Iraq falling appart

[Smoothrich]

What does 2 million dollars per day from oil fields and a bunch of fanatic footmen give you when you don't have the planes/AA and just get your faces bombed? Must be fun for ISIS right now.

Garrison up in urban areas, reduce highly visible and vulnerable convoys in open desert, dial down the militant populist activism and begin developing more sophisticated intelligence networks/concealment of maneuver and strategy.

Strategic bombing works great on cocky humvees blaring islamo-rap and doing donuts in open terrain, but air raids will very quickly be rendered ineffective when you have battle-hardened saddam-era NCO's commanding fanatic infantry grunts to defend every urban block in dozens of major cities across Syria and Iraq. That's when you need a disciplined, dedicated army to fight in brutal house to house combat to liberate a city. No one is stepping up to this, so there's barely a point to any bombing, unless we want to create a horrible humanitarian crisis by years of bombing out all civilian infrastructure, legitimizing ISIS or worse in opposition.

[Vibe]

Garrison up in urban areas, reduce highly visible and vulnerable convoys in open desert, dial down the militant populist activism and begin developing more sophisticated intelligence networks/concealment of maneuver and strategy.

Strategic bombing works great on cocky humvees blaring islamo-rap and doing donuts in open terrain, but air raids will very quickly be rendered ineffective when you have battle-hardened saddam-era NCO's commanding fanatic infantry grunts to defend every urban block in dozens of major cities across Syria and Iraq. That's when you need a disciplined, dedicated army to fight in brutal house to house combat to liberate a city. No one is stepping up to this, so there's barely a point to any bombing, unless we want to create a horrible humanitarian crisis by years of bombing out all civilian infrastructure, legitimizing ISIS or worse in opposition.

There is a point to bombing if you target their income. Sure they can hide, but they can't expand with hiding.

[Xant]

Garrison up in urban areas, reduce highly visible and vulnerable convoys in open desert, dial down the militant populist activism and begin developing more sophisticated intelligence networks/concealment of maneuver and strategy.

Strategic bombing works great on cocky humvees blaring islamo-rap and doing donuts in open terrain, but air raids will very quickly be rendered ineffective when you have battle-hardened saddam-era NCO's commanding fanatic infantry grunts to defend every urban block in dozens of major cities across Syria and Iraq. That's when you need a disciplined, dedicated army to fight in brutal house to house combat to liberate a city. No one is stepping up to this, so there's barely a point to any bombing, unless we want to create a horrible humanitarian crisis by years of bombing out all civilian infrastructure, legitimizing ISIS or worse in opposition.

The reason ISIS was/is such a threat is because they were/are a conventional army -- with tanks and missile trucks etc. Without those, they're reduced to just rabble.

You seem to have a much higher opinion of the intelligence and competency of ISIS fighters than anyone who's worked in the area. That is to say, nobody in the know is losing sleep over "...sophisticated intelligence networks/concealment of maneuver and strategy" and "battle-hardened saddam-era NCO's."

One guy who trained battle-hardened saddam-era NCO's:

In the end they only had to put 2 rounds out of about 50 through the cardboard tube of a roll of duct tape...literally, that was the "PASS" standard set by the NIATP (CMATT, Vinnell, whoever). It may have been improved later, but I am certain once the Iraqis took over training...it went back to Enshalla Standards. Good God the number of morons I argued with who swore they were experts in the old Iraqi Army and killed 100's of Iranians, yet could not hit a target even once at 100 meters out of a few hundred rounds!

[Smoothrich]

The reason ISIS was/is such a threat is because they were/are a conventional army -- with tanks and missile trucks etc. Without those, they're reduced to just rabble.

Damn that's intelligent and insightful. I'm sure destroying their conventional forces and blitzing to their political HQ and putting a USA flag on it will end this war before Christmas and usher in an era of peace and democracy.

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[lombardsoup]

'murica blew up a few mobile (yes, with wheels an errthang) oil refineries, can't ISIS just find/build new ones?  I mean, they're recruiting from the US so they're bound to find people with connections.

God this prez is dumb as shit, just like his predecessor.  Next he'll be trolled into putting more boots on the ground.

[Tomas_Miles_again]

Really hoping Cameron doesn't do a Tony Blair

[Xant]

Damn that's intelligent and insightful. I'm sure destroying their conventional forces and blitzing to their political HQ and putting a USA flag on it will end this war before Christmas and usher in an era of peace and democracy.

No, you're wrong. It won't end any wars and it won't usher in an era of peace and democracy, but it will destroy the threat. Try harder with your straw man fallacies.

[Smoothrich]

No, you're wrong. It won't end any wars and it won't usher in an era of peace and democracy, but it will destroy the threat. Try harder with your straw man fallacies.

You think we should genocide all Sunnis in Iraq, to end the threat? Threat to who, anyways? You know ISIS is basically Assad and Turkey's ally, with close economic and strategic ties? And that Iran and Iraqi Shi'ites have marginalized Sunni political representation and regularly engage in ethnic cleansing by militias, driving many people to embrace ISIS as a lesser of two evils?

And that we've been fighting the same people for ten years already, doing nothing but creating the instability that allowed a group like ISIS to become what it is today?

Its just very difficult to see what the fucking point is here. Unless you are cheerleading for Americans to go back and occupy half of Iraq?

Why don't you volunteer yourself to be frontline infantry in the Iraqi army, if you believe its just. We'd love to see your live posting while actually fighting a war.

[Xant]

You think we should genocide all Sunnis in Iraq, to end the threat? Threat to who, anyways? You know ISIS is basically Assad and Turkey's ally, with close economic and strategic ties? And that Iran and Iraqi Shi'ites have marginalized Sunni political representation and regularly engage in ethnic cleansing by militias, driving many people to embrace ISIS as a lesser of two evils?

And that we've been fighting the same people for ten years already, doing nothing but creating the instability that allowed a group like ISIS to become what it is today?

Its just very difficult to see what the fucking point is here. Unless you are cheerleading for Americans to go back and occupy half of Iraq?

Why don't you volunteer yourself to be frontline infantry in the Iraqi army, if you believe its just. We'd love to see your live posting while actually fighting a war.

When did I ever even imply killing off all Sunnis in Iraq? Are you drunk again, like in that video?

[Kirman]

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This is my college and it happened today. Some ISIS supporters known as Mus-Genc(Muslim Youth)attacked another student group who were protesting with ''Against AKP the supporter of ISIS'' slogan. To be honest i have no idea how they get in with those masks and sticks or why security didnt do anything. Police arrived really late. It's funny cause if it was us who brings the sticks they would catch us in a second. There will be a gathering Monday, let's see what happens...

[Kafein]

The best way to ruin a protest isn't to beat up the protesters. Be clever.

[Christo]

And it begins in Turkey now as well.. great

[Kirman]

The best way to ruin a protest isn't to beat up the protesters. Be clever.

I'm not thinking to use a stick or something. I just wanted to show how equality works in my country. If you supoort ISIS  you get nothing.  But if you protest AKP-ISIS you get beaten/arrested

[Christo]

I really hope this shit backfires on Erdogan and he gets beheaded.

Yeah, I know. One can dream though..

[Kirman]

I really hope this shit backfires on Erdogan and he gets beheaded.

Yeah, I know. One can dream though..

He bought himself a plane