While Iraq Burns...

The nation of Iraq, which the U.S. spent years stabilizing and helping to achieve a democratic government, is now under siege. The terrorist group "Islamic State in Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) is systematically taking control of the country, murdering (by beheading) anyone who resists them, and leaving bodies in the street. They have helped themselves to hundreds of millions of dollars from Iraqi banks and have taken control of much of the oil in the Northern provinces. And they are now marching on Baghdad.

As of yesterday there were 200 American contractors at Balad Air Force Base who were surrounded by ISIS forces and were taking fire. The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was still manned and operating normally - even though the ISIS forces are just an hour away. Contingency plans were being formed to evacuate the embassy should it become necessary however, since the ISIS forces are taking control of airports and have captured U.S. made vehicles and surface to air missiles, a last minute evacuation attempt will be all the more dangerous.

Meanwhile in America - the President said while he's considering military assistance in Iraq, probably in the form of air strikes at ISIS bases, President Obama took off for a fund raising and golf outing. Why is it that anytime there is a crisis in the world it seems Obama has to either go golfing, go to a fund-raiser, or both? He did the same thing while Putin was invading Crimea. 

To his credit, he didn't play golf or raise funds during the Benghazi attack. (In fact, we don't really know what he did that night because he has never said. We do know he was in the White House residence and not in the situation room.) So no - he didn't play raise funds that night. He waited until after he told a few lies the next day in the Rose Garden before flying off to Las Vegas for the fund-raiser.

The White House says Obama didn't even know about the ISIS insurgents until he learned about it through the media. Isn't it odd how the most powerful man in the world doesn't have anyone in his intelligence network or his national security network who informs him of serious developments in local and world events and he has to find out about them on the news? Why are we paying all those intel and national security people all that money if they're not doing their jobs?

In truth, it's been reported that the Obama administration knew about ISIS and their intentions for months. He also knew about the poor security surrounding Ambassador Stevens in Libya and knew about the phony waiting lists in the VA hospitals for years. And did nothing about any of them in a timely manner.

I learned this morning that the Iraqi Air Force has begun evacuating the American contractors from Balad Air Base and that our own Air Force in the region has been told to stand down - at least for now. The latest news this morning is that the embassy is "preparing to evacuate" but the Baghdad airport is now being hit with mortars and rocket propelled grenades. That's going to make evacuation a bit tricky. 

Why would our jet-setting, fund-raising, golf-playing President do nothing while American lives are in danger? I have no answer for that question. Maybe some of his devoted fans an answer it. I do know this - if Americans in Iraq die at the hands of these terrorists because President Obama has done nothing to get them out he needs to be impeached and jailed. It should be unacceptable to every American that the President goes golfing when American lives overseas are in clear and present danger. What kind of "leader" does that to his own people?