Pentagon Plan to Defeat ISIS?

by Stephen Lendman

America created and supports ISIS. So do NATO, Israel and other regional rogue states.

It's heavy weapons and other material support don't materialize out of thin air. They come from foreign backers, including by US airdrops.

Trump's stated intention to defeat ISIS so far is just political bluster. In 2014, Obama promised the same thing, saying "America will lead a broad coalition to roll back this terrorist threat." 

"Our objective is clear. We will degrade, and ultimately destroy, ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained counter-terrorism strategy."

He lied. Support for ISIS and other terrorist groups continued. Since US terror-bombing began in Iraq and Syria, vital infrastructure was targeted, thousands of civilians massacred.

Obama: "…I want the American people to understand how this effort…will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil."

He then deployed thousands of US special forces to Iraq, at least hundreds to Syria, directly engaged in combat, not there solely as advisors as he claimed.

According to the Pentagon connected Stars and Stripes, Defense Secretary Mattis briefed Trump's national security officials yesterday "on a Pentagon-led plan to 'rapidly defeat' the Islamic State group," citing Defense Department spokesman navy Captain Jeff Davis.

On Monday, the Pentagon submitted a classified preliminary strategy to the White House, its details not revealed.

According to Davis, current operations remain unchanged for now - "emphasiz(ing) that this is the broad framework of a plan. It's a global plan. It is not just military. It is not just Iraq (and) Syria."

Stars and Stripes said it "focus(es) primarily on boosting the military actions against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, but it will also provide plans to target its offshoots in other locations as well as other extremist groups such as al-Qaida."

For years, America waged fantasy war on al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist groups while supporting them. Is Trump's war on terror more of the same?

Strategy may involve greater numbers of US combat troops in Iraq and Syria, as well as more arms and other material support for nonexistent "moderate rebels" in Syria, wanting Assad's government toppled, tyranny replacing it.

CENTCOM commander General Joseph Votel said more US forces may be needed in Syria. Hundreds currently there operate illegally without permission from Damascus, supporting terrorist groups, not combating them.

Mattis' plan may be more of the same. Saying on his visit to Baghdad last week "(w)e're going to continue to go after them (ISIS) until we destroy them" sounds like Obama's earlier deception.

In the aftermath of all US elections, everything changes but stays the same, Trump following the same script.

Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. 

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com. 

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