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Thread: Iraq: Out of the desert into Mosul (closed)

  1. #1061
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    Appears our bombing strategy inside Syria is in fact driving anti Assad forces towards not away from IS.

    http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...-support-isis?
    This comment is telling....

    He became disillusioned with the FSA, however, believing it was a tool of foreign intelligence services and poor in combat. After four senior fighters in his brigade were fatally wounded a few months ago, he defected to Isis.
    I also found the comment that a lot of groups swore allegiance to ISIS in secret, which implies they can still get support from the West and others, while secretly working with ISIS.

    What a f*@# mess.

  2. #1062
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
    We could have nipped much of this in the bud early if we would have understood the problem from beginning in terms of fundamental human nature and governance.

    AQ had and has a three point platform, paraphrased free of Islamist jargon it is:
    Too much Western influence over the Middle East;
    Too many existing regimes are too in bed with and corrupted by that Western Influence;
    Need to rally together and form a unified system similar to the EU or ASEAN if we are to compete.

    What part of that is counter to US interests??? We should have co-opted the heart of this message immediately, leaving bin Laden with nothing left but a bag full of crazy and a handful of followers.

    We blew it. It is not too late, but we continue to blow it when we say we want to defeat ISIL and restore Iraq as it was. Be against ISIL, but we must outcompete organizations like ISIL as a source of support for a Sunni Arab population that has very reasonable concerns about remaining under Shia dominated governance.

    As to Europe, they need to clean up their own act. Europe is changing, but when minorities perceive themselves to be treated unfairly they will act out. That is how they feel, and that is how they are acting. The problem is not that they went to Iraq in support of the Sunni cause, the problem is that when they return home things are still F'd up.

    Governments do not need to give people what they want, they need to work to give people what they need. This includes the US that has slid into a mindset of excessive government programs that simply give things to people. You can't bribe your way out of trouble, which the Saudis will probably learn soon enough. Small changes that go to justice, dignity, popular legitimacy, empowerment, and popular sovereignty are the key.

    A couple of small tweaks of policy along those lines and the US would be Canada. If the King would have been a true visionary and moved the capital from London to New York Britain would still rule the world. But that is another thread altogether...don't want to get David too excited.
    Robert---back to my comments about German jihadi's and the reasons they flow towards IS.

    Yesterday the top CI org for Germany updated their estimates of German fighters to 550 of which 60 have been killed and another 170 have returned in less than a full year. The why is critical in understanding their disillusion with IS.

    What is interesting is the figures from the UK---estimated 2000 at the low end.

    I had worked and lived in the UK for a number of years and found their discrimination inside their society to be far far worse than anything seen in the US---they are about 50 years behind the US in discussing immigration issues and I do think that each European country has internal drivers that are driving their Muslim population towards IS.

    Understand those drivers then one understands the propaganda pull that IS uses tailored to each EU country.

    Understand the messaging then counter messaging and other efforts can be tailored to slow down the flow---it is all about info warfare which IS has been perfecting since 2004.

    And our answer --we hired a DC PR firm and paid millions but it never got into the game outside of billing the US military and using the embassy pool in Baghdad.

    For 25% of the current ops budget the US could build a long term info war capacity that would in fact make an impact---but we always think it is propaganda--sometime talking the truth is a powerful weapon we simply do not understand how to use.

    Check the current Russian info war efforts---we are nowhere even close --actually we are not even in the same world and it is telling right now.

  3. #1063
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    Default 2000 UK fighters: a comment

    Only a small part cited:
    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    What is interesting is the figures from the UK---estimated 2000 at the low end.
    This estimate comes from a Birmingham Labour MP, a Muslim, who sometimes can be a prolific quote provider. He has given little to support his estimate, other than this:
    The authorities say there are 500 British jihadists but the likely figure is at least three to four times that...I think 2,000 is a better estimate. My experience in Birmingham is it is a huge, huge problem.
    Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...mic-State.html

    The MP has been saying this since June 2014, so the timing of repeating the estimate appears to coincide with a new government campaign, alongside new CT legislation with some curious features. See:http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news...ghters-7312675

    I shall refrain from commenting on Outlaw's other points; I do agree with him on counter-messaging is a huge gap in our response, but then I have said that on the UK thread on this topic.
    davidbfpo

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    Quote Originally Posted by davidbfpo View Post
    Only a small part cited:

    This estimate comes from a Birmingham Labour MP, a Muslim, who sometimes can be a prolific quote provider. He has given little to support his estimate, other than this:
    Link:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...mic-State.html

    The MP has been saying this since June 2014, so the timing of repeating the estimate appears to coincide with a new government campaign, alongside new CT legislation with some curious features. See:http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news...ghters-7312675

    I shall refrain from commenting on Outlaw's other points; I do agree with him on counter-messaging is a huge gap in our response, but then I have said that on the UK thread on this topic.

    David--sorry for the UK comments but think about it---why the huge IS pull into the UK Muslim population that is not as strong in the other EU countries?

    If we take the German Muslim reasons for joining the IS they are virtually the same as ones we hear coming out of the UK but the UK numbers are far higher than German numbers.

    We see a similar pattern in France that in fact parallels the UK---and French numbers are also just as high as well. There is a similar but smaller numbers coming out of Belgium where integration of migrants has also stalled over the last years.

    So deep inside the UK and French societies something is driving young Muslim men to flow to the IS--we in the West call it radicalization-- but is it really or is it something far deeper--meaning has the migration of Muslims into the UK and especially France from northern Africa created an environment that lends itself to IS info warfare---if yes then what is it in those particular societies that are the drivers?

    In France it expressed itself initially in the traditional burning of cars in the zip codes of France with heavy Muslim populations over the last ten or so years ---still occurs in the "traditional times" --but those that once did the burnings now appear to be in Syria and Iraq.

    WHAT is not being talked about is ---the highest numbers of Muslim men flowing to the IS are in fact coming from the Russian Federation---which Russia refuses to acknowledge because they claim they have no problems just as they claim no Russian troops in eastern Ukraine and we all know how that is a "lie".
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 11-24-2014 at 10:48 AM.

  5. #1065
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    Just posted my weekly security report for Iraq. Attacks and casualties saw a dramatic drop. 3rd wk of Nov saw 2nd fewest attacks of the year and deadand wounded were far down as well. ISF & tribes still fighting it out in Anbar. IS has relocated to northern Babil after being kicked out of its longtime base in Jurf al-Sakhr. ISF & peshmerga trying to clear regions of Diyala & Kirkuk. IS launched a rare attack into Kurdistan with a suicide car bombing in Irbil. Finally ISF & militias broke the siege of the Baiji refinery and are planning a major op to clear Tikrit. Read more here.

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    Baghdad said it would create a 3,000 strong brigade made up of tribal fighters in Anbar. Will be trained by Americans at Al-Assad and Habaniya bases there. Idea is being held up by Shiite parties that don't trust loyalty of tribes and perhaps ISF incompetence arming them. Supposedly they have little to no weapons so far. Unit will only get 2 weeks training as well. May be a fiasco or just for show or both. Read more here.

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    Premier Abadi is attempting to reform the ISF which suffers from corruption, incompetence, lack of leadership, abuse, and politicization. He's started by firing and transferring literally hundreds of officers. He needs to tackle the institutional problems within the police & military if he wants a competent and professional force that can defend the country. Will be major problem as those attributes are lacking in the Iraqi government overall. Read about this dilemma here.

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    In case you haven't heard there's been major fighting in central Ramadi and other sections of the country since the weekend. IS is making a major push to capture the entire city. Launched multi pronged attack that included a river crossing. They took a building in the downtown government complex as well.

  9. #1069
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    Is in fact Assad working together with IS? Has been rumored and proven a couple of times lately.

    It's all over soon in #Aleppo.
    #Assad can advance with its ally #IS holding fire east of the city.

    pic.twitter.com/U1VFqDqo2j

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    Joel--anything floating in space on this--there have been reports of well trained/experienced Chechens in IS fighting currently in Iraq

    Useful info also: Book Says Rus KGB Created Islamic Terrorism in Muslim Countries

    http://www.chechencenter.info/n/42-world/209

  11. #1071
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    Russian law-enforcers shot dead hundreds of Islamists in Dagestan in the last year.

    Russia exports as well over 1500 fighters to Iraq and Syria.

    At some point it will come back as the IS has already threatened Russia with a war.

  12. #1072
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    Taken from a German article which is indicating that in the renewed IS fighting in Kobane the IS attacked physically from the Turkish side thus the Turks knew about it and yet did nothing.

    Coupled with a comment two days ago by Erdogan that the "west is killing Muslim children" by the way a charge taken from al Baghdadi's recent 25 page text---would seriously indicate exactly who he is and or is not supporting---US has serious problems with him currently---and this on top of the statement from him indicating he would not accept TTIP unless it anchored Turkish viewpoints--otherwise he would leave NATO is a massive threat as he is not part of the E which TTIP is all about.

    Someone needs to reign him in as he is actively supporting IS, does not want to join EU without 300% of what he wants from the EU being approved and he is threatening to leave NATO.

    BUT he should pay attention to Putin--Gazprom just cut gas deliveries to Turkey by 40%.

    Hinter vorgehaltener Hand schon vor Wochen, jetzt offiziell: #ISIS greift #Kobane nun auch aus #Trkei an...
    http://ln.is/www.nzz.ch/internati/IIX56 #IS.

  13. #1073
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    BREAKING: Iraqi PM says there are 50,000 non-existent and falsified 'soldiers' across four Iraqi army divisions via @INTLSpectator

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    Just published my new security report for 4th week of November. Attacks remained extremely low for another week, while casualties were about the same from 3rd week due to high number of wounded by deaths way down. IS still attempting to take Ramadi in Anbar. Failed in big attack upon Tal Ward in Kirkuk. Still carrying out attacks across Salahaddin despite recent ISF and militia success in Baiji. IS relocated to northern Babil after being kicked out of Jurf al-Sakhr in northeast a long time base. Diyala peshmerga militias and ISF all went on offensive and cleared several villages which are now being disputed between Kurds and militias. Read more here.

  15. #1075
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    Quote Originally Posted by OUTLAW 09 View Post
    Joel--anything floating in space on this--there have been reports of well trained/experienced Chechens in IS fighting currently in Iraq

    Useful info also: Book Says Rus KGB Created Islamic Terrorism in Muslim Countries

    http://www.chechencenter.info/n/42-world/209
    I think I heard something about this on Twitter but there was nothing but a brief mention of Chechens fighting in Iraq.

  16. #1076
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    Default Iranian Phantoms launch airstrikes in Iraq

    Hardly unexpected, quite interesting C2 dynamics though:http://www.latimes.com/world/middlee...ry.html#page=1
    davidbfpo

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    Just published my security report for Iraq for Nov. Lowest number of attacks for 2014 and casualties finally dropped. Attacks have been going down since August but dead & wounded have remained high. Finally dropped in November. Major change in fighting from Oct to Nov cause. Insurgent campaigns mostly stalled and are now losing territory in Babil, Salahaddin, Ninewa & Diyala. Militants appear to be regrouping and have to reconstitute losses. Read more here.

  18. #1078
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    Well worth the read on the profiling of the IS by Brookings.

    http://www.brookings.edu/research/re...-state-lister?

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    Quote Originally Posted by JWing View Post
    I think I heard something about this on Twitter but there was nothing but a brief mention of Chechens fighting in Iraq.
    A tweet from a journalist working out of Jordan:

    None of the Chechen militants in #Syria that I am following have suggested any kind of Syrian Chechen involvement in the attacks in #Grozny
    Last edited by OUTLAW 09; 12-04-2014 at 05:10 PM.

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    Default ISIS Resurgence and the Sunni-Shi’a Schism

    ISIS Resurgence and the Sunni-Shi’a Schism

    Entry Excerpt:



    --------
    Read the full post and make any comments at the SWJ Blog.
    This forum is a feed only and is closed to user comments.

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