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

originally posted by: victor7
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.

oh the irony. US arms these militants in Syria and now they are going to bomb them in Iraq.

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...

Oh jeeze... I hadn't even thought that far ahead. You're 100% right. If ISIS takes Baghdad and with it, the Iraqi infrastructure, they'll turn it back to their other ongoing fighting front in Syria and make that a proper fight on both sides. Russia likely won't have any of that, as they've made it as clear as they could without planting their own flag that between strategic resource issues and that very strategic Russian Naval base, they are real serious about Syria staying Syria and not whatever this new land would be called which ISIS envisions.

originally posted by: cosmonova

originally posted by: victor7
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.

oh the irony. US arms these militants in Syria and now they are going to bomb them in Iraq.

That's the part of it. These groups are very barbaric and need to be destroyed right away. That would do the humanity a lots of favor.

US armed the FSA i.e. real syrian rebels. These ISIS types are foreign based and even AQ has broke away from them given the very cruel methods used by them in Syria. The ISIS is psychopathic minds when it comes cruelty.

I am sure only air strikes will be enough to reverse the tables on these ancient minded psychopaths.

originally posted by: Wrabbit2000

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...

Oh jeeze... I hadn't even thought that far ahead. You're 100% right. If ISIS takes Baghdad and with it, the Iraqi infrastructure, they'll turn it back to their other ongoing fighting front in Syria and make that a proper fight on both sides. Russia likely won't have any of that, as they've made it as clear as they could without planting their own flag that between strategic resource issues and that very strategic Russian Naval base, they are real serious about Syria staying Syria and not whatever this new land would be called which ISIS envisions.

Exactly. There have already been reports of ISIS transporting captured equipment into Syria, and i think it is clearly obvious what they intend to use them for. ISIS is already the strongest 'rebel' force inside Syria. The use of US military vehicles such as helicopters, Humvees, tanks and trucks is only going to make the Syrian civil war worse. If ISIS takes Baghdad, i expect them to ensure that their foothold is stable, before turning around and pushing back into Syria, using some of the newly captured equipment.

Source regarding ISIS' transportation of equipment into Syria:

The Syria branch of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has put fighting on hold in Syria while it brings in weapons seized inside neighboring Iraq, a monitoring group that tracks the violence said on Friday.

...

Rami Abdulrahman...said that ISIS, Sunni Islamists who have surged out of north Iraq to menace Baghdad and want to establish their own medieval-style state spanning Iraq and Syria, have moved weapons into eastern Syria.

“Our people saw weapons on the road in Syria,” he said.

Photos posted on social media by ISIS supporters also appear to show military equipment, including American Humvee patrol cars, being moved.

Reuters cannot confirm they were taken into Syria but the supporters say they were driven across the frontier.

Matthew Henman, Head of IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre, said in a report that ISIS’s capture of Iraqi territory along the Syrian border will give the group greater freedom of movement of men and materiel across the two countries.

“Light and heavy weaponry, military vehicles, and money seized by ISIL during the capture of (Iraq’s) Mosul will be moved into desert areas of eastern Syria, which ISIS has been using as a staging ground for attacks,” he said.

english.alarabiya.net...

originally posted by: Vovin

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

The Medhi Army was based out of Sadr City in East Baghdad, on down to south Iraq.

They were never involved anywhere near Fallujah.

They are still supported by Hizbollah and will fight any Sunni extremists trying to get involved in Shia' controlled areas.

Muqtada al-Sadr. I think he is somehow retired from military activities. It is said that he had some views which were not aligned with Sistani (Famous Shia cleric in Iraq). For sure he can not or maybe he do not want to confront Sistani. But now that Sistani and even some Sunnie clerics wanted people to confront extremism Muqtada al-Sadr may become active again.

originally posted by: tobiascore

originally posted by: Vovin

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

The Medhi Army was based out of Sadr City in East Baghdad, on down to south Iraq.

They were never involved anywhere near Fallujah.

They are still supported by Hizbollah and will fight any Sunni extremists trying to get involved in Shia' controlled areas.

You're right, my mistake.

That goes to show why religion is the biggest mass murder of all time. Killing in the name of whatever god may be to them. It's sickening to see all this evil running amuck. But, nobody in the powerhouse wants peace and unity. The forces who run this world depend on separatism to keep them in power. This war between individuals keeps them in control. There will be a Great War. The winners will be the new rulers of the new world as the old decays. But it won't be a war between countries. It's gonna be a all out war. Mass chaos in every part. A purge of some sort. Divisions will be created amongst people. People will fight to maintain what they consider a truth... A belief of how life should be. We've been under control for so long and people are beginning to wake up. We're not docile sheep anymore. We're recognizing that we as individuals are the real power... Not governments. Anarchy has risen. The beast is here already in the hearts of mankind. Our fate is upon us now. Our kids future. The future of humanity as a whole. Get ready. reply to: daaskapital

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...

Just because they have captured a piece of equipment does not mean they know how to use it. Plus they would have to maintain it and keep it working. An M1 tank will break down just by looking at it wrong in the desert.
They might be able to use small arms and mortars but most things larger will require a supply chain.

originally posted by: mash3d

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...

Just because they have captured a piece of equipment does not mean they know how to use it. Plus they would have to maintain it and keep it working. An M1 tank will break down just by looking at it wrong in the desert.
They might be able to use small arms and mortars but most things larger will require a supply chain.

Except this is probably the most resourceful militia force on the planet. There's already been videos / pics of ISIS capturing American-made howitzers, hummers, even Abrams tanks.

Even more interesting are the videos of ISIS wiping out Abrams of the Iraqi forces. ISIS is learning a lot about how to counter American weapons.

Well... Here it is.

Hillary Clinton claims that Iraqi president Maliki "must go" because he favours the Shia minority.

Also, the Pentagon claims that it "lacks the intel" to conduct air strikes in Iraq.

I'm sure ISIS is ecstatic.

a reply to: Vovin

There is a lesson in this for my country when push comes to shove you cannot rely on the clowns in Washington,this means countries like mine may be forced to develop a nuclear option.

originally posted by: khnum
a reply to: Vovin

There is a lesson in this for my country when push comes to shove you cannot rely on the clowns in Washington,this means countries like mine may be forced to develop a nuclear option.

Which country

originally posted by: Destinyone
a reply to: daaskapital


Tonight, I heard Lindsey Graham make a dire prediction. He stated if something wasn't done soon to change the situation there, we are looking at another 9/11 here, in the not distant future.

Graham also said, he doesn't see boots on the ground as an option, but airstrikes he would back.

Where is Obama? He has to get his face in front of a camera and say something, other than his advisers are looking at options.

That's his stand-bye statement for everything it seems.

Des

yeah, he was quiet too when he was bagging Osama bin laden......let's have all the republicans, their kids, or their grandkids step up to the plate and volunteer...it would be a fine way to show how patriotic they are. they could get FOX NEWS to show them departing on the planes for Iraq waving flags, while military bands played in the backround.....put your money where your mouth is.

a reply to: Vovin

Australia -theres only 260 million sunnis to our north.

www.nytimes.com...

The dam, which sits on the Tigris River and is about 30 miles northwest of the city of Mosul, provides electricity to Mosul and controls the water supply for a large amount of territory. A report published in 2007 by the United States government, which had been involved with work on the dam, warned that should it fail, a 65-foot wave of water could be unleashed across areas of northern Iraq.

a reply to: Stormdancer777
to add to the mess, the Mosul Dam is unstable without constant maintenance. Its footing is upon gypsum, which is water soluble and thus takes constant cement grout. It is 300 ft high. I'm not sure how much maint it takes, but it needs constant work. So, on purpose or not, it will likely fail if ISIS keeps control, I don't see any infrastructure competence in that bunch.