revengeofareasonablemind

Move Over Alice, the White House has Landed in Wonderland August 21, 2014

Ok, I’m back.  I must tell you that over the past year and some months I’ve had the exact opposite of writers block.  I’ve had writers sensory overload.  My brain could not sort out and prioritize the unbelievable amount per unit time of lunacy on which a reasonable mind can and must take revenge.

But, today my senses were bombarded with what clearly is a focused onslaught of a common theme.  First, I was reading the cover article on the latest edition of Defense News entitled “The Evolving Obama Doctrine:  Limited Bombing Raids, Stronger Partnerships,” and then I listened to a Fox News story where Eric Holder the Attorney General of the United States (remember this location – the United States – it will be important later in this Blog) explain how his Justice Department (DoJ) is opening a criminal investigation into, “the brutal execution (read beheading) by Islamic State militants [ISIS] of American journalist James Foley.”

I know what you are thinking.  “What do these two issues have to do with one another, what is so crystalizing about them that merits, suddenly, a blog?”  Fair question.  Now think of the phrase, “total break from reality.”  Are you beginning to get the idea?

Let’s take the Defense News piece first.  The authors would posit that somehow the Obama Administration has an organized, integrated foreign and defense policy that at one time was nascent and is evolving into something mature.  This notion is completely divorced from reality.  Defenders of the Administration want us to believe that limited bombing, except with drones in northern Pakistan and Yemen, and stronger partnerships (what partnerships?) are emblematic of a iterative and systematic application of policy.  Even the article suggests that if there was a move toward “stronger partnership” the Administration officials designated to explain it to a congressional committee were, “unable to clearly describe the president’s vision for it.” The evidence, however, that Defense News provides that there has been a sea state change that warrants the description “Evolving Obama Doctrine” is the airstrikes that are recently taking place against the Islamic State to help save Iraqi minorities.  This one event is the cause celebre for establishing the idea that there is some new evolving doctrine.  That is a test of credulity or reality, as I’ve said. The Obama Administration simply reacted with the least commitment possible to address the growing harangue from the American people for some sort of action.  This is not a doctrine it is the international policy equivalent of whack-a-mole.  If President Obama really had such a doctrine as the Defense News suggests, it would have been evident with airstrikes on ISIS while they were rolling out of Syria and down the highway toward Mosul.

Now, what in the name of heaven is Eric Holder doing, taking a break form the photo ops in Ferguson, MO, and talking about how his Department of Justice is going to hold the ISIS Islamic terrorist who beheaded James Foley accountable?  He really thinks that some how middle of Iraq is in the US DoJ jurisdiction.  Remember, he’s the attorney general of what country?  The United States, that’s right.  But, Mr. Holder is not put off by geography.   His DoJ is opening “a criminal investigation;” an investigation, not even an apprehension.   He seems struck by the idea that the war (vice criminal act) raging between ISIS Islamic, murdering, terrorists and anyone in Syria or Iraq (or ultimately the US) that does not accept their brand of Islam is a law enforcement issue.  Worse, while AG Holder is basking in the press corps lights waxing wise on how his folks are putting out an All Points Bulletin for any information leading to the apprehension and arrest of the hooded ISIS terrorist so we can treat him like Al Capone or Willy Sutton, his law enforcement model may not be fairing so well in other quarters.

We are learning that the Benghazi attack terrorist suspect, Abu Khattala, identified clearly in videos of the scene, that is now in US custody and the US judicial system may be catching a break (in stead of a Hellfire Missile).  There is speculation that there is a lack of evidence to tie him directly to the attack, video notwithstanding and consequently the government’s case could be weak.  So much for the Benghazi model.  You’ll remember the speedy identification and arrest approach that took over 18 months of knowing exactly where the suspect was because he kept giving interviews to the press, most notably CNN.  Make no mistake, what we have here is a war pitting eleventh century fanatical, organized Islamic terrorists against modern-day western civilization.  What the Obama Administration is doing is not so far removed from what might have been the case if Franklin Roosevelt’s attorney general Frank Biddle told General Eisenhower on June 5, 1944 to “hang loose on that Normandy thing you’ve got planned.  I have issued arrest warrants for German generals Modal, von Rundstedt and Rommel as well as that pesky fuhrer Hitler.  We’ll bring these criminals to justice.”

Alice, it’s going to be a little crowded in Wonderland now that the White House shares your space.  The failure at any pretense of addressing reality in seeking to shore up US national security puts all of us at significant risk of terrorist acts on US soil far worse than we experienced on September 11, 2001.  However, we have an Administration whose pollyanna view of the world and willingness to put the security of of each American on the alter of political expediency is frightening and will do us in.