The Islamic State is doing pretty well for itself

Pentagon sees Baghdad at risk of Islamic State takeover, expects Kobani to fall

Calls increase for U.S. ground troops in Iraq, Syria as airstrikes fail to stop terrorists 

The Pentagon on Wednesday made the sobering prediction that more towns in Syria and Iraq will fall to the Islamic State in the coming weeks, and that air power alone is not going to be enough to prevent the fall of the Syrian city of Kobani near the Turkish border.

On Wednesday, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said the president’s war strategy in Iraq is failing.

Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, California Republican, said Mr. Obama needs to consider new options — including American ground troops — for the air war-only strategy.

“Evidence is mounting that an ‘Iraq first’ approach focused on airstrikes isn’t degrading ISIL,” said Mr. McKeon, using one of the Islamic State’s acronyms, which is also known as ISIS. “From Kobani to Baghdad, they are using their Syrian sanctuary to make gains. The president needs to adopt a broader strategy if we are to protect our interests. He needs to walk out of the Pentagon willing to put new options on the table rather than continuing to rule them out.”

For more than a month, Mr. McKeon has advocated putting a relatively small number of U.S. ground troops into the battle to aid the beleaguered Iraqi Security Forces. Iraqi troops retreated en masse in June when the Islamic State invaded from Syria and gobbled up terrain.

The Washington Times reported Monday that the Islamic State today holds about the same number of towns in Iraq as it did two months ago, when the U.S. began a bombing campaign to whittle down the terrorist army and support Iraqi ground troops trying to retake territory.

More troubling, analysts say, is that the Islamic State apparently is preparing operations designed to one day invade Baghdad.

Continue reading