The Pentagon announced today the arrival of another 130 military personnel to Irbil, to serve as “advisers” to the Kurdish and Iraqi forces in the ongoing war against ISIS. They insisted the troops will not amount to “combat boots on the ground.”
The 130 troops are in addition to 250 already on the ground in “advisory” roles, and about 800 troops sent overall since June to “protect US interests” in the country.
The move is just the latest in a growing stream of US escalations both in the air and on the ground in Iraq, going from some promises of additional military aid in June to an open air war and more ground troops arriving all the time, so far under the pretext of advisers.
The next likely step, according to officials familiar with the situation, is to dramatically increase the weapons shipments to the Iraqi military and Peshmerga, something that they are planning to begin as soon as Prime Minister Maliki is successfully replaced.
Maliki has been clinging to power, and his willingness to step down has so far been in serious doubt. The US seems to be planning to dangle the weapons shipments as leverage to get him to step down.
Escalations of the US military involvement are also probable in the coming days, and President Obama had long suggested the military involvement in Iraq was being withheld until there was a “unified” Iraqi government. That obviously changed with last week’s commencement of an air war, but the full extent of the war is yet to be unveiled.
The US cash cow udders were only previously minced, and shredded. Soon, they will sink to an all time low, and there will be an udderly painful bellow that will be heard around the world, and maybe even as far as Pluto.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Vietnam war started with so-called "military advisers?"
"…“protect US interests” in the country…"
If thy mean the Embassy and Consulates, then they could just close them and evacuate the personnel to someplace safer. If they mean the oil companies, then, well, screw them – they can pay for their own protection.
The only power willing and can stop or demolish ISIS in Iraq and Syria is the people power as PKK is joining pishmargan helping Kurdish people. PKK stands for Kurdish working party ironically they are stamped as a terrorist by the US state department. Creating ISIS by Barack Hussein Obama and Hillary Clinton/Joe Biden approved by the US Democratic Party, was to demolish the will and power of the people in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. This is the policy practiced by the US Democratic Party, Neo liberalism, Neo fascism and Neo republicans for years and needs to be stopped by the people.
Soooooo is this Military Assistance Command going to be MAC-I, or iMAC ?