News ISIS takes Mosul

[ledboots]

Back when Obama was looking at getting involved in Syria's war, ISIS was one of them that would benefit from this since they've been doing a lot of fighting in Syria. If you listen to Counterpunch we've been aiding them for a long time. Friends in one country, enemies in another. The United States may be the only government in the history of the world capable of doing this.

Oh please stop with the ridiculousness. The US is not the worst country in the world. As a female, I am sure glad I live here.

That said, my active duty US marine nephew has friends in Iraq. Now the US is going to use air strikes against Iraq to "help" the US troops there. This foreign policy is abominable, they have no idea wth they are doing, in any part of the world. I have never seen such fails, stupid decisions, and complete ignorance about history, how people act, and consequences of decisions. I can't wait till this pathetic administration is out of office.

 

[yakherder]

When they're already occupying civilian buildings, you kind of already missed your chance to effectively use air support.

At that point, it's room to room engagements or level the place and hope you hit more bad guys than good guys.

 

[yakherder]

I know taking action is costly, and they can take my medical care or any of the other luxuries I'm lucky enough to have if that's what it takes. I want to go back to Iraq, I want these guys to die, and I want to be the one to do it. Okay, I suppose that last part isn't an absolute necessity, but you get the point.. Perhaps this belongs in the very unpopular opinions thread, but when they're killing kids still too young to comprehend what's going on, even as the rifles are being leveled at their heads, it kind of pisses me off, and I kind of stop caring about political and economic repercussions.

TRIGGERING
You've been warned, don't click on the link in this spoiler if you want to sleep anytime soon. But also don't tell me I shouldn't be lusting for these guys' blood right now if you can't bring yourself to click on it. I'm not easy to **** off, but I do have a select few things that set me off. Those who clicked the last time I posted a similar warning know what one of them is.

Spoiler

WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS (RAW) - ISIS begins killing Christians in Mosul, CHILDREN BEHEADED - Middle East - International - News - Catholic Online

 

[rainforests1]

Islamic State beheads, crucifies in push for Syria's east
Getting more control in Syria.

 

[yakherder]

Typical. The dam was retaken, and all the talk is on the combined Iraqi/Kurdish force that did it. No mention of the American ODAs involved. Yay politics. Still trying to promote the idea that the Iraqi forces were successfully trained and don't need anyone holding their hand. Oh well, good to hear ISIS or IS or whatever you want to call it is finally up against some real soldiers either way. And no disrespect to any Iraqi/Kurdish forces who were actually involved. They did their part. It's the media and the upper leadership I'm ranting about.

 

[rainforests1]

IS' influence has been growing for over a year. Why did it take so long? This article mentions oil:
Three ways that oil matters for the crisis in Iraq - Vox

 

[yakherder]

A lot of it has to do with politics. We're supposed to be out of Iraq, and we've spent most of the last decade overstating the capabilities of the Iraqi forces in an attempt to prove they're ready to take over responsibility for their country's security. Putting boots on the ground, or even calling in preemptive air strikes, is much more politically risky than being reactive and waiting until the damage has already been done, especially when it proves their assessments were fabricated.

Yet here they are doing it again, talking about the Iraqi forces who retook the dam. Yeah they are involved, but only just enough to allow us to claim they were involved, the intent being to boost the morale of the people who lost faith in them when they abandoned their cities to be raped and pillaged.

I guess I understand the reasoning, but I still wish credit would go to who deserves it. This was done by U.S. spec ops (the media calls them advisors) and Kurds with air support.

 

[Second Summer]

This was done by U.S. spec ops (the media calls them advisors) and Kurds with air support.

The couple of news articles I've read said it was Kurds - mostly Peshmerga but the "terrorist" PKK group was also involved, with US air support including drones and stuff. Only limited support from Iraqi forces, it said.

 

[yakherder]

What happens when people get scared, and why society as we know it is more fragile than we'd like to admit:

Britons who go to Syria 'are guilty until proved innocent’, says Boris Johnson - Telegraph

Not hard to imagine this happening in other contexts once you step down that slippery slope.

 

[rainforests1]

Peak Oil Review - Aug 25
According to this, Iraq oil production dropped 0.5 million barrels per day. It's hard to say if this is related to the conflict, but if it is trouble could be ahead.

 

[Second Summer]

Iraqi troops have seized the ruins of Mosul’s grand mosque from Isis, the military said in an announcement, declaring the extremists’ reign in the country to be over.

"Their fictitious state has fallen," military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Rasool told state TV on Thursday - three years to the day since Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the establishment of the so-called caliphate from the same spot.

More: Iraq just declared Isis has fallen (29. June 2017)