Kurds Take ISIL Air Base
Photo: Reuters
The Tabqa air base is 28 miles west of Raqqa. http://time.com/4713496/kurdish-rebels-isis-tabqa-syria/
US-led coalition forces have said the Tabqa dam is structurally sound. It is 25 miles upstread of Raqqa on the Euphrates River.
The activist group “Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently” reported that ISIS had ordered Raqqa residents to evacuate, though without their furniture. Those sand rats must be setting up an after-market postwar furniture chain.
The Syrian National Coalition said in a statement that it was “increasingly concerned” about civilian casualties in the campaign against the extremist group.
There’s more detail at the report in this link: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/backed-forces-capture-tabqa-air-base-isil-170327033050002.html
This comes just a few days after the US airlifted the Kurdish forces last week.
Category: Politics
Crush ISIS, got it. Looks like we’ll be in Iraq for quite a while, now, perhaps with a SoF agreement this time. I’d still like to hear what the end game is, and how we get there.
The third question is necessary, too: how long will we be there?
Imperialism is sounding better and better.
It seems there’s only two viable options, return to colonialism, or turn the entire area to glass… to be honest, I’m ok with either option.. as my father ( Vietnam vet, Engineer, recipient of the Bronze Star with V) says, we have bits that can drill through glass… of course as a Vietnam vet, he also said that his platoon had the solution to the war… pave the entire country, and turn it into a parking lot for WW III…Smart man…
We need to flush ALL proponents of the politically correct bullshyt and start exterminating muslims, how many centuries has this shyt been going on….ENOUGH, create a bounty and eliminate the a.h.s…..!imho
Ex, that would depend a lot on the answer to questions 1 and 2.
Graybeard, with respect, I didn’t leave anything there I need, and they have nothing I want. But I am very happy with the ass-kicking ISIS is receiving, and hope for much more.
Here’s an update from BBC News, in regard to the Tabqa Dam.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-39406923
The control room is out of service.
Daesh published photos of the control room, which appears to have received heavy damage from air strikes. They ‘warn’ that the dam might collapse “at any moment”.
They told people they had to evacuate (without their furniture) and then later, sent cars with loudspeakers around, telling them there was no need to evacuate. A reminder here is that Daesh is said to have been using the dam as its headquarters.
There is a map showing the general areas held by Syrian and Daesh forces. There is an aerial shot of the spillway which does not look damaged. The UN’s concern is that the dam is damaged enough to collapse and send a massive flood south.
I’m waiting to see what comes of this.
And we don’t have an answer to question #1 (end game?) or #2 (route to get ‘there’ from ‘here’), so that means we keep an eye on it.
The fourth question is this: has there ever been a time in history that As-Syria was NOT the center of warfare?
As I recall Marcuss Crassus went there to make a name for himself against the Parthians, who not only won that engagement because of their superior strategy but also because their archers and spearmen rode horses that were armored like tanks. Crassus was killed by the Parthians (Persians) when he met with them to discuss terms.
Crassus underestimated the Parthians. We cannot afford to underestimate Daesh.
I’m a little slow, and late to the party, but by saying “ISIL Airbase” are we implying that Isil has aircraft/an air force?
Not really. It’s how the news service labeled it. They don’t know the difference. It’s more like an airfield.
The dam at Tabqa is the more important object.
Dustoff, if ISIL could loft an aircraft in anger, the line to shoot it down would be epic.
Think kids at a summer birthday party with a piñata. Except instead of a stick they have AMRAAMs.
I am in agreement in the turn the whole place into glass group! We have all the oil we need so let’s wipe them all off the face of the map!
In searching for updates this morning, I ran across this bit of news: US-made military weapons such as rockets were found in one of ISIL’s spots by the Syrian army.
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960108000520
The stuff in that box in the photo does have USA markings, but I’d like to know if this is baloney, or if it is munitions that were stolen? How else would ISIS get their hands on it? I thought we cleared out everything when we “left” in – was that 2009? 2010?
Just trying to get things straight, that’s all.
I would wager that the munitions were abandoned by the Iraqi army when they fled from Mosul a couple years ago.
Thanks, AW1Ed. I’m seeing news reports that Russia is cozying up with Tehran to get air space privileges and parking space for aviation. I don’t know if this means that Russia is doing that because we’re ramping up a bit, or if it’s just coincidental, but it’s happening at the same time we’re increasing our own presence there.
An update from Agence France Presse: https://www.afp.com/en/news/15/counter-attacks-defend-north-syria-stronghold
From the article: “Backed by air power from the international coalition bombing IS, the Syrian Democratic Forces are laying the groundwork for an assault on the heart of the jihadists’ so-called “caliphate”.”
“”The fighting is a result of IS launching a counter-offensive to exhaust the Syrian Democratic Forces around the Tabqa military airport,” Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said.
He said the SDF was working to “consolidate its positions” near the airport ahead of a final push for the town.
IS began the attack by dispatching a car bomb towards SDF forces stationed near the airport, the alliance’s media arm said.
Fierce clashes broke out but the SDF held back the attack and managed to seize some ammunition and rocket stores from IS, according to pictures published by the SDF.”
The referenced “ammunition and rocket stores” must the US-marked munitions in the photograph in the Farsnews report.
This is a Newsweek report on Russian negotiations with Tehran for airspace and parking space at an Iranian airbase.
http://www.newsweek.com/russia-military-now-bomb-syria-rebels-isis-iran-575237?piano_t=1
According to the author of that article, Russia is supporting the US-backed Kurds as well as the YPG Kurds.
That’s a change.