Iraqi unrest, Syrian unrest, and ISIS/ISIL/Daesh

[Astronuc]

I'm curious why the leaked John Kerry comments about letting ISIS grow as a strategy to oust Assad isn't a bigger deal. What am I missing?

Certainly some sites are making it a big deal.

The Daily Wire reports on the statement, with a link to the audio.
http://www.dailywire.com/news/12211/listen-kerry-admits-obama-watched-isis-get-frank-camp

What is not reported is the period of time in reference, although it appears the period is before the Russians became directly engaged through aircraft bombardment. From the Daily Wire report:

It cannot be extrapolated from Kerry saying: "and we know that this was growing--we were watching. We saw that Daesh was growing in strength, and we thought Assad was threatened," that the Obama administration was purposefully allowing ISIS to grow. Kerry said that the administration saw that ISIS was growing, was watching that growth, and hoped that such growth would lead to negotiations with Assad.

The US was supporting the Free Syrian Army and allies, but there was a problem identifying who among the allies were not sympathetic or allied with folks like al-Nusra Front or al-Qaeda.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24403003

Is it possible that the growth and influence of Daesh was under-estimated, or that the link between Daesh in Syria and Iraq was not well understood? Possibly.

 

[nsaspook]

I'm curious why the leaked John Kerry comments about letting ISIS grow as a strategy to oust Assad isn't a bigger deal. What am I missing?

It's actually an old story that the NY Times featured months ago. I would say it this way: They saw ISIS grow in Syria in hopes on threatening Assad and pushing him to negotiate, but he brought in Russia instead.

Syria has been a one-party state about the last 40+ years, father then son of the absolute dictator party. John Kerry met with people lobbying for regime change, he was talking trash about getting rid of Assad but it was too late after Russia was all into help Assad.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I'm curious why the leaked John Kerry comments about letting ISIS grow as a strategy to oust Assad isn't a bigger deal. What am I missing?

It doesn't fit The Narrative. The Narrative is that it is a good vs. evil battle, and the US (or at least the present Administration) is on the side of goodness and light. The truth is that it's a battle between about six different kinds of evil. Exactly what the US aims are is difficult to discern, in part because there was no Congressional authorization. Debate on that would have clarified what the goals were.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

It's actually an old story that the NY Times featured months ago. I would say it this way: They saw ISIS grow in Syria in hopes on threatening Assad and pushing him to negotiate, but he brought in Russia instead.

All I can find is this story which I remember reading, but it does not include the part where Kerry tells they let ISIS grow
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/09/30/world/middleeast/john-kerry-syria-audio.html

That part is only being reported by what appears to be "alt right" publications. Not one mainstream source I can find is reporting on it. Made me suspicious, but I've listened to the audio and it is there.

 

[mheslep]

I'm curious why the leaked John Kerry comments about letting ISIS grow as a strategy to oust Assad isn't a bigger deal. What am I missing?

That Kerry's statement does not mean the US could have positively changed the outcome via different action.

From the Daily Wire, Frank Camp, link Astronuc referenced:

...
Nowhere does Kerry say that the United States had the ability to stop the development of the Islamic State in Syria as it was at the time. Nowhere does he say that the United States helped or allowed them to grow--only that such growth was observed.

This isn't to say that the administration's action (or inaction, as it were) was right. This isn't to say that they couldn't have hindered ISIS or gone about their strategy a different way. We simply don't know

 

[jim hardy]

removed , til i think on it some more.

old jim

 

[nsaspook]