Lost, Obama presided over post-crisis economy. Growth rate was lowest comparing with similar recovery periods. Possibly, he did not bother growing it to make sure no new downturn comes before 2016 elections?
Obama had forces in ME, but we were not winning. Obama’s policies were restricting military. Each strike had to be approved from the White House legal council. Read it up. Read, for example, about Gen McCrystal who had a distinguished career … Maybe let’s look at contemporary reports:
CNN December 7, 2016
SIS’ march across Iraq and Syria – a campaign that’s forced President Barack Obama to return small numbers of US troops to the region, even after touting an end to the decade-long ground offensives there – came as a surprise to US intelligence, the President told CNN in a new special report.
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As Obama’s presidency concludes, it’s clearer than ever he’ll depart the White House with Syrians facing nearly unyielding misery.
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Avoiding a large scale ground conflict in Syria “is the smartest decision from a menu of bad options that were available to us,”
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Some of Obama’s generals wanted to keep 10,000 US troops in Iraq to maintain stability in the country as it emerged from a decade of war. But …
The efforts have squeezed ISIS on the battlefield, reducing its territory and taking out key figures in its leadership. A campaign to retake Mosul, the group’s base in Iraq, is making progress.