Notations On Our World: On Iraq

12 years ago last April America GI's rolled into Baghdad:

After 12 years, hundreds of thousands of lives lost and uprooted, the World has been witness to this:

Ramadi fell to Daesh/IS and the Shitte Milita under the direction of the Iraqi Prime Minister have begun a campaign to take Ramadi back.   However, the bulk of Anbar continues to be under Daesh Control as Daesh continues its reign of terror in Syria.   What was quite unfortuante was the blame game as thousands continue to escape the Daesh reign of terror:

Blaming is easy..solutions is tough @DailyOutsider: #Iran, #Iraq & US squabble over responsibility for Isis advances http://t.co/sKnlhy5Y5m

— Mike Pouraryan (@mikepouraryan) May 25, 2015

The BBC's John Simpson sat down with the Iraqi Prime Minister and said that Ramadi will be taken back within days.    The broader question no one seems to be answering is that Iraq is for all intent and purpose dead as Syria is only a country in name only.    Although the Iraqi Prime Minister is understandably frustruated by the public dressing down given to it by the US Secretary of Defense, the days ahead will determine in more ways than one what will happen next.   This is as ordinary Iraqis are caught in the crossfire.

On This Memorial Day 2015......

This is courtesy of  +Jonathan Huie which we received at our offices earlier on this Memorial Day as we remember:

Farewell My Friend
It was beautiful as long as it lasted
The journey of my life.
I have no regrets whatsoever
save the pain I'll leave behind.
Those dear hearts who love and care...
And the strings pulling at the heart and soul...
The strong arms that held me up
When my own strength let me down.
At every turning of my life I came across good friends,
Friends who stood by me,
Even when the time raced me by.
Farewell, farewell my friends
I smile and bid you goodbye.
No, shed no tears for I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad do think of me
for that's what I'll like when you live in the hearts
of those you love, remember then
you never die.
- Gitanjali Ghei

Notations For the Week-End: On This Memorial Day Week-End 2015

 

It is Memorial Week-End 2015 here in the United States.      Ceremonies are being held to remember and honor all who served and have paid the ultimate sacrifice.     There are an estimated 21 Million Active Veterans in the United States today.  

The World, though, is ever so dangerous and challenging.   We here @ #Outsiders have been assessing the state of the World as we've been assessing the latest gains by #Daesh (Also known as ISIL/ISIS/IS in the West) in Syria and Iraq.    An estimated 40,000 people have been driven from #Ramadi.   It was quite telling as the US Defense Secretary came out swining against the dismal performance by Iraqi Forces.    It was tragic as the Iraqi Commander lost his nerve and order his 2,000+ Strong Force to withdraw in the face of Daesh Forces.

There are some open questions as to how the United States will respond though especially as it continues to be hampered with challenges on the domestic front and especially as the eleciton season gets under way.     The Iran Negotations are continuing with a deadline of 30 Days before Congress gets in on the action.   The NSA law is up in the air as clear domestic priorities such as the Highway bill continue to be lingering in the midst of the priorities of the so-called US Senate Presidential Caucus.  

As we went to press with this editon, we ran across a starrtling statistic:  The United States single-handily spends 37% of the World's Defense Budget.   But what is not apparently publicly known is that 50% of this is spent on personnel.    There are challenges on the Technology and the long-term moderization front that is a problem.    What is tragic in this expense is how in spite of this expense is how enlisted personnel continue to depend on Government Handouts and Community Drives as epitomzied by the outreach undertaken by San Clemente Military Family Outreach.