It is not oil but another of the Middle East’s exports, terrorism, that shapes Obama’s understanding of his responsibilities there.
What about car crashes, bathtub falls? Those kill more Americans than terrorism does, no? Can you say the word "terrorism?" Can you conjoin it with "Islamic?" No? How about "Bathtub Terrorism?" And you can't talk about Islamic terrorism for fear of stoking anti-Muslim hysteria, right? Ok.
Early in 2014, Obama’s intelligence advisers told him that isis was of marginal importance. According to administration officials, General Lloyd Austin, then the commander of Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, told the White House that the Islamic State was “a flash in the pan.” This analysis led Obama, in an interview with The New Yorker, to describe the constellation of jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria as terrorism’s “jayvee team.” (A spokesman for Austin told me, “At no time has General Austin ever considered ISIL a ‘flash in the pan’ phenomenon.”)
Is this a semantic dispute? Goldberg writes Austin "told" the White House..."flash in pan." Austin's spokesman says at no time has Austin "ever considered"..."flash in pan," so Austin could have told the Obamas flash in pan but not ever considered ISIL flash in pan personally. See? That wouldn't be very nice of General Austin but it could be. Did Austin communicate in words some sentiment synonymous or near-synonymous with "flash in pan?" Like "jayvee team," like "fifteen minutes of fame," like "Donald Trump?" Austin is not contending that the Obamas made that up out of whole cloth, right? He got the concept somewhere, from Austin. What are the words Austin used? Does anybody care? No.
What about car crashes, bathtub falls? Those kill more Americans than terrorism does, no? Can you say the word "terrorism?" Can you conjoin it with "Islamic?" No? How about "Bathtub Terrorism?" And you can't talk about Islamic terrorism for fear of stoking anti-Muslim hysteria, right? Ok.
Early in 2014, Obama’s intelligence advisers told him that isis was of marginal importance. According to administration officials, General Lloyd Austin, then the commander of Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, told the White House that the Islamic State was “a flash in the pan.” This analysis led Obama, in an interview with The New Yorker, to describe the constellation of jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria as terrorism’s “jayvee team.” (A spokesman for Austin told me, “At no time has General Austin ever considered ISIL a ‘flash in the pan’ phenomenon.”)
Is this a semantic dispute? Goldberg writes Austin "told" the White House..."flash in pan." Austin's spokesman says at no time has Austin "ever considered"..."flash in pan," so Austin could have told the Obamas flash in pan but not ever considered ISIL flash in pan personally. See? That wouldn't be very nice of General Austin but it could be. Did Austin communicate in words some sentiment synonymous or near-synonymous with "flash in pan?" Like "jayvee team," like "fifteen minutes of fame," like "Donald Trump?" Austin is not contending that the Obamas made that up out of whole cloth, right? He got the concept somewhere, from Austin. What are the words Austin used? Does anybody care? No.
