Michael Collins

"In a devastating blow to US influence in the country it occupied in 2003, Iraq's government has called for Russian assistance against ISIS. Meanwhile, Iraqis in the streets are celebrating Vladimir Putin." Wall Street Journal in Russia Today

Can you imagine ... the government and citizens of a country that the rulers of the United States totally devastated turning to Russia for help against ISIS?

This raises a few questions.

Is the Obama administration pulling its punches in the fight against ISIS?

Has the administration exaggerated the effectiveness of the much-publicized campaign against ISIS?

Are Turkish complaints about Russian violations of its air space just a smoke screen to hide the effectiveness of Russia's efforts in Syria?

Why are the rulers of the U.S. complaining about Russia attacking "U.S. backed rebels" when Russia is attacking Al Qaeda aligned groups?

Will the fake elections of 2016 give us a carbon copy replacement for the current neoconservative-War Party commander in chief? (Rhetorical question).

The Iraqis, like others who pay attention, know that U.S. missions against ISIS produced spotty results. In the WSJ article, one Iraqi parliamentarian refers to the effort as "small help."

Iraqis and others know that U.S. partner, Turkey, has done little to combat ISIS and simply used the effort to mask its attacks on the Kurds, one of the few effective anti-ISIS fighting force on the ground.

Also, Iraqis and others know that Turkey has allowed and facilitated the transfer of Al Qaeda aligned fighters and weapons from its southern border directly into Syria including members of the Islamic State.

Given the nature and effectiveness of the U.S.-Turkey anti ISIS partnership, why would anyone take the effort seriously? It took weeks to start the bombing campaign against ISIS based out of the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey. Russian planes landed Latakia, Syria and were flying bombing missions just days later against the Al Qaeda affiliates attacking Syria.

Conservative author and former Nixon aid Pat Buchanan makes the point directly:

"What Vladimir Putin is up to in Syria makes far more sense than what Barack Obama and John Kerry appear to be up to in Syria."

President Obama insists that the defeat of ISIS is somehow tied to the eviction of Bashar Al Assad as the president of Syria. (Of course, Obama and the rest of the blowhards never mention giving the Syrian people a choice of leaders.)

President Putin insists that to defeat ISIS you have to attack ISIS in league with President Al Assad's Syrian forces that have fought Al Qaeda aligned rebels for years, rebel factions that include ISIS and its predecessors.

If you live in the Middle East and your life depends on it, which super power would you ask for help?

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