White House: No Ground Combat Troops, Only ‘Forward Deployed’ and ‘Combat Ready’ Troops
For weeks, the White House has been trying to explain to the media that,while ground combat troops in Iraq and Syria are not on the table, they actually are on the table, and on Thursday, someone else finally noticed. The gold star goes to ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl, who got White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest to explain that, while there will be no ground troops in Iraq with combat as their primary responsibility, there are already “combat-ready” troops in Iraq, and they might end up being “forward deployed.”
As happens from time to time, this all started with a crummy question. Karl asked Earnest why the President doesn’t “use the word war” to describe U.S. operations in Iraq and Syria. Earnest delivered a very good answer to that question, essentially explaining that the President doesn’t want to freak people out by making them think of the last Iraq War.
“We do not envision a scenario where there is a long column of American tanks rolling across the Iraqi border with the goal of taking and occupying significant swaths of Iraqi territory.”
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is. President Obama made a similar distinction a few weeks ago in his big interview with Chuck Todd.
This led Karl to ask about the distinction that the White House has been clearly making for weeks, as it regards ground troops. Earnest replied that columns of tanks are “certainly” among the things being ruled out, but also that there are a lot of ways that ground troops can be deployed, without being considered to have a “combat role.” Earnest also pointed out that the 1,500 troops who have already been deployed to Iraq are…READ MORE
Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Tommy Christopher
Tommy Christopher is The Daily Banter's White House Correspondent and Political Analyst. He's been a political reporter and liberal commentator since 2007, and has covered the White House since the beginning of the Obama administration, first for PoliticsDaily, and then for Mediaite. Christopher is a frequent guest on a variety of television, radio, and online programs, and was the villain in the documentaries The Audacity of Democracy and Hating Breitbart. He's also That Guy Who Live-Tweeted His Own Heart Attack, and the only person to have ever received public apologies from both Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
21 responses to White House: No Ground Combat Troops, Only ‘Forward Deployed’ and ‘Combat Ready’ Troops
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juicyfruityyy September 18th, 2014 at 17:49
The media will report what they want They don’t care about the facts.
juicyfruityyy September 18th, 2014 at 17:49
The media will report what they want They don’t care about the facts.
Red Eye Robot September 18th, 2014 at 18:28
“No Ground Combat Troops, Only ‘Forward Deployed’ and ‘Combat Ready’ Troops” That should scare the bejezus out of ISIS
mea_mark September 18th, 2014 at 18:51
It is the air strikes they will be calling in and the laser targeting that they will be assisting with that should scare them. Targeted precise booms on their heads.
fahvel September 19th, 2014 at 04:08
what right of any kind does the usa have to drop bombs on anyone they choose? Makes Putin look like a moderate.
mea_mark September 19th, 2014 at 10:39
Beheadings maybe?
Red Eye Robot September 18th, 2014 at 18:28
“No Ground Combat Troops, Only ‘Forward Deployed’ and ‘Combat Ready’ Troops” That should scare the bejezus out of ISIS
mea_mark September 18th, 2014 at 18:51
It is the air strikes they will be calling in and the laser targeting that they will be assisting with that should scare them. Targeted precise booms on their heads.
fahvel September 19th, 2014 at 04:08
what right of any kind does the usa have to drop bombs on anyone they choose? Makes Putin look like a moderate.
mea_mark September 19th, 2014 at 10:39
Beheadings maybe?
Roctuna September 18th, 2014 at 18:50
I assume forward deployed and combat ready troops wear boots and walk on the ground? ‘nuf said. Someone posted iRAQ2.0 the other day, well here it comes.
uzza September 18th, 2014 at 21:00
American troops don’t walk on the ground. They walk on a thick layer of Bullshit provided by the oil companies.
Roctuna September 18th, 2014 at 18:50
I assume forward deployed and combat ready troops wear boots and walk on the ground? ‘nuf said. Someone posted iRAQ2.0 the other day, well here it comes.
uzza September 18th, 2014 at 21:00
American troops don’t walk on the ground. They walk on a thick layer of Bullshit provided by the oil companies.
mea_mark September 18th, 2014 at 18:54
Maybe they should call them air-support troops on the ground. That might might really confuse the RWNJs.
Chinese Democracy September 18th, 2014 at 19:07
too funny.. I do love a good laugh!
fahvel September 19th, 2014 at 04:06
or water sprites – it is near where some old guy walked on water – or pure lies and deceit and oh hell. when one person can do this without the support of the people it’s called something else.
mea_mark September 18th, 2014 at 18:54
Maybe they should call them air-support troops on the ground. That might might really confuse the RWNJs.
Chinese Democracy September 18th, 2014 at 19:07
too funny.. I do love a good laugh!
fahvel September 19th, 2014 at 04:06
or water sprites – it is near where some old guy walked on water – or pure lies and deceit and oh hell. when one person can do this without the support of the people it’s called something else.
LowLifeLiberal September 18th, 2014 at 20:36
Low life lies to culminate low life power.