Obama to send $500 million to the Islamic caliphate

Isis & Al Nusra Merge & Announce Islamic Caliphate - Obama to Send them $500 Million

Apparently the Obama administration wanted to send Al Qaeda a house warming gift. Sound like an exaggeration? It's not.

SCG News,

30 June, 2014

ISIS and Al Nusra have decided to join forces, and have announced the formation of an Islamic Caliphate covering much of Iraq and Syria. As if to congratulate them (or as a housewarming gift), the Obama administration is planning to send them an additional $500 million dollars.

Sound like an exaggeration? It's not.

ISIS began as a branch of Al Qaeda. In February of 2014 the official leadership of Al Qaeda disavowed the group in an attempt to distance themselves from the bad press ISIS attracts for itself (ISIS does after all have a predilection for mass executions), however by merging with Al Nusra ISIS has effectively nullified this. Al Nusra pledged their allegiance to Al Qaeda in April of 2013 (Al Nusra is often referred to as Al Qaeda's official branch in Syria), which means that ISIS and Al Qaeda have effectively reunited (to reverse this Al Qaeda would have to cut all ties with Al Nusra).

Now the Obama administration is seeking an additional $500 million dollars for what they are referring to as the "moderate" Syrian rebels. Trouble is, the so called "moderate" rebels regularly conduct joint operations with Al-Nusra, and refuse to classify Al Qaeda as an enemy. By the way, isn't it technically a crime to provide material support to a terrorists organization?

It's a little tricky to keep up on who is on whose side, but for now ISIS, Al Qaeda, and the Syrian Revolutionary Front (aka FSA) are working together, and that means that any weapons or money that the U.S. government sends to the Syrian rebels are going to end up helping ISIS.

There has been been a lot of talk about "vetting" the rebels to insure that U.S. support doesn't end up in the wrong hands, but this is just public relations. The idea that Washington can control the flow of weapons and money after it enters a war zone dominated by Islamic extremists is almost as ludicrous as the claim that this support will stabilize the region. As pathetic as the official line may be, what else could we expect? It's not like they can tell the truth.

'US fighting alongside ISIS': Direct American role in strengthening jihadists?

ISIS proclaimed Islamic order on territories they captured both in Iraq and Syria. The area they now hold contains economically vital oil sites. Where does ISIS get the funding it needs to snatch power in the region? Even Washington has played its role in the rise of ISIS - as RT's Marina Portnaya explains.

'No place to hide': Iraq's Christians face ISIS slaughter as country disintegrates

The ISIS attack on Iraq has opened up the already wide divisions in its society. There is religious strife between Sunnis and Shias, along with the separatist sentiments among Kurds in the north. And then there are other minorities like Christians and Turkmen, who are in a dire position as Lucy Kafanov reports.

White House announces an additional 200 troops to Iraq

AFP Photo / Ahmad AL-Rubaye

Less than a week after announcing the deployment of additional US personnel to Iraq, the White House has said that up to 200 more troops are being sent to the country to bolster security at key facilities amid an organized push by ISIS militants.

In a letter to Congress on Monday, President Obama wrote that additional troop deployments are “a prudent measure to protect US citizens and property.”

“This force is deploying for the purpose of protecting U.S. citizens and property, if necessary, and is equipped for combat,” wrote the President.

The letter, the third in two weeks, outlined that the additional force would include a detachment of helicopters as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. The troops are meant to reinforce security at US diplomatic facilities, as well as Baghdad International Airport.

Taking into account Monday’s announcement by the administration, recent US reinforcements into Iraq now stand at 775. On June 16, the president authorized a 275 troop deployment to strengthen embassy security in Baghdad.

The White House also authorized 300 troops to travel to Iraq in an advisory role, to train and assist Iraqi forces against ISIS following an embarrassing withdrawal from Mosul earlier in June. The withdrawal brought into sharp focus the level of combat readiness of Iraq’s armed forces.

On Monday, ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or simply Islamic State) announced the creation of a caliphate, or an Islamic state governed by Sharia law, throughout its controlled territory within Iraq and Syria. The group proclaimed its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, as the caliph and demanded Muslims around the world pledge their allegiance.

As ISIS has expanded its reach within Iraq, questions regarding Baghdad’s security have been raised. Though State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said the US embassy in the city “remains open and will continue to engage daily with Iraqis and their elected leaders,” officials cited by the Washington Post believed the additional troop deployments were aimed at not only protecting the embassy, but also ensuring escape routes in the event of an evacuation.

On Monday, ISIS forces continued fighting in Tikrit, a city which lies 100 miles northwest of Baghdad. Additional clashes were reported 35 miles south of Tikrit, in Samarra.

The additional personnel announced by the White House on Monday began arriving one day earlier, on Sunday, according to Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby.

“The presence of these additional forces will help enable the Embassy to continue its critical diplomatic mission and work with Iraq on challenges they are facing as they confront ISIL (ISIS),” said Kirby.

Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki lashed out at the US for alleged delays in the delivery of purchased F-16 fighter jets and Apache helicopters. In the meantime, Iraq has begun receiving a number of Russian fighter jets to mount a campaign against ISIS movements in the region.

Highlighting the complexity of different interests in the region, both Iran and Syria have also become active in combating ISIS within Iraqi territory. Iran has reportedly sent military equipment and is currently flying surveillance drones over Baghdad, while there have been reports of air raids conducted within Iraq by Syria’s air force.

Though ISIS has seen its territories in Iraq’s north expand, the current belief is that Baghdad itself is not in danger of being overrun. Still, US efforts to bolster the city’s security reveal that the Pentagon is taking the threat seriously.

ISIS, now the Islamic State, has risen to become a formidable alliance comprised of Sunni radicals in Iraq, alongside former members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath Party.

“You could see it coming as the Baathists joined with them at the upper levels,” a British officer with knowledge of the Saddam regime told McClatchy DC news.

“These are the men who ran Saddam’s Iraq, and whatever you think of those old bastards, there was one thing they were very good at: controlling Iraq like nobody else ever did,” the former officer said.

The Islamic group has also preyed on dissatisfaction among Iraq’s Sunni minority, who feel they have been pushed aside by Maliki’s government. Recent fighting has worried many who fear a return to the country’s worst period of sectarian bloodshed in 2006 and 2007.