Iraq War 111 or each Bush Family Member Gets One

++Yesterday at the Reagan Library, Jeb! outlined his approach to fighting ISIS and President Assad in Syria. Given that he is not "his own man",he decided to blame the rise of ISIS and Hillary Clinton on President Obama. He said that Obama left Iraq in haste--not mentioning that both Iraqis and the United States wanted to leave as there was no Force Agreement. Also not to mention his brother's failure to secure a Force Ageement. And, of course,that we shouldn't have invaded in the first place.

++Previously this blog noted the article by Doug Bandow of the libertarian CATO Institute,which noted that for some reason neo-cons believe that if something has failed then do it again and it will succeed.

++Now Jeb!'s reasoning will be seductive to some Americans like the old view we could have "won"the Vietnam War,if not for the politicians. No, we couldn't and what would winning have looked like. JEB! is getting out ahead of the GOP pack by outlining a "muscular" view about how to fight ISIS,which the Republican Congress has only debated for a half an hour.

++JEB! proposes to "embed" our troops inside the Iraq army and escalate the numbers. He would implement a no-fly zone in Syria, without telling how or why, and would sever the connection between Iran and Syria. 

++Now note that the whole neocon agenda is alive and Iran moves back to the "Axis of Evil" since JEB! like all Republicans is against the Iran deal. 

++So OK, put more American troops into Iraq among Iraq forces dominated by Shiite militias who are trained and funded by Iran. JEB! proposes arming the Kurds, which runs counter to American policy of urging a united Iraq. Then there is the matter of cutting off Syria from Iranian assistance, which requires additional American airstrikes. Now why would Iran cooperate with us, which they are in fighting ISIS if we are fighting them in Syria? 

++It's not enough to object to this, it is important to mount a counter movement in the US to stop this incessant war making. JEB! calls for upgrading our military--despite President Obama providing 38% more to the military than his brother. The astonishing over-dependence on military in our strategic thinking should stimulate fear in normal thinking Americans.

++Oh yes,the moderate Syrians. JEB! says that the fact we could only find 50 Syrians to fight for $400 million is a failure of the Obama administration. I agree but the solution is not to double down on the idea and say you are going to find more Syrians with more money.

++JEB! at least owns the Iraq franchise. His latest position is that invading was a mistake based on faulty intelligence. BUT the surge worked and Obama lost the war. Imagine 3 Bushes and 3 Iraq Wars--a perfect definition of devolution.

++But never fear The Donald will re-enter Iraq and surround ISIS and take their oil because that's what fuels their enterprise. At least he would fight a 'classy', "excellent " war.

++JEB! position could carry the day. Hillary Clinton voted for the War so she will have to now defend her position and also defend why ISIS rose. Although ISIS emerged in 2006 from the remnants of Saddam's army which JEB! brother dissolved. 

++But in the media Wurlizer,war drums will be beating so that America can Stand Tall. With the economic dislocations still existing from the Bush Depression,there will be an audience for this.