Islamist Militants Take Mosul

[Minskaya]

Minsky, is the refinery under isil control or tribal control?

As Doktor posted, ISIL control.

[Minskaya]

There are currently 2 Green Beret A-Teams in Iraq with four more on the way.

Each 12 man A-team includes an Air Force Joint Tactical Air Controller (JTAC).

[Minskaya]

US military advisers reach Baghdad, says Pentagon
June 25, 2014

The Pentagon announced that 40 Special Operations personnel were redeployed locally from the US embassy, while 90 more were flown in from the Central Command region. Another group of 50 personnel will join them shortly. “These teams will assess the cohesiveness and readiness of Iraqi security forces, higher headquarters in Baghdad, and examine the most effective and efficient way to introduce follow-on advisers,” said Pentagon press secretary Rear admiral John Kirby. The 90 personnel flown in from outside Iraq include a mix of special operation personnel, intelligence analysts, technicians and they will help “stand up a joint operations center”.

Source

The USAF is currently flying ~35 ISR missions a day over Iraq. Syrian jets reportedly attacked ISIL positions in western Anbar province killing 50.

[SteveDaPirate]

Iraq PM Nouri Maliki rejects calls for unity government

So with Maliki telling the US to piss off, is it time we start looking into supporting the Kurds and a divided Iraq?

[kato]

Syrian jets reportedly attacked ISIL positions in western Anbar province killing 50.

Air Control for Iraq has probably long ago given up. "Right, you're Air Force. Which one? Ah, doesn't matter, just go ahead like everyone else..."

The Syrian Air Force has been pretty showy lately compared to the previous two years. Multiple sorties on ISIL pretty much every couple days. First against a convoy of Iraqi military equipment liberated by ISIL somewhere in Deir-ez-Zor, then air strikes against ISIL's "capital" Ar-Raqqah, then strikes against ISIL forces in Hasaka bordering Syrian Kurdish territory and now against elements in Al-Qaim on the Iraqi side of the border.

Has anyone claimed that strike on Baiji last saturday yet? Impact area looks like about a 500-lb bomb, and there's some rumours Iran did it...

[Mihais]

If Jordanian army can track their movements, they are doomed. If they penetrate into populated areas it will be messy.

Hope the King was good to his people and we wont see local support for ISIL.

Dok,Jordan strikes me as the best policed Arab state.Their army and SOF are good.Their connections with Western militaries are very tight.
KASOTC is among the best training centers for CT,CQB and urban warfare in the world,if not the best.The troops,especially their SOF, are loyal bedouins,not urban dwellers.
I'd be very surprised to see them disintegrate the way Syrians and Iraqis did.

[Doktor]

I feel the same, for the same reasons. However, the worm with doubts is in.

[Minskaya]

I'm fairly sure the US 'adviser' contingent in Iraq will be operating under the JSOC umbrella. What is less clear is what their mission entails. Strictly protecting Baghdad... or more? A high priority has to be firming up contingency plans to evacuate US embassy and affiliated personnel.

Speaking of Baghdad, the city is woefully unprepared militarily. The access highways are wide open and virtually unprotected.

I've had first-hand experience with Jordanian intelligence. They are indeed very good.

[Minskaya]

A Kurdish official has stated that Iraq has lost roughly half of its pre-ISIL invasion military hardware. The Iraqi Army consists of 14 divisions. If true, this statement would imply that the equivalent of 7 divisions worth of Iraqi military materials have been either captured or destroyed.

[Triple C]

There is a running thread on tank net about US-made M1 tanks being abandoned by Iraqi troops on video, often with no apparent military justification.

[Albany Rifles]

Owning an M1 is not the same of being capable of combined arms operations.

How are they on the maintenance, calibration and upkeep of the M1?

What is their experience with turbine engines?

Not overly concerned by the M1s.

[bfng3569]

There is a running thread on tank net about US-made M1 tanks being abandoned by Iraqi troops on video, often with no apparent military justification.

I was wondering about this, and if anyone really new how much U.S. equipment (stuff left for the Iraqi's) had fallen into ISIS hands. you see a lot of Humvees being driven around....

and this is also an area where I don't understand why Obama isn't bombing ISIS targets, particularly and specifically old U.S. equipment that they have captured?

[astralis]

bfng,

and this is also an area where I don't understand why Obama isn't bombing ISIS targets, particularly and specifically old U.S. equipment that they have captured?

to what end?

[Albany Rifles]

and this is also an area where I don't understand why Obama isn't bombing ISIS targets, particularly and specifically old U.S. equipment that they have captured?

And how do you tell a Kurdish HUMMWV from and ISIS HMMWV from an Iraqi HMMWV from 20,000 feet?

And attack with what aircraft?

What is the AFCENT air order of abttle?

[Doktor]

And how do you tell a Kurdish HUMMWV from and ISIS HMMWV from an Iraqi HMMWV from 20,000 feet?

And attack with what aircraft?

What is the AFCENT air order of abttle?

Bring OSCE to paint the Iraqi HMMWV. (Hint: Orange color, 1999)