Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, captured by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

[Divinespark]

1 trillion bucks, one dead dictator, 1mn dead Iraqis later, we are back to square one
Well done, Uncle Sam!

[bryant.coleman]

1 trillion bucks, one dead dictator, 1mn dead Iraqis later, we are back to square one
Well done, Uncle Sam!

1 trillion was the old figure. According to the latest reports, NATO has spent a total of $4 trillion in Iraq so far (most of it by the United States). And the civilian deaths are approaching 2 million.

[Chef Ramsay]

1 trillion bucks, one dead dictator, 1mn dead Iraqis later, we are back to square one
Well done, Uncle Sam!

1 trillion was the old figure. According to the latest reports, NATO has spent a total of $4 trillion in Iraq so far (most of it by the United States). And the civilian deaths are approaching 2 million.

My guess is they went in to make matters much worse like they did in 89-90' to pave the way back in at some point in the future when the MIC needs to test tanks and ammo. The neocons will come out saying that we "invested" so much over there that we can't let it go to waste so we need to get the job done right this time. Good thing is, the American people by and large aren't going for this stuff anymore.

[bryant.coleman]

Looks like Obama is seriously considering sending troops to Mosul.

Obama: 'I don't rule out anything' on Iraq

http://rt.com/usa/165596-obama-iraq-statement-any-option

I can see a conflict of interests here. In Syria, the ISIL is fighting against Assad, whom the Americans are trying to topple. They are supported by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, some of the best allies of America.

[Benjig]

This is a problem for Saudi Arabia and Iran to sort out. Both hate each other, but neither like al-Qaeda. It's about time we let the Sunni and Shiite sort out their own problems directly - by fighting if necessary.

[Chef Ramsay]

Sunni insurgents extend control in Iraq, close in on refinery

TIKRIT Iraq (Reuters) - Sunni insurgents from an al Qaeda splinter group extended their control from the northern city of Mosul on Wednesday to an area further south that includes Iraq's biggest oil refinery in a devastating show of strength against the Shi'ite-led government.

Security sources said militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) - Sunni militants waging sectarian war on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian frontier - drove into the town of Baiji late on Tuesday in armed vehicles, torching the court house and police station after freeing prisoners.

The Baiji refinery can process 300,000 barrels per day and supplies oil products to most of Iraq's provinces and is a major provider of power to Baghdad. A worker there said the morning shift had not been allowed to take over and the night shift was still on duty.

The push into Baiji began hours after ISIL overran Mosul, one of the great Sunni historic cities, advancing their aim of creating a Sunni Caliphate straddling the border between Iraq and Syria.

The United States, which pulled its troops out from Iraq to and half years ago, pledged to help Iraqi leaders "push back against this aggression" as the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki asked parliament to declare a state of emergency.

It said Washington would support "a strong, coordinated response", adding that "ISIL is not only a threat to the stability of Iraq, but a threat to the entire region".

http://news.yahoo.com/sunni-insurgents-close-iraqs-biggest-oil-refinery-111013537.html
Yep^, we comin for that ass again.

[bryant.coleman]

This is a problem for Saudi Arabia and Iran to sort out. Both hate each other, but neither like al-Qaeda. It's about time we let the Sunni and Shiite sort out their own problems directly - by fighting if necessary.

Iran hates the Al Qaeda. But the same can't be said about the Saudis. There are members of the Saudi Royal Family, who are supportive of Al Qaeda. However, Abdullah of Saudi Arabia remains opposed to them.

[baebygoodnight]

Iraq is a deeply polarized society, with Sunnis, Shias, Kurds and other minorities deeply distrustful of each other. Despite this, Saddam Hussain was able to unite them, although by applying force. 

Chemical attacks on Kurdish cities were surely a great way of uniting Iraq.

I feel shame to see how the Iraqi army took of their clothes and fled to Kurdistan, giving up without a fight, and now Iraq is asking the Kurdish Peshmergas for help when Baghdad has failed to pay any contribution towards funding the Peshmerga units which it may now need.

[bryant.coleman]

Chemical attacks on Kurdish cities were surely a great way of uniting Iraq.

Saddam Hussain was a pan-Arab nationalist. He wanted to forcibly assimilate the minority ethnic groups, which the Kurds despised. Feels bad for them. Their language is banned almost everywhere.... Turkey, Syria, Iran.etc.

[baebygoodnight]

Chemical attacks on Kurdish cities were surely a great way of uniting Iraq.

Saddam Hussain was a pan-Arab nationalist. He wanted to forcibly assimilate the minority ethnic groups, which the Kurds despised. Feels bad for them. Their language is banned almost everywhere.... Turkey, Syria, Iran.etc.

Trust me, it's not only the language that is banned in those countries, dare to say you're a Kurd and you will see what will happen to you. Arabs look down on us but they sure as hell do enjoy going to Kurdistan for their holidays .

[niothor]

Seems like the iraq army still has some power:

Iraqi government forces, backed by Shia Muslim and Kurdish militias, are reportedly holding back an advance by Sunni militants north of Baghdad.

A number of towns have been retaken from the rebels, but they still control the key cities of Tikrit and Mosul.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27856223

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122479

[bryant.coleman]

Trust me, it's not only the language that is banned in those countries, dare to say you're a Kurd and you will see what will happen to you. Arabs look down on us but they sure as hell do enjoy going to Kurdistan for their holidays .

Feels sad. I have heard that in Turkey, they are not even allowed to use the term Kurds. They are referred as Mountain Turks. How is the situation in Iran? Do the Persian Kurds face any type of discrimination?

[baebygoodnight]

Trust me, it's not only the language that is banned in those countries, dare to say you're a Kurd and you will see what will happen to you. Arabs look down on us but they sure as hell do enjoy going to Kurdistan for their holidays .

Feels sad. I have heard that in Turkey, they are not even allowed to use the term Kurds. They are referred as Mountain Turks. How is the situation in Iran? Do the Persian Kurds face any type of discrimination?

I can't really speak for Iran, I myself am an Iraqi Kurd and in our region you can come out for being a Kurd. And you're right in Turkey we are being called Mountain Turks.

[Lethn]

Chemical attacks on Kurdish cities were surely a great way of uniting Iraq.

Saddam Hussain was a pan-Arab nationalist. He wanted to forcibly assimilate the minority ethnic groups, which the Kurds despised. Feels bad for them. Their language is banned almost everywhere.... Turkey, Syria, Iran.etc.

Trust me, it's not only the language that is banned in those countries, dare to say you're a Kurd and you will see what will happen to you. Arabs look down on us but they sure as hell do enjoy going to Kurdistan for their holidays .

I didn't even know there would be any Kurds hanging about on this forum of all places! I watched a pretty lengthy independent documentary about you guys and how you even had a women sniper team in your armed forces, is it true you guys don't discriminate as much against people of different faiths? It's hard to get accurate information over here in the west about Iraq and the documentary was mainly just the journalist talking to the Kurds themselves but these were mostly military people so of course they'll just talk up their own side as much as possible.

[baebygoodnight]

Chemical attacks on Kurdish cities were surely a great way of uniting Iraq.

Saddam Hussain was a pan-Arab nationalist. He wanted to forcibly assimilate the minority ethnic groups, which the Kurds despised. Feels bad for them. Their language is banned almost everywhere.... Turkey, Syria, Iran.etc.

Trust me, it's not only the language that is banned in those countries, dare to say you're a Kurd and you will see what will happen to you. Arabs look down on us but they sure as hell do enjoy going to Kurdistan for their holidays .

I didn't even know there would be any Kurds hanging about on this forum of all places! I watched a pretty lengthy independent documentary about you guys and how you even had a women sniper team in your armed forces, is it true you guys don't discriminate as much against people of different faiths? It's hard to get accurate information over here in the west about Iraq and the documentary was mainly just the journalist talking to the Kurds themselves but these were mostly military people.

I go back once every 2 years in the summer and I have seen muslims and christians living together in peace. Just like how we have mosques, I've seen churches there. There's a city nearby Erbil and it's called Ankawa and me and my cousins would always go there, I really like it. I've seen muslims and christians who are best friends.  And yeah for our armed forces, I feel huge pride. I was raised in Holland and I would grow up to the stories of my dad when he was a Peshmerga and why I should always have respect for them and now that I am at a certain age and seeing how our Peshmerga are reacting to this situation, I am finally understanding what my dad was talking about. 

[bryant.coleman]

Latest reports claim that the ISIS is only a few kilometers from Baghdad. The advantage with ISIS is that they don't care much about their own casualties, while the Iraqi soldiers seems to be deserting, unwilling to fight.

BTW, Iraq's biggest oil refinery, at Baiji has been captured by the ISIS. 

[niothor]

Baghdad will never fall , we have 17 000 us troops and mercenaries there , remember?

[bryant.coleman]

Baghdad will never fall , we have 17 000 us troops and mercenaries there , remember?

The US embassy is heavily fortified and there are thousands of US troops and private security contractors guarding that facility. But if the ISIS launches a surprise attack with all their might, the Americans will not even get time to evacuate their personnel.

[niothor]

Baghdad will never fall , we have 17 000 us troops and mercenaries there , remember?

The US embassy is heavily fortified and there are thousands of US troops and private security contractors guarding that facility. But if the ISIS launches a surprise attack with all their might, the Americans will not even get time to evacuate their personnel.

If the ISIS will ever try to launch an all attack on that embassy it will be their doom.
They will die there without setting foot inside.

The moment they gather in large groups for such an attacks they are targets for the planes and drones.

My guess is that they will wait until the Americans will evacuate and just then storm Baghdad.
That is they will even reach the city.

[Tzupy]

Iraqi army lost a lot of fighting assets lately, they probably can't repair those damaged anytime soon:
http://www.janes.com/article/39550/iraqi-abrams-losses-revealed