President Obama Announces Operation Enduring Burden

On the evening of September 10, President Obama delivered a speech on ISIL, as he calls it, which everyone else calls ISIS.

Here is his problem. ISIS stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. ISIL stands for Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Hardly any American knows what the Levant is. It’s the entire region.

If President Obama were to stick with the acronym ISIS, this would create a huge PR problem. If he calls it the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, this makes it clear that two countries are involved. Therefore, he must commit American forces — but not troops, meaning “boots on the ground” — to war in two nations. One of them is Syria. Until a few months ago, ISIS was regarded by American foreign policy experts as being part of the opposition in Syria — opposition to the government of Syria, which is run by Bashar “Hitler” Assad.

ISIS four months ago was a freedom-fighting organization. Now it is officially a fighting-freedom organization. Keep this in mind as you read the highlights of the President’s speech.

My fellow Americans, tonight I want to speak to you about what the United States will do with our friends and allies to degrade and ultimately destroy the terrorist group known as ISIL.

He calls it ISIL. Over the last year, the President has overseen the transfer of money and weapons to ISIS, a freedom-fighting organization in Syria. Now he is going to transfer more money and more weapons to the freedom fighters in Syria, who will use it to fight the ISIL organization, which is a fighting-freedom organization.

I hope you understand the difference. You have an obligation to understand the difference. Without this understanding, American foreign policy would look like decision-making by lunatics.

Furthermore, he assured us that the leaders of ISIL are confused. They call the organization “Islamic” — the first I in ISIS. The President is not confused. ISIS is not Islamic at all. Not one little bit.

Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not Islamic. No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim.

So, from now on, I recommend that the first I in ISIL should stand for “International.”

Next, what is the second thing Americans must get clear? The S does not stand for State.

And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly al-Qaida’s affiliate in Iraq and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria’s civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border. It is recognized by no government nor by the people it subjugates. ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.

So, from now on, I recommend that the S stand for “Society.”

This leaves I and L. How about “Irreconcilable” and “Losers”?

I’m just trying to help the President. He has a PR problem. A lot of Americans think ISIS is an Islamic terrorist organization. It cannot be, according to President Obama. “Islamic” and “terrorist” cannot go together, by definition.

His definition.

Where is all this leading? To permanent war. At the end of his speech, he announced his new foreign policy.

America, our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden. But as Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead. From Europe to Asia, from the far reaches of Africa to war-torn capitals of the Middle East, we stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity. These are values that have guided our nation since its founding.

Every military operation needs a name. I recommend this: “Operation Enduring Burden.” That would make this the first military operation in American history that has an accurate name. This one is not going to end. It is the forever war.

Bush’s war against terrorism was initially called “Operation Infinite Justice.” That seemed just a tad messianic. So, it was soon officially replaced with “Operation Enduring Freedom.” But “Operation Enduring Burden” is closer to the mark. Much closer.

He spoke on our behalf: “But as Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead.” Anyway, he spoke for those who want to take up what used to be called the white man’s burden. That phrase has fallen out of favor since about 1945. Now it’s the American taxpayer’s burden and the Federal Reserve System’s burden.

Forever.

Tonight, I ask for your support in carrying that leadership forward. I do so as a commander in chief who could not be prouder of our men and women in uniform — pilots who bravely fly in the face of danger above the Middle East and service members who support our partners on the ground.

Our pilots do bravely fly in the face of danger. It is true that they are in Nevada, while the bomb-carrying drones are in — dare I say it? — the Levant, but there is still great danger. A drone may hit a wedding party. That is very dangerous for the long-term careers of the pilots in Nevada.

As commander in chief, my highest priority is the security of the American people. Over the last several years, we have consistently taken the fight to terrorists who threaten our country. We took out Osama bin Laden and much of al-Qaida’s leadership in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

I had not heard that Al-Qaeda is no longer in Pakistan. It is my understanding that Pakistan’s equivalent of the CIA is no longer funneling American money into Al-Qaeda, the way it did prior to 9-11. But that’s about it on the anti-Al-Qaeda front. The U.S. did not tell Pakistan’s government about the raid to kill Osama, because the generals knew that the Pakistanis would not authorize the raid. Then, mysteriously, Osama would have disappeared from the compound.

We’ve targeted al-Qaida’s affiliate in Yemen and recently eliminated the top commander of its affiliate in Somalia. We’ve done so while bringing more than 140,000 American troops home from Iraq and drawing down our forces in Afghanistan, where our combat mission will end later this year. Thanks to our military and counterterrorism professionals, America is safer.

Safer than what? Safer than when? Safer than where? He did not say. But remember this: he had only two weeks to develop this new policy. Cut him some slack. He is under a lot of pressure.

Still, we continue to face a terrorist threat. We can’t erase every trace of evil from the world and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today. And that’s why we must remain vigilant as threats emerge.

Except on the Mexican border.

But we can count on this. After the November elections, ISIL members living inside the United States will not e granted amnesty. We can count on the President in this important area of post-election executive orders.

So ISIL poses a threat to the people of Iraq and Syria and the broader Middle East, including American citizens, personnel and facilities.

By “facilities,” he presumably meant the 12 military bases that the U.S. government still has in Iraq. This is now part of Operation Enduring Burden. It used to be part of Operation Enduring Pipeline.

If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region, including to the United States. While we have not yet detected specific plotting against our homeland, ISIL leaders have threatened America and our allies. Our intelligence community believes that thousands of foreigners, including Europeans and some Americans, have joined them in Syria and Iraq. Trained and battle-hardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks.

No amnesty for them after the November elections!

(For the rest of my article, click the link.)

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