The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[DGuller]

Is it that 100 have gone through training, or that 100 of them still survive?

[Admiral Yi]

Is it that 100 have gone through training, or that 100 of them still survive?

100 that have not been rejected for being too old, or too young, or too crippled, gone through training, and not quit yet.

[DGuller]

Is it that 100 have gone through training, or that 100 of them still survive?

100 that have not been rejected for being too old, or too young, or too crippled, gone through training, and not quit yet.

So, in theory, we could've trained 10,000 soldiers, and it's just that 9,900 of them deserted to join ISIS.

[Admiral Yi]

So, in theory, we could've trained 10,000 soldiers, and it's just that 9,900 of them deserted to join ISIS.

What you're describing sounds like a best case.

[Tonitrus]

Oh, I agree, the whole "lets train a moderate Syrian opposition!" was a big pile of stupid from the point of conception, while also being far too late in coming.

[Tamas]

How do you recruit, train, and arm moderates? You ask them? "Are you a moderate?" or "Will you stand ildly by while your brothers in religion massacre and torture your enemies in religion, or will you risk your life to save those who want to take yours?"

[Savonarola]

How do you recruit, train, and arm moderates? You ask them? "Are you a moderate?" or "Will you stand ildly by while your brothers in religion massacre and torture your enemies in religion, or will you risk your life to save those who want to take yours?"

What makes a man turn moderate... Lust for gold? Power? Or were you just born with a heart full of moderation?"

[jimmy olsen]

Major ISIS attack in Egypt!

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/07/deaths-attacks-checkpoints-egypt-sinai-150701074350492.html

Deadly attacks hit Egypt's Sinai
At least 35 people killed as ISIL group attacks police posts in Sheikh Zuweid and El-Arish, sources tell Al Jazeera.

01 Jul 2015 12:29 GMT | Middle East, Egypt

At least 35 people have been killed in ongoing attacks on several military checkpoints and police stations in Egypt's northern Sinai, security sources and witnesses have told Al Jazeera.

About 70 fighters of a group calling itself the Province of Sinai simultaneously attacked several targets in the area on Wednesday, the sources said.

At least 22 of the fighters were killed and three of their vehicles were destroyed, the sources added.

Egypt's air force deployed fighter jets to the region to assist the army in the ongoing battle, Al Jazeera has learned.

There were also reports that Israel has closed down its shared border crossings with Egypt.

Sources told Al Jazeera that all Egyptian security forces at two checkpoints at Sheikh Zuweid were killed.

The mortuary in El-Arish received at least 35 bodies, Egyptian security sources said, adding that at least 11 soldiers were among the dead.

However, local media reports suggested the death toll of the attacks could be much higher.

The Egyptian daily Al Ahram reported that there had been no official death toll because ambulances had trouble reaching the injured and killed for fear of getting caught in the crossfire.

Coordinated attacks

Wael Abbas, an Egyptian journalist and blogger, told Al Jazeera that the attack was highly "coordinated" and that there were reports that the fighters had put mines on the roads to prevent more Egyptian military vehicles from accessing the area.

He said some supporters of ISIL had tweeted that they were going "to eradicate the military's presence in Sinai" before the attacks.

"It seems that the Islamists just like in Iraq and Syria want Sinai to go to the Islamic State [ISIL]," Abbas said.

The power was cut in Sheikh Zuweid and residents were staying indoors, as the clashes continued, witnesses told Al Ahram.

Police stations in the towns of Sheikh Zuweid and El-Arish were among the targets of the attacks, witnesses said.

Sources told Al Jazeera that fighters took over two tanks at one of the checkpoints.

Fighters have launched many attacks killing hundreds of police and soldiers in the northern Sinai in recent months.

The group Province of Sinai was previously called Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Champions of Jerusalem), but announced a name change in November 2014 when it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) .

The group, which was founded after the military-backed toppling of former President Mohamed Morsi, had originally targeted Israeli border installations, but soon shifted onto Egyptian government forces.

Hundreds of Egyptian soldiers and police officers have since fallen victims to attacks staged by the group.

[DGuller]

Sounds like a huge success to me that they managed to train every single moderate Muslim in Syria.

[jimmy olsen]

Execution of ISIS members by Jayish al Islam



Two Egyptian checkpoints wiped out to a man says Al Jazera

https://twitter.com/AJENews/status/616196337911136256

[DGuller]

Good on them, but if they really want to continue having success in the future, they should rally work on their camouflage.

[The Brain]

Were they released from Gitmo recently?

[Valmy]

One of those unfortunate cases where the enemy of our enemy is still our enemy.

[Martinus]

The worst part in all of these is that I was actually thinking of going to Egypt to see the Pyramids.

[Eddie Teach]

The worst part in all of these is that I was actually thinking of going to Egypt to see the Pyramids.

Way to keep it all in perspective.