ISIS takes back Fallujah and Ramadi
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham, al Qaeda’s presence in Iraq has recovered some two cities that they lost, Fallujah and Ramadi, during the American presence there, according to Long War Journal;
The ISIS has posted videos of its fighters entering the cities in force after clashing with Iraqi police and overrunning several checkpoints. In the videos, a large convoy of ISIS fighters driving technicals, or pickup trucks with heavy machine guns mounted on the back, is seen moving through Ramadi. The fighters are flying al Qaeda’s black banner while singing praises to al Qaeda and its “Islamic state.” [See more videos here.]
Officials from the Iraqi Interior Ministry acknowledged that parts of Fallujah and Ramadi are under al Qaeda control.
“Half of Fallujah is in the hands of ISIS (the Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham) group,” an anonymous interior ministry official told AFP.
From an NBC News link sent to us by jerry920;
The move is another sign that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has not been able to maintain control of the country since the United States withdrew its troops in 2011, failing to reach an agreement with the Maliki government to leave behind a residual force.
There are currently no U.S. troops in Fallujah or Ramadi, according to the Pentagon.
The State Department said the violence that reached another peak Friday was a spillover from the civil war in neighboring Syria — and that the border between Syria and Iraq has now become meaningless.
The good news is that the Pentagon says it has no plans to send US troops to Iraq, the bad news is that we can’t believe anything they say. It’s probably encouraging that NBC is blaming the Obama Administration for not being able to reach an agreement with the Iraqi government to keep US troops there in an advisory role. I guess it’s too much to hope that this will be an example to future generations that we can’t just unilaterally declare an end to a war without the enemy agreeing.
Category: Terror War
Surprised NBC News is blaming Obama for anything that does not amount to hugs and kisses for administraion. I don’t care who they blame as long as the dip in the Oval Office doesn’t decide we need to send troops back to Iraq.
“I guess it’s too much to hope that this will be an example to future generations that we can’t just unilaterally declare an end to a war without the enemy agreeing.”
Money line. It’s funny that you used the word “hope” in there. That’s evidently all there is to this administration: hope.
“How’s that ‘hopey-changey thing’ working out for ya, America?”
Never been a question of if, only when. As planned.
This is the next administrations tar baby. Emperor Lion-0 has spiked the football. I really don’t think he loses any sleep over it. Just another item on the to-do-list checked off.
I hate to say this but we will have to go back and help them out,great just great,I thought 2 deployments was enough,bring back Mad Dog.
Jeezus H.
Do we have anyone there at all? If so, why?
We still have a huge embassy staff I think over 4000ish?
Is there such a thing as an anti-Midas touch? Sort of an everything touched turns to fecal matter?
Thank you President Barrack H. Obama, you Manchurian Kenyan Kommunist Kandidate, you. Thanks for snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory.
This is my unsurprised look.
Hmmmm … I guess the strike tags don’t work.
Well, Fallujah has been a hell of a mess since the Marines tried to storm it in 2003:
“You wouldn’t think a big powerful country like the US would go out of our way to make our own version of the Gaza Strip. I mean, even the Israeli rightwingers, some of the mean-craziest people this side of my HS vice principal, are scrambling to find a way to get out of Gaza, which is like all Hell crammed into a beachside slum a few miles square. But that’s what we’ve done in Fallujah.
http://www.exile.ru/articles/detail.php?ARTICLE_ID=7401&PAGE=1
Did you expect us to stay in Iraq forever? I am sure you wouldn’t mind since you or your kids wouldn’t be the ones going.. The Iraqis were given more than enough time to get their shit together.
I went to Iraq twice. I still advocate for America to learn the BOMB AND WALK AWAY policy.
Wow, the last time I was there in 2005, there wasn’t much left of that city…we (the US Army, USMC, USAF) f–ked it up. About 80% of the city was blown to shit.
@14: And while walking away, advise the enemy that they do not want our attention a second time.
Nope–the concept of total war is dead. Unfortunately, so is the concept of winning a war to this administration.
This is what happens when you focus more on ending a war instead of winning it, big difference and the muppets running this circus forgot the enemy always has a say. I’m thinking the glass parking lot method is still an option.
Half of Fallujah? Fox News says it’s the whole city that was captured by “al Quaeda-affiliated militants.” The first clue? After three days of fighting, someone switched the flags over the government buildings. I wonder if anyone will interrupt The Emperor’s Hawaiian vacation to tell him.
@18–I forget which writer said it (although I think it was Coulter) but calling Obama the next Neville Chamberlain isn’t fair–to Chamberlain. Obama has the benefit of history to see where “peace in our time” leads.
B. Hussein 0bama’s response was “* SSHHHHH!*, I’m busy golfing!”
I knew it was all going to hell in a handbasket in 2010 in Baghdad when we had to turn around en route to a meeting because the MoI and MoD personnel were having a running gun battle between themselves.
Isn’t ISIS an Egyptian god? Or goddess? INFIDEL!! How DARE you defame the religion of our Holy Prophet Mohammed (all peace be to his name). Now go chop your own head off with a dull sword!
(/sarc off)
Damn. I had hoped this was a spoof article referencing “Archer”.
@24 well, it does sound like there is a ‘danger zone’ involved, and very possibly a highway straight to it.
“No war is over until the enemy says it’s over. We may think it over, we may declare it over, but in fact, the enemy gets a vote.” Gen James Mattis
ISIS = 1970s campy saturday morning live action show. Lead actress was darn good lookin, and i’ll leave it at that (blissful ignorance of youth).
@17 NHSparky you are right as rain. This country cannot conceive of out and out total war for victory any longer. There are always foreign policy issues to consider and after the war issues to consider and who will be our friends after the war to consider. All the while all this “considering” is being done, Americans are dying. The war is over when the enemy says it is over and that is by total surrender. This war, in Iraq, I am afraid is not over until Obama and Kerry say it is over and that is a frightening proposition to me. Just MHO.