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The Boots Are Back On The Ground: US Officially Deploys Special Forces To Iraq
Just to be clear, everyone who's been paying attention knows there have been US boots on the ground in Syria and Iraq for quite some time.
When Obama announced last month that Washington would be deploying "less than 50" Spec Ops to Syria, the public's reaction (as exemplified by the painful presser with White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest) seemed to indicate that everyone had forgotten that just five months ago, US commandos executed a raid in Syria that purportedly killed Islamic State’s “gas minister” (and yes, that’s just as absurd as it sounds). And then there was the Peshmerga-assisted raid on an ISIS prison in the northern Iraqi town of Huwija that resulted in the first US combat death in the country since 2006. Footage from that operation was plastered all over the news in a desperate attempt to prove the US is still serious about fighting terror.
Additionally, Washington has made no secret of the now defunct “train and equip” program for Syrian rebels - clearly, the American public hadn’t thought very hard about who was doing the on-the-ground “training.”
Finally, there’s no telling how many CIA operatives and black ops have been running around in Syria assisting Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s proxy armies from the very beginning.
As Anthony Cordesman, a security and intelligence analyst for past US administrations told The Guardian, no boots on the ground "doesn't mean every damn boot."
Well just moments ago, Ash Carter announced that the US would deploy an "expeditionary targeting force" to Iraq. Here are the details via Bloomberg:
- Specialized U.S. “expeditionary targeting force” to assist Iraqi, Kurdish Peshmerga forces, puts “even more pressure on” Islamic State, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter tells House Armed Services Cmte.
- “These special operators will over time be able to conduct raids, free hostages, gather intelligence, and capture ISIL leaders,” Carter Says
- Raid “creates a virtuous cycle of better intelligence, which generates more targets, more raids, and more momentum”
- Iraq raids “will be done at the invitation of Iraqi government/ focused on defending its borders and building the ISF’s own capacity
- Expeditionary force ‘‘ will also be in a position to conduct unilateral operations into to Syria,’’ Carter says in statement
- NOTE: Carter statement does not indicate how many special operations force will be deployed in ‘‘expeditionary targeting force”
The announcement comes as lawmakers and former defense officials call for a greater US commando presence to fight ISIS (the same ISIS that US commandos armed and trained along with the Saudis, Turkey, and Qatar). “The goal is to start a chain reaction of intelligence-driven raids that increase in frequency and expand in scope over time. The metric becomes can you disrupt and dismantle the network faster than the enemy can repair and regenerate it” Robert Martinage, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations under Obama said this week.
As Bloomberg noted on Monday, "the model would be the commando raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011. The tactics, honed in hundreds of raids in Iraq and Afghanistan, were developed by groups such as Task Force 714 in Iraq, which joined the intelligence resources of the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency with Navy Seal Team Six and Army Delta Force commandos."
“A group of 50 is fine for what they’re doing so far," Senator Dianne Feinstein of California said in an interview with CBS late last month, referencing the Spec Ops in route to Syria. "But it’s not going to solve the problem.”
No, it's not. Of course it's not clear that the US and its regional allies want to "solve the problem" as much as they want to simply "contain" it. As Sergei Lavrov put it, "apparently, it’s a kind of a ‘honey is sweet, but the bee stings’ situation: they want IS to weaken Assad as soon as possible to make him leave somehow, but at the same time they don’t want to overly strengthen IS, which may then seize power" (more here).
So in short, expect more helmet cam footage designed to drum up public support for an increased troop presence in Iraq and eventually in Syria because as last week's events clearly demonstrate, the stakes are now quite high.
* * *
From "Kurdish fighters say US special forces have been fighting Isis for months," via The Guardian
On a damp afternoon in Iraqi Kurdistan, a 29-year-old peshmerga fighter named Peshawa pulls out his Samsung Galaxy mobile phone, flicks hurriedly through his library until he finds the video he wants, and presses play.
The clip, filmed just after dawn on 11 September, shows four tall and western-looking men in the heat of a battle against Islamic State militants in northern Iraq. “These are the Americans,” says Peshawa in a secretive tone.
One is crouched behind a machine gun firing round after round from the top of a fortified mound; another lies on his front a few feet away, legs outstretched and taking aim at the enemy with a long rifle. A third wields a long-lens camera taking photo after photo, and the last stands back, apparently overseeing the others during the combat south-west of the city of Kirkuk.
The footage, Peshawa says, is evidence that US special forces have been waging a covert war on the frontline in Iraq for months. Such a claim could alter the feverish debate over whether Barack Obama should move farther and faster against Isis in the wake of the Paris attacks.
In another video, dated 11 June, an American soldier wearing the fatigues and insignia of a Kurdish counter-terrorism unit can be seen walking alongside two dozen peshmerga in the aftermath of a seven-hour firefight with Isis militants in the village of Wastana and Saddam settlement, according to the peshmerga who filmed the video.
The American special forces arrived in Kirkuk earlier this year to train, advise and support peshmerga forces fighting Isis. According to a Kurdish peshmerga commander, about 30 American special forces operatives set up an operations room in the city.
A senior peshmerga commander, who did not wish to be named, said: “In February, for the first time, four American snipers came to south Kirkuk because we had lost several peshmerga to the Isis snipers.
“The peshmerga snipers were weak and before we could hit a single Isis sniper, we would lose a few men. Therefore we desperately needed American snipers. They had taken part in all the fights in south Kirkuk and they had really good snipers.”
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Ooc why do you keep lying about the s300s to syria? What do you think you gain?
Anyone reading this can do a web search.
From 2.5 years ago we have Assad saying he got s300s
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/10088475/Syri...
We also have israel claiming tgat syria having the ability to defebd its own airspace was a 'threat' which makes zero sense but it doesnt have to when its israel. After all rockets that killed 3 jews justified the slaughter in gaza, even though they *followed* a number of mass arrests and Palestinian deaths.
Point is, israel has repeatedly bombed things in syria. Russian air defense missiles have been among them.
Russia is doing what it can, and is actually fighting these foreign takfiri mercs. So watching you post the same smallhandful of ideas, some absolutely false, some lacking obvious context, you seem to me, too, to be a guy determined to discredit Putin for in essence not doing enough, as you, guy free to comment on this board all day, see it.
Smacks of dishonest agenda pushing, really, in part because you are it seens deliberateky lying in part and because your criticism in this regard is questionable and apparently only applied to putin.
'putin should have done X' is one thing. But you are lying and ignoring context and as that lmgtfy link partly shows - your devotion to the same/similar rhetoric here, and We both know.. Elsewhere.... Is pretty trollish, not the not liking putin stuff * per se *.
The sanctions on iran and realpolitik played a role in their not getting (officially anyhow) s300s for sure as well as the extant sanctions on russia and low oil hurting them.
I tell you what, Ill die for a friend, but for a colleague or guy on my beer league team, i am not going full retard.
So the 'paid troll' stuff aside (really, who cares) the lack of any real political analysis, the context, what putin's advisors and the rev guard gave said - its just like you were handed a script.
Quit perseverating, brah!
Russia denied Assad Claims of Delivery:
The govt of Iran said the missiles "were going to be" delivered. They never were and still have not been. Russia said they were "going to" supply the missiles soon and then they never did. Now Russia says they may deliver to Iran in two months after saying the same thing last year.
It not surprising that Assad would claim systems were being supplied when they are not. His country is getting bombed and he would like to scare someone. But even Russia does not say they have changed their mind and delivered the systems. In fact Russia has not even voiced a willingness to supply the system anytime in the future, as they have with Iran (but have not). Poor Assad has Israel bombing at the very outskirts of his capital and has been helpless to prevent.
I still cannot find any real documentation that Assad shot down an Israeli fighter jet as the Putin fans have claimed he did using the S300 systems. Nothing on RT and they would have carried that. Although some of the Putin fans claims Assad did shoot down an Iraeli jet.
Putin wants to keep Syria and Iran dependent on Russia but also wants to prevent either of them from shooting down a NATO/Israli plane using a russian system. Fear of even that.
But better yet, lets read what Russia said about these self serving claims by Assad - "A source close to Russia's defense ministry said, however, that the "hardware itself" had yet to be delivered to Syria, where Moscow has a Mediterranean naval base. But, the source added, "certain parts of the contract may have been fulfilled"." So the systems have not been delivered - So Says Russia - but some "parts" of the contract might have been fullfilled. In other words, Russia says Assad is lieing and the systems are not there. BUT - Israel says they are there and that this is justification for Israel to make preemptive strikes against the forces of Syria. That is the purpose of the Guardian's article, helping Israel, using the lies spoken by Assad himself.
The above quote is from an article (by RT I believe) in response to Assads claims he had the systems. Which were proven to be lies.
Don't let those down arrows hold you back, convince Mr. Putin you have the winning strategy. If he gives you your own front lines air defense battery as a token of appreciation, careful not to let it fall into enemy hands or use it to shoot down NATO aircraft. The situation in Syria is rather unpredictable and it would let Mr. Putin and his allies down were you to make the smallest error that could be seized upon by the Empire as a pretext to fully invade, triggering ww3.
Then as went Iraq, Libya, Serbia and others so shall Syria and Iran.
Boots are back on the ground in Iraq, close to Syria. They have already floated the idea of needing to occupy and govern the northern area of Syria. Once Putin's fear allows boots in Syria then the end is certain.
Or Putin is party to the destruction of Syria and only plans to keep a naval base and part of the coast.
Looking at our government's score card in the sand dunes, I can't see a single check mark in the win column.
"Fighting ISIS"... yet their guns are pointed at the Russians...
"We fratricided some folks."
US 'Advisors' have been sent to many war zones in recent history.....All of them seem to have manifested into full blown conflicts directly involving the US!
http://beforeitsnews.com/conspiracy-theories/2015/11/us-gives-their-prox...
The press release from Ash Carter reads like a SNL spoof/skit. Who writes this shit? If it wasn't so sad, it would be hysterically, fuckin funny.
"[...] the model would be the commando raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011."
So in fact it will be a fantasy presence of boots in Iraq.
The us troops will fight isis in the press and syrian army regulars in reality.
Obviously.
Was reading an essay on Sputnik in which The Saker is interviewed. He was outlining the ability of US Intel agencies to track money movements, one of their strong suits, he says.
I like The Saker a lot, just ordered his book. But more and more, I find myself wondering just _who_ this Saker guy might really be. From out of complete obscurity, now, he has risen seemingly to a cult-like fame. PC Roberts quotes him, Sputnik too, and many others. But why? What has he ever built/accomplished/done that anyone can verify?
Has anyone else here ever wondered how this anonymous individual went from being a total unknown to now, "a high-level expert of US intelligence capabilities."
Doesn't scan, somehow...
Guy is a pre-cog.
Very pruney skin.
The story is he is an ethnic Russian, US citizen, who worked in US intelligence specializing in Russian affairs.
Devout Orthodox, he appears to be from an exiled family going back to the fall Russia at the early stages of the Soviet era.
His fame began with the overthrow in Ukraine and the civil war that erupted.
Come back and share what you learn after digesting his book.
The book is brilliant. Be sure to have an iPad or browser open for secondary research. The book is much better organized the website. He supports bits I've heard.
"[...] whether Barack Obama should move farther and faster against Isis in the wake of the Paris attacks."
Sending boots to Iraq to deal with ISIS leaders looks like overkill.
Can't Obola just send a few SWAT teams down to Langley?
Why not? I mean, what could possibly go wrong?
O'bomber is spending money like a drunken sailor in Syria and Ukraine.
Actually, a drunken sailor would purchase some pussy instead of guns for moderate crazies.
F-ck all the labels. The US is putting military boots on the ground in Syria. Period. Officially, the US is a foreign invader, violating Syrian "ground space". The president lied. Again.
It is getting harder and harder for them to hide their evil. It falls more and more on Americans to get informed and stop our government's actions (I use the words "our government" loosely, we all know the US gov serves zionist interests, NOT the American people's interests.
Crazy nigger hasn't seen Blackhawk Down.
Yeah, I heard that a friend of a friend was being deployed to Iraq soon, and I said, "whaaaat?"
I thought Iraq said they have enough boots already?
Who knows better than the "US governemnt", where our troops are needed. I mean the US border is wide open.
Shia militias run barter town now. Omepne tell that crazy nigger in the white his homies bout to get fucked up in Iraq by Iranian gang bangers. Nigger needs to learn his proper respects sum thin else mo fos
Turkey shoots down a plane and kills a pilot for "violating it's airspace by 1.5 kilometers for a whopping 17 seconds". while every western nation violates Syrian, Iraqi, Libyan and anyone else that cannot defend themselves airspace plus putting military assets on the ground and think nothing of it. Talk about the hypocrite pot calling the kettle black!
Then the UN puppets, laughably the defender of international law, just sit back and watch while trying to screw everyone with the carbon fiasco tax. The whole planet is insane.
They violated syrian airspace for 40 seconds in order to shoot down the russian fighter bomber. Turkey also routinely violates surian and greek airspace. Israel bombs lebanon and syria at will for no valid reason (syria getting anti aircraft missiles is a threat to israel? Go fuck yourself - they stretch the word 'threat' as only inveterate liars could).
But were supposed to think this was really about airspace violations - acroute russia told nato and Turkey about.
No this was meant to cause Russia to react, then the reaction would be framed in our controlled corporate media as 'aggression,' nato article whatever cited, more sanctions and deployments etc. same old Neocon/Zionist playbook of Orwellizing the narrative.
Turkey shoots down a plane and kills a pilot for "violating it's airspace by 1.5 kilometers for a whopping 17 seconds".
And after giving 15 warnings in English as prescribed by international laws governing killing each other and breaking each other's stuff ... about one warning per second ... or one per 0.1 km (325 feet ... a football field). That's some mighty fast talking.
Will they give out pamphlets, stating they're on the way? To make sure no innocent person gets hurt or killed? Or wiil they text, tweet or Facebook the coming incursion? The fun loving ISIS folks must be getting real pissed now that the US is stabbing THEM in the back. Hold on to your skull caps, it's going to be a real bumpy ride!
Just like the US will throw away ISIS after it doesn't need it anymore, the US will later throw the Kurds to the Turks.
The US is not a friend, it is poison.
The metric becomes can you disrupt and dismantle the network faster than the enemy can repair and regenerate it” Robert Martinage, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for special operations under Obama said this week.
You've gotta love google.
Acting Undersecretary of the Navy Robert Martinage stepped down after Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus asked for his resignation following “a loss of confidence in Martinage’s abilities to effectively perform his duties,” the Navy said in a statement Wednesday.
http://www.stripes.com/news/navy-s-no-2-civilian-resigns-for-having-inap...
http://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS28/20140716/102341/HHRG-113-AS28-Bio...
US is NOT deploying special forces to help boost fight against ISIS. US have NO interest in fighting against ISIS ... they are only striking fake, old sites long time abandoned by ISIS. France is doing the same.
Why? ... It’s simple: because with the assistance of their friends from NATO and arab terrorist gulf countries US have created ISIS and they need them alive to topple Asad so they may pass the damn oil & gas pipe directly from their arab terrorist gulf states friends straight throughout Turkey into Europe and cut down Russians from EU supply. US is supplying ISIS with weapons and a blind eye over the Turkey/ISIS cross border big cash lucrative business. And who is better for this big cash lucrative business other that the Turkish president’s son. That’s why the Russians air strikes on ISIS oil smuggling convoys to Turkey is bad for Turkey’s present’s son business.
The US special forces will be positioned to conduct unilateral operations into Syria with the only objective to sabotage Russian military campaign against ISIS and continue the campaign to topple Asad.
If this doesn’t work, to next step is to directly engage the world into war against Russia in Syria. For that to happen US will twist the arm of NATO’s nations and their allied countries to pick up the tab and send their troops (on their money) in this war fighting against Russia.
It’s the beginning of WWIII - it’s the arrogant ambition of the central bankers cartels, .01% wealthy private families, new world order fascists globalists and western fake free democracies to impose against our will a one world government and central life planning … as has been done in the past by the communists … and the only nation standing in front of them is Russia. Could you imagine this happening 25 years ago?
"the model would be the commando raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan in 2011.
Ah. The model will be a complete fiction. Will they all be carrying portable DNA analysis labs?
The operation that Carter details is much more devious than it sounds.
Russia took over the skies of western Syria after its Su-24 was shot down by Turkey. The immediate installation of S-400 and air-to-air missiles iced that cake.
Except for the territory near the Iraq border, there is a de facto no-fly-zone over most of Syria for the last week.
The generals in Washington came up with the following plan to prevent the loss of whatever advantage they had gained in Syria over the last year.
"Put American and NATO soldiers on the ground to act as human - military - shields to hold the ground gained and, by their proximity, to prevent Russian air-raids on the self-described "moderate" rebels."
To turn Tony Cordesman's remark around
(in high school, Tony put a spark coil under the hood of my Ford coupe, and by dragging a chain, when anyone opened the door, he got shocked. He was aways a genius.)
If the Russian are accused by the MSP (main stream propaganda) of going after Assad's opposition and not the ISIS; then surely Washington and Brussels for a year have been going after the Assad government and not ISIS.
You would expect these two acts to cancel each other out, but that's not the way propaganda works. The NYT is having a hissy fit about what Russia is doing and a senior moment about the actions of its government masters.
So Carter's boots on the ground is only a ploy to entrench themselves and prevent the US coalition from surrendering any gains on Syrian soil to the Syrian and Russian armies. A ploy to force the Russians to chose between attacking NATO on the ground itself, or backing the Syrian and Iranian forces to do so.
The coalition does not want the Syrians to retake their oil fields which Russia, and first the West, have so far resisted bombing. But you can expect the well heads to be engulfed in flame if the NATO holds on to them.
How large a conflict this will become before Homelands and Motherlands become targets is anybody's guess.
But Carter's announcement that after 14 months of air strikes, the US/NATO coalition is putting more boots on the ground is equivalent to picking up the Russian gauntlet and demanding satisfaction.
Just get the fuck out of the ME, altogether...I think I'll survive that scenario...
Mom and Dad, keep your babies at home. Do not feed them to the war machine. This shit needs to stop.
Durdens "first US combat death in the country since 2006" this is not true. Unless you meant Kurdistan vs Iraq.
This was the last KIA last go round, and it was in NOV 2011:
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/americans-killed-iraq-war-remembered-article-1.993355
HQDA, G-2 posted new JOAs today on USAJOBS for both Iraq and Afghanistan.
you wake up, see a ghost in your bed
call ghost busters