boots on the ground = casualties

[robert99]

http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/030520162
Fierce fighting raged between the Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Islamic State militants on the northern Iraqi town of Tel Skuf Tuesday afternoon, where 400 ISIS fighters were reportedly fighting and a US serviceman was reported killed.
... in Germany US Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the death of an American serviceman in Iraq, saying, “It is a combat death, of course. And a very sad loss."

The US military also announced the death in a statement.

“A coalition service member was killed in northern Iraq as a result of enemy fire,” said the statement by combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve.
Navy SEAL killed by ISIS fire in Iraq identified
Navy SEAL killed by ISIS fire in Iraq identified

 

[robert99]

Update - seems more then 1 SEAL was involved,
"The third American military personnel to be killed by Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq was Navy SEAL Charles Keating.

Keating was killed in Tel Skof, a town 28 kilometers north of ISIS's Mosul stronghold. He was part of a quick reaction force who had been scrambled into the area to rescue American advisors to the Peshmerga when ISIS launched a large surprise attack against the town.

Peshmerga soldiers who fought in that battle told Rudaw that Keating defended them "bravely" when five of them were surrounded by ISIS militants.

In addition to Keating's death ten Peshmerga were killed during the battle."
According to the video 10 to 15 Americans were there plus 1 Englishman ... that's a lot of "advisors".
http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/040520164
(Seems like we're back to the old Vietnam "advisors" leading local/milita troops ... nothing changes )

 

[robert99]

http://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/us-warns-greater-risks-iraq-soldiers-death/
"On Wednesday, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter warned of risks ahead in the campaign against ISIS, while confirmed the identity of a US soldier who was killed by ISIS attack in northern Iraq.

Carter said in a press statement followed by IraqiNews.com, “These risks will continue and we greatly regret his loss,” pointing out that, “The soldier’s name is Charles Keating, and he was a member of the US Navy SEAL.”"
Yep, more KIA's on the way ...

 

[robert99]

and of course the Brits follow after -
PressTV-'UK to send hundreds of troops to Iraq’
UK Defense Secretary Michael Fallon says his country will send more British troops to Iraq to train Iraqi forces in the fight against Takfiri Daesh terrorists.

Fallon made the announcement ahead of a meeting of defense ministers and representatives from 12 countries from the so-called anti-Daesh coalition in the German city of Stuttgart on Wednesday.

The exact number of the British forces has not been declared, but sources say the “trainers and engineers” could number in the “low hundreds.”

Some 300 UK military personnel are currently in Iraq, training Iraqi security forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

 

[robert99]

... and the spin is on over the poor man's death, Mom: Son killed in Iraq proud to be Navy SEAL
"His mission was to advise and assist the (Kurdish) peshmerga", the defense secretary said. The quick reaction force went in to get the American forces out.

The Pentagon said Keating - known as "C-4" by family and friends - died Tuesday during a "coordinated and complex attack" carried out by about 100 Islamic State militants who breached a Peshmerga defensive position. That contradicts witnesses who told The Washington Post on Tuesday that the Americans arrived in a convoy along with Kurdish peshmerga forces and that the front vehicle in the convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. At about 9:32 a.m., Keating was shot and mortally wounded in the firefight.

Two medical evacuation helicopters were called and able to evacuate Keating - despite sustaining small-arms fire from ISIS themselves - within an hour of his being hit, but "his wound was not survivable", Warren said. Warren said the air assets included drones, F-15s, B-52s and A-10s."

 

[robert99]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/us/another-combat-death-in-iraq-may-presage-future-us-role.html

Tuesday’s battle in Teleskof — recounted by a witness and American officials — could presage a future in Iraq where American troops move even closer to routine, daily battle in the fight to reclaim large parts of Iraq from the Islamic State.

“We keep saying it’s supposed to be advising that we’re doing, and yet we’re losing one kid at a time,” said Phyllis Holmes, Petty Officer Keating’s maternal grandmother, in an interview on Wednesday. “Even Carter said it was a combat death,” she said, referring to Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter.

Although American officials have used linguistic contortions for months to present the American military role in Iraq as something other than direct combat, Mr. Carter did not hesitate on Tuesday to call Petty Officer Keating’s death a “combat death.”

Last month, the Pentagon announced that American military advisers would begin working more closely with Iraqi officers making direct battlefield decisions, a change from the previous policy of keeping Americans at Iraqi headquarters — far from the fighting.

 

[Andy_T]

Another risk, of course, is that ISIS will likely go specifically after those advisors, as they also know that pictures of dead Americans in the media is the one thing that might have the political power to end this quickly...

 

[robert99]

The day before the Presidential Election a video of a dead American being dragged around the Syrian desert.Yeah, how would that play out? A scary thought.

 

[robert99]

No Cookies | The Courier Mail
From April 29 - the Aussies claiming that they're only advisors too -
The claim is that no Coalition team has “boots on the ground” in Iraq ... Some 300 Australian and 107 New Zealand soldiers are on a mission to upskill members of the Iraqi Security Forces in battle techniques, with a special focus on counter-terror and close urban warfare.
Seems like the air campaign hits anyone who seems dangerous - "Another group of young men being trained by the Australians said they were opposed to the Coalition’s aerial campaign, claiming their own men were being hit in poorly targeted strikes. “We want Iraqi air support,” they said. “They know who we are; they won’t hit us.”"

 

[Second Summer]

So, there are American, British, Australian and New Zealander "advisors". In other words, all the Anglo countries, except Canada, have contributed "advisors"?

 

[robert99]

Let me just google Canada and advisors ...
Feb 2016 Canada to pull out of bombing campaign against ISIL, Triple Number of “Trainers and Advisors”
"Watch how Canadian officials dance around the fact that Canadian Special Forces sent to “advise and assist’ were involved in combat" at Canada in Iraq : The Hidden War – the fifth estate

April 30 2016 Operation IMPACT
"Operation IMPACT is the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) contribution to the Middle East Stabilization Force (MESF) – the multinational coalition to halt and degrade the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Under Operation IMPACT, the CAF conduct air operations, provide training and assistance to the Iraqi security forces, provide capacity building capabilities to regional forces, and support the coalition with highly skilled personnel.

The total number of CAF members deployed under Operation IMPACT is increased from approximately 650 to approximately 830, which includes tripling the size of the train, advise, and assist mission in support of the Iraqi security forces. (Wiki says," 69 special forces advisors were deployed as training advisors to Iraqi militaries ..."Operation Impact - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )
Feb 2016 Canada to Send More Military Advisors to the Kurdistan Region - BasNews
"Currently there are almost 70 Canadian military trainers stationed in Erbil and the number is said to increase to almost 200 in the upcoming months."

The military engagement in Iraq and Syria under Operation IMPACT is extended until 31 March 2017 (yes you read that right, March 2017)
A United States-led coalition that includes many of Canada’s closest allies and partners, as well as important regional partners, is working to degrade ISIL."

The whole US led-coalition anti-Islamic State Operation Inherent Resolve official website is the DOD webpage at Special Report: Inherent Resolve
(Including the cost so far, "As of March 31, 2016, the total cost of operations related to ISIL since kinetic operations started on August 8, 2014, is $7 billion.")

 

[robert99]

and of course not to forget our ol' friends the French,
Jan 2015 20 military advisors to be sent to Baghdad by France
"France confirmed its intention to send 20 military advisors to Baghdad in the coming few weeks in order to support Iraqi military unit of about 5000 men.
Spokesperson of the French Army, Colonel Gel Jaron said, "These advisors will provide support for the Iraqi security forces deployed on ground to confront the terrorists of the ISIL."
"The French advisors will provide advice and consultation for the Iraqi Army Staff over planning and preparations for the military operations," he added."

 

[robert99]

and the private military contractors are having a continued good time of it in the Middle East - Here’s A Boom: Private Military Contracting Surges In Iraq 2016
7,838 contractors support US operations in Iraq as of 2016 -plus classified operations done by companies like Blackwater (or Academi as they're now known) Only 5.8% of DoD’s contractors, focus on security and only 24 individuals work with “training”. This may surprise some, given the reputation certain contractors earned during the 2003 invasion. At least officially, most combat training and advisement is left to the military, the bulk of which are equally shadowy special forces.

 

[robert99]

Hey! The Danes are doing their bit too! Carter Thanks Danish Defense Minister for Counter-ISIL Help > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Article View
Danish lawmakers back expanding IS fight from Iraq to Syria
Starting from "mid 2016", the Danish contribution will consist of seven F-16 warplanes -- four of them operational at any one time -- a C130J transport aircraft and 400 military personnel, including 60 special forces troops.

Infact Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States are all in the Coalition - Carter: Counter-ISIL Defense Ministers Recognize All Must Do More > U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE > Article View
Add on a few Gulf countries when they want to join in too.

Germans - Germany sends troops to Iraq - World Socialist Web Site

Italians - Italy rules out military action in Syria
Italy deploys attack helicopters to Iraq

Norwegians - Norway to send 60 troops to train Syrian fighters

Dutch - Dutch govt to send military experts to train Peshmerga in war on ISIS
Dutch Defense Ministry said it will send 25 military personnel to Kurdistan Region to train Peshmerga forces battling IS terrorists on several fronts since August 2014.

Spanish - Spain Sends 300 Military Advisers to Iraq: Defense Ministry

Czech's coming too - Czech military aviation advisers to operate in Iraq as of June | Prague Monitor

 

[robert99]

.. and don't forget the Chinese who are advising ... mmm ... the Russians?!
China’s military advisers ‘heading to Syria to help fight ISIS’ – report

 

[Second Summer]

It's starting to sound like an old-fashioned crusade!

 

[robert99]

Tenth Crusade (CounterPunch) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not the C word! W's advisors would cringe eveytime he used it.
With all these nations (plus the Kurds) is n't it strange that ISIS still are fighting?

 

[robert99]

Ooh! the Hungarians want a piece of the action too! - http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/100520165
Csaba Vezekenyi, Hungarian consul-general, announced earlier that Hungary is to send more ammunition to the Kurdish Peshmerga as part of Hungary’s efforts against the threat of ISIS.

Hungary has sent some 275 tons of ammunition and weapons to the Kurdistan Region and Hungarian advisors are training Peshmerga forces.
Iraqi Kurdistan News in brief – April 20, 2016
Hungary said it would increase the number of military advisers in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region by the end of this year to train the Peshmerga forces in the battle against Islamic State (IS) militants.
According to foreign relations’ department, Szijjarto said during the meeting that his country is ready to increase the number of injured Peshmerga receiving treatment in Hungary. Bakir acknowledged the Hungarian government for its continued support for Peshmerga, and the offer of 30 scholarships to Kurdish students to begin studies in fall 2016 in Hungary, the KRG foreign relation’s department said.