ISIS Claims Major Counterattacks as Iraqi Forces Lay Siege to Ramadi

[galdur]

Well, it´s a matter of historical record that they were very smartly geared out in 2014 and going into 2015 by capturing Humvees, tanks, artillery batteries and enough other stuff for an army. Not sure when or if the U.S. got tired of sending more stuff over to replenish the Iraqis only to have it captured as before. The tide seems to be turning now, at least for the moment. Apparently ISIS is having problems obtaining new recruits and supplies so I guess the Russians have been doing something about the supply lines, which of course is always key in warfare.

[galdur]

Regarding supplies; military equipment, ammunition, fuel, recruits, food and water is of course important but even better is to cut off the medical supplies. Leaving the enemy with the wounded (which in this situation must be a rather substantial number, given all the bombing) rotting away helplessly. Now; that is a morale-breaker.

[tvbcof]

Regarding supplies; military equipment, ammunition, recruits, food and water is of course important but even better is to cut off the medical supplies. Leaving the enemy with the wounded (which in this situation must be a rather substantial number, given all the bombing) rotting away helplessly. Now; that is a morale-breaker.

True that about the medical needs.  It is why it was particularly meaningful that ISIS found a well of medical care in occupied Golan and from what I read, in Israel proper.

Well, it´s a matter of historical record that they were very smartly geared out in 2014 and going into 2015 by capturing Humvees, tanks, artillery batteries and enough other stuff for an army. Not sure when or if the U.S. got tired of sending more stuff over to replenish the Iraqis only to have it captured as before. The tide seems to be turning now, at least for the moment. Apparently ISIS is having problems obtaining new recruits and supplies so I guess the Russians have been doing something about the supply lines, which of course is always key in warfare.

From what I hear, the upper management of ISIS is being evacuated by the West.  The mercenary strategy which worked so well in Libya has failed in Syria so it seems, but it took a hell of a toll on the citizens of that nation.  When Putin publicly stated that ISIS (and others) were simply mercenaries and they work for whoever pays them the most (and he knows the pay-scale) it was only stating what those of us who've been paying attention have been hearing for years.

I started reading in many places various disjointed reports of the 'refugees' moving to Europe where surprisingly rich in single military aged men of late.  Also that most of the 'Syrians' were not from Syria at all...or not by birth at least.  The thought that these mercenaries next benefactor would be paying them to operate in Europe crossed my mind and was almost to awful and conspiratorial even for me.  But the suggestion really fits the reports coming out of Germany now.  From where I sit is seemed like a completely far-fetched and strategy which could never work even if the goal was to make Europe look like Libya and/or fertilize a new set of extreme nationalist political movements.  Now I'm not so sure.  Getting people so mad that they would welcome full scale war and ethnic cleansing in SE Asia might actually be achievable if approached as a project which is expected to bear fruit a generation or two out.  In the here and now, people will soon be begging for bio-metric ID (if not chipping for all)...and the contracts with the corporations which will do this were signed a year ago from what I read.

The only thing I've seen Switzerland do right lately is to suggest to their citizens that they stock up on guns and ammo because it looks like it's going to get ugly out there.  To bad for the rest of the European populations that that is not a viable option for most of them.

[galdur]

Much of the refugees from Syria are refugees from Iraq originally but they´re from all over the place from Pakistan to North Africa and Somalia and many of them on dubious passports. In a torrent this massive you´ll get mixed in lots of opportunists, criminals and scumbags mixed in with people who are bona fide refugees in real need.

[galdur]

RE: War. I think it should be very ruthless and brutal in order to make it as short as possible. It saves lives and money. It also decreases the risk of the war spreading. Starting wars is easy, controlling how they develop is more difficult. Therefore dragging them on without any meaningful or realistic plans as we´ve seen in this war on terror is just insanity. The confirmation of the madness of the people in charge is that they keep repeating their mistakes. And if repeating mistakes is the plan, well then it´s madness to have them in circulation.

[tvbcof]

Much of the refugees from Syria are refugees from Iraq originally but they´re from all over the place from Pakistan to North Africa and Somalia and many of them on dubious passports. In a torrent this massive you´ll get mixed in lots of opportunists, criminals and scumbags mixed in with people who are bona fide refugees in real need.

I live in one of the whitest parts of one of the whitest states in the U.S.  Last time I was in town I saw a middle eastern family for the first time.  If they were anything other than a family with a couple of kids, they were doing a pretty good job of faking it.

In other cluturally similar areas I'm aware of other refugees from decades ago.  A Kurd and a Kazakh for instance.  They have become productive and integral parts of society as far as I am concerned.  The Kurdish guy owned the local gun shop.

As I mentioned earlier, I kind of toyed with the idea of sponsoring a refugee/family or at least letting them use a house I own and am not doing anything with.  The basic reason I would consider doing this is that I suspect that there is a better chance of a random one of these people being 'good Americans' than there is for someone who happens to be born here.  That is to say, I think they would be more likely to believe in certain historical values of our nation than there is for someone 'born and bred' (and vaccinated and indoctrinated) here.  They would also tend to be tough people who have known real adversity.

Ultimately, I believe that at the present time, the 'migration' to the U.S. and other Western countries is screened to achieve a goal which I do not agree with.  If the flow of migrants of the type I would like to see has not already been stemmed it probably will be soon and there is little which I can do about it.  Secondly, I myself would like to be able to run like hell if/when the shit hits the fan right here in 'the land of free, home of the brave.'  (And this was one of the things which helped Bitcoin capture my interest.)  Assisting an immigrant to live here might end up being one of those 'out of the frying pan, into the fire' type deals.

[galdur]

We´re talking over a million people rushing into Europe over a few months. You´ll get lots of bad with the good. How much of this mass has even been vetted at any borders and after they´re in is anybody´s guess.

[galdur]

I´m not pointing this out because I´m against those refugees just that it´s a largely uncontrolled stream which is dangerous and will have consequences. It already has had consequences actually. But most of these people are decent folks I´m sure. Some of them will settle in Europe others will return to their land if it can ever be pacified. The root of the crisis is these war scams that lunatics with no plans start. And now people on Wall Street and Main Street are united in their love of freakin Hillary Clinton that gloated over how they destroyed Lybia and added to the mess from other nutcases. It´s unbelievable.