Islamist Militants Take Mosul

[zraver]

z,



lol at "Sunni Caliphate". that's not going to happen, especially considering the numbers of Shia in Iraq alone.

not interested in supporting either the Shia or the Sunni. if international jihadis on either side pop up, quash 'em with air power as necessary...whether it's ISIS or the Mahdi Army. on the other hand if they focus on killing each other, meh.

The Sunni Caliphate is emerging. The jihadis control large areas of Syria and Iraq giving them a rump state. The Shia generally do not wage a war like jihad, thats a Sunni perversion. Air power is great for armed groups in the open, or safe houses when you can find them but its not a panecea.

[Duellist]

z,



lol at "Sunni Caliphate". that's not going to happen, especially considering the numbers of Shia in Iraq alone.

not interested in supporting either the Shia or the Sunni. if international jihadis on either side pop up, quash 'em with air power as necessary...whether it's ISIS or the Mahdi Army. on the other hand if they focus on killing each other, meh.

Isn't that basically US strategy in Iraq upto 2006 anyway? Air power can be easily offset by blending into urban terrain, and not necessarily the natural kind either. All the Hellfires and 500lb bombs didn't stop Iraq going to hell, and nearly dragging the Middle East in with it.

[citanon]

George Bush coming back to help with Iraq

U.S. Aircraft Carrier Ordered to Persian Gulf in Wake of Iraq Unrest - NBC News

The aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush transits the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea in this Feb. 27, 2014 photo provided by the U.S. Navy.

[Big K]

an ISIL warrior with a Turkish Army chevron on the shoulder... he might not be a Turk but that uniform is!

[kato]

thats a Sunni perversion.

Well, they definitely got the wording down pat already though: Yezidi takfiri nasbi.

A three-in-one insult for Sunni pretty much, with every word referring to a specific historical antipathy to a different ethnic group.
Can effectively be interpreted as "those devil-worshippers who call us apostates to further their purely political goals".

[kato]

he might not be a Turk but that uniform is!

Relative thing. Half the UCK in Albania and Kosovo fought in German uniforms with even the German flag still on their shoulders...

although i doubt Turkish uniforms are as easily available at surplus stores? ;)

George Bush coming back to help with Iraq

Well, she only had to transit through the Strait of Hormuz anyway. Was somewhere south of Pakistan the last two weeks iirc.

[Big K]

...although i doubt Turkish uniforms are as easily available at surplus stores? ;)

theres no such thing in here. no surplus stores.

mostly when you finish your service as a conscript you hand your uniform to the others as spare.

but this chevron is not a conscripts chevron. you can not have it as a conscript.

[citanon]

theres no such thing in here. no surplus stores.

mostly when you finish your service as a conscript you hand your uniform to the others as spare.

but this chevron is not a conscripts chevron. you can not have it as a conscript.

So what does it mean?

[gf0012-aust]

CREF my comment 4-5 days ago here and other forums that my personal belief is that Iran and the US have been backgrounding (even if at) at unofficial levels

partial prune from Aust ABC: Iraq crisis: Advance of ISIS insurgents slows as US orders carrier to Gulf - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, asked at a televised news conference whether Tehran could work with the United States to tackle ISIS, said: "We can think about it if we see America starts confronting the terrorist groups in Iraq or elsewhere."

"We all should practically and verbally confront terrorist groups," Mr Rouhani added, a relative moderate who has presided over a thaw in Iran's long antagonistic relations with the West.

A senior Iranian official earlier this week said that Tehran, which has strong leverage in Shiite-majority Iraq, may be ready to cooperate with Washington against ISIS rebels.

The official said the idea of cooperating with the Americans was being mooted within the Tehran leadership. For now, according to Iranian media, Iran will send advisers and weaponry, although probably not troops, to boost Baghdad.

US officials said there were no contacts going on with Iran over the crisis in Iraq.

had some interesting discussions with some turkish colleagues who believe that the general population and the military are of opposing views to erdogan and the current govt.

[astralis]

duellist,

Isn't that basically US strategy in Iraq upto 2006 anyway? Air power can be easily offset by blending into urban terrain, and not necessarily the natural kind either. All the Hellfires and 500lb bombs didn't stop Iraq going to hell, and nearly dragging the Middle East in with it.

airpower is not so great for counter-insurgency. for counter-terrorism, now, it's not half bad.

[gf0012-aust]

All the Hellfires and 500lb bombs didn't stop Iraq going to hell, and nearly dragging the Middle East in with it.

Airpower is about preparing the ground - not taking it

Someone has to take the ground and hold it.

Otherwise all you are doing is building a grassless golf course

[Bigfella]

Looks like they want to return to the height of Islamic power. Putting Greece and Spain back on there struck a nerve with me.

Actually beyond the height of Islamic power. Ethiopia was never conquered & held entirely.

I wouldn't get too upset. These guys still have to hold what they've taken in Iraq....and then conquer the rest of the map. Just more BS propaganda.

[citanon]

CREF my comment 4-5 days ago here and other forums that my personal belief is that Iran and the US have been backgrounding (even if at) at unofficial levels

partial prune from Aust ABC: Iraq crisis: Advance of ISIS insurgents slows as US orders carrier to Gulf - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, asked at a televised news conference whether Tehran could work with the United States to tackle ISIS, said: "We can think about it if we see America starts confronting the terrorist groups in Iraq or elsewhere."

"We all should practically and verbally confront terrorist groups," Mr Rouhani added, a relative moderate who has presided over a thaw in Iran's long antagonistic relations with the West.

A senior Iranian official earlier this week said that Tehran, which has strong leverage in Shiite-majority Iraq, may be ready to cooperate with Washington against ISIS rebels.

The official said the idea of cooperating with the Americans was being mooted within the Tehran leadership. For now, according to Iranian media, Iran will send advisers and weaponry, although probably not troops, to boost Baghdad.

US officials said there were no contacts going on with Iran over the crisis in Iraq.

had some interesting discussions with some turkish colleagues who believe that the general population and the military are of opposing views to erdogan and the current govt.

gf,

It looks to me like Iran is hoping that we'd be pummeling the Sunnis for them while they consolidate influence and control in the Shiite stub.

[gf0012-aust]

gf,

It looks to me like Iran is hoping that we'd be pummelling the Sunnis for them while they consolidate influence and control in the Shiite stub.

That whole region is a bonfire of religious vanities - there are days when you just want to stick a fence around the whole MEAO and just wait it out.

They make the troubles in nthn ireland look like a school yard fight

[Big K]

So what does it mean?

Main opposition party here constantly saying that Turkey is secretly supporting ISIL.

This chevron can be nothing as well as a proof of Turkish support to the ISIL.

After all Qatar is funding our economy