFCOM, Robert Gates, USMC

Thursday, December 17th, 2009 at 11:59am

Insurgents Hack U.S. Predator Drones with $26 Software Package

Posted by Tom Skypek in Cyber Warfare, Iraq

Unreal.

No Comments Tags: Insurgents Hack Predator, Iraq

Saturday, March 28th, 2009 at 12:57pm

New Af-Pak Strategy

Posted by Matt Schwieger in American Foreign Policy, Iraq

Limiting the scope of U.S. objectives is an important step in the right direction. Still, I see two principle shortfalls with the Obama administration’s “new” strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan:

Rosy assumptions on Iraq drawdown: The plan miscalculates by underestimating the risks associated with the drawdown of U.S. involvement in Iraq. Should a violent faction lie in waiting for the U.S. to pullout (now they have the timetable and can do so) and the situation in Iraq deteriorates, how does this affect the planned troop increase in Afghanistan? The probability of such a contingency is not as unlikely as some would have you believe.
Inadequate troop levels given historical ratios: If you accept the view…

No Comments Tags: Af-Pak Policy Review, Afghanistan Development Strategy, Afghanistan Military Strategy, Afghanistan Strategy Review, Obama Afghanistan, War in Afghanistan

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 at 10:05pm

Overseas Contingency Operation

Posted by Tom Skypek in Afghanistan, American Foreign Policy, Iraq, Terrorism

Overseas Contingency Operation–that’s the Obama administration’s new name for the conflict formerly known as the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Perhaps GWOT wasn’t the best descriptor for the global conflict against Islamic Extremism, but it seemed to capture the key elements (such as the scope of the conflict and adversary). If anything, it lacked specificity in that it did not identify the adversary as clearly as it could have. From FOXNews.com:

The Obama administration has ordered an end to use of the phrase “Global War on Terror,” a label adopted by the Bush administration shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

In a memo sent this week from the Defense Department’s office of security…

No Comments Tags: Global War on Terror, Overseas Contingency Operation, Political Correctness, War on Terror

Thursday, September 25th, 2008 at 6:13am

Economics and Foreign Policy

Posted by Christine Willett in American Foreign Policy, Iraq, The American Presidency

“If a financial institution has business operations in the United States, hires people in the United States, if they are clogged with illiquid assets, they have the same impact on the American people as any other institution.” With this statement, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson provided European and Canadian financial institutions the possibility of an infusion of American taxpayer dollars as part of the proposed $700 billion Wall Street Bail Out Plan. This aspect of the plan highlights the close ties between economic and foreign policy issues.

The foreign policy gorilla in the economic room…

No Comments Tags: Afghanistan, Economics, Economy, Foreign Policy, Henry Paulson, Iraq, Wall Street Bail Out

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 at 5:35pm

Gen. Petraeus Leaves Iraq, Prepares to Assume Command of CENTCOM

Posted by Tom Skypek in Iraq

From the AP:

Gen. David Petraeus, whose strategy for countering the Iraq insurgency is credited by many with rescuing the country from all-out civil war, stepped aside Tuesday as Gen. Ray Odierno took over as the top American commander of the conflict.

At a traditional change-of-command ceremony attended by top Iraqi and American military and civilian officials, Petraeus said that Odierno‘s skills and experience make him “the perfect man for the job.

Gen. Petraeus has done outstanding work in Iraq over the last 20 months. He took command in…

No Comments Tags: CENTCOM, David Petraeus, Iraq

Thursday, September 11th, 2008 at 6:27pm

New Vets for Freedom Ad: “Success is Relevant, Senator”

Posted by Tom Skypek in Iraq, The American Presidency

No Comments Tags: Vets for Freedom

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008 at 4:35pm

New Vets for Freedom Ad: “I am the Surge”

Posted by Tom Skypek in American Foreign Policy, Iraq, The American Presidency

Vets for Freedom has launched a new television ad which will run beginning tomorrow in “the Denver media market this week, Minneapolis next week, and in Ohio, Michigan, Virginia, and Colorado in the weeks to come,” according to an e-mail sent out today to supporters of the organization.

From Vets for Freedom Chairman Pete Hegseth:

The thirty-second spot features three VFF members–all of which were part of the Surge–who can personally attest to success in Iraq; all three asking Senator Obama–point blank–to support their success, and the success of all troops, by supporting the bi-partisan resolution introduced by Senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsey Graham recognizing the success of the Surge and expressing gratitude to the men and women who made it…

No Comments Tags: Iraq, Joe Lieberman, Lindsey Graham, Senate Resolution 636, The Surge, Vets for Freedom

Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 2:56pm

Bob Kerrey: Candidates’ Position on Surge Irrelevant

Posted by Tom Skypek in American Foreign Policy, Iraq, The American Presidency

According to former Nebraska Sen. Bob Kerrey, the candidates’ position on last year’s troop surge is irrelevant. Today, he wrote in the Denver Post, “Arguing about who was right or wrong in 2003 or even who was right or wrong about the surge has little bearing on the question of what do we do today, moving forward.” Sen. Kerrey couldn’t be more wrong. Sen. McCain advocated the troop increase last year at a time when public support for the Iraq War had reached its lowest levels and politicians like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid were waving the proverbial white flag of defeat.

The fact is that the troop surge increased security throughout Iraq, setting the conditions for political progress. Sen. McCain…

No Comments Tags: Bob Kerrey, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi

Monday, July 28th, 2008 at 4:17pm

New Ad: “Troops”

Posted by Tom Skypek in American Foreign Policy, Iraq, The American Presidency

Sen. Obama’s decision to work out instead of visiting our Wounded Warriors is starting to backfire. We can only hope that the mainstream media picks up this story and gives it the attention it deserves.

3 Comments