U.S. president Obama and the authorization by Congress for the war effort against Islamic State

02/11/2015

Grouped Articles

Obama’s Dual View of War Power Seeks Limits and Leeway

New York Times 02/11/2015

Peter Baker, Peter, Baker

Splits in Islamic State Emerge as Its Ranks Expand

Wall Street Journal 03/10/2015

Maria Abi Habib, Maria, Abi Habib

Defending ISIS Policy, Obama Acknowledges Flaws in Effort So Far

New York Times 05/21/2015

Peter Baker, Peter, Baker

U.S. Embracing a New Approach on Battling ISIS in Iraq

New York Times 06/10/2015

Michael R. Gordon, Michael, R., Gordon

Turkey Uneasy as U.S. Support of Syrian Kurds Grows

New York Times 06/29/2015

Tim Arango, Tim, Arango, Eric Schmitt, Eric, Schmitt

Regional Discord Fuels Islamic State’s Rise in Mideast

Wall Street Journal 10/16/2015

Yaroslav Trofimov And Philip Shishkin, Yaroslav, Trofimov, And, Philip, Shishkin

Iraq's Kurdistan region and the invasion by ISIS in August 2014, the Kurdish U.S. backed response in 2015

08/14/2014

Iran and the U.S. aid the Peshmerga forces to push the ISIS Islamic state militants out of Kurdistan. Maliki steps down as prime minister and a new prime minister who would appeal to both Shia and Sunnis takes over. The failure of Maliki to bring national reconciliation and build a strong national military comprised of Shia and Sunni with the help of the U.S. leads to the collapse of Mosul. The situation with a badly trained and poorly organized Iraqi military and poorly equiped Peshmerga leads to the general collapse as Sunni ISIS militants in Syria push into Iraq in 2014. U.S. airstrikes help prevent the fall of Erbil, capital of the Iraqi Kurdistan region. France moves to aid Kurdistan as the EU fails to come up with a response. By 2015 the situation changed, with U.S. led airstrikes the Kurds had taken Sinjar from ISIS. an agreement.

Grouped Articles

Iraq Crisis: Effort to Aid Kurdish Forces Puts Iran, U.S. on Same Side

Wall Street Journal 08/14/2014

Nour Malas, Nour, Malas, Joe Parkinson, Joe, Parkinson

With Maliki Out of the Picture, U.S. Prepares to Boost Iraq Aid

Wall Street Journal 08/16/2014

Jay Solomon, Jay, Solomon, Dion Nissenbaum, Dion, Nissenbaum

How to Save Iraq and Honor American Sacrifice

Wall Street Journal 08/15/2014

James L. Jones, James, L., Jones

U.S. Widens Air Campaign in Northern Iraq

Wall Street Journal 08/18/2014

Matt Bradley, Matt, Bradley, Tamr El Ghosbashy, Tamr, El Ghosbashy, , Felicia Schwartz, Felicia, Schwartz

Islamic State Fills Coffers From Illicit Economy in Syria, Iraq

Wall Street Journal 08/28/2014

Nour Malas, Nour, Malas, Maria Abi Habib, Maria, Abi Habib

How Kurds Came to Play Key Role in U.S. Plans to Combat Islamic State

Wall Street Journal 09/09/2014

Joe Parkinson, Joe, Parkinson, Adam Entous, Adam, Entous

The Obama administration's decision to ask Congress for $500 million in June 2014 to aid moderate forces in Syria including the Free Syria Army

06/27/2014

The decision follows gains by the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS) extremist Sunni militants over large areas in Sunni parts of Iraq. Sunnis alienated by the Maliki government's policies favoring Shiites have supported Sunni militants. The move comes late in the conflict after the Sunnis are left to fend for themselves in Syria and Iraq, and continues a policy of no active engagement of U.S. airpower in the region- increases aid that is already being sent, and serves the purpose of checking the gains of the ISIS, making no significant change to the situation in the region of a refugee crisis and expanded conflict. The move may be intended also to show a balance of support to Sunni and Shia, as the Obama administration is supporting the Maliki government against ISIS. The same support of moderates with a "no fly zone" could have kept U.S. combat forces out of the region and achieved what was achieved in Libya of freeing the region of the Assad regime, not emboldening Russia's Putin, stood up for America's support for democracy and freedom and condemnation of the use of chemical weapons, been consistent with American public opinion's desire for no large interventions overseas, continued focus on the domestic economy, and not compromised severely the hard won gains of America's military and servicemen in the last decade. So weak has been the Republican response and so partisan the politics, that few Democrats voices have been heard to questions the policies, so that a muddled policy based on the president's inclinations has been allowed to look sensible. It has made the U.S. look weak in Europe and Asia, as Russia and China have been emboldened in each region. Democrats have only to look to Truman in 1947-1950 when Berlin, Greece, South Korea, were not left to fall into chaos with millions of refugees and Russian Communist influence, to see the difference with the current policies, without a knee jerk reaction to the Bush era.

Grouped Articles

Obama's Foreign-Policy Failures Go Far Beyond Iraq

Wall Street Journal 06/27/2014

George Melloan, George, Melloan

Syria Is Breeding Western Terrorists, U.S. Warns

Wall Street Journal 07/09/2014

Andrew Grossman, Andrew, Grossman

Iraqi soldier tells of desertion as militants attacked refinery: ‘Our officers sold us out’ - The Washington Post

Washington Post 07/12/2014

Ben Van Heuvelen, Ben, Van, Heuvelen

U.S. Sees Risks in Assisting a Compromised Iraqi Force

New York Times 07/13/2014

Eric Schmitt, Eric, Schmitt, Michael R. Gordon, Michael, R., Gordon

U.S. Approves More Hellfire Missiles for Iraq

Wall Street Journal 07/30/2014

Doug Cameron, Doug, Cameron, Dion Nissenbaum, Dion, Nissenbaum

Leaving U.S. Allies Adrift as Chaos Rises

Wall Street Journal 08/01/2014

Joseph Lieberman, Joseph, Lieberman