IRAQ NEEDS HELP (WARNING: GRAPHIC PIX)

[HairOfTheDog]

Good Dam News -- Kurds and Iraq Military Reclaim Ground from ISIS with Aid of US Air Strikes



Snip:
Fierce fighting is raging around the Mosul dam, Iraq's largest, as Kurdish Peshmerga troops and Iraqi forces try to recapture it from Islamic State fighters who seized it just over a week ago.

Iraq's recapturing of the entire Mosul dam complex on the Tigris river and the territory surrounding its reservoir would be a significant victory against the Islamic State group, which seized large swaths of northern and western Iraq this summer.

The Mosul dam controls a lot of the water going into Baghdad, and it is one of the main water collection points for northern Iraq. It also produces hydro-electric power so it is of big strategic importance.

The advance of the government troops on Monday has been helped by US military airstrikes which hit at least 15 targets, according to the US Central Command.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister of the Kurdish regional government, said that while the operation is still ongoing, it is "almost complete."

"Most of the dam is now in the hands of the Kurdish forces, with the Iraqi forces, and they are clearing some of those areas, making sure there are no planted bombs," he said. "It has been a difficult, but successful operation so far."

On Sunday, the Peshmerga (Kurdish troops) recaptured the town of Tel Skuf, about 15km east of the dam, as well as the towns of Sharafiya and Batnaya. Their advance was also aided by US air strikes on Islamic State positions.

Full story: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast...66490.html

[Midwest Spy]

I love the thought of these ISIS guys sitting in their pickup truck, having a smoke, laughing about people they've just terrorized, when all of a sudden they think they hear something, look around, and are blown to smithereens.

Way cool.

[Duchess]

Heh. Picture perfect.

[HairOfTheDog]

IS BEHEADS AMERICAN JOURNALIST IN RETALIATION FOR US AIR STRIKES IN IRAQ

IS tweeted hundreds of terrorist threats against the US once President Obama authorized airstrikes against their weapons' sites a couple of weeks back.

It appears they carried out one of those threats today, but the identity of the man beheaded in the video has not been 100% confirmed yet.

The jihadist claims that his prisoner is James Foley (looks like Foley to me). Foley is a photo journalist who was captured while covering the civil war in Syria in November 2012 (he'd also been captured and later released when covering Libya in 2011). You risk your life if you wanna cover war so up close and personal -- which seems to be a choice Foley made. I've seen Foley's parents interviewed a couple of times -- they haven't heard word one from him since Thanksgiving Day 2012, they knew he'd been kidnapped by the rebels, and they've just been hoping that he'd be released alive.

After the beheading of Foley, the video shows a man identified as American journalist Steven Sotloff kneeling aside the jihadist. The IS member says that Sotloff's future "depends on President Obama's next decision." Sotloff is also a freelance journalist. He went missing in Syria in August 2013.

WARNING -- GRAPHIC: IS posted the execution on youtube. The video has since been edited to splice out the actual beheading, but it's still difficult to watch. The audio is in English.


(HOTD edit: date corrections)

[Duchess]

Oh God. Savages.

That only serves to make me want to bomb them until pigs fly. Wipe them off the face of the earth. They are worse than Hitler. Can I say that. Ugh.

[HairOfTheDog]

It's very sad for Foley's family and friends. They'd gone through his kidnapping in Libya and had to live without knowing what happened to him for 6 weeks while he was held in a Libyan prison. When he was released, I read an interview where he said that was the worst part of the terrible ordeal -- knowing what his parents must have been going through.

But, he had a real passion for what he did (he was a really good journalist, IMO) and he wanted to cover Syria. So, off he went. I'd guess and hope he spoke with his parents about the dangers and everyone understood the risks after the Libyan kidnapping. But, that sure doesn't make it any less sad, especially given the brutality of how he died.

The Foleys are from Rochester, New Hampshire. His mom posted on her FindJamesFoley website just a bit ago. She said that she and Mr. Foley had never been prouder of their son, who was so compassionate towards the Syrian people. She asked that the family be left to grieve James. James had reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya before Syria.

The Foleys were originally told almost two years ago that the Syrian government had captured James (which never made a bit of sense to me). I don't think it made sense to them either. After a while, they met with Syrian higher-ups whom the Foleys described as compassionate and helpful. They were told by a Syrian foreign minister that it was his belief that a radical faction of the rebel forces had captured James and possibly another journalist. They believed him, and that appears to be what happened.

IMO, the reclaiming of the strategically important Iraqi Mosul Dam by US-aided Kurds is what prompted the timing of this beheading and warning message to America today. The airstrikes have hurt IS.

Today's beheading and warning won't get IS anything but contempt from the US, though. Sotloff will be beheaded, if that's what IS really plans on doing if the US doesn't heed their warning and follow their orders. If he's the only American captive they've got, they might decide to keep him alive until they wanna send another lethal message. But, they won't ever get any leverage outta having him and they know it, if they've done their homework (and I'd be very surprised if they hadn't).

Non-military westerners have been kidnapped in various countries by groups labeled as terrorists, with growing frequency, over the last 15 years. The governments of the Austria, Canada, Swtizerland, Italy....have payed some very heavy ransoms for the return of their citizens kidnapped abroad, using intermediaries to negotiate and deliver the money -- it's now a sophisticated and profitable business for some terrorist groups. Few US hostages have been taken over the past few years though because the American government thus far has refused to pay a dime or give up anything. So, all the terrorists are left with is people to guard for no gain or dead bodies to dispose of. IMO, today's murder was an attempt to provoke fear, and a means by which to push propaganda in order to rally their own forces and attract new IS recruits.

Anyway, I'm sad for those who are killed and for their families, but I agree with the policy of not negotiating with terrorists. I always feel for our soldiers who are lost in war and appreciate their service, whether I agree with the war or not. I feel similarly about journalists who take the known risk of reporting in warring territories in order to keep us informed about what is really happening on foreign grounds. What they do matters a great deal.


RIP James Foley, 40.

[Duchess]

I was just reading about James. He knew the dangers and choose to be there anyway because he thought it was important for journalists to be on the front line. ISIS aren't as smart as I've given them credit for, Americans aren't going to back off in fear after seeing that video and we know the words James spoke at the end are not his words.

The other journalist they have lived in Yemen for years. Mo may know him.

[HairOfTheDog]

I think IS knows that the air strikes won't be stopped because of what they did to Foley and have threatened to do to Sotloff.

That was an attempt to show power and instill fear in their own region more than anything else, IMO. IS is being pushed back, finally, after having gained so much land and wealth in Syria and Iraq over the last nearly three years. The Kurds asked for help from the US and they got it. The Iraqi PM whose policies promoted discrimination against Sunnis and Kurds has now been replaced and the new PM is promoting unity and promising more fair and secular policies.

IS has been weakened and needed to do something major in the face of losing their previously unchallenged momentum. They needed to rally their supporters and show themselves as unwavering in their quest to achieve an Islamic caliphate -- time for a statement reminding their believers about the evil of American intervention. I don't know if their move yesterday will achieve their goals at home, but agree it won't push Americans or others who oppose IS's tactics to cower in fear -- recent history proves it will have just the opposite effect on Americans and the west in general.

[Maggot]

I bet his head is already off, its just a matter of time before they release the video. Nothing will happen until the Muslims leaders themselves do something to stop the killing. It's pretty bad when the Pope says they need to be wiped out.
The people there are hardened to the killings now and ISIS will target journalists in an effort to stop any information that comes out comes only that's not from them. But they have no satellites or good technology. We on the other hand have no clue about human nature and prefer to live in a world of unicorns and rainbows. The people here are fat lazy and stupid. Most have no clue what other countries are really like.
It's only a matter of time before someone slips into the Mexican border and starts implementing the task they were given.

[HairOfTheDog]

There are previously classified details emerging regarding the kidnapping and murder of James Foley by IS.

- IS had contacted his employer and parents making financial and other demands a couple of times since James' kidnapping in Nov. 2012.

- The Global Post, James' employer, spent millions in investigations and attempts to locate James.

- The US Special Forces attempted to rescue Foley and other hostages, but the mission failed.

- There were estimated to be about 100 foreign journalists being held around the time Foley was first kidnapped -- a French journalist Nicolas Henin shared a cell with Foley for 10 months said Foley was treated very poorly and tortured/beaten. Foley had told him about the day he was abducted by a radical rebel group in North Syria. (It's not clear how many journalists are still being held -- IMO, except for British ones, it's possible that the European journalists like Henin have been released through negotiations by their countries and IS).

- Foley's employer and parents received vile emails from IS last week warning of their intent to execute James in retaliation for US airstrikes in Iraq.

Sources:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28875827
http://www.newsweek.com/us-military-fail...mpt-266029

[HairOfTheDog]

WHAT NEXT?


Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -- highlights of today's press conference

"They are beyond just a terrorist group. They marry ideology, a sophistication of strategic and tactical military prowess," (US Secretary of Defense) Chuck Hagel said in a press conference held tonight.

"...This is beyond anything we have seen, and we must prepare for everything. And the only way you do that is that you take a cold, steely hard look at it and get ready."

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stopped short of calling for U.S. military action in eastern Syria, an ISIS stronghold.

"Can they be defeated without addressing that part of the organization that resides in Syria? The answer is no," Dempsey said during the briefing at the Pentagon. Repeatedly pushed by reporters about whether that meant operations against ISIS in Syria, Hagel said, "We're looking at all options." While it's unclear what those options may be, Hagel said the United States is "very clear-eyed" about ISIS.

The threat (made against the US by IS in the Foley video) has done little to curb U.S. military operations in Iraq. Thursday, American warplanes pounded ISIS targets near Mosul Dam, where Iraqi forces have been battling to retake control of the area.

Mosul Dam is the largest in the country, and Iraqi and U.S. officials fear that a breach in the dam would threaten the lives of millions of Iraqis who live downstream in Mosul and Baghdad.

Thursday, Kurdistan's regional government praised the assistance provided by the United States and the international community."We are grateful to the men and women of the American armed forces who have carried out these decisive attacks against the terrorist forces of ISIS," said a statement from the regional government.

Also Thursday, a third French aid flight headed to Irbil, according to the French foreign ministry. The aid includes 21 metric tons of food, tents, medical supplies and other basic necessities. France has delivered 58 metric tons of aid since it started its humanitarian flights on August 15, the ministry said.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/21/world/...?hpt=hp_t1

[HairOfTheDog]

^ I hope the US doesn't send troops storming in now without a short and long term strategic plan, simply because public support would likely be at a peak immediately following the Foley execution.

Regardless of the political and military strategy undertaken, the US will be targeting the strongest faction of the "freedom fighters" in Syria -- the fighters relabeled "rebels" -- the rebels who are fighting to tear down the Assad regime -- the rebels who were philosophically supported and backed by the US and some other western govts last year -- the rebels some were screaming for the US and its allies to arm and empower as a legitimate replacement for the existing Syrian govt -- the rebels that suddenly morph into "terrorists" when they move an inch and hit Iraqi soil -- the rebel/terrorists who are executing citizens of Iraq and Syria who don't conform to their Islamic fundamentalist views and demands -- the guys who are now beheading foreign journalists. Those guys. I imagine Assad and Putin suppressing an "I told you so!" dance right about now.

Anyway, I wanna see the US do what's smart and what's right, hopefully without a need to send ground troops, rather than operating in reactive opportunistic mode. I don't know what's next, but I support the present US airstrikes -- they've greatly assisted the Kurds and Iraq military to reclaim ground conquered by IS over recent weeks.

[Midwest Spy]

The part of Hagel's statement that really made an impression was, "they are extremely well funded."

I've read IS is paying young men very handsomely to be part of their team.

Looks like Assad and Saddam Hussein actually knew how to keep these animals in check.

HotD, there's got to be a long term strategy.

Air strikes will only do so much. Eventually those strikes end and then what? Can IS be permanently defeated? Do we nuke parts of Syria and Iraq, turning it into a giant parking lot?

[Duchess]

The part of Hagel's statement that really made an impression was, "they are extremely well funded."

We've discussed this before. You already knew they have millions. They have some very smart people running the show and they aren't going anywhere any time soon. They are recruiting people from all over the world, not just the Middle East and these people are educated, they aren't coming from a hut in Bum Fuck.

[Duchess]

This is a copy of the last email that ISIS sent to Jim Foley's parents -

HOW LONG WILL THE SHEEP FOLLOW THE BLIND SHEPPARD?

A message to the American government and their sheep like citizens:

We have left you alone since your disgraceful defeat in Iraq. We did not interfere in your country or attack your citizens while they were safe in their homes despite our capability to do so!

As for the scum of your society who are held prisoner by us, THEY DARED TO ENTER THE LION’S DEN AND WHERE EATEN!

You were given many chances to negotiate the release of your people via cash transactions as other governments have accepted,We have also offered prisoner exchanges to free the Muslims currently in your detention like our sister Dr Afia Sidiqqi, however you proved very quickly to us that this is NOT what you are interested in.

You have no motivation to deal with the Muslims except with the language of force, a language you were given in “Arabic translation” when you attempted to occupy the land of Iraq!Now you return to bomb the Muslims of Iraq once again, this time resorting to Arial attacks and “proxy armies”, all the while cowardly shying away from a face-to-face confrontation!

Today our swords are unsheathed towards you, GOVERNMENT AND CITIZENS ALIKE! AND WE WILL NOT STOP UNTILL WE QUENCH OUR THIRST FOR YOUR BLOOD.

You do not spare our weak, elderly, women or children so we will NOT spare yours!

You and your citizens will pay the price of your bombings!

The first of which being the blood of the American citizen, James Foley!

He will be executed as a DIRECT result of your transgressions towards us!

[Maggot]

The part of Hagel's statement that really made an impression was, "they are extremely well funded."

I've read IS is paying young men very handsomely to be part of their team.

Looks like Assad and Saddam Hussein actually knew how to keep these animals in check.

HotD, there's got to be a long term strategy.

Air strikes will only do so much. Eventually those strikes end and then what? Can IS be permanently defeated? Do we nuke parts of Syria and Iraq, turning it into a giant parking lot?

I don't agree a constant supply of airstrikes aimed at them over the coarse of 2-3 months would weaken them.

[Duchess]

ISIS has tweeted another message to the United States as well as pix of where they've been here -

The picture on the left is Chicago & we all know the other picture.

[Cutz]

A Message to ISIS:

Go Fuck Yourself.

[Duchess]

Like father, like son.

[Duchess]

The Washington Post is reporting that Jim Foley was tortured while being held in captivity. He was put through waterboarding & went through several mock executions as well. Isn't it funny how when the United States does that to the enemy it is called enhanced interrogation but when the enemy does it to one of ours it's called torture.