War against ISIS

[KimberlyD]

War with Isis: US approved air strikes on militants in Iraq on condition Iranian-backed Shia militias were removed from operation to retake Tikrit

America’s top commander for the Middle East, General Lloyd Austin, has revealed that the US insisted that Iranian-backed Shia militias be removed from the battle to retake Tikrit city from Isis before it agreed to join the effort with air strikes.

General Austin spoke to members of Congress one day after the US began aerial operations to give new impetus to the weeks-old campaign to retake Tikrit. Baghdad had appealed for air support, and today Iraqi special forces were reportedly advancing towards the centre of Tikrit.

Concern has been building on Capitol Hill that as the US expands its military co-operation with the Iraqi government against Isis, it risks working hand-in-hand with Tehran which is also sending men and equipment into Iraq for the same purpose.

“It is hard to see how empowering Iran’s proxies is in the… interest of an inclusive Iraq or a stable Middle East,” Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, noted.

The Pentagon has insisted it is not co-ordinating operations with any Iran-related forces. But this is the first time the US has demanded the removal of Shia militias as a condition for engagement.

General Austin also said the US required the Iraqi authorities to provide assurances that all those fighting in Tikrit were under its command. “Once those conditions were met – which included [Shia] militias not being involved – then we were able to proceed,” General Austin told the committee.

He also said he would never endorse any joint operations with the militias: “[After] three tours in Iraq, commanding troops who were brutalised by some of these… militias, I will not… co-ordinate or co-operate with Shia militias.”

Retired General John Allen, President Barack Obama’s special envoy to the coalition fighting Isis, told members that the campaign is making progress, particularly in Iraq where Isis has lost more than a quarter of the populated territory it once held. “We’re clearly degrading its capabilities,” he said. But he acknowledged the situation in Syria is harder to assess.
War with Isis: US approved air strikes on militants in Iraq on condition Iranian-backed Shia militias were removed from operation to retake Tikrit - Middle East - World - The Independent

Ok so the US and Iran are not going to work together in this operation. Earlier reports were stating that they were and that Iran was willing to put aside their issues with the US to fight with us against ISIS. I guess their opposition with the Yemen issue ousted that idea.

 

[Scorpion]

Ok so the US and Iran are not going to work together in this operation. Earlier reports were stating that they were and that Iran was willing to put aside their issues with the US to fight with us against ISIS. I guess their opposition with the Yemen issue ousted that idea.

That explains my good read to the situation.

 

[KimberlyD]

I love that show and I had the same thoughts when watching it. I guess great minds think alike even then those minds are in opposition on certain subjects. LOL

I agree with you on your anology and observation @xTinx. It is very much similar to what is going on.

 

[kana_marie]

Army issues troops safety instructions following Islamic State kill list threat - Washington Times

 

[missbishi]

Now I know that all the information could have been obtained publicly but how on earth did ISIS know which names to search for? I think there's clearly been a security breach here, one which the government do not wish to admit to.

 

[westmixxin]

That's amazing anybody is stupid enough to actually participate they have absolutely no self respect in general. But realistically it wouldn't be the first time Americans took on the cause of someone who's basically against America. When the Nazis came around there was an entire group of individuals who actually supported the views and the lifestyle of the Nazis. Those individuals actually still exist to this day.

 

[vegito12]

The ISIS are about taking lives and want supreme rule, the way they say in the letter to kill those on the list and harm them this is misguided and the people also who think they are doing what is right in their mind. There will be some who will try this, the ones who are showing sympathy for the group and believe them which can cause problems for families and also near ones as well. There must have been hacking involved if the group knew which names to pick and the government needs to give answers and also will need to give answers to the people.

 

[kana_marie]

Now I know that all the information could have been obtained publicly but how on earth did ISIS know which names to search for? I think there's clearly been a security breach here, one which the government do not wish to admit to.

Thank you! That is exactly what I was thinking, but everyone is so focused on the fact that they were public record, that they don't seem to even consider the possibility.

 

[Rowe992]

I wonder how come ISIS terrorist were able to get such valuable information about US military personnel? The US military needs to seriously overhaul its data management systems in order to ensure data integrity and also to prevent any such hacking in the future.

 

[BLACKEAGLE]

U.S. drops 60,000 propaganda leaflets on ISIS stronghold Raqqa

A leaflet created by the United States Department of Defense to be dropped over Syria is shown after being released to Reuters by the Pentagon in Washington March 26, 2015. (Reuters)

Reuters
Sunday, 29 March 2015

The United States has dropped tens of thousands of graphic leaflets southwest of the Syrian city of Raqqa recently aimed at discouraging recruitment for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

The grisly, cartoon-style leaflets show recruits lining up to be shoved into a meatgrinder and is part of what the Pentagon formally calls "Military Information Support Operations," or MISO, meant to influence thinking on the battlefield.

The Pentagon said a U.S. Air Force F-15 warplane dropped about 60,000 of the leaflets on March 16.

"The message of this leaflet is that if you allow yourself to be recruited by Daesh (ISIS), you will find yourself in a meat grinder," said Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steve Warren. "It's not beneficial to your health."

The U.S. military has long employed such campaigns in wartime but Warren said this was first of its kind in Syria he was aware of since the United States began bombings in the country last September.

Last Update: Sunday, 29 March 2015 KSA 12:18 - GMT
http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2015/03/29/U-S-drops-60-000-propaganda-leaflets-on-ISIS-stronghold-Raqqa.html

 

[xTinx]

Well the analogy is pretty simple. And I forgot to elaborate about realism. According to IR theories, globalization has supposedly brought peoples together, creating a cohesive international community where everyone relies on one another for political and economic support. It seems that liberalism cannot sustain. No matter how hard some states try to lobby for cooperation, they always end up going back to realism. Reason? States, by nature, are insecure. To be secure, they need power and authority. Hence, these attacks on other states now.

 

[thegrey]

Islamic State Terrorists Behead Christian Children In Iraq, Display Heads On Poles In City Park

Anybody want to bring these people to the table and "talk" to them?

 

[crimsonghost747]

Well no, I don't think it's time that we "take them out" if by that you mean a full scale invasion type of conflict. We already have guys on the ground helping the locals and we have airplanes dropping bombs... that is enough.

While these people are doing absolutely atrocious things, it's not our war. It really isn't. So I'm not inclined to send our troops on the ground where inevitably many of them will fall in combat. There are many units in the area accepting foreign volunteers, those who really feel that they need to help can always join or support (probably financially too) these units.

 

[Gasoline]

That's disgusting !
What was his sin ? Is that because he's Christian !!

Those extremists are crossing the red lines day-by-day, every day they show us another disgusting crime .I don't know when they're gonna stop that !

 

[wahmed]

I think no matter how tiny or small a distraction is a distraction. So yes it is very easy to miss a tiny detail somewhere else and muck up.