Testifying to the House Armed Services Committee today, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel insisted that Wall Street Journal reports that Obama will personally sign off on every US airstrike in Syria were untrue.
Hagel insisted that President Obama had given the authority for such strikes over to Centcom chief Gen. Lloyd Austin, and that Austin has full authority to carry out strikes inside Syria without the president’s say so.
The White House said the same thing, saying the Syria strikes will mirror the policy in Iraq, and insisting President Obama did not sign off on each of the 160+ US airstrikes launched in Iraq so far in the past few weeks.
The comments aimed to reassure Congress that the president and the military are on the same page in the war on ISIS, though several times comments have emerged that suggest a fairly broad divide between the two, particularly on the question of ground troops.
There you go Hagel. Start bombing the Syria military to topple the legitimate syrian government, then you have your choice of lessepr terrorists, the uglier terrorists and the more brutal and fascistic terrorists whom are from Saudi Arabia/UAE.
The other idea which is less costly and more humanity attached is to support the syrian government to fight the mankind enemies, the ISIS from hel. But I guess you as other stick to the plan brought to pentagon by AIPAC, Paul Wolfowitz and others alike. Now having saud that: There is no writting anywhere which says or guarantes such deceptive plan to succeed, but there is a guarantee made possible by U.S. militarism regime for this war to continue.
What Obama doesn't want to keep his record up of being real good at killing people?
Nah…this is about distancing himself from the historical responsibility when this doesn't go as planned – which it surely won't because they are looking at this with a short view and not the long view required to understand the geometries of the why of what is happening.
Got that right. Obama is still mindful of his thoroughly undeserved Nobel Peace Prize. All he cares about is "looking good", which is the first thing his advisers thought of when the Benghazi situation erupted.
Which is not to say he doesn't fully intend to start a war with Syria. He certainly does. And he'll start a war with Iran, too. He just doesn't want to be BLAMED for starting these wars.
Wealth is real power — The source of all power and control
When Obama needed the power of $4 billion in his campaign war chest, to get elected and reelected, who did he pledge absolute submission to, who did he give all of his decision making powers to? The corporate elite.
When the military generals leave active duty and desire a lucrative advancement in their career, who do they turn to? The corporate rich elite.
The Pentagon runs the country, NOT the civilian government of this Banana Republic, and don't you ever forget it!!!!
"It wasn't me, it was the freaking MILITARY that did it!"
This article is weak.
The president gave authority to military to conduct airstrikes. That is how the system of authority works in the executive branch. The military manages the offensive and keeps the president informed of its progress.
No distancing himself from it. No pentagon takeover.
No conspiracy. Grow up. Done.
Tell that to Oliver North
"In 1948 a committee of the Commission for the Reorganization of the Executive Branch of Government, headed by former President Herbert Hoover, reported that national policy does not now come from the civilian heads of government. Instead, 'the military have picked up the ball of national policy and are running down the field with it.' Congress, the report said, was practically helpless."
So, nothing has changed much, eh?
Trading war materials for oil — Who calls the shots?
Our military is in the Middle-East for but one purpose, to maximize terror which will maximize profit in the trading of war materials for oil.
So, the high value targets, the knowing of who to terrorize more, who to terrorize less and to coordinate this with the price of oil as it goes up and down on the stock exchange, would not the rich investors be best qualified to call the shots?
Seriously? We are going to leave it up to the war monger in uniform to make the decision? This country is run by total morons.