Officials have repeatedly overstated the scope of threats in the buildup to war, but Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s claims yesterday of “more than 100” American fighters for ISIS may take the cake.
Pentagon officials today offered a “clarification” of Hagel’s comments, which is to say a total contradiction, which claimed the US believes there are “maybe a dozen” Americans actually fighting for ISIS.
The Pentagon claimed Hagel’s comments were a reference to US assessments that there are around 100 people with American passports inside of Syria. That, of course, doesn’t mean they all joined ISIS.
Rather, the estimate would include everyone in Syria, whether there for business, visiting family, providing aid for displaced people, or fighting for some faction or another. Presumably that number even included the recently killed American hostages, who surely were not ISIS members.
The estimates from different Western nations have often varied wildly depending on who is talking and who the target audience is. The truth of the matter is that officials don’t seem to have a good idea at all who is a member of ISIS and who isn’t.
A little 'white lie' to the American public will boots the propaganda war machine.
A little off-topic…but…
Let's extrapolate… Since the USG is claiming (without proof, IMA) that since there are (perhaps) Russian citizens with military training (theoretical assumption) that therefore the government of Russia (and Putin especially) has authorized and is involved in the defense and arming of the eastern oblasts of Ukraine, then if there are hundreds – or maybe dozens, who cares of Americans fighting for ISIS/ISIL in Iraq/Syria, one must assume that the USG has authorized and is involved in the "caliphate" attacks and the brutal murders of US journalists. Right?
Guilt by association can't only go one way…unless you're trying to weave a fraudulent narrative, of course.
Yes, it's a hypocritical and knowingly false posture. But; one established to cater to public demand. The one thing America seems highly proficient in manufacturing today is havoc, we must have it as an export industry. Justification of the demand is imperative, as is repetition of the response. Principles of Marketing–War.
As Senator Iselin shrieked repeatedly in 'The Manchurian Candidate' regarding Communists in the US government, "I HAVE A LIST OF NAMES !!" that curiously changed in number based on the situation and who was asking questions about it. If Hagel thinks there are 'hundreds' of American fighting as part of ISIS, let's see the names! PROOF, SIR- PROOF IS REQUIRED. Surely if they are now part of a terrorist organization, doesn't the American public have a right to know who they are so we can be on guard for their possible return for nefarious purposes?
In other words, Chuck, you're shaving with Hitchens's Razor: "That which can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence".
Remember that literally before the dust had settled, our government conveniently had the names and pictures of all the 9/11 hijackers.