“Just the beginning”
I’m watching the press conference at the Pentagon in which they’re telling us about last night’s attacks on Syria. Admiral John Kirby says that they struck targets in the oil fields in eastern Syria and that they hit ISIS headquarters. They also claim that two fighters from Bahrain appeared over Syria in the second and third waves of the attacks. That all of the munitions were guided munitions.
They say that the first wave included Tomahawk missiles from the USS Philippine Sea. The Pentagon admits that he hit some residential areas but that the ISIS folks were hunkered down among civilians. The media asked the general if they were going to required “boots on the ground”, his answer was that he believes the force is “appropriately sized” for current operations.
Kirby promised that this is “just the beginning” of airstrikes. The Pentagon says that their goal is to “disrupt” ISIS’ operations in Iraq.
Q: “Do you think you’ve had some success?”
A: Something about their goal is to “give the Iraqis some space…to get on the offensive…we did several strikes in support of the peshmerga.”
“The radar response from Syria was passive.”
“ISIS is very well-funded and adaptive…they will change and adapt to these airstrikes…they are already doing that. We’ve seen signs of that already.”
“You are seeing the beginnings of a sustained campaign.”
He wouldn’t comment on who is doing the target selection when asked if the president or Secretary of Defense was involved in that process.
The Pentagon is unaware of any confirmation of civilian casualties, despite ISIS claims.
Prayers out.
Category: Terror War
Buried in all this is that Israel shot down a Syrian fighter jet.
Do you possibly have a link for that info? I also read an article via Reddit, that an Israeli jet also knocked out Russian equipment in Syria as well.
Jonn, Prayers out for the pilots flying over Syria. As for the big concern over civilian casualties, screw them. They love ISIS and support, hide and aid them so they get a piece of shrapnel too. Lots to go around I hope.
Odd, no matter how many civilians ISIS tortures, murders and beheads, their first press announcements are always about civilian casualties. The default plea to the western liberals.
It’s not a default plea to western liberals, Spark. A pretty big western liberal is the person ordering these strikes.
ISIS is using civilian casualties to recruit extremist Sunnis to their cause. When we inadvertently kill civilians ISIS calls them civilians and accuses us of targeting innocents. When ISIS deliberately murders civilians, including women and children, they call them apostates. The only person this sort of logic would appeal to is someone who is already sympathetic to ISIS.
As for the civilian casualties, I disagree with you. A lot people in ISIS occupied terrorities do not support ISIS. I don’t know what the percentages are, but ISIS rules through fear, not popular consent. I hope we can minimize civilian casualties, but by no means should we not bomb ISIS because of the potential for collateral damage.
The images of civilian deaths and the carnage wreaked upon Syrian cities in the aftermath of airstrikes is heart-wrenching. 3 tours of Iraq and I still get a heavy heart when women and children are involved. Nothing prepares you for that and you never get used to seeing it no matter how many times you witness it first hand.
General Ira C Eaker once told bomber crews in England in 1943, “Be prepared for your job, you will be killers of women and children,…”
If not; this greatest country wouldn’t be here now.
Oh well.
General Ira C Eaker once told bomber crews in England in 1943, “Be prepared for your job, you will be killers of women and children,…”
Glad you weren’t around durring WW2.
Mostly patriots; you wouldnt fit in. You so sweet.
I put my comment (what the…)?
Ok now i see your format. I’m under “gary busey. Good.
Remember WW 2.
Is Gary okay ?
Call me an idiot, but I don’t want to “disrupt” ISIS operations in Iraq. I kinda want them completely wiped off the face of the earth. This administration does everything they can to make things sound like we’re not actually at war with these savages. Contain, disrupt, no boots on the ground. It’s all smoke and mirrors. Nothing to see here but a JV squad.
Arc-Light will disrupt them.
imo
If this method is supposed to scare ISers, it isn’t going to work. They engage in wholesale slaughter and state (loudly) that they welcoe death. You can’t wear them down. They have money, logistics, and lots of recruits, with more to come.
This is not going to work.
Try General Pershing’s method: make it known that we are coating all of our munitions with bacon grease. See how many of the bastards like the idea of martyrdom when, according to their own beliefs, we are making sure they don’t get those 72 virgins.
Except of course, that never happened.
President Nobel Peace Prize sure does a lot of new military campaigns and killing. I wonder when his award will be revoked.
Obama has now surpassed “war criminal” George Bush in military conflicts killing brown people. Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Somalia, and now Syria. So much for that 2009 Muslim reset button aplology tour.
When is Code Pink and friends going to bloody hand protest and where is Keithy Oberman when they are needed?
I really didn’t think Obama would have the balls to hit anything in Syria.
Why do I get the feeling he’s only doing this so Clinton has something to run on when it comes to foreign policy? Because he’s half-assing it as is.
I know I’m biased. My Son is on the USS Philippine Sea. Bravo Zulu to all involved.
Nice.
Send them my love and admiration.
Mixed emotions on this – we need to hit them hard. If the civilians willingly cover for them, well, that draws them into the fray as well. But I’m also willing to bet that 99% of those civilians would happily tell the ISIS/ISIL/whatever assholes to GTFU if they thought they could without getting beheaded for it. I’d be screaming for revenge if my kids or grandkids were killed – the majority of them aren’t any different. War sucks.
I’d love to console myself that they shouldn’t pick fights with a country like us that is very, very good at breaking shit – then I realize that given our leadership’s preference, our ROE render us slightly less frightening than your basic sorority hazing. God love our boys and girls who have to do the fighting.
If the bleeding hearts are concerned about civilies ( if there is a such thing in that part of the world). Use the Hogs(A-10s)and call them that to make them think that they die unclean and be denied paradise. Or drop leafets all over the city telling they could be killed living next to the IS murders. There fixed it. It worked in Nam right(?). Joe
I saw some raw video today from a US NAVY ship that “fired away”. The crew hardly flinched as the darkness turned to bright light as the post compressed air rocket burn lit the bridge. TOMAHAWKS away … I felt proud for and of those kids!
I was thinking about Sailors who undoubtedly were chipping and painting today on the Burke and Phil Sea.
You know that blistered paint didnt stay long after they secured from launch
E4U … UNGA 69 + POTUS + VA (for suture removal) + crack heads + ambulance screaming in my ears + 18 hour days = I owe you a phone call!
OVER
Master Chief,
No worries, I have had a long day myself.
Oh and Bernath, Dallas, Psaul ect.
When you mental giants read this, I promise that never in a million years will you be able to guess the topic of the conversation.
Bernath, you were never ever a Chief Petty Officer Hon or otherwise.