The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[Sheilbh]

Shelf, I remember you originally being quite keen on Maliki.

I don't think I've ever been keen on Maliki. My view of the surge, at the time, was that it was pointless without political reconciliation, of which there was no evidence, and that when the Americans left it'd be the Sunni asking them to stay while Shia parties shoved them out the door.

He's been a pretty openly authoritarian and sectarian PM from the start.

Has he gone yet ie has his personal army left the streets?

No. His personal army is the Iraqi army. He's been in charge for eight years and used the power of patronage pretty well. The best equipped and trained bits of Iraq's military are loyal to him.

The wiki article on Yazidi's says the exact opposite of that...instead that the angel refused God's order to bow before Adam (and that is why Islamists think that angel is the devil). 

Yeah I thought they did worship Lucifer, just in their view Lucifer was right not to bow down to Adam and God rewarded him for it. He didn't fall because of his pride, that was justifiable.

[Grinning_Colossus]

Leave it to Spellus to have the Girls of The Yazidi, 2013-14 pin-up calendar.  With the bonus months.

Sez the guy who goes for Persians. Fiery, devil-worshiping refugee hotties? Yes, please.

[Sheilbh]

Oh and on who's involved, as well as the SAS rumours, the UK is definitely helping with the humanitarian airlifts and apparently doing more on surveillance. We could/should probably do more.

[Admiral Yi]

Hans: COMPLETELY WRONG.

[CountDeMoney]

Leave it to Spellus to have the Girls of The Yazidi, 2013-14 pin-up calendar.  With the bonus months.

Sez the guy who goes for Persians. Fiery, devil-worshiping refugee hotties? Yes, please.

Persians > Corgis

[grumbler]

Hans: COMPLETELY WRONG.

SUN RISES IN EAST!!!ONEONEONE

[Siege]

I don't care.

[CountDeMoney]

That does it.  Sleep it off.

[Tamas]

This is going to make a great competitive/co-op game someday...

yeah you can just see the next instalment of the COIN series can't you?

[Viking]

Fun facts on Yazidis:

They are a variation of Zoroastrianism.

They worship an angel who defied God and bowed down to Adam instead.

They ban the eating of .... Lettuce? WTF?

Variant of Zoroastrianism, yes.
Worship an angel who defied God and bowed down to Adam instead, no.
They ban the eating of ....Lettuce?, yes


The don't worship the devil or satan or whatever. They just don't believe that evil comes from the devil and they believe that the creator god left the running of the world to 7 angels. This is the Yezidi version of the blood libel and why (in addition to being weak) they are being targeted now.

[KRonn]

Obama due to make a statement within the next few minutes on military action in Iraq:

http://www.reuters.com/

He's now said that this is going to take a long time to stop/defeat ISIS. Yep, prepare everyone for a long term campaign which will consist of assisting friendly forces on the ground with supplies, military equipment and air strikes. IMO they need to get very serious with air strikes, but perhaps that needs to wait until there are more ground forces to work with, which means resupplied and re-equipped Kurds and Iraqi forces.

[Hansmeister]

Obama due to make a statement within the next few minutes on military action in Iraq:

http://www.reuters.com/

He's now said that this is going to take a long time to stop/defeat ISIS. Yep, prepare everyone for a long term campaign which will consist of assisting friendly forces on the ground with supplies, military equipment and air strikes. IMO they need to get very serious with air strikes, but perhaps that needs to wait until there are more ground forces to work with, which means resupplied and re-equipped Kurds and Iraqi forces.

Wasn't it just a three weeks ago Obama wanted Congress to repeal the Authorization to Use Force in Iraq?  I guess his little unicorn world is slowly getting destroyed by reality.

[Tamas]

I am always amazed how soldiers are apparently free to talk shit about their commander in chief. He is your ultimate superior dude. Trashing him in public must be the same as spitting on the national flag.

[The Brain]

Loyalty isn't a big thing in the US. If he does manage to fire him though I will be impressed.

[The Minsky Moment]

I am always amazed how soldiers are apparently free to talk shit about their commander in chief. He is your ultimate superior dude. Trashing him in public must be the same as spitting on the national flag.

It's the whole free country, free speech thing.  After years of Orban no doubt that can be disorienting.

There is a regulation that allows discipline of commissioned officers who use refer contemptuously to the President, but IIRC it does not apply to rank-and-file or NCOs.