The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[Tonitrus]

I thought they're still struggling to fully control the Sinai these day.

[The Brain]

Saudis bombed a Houthi school by accident.

Saudi collateral damage has been outrageous. Of course because it's not American, Israeli or drone based no-one seems to give a fuck.

I've read that there are previous anti-Houthi fighters joining up because of Saudi bombings.

Houthis, I know what Wahabbis believe.

My understanding is that Houthi is a name for an insurgent group, from their leader. But they're Yemeni Shia which is a sect that's very close to Sunni Islam in most of its practices.

Nothing odd about it.  Read about John Calvin or Oliver Cromwell some time.

Cromwell doesn't deserve to be on that list. Religious freedom under his rule was greater than under Parliamentarian Presbyterians, or any English regime until the 18th century. Liberty of conscience was part of what distinguished him from his opponents, especially among the Parliamentarians.

Egypt is apparently willing to commit ground troops to Yemen. I know really very little here, but isn't that like the US deciding to get militarily involved in South-East Asia

The movies won't be nearly as good.

[grumbler]

Cromwell doesn't deserve to be on that list. Religious freedom under his rule was greater than under Parliamentarian Presbyterians, or any English regime until the 18th century. Liberty of conscience was part of what distinguished him from his opponents, especially among the Parliamentarians.

And if the only kind of freedom that was important was religious freedom, I'd take him off the list.  It isn't, so I won't.

[Sheilbh]

And if the only kind of freedom that was important was religious freedom, I'd take him off the list.  It isn't, so I won't.

All sorts of freedoms. Cromwell was significantly less oppressive than the Stewarts - either Charles I or the counter-revolution - or the Presbyterian Parliament he ended.

[Ed Anger]

Sadly, Prince Rupert didn't run over Cromwell. 

[Sheilbh]

Sadly, Prince Rupert didn't run over Cromwell. 

He did. He just got distracted by the mirrors and hair-care products in the Parliamentary baggage train.

[grumbler]

And if the only kind of freedom that was important was religious freedom, I'd take him off the list.  It isn't, so I won't.

All sorts of freedoms. Cromwell was significantly less oppressive than the Stewarts - either Charles I or the counter-revolution - or the Presbyterian Parliament he ended.

All sorts of freedoms to conform to his religious views on pubs, music, etc, etc.  He stays on the list, even if he wasn't the most oppressive dictator Britain has ever had. 

[Sheilbh]

All sorts of freedoms to conform to his religious views on pubs, music, etc, etc.  He stays on the list, even if he wasn't the most oppressive dictator Britain has ever had.

He stays on the list with ISIS and John Calvin? There was more freedom in Cromwell's England than any previous regime since the Conquest and his settlement was, broadly speaking, what England got following the Glorious Revolution (with the notable exception of religious liberty).

Maybe ISIS aren't so bad.

[grumbler]

He stays on the list with ISIS and John Calvin? There was more freedom in Cromwell's England than any previous regime since the Conquest and his settlement was, broadly speaking, what England got following the Glorious Revolution (with the notable exception of religious liberty).

He stays on the list of those who "want to be rid of oppressive governments, and may use that as a crutch, but really they want impose their own version of authoritarianism in its place."

Maybe ISIS aren't so bad.

So you say.  I daresay those who have to live under its rule would mostly disagree.

[jimmy olsen]

ISIS continues to make gains around Ramadi.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/15/iraq-isis-seize-ramadi-villages

Isis militants seize three Iraqi villages near provincial capital of Ramadi

Islamic State forced people from homes and prepared for further attacks
Officials described most significant threat to city thus far as 'critical'

The Islamic State extremist group has overrun three villages near the provincial capital of Ramadi in what was the most significant threat to the city by the Sunni militants to date.

The militants' push on Wednesday comes after Isis was dealt a major blow earlier this month, when Shia militia fighters routed the group from Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown.

The fighting could also further threaten Ramadi, 115km (70 miles) west of Baghdad. Nearly a decade ago, Ramadi was one of the strongholds of the insurgency in the US-led war in Iraq. It now is mostly held by Iraqi government forces, although militants control some parts of it, mainly on the outskirts.

In a dawn advance, Isis extremists seized the villages of Sjariyah, Albu-Ghanim and Soufiya, which had also been under government control until now, and residents said they had to flee their homes. Fighting was also taking place on the eastern edges of Ramadi, about 2km (one mile) from a government building, they added.

In Soufiya, the militants bombed a police station and took over a power plant. The residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared for their safety, said airstrikes were trying to back up Iraqi troops. Iraqi security officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Around noon Wednesday, the militants opened another front with government troops on three other villages to the northeast of Ramadi, the residents added.

An Iraqi intelligence official said the militants were preparing to launch another offensive from the western side of the city, describing the situation as "critical".

Isis was also trying to take control of the main highway that goes through Ramadi to cut off supplies, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Defense ministry spokesman brigadier general Tahseen Ibrahim acknowledged that Isis militants "gained a foothold in some areas" in Anbar. But he said reinforcements were sent to the province and that airstrikes from the US-led coalition were supporting Iraqi forces.

"The situation is under control, and the standoff will be resolved in the coming hours," Ibrahim told the Associated Press. He added, however, that most of the villagers in the area had fled from their homes amid the fighting.

Hundreds of US and coalition forces have been training Iraqi troops at Anbar's Ain Al-Asad air base, about 110km (68 miles) west of Ramadi, which came under Isis attack in mid-February. The attack, which involved a suicide bomber, was repelled.

The militants' push on Wednesday comes after Isis was dealt a major blow earlier this month, when Shia militia fighters routed the group from Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown.

The fighting could also further threaten Ramadi, 115km (70 miles) west of Baghdad. Nearly a decade ago, Ramadi was one of the strongholds of the insurgency in the US-led war in Iraq. It now is mostly held by Iraqi government forces, although militants control some parts of it, mainly on the outskirts.


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In a dawn advance, Isis extremists seized the villages of Sjariyah, Albu-Ghanim and Soufiya, which had also been under government control until now, and residents said they had to flee their homes. Fighting was also taking place on the eastern edges of Ramadi, about 2km (one mile) from a government building, they added.

In Soufiya, the militants bombed a police station and took over a power plant. The residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared for their safety, said airstrikes were trying to back up Iraqi troops. Iraqi security officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Around noon Wednesday, the militants opened another front with government troops on three other villages to the northeast of Ramadi, the residents added.

An Iraqi intelligence official said the militants were preparing to launch another offensive from the western side of the city, describing the situation as "critical".

Isis was also trying to take control of the main highway that goes through Ramadi to cut off supplies, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

Defense ministry spokesman brigadier general Tahseen Ibrahim acknowledged that Isis militants "gained a foothold in some areas" in Anbar. But he said reinforcements were sent to the province and that airstrikes from the US-led coalition were supporting Iraqi forces.

"The situation is under control, and the standoff will be resolved in the coming hours," Ibrahim told the Associated Press. He added, however, that most of the villagers in the area had fled from their homes amid the fighting.

Hundreds of US and coalition forces have been training Iraqi troops at Anbar's Ain Al-Asad air base, about 110km (68 miles) west of Ramadi, which came under Isis attack in mid-February. The attack, which involved a suicide bomber, was repelled.

[jimmy olsen]

Saudis fucking things up, as expected. 

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-us-saudis-20150417-story.html#page=1

Saudi-led Yemen air war's high civilian toll unsettles U.S. officials

By Brian Bennett, W.J. Hennigan and Alexandra Zavis 
pril 16, 2015, 6:09 PM|Reporting from Washington

Concerned about reports of hundreds of civilian casualties, Obama administration officials are increasingly uneasy about the U.S. involvement in the Saudi-led air war against rebel militias in Yemen, opening a potential rift between Washington and its ally in Riyadh..

Backed by U.S. intelligence, air refueling and other support, Saudi warplanes have conducted widespread bombing of Yemeni villages and towns since March 26 but have failed to dislodge the Houthi rebels who have overrun much of the Arab world's poorest nation since last fall.

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, widely regarded as the terrorist network's most lethal franchise, has capitalized on the chaos by sharply expanding its reach. Fighters loyal to the group claimed control Thursday of a military base and other key facilities near Mukalla, an Arabian Sea port in southern Yemen.

Saudi officials said they are not targeting areas with Al Qaeda fighters, however, and are focusing only on the Houthis, a Shiite Muslim minority whom they view as proxies for Iran, Saudi Arabia's regional rival.

With the country sliding into civil war, the United Nations special envoy to Yemen, Jamal Benomar, resigned under pressure Wednesday. Officials said the Moroccan-born diplomat had lost the support of Saudi Arabia and its Persian Gulf allies.

Pentagon officials, who pride themselves on the care they take to avoid civilian casualties, have watched with growing alarm as Saudi airstrikes have hit what the U.N. this week called "dozens of public buildings," including hospitals, schools, residential areas and mosques. The U.N. said at least 364 civilians have been killed in the campaign.

Although U.S. personnel don't pick the bombing targets, Americans are working beside Saudi military officials to check the accuracy of target lists in a joint operations center in Riyadh, defense officials said. The Pentagon has expedited delivery of GPS-guided "smart" bomb kits to the Saudi air force to replenish supplies.

The U.S. role was quietly stepped up last week after the civilian death toll rose sharply. The number of U.S. personnel was increased from 12 to 20 in the operations center to help vet targets and to perform more precise calculations of bomb blast areas to help avoid civilian casualties.

U.S. reconnaissance drones now send live video feeds of potential targets and of damage after the bombs hit. The Air Force also began daily refueling flights last week to top off Saudi and United Arab Emirates fighter jets in midair, outside Yemen's borders, so they can quickly return to the war.

Saudi officials say their goal is to pressure the Houthis to disarm and to reinstate President Abdu Rabu Mansour Hadi. That would require the Houthis to give up virtually all their gains since they captured the capital, Sana, in September and forced Hadi into exile in March.

Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, was in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on Thursday to consult with the kingdom's leaders on their military plans.

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in discussing briefings on the air war, called it a "disaster," saying the Saudis don't have a "realistic endgame" for the bombing.

U.S. officials are especially concerned about Al Qaeda's reemergence in Yemen after years of drone strikes and other counter-terrorism operations had pushed them into the shadows. A special U.S. counter-terrorism team was forced to abandon the country last month.

Fighters loyal to Al Qaeda claimed control of an airport, an oil terminal and a military base outside Mukalla, capital of Hadhramaut province, a stronghold for the terrorist group. This month, the militants robbed a bank and freed hundreds of inmates from a prison in the city. A U.S. official in Washington confirmed most the group's claims.

Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, was in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on Thursday to consult with the kingdom's leaders on their military plans.

A U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in discussing briefings on the air war, called it a "disaster," saying the Saudis don't have a "realistic endgame" for the bombing.

U.S. officials are especially concerned about Al Qaeda's reemergence in Yemen after years of drone strikes and other counter-terrorism operations had pushed them into the shadows. A special U.S. counter-terrorism team was forced to abandon the country last month.

Fighters loyal to Al Qaeda claimed control of an airport, an oil terminal and a military base outside Mukalla, capital of Hadhramaut province, a stronghold for the terrorist group. This month, the militants robbed a bank and freed hundreds of inmates from a prison in the city. A U.S. official in Washington confirmed most the group's claims.


Abadi did not back down but tried to play down the spat. "We have our own opinion on the war in Yemen," Abadi said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

But U.S. officials also made it clear that they are looking for ways to resolve the crisis. They have not ruled out opening a line of communication with Houthi leaders, although so far intermediaries have been unable to broker an arrangement.

The U.S. has seen indications that Iran is providing weapons and equipment to the Houthis, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Thursday.

"What continues to be unclear, and there is some skepticism about, is whether or not there is [Iranian] command and control of the activities of the Houthis in Yemen," he said.

Earnest said the Saudis asked for help with the airstrikes, "and we have complied with that request in the form of providing intelligence and logistical support."

What the U.S. "has always believed and continue to impress upon everyone involved in this situation is that our goal is to try to bring about a political resolution to the conflict," he said.

At a Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter paused when asked whether the U.S. agreed with Saudi Arabia's decision to bomb Yemen.

"Well, we supported it," he said.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the Houthis aspire to restore an ancient empire "that included all of Yemen and parts of southern Saudi Arabia."

"The Saudis are right to be concerned," he said.

The issue is sure to be on the agenda when Obama meets leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain — at the presidential retreat at Camp David next month. He initially invited them to address their concerns about a nuclear deal with Iran.

Analysts see U.S. support for the Saudi intervention as chiefly an attempt to maintain close ties with Riyadh, especially in regard to the emerging nuclear deal with Iran. Saudi officials have avoided public criticism of the April 2 preliminary deal.

"We're doing this not because we think it would be good for Yemen policy; we're doing it because we think it's good for U.S.-Saudi relations," said Ilan Goldenberg, a former Obama administration official who is now with the Center for a New American Security.

Bennett and Hennigan reported from Washington and Zavis from Riyadh. Times staff writers Michael A. Memoli and Paul Richter in Washington contributed to this report.

[KRonn]

Pretty wild, Ramadi may fall, the capitol city of Anbar province. I think the Iraqis and especially the Iranians are getting a real hard lesson over trashing on the US and dissing air power. It was probably because of airpower that they were able to finish taking Tikrit. They go in and probably just use artillery and rockets to blast everything and it's not nearly as effective, and causes huge collateral damage.

So I figure now that their plan for taking Mosul isn't going to get going at the timeline they set out earlier. And they're probably having second thoughts on how or if to proceed. But hey, this is their fight so they need to do the heavy lifting. Damn Iranians were responsible for a lot of US and coalition casualties in Iraq. 

[KRonn]

Yep, it's going to be a tough fight in Yemen, but let the Saudis, Egyptians and others take that on. They'll learn, gain experience and they have strong incentive to do the fight. Plus it's their region and it's much better off if regional Arab/Muslim forces fight their own, rather than the US infidel which rallies troops to the other side.

[jimmy olsen]

Will we board the ships? Will they resist? Tune in next time!

http://news.yahoo.com/obama-says-u-warned-iran-not-send-weapons-002742319.html

By Roberta Rampton and David Alexander

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the U.S. government had sent "very direct messages" to Iran warning it not to send weapons to Yemen that could be used to threaten shipping traffic in the region.

The Pentagon said on Tuesday the presence of a large convoy of Iranian cargo ships in the Arabian Sea was one factor in the U.S. decision to deploy additional warships in the waters off war-torn Yemen.

But Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, dismissed reports the carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and cruiser USS Normandy had been sent to the region to intercept Iranian ships carrying arms to Iranian-backed Houthi rebels fighting forces loyal to the U.S.-backed Yemeni president.

In a televised interview on Tuesday on MSNBC's "Hardball," Obama said Washington had been "very straightforward" with Tehran about the issue.

"Right now their ships are in international waters. There's a reason why we keep some of our ships in the Persian Gulf region and that is to make sure that we maintain freedom of navigation," Obama said.

""What we've said to them is that, 'If there are weapons delivered to factions within Yemen that could threaten navigation, that's a problem,'" he added. "And we're not sending them obscure messages. We send them very direct messages about it."

The Pentagon spokesman Warren said he did not believe Navy warships patrolling the region had been in direct contact with the Iranian flotilla of nine cargo ships.

He said the United States did not know what the Iranian cargo ships were carrying and declined to say whether the U.S. warships would stop and board Iranian vessels if they attempted to enter Yemeni territorial waters.

"I'm not going to telegraph anything," Warren said.

The Shi'ite Muslim Houthis sidelined the central government after seizing the capital, Sana'a, in September and occupying a broad swath of Yemen, which borders oil giant Saudi Arabia.

The U.N. Security Council imposed an arms embargo on the Houthi rebels, and the Saudi navy has imposed a naval blockade around Yemen.

Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday it was ending a month-long campaign of air strikes against the Houthi rebels and would back a political solution to the conflict, an announcement the White House welcomed.

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton and David Alexander; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Peter Cooney)

[jimmy olsen]

https://ph.news.yahoo.com/60-girls-commit-suicide-every-month-being-sexually-091808607.html

60 girls commit suicide every month after being sexually abused by IS jihadists
By ANI | ANI – 20 hours ago.

London, April 21 (ANI): At least 60 girls commit suicide every month after being sexually tortured by Islamic State (IS) jihadists, an aid worker based in Iraq has said.

While narrating the horrific sexual abuse that the women and children are subjected to by the jihadists, Yousif said that at least two girls kill themselves every day, reported The Daily Star.

He added that many decide to take their lives because they feel that they have dishonoured their beliefs. They don't hope that their families will accept them and at the same time, they don't want to have their babies, Yousif said.

Several "un-Islamic" civilians, including those from the Yazidi community, have been a key target for the terror group as they advanced through Iraq and Syria.

The news came after the Human Rights Watch said earlier that women and girls attempted suicide in order to escape rape, forced marriages and religious conversions at the hands of the IS jihadists. (ANI)