ISIS Now Controls Iraq's Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, Surrounds Baghdad on Three Sides

a reply to: DarknStormy


From what I gather yes, that is what he is trying to say.

originally posted by: wutang717
a reply to: DarknStormy


From what I gather yes, that is what he is trying to say.

Well that's great, because his whacko pastors theory is going to be debunked very fast.

a reply to: SF4REAL

It is all about oil, but the bigger picture is ecological instability, environmental degradation, and a declining EROI for synthoil sources. That's why we're not going forward with the keystone pipeline, or the deep underwater projects. Just too frisky. We've already triggered too many positive feedback mechanisms, and the EROI for shale and tar sands aren't enough to keep our way of living going. Funds are being divested out of these projects.

Actually, the rising price will help to refund some of these projects. It's a way to keep the game going. Any which way you look at it, there's a very tight balancing act, with each choice leading to increased hostilities, and the point of no return. I think we were fools for not investing R & D in thorium reactors decades ago. We could have transitioned to safer nuclear without having to wipe out civilization to fill the greedy bellies of the few.

I think the long term strategists had a plan of controlling the main energy source, which was finite, in order to keep the upper hand, but their vision hasn't worked as planned, and now we're all going to pay for this.

Groups like ISIS and Al-Nusra Front are very hard line Islamic fanatics who repeatedly resort to very barbaric crimes on the battlefields and on the captured POWs.

US should provide immediate air strikes cover for the Iraqi government forces. This will also raise the morale of the government troops who uptill now were more than happy to drop weapons and flee the battlefield theater.

Guess a lesson to be learned from recent events is US should not plan on leaving Afghanistan in complete capacity. It should maintain 1-5K troops level at all times. Also, it should declare that USAF cover for Afghan government troops will be available all the time in case they have to fight the AQ and Taliban. This will give a strong morale boost to Kabul government's forces to fight well against any fanatics still trying to try their luck at regaining power.

originally posted by: DarknStormy

originally posted by: wutang717
a reply to: DarknStormy


From what I gather yes, that is what he is trying to say.

Well that's great, because his whacko pastors theory is going to be debunked very fast.

Speaking of Mahdi though...

What ever happened to Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army based in Fallujah?

originally posted by: Vovin

originally posted by: DarknStormy

originally posted by: wutang717
a reply to: DarknStormy


From what I gather yes, that is what he is trying to say.

Well that's great, because his whacko pastors theory is going to be debunked very fast.

Speaking of Mahdi though...

What ever happened to Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army based in Fallujah?

The fella gave up politics and simply faded.

Following the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, al-Sadr continued to be an influential figure in Iraqi politics, associated with the Al-Ahrar bloc, whose Shi'a factions are still at war with not only the government but also the Sunni factions.[41] However, whereas during the war al-Sadr was known for advocating violence, in 2012 he began to present himself as a proponent of moderation and tolerance and called for peace.[42][43]

On February 18, 2014 The young cleric announced in a handwritten note posted on his movement’s website Sunday that he was immediately withdrawing from politics and dissolving the party structure to protect his family’s reputation. “I announce the closure of all offices and libraries in all religious, social and political fields,” the note read. “There is no (political) bloc that represents us from now on nor do we hold any positions inside or outside the government or parliament.”

en.wikipedia.org...

a reply to: Vovin

It would appear Al-Sadr hit the bricks and vanished just in time and just ahead of a real bad time to come. Although, by reading the article which quotes him..it's almost humorous to know how it all turned out, and realize, we simply should have taken the man at his word and taken from that, the fact something real bad was coming. He all but said it.

Powerful Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has withdrawn from politics, overnight dismantling his influential political movement in a move that has stunned his followers and handed a pre-election boost to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The young cleric announced in a handwritten note posted on his movement’s website Sunday that he was immediately withdrawing from politics and dissolving the party structure to protect his family’s reputation.

“I announce the closure of all offices and libraries in all religious, social and political fields,” the note read. “There is no (political) bloc that represents us from now on nor do we hold any positions inside or outside the government or parliament.”

Source Feb - 2014

He wasn't even terribly subtle. Shortly there after we see why, I believe.

On March 20, ISIS fighters staged a parade in downtown Fallujah. The parade was similar to previous ones, with convoys of cars carrying the group’s flags. This time, however, ISIS used Humvees, the type owned by Iraqi government forces and the police. ISIS had seized most of the vehicles after battles with the Iraqi army.

Real subtle of their own, indeed.. Just subtle as a lead pipe. Very intelligent though..and yeah.. they do make quite a show of themselves. Very direct and fundamentalist.

The parade by ISIS reveals the start of a fierce internal conflict between the gunmen in Fallujah. Of course, ISIS hopes that its parades will kill two birds with one stone: taking over the decision-making from the tribal elders, clerics and some faction leaders and dragging the Iraqi army into a confrontation, thus forcing the rest of the factions and clans to work under ISIS to defend Fallujah.

The history of ISIS in Iraq shows that wherever it is present, it assassinates its competitors, gets rid of moderate clerics and opponents in various ways and imposes Sharia courts. That phase has not yet started in Fallujah, but the parade suggests that it could begin at any moment.

Source March - 2014

Not a nice bunch of people at all. Downright undemocratic, in fact. I don't expect we'll be seeing purple fingers where they rule.

That is interesting.

I think al-Sadr must have something else going for him. He is tied close to Iran, and he held back his forces from fighting the Americans when he could have made a difference. Both of these things would make him an easy target for ISIS.

originally posted by: Vovin

originally posted by: DarknStormy

originally posted by: wutang717
a reply to: DarknStormy


From what I gather yes, that is what he is trying to say.

Well that's great, because his whacko pastors theory is going to be debunked very fast.

Speaking of Mahdi though...

What ever happened to Muqtada al-Sadr and his Mahdi Army based in Fallujah?

Well I don't know.. Obviously wasn't the Mahdi army because once that appears, it's not going anywhere.

a reply to: Vovin
From an interesting site: iswiraq.blogspot.co.uk...

he is getting up and into the act

"On June 14, Moqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadrist Trend, ordered his supporters in all provinces to organize military parades. This mobilization by Sadr will very likely include members of the Promised Day Brigade, formerly known as the Mahdi Army. Since the fall of Mosul, Sadr has intensified the mobilization of his movement in order to bolster the solidarity of the Iraqi Shi’a community and also to outpace the mobilization of rival Shi’a militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq. On June 11, Sadr had called for the formation of the “Peace Brigades” to defend the shrines."

originally posted by: TheBoomersRBusted
a reply to: Vovin
From an interesting site: iswiraq.blogspot.co.uk...

he is getting up and into the act

"On June 14, Moqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadrist Trend, ordered his supporters in all provinces to organize military parades. This mobilization by Sadr will very likely include members of the Promised Day Brigade, formerly known as the Mahdi Army. Since the fall of Mosul, Sadr has intensified the mobilization of his movement in order to bolster the solidarity of the Iraqi Shi’a community and also to outpace the mobilization of rival Shi’a militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq. On June 11, Sadr had called for the formation of the “Peace Brigades” to defend the shrines."

Hmmmmm

I remember during the invasion/occupation of Iraq, he presented himself as a wildcard with a factional force of tens of thousands of fighters (I don't recall the actual estimate). So I'm really wondering if they stuck with his chain of command or if they maybe deserted by now. Because they would probably put up a stronger defence than the Iraqi military.

a reply to: daaskapital

Just a question, doesn't Armageddon begin when the Euphrates and the Tigris run dry? Is this like self-fulfilling prophecy?

Cheers - Dave

a reply to: Vovin

I think Al-Sadr was simply a survivor and a realist with American forces. If he'd fought us, we'd have killed him. Cause and effect and simple as that. No other outcome to it...and to my knowledge in modern times, only one man has ever pulled a similar stunt to get away with it. It took a world humiliation directly related to trying to get him to cause it and that was Somalia with Aidid. He didn't survive to enjoy retirement tho. Few like that do. Al-Sadr didn't want to be a notch on the Coalition belt tho. I can't blame him.

He's also Shia, while the ISIS is Sunni. A life and death difference to these folks, and the Sunni won't consider this all finished until there are NO Shia left in the world in a position of authority or power over anything more than their own house. It's one of those things dating back long before America was a nation, IMO...

So.. I'm going to guess Al Sadr may have gone back to Iran where he spent a part of the Iraq war in hiding, so we didn't make him a trophy. Fallujah sure doesn't seem a friendly place for him.

** Personally, I'm an old school American with a tendency to root for the underdog ...and the Shia are so badly outmatched in the overall war driving everything else, it's almost nothing more than a question of time and years at this point. (sigh)

originally posted by: bobs_uruncle
a reply to: daaskapital

Just a question, doesn't Armageddon begin when the Euphrates and the Tigris run dry? Is this like self-fulfilling prophecy?

Cheers - Dave

Funny you asked because I checked on that a few days ago

"And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them." [Revelation 9:13-16

I'm now reading that this was a planned event at least a year in the making, not sure if anyone else is picking that up anywhere.

And it sure is taking them awhile to go at Baghdad.

a reply to: Wrabbit2000

al-Sadr did go to Iran for a few years, pretty much around the same time when anywhere outside of coalition-held green zones were killing fields.

As for Shia's position, scale is important. In Iraq, it's bad. But Iran is a modern country that is stable and very safe compared to its neighbours, so Shiites are fortified there.

Iran itself is a secular country, in terms of politics. Shia Islam is not radicalized like Sunni is. This gives Iran the ability to cooperate with other secular countries and governments, even in Sunni countries like Syria.

I wasn't around for the Iran-Iraq war, but from what I've heard from it religion wasn't a big part of it, strategically speaking. The ayatollah was opposed to using any weapons of mass destruction to counter Saddam's chemical assaults on Iran-held urban areas, based on moral beliefs.

a reply to: Vovin

Scale is critically important, and I'm not looking on the scale of one or two nations, as the Sunnis are not looking in sub-regional scale, either. In the big picture, so to speak....

(Source)

It's a numbers game. That's highlighted even more here, in a study done on world Muslims and distribution by % and location.

An overwhelming majority of Muslims are Sunnis, while an estimated 10-13% are Shias. This report estimates that there are between 154 million and 200 million Shia Muslims in the world today.

Between 116 million and 147 million Shias live in Asia, representing about three-quarters of the world’s Shia population (note that Iran is included in the Asia-Pacific region). Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of the world’s Shias (36 million to 44 million) live in the Middle East-North Africa.4 Looked at in a different way, 12-15% of the Muslim population in the Asia-Pacific region is Shia, as is 11-14% of the Muslim population in the Middle East-North Africa region.

Source

Shia definitely represent a profound minority among the Muslim population. Iran is the only majority control nation of it's kind they have left. Particularly now that Iraq is in the process of falling back to the extreme Sunni.

Those creatures worse than animals are not Sunni. However they may be considered part of it. So this is a big very big mistake that we think those terrorists are Sunnies and so they are killing Shia. Most of muslims are Sunnie and for sure they are not inclined to kill other muslims. So those terrorists are radical entities supported by Wahabism center in the Saud. They have no doubt to kill non-aligned Sunnies too.
This is not something odd in the middle east and Islam. thousands years ago those terrorists killed the grandson of their prophet, Hussain, and his family even his six month infant and enslaved his family. These terrorists have a root in the history of Islam and they were always killing other muslims and they were always supported by monarchies of middle east.

one of the big things ISIS is trying to do is capture US built equipment from the Iraqi army.

this will be used in Syria to over throw the government there.

US tanks and artillery is some of the best and until now hard for the ISIS to get for there war in Syria.

www.news.com.au...

originally posted by: ANNED
one of the big things ISIS is trying to do is capture US built equipment from the Iraqi army.

this will be used in Syria to over throw the government there.

US tanks and artillery is some of the best and until now hard for the ISIS to get for there war in Syria.

www.news.com.au...

I think that's two steps ahead.

Next step is a new unofficial nation consisting of northern Iraq. And I'm not talking about Kurdistan either.

It's getting heavy. All part of the plan that was laid out almost two decades ago.