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| State's Marie Harf: ISIS couldn't even have predicted how powerful ISIS would become |
| 2014-09-30 |
| "The president said, for a long time we've known about the serious threat from ISIL, but everyone -- us, the Iraqis, even ISIL itself probably -- was surprised by how quickly earlier this summer they were really able to take territory in Iraq," Harf said. You see, even the Islamic State was shocked by their own capabilities. Thiers was a wondrous journey of self-actualization in the form of a campaign of crucifixions and beheadings. "They moved more quickly than anyone could have imagined," she added, forgetting apparently that many did imagine ISIS's blitz across Iraq in specific detail. �"You know, assessing the will of a force to fight -- the capability is one thing you can assess -- but the will is a tough thing to assess," she added. Because everyone really knew that ISIS had the capability to mount a smashing offensive across the Middle East, but no one knew that they had the stoutness of character to achieve it! What an embarrassing display. How much damage could the president have avoided doing to his administration if he had just said, "I underestimated ISIS and I overestimated the Iraqis." His critics would have had a field day with it for 48 hours, but the media would have quickly moved on to another story. It would have disappeared in short order. Now, the intelligence community is out for blood, and the president has sparked a bureaucratic war inside the Beltway. Much like his response to ISIS, Obama's underestimation of the intelligence community will likely prove to be shortsighted. |
| Posted by:Beavis |
| #8 Though Mohammedan law makes me barf, When the US goes under the scarf, I'll take one for the team: In my third string hareem, I am willing to take charge of [hatchoo!]. |
| Posted by: Zenobia Floger6220 2014-09-30 21:12 |
| #7 What ISIS or ISIL could not predict: Obama so stupid he would announce and actually withdraw troops out of Iraq. |
| Posted by: Airandee 2014-09-30 18:39 |
| #6 couldn't even have predicted When you live in an alternate universe that believes the dogma of Marx and Islam as the 'religion of peace', of course you'd have a problem 'predicting' human behavior (let alone economics*). Did you ever study how Mo spread the word? * always that word about the economy - "unexpectedly". |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2014-09-30 16:26 |
| #5 What Long March? You mean...? Oh, crap! |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2014-09-30 15:46 |
| #4 When the focus is winning the "Long March" and everything is viewed through a domestic lens, this really shouldn't be surprising. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2014-09-30 13:39 |
| #3 "The prevention of strategic surprise was what he wished to avoid, and he did, quite artfully I might add." As opposed to what happened early in 1968 when a distant relative of mine gave rather detailed intelligence found on the body of a North Vietnamese army officer, with the outline of the Tet offensive, on the verge of happening, personally to Gen. Westmoreland. Westy waved his hand at this and said, "They can't do that!" |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2014-09-30 13:34 |
| #2 Years ago I can remember General Tommy Franks favorite line to intelligence briefing officers: "Great run-down LTC Whozzit, now give me the fok'n.... so what." Telling Franks that there were 235 HETS (heavy equipment transports) out of their motor pools or 'out of park.' HET reporting meant nothing to him without the so what. Everything means something, or it means nothing. Which is it? He weighed possibilities, asked for opinions from the peanut gallery, and seldom totally discounted anything out of hand. The prevention of strategic surprise was what he wished to avoid, and he did, quite artfully I might add. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-09-30 13:02 |
| #1 Yes, yes, yes.... "having worked there" meaning, During my extensive beltway career, I was once a Klingon analyst. Now I'm a Foggy Bottom talking head media plant. "Challenging assessments".....yea, well, they're massing on the border in staging areas adjacent MSR's (major supply routes), lots of technical vehicles with mounted heavy machineguns. Looks methodical, well organized and funded. People are flying in from all over Europe and Minnesota ..... could it be a parade in the making possibly? Should we be fusing imagery and signals with Kurdish reporting? Oh why bother. "Challenging assessment"..... my aching arse. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2014-09-30 12:46 |