The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[DontSayBanana]

You personally may not lose your shit, but your nation as a whole can sometimes seem like it does. You know, it does things like invade Iraq and Afghanistan, embrace torture on a systemic level, elect a democratic president etc.

Hey, when we REALLY lose our shit, we elect a Republican president.

[garbon]

I don't really lose my shit about it, though another successful terrorist attack would convince me we should glass them all.

You personally may not lose your shit, but your nation as a whole can sometimes seem like it does. You know, it does things like invade Iraq and Afghanistan, embrace torture on a systemic level, elect a democratic president etc.

Most of those are not positives for groups like ISIS.

[CountDeMoney]

You personally may not lose your shit, but your nation as a whole can sometimes seem like it does. You know, it does things like invade Iraq and Afghanistan, embrace torture on a systemic level, elect a democratic president etc.

Hey, when we REALLY lose our shit, we elect a Republican president.

Polemical fearmongering as a campaign theme totally worked in 2004. 
Democratic National Convention?  Raise the Homeland Security threat level.  Democratic nominee names a running mate?  Raise the Homeland Security threat level.  THESE ARE CREDIBLE NON-SPECIFIC THREATS

[Jacob]

Most of those are not positives for groups like ISIS.

Didn't say they were. They can, however, be construed as you collectively losing your shit no matter how phlegmatic individual Americans such as yourself may be.

[grumbler]

I don't really lose my shit about it, though another successful terrorist attack would convince me we should glass them all.

You personally may not lose your shit, but your nation as a whole can sometimes seem like it does. You know, it does things like invade Iraq and Afghanistan, embrace torture on a systemic level, elect a democratic president etc.

That's not just true of the US, of course.  Terrorists attack the US, and Canadians also lose their shit, invade Iraq and Afghanistan, bitch about timber import restrictions, vote PQ, etc.

We could make the list for the UK, France, etc losing their shit, as well, but I don't think we need to.

[Grey Fox]

We didn't invade Irak.

[Berkut]

I don't really lose my shit about it, though another successful terrorist attack would convince me we should glass them all.

You personally may not lose your shit, but your nation as a whole can sometimes seem like it does. You know, it does things like invade Iraq and Afghanistan, embrace torture on a systemic level, elect a democratic president etc.

That is rather weak Jake.

[Jacob]

That's not just true of the US, of course.  Terrorists attack the US, and Canadians also lose their shit, invade Iraq and Afghanistan, bitch about timber import restrictions, vote PQ, etc.

We could make the list for the UK, France, etc losing their shit, as well, but I don't think we need to.

Definitely, yeah. I wasn't meaning to imply that it was a uniquely American trait by any means.

[Jacob]

I don't really lose my shit about it, though another successful terrorist attack would convince me we should glass them all.

You personally may not lose your shit, but your nation as a whole can sometimes seem like it does. You know, it does things like invade Iraq and Afghanistan, embrace torture on a systemic level, elect a democratic president etc.

That is rather weak Jake.

I agree

[mongers]

Something to give Ed, CdM and 114BV war boners ?

Turkish tanks have meanwhile taken up positions along the Syrian border:



M60A1/M60A3 FTW.

[CountDeMoney]

Wooties, would love to see some Pattons get some trigger time.

[derspiess]

I like the "flaming cat of death" tank. 

[derspiess]

By being more and more violent they are doing the equivalent of the tea party primary'ing a candidate from the right.

Man, you must *really* hate Islamic militants to pull that one out.

[Liep]

We're at war with ISIS/ISIL/IS/Whatever the French call them. Which is good, it felt terrible having a year without being at war somewhere in the Middle East. We truly are indebted to Fogh for starting this wonderful tradition.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/26/Denmark-to-send-seven-F-16s-to-fight-is-group-in-Iraq-PM-.html (It did indeed pass with a big majority)

[mongers]

Just watching a AJ report with the Kurds fighting on the frontline toward Mosul, when they cut to shots of their artillery support on top of the mountain, a British 25-pounder.     

A fine weapon in its day, but maybe we need to be getting them more modern and more numerous weapons, like the ones the Americans 'gave' to ISIL via the Iraqi 'army'.