Dual offensives in Syria and Iraq ISIS days are numbered.

What we have seen over the last year is the US coordinating offensives in Syria and Iraq at the same time stopping ISIS from being able to rush troops back and forth and removing the advantage of interior lines. Now we have US backed SDF and other rebels making a push on ISIS capital in Syria Raqqa Offensive on Raqqa And at the same time in Iraq a joint Govenrment, Militia, Triibal attack on Fallujah Iraq Assualt Fallujah.

These will be two huge losses for ISIS. In Syria in particular this the last major strong hold. In Iraq it prepares for the final battle in Mosel that is planned for later in the year in Mosul, although some minor offensive operation have already started to keep ISIS from having a chance to regroup. Meanwhile the US continues to train Kurds for the Mosul attack with 1000 just completing and another 1000 coming soon. US trains Kurds for Mosul

US air power and special operation forces are out in full support of these operations. And ISIS is finding real trouble at this point. At some point they will have to just give up the idea of fighting as a conventional force and go into hiding and striking soft targets.

Assad and Russia driving off of rebel forces has been a double edged sword. While it has given Assad some relief from the rebels, without that buffer Assad now has to deal directly with ISIS. And it has not been pretty. Bomb and Rocket attacks in Assad strong holds And ISIS occupies Assad hospital And even for the Russians an attack on one of its air bases destroying 4 helicopters and 20 trucks. ISIS attacks Russian base. However these are not real military victories just PR wins for ISIS. Assad and the Russians just do not have the experience all the others have learned from fighting ISIS because they have had a buffer for so long, they will learn quickly though.

So what does this all mean? ISIS as a fighting force is almost gone. After that it will be bombings etc. not something air power or tanks will be of any use dealing with. It also means that a whole lot of rebels including the Kurds will now be able to put their full attention on Assad. If a peace deal is not reached first I do not think that even the Russians can save Assad. And in Iraq after ISIS we will see the Kurds/Sunnis facing off with Iraqi government and Shia. So even with ISIS gone do not expect peace. And the fights for Fallujah, Mosul and Raqqa will be bloody affairs where many civilians will pay the price.

a reply to: MrSpad

Well said, and may Isis meet a quick and brutal defeat, take no prisoners kill them all.

a reply to: MrSpad

New satellite imagery appears to reveal extensive damage to a strategically significant airbase in central Syria used by Russian forces after a reported attack by so-called Islamic State (IS).

So where is this base ?

a reply to: the2ofusr1

It's between Homs and Palmyra.

This was a guerilla type attack and the Russians were claiming they were looking into the cause of the fire.

As MrSpad said, these are small victories in the BIG picture.

www.bbc.co.uk...

When IS or ISIS is routed.... then Turkey will take the reigns of the Caliph & Caliphate by routing out both ISIS & the Syrians along with the Kurds in Turkey proper

Turkey is the gate keeper of the bottomless pit, Erdogan (aka: Sultan/Caliph) is the fallen star with the Key...
he will likely flood the EU with refugees some more

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

This was a guerilla type attack and the Russians were claiming they were looking into the cause of the fire.

I don't believe we will hear the truth from Russia only because they were supposed to have ISIS handled before they scaled back, but with this happening on a base they use and the suspects are ISIS that sorta negates what you have made everyone to believe.

I don't think this will be the last attack that we see like this, so I hope Russia is better prepared next time it happens...and it will happen again.

originally posted by: Cobaltic1978
a reply to: the2ofusr1

It's between Homs and Palmyra.

This was a guerilla type attack and the Russians were claiming they were looking into the cause of the fire.

As MrSpad said, these are small victories in the BIG picture.

www.bbc.co.uk...

Purely propaganda victories, strike where Assad is most secure to cause fear but, the reality is ISIS can not take and hold anything from Assad or anybody else at this point. and once Assad and Russia are more familiar with ISIS tactics they will be able to stop most of these things. It is just a matter of adjusting to something they have not had to deal with much in the past. Much like the Paris attack, these sorts of things are acts of desperation when you no longer can win a real conflict.

and as OP said, ISIS ideology or whatever you want to call it has spread beyond Syria and Iraq and they will continue to carry out attacks

Despite the almost criminal actions of the US in not really fighting ISIS as it should have, by allying strongly with Syria, Russia, and making Turkey and the Gulf States join in a massive coalition to immediately exterminate ISIS, its good to hear that ISIS may be at its end as a strong fighting force.

We'll learn the horrors that these filthy savages have done to innocents while Obama played golf and refused to be a real leader.


The US could have for the first time fought and won easily a moral war but as usual they failed

Obama will go down in history as one of the vilest human beings who refused to save thousands of people he could have if he were a leader and not the spineless leader he ended up being.

I was thinking about posting this vid in it's own thread. but in here will do....

It's an RT doco showing what life in the oilfields of Syria has been like. It also shows quite clearly that ISIS was getting fighters in via Turkey and that Turkey was supporting them with food, arms etc.

Many disagree with what Russia did with it's intervention, but the border is a lot more secure now and they have helped Assad strangle off the supply routes, which in turn has aided the collapse of ISIS.

No worries folks. The Isis tripe is almost over.
8 years from now, all the illegal dealings, and cover ups, and wrong doings, will come to light... but

The next enemy, is set for a release date after the elections.
modifications are being made accordingly depending on the stance China takes on NK and it's rightful artificial island were so keen on encroaching.
Oh.. and Saudi....

yea. The ball's in the air for our next manufactured 'enemy ' and where they 'come from'. We gotta a lot of work if we expect a mid February 2017 disaster and go on the 'offense'.

The US should have a museum for like al queda, Isis, isil, illegal, Hamas-born, Talibans, al shabbaz, and all the obscure 'threats' in the 'axis of evil'..... I couldn't say that with a straight face.

Go trump

originally posted by: Willtell
Despite the almost criminal actions of the US in not really fighting ISIS as it should have, by allying strongly with Syria, Russia, and making Turkey and the Gulf States join in a massive coalition to immediately exterminate ISIS, its good to hear that ISIS may be at its end as a strong fighting force.

We'll learn the horrors that these filthy savages have done to innocents while Obama played golf and refused to be a real leader.


The US could have for the first time fought and won easily a moral war but as usual they failed

Obama will go down in history as one of the vilest human beings who refused to save thousands of people he could have if he were a leader and not the spineless leader he ended up being.

The only reason ISIS is almost done is because of massive long term bombing by the US, anyone with basic military knowledge knows a strategic air campaign takes a long time but, as that time goes on the combinded effects become devastating. And of course the training and arming of local forces to retake and hold territory. Sending in US/Western troops would have been a mess and would be repeating the same mistakes that got us here. Not to mention it would have been a huge PR victory for ISIS and its recruiting. It would have played right into there hands because US forces would all over trying hold territory while under constant terror attacks and not able to leave without ISIS retaking over. And the idea that we could make Turkey and the Gulf states do the job not only would be politically impossible but, militarily as well. That idea is almost a silly as allying with Syria and Russia who have up till now barely fought ISIS. The real world is not a video game.

The US actually has a plan this time. Train and arm local forces and support them with air power. Limited US casualties, end any PR gain by ISIS calling it a Crusade from the West when the man power was all Muslim, the US is not required to keep troops forever occupying cities filled with people trying to kill them. It is amazing what can be done with a little foresight and not just jumping blindly into something.

originally posted by: markosity1973
I was thinking about posting this vid in it's own thread. but in here will do....

It's an RT doco showing what life in the oilfields of Syria has been like. It also shows quite clearly that ISIS was getting fighters in via Turkey and that Turkey was supporting them with food, arms etc.

Many disagree with what Russia did with it's intervention, but the border is a lot more secure now and they have helped Assad strangle off the supply routes, which in turn has aided the collapse of ISIS.

Assad was buying ISIS oil. As ISIS own documents have shown us. And the largest foreign contingent of ISIS fighters came from Russia an were not stopped because Russia was happy to see them go cause trouble for the US. The Turks were not alone in making deals with the devil.

a reply to: MrSpad

Assad had to get oil from somewhere......

Given that everyone around him wanted him gone, I can't imagine say Saudi Arabia being prepared to sell it to him. Remember, the Assad regime was and still is under heavy sanctions.

When you're out of options, you are sometimes left with making deals with the devil as your only option.

a reply to: MrSpad

Well; thats good but whats the chances the US will try to claim the territory for xyz group which they just happen to control, vs handing it back to the Syrian govt when they've cleaned out ISIS or whatever their name is today.

originally posted by: MrSpad
Assad was buying ISIS oil. As ISIS own documents have shown us.

Can you prove that? because all i ever see about that issue is a few Murdoch Media establishments talking about leaked documents no one has seen. And documents apparently found in Iraq that no one has seen and neither of which are able to be officially confirmed!

The idea that Assad was collaborating with ISIS is a dirty little lie put out by Turkey and the US.

originally posted by: MrSpad
Assad was buying ISIS oil. As ISIS own documents have shown us.

originally posted by: Agit8dChop
Can you prove that?

I didn't think so!

a reply to: MrSpad

Assad was buying ISIS oil. As ISIS own documents have shown us. And the largest foreign contingent of ISIS fighters came from Russia an were not stopped because Russia was happy to see them go cause trouble for the US.

Is this claim coming from the news media outlets that have accused Russia of being ISIS's air force for at least two months?


Russia’s Giving ISIS An Air Force

Now Russia seems to have inherited Assad’s role as the unacknowledged air force of ISIS. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fighter jets rocketed an ammunition storehouse, destroying artillery, armored personnel carriers and even tanks belonging to Liwa Suqour al-Jabal, or The Mountain Eagles, a U.S.-backed brigade of the Free Syrian Army.

Whatever happened to the claims of Russia's being ISIS air force? are the experts living in their bedrooms putting their heads into shame?

As ISIS own documents have shown us

Documents like in the Iraqi war can be easily faked.

And the largest foreign contingent of ISIS fighters came from Russia an were not stopped because Russia was happy to see them go cause trouble for the US.

You have to give a lot of evidence before making such nonsense. But i have a feeling you would be defending Turkey.

a reply to: Agit8dChop

I agree just like for those who claimed that Russia would be bugged down in Syria.

The Offensive on Raqqa agaisnt ISIS wouldn't have being possible without the Syrian Arab Army and Russian air force. It was the SAA forces who i remember were the ones to liberate Palmyra and breakthrough the areas surrounding it.