Iraq, the mess
The other day we talked about how the Hezbollah commander in Lebanon was worried about the ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State and how they threatened his own country. Messy, huh? One terrorist group worried that another terrorist group will attack them. Well, today we read that the Syrian government attacked the ISIS/ISIL/IS headquarters in Raqqa, Syria, supposedly from where Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali al-Badri al-Samarrai (Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi) supposedly directs his army in Iraq. From the Associated Press;
…the intensity of Sunday’s air raids appeared unusually high, with at least 25 strikes hitting the group’s stronghold of Raqqa in northeastern Syria, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Observatory director Rami Abdurrahman said 14 of those raids targeted a military court and other buildings used by the group.
He said at least 31 Islamic State members were killed in Raqqa, and around 40 wounded. He said there were an additional 22 civilian casualties, but he didn’t have an exact breakdown of the dead and wounded.
The Local Coordination Committees, an activist collective, also reported the airstrikes on Raqqa, but put the death toll early in the day at 11.
I guess that complicates further the politics of the latest war in Iraq. I mean, it was a scant few months ago that the Obama Administration had to be dissuaded from using airstrikes against the Syrian government, now we find ourselves fighting the same enemy. The only thing that could complicate it more is if the Assad government would use chemical weapons on the IS people.
In related news, it seems that the UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron is pushing for a more military stance against the IS. The Brits have limited their participation to rendering humanitarian aid thus far, but Cameron seems to want to shoot at someone. From Reuters;
In his toughest comments yet on IS, an al Qaeda splinter group, Cameron said Britain needed to adopt a more robust stance against Islamic State to prevent it from one day launching an attack on British soil, a warning he first issued in June.
Britain has so far limited its role in Iraq to aid drops, surveillance and agreeing to transport military re-supplies to Kurdish forces. In addition, Britain’s trade envoy to Iraq has said SAS special forces are gathering intelligence there.
“If we do not act to stem the onslaught of this exceptionally dangerous terrorist movement, it will only grow stronger until it can target us on the streets of Britain.
What a novel concept – kill them there before we have to fight them here. I’d have never thought of that.
In other related news, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are agreeing to the prosecution of people in their nations caught contributing to the IS in contradiction of UN sanctions against IS, according to Reuters;
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait agreed to comply with a United Nations resolution aimed at stopping financing for Islamist militant groups in Syria and Iraq after four of their nationals were named among a group blacklisted by the international body.
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution on Friday intended to weaken the Islamic State – an al Qaeda splinter group that has seized swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria and declared a caliphate – and al Qaeda’s Syrian wing, Nusra Front.
So, it looks like there are limits to the amount of evil some of these countries will accept. But let’s see what the Saudis and Kuwaitis do to those citizens.
Category: Terror War
Awesome commentary and summary of the situation. Reposting this.
A very good summary.
It just strengthens the view I have that everything we did for the people of Iraq was for naught.
Well isn’t this a fuster cluck- can’t tell the players without a program. And popcorn, a large cold beer, and hot dog slathered with mustard gas.
Next thing, Iran has a nuke, or a smoking holes where it was and a missile war with Israel. I know my preference; Iron Dome seems pretty tight.
” … or a smoking holes(sic) … ”
That’s my preference.
The UN adopted a resolution? Again? How is that going to weaken the ISers?
If I get myself declared a 3rd world country, will they adopt me, too? I could use the aid to a foreign country that the US hands out so often.
In regard to Cameron’s wanting to shoot someone, hunting season doesn’t start until the end of September. I wonder if he can wait that long.
Enough with my sarcasm for now. I was hoping something would make those peopel (including Cameron) snap out of it and start putting their resources together. I would far rather see Iran expend their resources stopping the ISers than US putting any more into it than medical support and logstics like food supplies. I think we have done enough and it is, after all, their own fight.
Perhaps something good will come out of this. I hope so.
This is the latest bit of news:
http://news.msn.com/world/new-us-strikes-in-iraq-include-land-based-bombers
Good. Leave some smokin’ holes where the ISers were. Thank you.
Don’t forget the old axiom and keep it close to your heart: The enemy of my enemy is STILL my enemy !!!
“What a novel concept – kill them there before we have to fight them here. I’d have never thought of that.”
Wow. Even a liberal can have a light bulb moment? Who’d a thunk.
Ummm. . . . that was Jonn who wrote that. With a HEAVY dose of /sarc and /snark (for those Libtards out there who don’t/can’t recognize humor when they read it – if they can read at all)
“four of their nationals were named among a group blacklisted by the international body”
_______________________________
How do I go about getting the United Nations to pass a resolution blacklisting me?
I’ve also tried really hard to get the Southern Poverty Law Center to include me in their official list of “Hate Groups”, but alas, I have thus far been unsuccessful in my attempts.
I would regard any disapproval and/or condemnation by the United Nations and/or the Southern Poverty Law Center to be endorsements of traditional American patriotism.
I am quite proud of telling folks that I’m a convicted war criminal, as in 1967, an Internation War Crimes Peoples Tribunal in Stockholm, Sweden condemned EVERY American soldier who ever served in the old Republic of Viet Nam of being guilty of war crimes.
Ain’t that neat?
So, here I am, doing Life Without Parole, at the Armed Forces Retirement Home (formerly named the United States Naval Home, and on very old maps, listed as a “Naval Asylum”).
Similarly, the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, D.C., formerly named the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home, is also listed on very old maps as the “United States Military Asylum”.
I have loads of fun with that information!
“They’re coming to take me away!
Ha! Ha! Hee! Hee!”
The first part is a preview of what Dennis Howard Chevalier will be saying.
Saudi’s started the shit in Syria as payback for failed Shiite revolutions in places such as Bahrain.
Now they can’t control their rabid dog and are playing innocent.
Let it burn. – Nero.
oderint dum metuant
Lucius Accius, circa 170 BC.
Let’s give weapons to EVERYBODY over there. Let them keep killing each other. They’ll be too busy with killing each other over who’s the designated heir to Mohammed that they’ll be too busy to screw with us. We’ll deal with whoever’s left.
It would seem that the suitable land based aircraft for this operation would be the A-10 Warthog. IS mostly uses pick-up trucks and SUVs to get around. An A-10 can do a world of hurt to them. But the Obama administration wants to retire this perfectly good weapon so it probably won’t use them.