Compared to previous wars in the media age, there has been virtually no front line reporting by journalists. What the public sees is basically "stock footage." There is virtually NO discussion of long term strategy or means to implement the strategy. There have been a lot of retired Generals on camera, but none of this is official and almost all of it is vague. Frankly, politicians, the military and nearly all the American Public seem delighted with this state of affairs.

What does the end game look like? (End game is an arbitrary construct, but useful for planning purposes). A unified Iraq of the Saddam Hussein Era with Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish regions under the control of a centralized government in Baghdad? Something more federalized, or new boundaries and new nations? How does Syria fit in to the picture? Russia, Iran? There are a lot of spheres of interest bumping together, and not happily.

It is good to see ISIS getting a thumping, but ISIS is really just old wine in a new bottle. They didn't take Fallujah, they already there. ISIS is militant Sunni mixed with the trappings of Wahhabism. It's centuries old tribal conflict. Like Northern Ireland. The tribes and the tribalism won't go away, they just go to ground and wait for outsiders to leave or get complacent.

The British Empire was dealing with this problem prior to the First World War, during the First World War, and after First World War well into the '50s when their Empire basically ceased be.

“Let’s get separate address or device but I don’t want any risk of the personal being accessible.”

Clinton lied..

She used it because, AS I SAID AT THE BEGINNING, she didn't want her emails accessible...

Clinton lied...

There is NO other conclusion possible..

And the media is ALL over this story...

Clinton lied...

Michale

More problems for Hillary...

Every time something bad happens it's going to be Hillary who bears the brunt of the blame, not Trump..

Why?? Because Hillary is The Establishment Candidate and Trump is the outsider...

That means Hillary will take the blame for an Establishment who is more concerned about getting men into the women's bathroom then they are about making sure every American who flies can actually MAKE their flights...

Every misstep, every bonehead move, every dumshit step made by the Obama Administration will mean hundreds of votes for Trump and hundreds less votes for Hillary...

The Democrats' Big Blue Wall can't save them from the curse of The Establishment...

Michale

It's THAT simple...

Michale

Or, in Hillary's case, lack thereof...

Michale

According to DS and IRM officials, Department employees must use agency-authorized information systems to conduct normal day-to-day operations because the use of non-Departmental systems creates significant security risks.

No matter HOW you want to spin it, this OIG report is HUGELY damaging to Hillary Clinton's candidacy..

Even if one goes with the milquetoast spin that all it showed was "bad judgement", such "bad judgement" in a PRESIDENTIAL position would likely cause GREAT damage to this country...

Hillary is simply not qualified to be President, simply on the basis of her judgement alone..

Michale

Throughout Secretary Clinton’s tenure, the FAM stated that normal day-to-day operations should be conducted on an authorized AIS,147 yet OIG found no evidence that the Secretary requested or obtained guidance or approval to conduct official business via a personal email account on her private server

The FAM is the Foreign Affairs Manual, the rule book for the State Department..

Clinton has stated incessantly that she was "authorized" to use her private insecure home-brew bathroom closet email server.. Yet, she NEVER stated *WHO* authorized her to do this.

We now know WHY Hillary never stated who gave her the authorization. Because NO ONE did..

Hillary lied.. Constantly and knowingly lied...

Now lying is a HUGE crime for a person with a '-R' after their name..

I am CERTAIN that ya'all will hold Hillary JUST as accountable as ya'all held Bush....

Right??? :D

Michale

But hay, if you just want to talk about the spin, I'll be your huckleberry.. :D

This was never more than some poor judgment

OK, so we are in complete agreement.. Hillary showed poor judgement..

And THAT poor judgement, as the HEAD of the US's entire diplomatic apparatus, disqualifies her from being President...

Michale

https://www.washingtonpost.com/apps/g/page/politics/state-department-report-on-clintons-email-practices/2039/?tid=a_inl

Michale

found that Clinton’s use of private email for public business was “not an appropriate method” of preserving documents and that her practices failed to comply with department policies meant to ensure that federal record laws are followed.

Clinton used an inappropriate method of preserving her documents. Her approach would not have been approved if it had been requested by a more junior member of the State Department staff. The report also suggests that despite a Clinton aide’s insistence that the method of preserving her emails had been submitted to a legal review back in 2010, there is no evidence that such a review took place. And, here’s the kicker: Clinton refused to sit for a formal interview.

That last point is very important..

Clinton has said over and and over and over and over and (see where this is going??) over and over that she welcomes a chance to sit down and explain..

Apparently that was ANOTHER lie...

Michale

Thank you :-) I'm just a week out of hospital and still feeling very delicate but glad to be here. :D

Posting this here so you see it, Michale. :-)

You take care of yerself, Mopshell...

The more people we have around here that keep me on my toes, the better.. :D

Michale

Yea, and Clinton campaign spokes person says the report actually praises Clinton..

I didn't ask if you read the spin from Clan Clinton..

I asked if you read the report...

Michale

While you're in Philly, I have a question that requires personal investigation. How is an authentic Philly made?

And will a call for decriminalization of pot make it into the (inevitably forgotten) platform? Or will that be shoe-horned out by DWS...

A brief note on the State Department IG Report on the Clinton email issue. The ledes of a lot of stories present this as a rough hit for Clinton, bad news blah blah blah. Let's focus on the essential point: Despite the fact that there are some real questions about the impartiality of the IG, the report says the issues with the management of the Secretary of State's emails are of longstanding and go back with the last five Secretaries of State. The report also singles out Colin Powell, who had a similar set up. The criticism is there. It definitely wasn't a good arrangement. But to see this as a damaging report after the hyperbolic and frequently insane coverage of this issue is crazy. This was never more than some poor judgment overlayed by a big bureaucratic pissing match all slathered over by a thick layer of partisan game playing and media derp.

Like most Clinton scandals, if there there hadn't been months, maybe more than a year of weird conspiracy theories, expected perp walks and general nonsense, one might read this and say, wow, that's disappointing. But after all that, it's just a big nothingburger. Like it almost always is.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-emails

Says the people with no military experience.. :D

Michale

Military experience is over rated in terms of understanding, commenting upon and implementing military strategy.

As historian/analyst and prolific war game designer Jim Dunnigan puts it: "Many of the most incompetent wartime leaders have been highly regarded peacetime military leaders." General George McClellan is a classic example.

"Even in the most experienced armies, a large proportion, even 50 percent or more, of leaders will prove incompetent in wartime." - another Dunniganism.

The secret to good analysis is to ask the right questions and follow the path of answers without fear or favor. Post Iraq War II, the US public has no interest in either activity , and nearly all the mass media press cheerfully meets this need.

Good work CW.

Glad ta see ya!!! :D

Thank you :-) I'm just a week out of hospital and still feeling very delicate but glad to be here. :D

Posting this here so you see it, Michale. :-)

CW -

I also remember the column re your Fallujah prediction and add my congrats to Paula's - good work, very good work!

Working on catching up with all the columns I missed while in hospital but I'm slow with everything at the moment so it's taking me a while. :-)

Sounds like yer suffering from "lining up" envy... :D

Michale

I am always interested in fisticuffs on a convention floor, no matter who throws the first punch.

Heh.

Paula -

Good point about both the people who will stay away from the GOP fest, and about the "sad looking Chris Christies" -- heh.

And thanks for the shout-out about the Fallujah column. When I get things right, I am absolutely shameless about pointing it out, I honestly have to admit...

:-)

-CW

Nothing, nothing, will surprise me more than if Sane Republicans try to do something to unseat the Donald. But my money's on the whole sad sack bunch lining up like they always do.

The whole thing will probably feel like some ghastly gathering in a hotel where you listen to the salesman yap about the condo in Florida because you'll get the free gift when it's over.

Donald will probably pay people to attend -- we'll find out about that after it's over and some schmo admits on Facebook that he applied through a temp agency and made $8.00 an hour to hang around and cheer when directed.

Philly will actually be interesting and historic.

That's gotta be worth something... :D

Congrats, CW :D

Michale