The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[Ed Anger]

BOMB SOMETHING YOU WORTHLESS PRESIDENT. WHARGARBL

[Sheilbh]

Rudaw's English Twitter feed is still reporting small skirmishes between Kurdish and ISIS forces at various places near Kirkuk, so either someone has not get the message or its a pretty weak NAP.

I imagine it'd inevitably be weak because it's not really between two states with professional militaries. If it's just small skirmishes at the odd 'border post' then that's as effective as is likely/possible. What they mean is the Kurds aren't going to go for Mosul or try and push ISIS out and ISIS aren't going to try and take Kurdish territory.

[CountDeMoney]

I think small skirmishes in the Islamic world means you're still sort of friends.

It is all over the sex ed camel.

LOL (PBUH)

[derspiess]

So has Obama announced what he's planning to do yet so I can criticize him and take the opposite position?

[Berkut]

OK, I guess my recollection of said article must suck, because it really does look like bullshit, doesn't it?

Those swords seemed to cut through flesh just fine with the need for any sawing.

[The Brain]

OK, I guess my recollection of said article must suck, because it really does look like bullshit, doesn't it?

Those swords seemed to cut through flesh just fine with the need for any sawing.

Steel isn't strong, boy. Flesh is stronger!

[11B4V]

OK, I guess my recollection of said article must suck, because it really does look like bullshit, doesn't it?

Those swords seemed to cut through flesh just fine with the need for any sawing.

[Caliga]

Steel isn't strong, boy. Flesh is stronger!

Crom!

[Hansmeister]

So has Obama announced what he's planning to do yet so I can criticize him and take the opposite position?

He is using the Sir Humphrey Appleby approach to solving a crisis:

Bernard Woolley: What if the Prime Minister insists we help them?
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Then we follow the four-stage strategy.
Bernard Woolley: What's that?
Sir Richard Wharton: Standard Foreign Office response in a time of crisis.
Sir Richard Wharton: In stage one we say nothing is going to happen.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
Sir Richard Wharton: In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it's too late now.

[PJL]

So has Obama announced what he's planning to do yet so I can criticize him and take the opposite position?

He is using the Sir Humphrey Appleby approach to solving a crisis:

Bernard Woolley: What if the Prime Minister insists we help them?
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Then we follow the four-stage strategy.
Bernard Woolley: What's that?
Sir Richard Wharton: Standard Foreign Office response in a time of crisis.
Sir Richard Wharton: In stage one we say nothing is going to happen.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
Sir Richard Wharton: In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it's too late now.

That's probably as good as any theory on how the US / West in general response to the crisis as anything else I've heard. It's not like he hasn't practiced the same thing before in Syria and Ukraine.

[Darth Wagtaros]

So has Obama announced what he's planning to do yet so I can criticize him and take the opposite position?

He is using the Sir Humphrey Appleby approach to solving a crisis:

Bernard Woolley: What if the Prime Minister insists we help them?
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Then we follow the four-stage strategy.
Bernard Woolley: What's that?
Sir Richard Wharton: Standard Foreign Office response in a time of crisis.
Sir Richard Wharton: In stage one we say nothing is going to happen.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
Sir Richard Wharton: In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do.
Sir Humphrey Appleby: Stage four, we say maybe there was something we could have done, but it's too late now.

That's the US approach to most anything for the last 20 years.  Aside from air strikes.

[Sheilbh]

That's probably as good as any theory on how the US / West in general response to the crisis as anything else I've heard. It's not like he hasn't practiced the same thing before in Syria and Ukraine.

Yeah. At this point I'm not sure that's the wrong choice for Iraq/Syria.

[Ed Anger]

CNN sez parts of Baquba under ISIS control.

[citizen k]

[Eddie Teach]

OK, I guess my recollection of said article must suck, because it really does look like bullshit, doesn't it?

Those swords seemed to cut through flesh just fine with the need for any sawing.

Depends on the amount of force applied.