The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant Megathread

[Ed Anger]

Iraq can get their Iranian buddies to help with Ramadi. Fuck 'em both.

[jimmy olsen]

What did you think of Benn's speech Mongers?

I thought it was quite good.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2015/dec/03/hilary-benn-airstrikes-vote-speech-full-must-confront-isis-evil-video

[mongers]

What did you think of Benn's speech Mongers?

I thought it was quite good.

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/video/2015/dec/03/hilary-benn-airstrikes-vote-speech-full-must-confront-isis-evil-video

Sorry Tim, been involved with other stuff all day, so didn't see any of the debate or news till late so haven't caught up. Though I will say Benn is a decent fellow, so not surprising that he conducts himself self well in parliament.

Did seem some of the after vote discussion and tory rebel Chris Baron came across as a principled, 1st rate parliamentarian.

[Richard Hakluyt]

A relatively small number of British sorties is not going to make much difference. But our allies asked us for help and there is a UN resolution, I think I'd have voted for it if I was a MP.

[celedhring]

Meanwhile we'll do owt because being a foreign policy hawk doesn't help you win elections in Spain.

[KRonn]

Iraq can get their Iranian buddies to help with Ramadi. Fuck 'em both.

The Iraqi leader was saying they didn't want or need foreign troops. Right, now that they've become a wholly owned subsidiary of Iran, at least the Shia parts of Iraq. But hey no US troops works for me. The region is going to need Muslim troops and armies to take on ISIS and clean up their own region. US and western troops there taking on the heavy work feeds into the mantra of radicals and others that this battle is about the ebil West and Islam. But that all changes some if Islam takes up the challenge. Heh, then it also risks becoming Sunni vs Shia as in Iraq with their new BFF Iran.   

[grumbler]

Heh, then it also risks becoming Sunni vs Shia as in Iraq with their new BFF Iran.   

It already is very much Sunni vs Shia.  ISIS is exclusively and explicitly Sunni.  Dogs and Shia keep off the lawns.

[KRonn]

Heh, then it also risks becoming Sunni vs Shia as in Iraq with their new BFF Iran.   

It already is very much Sunni vs Shia.  ISIS is exclusively and explicitly Sunni.  Dogs and Shia keep off the lawns.

Yep, pretty much already Sunni-stan and Shia-stan within Iraq. Also Kurdistan which was already a more independent, self governing part of Iraq. And I think Kurdistan in Iraq should be completely independent. But it's funny how the Iraqi government, ruled by Shias and being so in bed with Iran, say they don't want US/foreign troops in there, yet the US is still acting like they can do business with Iraq a bit like before or something. US is slow to send weapons/equipment to the Kurds because the Iraqi govt doesn't want that, but given how the nation has become splintered largely by the Iraqi govt's own doing IMO the US should just support the Kurds to the utmost in the fight against ISIS.

[grumbler]

Yep, pretty much already Sunni-stan and Shia-stan within Iraq. Also Kurdistan which was already a more independent, self governing part of Iraq. And I think Kurdistan in Iraq should be completely independent. But it's funny how the Iraqi government, ruled by Shias and being so in bed with Iran, say they don't want US/foreign troops in there, yet the US is still acting like they can do business with Iraq a bit like before or something. US is slow to send weapons/equipment to the Kurds because the Iraqi govt doesn't want that, but given how the nation has become splintered largely by the Iraqi govt's own doing IMO the US should just support the Kurds to the utmost in the fight against ISIS.

It has always been Suunistand and Shiastan in Iraq outside Baghdad.  The shoe is just on the other foot now. 

The US is kinda like that Jimmy Stewart-style newspaper reporter who crusades against the Tammany Hall mayor, and, after a tough fight, gets the reform mayor elected - only to find out the "reform mayor" is all mobbed up.

I agree that the US should just proceed to advance its own interests in Iraq, and pretty much ignore that government's wishes.  There hasn't been a government in Iraq, ever, that shared any significant interests with the US.

[HisMajestyBOB]

The US Kills a Mid-to-High Level ISIS Figure Every 2 Days

I saw some interesting graphics showing the locations and frequency of US and Russian bombings, but can't find it at the moment. US bombing is still much more active than Russian IIRC.

[Syt]

"Ah, a reconnaissance plane." Germany is sending recon planes to Syria. Recon and Age of Enlightenment are both "Aufklärung" in German.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Oh, and Congress won't authorize military force against ISIS because then the Republicans would have to admit that Obama is doing something useful.

[Syt]

Oh, and Congress won't authorize military force against ISIS because then the Republicans would have to admit that Obama is doing something useful.

At this stage it just feels petty.

[Valmy]

It has been petty for...oh hell I cannot remember. Sometime in the Clinton Administration.

Anyway that situation is the very embodiment of SNAFU. But it seems Obama can already do whatever he wants based on the authorization from the freaking 2003 Iraq War which I guess stretches into perpetuity.

[KRonn]

The US Kills a Mid-to-High Level ISIS Figure Every 2 Days

I saw some interesting graphics showing the locations and frequency of US and Russian bombings, but can't find it at the moment. US bombing is still much more active than Russian IIRC.

From what officials have been saying, US bombing is very spotty, low frequency, sometimes it's due to rules of engagement. Quite a few sorties but most planes return with their ordinance, no bombs dropped. Just over the past two weeks they started bombing oil trucks, oil being a huge financier of ISIS. Why is this only started now? This was supposed to be a serious campaign. What else of import has been ignored in a similar fashion, in over the year plus that the US and a few allies have been bombing?