A top US general picked apart Donald Trump's ISIS policy

[bkepley]

Pamela Engel
BI

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump's vague strategy to combat Islamic State extremists in the Middle East isn't very likely to work.

A top US general, who commanded troops in Iraq from 2008 to 2010, on Wednesday explained the holes in Trump's strategy, The Washington Post reports.

Earlier this week, billionaire real-estate developer Trump said he would send American troops to Iraq to target the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL, and Daesh), adding that the US would "knock the hell out of them" in "every place where they have oil."

"They have great money because they have oil," Trump said.

"I would knock out the source of their wealth, the primary sources of their wealth, which is oil," he continued. "And in order to do that, you would have to put boots on the ground. I would knock the hell out of them, but I'd put a ring around it and I'd take the oil for our country."
...
Trump's understanding of ISIS' finances doesn't seem to be very complete either. While ISIS does make millions of dollars from oil, the biggest slice of the group's budget most likely comes from taxing the people under its control. And this source of wealth is harder for international actors to control.

Analysts at the nonprofit RAND Corporation estimated that in 2014, ISIS raked in $600 million from extortion and taxation, $500 million in money stolen from Iraqi banks, and $100 million from oil.

The US has been targeting ISIS' oil revenues and donations from "overseas benefactors" in an effort to cripple the terror group, but that still leaves ISIS free to collect taxes, as The Wall Street Journal reported in June.
...

More here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/top-us-general-picked-apart-112300662.html

[Longiron]

What TRUMP said was a start??  not a end to ISIS. Pay FULL attention and do not take what you just want. We have a state controlled agenda media to do that for us. A top general under the Obama Adm. It is called protecting you career?? Nice try though??

[bkepley]

What TRUMP said was a start??  not a end to ISIS. Pay FULL attention and do not take what you just want. We have a state controlled agenda media to do that for us. A top general under the Obama Adm. It is called protecting you career?? Nice try though??

Yeah..yeah..but just because Trump acts like a tough guy doesn't mean his solutions are the best or can even be put into practice as anyone with an ounce of common sense should be able to detect. 

[EdinVA]

What TRUMP said was a start??  not a end to ISIS. Pay FULL attention and do not take what you just want. We have a state controlled agenda media to do that for us. A top general under the Obama Adm. It is called protecting you career?? Nice try though??

Generals are politicians and Odierno is an Obama Appointee so take what he says with a grain of salt.

"The problem we've had is we've had outcomes, but they've been only short-term outcomes because we haven't properly looked at the political and economic side of it," Odierno said Wednesday at a press briefing.

We have spent 14 years worrying about the politics/hearts/minds and toilet paper in that dump it is time to end this and shove civility down their throats.
Odierno has had years to solve this and he has not done it so his opinion is worthless.

[Longiron]

Yeah..yeah..but just because Trump acts like a tough guy doesn't mean his solutions are the best or can even be put into practice as anyone with an ounce of common sense should be able to detect. 

I know acting like a tough guy is NEW for the RINOS but that is a least a start form the Metro males most of the RINOGOP is made up. We are so use to bowing to foreign leaders, Compromising but does the left ever compromises with the PUBS , reaching across the aisle and the number ONE RINOGOP character trait CAVING which the PUBBIES are great at. Yes, most can understand why TOUGH GUY is hard to adjust to?? If one tries they can get use to it. MOST people like it thus far. Wonder why???

[bkepley]

Generals are politicians and Odierno is an Obama Appointee so take what he says with a grain of salt.

"The problem we've had is we've had outcomes, but they've been only short-term outcomes because we haven't properly looked at the political and economic side of it," Odierno said Wednesday at a press briefing.

We have spent 14 years worrying about the politics/hearts/minds and toilet paper in that dump it is time to end this and shove civility down their throats.
Odierno has had years to solve this and he has not done it so his opinion is worthless.

Maybe but one can imagine disciplined military leaders having to deal with a train-wreck like Trump.  It's a dark comedy.

[bkepley]

I know acting like a tough guy is NEW for the RINOS but that is a least a start form the Metro males most of the RINOGOP is made up. We are so use to bowing to foreign leaders, Compromising but does the left ever compromises with the PUBS , reaching across the aisle and the number ONE RINOGOP character trait CAVING which the PUBBIES are great at. Yes, most can understand why TOUGH GUY is hard to adjust to?? If one tries they can get use to it. MOST people like it thus far. Wonder why???

A good tough guy could also sound intelligent or else he just sounds like a fool.

[musiclady]

I know acting like a tough guy is NEW for the RINOS but that is a least a start form the Metro males most of the RINOGOP is made up. We are so use to bowing to foreign leaders, Compromising but does the left ever compromises with the PUBS , reaching across the aisle and the number ONE RINOGOP character trait CAVING which the PUBBIES are great at. Yes, most can understand why TOUGH GUY is hard to adjust to?? If one tries they can get use to it. MOST people like it thus far. Wonder why???

Because they are ignorant and blindly following a loud mouth, for the sole reason that he is a loud mouth???

[EdinVA]

Because they are ignorant and blindly following a loud mouth, for the sole reason that he is a loud mouth???

I understand you do not like Trump, that's ok BUT of the other candidates, who would actually solve the problems we face?
Who would hold the GOP and the special interests to task and fix these things rather than spend another 4/8 years with lip service?

Not a trick question.. I am stumped.. Trump is unpolished, rough around the edges agreed..

[bkepley]

I understand you do not like Trump, that's ok BUT of the other candidates, who would actually solve the problems we face?
Who would hold the GOP and the special interests to task and fix these things rather than spend another 4/8 years with lip service?

Not a trick question.. I am stumped.. Trump is unpolished, rough around the edges agreed..

What makes you think given Trump's record that he would solve any of them and not just create more?  Might as well just choose a candidate randomly.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Maybe it's just me, but I want a President that when asked what he would do about anything to do with the military, responds by saying that he will consult with his Generals, his Joints Chiefs of Staff and his conscience, then he will decide what course to take.

[musiclady]

I understand you do not like Trump, that's ok BUT of the other candidates, who would actually solve the problems we face?
Who would hold the GOP and the special interests to task and fix these things rather than spend another 4/8 years with lip service?

Not a trick question.. I am stumped.. Trump is unpolished, rough around the edges agreed..

There are a number of candidates who might be able to solve the problems we face... people like Scott Walker, who has faced enormous opposition from unions in WI, stared them down, and won, John Kasich, who has enormous economic experience and success, Ben Carson, who is both brilliant and wise,  Cruz, who is a Constitutional wizard who is unafraid, Rubio, who loves this country with a passion........ ALL of them would potentially do far better than Trump, who is the mirror image of Barack Obama; he listens to no one, he's arrogant and self-serving, he's a bully without a single iota of tact, diplomacy, or humility.

Of all the candidates available to us, I would put Trump in the bottom five of those who could "solve the problems we face."

Being an egotistical loud mouth (who's a Democrat, btw) doesn't mean anything when it comes to being the Leader of the Free World, Ed.

[mystery-ak]

Generals are politicians and Odierno is an Obama Appointee so take what he says with a grain of salt.

"The problem we've had is we've had outcomes, but they've been only short-term outcomes because we haven't properly looked at the political and economic side of it," Odierno said Wednesday at a press briefing.

We have spent 14 years worrying about the politics/hearts/minds and toilet paper in that dump it is time to end this and shove civility down their throats.
Odierno has had years to solve this and he has not done it so his opinion is worthless.

Exactly right!

[olde north church]

Grab them by the balls, their hearts and minds will surely follow.

[musiclady]

Maybe it's just me, but I want a President that when asked what he would do about anything to do with the military, responds by saying that he will consult with his Generals, his Joints Chiefs of Staff and his conscience, then he will decide what course to take.

What a concept............. 

[Luis Gonzalez]

I understand you do not like Trump, that's ok BUT of the other candidates, who would actually solve the problems we face?
Who would hold the GOP and the special interests to task and fix these things rather than spend another 4/8 years with lip service?

Not a trick question.. I am stumped.. Trump is unpolished, rough around the edges agreed..

Every idea that Trump ever has is the greatest idea ever had on any subject. According to Trump anyway.

Every idea that Trump's ever had that fails on implementation is the fault of those charged with implementing that idea, because the idea itself could not be wrong since every idea that Trump's ever had is the greatest idea ever had on any subject.

[bkepley]

Every idea that Trump ever has is the greatest idea ever had on any subject. According to Trump anyway.

Every idea that Trump's ever had that fails on implementation is the fault of those charged with implementing that idea, because the idea itself could not be wrong since every idea that Trump's ever had is the greatest idea ever had on any subject.

Well it doesn't matter if it makes any sense or ultimately never gets done or blows up the world completely the real point is to have a guy in there who is loud and brash and insulting for a change.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I understand you do not like Trump, that's ok BUT of the other candidates, who would actually solve the problems we face?
Who would hold the GOP and the special interests to task and fix these things rather than spend another 4/8 years with lip service?

Not a trick question.. I am stumped.. Trump is unpolished, rough around the edges agreed..

IMHO, the premise of your question is flawed.

You seem to believe that an individual will solve all our problems, and that individual is the titulart head of the government, which (in essence) means that government is the solution to our problems.

Government is the problem.

[mystery-ak]

Maybe it's just me, but I want a President that when asked what he would do about anything to do with the military, responds by saying that he will consult with his Generals, his Joints Chiefs of Staff and his conscience, then he will decide what course to take.

This is exactly what he should have said....note to the next CinC..don't pick yes-men for your Chiefs..pick men who have ba$$s and will tell you the way it is and how to fix it!!!

[EdinVA]

Every idea that Trump ever has is the greatest idea ever had on any subject. According to Trump anyway.

Every idea that Trump's ever had that fails on implementation is the fault of those charged with implementing that idea, because the idea itself could not be wrong since every idea that Trump's ever had is the greatest idea ever had on any subject.

If you believe in your ideas, then you sell them, right?
How is he any different from Cruz, Rubio or Bush?  If they sell their ideas it is no different, other than you don't like Trump?

When things go awry at the VA, we did not fire the president did we?
When things went wrong in the ME, we did not fire the president, but we did dump a ton of generals.

[EdinVA]

IMHO, the premise of your question is flawed.

You seem to believe that an individual will solve all our problems, and that individual is the titulart head of the government, which (in essence) means that government is the solution to our problems.

Government is the problem.

So, your assertion is that is does not matter who is in the whitehouse, then why are we doing this?

[truth_seeker]

Grab them by the balls, their hearts and minds will surely follow.

Like. I'll add that to do so, you need MORE troops. The military asked for MORE troops but political Rumsfeld said no, do it with fewer.

And we have never, never achieved total domination from the beginning, using his small, inadequate force strategy.

Small, inadequate strategy is to avoid a draft, which would mean we were in a REAL war that we intended to WIN, and keep WON, unlike every major conflict since WWII.

[EdinVA]

Maybe it's just me, but I want a President that when asked what he would do about anything to do with the military, responds by saying that he will consult with his Generals, his Joints Chiefs of Staff and his conscience, then he will decide what course to take.

Trump was not asked what he would do with the military, he was asked what he would do about ISIS.

[EdinVA]

Like. I'll add that to do so, you need MORE troops. The military asked for MORE troops but political Rumsfeld said no, do it with fewer.

And we have never, never achieved total domination from the beginning, using his small, inadequate force strategy.

Small, inadequate strategy is to avoid a draft, which would mean we were in a REAL war that we intended to WIN, and keep WON, unlike every major conflict since WWII.

Your right TS... I never understood that, and then to go get involved in Iraq without having Afghanistan under control was a real disaster.
Not sure that was Rumy or directly from Bush, but it was bad.....

[Luis Gonzalez]

Trump was not asked what he would do with the military, he was asked what he would do about ISIS.

So exactly what boots was he talking about that he wants on the ground over there?

His Prada Chelseas?