The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[DGuller]

Looks like Middle East warfare is like European warfare in 1444.  The side with the least pitiful level of morale wins every time.

[alfred russel]

Looks like Middle East warfare is like European warfare in 1444.  The side with the least pitiful level of morale wins every time.

See? Things aren't so bad. Everyone talks about the middle east as stuck in a medieval mindset, but here is an example where it seems to be more like early renaissance.

[jimmy olsen]

If the Peshmerga (spelling?) can't stop ISIS, can anything in Iraq stop them short of full Iranian intervention?

[alfred russel]

If the Peshmerga (spelling?) can't stop ISIS, can anything in Iraq stop them short of full Iranian intervention?

If history tells me anything, it is that if you are going to start putting "(spelling?)" after words you might have spelled wrong, you should put that note after every word more than 3 letters. 

[jimmy olsen]

It just keeps getting worse

http://www.france24.com/en/20140803-un-warns-humanitarian-tragedy-isis-seizes-iraq-sinjar/

UN warns of 'humanitarian tragedy' as ISIS seizes Sinjar

Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS or ISIL) have captured the Iraqi town of Sinjar, forcing up to 200,000 people to flee and creating a "humanitarian tragedy", the UN said on Sunday.

"A humanitarian tragedy is unfolding in Sinjar," the top UN envoy in Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, said in a statement after ISIS militants had captured the northern town, which lies near the Syrian border. Thousands of previously displaced families had fled to Sinjar to seek safety.

"The United Nations has grave concerns for the physical safety of these civilians," the statement said.

It said it was particularly concerned by the fate of civilians who fled into the Jabal Sinjar mountains and could be trapped inside an area completely surrounded by the militants.

"The humanitarian situation of these civilians is reported as dire, and they are in urgent need of basic items including food, water and medicine," the statement said.

Sinjar had been controlled by Kurdish troops but they withdrew on Sunday, the second consecutive day of losses for the peshmerga fighters, who also lost the town of Zumar and two nearby oilfields to ISIS jihadists on Saturday.

Sinjar is the historical home of the Yazidis, a Kurdish-speaking minority that adheres to a pre-Islamic faith derived, in part, from Zoroastrianism. They have been targeted by the Sunni militants of ISIS, who believe they are devil worshippers.

Mladenov urged the authorities of the autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq and the federal government in Baghdad to cooperate fully in addressing the crisis.

ISIS has seized a large area straddling the Iraqi-Syrian border and in June declared the establishment of an Islamic state or "caliphate", with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi as its caliph. Baghdadi has demanded "obedience" from Muslims and ordered them to relocate to the areas under his control.

The latest militant advance comes as the Lebanese army was fighting Islamist fighters from ISIS and the al Qaeda-linked al Nusra Front (Jabhat al Nusra) near the Syrian border. At least three civilians and eight members of the security forces were killed after al Nusra fighters seized a security building late Saturday in the Lebanese border town of Arsal.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)

[alfred russel]

Someone needs to post a world map showing the zone of ISIS controlled territory and the zone of ebola outbreak. I don't know what will happen when those two zones intersect, but I imagine it will be like crossing streams in ghostbusters.

[Eddie Teach]

ISIS will weaponize the ebola and destroy civilization.

[Valmy]

Wow can nobody in the Middle East beat these Jihadists?  It is amazing.  Their ability to destroy nations seems unlimited.

But what can I say?  They took down one of our buildings and pretty soon we are spying on the whole world out of paranoia.  Terrorism: it works.

[KRonn]

If the Peshmerga (spelling?) can't stop ISIS, can anything in Iraq stop them short of full Iranian intervention?

I would have figured that the Kurds are armed and trained well enough, but most of all would have the desire and strong morale to fight against and stop ISIS, at least locally in Kurdish controlled areas.

[Valmy]

So far the Kurds are getting kicked around though.

[Grallon]

ISIS would not exist were it not for the (failed) Irak war and the 'Arab Spring turned nightmare' encouraged by the US and their allies...

The West seem exceptionally dedicated to creating enemies for itself.  Imagine if we were not collectively addicted to oil we could quarantine the whole region and let them slaughter each other.  And this unending civil war between the Israelis and Palestinians, that serves as a justification for most of the other conflicts in the region, has become so fucking tiresome!


G.

[DGuller]

Growing pains.

[jimmy olsen]

If the Peshmerga (spelling?) can't stop ISIS, can anything in Iraq stop them short of full Iranian intervention?

I would have figured that the Kurds are armed and trained well enough, but most of all would have the desire and strong morale to fight against and stop ISIS, at least locally in Kurdish controlled areas.

The Kurds seem to be lacking ammunition and spare parts, while ISIS has copious supplies.

[grumbler]

So far the Kurds are getting kicked around though.

Given that we don't know the numbers involved, and the only real info we have is from an unreliable source, I don't know that you can conclude that.  The Kurds suffered a defeat, clearly, but you can be beaten without being "kicked around."

[alfred russel]

ISIS would not exist were it not for the (failed) Irak war and the 'Arab Spring turned nightmare' encouraged by the US and their allies...

This.