Back in Iraq: Obama Orders Airstrikes

A Talented One
A Talented One Members Posts: 4,202 ✭✭✭
edited August 2014 in The Social Lounge
WASHINGTON — President Obama on Thursday announced that he had authorized targeted American airstrikes against Islamic militants in Iraq, scrambling to avert the fall of the Kurdish capital, Erbil, and returning the United States to a significant battlefield role in Iraq for the first time since the last American soldier left the country at the end of 2011.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday night, Mr. Obama also said that American military aircraft had dropped food and water to tens of thousands of Iraqis trapped on a barren mountain range in northwestern Iraq, having fled the militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, who threaten them with what Mr. Obama called “genocide.”

“Earlier this week, one Iraqi cried that there is no one coming to help,” Mr. Obama said in a televised statement delivered from the State Dining Room. “Well, today America is coming to help.”
Continue reading the main story
Related in Opinion

The president insisted the twin military operations did not amount to a full-scale re-engagement in Iraq. But the relentless advance of the militants, whom he described as “barbaric,” has put them within a 30-minute drive of Erbil, raising an immediate danger for the American diplomats, military advisers and other citizens who are based there.

More here: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/08/world/middleeast/obama-weighs-military-strikes-to-aid-trapped-iraqis-officials-say.html?_r=0

Key quote from the speech:
In recent days, Yezidi women, men and children from the area of Sinjar have fled for their lives. And thousands -- perhaps tens of thousands -- are now hiding high up on the mountain, with little but the clothes on their backs. They’re without food, they’re without water. People are starving. And children are dying of thirst. Meanwhile, ISIL forces below have called for the systematic destruction of the entire Yezidi people, which would constitute genocide. So these innocent families are faced with a horrible choice: descend the mountain and be slaughtered, or stay and slowly die of thirst and hunger.

I’ve said before, the United States cannot and should not intervene every time there’s a crisis in the world. So let me be clear about why we must act, and act now. When we face a situation like we do on that mountain -- with innocent people facing the prospect of violence on a horrific scale, when we have a mandate to help -- in this case, a request from the Iraqi government -- and when we have the unique capabilities to help avert a massacre, then I believe the United States of America cannot turn a blind eye. We can act, carefully and responsibly, to prevent a potential act of genocide. That’s what we’re doing on that mountain.

Do you support this?
«13

Comments

  • A Talented One
    A Talented One Members Posts: 4,202 ✭✭✭
    If it is true that there are thousands of people on that mountain facing either slaughter or starvation, I don't see how anyone can not support this.
  • AZTG
    AZTG Members Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yea its true. I know cause im kurdish too. So im getting news. 40 kids died on that mountain today of dehydration.

    They cant go back to their homes cause Isis issued an order. "? them where you see them?"

    Why do they want them dead? Cause the Yezidi people have a very profound belief. Its an abrahamic religion. The story in the bible goes that when ? asked all the angels to bow to adam, lucifer didnt so ? banished him to hell. The Yezidis however, believe that when ? asked all the angels to bow to adam, lucifer doesnt and in response tells ? that you are my creator so ill only bow for you, so ? is moved by his words and makes Lucifer the highest revered angel. So there is no concept of the devil because lucifer never falls from grace.

    Because of this Isis views the Yezidis as devil worshippers. So according to Isis the yezidis must day.
  • A Talented One
    A Talented One Members Posts: 4,202 ✭✭✭
    KingSimba wrote: »
    Why weren't we this generous in Rwanda?

    Oh....


    Nvm

    Yeah, they don't value black life as much as non-black life. But the solution is to support and press for action in black countries when needed, not to be against action in non-black countries when needed.
  • Turfaholic
    Turfaholic Members Posts: 20,429 ✭✭✭✭✭
    What's the point.......?


    Stop haten
  • AZTG
    AZTG Members Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Now you go back to whats happeninf with the Kurds. The Kurds in iraq have the only battle tested army. Everyone figured the Kurdish Peshmerga would beat Isis.

    Kurds in Syria beat them with ease. But that doesnt happen. Why? Because the prime minister of iraq who is supposed to disribute weapons never gives Kurds the new weapons. So now Isis attacks kurds armed with us weapons, tanks, and night vision goggled while the Kurds have 20 year old guns and no way to fight at night.

    So now all Kurds are saying is give us some weapons and let us fight. They're not asking the US for troops, they're asking for weapons and equipmemt. US so far has been slow to respond though.
  • Melqart
    Melqart Guests, Members Posts: 3,679 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AZTG wrote: »
    And that is the situation

    @AZTG‌

    Thanks for the enlightening posts, man. Shame how long the kurd have been persecuted.
  • _Lefty
    _Lefty Members Posts: 6,564 ✭✭✭✭✭
    @AZTG‌ Good look. You broke that ? down.
  • Recaptimus_Prime360
    Recaptimus_Prime360 Members Posts: 64,801 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AZTG wit the knowledge drop
    INB4 the bitchazzz GOP flip the script and use this as an excuse to impeach the Pres. b/c he used Executive Action.
  • Alkinduz
    Alkinduz Members Posts: 2,070 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AZTG wrote: »
    Yea man it is a shame.

    Its because of england and france. None of the countries in the middle east existed 100 years ago. After world war 1, with the collapse of the Ottaman Empire, they went in there and divided the middle east amongst each other and created the borders and countries we see today.

    They gave the powers to arabs and said ? the minorities. Its probably cause arabs are greedy as ? . It worked out for the west. They been making billions off the resources in the middle east.

    Same story of Africa, Asia, and South America. Basically white westeners go in cause problems, divide, cause wars, and while those people fight, die, get poorer by each generation, the white westeners ? them for their resources.

    The turks, persians,arabs etc, no one is feeling the kurds out there....and the kurds havent exactly been saints through history now have they?

    to easy to blame ? on the euros...or the arabs. You guys have been ? from all angles, the Americans gave y'all some land in Iraq now...

    Kinda ironic isnt it? You blaming the whiteman, in the end, it were westeners, white muricans that gave you that land in northern iraq....

    natives of that land have been loooooong gone.
  • reapin505
    reapin505 Members Posts: 4,009 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AZTG wrote: »
    Yea man it is a shame.

    Its because of england and france. None of the countries in the middle east existed 100 years ago. After world war 1, with the collapse of the Ottaman Empire, they went in there and divided the middle east amongst each other and created the borders and countries we see today.

    They gave the powers to arabs and said ? the minorities. Its probably cause arabs are greedy as ? . It worked out for the west. They been making billions off the resources in the middle east.

    Same story of Africa, Asia, and South America. Basically white westeners go in cause problems, divide, cause wars, and while those people fight, die, get poorer by each generation, the white westeners ? them for their resources.

    Spreading some much needed information on this site, thanks man.

    Kurds don't sound like something to ? with if armed properly
  • Alkinduz
    Alkinduz Members Posts: 2,070 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I respect the Kurds and you deserve your own land....but lets not act like America didnt completly ? over Iraq and is directly responsible for the state its in today. A decade of war started and continoud under false flags.....

    yeah Im sceptic af, acting like theyre only there to help, instead of protecting their own interest, in whatever the ? they still got going on there.
  • reapin505
    reapin505 Members Posts: 4,009 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2014
    Alkinduz wrote: »
    I respect the Kurds and you deserve your own land....but lets not act like America didnt completly ? over Iraq and is directly responsible for the state its in today. A decade of war started and continoud under false flags.....

    yeah Im sceptic af, acting like theyre only there to help, instead of protecting their own interest, in whatever the ? they still got going on there.

    Its very unlikely that the US would be helping if it didn't have a stake in it, I agree. But ? was bound to blow up without a strong leader or someone keeping the factions under control. I wasn't there though,was too young when the war was going on, so I would like to hear the veterans and people that have been there take on this.
  • AZTG
    AZTG Members Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Alkinduz wrote: »
    AZTG wrote: »
    Yea man it is a shame.

    Its because of england and france. None of the countries in the middle east existed 100 years ago. After world war 1, with the collapse of the Ottaman Empire, they went in there and divided the middle east amongst each other and created the borders and countries we see today.

    They gave the powers to arabs and said ? the minorities. Its probably cause arabs are greedy as ? . It worked out for the west. They been making billions off the resources in the middle east.

    Same story of Africa, Asia, and South America. Basically white westeners go in cause problems, divide, cause wars, and while those people fight, die, get poorer by each generation, the white westeners ? them for their resources.

    The turks, persians,arabs etc, no one is feeling the kurds out there....and the kurds havent exactly been saints through history now have they?

    to easy to blame ? on the euros...or the arabs. You guys have been ? from all angles, the Americans gave y'all some land in Iraq now...

    Kinda ironic isnt it? You blaming the whiteman, in the end, it were westeners, white muricans that gave you that land in northern iraq....

    natives of that land have been loooooong gone.

    The ? you talking bout b? Seriously. Im dead ass everything you wrote was wrong as hell. Read a book b

    Kurds havent been saints? There is not 1 time in history that Kurds went out and harmed someone else. Not 1. Kurds aint have a country out there for over 1,500 years. How could they persecute people when they never had power? Problem with kurds is that they're too nice. I hate that ? too. Always looking to help then they get stabbed in the back.

    Lets go back in history. During the crusades, a thousand years ago, salladin, a kurdish leader, kicked the christians out the middle east saving both the muslims and the jews from christians. Salladin didnt and wouldnt allow anyone to ? christians off the battle field. When christians took over a muslim town, they pillaged, ? , and killed. When salladin took over christian towns he let them live.in peace. When christians captured muslim armies, they slaughtered them, when salladin captured christian armies he took their weapons and let them go.

    Now your gonna say this is ? that Muslims wrote after they won the war right? Wrong. These are all accounts written by europeans who lost. Europeans were amazad by salladim. Even Dante when writing the inferno doesnt put salladin in hell even though salladin drove christians out the holy land. He puts salladin in purgatory. Such was the respect that europeans who lost to him had for Salladin. A Kurd.

    Also, who gave us land? Were the indegenous people of that land. And we never left. Its not like Isreal. Where the Isrealis leave and then a thousand years later, "Isrealis" who are mostly russian and german jews and not even the indegenous people come back and take reclaim the land.

    We never left. Were talking about Mesopotamia. Only indegenous people of Mesopotamia left are Kurds and Persians. Turks arrived a 1000 years ago from Asia. Arabs came from the area that is not Saudi Arabia.

    This is easy information to find. Not saying you should look it up cause I understand you have nothing to do with any of this, but dont talk.out your ass and spew ignorance.
  • Alkinduz
    Alkinduz Members Posts: 2,070 ✭✭✭✭✭
    reapin505 wrote: »
    Alkinduz wrote: »
    I respect the Kurds and you deserve your own land....but lets not act like America didnt completly ? over Iraq and is directly responsible for the state its in today. A decade of war started and continoud under false flags.....

    yeah Im sceptic af, acting like theyre only there to help, instead of protecting their own interest, in whatever the ? they still got going on there.

    Its very unlikely that the US would be helping if it didn't have a stake in it, I agree. But ? was bound to blow up without a strong leader or someone keeping the factions under control. I wasn't there though,was too young when the war was going on, so I would like to hear the veterans take on this.

    @black_samson , many vets on this site actually.
  • AZTG
    AZTG Members Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭✭✭
    The US doesnt move if it doesnt have interests. I just feel bad for Obama. The GOP aint let the man breathe and ? up all his domestic plans and Russia, Isreal, and now Isis are ? up all his foreign affair plans.

    His presidency is gonna be looked at as a failure do to racism of not letting a black man succeed at home and islamic militias wildin out abroad.
  • Alkinduz
    Alkinduz Members Posts: 2,070 ✭✭✭✭✭
    AZTG wrote: »
    Alkinduz wrote: »
    AZTG wrote: »
    Yea man it is a shame.

    Its because of england and france. None of the countries in the middle east existed 100 years ago. After world war 1, with the collapse of the Ottaman Empire, they went in there and divided the middle east amongst each other and created the borders and countries we see today.

    They gave the powers to arabs and said ? the minorities. Its probably cause arabs are greedy as ? . It worked out for the west. They been making billions off the resources in the middle east.

    Same story of Africa, Asia, and South America. Basically white westeners go in cause problems, divide, cause wars, and while those people fight, die, get poorer by each generation, the white westeners ? them for their resources.

    The turks, persians,arabs etc, no one is feeling the kurds out there....and the kurds havent exactly been saints through history now have they?

    to easy to blame ? on the euros...or the arabs. You guys have been ? from all angles, the Americans gave y'all some land in Iraq now...

    Kinda ironic isnt it? You blaming the whiteman, in the end, it were westeners, white muricans that gave you that land in northern iraq....

    natives of that land have been loooooong gone.

    The ? you talking bout b? Seriously. Im dead ass everything you wrote was wrong as hell. Read a book b

    Kurds havent been saints? There is not 1 time in history that Kurds went out and harmed someone else. Not 1. Kurds aint have a country out there for over 1,500 years. How could they persecute people when they never had power? Problem with kurds is that they're too nice. I hate that ? too. Always looking to help then they get stabbed in the back.

    Lets go back in history. During the crusades, a thousand years ago, salladin, a kurdish leader, kicked the christians out the middle east saving both the muslims and the jews from christians. Salladin didnt and wouldnt allow anyone to ? christians off the battle field. When christians took over a muslim town, they pillaged, ? , and killed. When salladin took over christian towns he let them live.in peace. When christians captured muslim armies, they slaughtered them, when salladin captured christian armies he took their weapons and let them go.

    Now your gonna say this is ? that Muslims wrote after they won the war right? Wrong. These are all accounts written by europeans who lost. Europeans were amazad by salladim. Even Dante when writing the inferno doesnt put salladin in hell even though salladin drove christians out the holy land. He puts salladin in purgatory. Such was the respect that europeans who lost to him had for Salladin. A Kurd.

    Also, who gave us land? Were the indegenous people of that land. And we never left. Its not like Isreal. Where the Isrealis leave and then a thousand years later, "Isrealis" who are mostly russian and german jews and not even the indegenous people come back and take reclaim the land.

    We never left. Were talking about Mesopotamia. Only indegenous people of Mesopotamia left are Kurds and Persians. Turks arrived a 1000 years ago from Asia. Arabs came from the area that is not Saudi Arabia.

    This is easy information to find. Not saying you should look it up cause I understand you have nothing to do with any of this, but dont talk.out your ass and spew ignorance.

    1500 years since you had a country? Seriously? Youre referring to the imperialistic Median empire?

    funny you mention Sallahedin outta all people, one of the greatest generals of all time, who lead arabian armies and served the kaliphat. You realize that the dynasty he served(and dynasties/empires before them), jews, muslims and christians lived (mostly) in peace? Most towns were divided in several quarters?(jewish,malmeluk, islamic etc)....

    ? , in andalusia and the maghrib, jews, christians ans muslims prayed at the same temple. Salahedins mercy, towards non muslims was normal, no exception of the rule.

    So in the last 2000 years, youre telling me that the kurdz, never waged war, or did anything except defend themselves? No kurds blew up some turkish kids the last few decades? I know the Turks have done worse to yall...but still.

    Mesopotamia gave birth to a thousand cultures man, kurds mixed and blended over time, just like many others did....scattered aswell....I dont believe in all that "native" talk like that, when thousands of years, changes in religion and langueges and appearances etc have passed...its been 1500 years since the "Medians" man....the last time "you" had a country....which was an Imperial empire...so..

    and yes, now, its looking like the westerners(in youre post you said, kurds want weapons from the us to fight) and the US invasions of Iraq, aka the whiteman, are giving you the best shot at gaining a sovereign state.
  • AZTG
    AZTG Members Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Your right about that. The west is the best chance we have at the moment. Like i said though, its their fault were in this situation. They ? ? up for almost a 100 years, and now cause of them we might have a country.

    ? is ? up. Gonna be a puppet govt for sure. Better then living under oppression but still ? up.
  • AZTG
    AZTG Members Posts: 7,598 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Btw, i appreciate yall for caring man. ? all that country talk. Those 40,000 people stuck on them mountains are a day or two away from dying. US airlifted food and water to them. Hope it reaches them.
  • A.J. Trillzynski
    A.J. Trillzynski Members Posts: 2,270 ✭✭✭✭✭
    finally we're going to go ? some of these barbaric ? . I just wish it was me pulling the trigger in that Warthog or Apache
  • Alkinduz
    Alkinduz Members Posts: 2,070 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yeah your right bro, at the end of the day, its always the innocent paying the ultimate price, I hope theyll make it.

    and ? isis/is