Question: when President Obama’s issues orders to launch Predator or Reaper drones in Pakistan, Somalia or Yemen which then take a terrible toll on innocent civilians, how many new potential recruits for ISIS, Al-Qaeda or Daesh are generated? No one knows but it’s becoming evident that the more drones Mr. Obama launches the more the ranks of new terrorist recruits swell.
You would think that Mr. Obama would realize this and, perhaps, he does. But I doubt if he comprehends that his strategy of fighting “suspected” terrorists is a classic example of what is called the “law of diminishing returns”, my special interpretation of which is; as these actions continue unabated, a resultant decline in effectiveness then produce highly negative results.
So when this president recruitment of terrorists gaining momentum does he meet with his military advisers to discuss whether these actions are still effective or are, in fact, backfiring and causing blowback; and that a scaling back is in order? Doesn’t he comprehend that as citizens of those countries watch in horror as members of their families or their friends are being wiped out by Hellfire missiles that they are going to find ways to seek revenge? Apparently not, because as this situation worsens, this president drones on and on and “stays the course.”
Might he have seen this report about the young Somalians living in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota who have joined the ISIS movement in Iraq and Syria? It’s astounding to read stories like this from news outlets that talk about such ISIS sympathizers in the U.S., such as these Somalis in Minnesota, but they never point out that the main reason for them doing this is to seek revenge for the deaths of their relatives or friends in these countries that remain under constant siege.
There are more and more ominous signs that America’s many enemies in the world are now closely bonding together in the pursuing the same objective, i.e., to fight America. We’ve heard many accounts of how new recruits are coming from nations all over the world to join ISIS. Now here’s areport that indicates that Boko Haram, the Nigerian based terror organization, has pledged allegiance to ISIS.
Some in America might wonder if Mr. Obama ever feels remorseful about the hundreds of innocent civilians that have been killed by these deadly drones. We’ve seen no evidence that he does and, in fact, during the White House Correspondent’s Association Dinner in 2010, President Obama made this crude joke that many, upon hearing it, felt that it showed a disregard for human life. Seeing the Jonas Brothers sitting in the audience at the dinner, Obama joked: “Sasha and Malia are huge fans, but boys, don’t get any ideas. Two words for you: predator drones. You will never see it coming.” You got that right, Mr. President; just like those hundreds of innocent civilians who “never saw it coming either.
If one closely watches what is going on with this government it becomes quite apparent that this president is under the control of the military establishment; that it is in charge and calling the shots. We have seen the renewal of bombing in Iraq and now Syria; we keep hearing high level military officials talking about the real potential of U.S. “Boots on the ground” and more discussions about slowing down the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Does anyone really think that this president is in command?
Mr. Obama’s emphasis on drones has apparently become infectious and is expanding. Drones can already be found in the skies above certain areas of this country. Soon they will become common tools of law enforcement agencies, real estate companies, land survey companies and numerous other business entities. As they fill the skies over America how in the world will they be controlled, especially near flight patterns, and who can guarantee that they will not be used by terrorists to bring down airliners or attack the White House or Congress?
Not only that but President Obama, who is a strong advocate of using drones for warfare, is now making America a distributor of military drones to other allied countries. This article tells how the U.S., the largest seller of military weaponry in the world, will now add another sophisticated weapon of destruction to its line of products. Sales will boom and will add to the massive profits of the defense industry. Too bad America no longer can manufacture major appliances, electronics and clothing.
That’s the way, Mr. President, let’s spread this drone warfare across the world; let all these countries settle their differences, not by diplomacy and negotiations, but by pre-emptive strike from the skies. Is this what a Nobel Peace Prize winner is supposed to do, spread the weapons of war across the world? Maybe it is; I recall when Big Brother in Orwell’s 1984 said “War is peace.” Maybe this president has convinced himself that such is the case.
Remember when the Taliban in Afghanistan, in confronting the massive power of the U.S. military, used IED’s, improvised explosive devices? Does anyone think that terrorists can’t develop relatively inexpensive drones that they can use to deliver deadly bombs and missiles against their targets, including many here in America? To think that they are not already in the process of doing just that would be a great mistake; it’s just a matter of time before we hear of the first terrorist attack using drones, either in America or in Europe.
In the future when someone publishes A History of ISIS, chapter I will likely recount how this terrorist organization was born in the aftermath of the Iraq War when those who were on the receiving end of bullets, bombs and missiles swore that they would take revenge on the U.S. Chapter II will show how, after President Obama’s launching of drones in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, the growth of ISIS skyrocketed.
All is not well, however, as troubles are beginning to plague this drone program. This article indicates how the ranks of those who operate this program are rapidly shrinking. Many “drone pilots” are quitting, not only because they are overworked, but also because a growing number are having pangs of conscience as they continue to see people being blown up on their screen displays, including helpless children. I wonder how many of these gruesome attacks Mr. Obama has witnessed. If he hasn’t then he should personally witness the carnage taking place almost daily.
Future historians may one day conclude that this launching of drones, a clear violation of sovereign countries’ borders and airspace, and the subsequent destruction, constitutes a dark stain on the soul of this nation.
What will President’s presidential legacy be? How will future historians portray him? Perhaps it will be for Obamacare, that is, if the Republicans and the Supreme Court don’t destroy it. Aside from that, it’s likely that his legacy will be that of a president who opened the door to world drone warfare, one which will be virtually impossible to close.
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