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Eliminating ISIS:‭ ‬Where President Obama Failed and‭ ‬How America Can Still Save Western Civilization

November 17, 2015 - 12:00pm

The blood of the‭ ‬129‭ ‬victims in the Paris attack is on‭ ‬President Barack Obama’s hands and is a direct result of his failed policies in Iraq.

The rise of ISIS and its ability to take and hold territory,‭ ‬which is a basic premise of their claim to a caliphate,‭ ‬was a direct result of the precipitous pull out of all U.S.‭ ‬forces from Iraq in‭ ‬2011‭ ‬as ordered by President Obama.‭  ‬Very little analysis was done at that time on the president's justification for the pull out.‭  ‬Most in the‭ ‬mainstream media accepted the rationale offered by the administration that they could not get a Status of Forces Agreement‭ (‬SOFA‭)‬ to protect U.S.‭ ‬forces from Iraqi criminal jurisdiction.‭ ‬In fact,‭ ‬a SOFA was in the final stages and could have been finalized‭ ‬if the President had been more patient.

A SOFA and a‭ ‬U.S. stabilization‭ ‬force presence would have facilitated increased CIA and DIA intelligence reporting and offered advance warning about the growth and intentions of ISIS.‭  ‬However,‭ ‬President Obama took the unprecedented move of insisting that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki get parliamentary approval of a SOFA agreement which would have been an impossible political battle that Malaki would have lost.‭  ‬Malaki refused and Obama used that as his justification to pull all forces out,‭ ‬thereby living up to his campaign promise to end the war.

That pull out included a massive downsizing of the single largest consolidation of CIA and DIA intelligence collection resources anywhere in the world since Vietnam.‭  ‬When ISIS took Mosul they seized and held territory‭ ‬then‭ ‬claimed the first Caliphate in‭ ‬100s of years.‭  ‬President‭ ‬Obama blamed the Director of National Intelligence for missing ISIS growth and capabilities instead of taking responsibility for his administration’s failed policy.‭  ‬It was this failed policy that allowed ISIS to metastasize from the remnants of the Baath Party and what was left of Al Qaida in Iraq after Musab Al Zarqawi was killed.‭ 

CIA Director‭ ‬John‭ ‬Brennan says more attacks are likely and that the attack on Paris is not an isolated act.‭  ‬In fact,‭ ‬those who paid attention on Friday the‭ ‬13th,‭ ‬may have noticed that there was‭ ‬also‭ ‬an attack in Beirut that ISIS has claimed responsibility for,‭ ‬piling on to the two weeks of terror that began with the Russian airliner brought down in the Sinai peninsula.‭  

ISIS is not the jayvee team,‭ ‬as claimed by President Obama.‭ ‬They are not contained as claimed by President Obama.‭ ‬And,‭ ‬at the peril of the entire Western Civilization,‭ ‬it appears that this president seems determined to stay the course on his failed policies when it comes to combating Islamic terrorism around the world,‭ ‬and frighteningly,‭ ‬here at home.‭ 

When ISIS terrorists say that‭ “‬Washington is next‭,” ‬as they have claimed in a new video,‭ ‬we should believe them.‭ ‬We should take them seriously and respond accordingly.

President Obama should halt all relocation of Syrian refugees into the U.S.‭ ‬immediately and‭ ‬re-evaluate the screening process in light of the Paris attacks.‭  ‬We should offer all available resources to assist with the refugee crisis,‭ ‬but those resources and‭ ‬that‭ ‬assistance should be focused on containing the mass illegal migration before it is too late.‭  ‬The USAID,‭ ‬EU and UNHCR should mobilize to‭ ‬coordinate refugee assistance in‭ ‬the region and set up refugee centers in the diaspora versus letting this continued‭ ‬exodus spread into Europe unchecked.

President‭ ‬Obama must put aside his personal political battles‭ ‬and surround himself with the best non-partisan minds on national security.‭ ‬The U.S.‭ ‬has meaningful pillars of national power and they should be brought‭ ‬together‭ ‬against this enemy.‭  ‬First and foremost,‭ ‬we have to call it what it is: Islamic terrorism.‭  ‬We must use all resources of power including military,‭ ‬economic,‭ ‬cyber,‭ ‬diplomatic,‭ ‬and cultural to launch an all-out assault to defeat this enemy.‭  ‬A strategy of containment and long term degradation of an enemy this nimble,‭ ‬innovative,‭ ‬patient and resourceful is not going to achieve success.

We need to take immediate action to eliminate ISIS as if it were an existential threat to Western Society,‭ ‬because it is.

The following actions should be taken to eliminate ISIS:

  • Convene and immediately initiate a full NATO response under Article‭ ‬5‭ ‬in support of France’s declaration of war against ISIS
  • Convene and lead a United Nations Security Council resolution to use all force necessary to destroy ISIS‭ (‬Russian or‭ ‬China veto would nullify the need to go any further with the UN‭)
  • Allow Russia the opportunity to join the coalition effort to destroy ISIS with the caveat that after ISIS is destroyed,‭ ‬a peace plan will be worked out that allows Bashir Al Asad to step down
  • If Russia refuses,‭ ‬then institute and enforce a multi-national no fly zone over‭ ‬specified areas‭ ‬of operation in‭ ‬Syria and Iraq north of Mosul with notification to Russia
  • Lead a coalition of‭ ‬Turkey and‭ ‬unified Sunni Arab nations‭ ‬including‭ ‬Jordan,‭ ‬Egypt,‭ ‬UAE,‭ ‬and‭ ‬Saudi Arabia to amass a standing army of‭ ‬200,000‭ ‬conventional‭ ‬troops to destroy ISIS and occupy ISIS controlled territory in Syria and Iraq‭ 
  • Provide Command and Control,‭ ‬INTEL,‭ ‬Close Air Support,‭ ‬Medevac,‭ ‬and Logistics for the coalition’s efforts
  • Leverage and lead the Iraqi central government to reconcile with Iraqi Sunni tribes in the West‭ 
  • Provide financial incentives to Iraqi Sunni tribes‭ ‬in Al Anbar‭ ‬to join the coalition
  • Fully arm the Kurds and Jordanians
  • Deploy‭ ‬5th Special Forces Group to Irbil to fully support the Kurdish‭ ‬and coalition‭ ‬efforts
  • Deploy U.S.‭ ‬Airforce fighters and close air support squadrons to Incirlik, Turkey and Amman, Jordan with elements of‭ ‬720th Special Tactics Group regionally based for additional support
  • Deploy a Marine Expeditionary Force‭ (‬MEF‭) ‬to Iraq for added force protection
  • Deploy a naval carrier group to the Persian Gulf and off the coast of Lebanon in the Mediterranean Sea
  • Forward deploy Special Mission Units from Joint Special Operations Command to target ISIS leadership
  • Implement a full Cyber assault on any and all  ISIS related servers and all ISPs that allow ISIS related traffic
  • Freeze financial assets of any and all banking institutions that allow banking SWIFT transaction linked to ISIS
  • Retake Ramadi,‭ ‬Mosul and all oil producing areas under ISIS control and block all ground lines of communication between ISIS strongholds
  • Announce a time certain in which Raqqa will be destroyed,‭ ‬allow civilian population time to leave,‭ ‬then destroy the entire city

Businessman and combat veteran Todd Wilcox is running for Republican nomination in the 2016 U.S. Senate race.

Comments

Wilcox is correct. Please understand this is a laundry list of "wishes". I totally agree with his cyber campaign. Cut off their communication and wipe out their finances.

The plan sounds like it includes everything you would want in a mission to wipe out ISIS. I can't understand many of the comments that sound more like hot air than a logical argument. Well maybe I should not be surprised. Many of those commenting voted for the guy who got us in this mess. After securing an area, we give it back to the enemy on a timetable and a platter. What kind of leadership would do that? How is that gun control working in the middle east? Looks like the guys with the guns are controlling the area. Merry Christmas to everyone (even the socialists).

You have to destroy them in Libya, Yemen and the Sinai Peninsula as well. An operation in Iraq and Syria is no longer enough. Reserve the Marines to land in the shores of Tripoli again and also to help the Saudis in South Yemen. Then crush ISIS with the coalition. We request at least 20 thousand soldiers from more than ten countries (US, France, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iran, Jordan, Turkey, Qatar, Kuwait, Australia) like we did during the first Gulf War but then we must occupy these territories with an occupation army made up of bureaucrats and military police with a few thousand special forces in reserve not to repeat the errors of the Iraq occupation. Withdraw the Leviathan Force and engage the Department of Everything Else. We must also make sure the Sunnis do not feel oppressed by the Shiite government in Baghdad, maybe these two ex-countries (Iraq and Syria) need to be partition into distinct areas to coincide with the ethnic composition.

if you don't think Bush junior's war in Iraq birthed ISIS by taking out Saddam then you do not understand geopolitics in this modern age whatsoever. I am a Florida voter with a brain so you obviously will not get my vote.

I question your knowledge of the real situation. Hopefully there will be more of us than more of those that think like you do. Isn't it time to stop laying blame on President Bush and look at who has been leading our foreign policy for the last 7 years?

Obama is funding them

With all due respect Jon and I do not want to appear adversarial...you state you understand geopolitics (whether or not that is a clear and complete understanding is not established in your post...as it is merely a professed and lacks any creditable support)...you offer no alternative then continue to proport that you have a "Florida brain"...and you indicate how you will "cast" a vote...my assessment of you post is nothing more than a "drive by shooting"...it truly accomplished nothing other you own shallow personal ego and pride showing...I humbly admit that I have no answers however I attempt to help the problem not be part of it...have a great day my friend

I totally buy in your to ideas with your knowledge of the Middle East I think you would be a great representative of Florida you sir have my support

I can only assume that those same ideas will result in the same successes that they did in the past.

The "Truman Solution"...one city after another, until they sue for peace ( or be prepared for another 5+ centuries of 'jihad vs. Crusade' )... (Japan, that other fundamentalist agressor has been our staunch ally ever since...)

Yes, yes . . . . there's always one racist in the crowd who believes the only solution to their fear is to use nuclear weapons to take out 100,000s of people, including innocent women, children and captive girls . . . . . . . . . . despicable and beyond being . . . . . . PATHETIC . . . .

So he wanted the US to stay in Iraq but our soldiers would be subject to Iraq's courts? Of course he didn't bother to mention that detail. And the pull out was based on Bush deal with Iraq timeline. Obama wanted to stay but couldn't under that, No?-------------------------------------------------- Turkey, Sunni's like Saudi's are the ones supporting ISIS though Turkey is having second thoughts now though still buying it's oil that supports it.--------------------------------------------------------------------- Fact is it is the Saudi's Wahabi religion that backs Jihad and the main source of terrorism. It should be declared a Terrorist organization as that is what it is.------------------------------------------------------- Obama is training locals to do it themselves as it is THE only way. Didn't Iraq teach you chicken hawks anything? --------------------------------------------------------- Wasn't invading Iraq in the first place the cause of ISIS?------------------------------------------------ Isn't your beloved corporate welfare for international oil companies, oil dictators the long term cause of it? Papa Bush started it all replacing the Iran president with the Shah back in 56? so oil companies could get cheap oil!! And installed other oil dictators like Saddam, etc and kept them in power?------------------------------------------------- I know it's all Obama's fault! But every time you fill up your tank and vote for most repubs you support the terrorists, ISIS. Way to go fools.

Nice comment. For the record, It was the Eisenhower (and the Dulles brothers) who engineered the overthrow of Mosaddegh in 1953. Papa Bush was still pumping oil at the time. He's got other sins to answer for.

Sorry. Didn't sign my reply.

In response to Frank's comments, what is truly PATHETIC is bashing one specific bullet point out of a list of 18 specific recommendations brought forth by this candidate. If you want to vote for the status-quo, that's your democratic freedom. However, you might as well put out the welcome mat to the continued growth of threats to our homeland. Do we need another 9-11 for the threat of ISIS to be considered more than a problem in the Middle East or Europe?

Yes, yes, you must be right . . . . the proposed total destruction of a city of over 200,000 to take out 30,000 to 40,000 ISIS fighters (who likely wouldn't be there) is clearly the right war crime to commit, correct . . . . . . . . . . I assume if he had said "Nuke 'em back to the Stone Age", you'd still be upholding your inhuman just "one specific bullet point" comment, correct (and of course, some like C Breeze above think that's actually the absolutely right thing to do, innocent women and children included) . . . . . . . . PATHETIC . . . .

PBS Frontline had an excellent documentary entitled "Losing Iraq" back in July 2014. Anyone truly interested in learning about the connection between the U.S. foreign policy in Iraq and the creation of ISIS should watch it. It helps better understand what Wilcox is talking about.

At last!!!!!!! Politicians as well as under-educated members of the public find it easy to throw eggs at other candidates without offering their own ideas. Here we have a candidate who has provided a long list of concrete and sensible recommendations. I wish we had more individuals of this caliber in the Florida Senate race.

Only need one in the Senate race, Leslie B. And Todd Wilcox is that man! Do you know he's not a lifer politician? His past is as an Army Ranger and CIA ( maybe FBI). He's got my vote. And this is coming from a Fleet Marine who was with the I MEF into FALLUJAH, Iraq when we were first stabilizing Al Anbar Province.

Thanks for your insights!

Advocating a third Iraq War is a use of the term "sensible recommendations" that I'm not familiar with.

Ok, so let's just look at the last of those recommendations --> "Announce a time certain in which Raqqa will be destroyed,‭ ‬allow civilian population time to leave,‭ ‬then destroy the entire city" . . . . . I mean it's not like there are captive residents there who have been threatened with being killed if they try and flee, nor young Yazidi girls being kept as sex slaves and have no ability to flee, now is it . . . . . . . . . and exactly how are you going to provide them with the announcement to flee . . . . . by loud speaker in the streets since many of them will not read, nor even speak Arabic . . . . . . . . yeah, killed if they stay, killed if they flee under this Senate candidate's brilliant "solution" . . . . . . PATHETIC . . . .

Charlie, not sure what medium you use to get your sense of truth! From my perspective, Todd Wilcox's recommendations are based upon a wealth of real world experience - he is a combat veteran and a former Arabic speaking CIA case officer who served in the Middle East and is recognized as an expert on National Security and Foreign Policy.

Does your perspective also take into account the fact that it was the gross ineptitude of so-called "experts on National Security and Foreign Policy" that played a major role in creating the mess we now find ourselves in.

It would be nice if you made more truthful statements regarding this subject. As it is, it is not

...an area in which I have any real knowledge, but I am still going to criticize your editorial.

Comments are now closed.

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