Americans have to have a winner and a loser…..sorry but that is not going to be possible in the newest war that we have gotten ourselves into…….
The best laid plans of mice and men will have No bearing on the outcome of the conflict with ISIS/ISIL/IS……
Obama and his coalition is getting a lack luster acceptance……many have join the force but few want to truly involved with maybe some behind the scenes doings…….the r3eport is that we now have 40 countries signed onto the coalition deal…..France may help with airstrikes and Australia is commit troops, yes I said troops, about 600 total….so far the countires most in danger from an expanding Is, the Sunni nations, are not as enthusiastic as France and Australia.
The UK has been hinting around the fringe of helping but I think IS last act of horror may bring them on-board and in a big way…..
ISIS appears to have carried out its threat to behead yet another Western hostage, this time a British citizen named David Haines. The executioner who killed Steven Sotloff in the last video had threatened that Haines would be next. Britain’s foreign office said it is “working urgently” to verify the newly released video, reports the BBC. Haines, a 44-year-old aid worker, was captured in Syria last year, as were Americans Sotloff and James Foley. The video emerged a day after the family of Haines issued a public plea urging his captors to contact them.
In the video, the group threatened to kill another Briton. Both British men were dressed in orange jumpsuits against an arid Syrian landscape, similar to that seen in the Foley and Sotloff videos. The SITE Intelligence Group, a US terrorism watchdog, reported the video, which was also posted online by users associated with the Islamic State group. The video was entitled “A Message to the Allies of America.” Haines’ purported killer, who appeared to be the same man speaking with a British accent as in the previous videos, tells the British government that its alliance with the US will only “accelerate your destruction” and will drag the British people into “another bloody and unwinnable war.”
Lots of back and forth…….and then Cameron made his move………
David Cameron emerged from an emergency meeting this morning with harsh words for Islamic State militants in the wake of yesterday’s video that purports to show the beheading of British aid worker David Haines: Calling the execution—which hasn’t been officially verified, though a UK Foreign Office rep tells the Wall Street Journal that “all signs are that the video is genuine”—”an act of pure evil,” the BBC reports that Cameron vowed “we will do everything in our power to hunt down these murderers and ensure they face justice, however long it takes.” In the video, Haines singled out Cameron thusly: “I would like to declare that I hold you, David Cameron, entirely responsible for my execution.” ISIS militants threatened a second British hostage, Alan Henning, with the same fate
Looks like the UK is now ALL IN……….Glad to see that our allies will step up when needed but what are they stepping up to do?
Kerry insisted it was not only “premature” to talk about what, if anything, the coalition allies will do, but was even “inappropriate” of people to be talking about how little commitment many of the members seem to have.
Over the weekend 26 nations came together to plot a course through the ISIS thing……..
The world is discussing the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Paris today, with President Francois Hollande opening a conference attended by leaders and diplomats from 25-plus countries by saying “there is no time to lose. Iraq’s combat against terrorism is also ours.” Or so hopes Iraqi president Fuad Masum, who urged those in attendance to expand the fight against ISIS to Syria, reports the New York Times. “We must not allow them to have sanctuaries. We must pursue them wherever they are.” The Times notes that, thus far, the US has OKed only intelligence gathering over Syria. More on the ISIS front:
- Not in attendance at the conference: Iran. Though France “initially opened the door to a possible role” by the country, per the Times, John Kerry put the kibosh on the idea over fears it would dissuade Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern states from participating. Iran, for its part, says that Syria should have been invited to the table.
- Though it was announced yesterday that several Arab nations have agreed to join the fight against ISIS, with the BBC reporting that the anti-ISIS coalition now stands at about 40 countries including 10 Arab states, specifics remain in short supply. A BBC analyst describes a “scramble to craft a coherent plan from contributions offered” by the countries. The Wall Street Journal reports that while no officials have named which Mideast states might also conduct airstrikes, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt, and Qatar likely have the ability to join the US campaign.
- As far as those airstrikes go, five weeks of them (150 strikes since President Obama’s speech last Wednesday, notes the New York Times) have halted the militants’ progress, US officials tell the Journal, but the paper points out that ISIS has reacted by becoming more “stealthy.” Equipment isn’t moved in open convoys; electronic communications have been curtailed; tarps and foliage are increasingly used to shield militants from drones; and militants are hiding among locals. The upside is that “ISIS has not gained any land since the airstrikes started,” per one official. The downside is that they may be tougher to track.
Sorry dude but it is the exact time for these people to step forward and say what they will do and not do……I fear that we are in for another Iraq War…..edition 3.
The following is the story of the week and yet it is not important enough for the MSM to be concerned……….
First, the debate of the last couple days has been settled……..it is now officially a WAR…..gone is the “counter-terrorism operation”. We can rest easy now….we have an answer to the question.
One of the selling points for this war is that there will be NO American troops on the ground, right? It is perfectly fine to kill from the air put no one wants us to do it from the ground.
The prez has laid out his plan for action…..and one of those articles of engagement is that we will work with the ‘moderate’ rebels to assist and handle fighting the IS on the ground……said in the prez speech….
Second, we will increase our support to forces fighting these terrorists on the ground. In June, I deployed several hundred American servicemembers to Iraq to assess how we can best support Iraqi security forces. Now that those teams have completed their work –- and Iraq has formed a government –- we will send an additional 475 servicemembers to Iraq. As I have said before, these American forces will not have a combat mission –- we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq. But they are needed to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces with training, intelligence and equipment. We’ll also support Iraq’s efforts to stand up National Guard Units to help Sunni communities secure their own freedom from ISIL’s control.
Now we can rest comfortably knowing that all effort will be focused on training and arming the ‘moderates’……good plan….if it would work……and?
The problem is that it WILL NOT work. Why would I say that?
I reported on the possibility in a slight flaw in the prez plan in my post …”Counter-Terrorism Operational Briefing” of three days ago…….but for those lacking the foresight to read my report let me reiterate……..
Today, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that ISIS and other significant rebel factions, including both Islamist and “moderate” groups, have signed a mutual non-aggression pact in a Damascus suburb.
The pact was said to have been brokered by al-Qaeda’s Jabhat al-Nusra, and agrees that all sides will respect a truce until the destruction of the “Nussayri” regime, a pejorative term for Alawites.
That small piece of news will pee all over the plans of the prez. So far I have heard NOTHING along these lines from the MSM….why? This is more important than worrying about what to call the situation. And yet, so far NOTHING!
Then the question is if not those ‘moderates’ which ‘moderates’ were the administration speaking of in their nice little speech?
Tell the American people just who be the ground force fighting IS………not Turkey….not Saudi Arabia…..not Egypt……….then who? So far it still looks like it will be Americans (again and for the third time).
I wrote this draft the other day after hearing John Kerry answer a question at a news conference……but I was beaten to the punch on the definition of war….but I still would like my opinion heard or in this case read.
The prez has spoken the words and the US is on its way to its third incursion into Iraq in 25 years……this time we will do it right….at least that seems to be the promise that the administration is making……Kerry is meeting all of our so-called allies in the region working on putting together a coalition to handle the situation with ISIS/ISIL/IS….fore now we are talking to Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia……..with more talks to come…….
The talking points worked and worked well….the American public is in support of the US going after IS….the media worked us well and now we are all standing around smiling and thumping our chests……Now the prez and the boyz will have to keep the talking points coming …..cannot let the American people losing confidence….now can we?
One of my pet peeves is the use of the term “boots on the ground”…..it is a de-humanizing term when used people do not think of young men and women being put in harm’s way….it is used to focus the public’s attention anywhere but on the Americans that will die and be maimed…….it is a term I will NOT use.
Then we come to the term of WAR. Let’s ask our Sec of State to see if he has something to say on this……….
“We’re engaged in a major counterterrorism operation, and it’s going to be a long-term counterterrorism operation. I think war is the wrong terminology and analogy but the fact is that we are engaged in a very significant global effort to curb terrorist activity,” Kerry told CBS News State Department Correspondent Margaret Brennan in an interview from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he is traveling as part of American effort to build a global coalition to battle ISIS.
“I don’t think people need to get into war fever on this. I think they have to view it as a heightened level of counter terrorist activity…but it’s not dissimilar to what we’ve been doing the last few years with al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan and in Yemen and elsewhere,” Kerry said.
So we are not fighting a war but rather a counterterroism operation, right?
Let’s go to the dictionary for a definition of the word “WAR”……….
The dictionary defines war…..noun……”a state of armed conflict between nations or states or different groups within a certain state or area”……..
That is what we Americans do……re-define words to fit our narrative…….very similar to the re-packaging of the word ‘jungle’ into ‘rain forest’…..less intimidating.
I would think that Kerry after serving in Vietnam would know that if it sounds like a war, looks like a war, smells like a war….there is only one accurate conclusion….IT IS A WAR!
Once again an attempt to control the narrative and remove any negativity from the talking points. Just like the term I do not like….it was used enough that the media joined the ranks of promoting war by removing any negativity from its reports.
Yes, that is correct…it is propaganda to keep the support for war high among us gullible Americans.
Please do not let them do this again…..think of the vets we have that the country is ignoring……..do we want more people to suffer?
These updates will be a regular feature for now…….I think there is so much BS being fed to the American people that there needs to be a voice to keep them posted on the stuff the media will not report.
The shitty shitty bang bang has started and I will be posting on the major situations but I will issue a counter-terrorism operational report from time to time with info that I feel the American public will find useful in helping them understand just what the Hell is going on in Iraq and our battle with IS. Info that I feel does not need a separate post.
Instead of calling it a Iraq War Sit-rep I will be using what John Kerry is calling the war….a counter-terrorism operation……..I will assist in the spreading of BS…..but BS the people need to know or at least be aware of………
Since Syria will be closely linked to our actions against IS I will combine the region into one report as often as needed…….
Item #1–The prez and the boyz have said that we will work with the “moderate” Syrian rebels in our fight with IS…..that is good you would think….but maybe not so good…..
The Free Syrian Army (FSA), the most endorsed faction from the US perspective, is eagerly attaching itself to ISIS, with FSA commander Bassel Idriss admitting he regularly collaborates with ISIS in attacking Assad government forces along the Syria-Lebanon border.
Fighting at the border crossing in Qalamoun is a joint FSA-ISIS operation, and Abu Fidaa, the head of the local Revolutionary Council, says that a “very large number” of FSA fighters have joined ISIS outright.
And with that our counter-terrorism operation is off with a big bang!
Item #1A–the Syrian rebels are not in that good of a shape….it seems that they are in disarray…….something else for us to look forward to in the short run………
The leadership of a hardline Islamist group battling the Syrian regime has been wiped out by a suicide bomber—and suspicion has fallen on the even more hardline Islamists of ISIS. The blast hit a meeting of Ahrar al-Sham, a powerful member of the Islamic Front rebel coalition, killing leader Hassan Abboud and 11 other top commanders among a total of around 40 victims, the BBC reports.
Analysts say that the blast has thrown anti-Assad and anti-ISIS forces in Syria into even more disarray.
The Syrian opposition news just keeps getting more grim and it has only been 48 hours since we declared our intention to conduct counter-terrorism operations…….that would be what most people would call WAR.
Item #2–Once again there have been promises that American troops will NOT be used in this operation…….but there is a problem there also…….
A top Air Force commander has been quoted in USA Today tonight saying that any expansion of the ISIS air war into Syria is going to require US special operations forces on the ground, inside Syria.
“It’s absolutely crucial that pilots are talking to an American on the ground” to verify what’s being targeted, the commander insisted. President Obama has repeatedly rejected the idea of boots on the ground, despite sending more and more troops to Iraq.
You can believe all the BS you choose but I am not happy…..
Item #3–Americans have been told that Sec of State John Kerry is meeting throughout the region to put together a coalition to meet the IS threat…….here is what we got so far…….
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Thursday Arab states would play a critical role in a coalition against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, but no country in the alliance was talking about sending ground troops to participate.
No troops? Then where will the fighting force come from….he asked knowingly……..are you starting to see a picture coming into view yet?
Item #4–Our big bud in the region Saudi Arabia a partner in our coalition……..has beheaded more people than IS has……..it does not allow women to drive…….it criminalized dissent……..but yet they are our buds….go figure…….Saudi is one of the most repressive governments in the Middle East and yet we hug them with open arms……
Item #5–Those weapons that we are supplying to the Sunni tribes may be used for something other than fighting…….
A prominent tribal chief in Iraq’s Anbar province claimed that weapons supplied to a Sunni militia to fight Islamic State militants are instead being sold off in Syria.
Qasim al-Karwali, leader of the Tribes Revolution, accused Ahmad Aburish, head of the Awakening Council, of the illegal arms sales to opposition and government forces Syria.
Not only will be supplying weapons for the Iraqis fighting IS….we may also be supplying IS weapons to fight the tribes…..both sides against the middle…….
Item #6–Just how many militants are we looking at as a fighting force?
The CIA says the number of fighters it believes ISIS can muster in Iraq and Syria has tripled in the space of months. The new estimate of between 20,000 and 31,500 fighters on the ground is based on intelligence gathered between May and August, reports the BBC. “This new total reflects an increase in members because of stronger recruitment since June following battlefield successes and the declaration of a caliphate, greater battlefield activity, and additional intelligence,” a CIA spokesman says. An intelligence official tells AFP that the estimate includes some of the estimated 15,000 foreign fighters—including 2,000 Westerners—who have joined the Syrian civil war.
Depending on the organizational make-up if IS……….that is 1 to 3 divisions of fighting forces…..a substantial force that must be dealt with post haste……
This ends the first of many ‘counter-terrorism operational reports”….ask briefing TBA……
Turn the page.
College of Political Knowledge
Subject: Islam and IS
By now every American is an expert on ISIS or ISIL or IS, whichever acronym you choose to use….but the fact is they know very little or nothing at all. Sure they are or at least claim to be an Islamic organization and that one point can be argued…..from what I have learned of Islam they are NOT…the word is NOT…..an Islamic anything….they are an authoritarian group of thugs and brutes….but that is an argument for another day……
The question should be….where did IS get their ideals…..what drives them to do unspeakable things in the name of a religion that wants NOTHING to do with them?
IS, AQ and Boko Haram have their beginnings in a sect of Islam known as wahhabism which is not the mainline Islam faith but has become a strong contender….now you may ask what is wahhabism?
This movement, commonly known as the Wahhabi movement, grew out of the scholarship and preaching of Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab, a scholar of Islamic jurisprudence who had studied in Mesopotamia and the Hijaz before returning to his native Najd to preach his message of Islamic reform.
Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab was concerned with the way the people of Najd engaged in practices he considered polytheistic, such as praying to saints; making pilgrimages to tombs and special mosques; venerating trees, caves, and stones; and using votive and sacrificial offerings. He was also concerned by what he viewed as a laxity in adhering to Islamic law and in performing religious devotions, such as indifference to the plight of widows and orphans, adultery, lack of attention to obligatory prayers, and failure to allocate shares of inheritance fairly to women.
Under the Wahhabis, however, the ban extended to all intoxicating drinks and other stimulants, including tobacco. Modest dress is prescribed for both men and women in accordance with the Quran, but the Wahhabis specify the type of clothing that should be worn, especially by women, and forbid the wearing of silk and gold, although the latter ban has been enforced only sporadically. Music and dancing have also been forbidden by the Wahhabis at times, as have loud laughter and demonstrative weeping, particularly at funerals.
The Wahhabi emphasis on conformity makes of external appearance and behavior a visible expression of inward faith. Therefore, whether one conforms in dress, in prayer, or in a host of other activities becomes a public statement of whether one is a true Muslim. Because adherence to the true faith is demonstrable in tangible ways, the Muslim community can visibly judge the quality of a person’s faith by observing that person’s actions. In this sense, public opinion becomes a regulator of individual behavior. Therefore, within the Wahhabi community, which is striving to be the collective embodiment of God’s laws, it is the responsibility of each Muslim to look after the behavior of his neighbor and to admonish him if he goes astray.
There you have a quick and simple explanation of the religious extremism that IS is functioning under…..you see Islam has its extremist adherents just like Christianity….the actions of IS are no more typical of Islam than the snake handlers are typical of all Christians…….but these far out religious nuts will be used to fuel the hate for all things Muslim. Ant that is truly sad and just a bit pathetic.
I keep hearing that the Saudis need to step up and work with the West in their attempts to de-nut IS…..I have a problem with that. I do not trust the Saudis to be good faith partners in the attempt to control IS……now you want to know why, right?
Chatham House professor Paul Stevens says: “For a long time, there was an unwritten agreement … whereby al-Qaida’s presence was tolerated in Saudi Arabia, but don’t piss inside the tent, piss outside.” Coates Ulrichsen warns that Saudi policy on Syria could be “Afghanistan on steroids”, as elements of the regime have turned a blind eye to where funding for anti-Assad rebels ends up.
Although Saudi Arabia has given $100m (£60m) to the UN anti-terror programme and the country’s grand mufti has denounced Isis as “enemy number one”, radical Salafists across the Middle East receive ideological and material backing from within the kingdom. According to Clinton’s leaked memo, Saudi donors constituted “the most significant source of funding to Sunni terrorist groups worldwide”.
Saudis connection with funding extreme groups will make them an unreliable partner…..they will throw money at the problem but only to stay on the good side of the US……..I think if everyone is truly serious about beheading IS then there must be some pull back from Saudi Arabia……for they are all talk and will be useless in the fight against IS.