Sleight of hand is often associated with tricks done by magicians. Sleight of hand is a method of deceiving an audience. Whether done by one man. Or a group of many. Sleight defined: Old Norse- dexterity or deceptiveness Cunning; craft; artful practice. 2. A clever or skillful trick or deception; an artifice (subtle but base deception) or stratagem (A military maneuver designed to deceive or surprise an enemy. 2. A clever, often underhanded scheme for achieving an objective. Sleight of hand depends on the use of psychology, timing & misdirection.Let's now expose the sleight of hand perpetrated by a group of many, dependent on psychology, timing and misdirection. You are already familiar with ISIS as created via the Awakening Councils?If not, read this post-Al Qaeda + "Awakening Councils" = ISISIf you understand that the US/UK, mostly, but not solely, created the 'Awakening Councils' in order to organize former baathists, and al quaeda into a cohesive militaristic structure controlled at the top by the western intelligence apparatus. If you understand that reality. You will then understand what is really going on when you read the next news item.US eyes Sahwa in fight against ISIL
The Obama administration is reaching back to an Iraq War programme as a guide to keep disgruntled Sunnis from joining a rampant new insurgency. US officials hope to persuade Sunni militiamen known as Sahwa, or Awakening Councils, to fight back against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as they did nearly 10 years ago against Al Qaida.
First item I wish to discuss- Obama reaching back? Not so much. This leads a reader to believe that there has been a disconnect between the Obama administration and the Awakening Councils? Nothing could be further from the truth. Perhaps a better descriptor would be Obama called up the troops. Who were always at the ready. If you read the AQ+ Awakening Councils = ISIS, and checked all the links, you would have read this?
"When George W. Bush visited Iraq in September 2007, my host on my tour of Fallujah, Sheik Aifan, was delighted to meet him. Bush, he claimed, was "very smart and a brother." During the summer of 2008, he would meet Barack Obama as well. When asked what he thought of Obama, he told Richard Rowley, "U.S. foreign policy tends not to change with a new president"
Say what?! Sheik Aifan- The Teflon Don- was working all along with the US administration. Therefore there is no reaching back to rekindle or reconnect- This is a straight and continuous line of contact, collusion and cooperation.We already know that ISIS is full of baathists and sunnis and former Al Qaeda. Jamal Kashoggi verifies this fact yet again," Save Syria, Iraq is already lost? An interesting opinion piece"
" ISIS benefitted from its previous mistakes and expanded its alliances. Some are experts and strategists from the old Baath regime"
" the truce with"alQaeda-ISIS"
There can be no doubt that the Awakening Councils + AQ is ISIS
The Awakening Councils sided with US troops and were a pivotal force in defeating Al Qaida during the war. It’s unknown how the US and its Mideast allies will urge Sunni tribes to resist Isil without being funded, armed or assisted by US troops as they once were.
Still are! Still are funded, armed or assisted. We have Obama visiting the Teflon don just 4 years ago. "U.S. foreign policy tends not to change with a new president" Therefore- These fighters were and still are being supported by the US
It likely will require a new government in Baghdad to support the militiamen who have been sidelined by Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki.
But, if there is not going to be a new government the US will support their militia
US teams of special forces going into Iraq after a three-year gap will face an aggressive insurgency, a splintering military and a precarious political situation as they help Iraqi security forces (notice the wording? Security forces as opposed to Iraqi military) improve their ability to battle jihadist militants.
The Army Green Berets, expected to make up much of the US force, have been assessing and training other militaries for decades as a core part of their job. But while much of what they will be doing in Iraq will be familiar, it will be complicated by the stunning collapse of the Iraqi military, left leaderless by internal Sunni-Shiite division.
The Pentagon spokesman, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said Iraq had outlined acceptable legal assurances for the short-term mission in a diplomatic note ensuring that troops will not be subject to Iraq’s judicial process. Instead, if there are any problems, troops would be subject to the US Uniform Code of Military Justice.The legal protections are similar to those provided to US diplomats and troops working out of the embassy, officials said.
Who in Iraq had outlined acceptable legal assurances for the short term mission? It does not seem to have been Maliki. He is not mentioned at all! "Iraq had outlined" Well can a geographic location sign an agreement?
Rogers also noted that a number of US special forces have served in Iraq.“The relationships that we have with the Iraqis, at least those that I had while I was there, were very strong, and I’m sure that we’ll be able to capitalize on this as we go back in,” Rogers said.
Officials also noted that the force being sent in now is much smaller than the several thousand that the military planned to leave there after 2011.
The smaller US contingent is simply their to shore up the left behind army, that previously had 80,000 soldiers. More or less now? I don't know. What is clear is the US never lost contact with their left behind soldiers.What will come next is anyone's guess. However, I read today that Maliki was not caving to US pressureIraq PM Nouri al-Maliki rejects 'national salvation' government - Salvation government- nice NATO media spin Therefore, it would seem sensible, the US will rally ISIS to make life a hell for Maliki and the Iraqi civilian population. Possibly going into Syria