Iraq crisis: Islamists force 500,000 to flee Mosul

Mosul was captured by rebels from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS—a group that evolved from al Qaeda's Iraq affiliate.

The takeover of a major industrial and oil center and the main city in northern Iraq marked a major coup for a group that only months ago was operating in the country's vast desert hinterlands

BAGHDAD—Islamist insurgents seized control of Iraq's second-largest city on Tuesday in a brazen military operation that underscored the weakness of the central government across vast swaths of the country.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki declared a nationwide "state of maximum preparedness" after government forces fled Mosul in disarray following four days of fighting. He asked parliament to declare a state of emergency. But he didn't say whether military forces were mobilizing to retake the city, 220 miles north of the capital, Baghdad.

By nightfall, the militants were still expanding their territorial conquests. Local security forces said the fighters had taken over territory in the neighboring province of Kirkuk to the east and parts of the city of Sulayman Beg to the south.

online.wsj.com...

U.S. counterterrorism officials said the attacks show the degree to which Islamist militants have established a revolving door between Iraq and Syria, with fighters flowing easily between the two countries and fueling conflict in both.

Mosul residents said they were shocked at the ease of the takeover by hundreds of rebels.

The fighters seized control of the provincial government headquarters, important oil installations in the surrounding province and Mosul airport, the parliament speaker said.

They also took over television stations, police stations and military installations where U.S.-supplied fighter planes, helicopters and other heavy weaponry are based.

The insurgents raided at least one prison and freed all the prisoners.

Military, police, and city officials fled the city.

Witnesses said government soldiers fled on foot, leaving the streets littered with abandoned army vehicles, weapons and uniforms. The vanquished soldiers knocked on doors and begged for civilian clothes so they could escape without being identified, Said Ahmed Khaza'al, a cosmetic dealer.

www.bbc.com...


So much for our war efforts in Iraq & establishing a democracy

You now have a good few thousand militants/rebels/extremists holed up in a medium sized city where all the civilians have fled? Fighting a government that has air attack capability? That's not exactly smart thinking.

Gee! What a stellar job our dear leaders did in bringing peace and democracy to Iraq. Just as they continue to do elsewhere.

I mean, seriously, it's laughable, well it would be if it were not so tragic given the massive and ongoing loss of life. Make no mistake, WE created this mess, it didn't exist before our actions and "regime change". Those responsible for creating this mess should be up before the ICC, tried and hanged as mass murderers.

originally posted by: snarky412

That pic is awesome. I wonder if its just a simple boat ride between Raqqa Syria and Fallujah Baghdad?

Mosul has fallen, imagine the weapons and supplies this insurgent army has now gained?

Iraq, what a nightmare scenario the Wests greed has created. We invaded for corporate profit, ruined it, destroyed its culture and its society and replaced it with battle hardened, blood thirsty Arab fanatics who pay or get paid every time they kill an American and or a westerner sympathetic to Israel. American Democracy my a$$, this was a pillage.

Are there any Americans left? how safe are the mercenaries protecting the western oil fields? How safe are the oil field workers for that matter?

Does Lebanon still have a chance of holding out?

a reply to: Britguy

I mean, seriously, it's laughable

Yes indeedy. Just look at the reaction this thread generated.

There was never any chance western ideals would take root in that part of the world. Westerners do not understand the Middle East ... because they don't want to. They delude themselves into believing their own self-serving lies that change will be embraced when offered.

What's truly laughable is that the political leaders who effed up that country had neither the heart nor the cajones to do it the way it needed to be done.

I cannot believe this has not gotten more stars or flags. ISIS is brutal. Iraq is in real trouble here..... The entire Middle East is in trouble. Afganistan will fall exactly like this as soon as US pulls out. Thanks George Bush and Neo Conservatives for the wars.. the lives lost.. the trillions spent... the suicide rate of returning service members and the non plan on how to make these countries stable. How did no one see this coming? I was a History Major and Political Science minor.. even I knew this would happen. Mosul.. the second biggest city in Iraq. very frustrating. Very alarming. Now what? Seriously? Who steps in.. who even cares in the US. Very very sad and frustrating. No one even cares about this thread.

a reply to: GArnold

Tikrit Iraq has now fallen. Breaking news on CNN and ABC. Baghdad is certainly in the crosshairs. I guess people do not realize how serious this is and what a total disaster this is for Iraq. Syria as well... And Iran.

ISIS are about as bad as extremists get. I kept a newspaper clipping about these idiots in Syria and the things they are doing to Women and Children are disgusting. This is from December 21st, 2013.

Sharia Law Nightmare - Pretty sure the Herald Sun

An armed Islamist organisation fighting on the rebel side has established sharia law in northern Syria, which has seen children whipped and adults executed in public, Amnesty International reports today. The Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) controls a large part of northern Syria, including the countries biggest city, Aleppo.

ISIS is in charge of at least seven "detention centres" in the area where children as young as eight have been detained, young teens have been flogged, and adults executed after "trials" lasting just minutes. ISIS previously known as Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AIQ), practice several forms of torture, including electric shocks and stress positions, and regular floggings with rubber generator belts or cables, in secret prisons in al-Raqqa and Aleppo.

Several children were among detainees who received severe floggings, according to testimonies obtained by Amnesty International. On one occasion, a father had to endure screams of pain from his 13 year old son, who was being tormented by captors in a nearby room.

Two other detainees related how they witnessed a child of about 14 receive a flogging of about 100 lashes during an interrogation at Sadd al-Ba'ath, an ISIS prison in al-Raqqa governorate. Meanwhile, another child whom ISIS had accused of stealing a motorbike was flogged 30 or 40 times a day for 7 days.

Some of those held by ISIS have been suspected of theft or other crimes, while others have been accused of "crimes against Islam", which can include everything from smoking to sex outside marriage. Others were seized for challenging ISIS's rule or because they belonged to other armed groups fighting on the rebel side.

So take the above and throw it into Iraq.. Many people are in big trouble if this group are taking over cities, even the entire country.

See this was why saddam was needed. YEah he was a muderous dictator,but all these groups knew he would murder them and their familiesif they got out of line. When you can lose your first born male heir you tend to think of th e consequences.

a reply to: Britguy

We didn't create these conflicts, while somewhat suppressed over the decades it is old.

What we did do in Iraq in particular was in essence to open the gates of hell in Iraq and then walk away.

a reply to: snarky412

America did not have the backbone to do what needed to be done.

Therefore, we left a fragile country open to exploitation.

The war was managed badly. First Bush, then Obama.
(see! I can blame Bush also!)

If we do anything now, it will be called American Imperialism. If we don't do anything, then fault can simply rest on Bush and Obama and their foreign policy(s).

It's an indictment on the weak, spineless attitudes of our current and past political leadership.

Hmm... Posted in 07?

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Prophetic?

a reply to: DarknStormy

You are right.. ISIS is brutal. I saw a video of theirs last week to 10 days that was alarming to say the least. If Al-Qaeda kicks you out as a branch because your deemed too violent. There is serious issues. We are in a no win situation and so is the rest of the world The Dominoes will fall... And people will view the US badly in History as if they do not now. This whole thing has been a disaster. From the "weapons of mass destruction" nonsense/lying to American public. Practically the first question Bush asked on Sept 11th was "I need battle plans for Iraq on my desk within 48 hours". To make Colin Powell trot out in front of the UN and lie about mobile chemical weapon platforms and iron clad evidence was just sickening/embarrassing. The hole torture and water boarding done by CIA and US service members was honestly a low point in my life and the entire nation as well. to think no one has ever been held to account for any of this fiasco is reprehensible.


We have had 2200 service members die. We spent 3 trillion dollars or more. There are roughly 22 suicides a day of returning service members.. and there is 500,000 dead Iraqi civilians. I forgot to mention we had a vice prescient who intentionally outed a active CIA member because her husband disputed the evidence.

a reply to: snarky412
Now one day after taking Mosul,and the whole province of nineveh,the news is saying they have also taken Tikrit.There was also a suicide bombing in al sadr district of Baghdad(shia area),which I think is probably connected..Looks like isil are heading for Baghdad.

www.aljazeera.com...

What an utter fubar situation.
And we all helped in the west,by poking a stick into the hornets nest.

a reply to: Agit8dChop

Mosul has fallen, imagine the weapons and supplies this insurgent army has now gained?

I wish I had to imagine. I was following this close to the point I kinda passed out to sleep over my keyboard last night. They sure did capture stockpiles, and nice Grade A stuff too. You can imagine what Iraqi armories had, thanks to Uncle supplying their needs. Now the insurgents have it all.

God help the Iraqis we've left behind and God damn us for having screwed those people a THIRD time. They did nothing ..NOTHING..to deserve being staked out to die THREE different times now by assurances and trust placed in US that we wouldn't forsake them to be slaughtered...and we've done just that. Again.

TBH... The Sunni in Iraq are about the only ones we haven't betrayed. We just shot them outright. (sigh)

originally posted by: GArnold
I cannot believe this has not gotten more stars or flags.

It's because its brown people on the other side of the world so no-one cares.

Been keeping an eye on this for a while now. I'm frankly a tad concerned about it. It seems to be progressing far quicker than I thought it would.

Black Hawk, one of ghaneemas taken by #ISIS. #Mosul #Iraq pic.twitter.com/zLoSrbve7R

Wonder if true and what else they've got now.

a reply to: khimbar

correction. they have alot of stuff to sell to china and russia and iran. They have no use for blackhawks really.

originally posted by: yuppa
a reply to: khimbar

correction. they have alot of stuff to sell to china and russia and iran. They have no use for blackhawks really.

Maybe.

Or they'll send them to Syria so the Academi operatives over there can fly them. I have a suspicion it's a covert way of arming the Syrian 'rebels'.

'Oh look, they stole all those arms. How terrible'.

a reply to: yuppa

You are aware that we trained Iraqis to fly helicopters, right? I mean, they kinda figured that whole flight thing out before we got there, to give credit where it's due.

Given that we did feel a bit obligated not to leave them entirely defenseless in a bad neighborhood, I think we added some American systems learning to that. Then, as happens in war, people turn out to be doubles or just flip sides because they woke up with that wild hair one morning.

I.E... The forces arrayed against the Baghdad Government at the moment are more than capable of making good use of aircraft, I'd just about be certain of that. If this keep up at this momentum, they could be in charge of the whole Iraqi Air Force within a month. (sigh)

a reply to: Wrabbit2000

Wouldn't it be great if we could get an accurate full inventory of the weaponry we gave the Iraqis.

Both on the official books, and "off".