Iraq PM: We Lost 2,300 American Humvees to ISIS in Mosul Alone

[galdur]

Published on Mar 24, 2016
An RT Documentary crew filming in northern Syria has seen Islamic State (IS, ISIS/ISIL) documents abandoned by retreating terrorists and found by the Kurds that, along with captured IS recruits, provide a stunning insight into the alleged Turkey-IS oil trade links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tosgw2HZehQ

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[galdur]

Arrest of ‘high risk, high value’ suspect in France interrupts terror plot in ‘advanced stages’

Twitchy  by Brett Taylor Yesterday

Breaking news from Europe Thursday night: The deadly bombings in Brussels, Belgium put Europe on high alert this week and accelerated the investigation of other potential terror plots in major cities like London and Paris. One of those terror sweeps is said to have led French police to arrest a man who was in the “advanced stages” of planning yet another terrorist attack on France, although France’s interior minister is not yet revealing any details.

BREAKING: Man arrested in France in "advanced stages" of plotting another terror attack https://t.co/bJQIaH8Q5h pic.twitter.com/KrYLrFaDR9

— The Hill (@thehill) March 24, 2016

Breaking: Cops bust terror suspect in France who was in "advanced stages" of attack plot, AP reports

— Shepard Smith (@ShepNewsTeam) March 24, 2016

Frenchman in advanced stages of plot arrested – Catherine Herridge reports for us live now -OTR #greta @FoxNews

— Greta Van Susteren (@greta) March 24, 2016

@greta @FoxNews And he's not talking. .

— Lass4x4 (@lass4x4) March 24, 2016

@ShepNewsTeam you think the French waterboarded ol Salah Abdelslam? Things are going south when Americans are bigger pussies that the French

— graeme (@theshockers10) March 24, 2016

MORE: France arrests man in ‘advanced stages’ of terror plot against country, officials say https://t.co/nl5Q3a8xMk pic.twitter.com/BBmcut4olo

— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 24, 2016

Fox News reports:

Twin terror raids in France and Belgium Thursday resulted in multiple arrests, including one Frenchman who was described as being in the “advanced stages” of a plot to attack the country.

However, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the man arrested in Argenteuil, on the northern outskirts of Paris, was not linked “at this stage” to recent attacks in Paris and Brussels.

He said the person was implicated at a “high level” in the alleged plot but provided no details.

@greta @FoxNews "Frenchman"

— Albert Reichmann (@AlbertReichmann) March 24, 2016

@greta @FoxNews Please stop calling them "Frenchmen." They are radical Muslims who reside in France. They are NOT French.

— Lydia Lozano (@LydiaLaLo) March 24, 2016

An ISIS-led attack on Paris last November killed 130 people and wounded more than 300.

The post Arrest of ‘high risk, high value’ suspect in France interrupts terror plot in ‘advanced stages’ appeared first on twitchy.com.

[galdur]

Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was occupied by Islamic State since May of 2014 before the Syrian Army liberated it on Thursday. The US State Dept is less than enthusiastic about the development, however.

As the Syrian Army advanced on Palmyra, the US government seemed indifferent to the ancient city’s liberation from the hands of Islamic State. Only when pressed by reporters did the State Department call ISIS “probably a greater evil” than President Assad.

Is 'Syrian Gov't or Islamic State' Better? Confused State Dept Spokesman Struggles to Answer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE_mXD-k_4o

[galdur]

According to Belgian authorities, six people have been detained as part of the investigation into Tuesday’s suicide bombings in Brussels. Three of them were detained in front of the federal prosecutor’s office, which said the arrests came during police searches in the neighborhoods of Schaerbeek and Jette, as well as in the city centre. This comes after the authorities lowered the security alert level down a notch from four – the highest level – to three, and as the search continues for at least one Brussels attacker now on the run. Police are looking for the man captured by a security camera at Brussels airport along with two suicide bombers. The man who was wearing a hat and a cream jacket has not been named. There are reports that a suspected second bomber in the attack on the metro is also being sought. The self-proclaimed Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attacks which killed at least 31 people and wounded 270. Turkey’s accusations that it had deported one of the suicide bombers and had warned Belgium about him prompted two Belgian ministers to offer to resign on Thursday. -- Asia Times

[galdur]

Iraq’s Offensive Near Mosul Collapsing in the Face of Mass Desertions
Locals Accuse Army of Looting Early in Offensive

by Jason Ditz, March 29, 2016

Less than a week ago, Iraqi officials were touting a new military offensive against some villages near Mosul as a major sign of progress in the war against ISIS, and their success in taking three villages was proof of ISIS being “in retreat.”

Today that offensive is stalled outright, on the brink of collapse, as low morale has many Iraqi troops leaving their positions, with Kurdish officials who were involved in the fighting saying the army “have no will to fight.”

The Kurds are in a position to know, as they hold a checkpoint between the villages and Shi’ite territory, and have been stopping deserters en masse, detaining those they can but ultimately watching as their key allies ditch the battle.

US officials are downplaying the concerns, insisting that the Iraqi troops are performing up to expectations. Locals are complaining that the troops showed up, looted their villages, and then just left, insisting they are no better than ISIS.

Looting and sectarian unrest are old problems, however, and the real problem is that this force of thousands of Iraqi troops is supposed to be the one taking over the heavily guarded city of Mosul. If they can’t even handle the villages, that Mosul offensive is far, far out of reach.

http://news.antiwar.com/2016/03/29/iraqs-offensive-near-mosul-collapsing-in-the-face-of-mass-desertions/

[magnific61]

That, was a planned operation i think. Isis attacked Mousul. There wasn't any intelligence, there wasn't any preparation, no counterattack. Then easily they got all vehicles, weapons, amnos and billions dollars in banks. And they expect us to believe that.

[galdur]

That, was a planned operation i think. Isis attacked Mousul. There wasn't any intelligence, there wasn't any preparation, no counterattack. Then easily they got all vehicles, weapons, amnos and billions dollars in banks. And they expect us to believe that.

It looks very fishy. That Iraqi force in Mosul outnumbered ISIS like 30 to 1. And they ran away leaving enough armaments and stuff for an army. Then later there was a similar debacle at Ramadi although on a smaller scale. This took place in 2014. Ramadi has been retaken of course, at the cost of pretty much a total ruin of that city. It´s going to be ugly in Mosul.

[bryant.coleman]

That, was a planned operation i think. Isis attacked Mousul. There wasn't any intelligence, there wasn't any preparation, no counterattack. Then easily they got all vehicles, weapons, amnos and billions dollars in banks. And they expect us to believe that.

It looks very fishy. That Iraqi force in Mosul outnumbered ISIS like 30 to 1. And they ran away leaving enough armaments and stuff for an army. Then later there was a similar debacle at Ramadi although on a smaller scale. This took place in 2014. Ramadi has been retaken of course, at the cost of pretty much a total ruin of that city. It´s going to be ugly in Mosul.

Most of the Iraqi soldiers who were stationed in Mosul were "ghost soldiers". They existed only in paper. So I am not very sure about this "outnumbered by 30 to 1" claim. And most of the remaining conscripts were Shiite Arabs from Southern Iraq, who had no intention to defend the Northern Sunni heartland from the ISIS barbarians.

[galdur]

That, was a planned operation i think. Isis attacked Mousul. There wasn't any intelligence, there wasn't any preparation, no counterattack. Then easily they got all vehicles, weapons, amnos and billions dollars in banks. And they expect us to believe that.

It looks very fishy. That Iraqi force in Mosul outnumbered ISIS like 30 to 1. And they ran away leaving enough armaments and stuff for an army. Then later there was a similar debacle at Ramadi although on a smaller scale. This took place in 2014. Ramadi has been retaken of course, at the cost of pretty much a total ruin of that city. It´s going to be ugly in Mosul.

Most of the Iraqi soldiers who were stationed in Mosul were "ghost soldiers". They existed only in paper. So I am not very sure about this "outnumbered by 30 to 1" claim. And most of the remaining conscripts were Shiite Arabs from Southern Iraq, who had no intention to defend the Northern Sunni heartland from the ISIS barbarians.

Yes, those ghost soldiers. That´s also a huge and extremely expensive problem in Afghanistan. Non-existent forces. The country is falling back into the lap of the Taliban and ISIS is well entrenched there too. The U.S. puppets in charge control major cities and hardly that. The other day the parliament building in Kabul got hit with rocket fire. NATO has some forces in Afghanistan but those tin soldiers from Germany and other European military non-powers are largely useless.

[icecube45]

Pretty sure the US military just left them behind...
Back in Nam, when we pulled out, we burned and blew up everything.

Goes to show you how the political perspective changed, or did we aid isis on purpose?

[galdur]

In Mosul ISIS also got some 40 tanks, serious artillery pieces and a mountain of small arms and other very useful military gear. It´s just tragi-comic.

[bryant.coleman]

Pretty sure the US military just left them behind...
Back in Nam, when we pulled out, we burned and blew up everything.

Goes to show you how the political perspective changed, or did we aid isis on purpose?

Well... now the policy is to refrain from carpet bombing the terrorists. The American pilots no longer have the power to bomb enemy troops on their own disposition. They should first get the permission from the Head Quarters. By the time the permission arrives, the enemy might have vanished out of their sights.

[galdur]

Near Mosul, Iraqi Troops Again Flee From ISIS as Soon as Shooting Starts
Rout of Iraqi Troops Another Morale Boost for ISIS

by Jason Ditz, April 08, 2016

The notion that ISIS fighters are unrivaled on the battlefield doesn’t always stand up to close scrutiny, but the ISIS leadership can certainly continue to push that narrative this week, after routing an Iraqi military offensive near Mosul.

As has so often been the case, the Iraqi troops didn’t handle coming under fire particularly well, and fled en masse as soon as the shooting started in earnest, with analysts warning that the Iraqi troops simply aren’t combat ready, and lost what little ground they took almost immediately.

Having ISIS drastically outnumbered by most estimates, Iraqi officials have been talking up the idea that the entire war would be won by year’s end, only to have this preliminary offensive put on indefinite hiatus, as they wait for reinforcements to replace the deserters.

It’s unsurprising, given how poorly the military has done, that Iraq is again turning to Shi”ite militias to try to turn the tide of battle, but many Shi’ites oppose sending their fighters so deep into Sunni country, to fight against Sunni Islamists.

And while the Pentagon is downplaying the losses, insisting the Iraqi troops are “learning the area,” it’s undeniable that ISIS has once again fallen into a major propaganda win, as Iraqi troops turn their tails and run, and reportedly flagging ISIS morale has been boosted.

http://news.antiwar.com/2016/04/08/near-mosul-iraqi-troops-again-flee-from-isis-as-soon-as-shooting-starts/

[galdur]

Philippine troops clash with Muslim rebels; 23 killed, 73 hurt

Hurriyet Daily News  9:35 am

Philippine soldiers battled a group of about 120 Muslim rebels linked to ISIL in a ten-hour assault on a southern island that killed 23 people, an army spokesman said on April 10

[keyscore44]

Interesting article from the Indy:

The female fighters that put the fear into jihadis - because they'll rob them of paradise
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-in-iraq-the-women-kurd-and-yazidi-fighters-that-put-the-fear-into-jihadis-because-theyll-rob-a6977761.html

The all-women or 'jin' unit based in Kananshor village near Sinjar mountain is home to a rotating group of female fighters, who are particularly feared by Isis fighters, who believe that if they are killed by a woman they will not get to heaven

[galdur]

I don´t doubt that there are female militia units over there but I´m not sure about the story about ISIS being fearful of them because of the heaven thing. If they are, they´re probably not worth much generally as fighters. These are mercenaries, if they´re worth their salt they won´t especially care whether they fight men or women.

[zenitzz]

Philippine troops clash with Muslim rebels; 23 killed, 73 hurt

Hurriyet Daily News  9:35 am

Philippine soldiers battled a group of about 120 Muslim rebels linked to ISIL in a ten-hour assault on a southern island that killed 23 people, an army spokesman said on April 10

Radical muslim has made ISIS & al-qaeda stronger than they ever were before, looks this problem will never finish until good muslim take a part to fight with ISIS,al-qaeda.

[galdur]

German soldiers 'may have joined Isis in Syria'

Published: 12 Apr 2016 10:15 GMT+02:00

At least 29 German soldiers have travelled to Syria or Iraq in recent years, an internal military report has found, with some believed to have joined terror group Isis.

Syrian arrested in Germany on war crimes charges (06 Apr 16)
Germany 'struggling to jail Isis fighters' (29 Mar 16)
Extra defence spending won't be enough, soldiers warn (24 Mar 16)
The internal report from the military counter-intelligence service MAD, seen by DPA, also showed that 65 active soldiers are currently under investigation on suspicion of having Islamist sympathies.

Since 2007, the Bundeswehr (German army) has identified 22 soldiers in its ranks as Islamists and relieved 17 of them from their duties.

The remaining five had reached the end of their service by the time the investigation concluded.

That overall figure has increased by four cases since the first report on Islamists in the army in 2015.

“Islamism isn't the main problem of the Bundeswehr,” Social Democratic Party (SPD) MP Hans-Peter Bartels – responsible for oversight of the army – said on Tuesday. “But it represents a real danger that we have to take seriously.”

In future, the defence ministry wants to have MAD investigate every prospective soldier for links to anti-Constitutional movements, a move which would require a change in the law.

Until now, soldiers have only been checked before assignment to sensitive areas of the military, for example with access to secret files, but not for ordinary soldiers with access to battlefield weapons.

“Just like other fighting forces, the Bundeswehr can be attractive for Islamists who want to acquire weapons training,” Bartels said. “But to my knowledge there is so far no systematic push by Islamist organizations to infiltrate the army.”

http://www.thelocal.de/20160412/german-soldiers-may-have-joined-isis-in-syria

[bryant.coleman]

I don´t doubt that there are female militia units over there but I´m not sure about the story about ISIS being fearful of them because of the heaven thing. If they are, they´re probably not worth much generally as fighters. These are mercenaries, if they´re worth their salt they won´t especially care whether they fight men or women.

The media is over-hyping the female fighters to increase circulation. In most of the cases, the female fighters are used only for support roles by the YPG. The front-line fighting is mostly done by the experienced male fighters. If you check the casualty figures, then it becomes very evident. 99% of the casualties are among the male fighters.