Quote Originally Posted by novelist View Post
IS moved fast in taking and holding ground. The terrorist troops are well trained. Why? Because they have technical knowledge as to how to operate tanks and AFV's. This suggests that the [Sunni]fighters of IS are former [Saddam Era] Iraqi Army officers, Republican Guard, and Fedayeen. It is interesting to me that in the media you see these "experts" commenting on the BRUTALITY of IS, but none has raised the point that IS atrocities and the public display of those atrocities in the social media and otherwise are making full use of PSYOPS. IS defeats its opposition psychologically before it ever encounters them in the field. It reminds me somewhat of what Sun Tzu said about the optimum in warfare is having the ability to defeat your enemy without firing a shot. I don't see men of absolutely no military experience having the mental disposition to wage war like the IS terrorists do. The approach is too professional even if it is reprehensible under the Rules of Land Warfare.
If one looks at the make up of the Sunni coalition ie the former IAI, ASA, 1920 and the JM many of their fighters were former officers and NCOs and were good enough from 2003 to 2010 to take on the US Army in a multitude of different ways.

Couple that with experience gained in fighting daily Assad---and the use of swarming attacks which the Sunni insurgency got good at in Iraq---why does it "surprise" us when they are on a roll?

Guess what-- they have not even committed their reserves that are even better at it---it is currently estimated that only 3-4K has been carrying the fight forward and they have even dented badly the Peshmerga myth as great fighters.

This is going to get far more interesting in the coming weeks if their drive into Erbil is not stopped.

But it goes to something I wrote recently---this is the standard whip lash tactic so well used against us from 2003 to 2010----fighting here awhile then quiet then somewhere else then quiet and on and on---it is a war of moment nothing else and to forces others to keep up with them.

The main question I have is where are the IS units that have moved into position south of Baghdad and now are on the East and West sides of Baghdad as well---totally quiet from them as they watch what is going on in the north---again an example of the war of movement.