Enabling the Enemy: A new era of foreign policy?

July 21, 2015

WRITER

President Obama came into office promising a new era of American foreign policy in the Middle East. He said he’d restore America’s standing in the world, but after 6 years has he made any progress? Or is he repeating the exact same mistakes America has made in the past by enabling the enemy of our enemy?

TheBlaze's Jason Buttrill and Dan Andros explain:

Dan: Hey, Dan Andros, head writer here at TheBlaze again with you with Jason Buttrill. He’s chief researcher here, and he’s also former military intelligence. We’re going through all of the foreign policy blunders that this administration and previous administrations have made in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syria with ISIS. When we last picked it up, it was our mistakes that led to helping and aiding the creation of ISIS, which they later migrated into Syria and then invaded back into Iraq.

Now America is presented with a choice: We can either help the Kurds, who are the good guys, or we can once again make the same mistakes we make over and over again. So, what do we choose?

Jason: If you ask Obama what our strategy is, he’ll tell you like he told the rest of the country. He said the Pentagon hadn’t given him a strategy yet. He basically said there is no strategy. We’re spending billions and billions of dollars on airstrikes and training. That’s got to be part of a strategy. If not, we’re just wasting a ton of money.

The real thing is that Obama doesn’t want you to know what the strategy is because we’re making the same mistakes that we’ve always made. His strategy is the enemy of our enemy is our friend. Wrong. We should not be playing that game. If that’s his strategy, which that is the strategy where we’ve basically laid that out, that is their strategy, he should just own up to it and say that’s our strategy, instead of trying to mislead the public into something else.

The current airstrikes are part of an operation called Inherent Resolve. Inherent Resolve is doing airstrikes in both Syria and Iraq. Now, if you look at those airstrikes, there’s a three to one ratio. Most of the airstrikes are happening in towns in Iraq versus in Syria. Well, the capital of the caliphate is in Syria, in Raqqah. Most of their supply lines run from Syria into Iraq. Now, why aren’t we bombing all those supply lines? Why are we not shocking and awing Raqqah?

Dan: Right. That’d be cutting out the heart.

Jason: Exactly. That’s what we did in the first Iraq war, and we were able to bring the Iraqi army to their knees by doing that strategy. It’s the same people. Why don’t we do the same strategy? Let’s do it again. It’ll work. We’re not doing that.

Dan: So, why aren’t we? What are they doing?

Jason: The French Foreign Minister said not too long ago, he kind of let it slip. He said that we cannot have a stable Iraq without a political transition first in Syria. I think that was a huge mistake, and I think that shows what they’re trying to do. Now, they’re not destroying those supply lines. They’re leaving those supply lines from Syria to Iraq open that ISIS is using. I think they’re leaving those open and with more airstrikes in Iraq because they’re trying to push ISIS back into Syria. Again, the enemy of my enemy is our friend. They want ISIS not to attack the Iraqi government which still is making screw-ups over there. They want them attacking someone that everyone can agree is an enemy, Assad in Syria. That’s what they want.

Dan: But that’s not what they want to do. That’s not what the bad guys want to do. They’re going back from where they came from.

Jason: First of all, who are these Iraqi units they we’re providing airstrikes for? It’s not American troops. It’s very rarely the Kurds, although sometimes it is the Kurds in the north, and they’ve made gains off of that, admittedly, but it’s usually in support of Iraqi Shia militias that are backed by Iran. They’re called the PMU, and these guys, the Kurds have a name for them. They called them the Shiite Islamic State because they are just as bad as ISIS.

We are providing close air support for them. It’s true. We’re providing close air support for them. These are the same militias that were killing our troops back in the Iraq war, the exact same guys.

Dan: And now we’re helping them.

Jason: Now we’re helping them. Some of their big personalities, there’s one called Abu Azrael. That translates into the Angel of Death.

Dan: Follow him on Facebook. It’s quite an entertaining follow.

Jason: At TheBlaze, we call him the king of selfies because that’s basically all he’s good for. You’ll see him holding an ax and an M4 but never really shooting it actually at anybody. Abu Azrael brags on social media, and he brags on YouTube. There’s video of him doing this, saying that they got training in both Lebanon and Iran. The head of the PMU, he was just photographed with the President Rouhani in Iran and the Prime Minister of Iraq. They’re not even trying to hide it.

These are the guys that they are now in bed with, and we’re enabling that. It makes no sense. Just last month we announced at a new airbase, the Taqaddum Airbase, we were adding in another 450 advisors to continue to train these tribes. Well, it’s funny because a couple of months ago, another base that we already do this at, they reported that they hadn’t had one new recruit in months, up to six months, not one new recruit.

So, who are we training? It’s a big PR stunt. We sent in 450 advisors, our own boys, our own men, to go in there as a big PR stunt. We’re putting them in a base that Iranian backed Shia militias also bunk at. These are the guys that were killing us a decade ago, and now they’re sharing the same base. Their barracks are across from each other.

In light of all this, now that we know all this, we have to transition from enabling the enemy to propping up people that actually makes sense. Talk about the tragedy of the Kurds, the Kurdish people have been gassed, bombed, brought to the brink of genocide for as long as I can remember. Now they’re denying all of that. Bring us all of the people that have been run out of their homes and villages by ISIS. We’ll take them all in. We’ll not only shelter them, clothe them, and feed them, but we’ll protect them with our own soldiers. They don’t care if they’re Sunni, they’re Shia, they’re Christian. They don’t care what they are. They don’t care what tribe they come from, if their Arab, Kurd, whatever. They’re just taking them all in because they believe all lives matter.

Now, why aren’t we arming them to the teeth? Why are we not training them? Why is not all of our money going to these people? They’ve earned it.

Dan: It especially makes no sense when you realize we’ve got a great option there. We can support the Kurds, the guys who are doing the right thing, share the same values that we share as Americans, but once again, we are making the same mistake we’ve made throughout history, and we’re enabling our enemy by making the enemy of our enemy our friend—same foreign policy mistakes, different year.

How California leadership is to blame for HORRIFIC wildfires

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

California's progressive policies emphasize ideology over lifesaving solutions. The destruction will persist until voters hold their elected officials accountable.

America is no stranger to natural disasters. But it’s not the fires, floods, or earthquakes that are the most devastating — it’s the repeated failures to learn from them, prevent them, and take responsibility for the damage.

My heart goes out to the families who have lost homes, cherished memories, and livelihoods. But if we’re going to help California rebuild and prevent future disasters, we need to confront some uncomfortable truths about leadership, responsibility, and priorities.

California — ironically, in the name of environmentalism — continues to ignore solutions that would protect both the environment and its residents.

While Californians continue to face heart-wrenching losses, those who have the power to enact change are mired in bureaucracy, regulation, and ideologies that do nothing to protect lives or preserve the land. The result? A state that keeps burning, year after year.

Where did all the water go?

We all know that water is essential to life. When NASA searches for signs of life on other planets, it looks for water. Yet, California has spent decades neglecting its water infrastructure. The state hasn’t built a new major reservoir since 1979 — over 40 years ago. Back then, California’s population was roughly half what it is today. Despite massive population growth, the state’s water storage capacity has remained frozen in time, woefully inadequate for current needs.

Moreover, billions of gallons of rainwater flow straight into the ocean every year because no infrastructure exists to capture and store it. Imagine how different things could be if California had built reservoirs, aqueducts, and desalination plants to secure water for its dry seasons.

Water is life, but the state’s failure to prioritize this essential resource has put lives and ecosystems at risk.

Misplaced priorities and critical leadership failure

This neglect of critical infrastructure is part of a larger failure of vision, and in California, the consequences of that failure are on full display.

Consider the progressive leadership in Los Angeles, where the mayor cut the fire department’s budget to fund programs for the homeless, funneling money to NGOs with little oversight. While helping the homeless is a worthy cause, it cannot come at the expense of protecting lives and property from catastrophic fires. Leadership must put safety and well-being over political agendas, and that’s not happening in Los Angeles.

The same misplaced priorities extend to environmental policies. Progressive leaders have blocked sensible forest management practices, prioritizing dead trees over living creatures. They reject controlled burns, forest thinning, and other commonsense measures, bowing to the demands of activists rather than considering real solutions that would protect those they govern.

California’s wildfire crisis is, in many ways, a man-made disaster. Yes, factors like Southern California’s dry climate, strong Santa Ana winds, and little rain play a role, but the biggest contributing factor is poor land management.

The forests are choked with dry brush, dead trees, and vegetation that turn every spark into a potential inferno. The crisis could have been mitigated — if only the state had made forest management and fire prevention a higher priority.

Finland and Sweden, for example, understand the importance of maintaining healthy forests. These countries have perfected the art of clearing underbrush and thinning trees sustainably, turning potential fire fuel into biomass energy. This approach not only reduces the risk of wildfires, but it also creates jobs, boosts the economy, and improves the ecosystem. And yet, California — ironically, in the name of environmentalism — continues to ignore these solutions that would protect both the environment and its residents.

We need to stop pretending that something as devastating as the Palisades and Eaton fires are just “part of life” and hold leaders accountable.

Insurance rules put California residents at risk

California faces another major and often overlooked liability when it comes to natural disasters: insurance.

California’s ongoing disasters make the state an uninsurable risk. Insurance companies are pulling out because the odds of widespread devastation are just too high. This creates a vicious cycle: With private insurers gone, the government steps in to subsidize high-risk areas. This enables people to rebuild in fire-prone zones, perpetuating the destruction. The solution isn’t more government intervention; it’s better decision-making.

This doesn’t mean abandoning people to their fate, but we must address the root of the problem: California’s inadequate disaster preparedness and poor land management. If the state continues to resist commonsense solutions like forest thinning, controlled burns, and better zoning laws, no amount of insurance or government assistance will ever be enough to mitigate the losses. The cycle will repeat until the costs — financial and human — become unbearable. It’s time to stop pretending the risk isn’t real and start making decisions that reflect the reality of California’s landscape.

What’s the solution? California’s government needs to put its people over harmful political agendas that put its residents at risk. Start by managing your forests. Implement controlled burns, remove dead trees, and clear underbrush.

But how you vote matters. California’s progressive policies have focused on political correctness and ideology instead of practical, lifesaving solutions. Until voters hold leaders accountable, the cycle of destruction will persist.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Crazy enough to be true? The connection between the Cybertruck bomber and cryptic drones

WADE VANDERVORT / Contributor | Getty Images

Not knowing — and not being told — fuels distrust and speculation.

A chilling story has emerged: A whistleblower, claiming to possess knowledge of advanced military technologies and covert operations, took his own life in a shocking explosion outside the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas. He left behind a manifesto filled with claims so extraordinary they sound like science fiction. Yet if even a fraction of them prove true, the implications are staggering and demand immediate attention.

This whistleblower alleges that the United States and China developed “gravitic propulsion systems,” technologies that manipulate gravity itself to enable silent, undetectable flight at unimaginable speeds. According to his claims, these systems are not theoretical — they are operational, deployed both in the United States and China. If true, this would render conventional defense systems obsolete, fundamentally altering the global balance of power.

America’s founders warned us about unchecked government power. Today, their warnings feel more relevant than ever.

Imagine aircraft that defy radar, heat signatures, and missile defense systems. They carry massive payloads, conduct surveillance, and operate without a sound. If such technologies exist, they pose a national security threat unlike any we’ve faced.

But why haven’t we been told? If these claims are false, they must be debunked transparently. If true, the public has a right to know how such technologies are being used and safeguarded.

The whistleblower’s manifesto goes farther, claiming that with this technology, the United States and China developed and deployed the infamous drones that were seen across the United States starting late last year. He alleged that China launched them from submarines along the U.S. East Coast, calling them “the most dangerous threat to national security” because of their stealth, ability to evade detection, and unlimited payload capacity. He ties this advanced technology to other surveillance systems, creating a network so advanced it makes our current intelligence capabilities look primitive.

These claims may sound far-fetched, but they highlight a deeper issue: the cost of government secrecy. Not knowing — and not being told — fuels distrust and speculation. Without transparency, these incidents dangerously erode public confidence in our leaders and institutions.

The cost of secrecy

Beyond technology, the manifesto also alleges moral failures, including war crimes and deliberate cover-ups during U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan. In one particularly harrowing claim, the whistleblower describes attacks in Afghanistan’s Nimroz Province in 2019. He alleges that 125 buildings were targeted, with 65 struck, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths in a single day. Even after civilians were spotted, he claims, the strikes continued knowingly and deliberately.

The United Nations investigated similar incidents and confirmed civilian casualties during these operations. However, the whistleblower’s accusations go farther, implicating high-ranking officials, the Department of Defense, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Central Intelligence Agency, and even top military generals in a broader pattern of deceit, eroding the moral integrity of our military and government.

Whether these specific claims hold up, they underscore a larger issue: Secrecy breeds corruption. When people in power hide their actions and evade accountability, they break trust — and everyone pays the price, not just those at the top but also the citizens and soldiers they serve.

Transparency is an imperative

America’s founders warned us about unchecked government power. Today, their warnings feel more relevant than ever. From the COVID-19 pandemic to the Capitol riot on January 6 to the potential misuse of advanced technologies, the American people have been kept in the dark for too long.

Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and sunlight is coming. Transparency must become our rallying cry. As we look to the future, we must demand accountability — not just from those we oppose politically but from all leaders entrusted with power. This isn’t about partisanship; it’s about preserving our nation from self-destruction.

As we enter a new chapter in our nation’s history, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Whether it’s uncovering the truth about advanced technology, holding perpetrators of corruption accountable, or seeking justice for war crimes, we must act. This isn’t just a call to action — it’s a moral imperative.

Our strength lies in our unity and our resolve. The powerful fear an informed and vocal citizenry. Let’s prove them right. By demanding transparency and accountability, we can restore trust and ensure that the government serves the people — not the other way around.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Has Zuckerberg REALLY changed?

Mark Zuckerberg's recent announcement to lift content moderation policies across all of Meta's platforms and end the company's reliance on third-party fact-checkers, at first glance, is an incredible left turn given the platform's long-term participation in online censorship. However, does their shift signal a genuine change of heart, or are there more selfish motivations at play?

On the Glenn Beck Program, Glenn and Stu looked at both perspectives. On the one hand, Zuckerberg's announcement, adding UFC President and avid Trump supporter Dana White to Meta's board of directors indicates major progress in America's pushback against online censorship. However, Glenn also posited that Zuckerberg's intentions are chiefly to win the good graces of the incoming Trump administration in order to maintain Meta's controversial work in virtual and augmented reality technologies (VR/AR).

There is evidence for both perspectives, and we lay it all out for you below:

Did Zuck have a genuine change of heart?

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Zuckerberg’s bombshell announcement, at face value, suggests that Meta recognizes the greater demand for free speech on online platforms and growing discontent against content moderation that has censored non-mainstream political opinions, including Glenn and Blaze Media. Zuckerberg described this shift as an authentic attempt to return to the company’s roots of promoting free expression, acknowledging past mistakes in suppressing voices and content deemed politically controversial. Moreover, Meta's new adoption of community-driven content flags similar to X positions itself as a platform that values user input rather than the biased perspective of any single third-party "fact-checker."

Additionally, Zuckerberg’s evolving views on Donald Trump strengthen the argument that his "change of heart" is genuine. Before the 2024 election, Zuckerberg expressed admiration for Trump, even calling him a "badass" after the first assassination attempt, noting how the event changed his perspective on the then-presidential candidate. Moreover, his embrace of new board members, such as UFC President Dana White, a staunch Trump supporter, further suggests that Meta may be diversifying its leadership and welcoming a more inclusive approach to varied political opinions. In this context, Meta’s move away from fact-checking can be interpreted as a commitment to fostering an environment where free speech and diverse political perspectives are genuinely valued.

Or is it about self-preservation?

DREW ANGERER / Contributor | Getty Images

While it is tempting to view Meta’s policy change as a sincere commitment to free speech, there is also a compelling argument that the company’s motivations are rooted in self-preservation. Glenn suggested Meta’s financial interests, particularly in virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies, indicate its pivot may be less about principle and more about ensuring continued government contracts and capital flow. Zuckerberg’s significant investments in VR/AR technology, which has already cost the company billions, may be driving his need to align Meta’s policies with the political climate to safeguard future funding from both the government and private sectors.

Moreover, the company’s financial projections for the coming years show a sharp increase in advertising revenue, driven primarily by Facebook’s dominance in social media. This revenue helps sustain Meta’s ambitions in the VR/AR space, where it faces significant losses. The government’s involvement in funding military and tech projects tied to VR/AR underscores the importance of maintaining favorable political relationships. For these reasons, many view Zuckerberg's policy change as an attempt to position Meta for maximum political and financial benefit.

POLL: Is GLOBAL WARMING responsible for the fires in L.A.?

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As wildfires sweep across California and threaten to swallow up entire neighborhoods in Los Angeles, one question is on everyone's mind: What went wrong?

So far over 45 square miles of the city have been scorched, while the intense smoke is choking out the rest of L.A. Thousands of structures, including many family homes, have been destroyed, and many more are at risk as firefighters battle the flames. Many on the left, including Senator Bernie Sanders, have been quick to point to climate change as the cause of the devastating fires, citing the chronic lack of rain in L.A.

Others, including Glenn, have pointed out another potential cause: the severe mismanagement of the forests and water supply of Los Angeles and California in general. Unlike many other states and most other forested countries, California does not clear out the dead trees and dry vegetation that builds up on the forest floor and acts as kindling, fueling the fire as it whips through the trees.

On top of this, California has neglected its water supply for decades despite its crucial role in combating fires. The state of California has not built a new major water reservoir to store and capture water since the 1970s, leading to repeat water shortages in Southern California. To top it off, Gavin Newsom personally derailed a 2020 Trump order to divert water from areas of the state with excess water to parched Southern California. Why? To save an already functionally extinct fish. Now firefighters in L.A. are running out of water as the city is engulfed in flames. At least the fish are okay...

But what do you think? Are the wildfires a product of years of mismanagement? Or a symptom of a changing climate? Let us know in the poll below:

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