Members of al Qaeda’s branch in Syria have a surprising advocate in the corridors of American power: Retired Army general and former CIA Director David Petraeus.
The former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan has been quietly urging U.S. officials to consider using so-called moderate members of al Qaeda’s Nusra Front to fight ISIS in Syria, four sources familiar with the conversations, including one person who spoke to Petraeus directly, told The Daily Beast.
– From the Daily Beast article: Petraeus: Use Al Qaeda Fighters to Beat ISIS
No, unfortunately, this is not a headline from The Onion.
In a world in which U.S. foreign policy looks more like a tragic comedy than a projection of strength and democracy, things continue to get more and more surreal. I suppose this is what happens when an inept status quo fails to step aside (or be imprisoned), despite decades of gross mismanagement and monumental failure.
We see the negative outcomes all around us. Whether it’s the destruction of the American middle class and a solidification of an untouchable oligarchy following the forced taxpayer bailout of the financial status quo, or the humanitarian disasters and chaos across the Middle East that resulted from a zero accountability policy for military-industrial-intelligence complex “leaders.” When those in positions of power face zero repercussions for their failed actions, this is exactly what you get.
As such, the nation continues to be led right off a cliff by greedy, incompetent, unethical “elites” who still can’t recognize what an enormous mess they’ve created. With each new crisis (created by them in the first place), these clowns bail themselves out and maneuver to firmly maintain the reins of powers. This is the primary reason the middle class has died, and why America has become a glorified Banana Republic.
Which brings us to David Petraeus. One of the best representations of the dangers of “elite” privilege. Not only was he given a pass for passing along classified government information to his mistress, but he then went ahead and took a cushy, and no doubt lucrative, job with private equity giant KKR. Apparently, that’s not enough for the good general. He is now suggesting the U.S. government align with al-Qaeda in Syria in order to fight ISIS.
Yes, you read that right. American citizens are now supposed to ally with the very group our nation was conned into relinquishing our civil liberties to battle.
Why are we molested at the airport before getting on a plane? al-Qaeda.
Why have we given up our digital privacy to a surveillance state panopticon? Because al-Qaeda.
Why do governments now want to ban cash? Because al-Qaeda.
Why is free speech under attack around the world? Because al-Qaeda.
Well now former head of the CIA, and four-star general, David Petraeus, wants to form an alliance with al-Qaeda.
From the Daily Beast:
Members of al Qaeda’s branch in Syria have a surprising advocate in the corridors of American power: Retired Army general and former CIA Director David Petraeus.
The former commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan has been quietly urging U.S. officials to consider using so-called moderate members of al Qaeda’s Nusra Front to fight ISIS in Syria, four sources familiar with the conversations, including one person who spoke to Petraeus directly, told The Daily Beast.
The heart of the idea stems from Petraeus’ experience in Iraq in 2007, when as part of a broader strategy to defeat an Islamist insurgency the U.S. persuaded Sunni militias to stop fighting with al Qaeda and to work with the American military.
The tactic worked, at least temporarily. But al Qaeda in Iraq was later reborn as ISIS, and has become the sworn enemy of its parent organization. Now, Petraeus is returning to his old play, advocating a strategy of co-opting rank-and-file members of al Nusra, particularly those who don’t necessarily share all of core al Qaeda’s Islamist philosophy.
The “tactic worked.” Have you looked at Iraq recently? Meanwhile, we now know the U.S. government essentially created ISIS in the first place, just as it did al-Qaeda decades before. See:
Additional Details Emerge on How U.S. Government Policy Created, Armed, Supported and Funded ISIS
However, Petraeus’ play, if executed, could be enormously controversial. The American war on terror began with an al Qaeda attack on 9/11, of course. The idea that the U.S. would, 14 years later, work with elements of al Qaeda’s Syrian branch was an irony too tough to stomach for most U.S. officials interviewed by The Daily Beast. They found Petraeus’ notion politically toxic, near-impossible to execute, and strategically risky.
Yet Petraeus and his plan cannot be written off. He still wields considerable influence with current officials, U.S. lawmakers, and foreign leaders. The fact that he feels comfortable recruiting defectors from an organization that has declared war on the United States underscores the tenuous nature of the Obama administration’s strategy to fight ISIS, which numerous observers have said is floundering in search of a viable ground force.
Well yeah, it’s kind of tough to develop a sane foreign policy to battle a group your moronic foreign policy created in the first place.
How precisely the U.S. would separate moderate fighters from core members and leaders of al Nusra is unclear, and Petraeus has yet to fully detail any recommendations he might have.
Petraeus’s strategy depends on a number of key assumptions, chiefly that U.S. intelligence and military officials would be able to distinguish who among al Nusra’s ranks is truly moderate and doesn’t share the terrorist group’s goal of replacing Assad with an Islamist government.
This has to be a joke right? Every single foreign entanglement the U.S. has involved itself in recently has turned into an epic debacle. Remember Libya, which was initially touted as a success?
The Forgotten War – Understanding the Incredible Debacle Left Behind by NATO in Libya
U.S. efforts to train local forces in Syria have faltered, as well. The first batch of 54 fighters trained by American military forces dissolved earlier this month. Some fighters fled to back to their homes in Syria. Others were captured by al Nusra. While the U.S. military has said it’s still training fighters, privately officials concede the group has fallen far short of expectations. At one point, the U.S. planned to train 15,000 fighters in three years.
Once again, I want to pose the question. Is the U.S. government really this incompetent, or is it creating chaos intentionally?
Ultimately it doesn’t matter. As I explained previously:
There are only two logical conclusions that can be reached about American foreign policy leadership in the 21st century.
1) American leadership is ruthlessly pursuing immoral wars all over the world with the intent of creating outside enemies to focus public anger on, as a conscious diversion away from the criminality happening domestically. As an added bonus, the intelligence-military-industrial complex makes an incredible sum of money. The end result: serfs are distracted with inane nationalistic fervor, while the “elites” earn billions.
2) American leadership is completely and totally inept; being easily manipulated into overseas conflicts by ruthless corporate interests and cunning foreign “rebels” in order to advance their own selfish interests, which are in conflict with the interests of the general public.
I can’t come up with any other logical conclusion. Either way, such people have no business running the affairs of these United States, and their actions are merely increasing instability and violence across the planet. The longer they remain in charge with no accountability, the more dangerous this world will become.
Yes the U.S. has become The Onion.
For more on Petraeus’ elite privilege, see:
Of course, Petraeus was at the recent Bilderberg meeting despite the classified information leaks:
Bilderberg 2015 – Where Criminals Mingle with Politicians
For related foreign policy articles, see:
Additional Details Emerge on How U.S. Government Policy Created, Armed, Supported and Funded ISIS
America’s Disastrous Foreign Policy – My Thoughts on Iraq
Afghan President Hamid Karzai Slams U.S. Foreign Policy in Farewell Speech
More Foreign Policy Incompetence – U.S. Humanitarian Aid is Going Directly to ISIS
Accusations Emerge That the U.S. Is Aiding ISIS – The Latest “Conspiracy Theory” Circulating in Iraq
The Forgotten War – Understanding the Incredible Debacle Left Behind by NATO in Libya
In Liberty,
Michael Krieger
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Petraeus is too brain dead to learn and too insane to stop repeating the same mistakes, expecting different results. He’s also a subversive with global allegiance and a traitor.
Psychopathic FREAKS like that should not get a platform, but a permanent rubber room.
Jim Willie predicted some time ago that eventually American soldiers will be unknowingly fighting American soldiers on a battlefield. Sounds completely plausible if not imminent given the absurdity and levels of psychopathy involved.
rial Balloon time!
Yes those of us who have studied these things know al-Qaeda is an Israel creation, supported by the USSA.
Now here is the rub.
Soon the world (and the dual-loyalty traitors) will no longer be able to deny that ameriKa/Israel is a terrorist state, the evidence leaks are becoming a flood.
So what to do? Well, suddenly declare that there is a ‘Bigger Badder” (amerika/Israel created) boogy man to fear so the ‘lesser-of-two-evil (ameriKa/Israel created) boogy man is now our friend so creating and funding them is ‘old news!
Trot out General BetrayUS to float the trial balloon (remind him he should be in prison if he is reluctant to do it).
But just wait, it will get better! How will ameriKa/Israel stop Russia from hitting ISIS? REALLY hitting ISIS, instead of the ameriKa/Israel strategy of destroying Syrian infrastructure on the excuse of ISIS?
This will be interesting to watch!