The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[Richard Hakluyt]

Some background on who the Turkmen are :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-34910389

So the Eastern group are in league with the Kurds........interesting.

[Valmy]

Erdogan is the kind of leader Turkey needs right now. 

They were dangerously close to peace, prosperity, and international respect. He has pulled them back from the brink with gusto.

[Malthus]

Erdogan is the kind of leader Turkey needs right now. 

They were dangerously close to peace, prosperity, and international respect. He has pulled them back from the brink with gusto.

[Hamilcar]

Putin calls out Turkey:

"IS has big money, hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars, from selling oil. In addition they are protected by the military of an entire nation. One can understand why they are acting so boldly and blatantly. Why they kill people in such atrocious ways. Why they commit terrorist acts across the world, including in the heart of Europe."

[Richard Hakluyt]

Looking at the map it appears that the Russian jet was in Turkish airspace for about 2km of travel............a few seconds.

[Syt]

Looking at the map it appears that the Russian jet was in Turkish airspace for about 2km of travel............a few seconds.

The Americans confirm this, and also the Turkish warnings to the Russian plane. This few seconds thing is a bit of an out, I guess? Russia can say it was harmless, even if true, Turkey can say they defended their border and they both return to their business of killing ISIS and moderate rebels and killing Kurds, respectively. And Russians will think twice before attacking Turkish friends near the border.

[Liep]

And Russians will think twice before attacking Turkish friends near the border.

Hardly if it was those friends who shot down the parachuting pilots.

[KRonn]

Speaking of the oil revenue, it's a bit inane that the US and its coalition haven't been seriously going after ISIS oil facilities, oil trucks, etc. Just started doing it recently. Meanwhile ISIS has been earning hundreds of millions of dollars over the year. Russia has said they've hit oil trucks but their figures of vehicles destroyed seem way too high, especially given they use a lot of dumb/unguided bombs.

[Syt]

Speaking of the oil revenue, it's a bit inane that the US and its coalition haven't been seriously going after ISIS oil facilities, oil trucks, etc. Just started doing it recently. Meanwhile ISIS has been earning hundreds of millions of dollars over the year. Russia has said they've hit oil trucks but their figures of vehicles destroyed seem way too high, especially given they use a lot of dumb/unguided bombs.

Yeah, I take their numbers with several pillars of salt. One missile killed 600 terrorists? Yeah, right.

[Razgovory]

Erdogan is the kind of leader Turkey needs right now. 

They were dangerously close to peace, prosperity, and international respect. He has pulled them back from the brink with gusto.

The 1990's?

[Crazy_Ivan80]

Speaking of the oil revenue, it's a bit inane that the US and its coalition haven't been seriously going after ISIS oil facilities, oil trucks, etc. Just started doing it recently. Meanwhile ISIS has been earning hundreds of millions of dollars over the year. Russia has said they've hit oil trucks but their figures of vehicles destroyed seem way too high, especially given they use a lot of dumb/unguided bombs.

Yeah, I take their numbers with several pillars of salt. One missile killed 600 terrorists? Yeah, right.

the missile was Putin's penis. It's so glorious a missile that it even flew back to the Kremlin by itself before reattaching itself to Putin again. Along the way it also killed three bears single... handed.

[mongers]

Speaking of the oil revenue, it's a bit inane that the US and its coalition haven't been seriously going after ISIS oil facilities, oil trucks, etc. Just started doing it recently. Meanwhile ISIS has been earning hundreds of millions of dollars over the year. Russia has said they've hit oil trucks but their figures of vehicles destroyed seem way too high, especially given they use a lot of dumb/unguided bombs.

Yeah, I take their numbers with several pillars of salt. One missile killed 600 terrorists? Yeah, right.

To be fair the US has announced two recent raids in the last week that destroyed over 100 and then something like 240+ oil trucks, though they first leafleted/warned the civilians drivers to leave their trucks before attacking.

So it's not surprising that the Russians could destroy a lot of truck fairly easy; think dozens and dozens of trucks parked up waiting to be filled with oil from very rough and ready open refineries*.


* not sure you can describe an oil strewn patch of sand surrounding an open fire heating crude oil as a 'refinery'.

[mongers]

My estimate was 10-15 seconds, now NATO is saying the Russian jet was in Turkish airspace for 17 seconds. 

[Valmy]

The 1990's?

What about them?

[Razgovory]

The 1990's?

What about them?

Is that time period you were talking about when you said Turkey is "dangerously close to peace, prosperity, and international respect"?