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US Wants To Send Attack Helicopters To Iraq As Battle Wages For Key ISIS-Held City

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Once Russia turned up the heat on “the terrorists” in Syria, the US was suddenly at pains to explain why Washington’s strategy for dealing with militants differs so markedly from the Russian approach. 

The US has resorted to 15 months of spotty airstrikes “backed” by a hodgepodge of loosely organized ground troops that in many cases are tasked with battling fighters the US also trained and equipped at one time or another. The results of this “strategy” have been a disaster. ISIS remains and the latest group of US “trained and equipped” troops was systematically dismantled and embarrassed by al-Qaeda, the latest in a string of boondoggles that reached a humiliating crescendo in the summer of 2014 when everyone involved suddenly realized that allowing Sunni extremists to form “a Salafist principality” (as predicted by The Pentagon in 2012) was a very, very bad idea. 

The Russian strategy is far simpler and goes something like this: if you are an anti-Assad element operating in Syria, you’re a terrorist or at the very least you have the potential to become one and so we’re going to bomb you and instead of resorting to shaky alliances with unreliable rebel groups for ground cover, we’ll just partner with Iran and Hezbollah. 

While it’s true that Russia hasn’t rolled up ISIS, al-Nusra, and the FSA as quickly as Moscow predicted, The Kremlin has been more effective than the White House at combatting extremists and now, Baghdad and Kabul are reconsidering whether they want to be aligned with the US if it means the Russians can’t participate in routing militants in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

In order to convince America’s “partners” in Iraq that the US can still effectively fight terror, US SpecOps partnered with the Peshmerga on an ISIS prison raid in late October and on a successful offensive to retake Sinjar (the northern Iraqi town where ISIS terrorized the Yazidi minority). Next on the agenda: Ramadi. 

ISIS overran Ramadi in May and as WSJ notes, “the Iraqi army’s attempt to retake the city is widely seen as a test of preparedness for a planned future offensive in Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city and the most populous under the group’s control.” 

"It's the biggest city in Iraq's largest province and the heartland of the Sunni community of Iraq. It's a big trading post for the country as well, with roads leading into Jordan and Syria,” Al Jazeera's Imran Khan notes.

Hampering the offensive is a series of IEDs set up to keep enemies from entering and, allegedly, to keep citizens from leaving. Here’s more: 

Ramadi, about 60 miles west of the capital of Baghdad, is surrounded by farmland that is also now heavily fortified with IEDs.

 

In recent months, Islamic State laid a new layer of IEDs alongside the ones it placed after it took the city last spring, leaving Iraqi security forces with even more deadly explosives to defuse than in previous battles with the extremist group. 

“For sure, there will be new ways in Ramadi. Today they’re using cellphone IEDs. By the time we figure out how to stop that, they’ll have the next thing. They use tricks. Always they are a step ahead of you, no matter how smart you are,” Ammar Sadoun,an Explosive Ordnance Division engineer advising on operations in the city told WSJ earlier this month.

On Tuesday, the Iraqi army retook a strategic operations center and is now in a position to drive ISIS from the city. Here’s a look at the situation on the ground:

Apparently, ISIS fighters attempted to launch a counteroffensive on Wednesday which nearly succeeded, before US airstrikes drove back the advance.

“The center of Ramadi is under our control,” Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, spokesman for the Iraqi army Joint Operations Command, proclaimed.

The interesting thing about the battle for Ramadi is that the Iraqi army resorted to Sunni tribal fighters for extra support rather than the Iran-backed Shiite militias that have proven time and again to be the most effective fighters when it comes to pushing back ISIS. Of course Islamic State subscribes to puritanical, orthodox Sunni Islam. Consider that, and see if you can surmise why the Ramadi strategy is dangerous based on the following account, again from WSJ:

Ramadi and surrounding Anbar province are dominated by Iraq’s Sunni minority and participation of Shiite militias in the battle would have risked stoking sectarian tensions.

 

The offensive has the largest participation of Sunni tribal fighters to date and is a chance for the recently-formed militias to show they are capable of defending territory won back by the army. The Sunni volunteers have only rudimentary training and arms. But their participation has symbolic value, meant to give Sunni-majority areas such as Anbar province confidence that they won't be abused by the Shiite-dominated army and central government.

 

The Sunni volunteers didn’t fight alongside the Iraqi forces in this week’s advance, but followed behind the troops to hold territory as it was taken. On Wednesday, some Sunni militia members stood guard at checkpoints along the road into Ramadi that had been freed by the army.

Now what do you imagine might happen when Sunni fighters who distrust the Shiite Iraqi regulars and who know that politicians in Baghdad are loyal to Shiite Iran are left to hold contested territory with “rudimentary training and arms”? It certainly seems possible that they will simply walk away in the face of an ISIS advance, especially if Islamic State offers to spare them due to ideological affinity. 

So that’s the situation in Ramadi and according to Ash Carter - who briefed the Senate Armed Services Committee on America’s ISIS “strategy” on Wednesday - the US is prepared to send in the Apaches to assist in securing the city. 

"The United States is prepared to assist the Iraqi Army with additional unique capabilities to help them finish the job, including attack helicopters and accompanying advisers, if circumstances dictate and if requested by Prime Minister Abadi," he said. 

Well make no mistake, “circumstances” do indeed “dictate,” because as outlined above, Iraq decided to leave it to untrained, under-equipped Sunni tribesmen to hold captured territory and opted to exclude the fearsome Shiite militias who might have actually been able to secure contested ground. The problem for Carter is that Abadi has already rejected the idea of US attack helicopters and just last week said Baghdad does not want an increased US troop presence. 

Asked by the Senate to clarify the role of The Pentagon's proposed SpecOps force, Carter said only this: "This is a no-kidding force that will be doing important things,"

"The President has not decided to approve the use of attack helicopters in an operation like this," White House Press Secreatry John Earnest added on Wednesday. 

So ultimately, there's no strategy. The Pentagon apparently wants to send in troops and helicopters but Obama hasn't approved the latter and Abadi doesn't want either. Meanwhile, the sectarian divide is preventing the Iraqis from stationing effective forces in captured territory and no one knows what the Turks and the Peshmerga are up to in Bashiqa. Finally, amid the confusion, at least some Iraqi politicians want the US gone altogether in order to pave the way for deeper cooperation with the Russians. 

The bottom line is that it now looks like that the US, for whatever reason, is hell bent on getting more troops and more equipment to Iraq - with or without Baghdad's consent. Washington has a tendency to view Iraq as America's property and it seems that the more Baghdad pushes back and the closer Iraqi lawmakers get to leaning Russian, the closer the US gets to getting more deeply involved. 

Stay tuned.

 

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Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:12 | 6904110 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

helicopters? what about global warming?

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:16 | 6904129 Cautiously Pess...
Cautiously Pessimistic's picture

These are solar powered helicopters that were manufactured by Solyndra. 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:22 | 6904153 The Juggernaut
The Juggernaut's picture

And retarted Republicans wonder why the minotriy of muslims want to attack the west.  LOL  It's because you're christian and free... and Trump said so.  Stop medling in other people's country.  Blowback.

"Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none."  - Thomas Jefferson

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:24 | 6904168 Manthong
Manthong's picture

“For the wages of sin is death”

Romans 6:23

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:30 | 6904210 CounterPartyVice
CounterPartyVice's picture

Misleading article, these are actually peaceful freedom enforcing helicopters that shoot rockets of democracy. Mind the difference.

 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:59 | 6904371 Otrader
Otrader's picture

The machine guns fire 'freedom fries'.  Sure, it stings at first, but oh so yummy!

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:03 | 6904399 Manthong
Manthong's picture

Are the fighters hourly or salaried?

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:04 | 6904411 PR Guy
PR Guy's picture

 

 

 

 

Bringing democracy to a helipad near you!

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 13:59 | 6905234 HowdyDoody
HowdyDoody's picture

Which part of 'US, get the fuck out' statement from the Iraqi government is difficult to understand?

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:51 | 6904719 KnuckleDragger-X
KnuckleDragger-X's picture

More useless gestures, to be followed by even more useless gestures. They have no available, serious combat forces, brigade and larger, and wouldn't send them if they did. The question is how bad things will get and the answer will be mushroom clouds.....

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 13:37 | 6905069 Paveway IV
Paveway IV's picture

"...In order to convince America’s “partners” in Iraq that the US can still effectively fight terror, US SpecOps partnered with the Peshmerga on an ISIS prison raid in late October..."

Failure due to bad intel. The people they wanted to rescue were not there, someone else was.

"...and on a successful offensive to retake Sinjar (the northern Iraqi town where ISIS terrorized the Yazidi minority)..."

Failure. Someone told ISIS details about the attack. Estimates that there were about two dozen ISIS fighers left in Sinjar when the Peshmerga showed up. And this ignores the purposeful slaughter of Yezidi by purpously withholding intil that ISIS was preparing to attack, and withholding any support until after the town fell. Just like Kobane. Mob Boss Barzani wanted the Yazidi slaughtered because they wouldn't obey him and Sinjar was part of his new, personal Kurdish Kingdom. Same in Kobane. The U.S. is party to both of those slaughters.

"...Next on the agenda: Ramadi..."

Uh... Shia militia have mostly kicked thier ass in Ramadi. They have almost retaken the town WITHOUT U.S. or Iraqi Army help. Did you mean Raqqa?

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:36 | 6904241 nuubee
nuubee's picture

Wages of sin is death? No way, I've been to Vegas, and the strippers are paid well there.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:07 | 6904429 Manthong
Manthong's picture

As was noted in a previous thread, some of us more spiritual types have had religious experiences in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver.

We are all going to die someday.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:59 | 6904781 ThirdWorldDude
ThirdWorldDude's picture

Some people are spiritually dead long before their physical bodies die...

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:24 | 6904171 Four chan
Four chan's picture

"obama Wants To Send Attack Helicopters To Iraq As Battle Wages For Key ISIS-Held shithole"  fixed

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:34 | 6904230 J Jason Djfmam
J Jason Djfmam's picture

"Obama wants to send attack helicopters to ISIS."

Double fixed.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:10 | 6904338 Bumpo
Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:23 | 6904474 azusgm
azusgm's picture

 And retarded  Americans wonder why the minority of muslims want to attack the west. LOL It's because you're infidels and not under sharia law...and the planning for the takeover of the West predated WWII.

Huma Abedin's family is smack in the middle of the effort.

http://shoebat.com/2015/12/09/89068/

 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:36 | 6904239 Bangin7GramRocks
Bangin7GramRocks's picture

ACK! ACK! We come in peace.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:24 | 6904508 XitSam
Thu, 12/10/2015 - 17:26 | 6906729 StychoKiller
StychoKiller's picture

"Don't run, we are yer friendz..."

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:03 | 6904401 OpTwoMistic
OpTwoMistic's picture

US pilots or giving them to ISIS?

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:15 | 6904464 Banker Buster
Banker Buster's picture

What is funny about the global warming thing is that we've seen this tactic before.  Remember right in the middle of the financial crisis, obozo came out and said that he is going to get into this health care problem.  Everyone was looking around thinking maybe you should hold off while we sort out this financial crisis you raging idiot.  Same thing going on with global warming now.  They use these same tactics over and over.  It's a strong characteristic of this administration.  Cannot wait for obozo's term to be over, however never forget those carrying his water they just as guilty.  

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:17 | 6904467 Canadian Dirtlump
Canadian Dirtlump's picture

Isis needs air support to keep ramadi, and that priority superecedes global warming. We don't need the Iraqi Military and the Shiite militas successfully fighting the war on terror.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:22 | 6904119 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

Let's see, we destroyed the central government so that we may now bolster and rebuild the central government.  Saddam "killed his own people," so we kill a million plus of "his people" as 'punishment' for his deeds.  Right, got it.

Anything else?  No, Sir,  just wanted to know where to sign up.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:29 | 6904203 JustObserving
JustObserving's picture

We killed a lot more than a million Iraqis.  And Depleted Uranium keeps killing:

If 3.3 million killed is not enough, 2400 tons of depleted uranium with a half life of 4.5 billion years is surely enough:

US Sponsored Genocide Against Iraq 1990-2012. Killed 3.3 Million, Including 750,000 Children

http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-sponsored-genocide-against-iraq-1990-201...

According to Iraqi government statistics, the rate of cancer in the country has skyrocketed from 40 per 100,000 people prior to the First Gulf War in 1991, to 800 per 100,000 in 1995, to at least 1,600 per 100,000 in 2005

The culprit behind all of these health issues is depleted uranium, a byproduct of uranium enrichment. 

http://www.mintpressnews.com/depleted-uranium-iraq-wars-legacy-cancer/19...

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:33 | 6904224 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

I say "a million" and know I'm not exaggerating, and one wonders if it could be worse.

Yes, it's worse.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:36 | 6904244 J Jason Djfmam
J Jason Djfmam's picture

Has to be at least 6 million.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:37 | 6904248 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

I'm sorry, Sir, but that number is taken.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:08 | 6904431 NihilistZero
NihilistZero's picture

Can't be 6 million. If it was there surely would be a museum in West Los Angeles canonizing the dead as well as repudiating the method of their murder. /sarc

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:26 | 6904513 hedgeless_horseman
hedgeless_horseman's picture

 

 

...there surely would be a museum in West Los Angeles...

...and Houston, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, and the list goes on and on.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:37 | 6904597 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

I'm more bothered by the lack of Native American Memorial Museums here in the US where they would seem to be every bit as relevant, likely more.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:42 | 6904269 J Jason Djfmam
J Jason Djfmam's picture

The gift that keeps on giving.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:43 | 6904280 nuubee
nuubee's picture

Jesus christ, learn some facts about radiation.

 

Short half-life == Dangerous for humans

Long half-life == safe for humans

 

If depleted Uranium really does have a half-life of billions of years (and I don't know, I didn't look it up on Wikipedia), then you could probably ingest the stuff by the gallon and not kill yourself from radiation. If it takes more than a billion years for half of the mass to radioactively decay, then you are virtually guaranteed to have died from heavy metal poisoning long before you ever died from the radiation.

 

This is why nuclear war is scary, because it can create high-concentrations of short half-life isotopes right in your own neighborhood, presuming you aren't vaporized.

The long half-life isotopes? You are already surrounded by those on a daily basis. Hell, you've probably eaten more radioactive potassium in bananas over your life time than you could ever possibly expose yourself to with DU rounds.

 

If DU rounds are at all toxic for the civilian populations who live near their use during wartime, it's likely form heavy metal poisoning in the wells. But you would have this exact same problem if they used Lead rounds, so it's a wash.

Learn some fucking facts about radiation please, and stop making yourself look like an idiot.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:49 | 6904301 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

A jury of your peers having found you 'guilty', you are hereby sentenced to spend the rest of your days caring for Deformed Babies in an Iraqi infirmary.

Reference:  http://mindprod.com/politics/iraqdubabiespix.html#DUBABIESPIX

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:49 | 6904307 JustObserving
JustObserving's picture

You are correct.  It is not the radioactivity that kills as the article explains:

While the depleted uranium presents little to no risk to health via radiation due to its relatively weak radioactivity, direct internal contact with the heavy metal can have chemical toxicity effects on the nervous system, liver, heart and kidneys, with DNA mutations and RNA transcription errors being reported in the case of depleted uranium dust being absorbed in vitro.

While depleted uranium is not as toxic as other heavy metals, such as mercury or lead, pronounced toxicity is still possible through repeated or chronic exposure.

http://www.mintpressnews.com/depleted-uranium-iraq-wars-legacy-cancer/19...

 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:51 | 6904322 nuubee
nuubee's picture

Then don't mention the radiation when referring to their toxicity, and you don't look like a fool, simple.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:55 | 6904329 JustObserving
JustObserving's picture

Agreed.  Half life is irrelevant then. Thanks for fixing that.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:09 | 6904437 rejected
rejected's picture

How can you not refer to the radiation when it is directly responsible for the toxicity?

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:20 | 6904484 nuubee
nuubee's picture

Oh my god.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:52 | 6904308 JustObserving
JustObserving's picture

Dup.  No cognac in the morning after breakfast from now on

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:47 | 6904296 SantaClaws
SantaClaws's picture

Depleted (really non-depleted) uranium?  Not an issue, no danger.  Just breathe deeply.

 

The U.S. gov't says there's no danger, just like EPA's Christine Todd Whitman falsely told the first responders to the 911 site in NYC.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:07 | 6904424 Fuku Ben
Fuku Ben's picture

3 down votes to the DU comment? Must be psychopathic trolls that like murdering civilians and poisoning American troops and the land forever with DU. I'm convinced, although with no hard evidence, that DU is one of the reasons that a number of veterans are committing suicide. Once that shit gets into your body it screws up every part of the body if it doesn't kill you.

Its like Fukushima. Just ignore it, lie, cover it up and let loose the idiots or paid trolls to counter any common sense. Whatever it takes until it kills enough to meet the eugenics objective and destruction of Earth.

Meanwhile elsewhere on the planet there were a slew of NATO-OTAN planes being used to spray the skies today leaving behind a thick haze blocking out the sun and poisoning the Earth and everyone below yet again.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-12-09/global-economic-reset-has-begun...

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:02 | 6904394 Bush Baby
Bush Baby's picture

My guess is that since Barry never changes his strategy , the USA will continue to covertly support ISIS.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 13:06 | 6904841 Captain Willard
Captain Willard's picture

Trivia: Is there a country the US has invaded three times?

I know we were in Iraq, Cuba, Canada and Mexico twice. Our record was 1-1, 1-1, 0-2, 2-0. So this makes us 3-3 in our Hemisphere, with a road record similar to the Indianapolis Colts and the Oakland Raiders. We're 1-1 in Iraq.

On this basis, I make ISIS a 3-point home favorite. Pass the popcorn.

It would be amusing if people weren't dying.

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 10:01 | 6909750 HardAssets
HardAssets's picture

And in every one of those cases, the troops were 'defending America' and 'fighting for our freedom'. I know that's true cause they said so in 'school', on t.v., and at the local recruiters office.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:17 | 6904120 JustObserving
JustObserving's picture

The helicopters are to attack ISIS or to defend ISIS?

USA, Turkey and Israel Act As Air Force for ISIS

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/08/usa-turkey-and-israel-act-as-air-...

The US arming of ISIS

While claiming to be committed to a war against ISIS, Washington and its regional allies have time and again proven themselves to be its principal sources of strength.

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2015/06/03/pers-j03.html

Poll shows 81 percent of Syrians believe US created ISIS

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-19/81-syrians-believe-us-blame-isi...

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:17 | 6904134 Cautiously Pess...
Cautiously Pessimistic's picture

Yes

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:39 | 6904259 HenryHall
HenryHall's picture

Iraq should ask the Americans first to use helicopters to destroy the Turkish tanks illegally present near Mosul.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:10 | 6904440 taoJones
taoJones's picture

what are the odds one or two or several of those Apaches end up being commandeered by ISIS - you know, while the US pilots are out behind a catcus somewhere, having a pee...

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:15 | 6904121 venturen
venturen's picture

does it have to be piloted by a gay, a black, a muslims, a transgender or...you know an Obama clone?

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:00 | 6904381 Abitdodgie
Abitdodgie's picture

"gay, a black, a Muslims, a transgender" I thought that was the first lady Micheal.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:15 | 6904123 Dr. Engali
Dr. Engali's picture

So are the helicopters going to help ISIS, or are they going to the Iraqis to be the middle man?

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:29 | 6904211 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

You must be the new guy.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:15 | 6904124 Pumpkin
Pumpkin's picture

Once Russia turned up the heat on “the terrorists” in Syria, the US was suddenly at pains to explain why Washington’s strategy for dealing with militants differs so markedly from the Russian approach.

 

No, really no explanation is neccessary, I think we get it.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 13:06 | 6904842 Kirk2NCC1701
Kirk2NCC1701's picture

No explanation may be required, but it's Implications are relevant:

Either we gave useless generals, or useless Armchair Generals in DC, NY and LA -- who are meddling in war craft.

Either way, we are screwed as a country on the current trajectory. And with Liberals looking to take their cancerous franchise global, it will only get worse.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 13:43 | 6905114 AlaricGaudiTheSecond
AlaricGaudiTheSecond's picture

Stop your liberolz vs conservatives bs. They are both wh0res of the same zioje w pimp.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 13:12 | 6904890 Kirk2NCC1701
Kirk2NCC1701's picture

No explanation may be required, but its Implications are relevant:

Either we gave useless generals, or useless Armchair Generals in DC, NY and LA -- who are meddling in war craft.

Either way, we are screwed as a country on the current trajectory. And with Liberals looking to take their cancerous franchise global, it will only get worse.

The sun is truly setting on the West, with its anti-Darwinian views and policies. But what do you expect from a hippie/Disney philosophy and a hippie deity?

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:38 | 6904126 One And Only
One And Only's picture

Oh the US wants to send helicopters to Iraq? So ISIS can fly them like they drive our tanks and shoot our rifles? Is this how the US plans to continue arming ISIS? 

Can't wait to see ISIS flying stealth bombers.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:16 | 6904131 venturen
venturen's picture

Really show ISIS....send an all gay and dyke army to defeat them! Show them what America really is made of!

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:19 | 6904150 Lost in translation
Lost in translation's picture

The helicopters are going to be used against the SAA and President Assad.  The rest is propaganda.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 13:16 | 6904934 AlaricGaudiTheSecond
AlaricGaudiTheSecond's picture

Not to forget the brit poodle's Typhoons, the french cheap whore Rafales et al to reinforce ISISrael Air Force

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:19 | 6904151 insanelysane
insanelysane's picture

Didn't realize we had helicopters that could transport oil???

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 13:17 | 6904941 Kirk2NCC1701
Kirk2NCC1701's picture

That would be the SickOrSki brand of choppers.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:21 | 6904157 jakesdad
jakesdad's picture

[obama:] "oh, come on, vlad, we wanna play too!"

[putin:] "here's a piece of paper & some crayons - go over there & color, the grownups are trying to work..."

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:21 | 6904158 Ms No
Ms No's picture

I walked outside at 7am to take the trash out and saw a missle test that looked just like the one from California.  It was huge and then it took a nose dive and disappeared, the misty stuff around it dissipated long before it lost high altitude.  The contrail is still there.  Looked it up on the news and the said it was a White Sands NM test.

More posturing I guess.

 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:38 | 6904254 J Jason Djfmam
J Jason Djfmam's picture

That will show those Mexicans.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:53 | 6904331 actionjacksonbrownie
actionjacksonbrownie's picture

Un-possible. Everyone knows missiles don't leave contrails. We learned that over a year ago in ukraine.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:21 | 6904159 RawPawg
RawPawg's picture

What's the holdup,Putin?

go ahead and take it

Not like it really does the citizens of USA any good

 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:22 | 6904162 NoWayJose
NoWayJose's picture

Take the cost of a U.S. made attack helicopter, add in the cost of a U.S. made ground-to-air missile given to ISIS, subtract both from the Pentagon's inventory, and add their replacement costs to the Defense Contractors bottom line.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:22 | 6904163 Abapom
Abapom's picture

another insult to our intelligence...

..."Apparently, ISIS fighters attempted to launch a counteroffensive on Wednesday which nearly succeeded, before US airstrikes drove back the advance..."

therefore we must ocuppy Syria and whole middle east,

 

Two points to the best ZH guy who said here:

Syria war is not about democracy , people or Assad, it is about domination of oil denominated US Dollar. Then Fed can print more oil!

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:24 | 6904169 Doubleguns
Doubleguns's picture

What? We just cant spend enough on this shit so now we up it with multimillion dollar helicopters. Man has just one more year to break this country and he is not giving up. We got a crisis here, dont let it go to waste. 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:25 | 6904177 VladLenin
VladLenin's picture

Putin: Fuck off Barry, we got this!

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:26 | 6904180 Bill of Rights
Bill of Rights's picture
Political Correctness

https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpl1/v/t1.0-9/12346536_5831...

 

Presented without comment

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:26 | 6904187 Chupacabra-322
Chupacabra-322's picture

Anbar university on the map? I thought the Criminal Fruad UNITED STATES, CORP. INC. bombed the shit out of that. Oh yea, that's right. We only bomb Hospitals without boarders.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:33 | 6904194 PrimalScream
PrimalScream's picture

It is very important that US forces and Iraqis succeed with this operation.  I really hope this is a big success.  I agree that the US should supply the choppers to get this done.

YES - this is a crisis.  Somebody has to stop ISIS, or they will own the whole Middle East.  I dont' care what McCain demands. But i DO CARE about what our SpecOps folks are requesting. They know the real situation on the ground.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:28 | 6904196 chunga
chunga's picture

JOhn McCain is a horrible, terrible, demon.

100,000 foreign troops incl. Americans to be deployed in Iraq, MP claims

https://www.rt.com/news/325477-arab-army-iraq-plan/

McCain and fellow hawk Senator Lindsey Graham have both been calling for a tripling in the current number of US troops deployed in Iraq to 10,000, and also advocate sending an equal number of troops to Syria to fight against the terrorist group Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) and the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Americans would prop up a 90,000-strong international ground force provided by Sunni Arab countries like Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:50 | 6904316 drivenZ
drivenZ's picture

Truth. McCain is delusional. No idea if the RT report is accurate about Iraq but after yesterdays senate hearing it's clear he wants US boots on the ground in Syria. 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:29 | 6904205 Lumberjack
Lumberjack's picture

If they stopped dropping leaflets....

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:29 | 6904207 Secret Weapon
Secret Weapon's picture

What a tragic waste of resources.  Financial, material and human. 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:37 | 6904247 youngman
youngman's picture

I know one thing...they will just be dropping lots of dollars....a lot of money

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:38 | 6904250 TeaClipper
TeaClipper's picture

Thanks, but no thanks, between Iran and Russia the jobs covered. I hear Saudi Arabia and Turkey are ripe for regime change though, if you are looking for somewhere else to ruin

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:39 | 6904262 Herdee
Herdee's picture

Did somebody wake up in Washington?I think it's more like Obama and his gang of NeoCons got caught allowing the financing of ISIS.Seems to me that they had so much hatred toward Syria that these basturds didn't care about anything.Now we see the U.S./Saudi-headcutters sponsored terrorists getting control of Afghanistan,Libya and Yemen.Does anyone in the U.S. military brass make any sense of all the bombing,societies destroyed and U.S. GI's lives lost in order for Obama and his headcutter allies to control these countries now?Who is Obama serving?He's a fascist criminal.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:44 | 6904281 J Jason Djfmam
J Jason Djfmam's picture

Ours is not to reason why.

Ours is just to do and die.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:41 | 6904267 Salzburg1756
Salzburg1756's picture

FUBAR doesn't even cover it.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:42 | 6904273 thunderchief
thunderchief's picture

I think the USA and its NATO puppets are scrambling to get as much equipment and personnel into Iraq before the government tells them to get out and makes a deal with Russia. 

Its similar to the vietcongs tactics, stay close to your enemy, hang on to to their belt buckles. 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:03 | 6904400 rejected
rejected's picture

Remember all this next time the USA screeches "International Law" over the Chinese sand castles.

You can't have it both ways.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:44 | 6904283 Phillyguy
Phillyguy's picture

This statement sums things up “…the US, for whatever reason, is hell bent on getting more troops and more equipment to Iraq - with or without Baghdad's consent” (for an update, see: www.rt.com/news/325477-arab-army-iraq-plan). If the US really wants to get rid of ISIS this is what you do- 1. Tell Turkey and Gulf countries, in no uncertain terms to immediately halt all support for the Islamic State. 2. Demand that Turkey seal its border with Syria and Iraq to block movement of IS fighters and supplies across the border and halt all transport of oil, stolen by ISIS from Iraq and Syria, across the Turkish border. 3. All ISIS controlled oil tanker trucks need to be seized or destroyed. 4. The US/NATO needs to join forces with Russia, Syrian Arab Army, Hezbollah and Iran to systematically eliminate ISIS/ISIL/Daesh and related groups from Syria and Iraq.

 

If you don’t want to get rid of the Islamic State, you keep doing what the US/NATO has been doing for over a year. It appears that the goal of US/NATO/GCC is regime change in Syria, a goal that is apparently still alive and well, Paris notwithstanding. 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:49 | 6904309 yogibear
yogibear's picture

Yeah, what about us using up all those carbon credits.

Obama should be setting an example and dumping those 747s for a private jet.
To think when the president flys in anywhere he has double everything. One a decoy and the other real.

Obama is a massive polluter.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:55 | 6904344 MadVladtheconquerer
MadVladtheconquerer's picture

The Iraqi army couldn't hit water if it fell out of a fucking boat.

Its quite simple to get regime change in Syria:  surround the govt-held regions w/ cruise missile platforms

and launch, launch, launch.  As the govt forces are weakened at their perirpheries and the barbarians

gain ground, Unlce Vladdy will be faced w/ a dilemma:  place more assets in a region of decreasing area

or pull out.  

"Come on 'Dillos!  Let's get it on!" 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:00 | 6904385 rejected
rejected's picture

and therein lies the problem...

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:55 | 6904347 More Ammo
More Ammo's picture
"we spared no expense"
Thu, 12/10/2015 - 11:56 | 6904355 rejected
rejected's picture

"are left to hold contested territory with “rudimentary training and arms”?" Article.

training and weapons are a small part,,, the willingness to fight to the death for a just cause is 90% of it,,, which is why America has eventually lost all wars since WWII.

Many Iraqi regulars are only in it for the money. Iraq and the rest of the countries are just lines drawn on a map after WWI. There is no history or culture. Only their religion is their common glue.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:04 | 6904412 kaboomnomic
kaboomnomic's picture

Hey... niceee!!

This list are need updating btw. So.... Let's get it on!!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aviation_shootdowns_and_accident...

Will be fun to watch. Those ISIS is uploading their YT videos faster than CNN/FOX..!!

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:14 | 6904456 dirty belly
dirty belly's picture

Hi There, My Name is Isis!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n0s2zrBiBOU/VlzM6MdqrZI/AAAAAAAACo0/Ogb4N0SkDpw/s1600/Isis.jpg

The Light forces have communicated that by using name ISIS for the terrorist organization you are actually supporting them energetically, because it is the name they have chosen occultly to strengthen themselves. If you use other names (ISIL, Islamic State, Daesh) instead, you are weakening their position:

http://dailygrail.com/Hidden-History/2015/11/Reclaiming-the-Goddess-Stop-Using-the-Name-ISIS-Describe-Bunch-Ignorant-Murde

 

Reclaiming the Goddess: Stop Using the Name ISIS to Describe a Bunch of Ignorant, Murderous F**ktards

A petition has been created to help spread awareness of this and you can sign it here:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/767/932/805/?taf_id=12562735&cid=fb_na


Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:21 | 6904473 Johnny Horscaulk
Johnny Horscaulk's picture

"The Greater Israel Project

The Greater Israel Project lies at the very heart of the AAA’s geopolitical triangulation strategy throughout the Middle East. The United States, the United Kingdom and the Modern State of Israel have collaborated quite closely for well over a century to implement this final phase of destruction of several Mideast nations. Because their once clandestine agenda has now become transparent to the many concerned countries, these 3 nations have become known as the true Axis of Evil in the world today.

“Greater Israel”: The Zionist Plan for the Middle East

Just as the MSI was born out of terrorism, its methodical expansion through the outright theft of Palestinian land has occurred by way of incessant false flag terror operations. These and many other highly deceptive and destructive tactics have been used against those who rightfully inhabit Palestine, just as they are now being utilized in Syria. The very essence of their ‘Relocation Plan’ is the employment of every form of terror. Just like the Armenian Holocaust was implemented by the same Zionist cabal to scare them away from their communities, which it did, the ISIS and Al Nusra terrorist groups have been set up and enabled to do the very same.

The purposeful and slow-motion Zionist genocide of the Palestinian people has likewise furthered the cabal’s Greater Israel agenda. Systematically getting rid of those indigenous peoples throughout much of the Middle East is a central component of that agenda. In this particular regard the AAA globalists seeks not only to remove the Palestinians from the MSI, but the Syrians from their lands as well. Witness what is perhaps the largest mass migration in modern history of Syrian people to Europe. Irrespective of the fact that the forefathers of Syrians and Palestinians alike have lived in the Mideast for centuries and in Israel over millennia, the Zionist cabal is intent on their removal.

ISIS, ISIL and the ISLAMIC STATE
It is now common knowledge among the world community of nations that the United States, United Kingdom and Israel surreptitiously created ISIS and Al Nusra just as they created Al Qaeda. The blueprint for the formation of these types of synthetic terror organizations came from the CIA’s establishment of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. By the use of proxy armies of paid mercenaries, which were comprised of ‘Islamist’ guerrilla fighters, the USA was able to defeat the Russian military in Afghanistan. That development, in turn, permitted the Taliban to come into power which merely created another tyranny for the Afghans to deal with.

Mujahideen (Arabic: ??????????) is the plural form of mujahid (Arabic: ??????), the term for one engaged in Jihad.[3]

What is crucial to understand is that these mercenary jihadis have nothing to do with the religion of Islam. Whether they were even raised as Muslims is in serious question since many of them were exposed to a false sect of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism. This form of perverted Islamic fundamentalism was made the official state religion by the crypto-Jewish monarchy of Saudi Arabia with the assistance of their Anglo-American overlords. Likewise, the Dönmeh of Turkey introduced their own kind of Islam which had nothing to do with the Prophet Muhammad or the Koran, and a LOT to do with the pseudo-Kabbalistic practices of the similarly warped Sabbatean sect. ..."

...

http://stateofthenation2012.com/?p=25505

http://themillenniumreport.com/2015/11/why-wont-israel-acknowledge-the-a...

The Zionist Plan for the Middle East, also known as the Yinon Plan, is an Israeli strategic plan to ensure Israeli regional superiority. It insists and stipulates that Israel must reconfigure its geo-political environment through the balkanization of the surrounding Arab states into smaller and weaker states.
http://leaksource.info/2015/01/17/the-yinon-plan-greater-israel-syria-ir...

The Doctrine of “Superior People” - The Bond between Israel and World Zionism
http://dissidentvoice.org/2015/09/the-doctrine-of-superior-people/

http://original.antiwar.com/thomas-harrington/2015/10/11/the-problem-wit...

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 14:48 | 6905641 dsty
dsty's picture

pffffft

you've been stuffed by your last name

blonde anglo saxons are the supreme race, just ask your Furhrer Herr Hess

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:53 | 6904738 smacker
smacker's picture

Can't they use captured ISIS gangsters to clear the IED fields? ...just send them on forced walks up and down, up and down until they step on an IED and the area eventually gets cleared. Then move onto the next area. If they are ordered to chant "Alloa Akbar, Alloa Akbar", that will add to the fun watching them.

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 12:55 | 6904753 SpanishGoop
SpanishGoop's picture

Which letter of the word "NO" does the US doesn't understand.

 

 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 13:37 | 6905071 Ethelred the Unready
Ethelred the Unready's picture

ISIS must be losing to the Kurds. etc.  Our troops will be instructed to attack whoever Barry wants to lose (that would be the Kurds, among others).  Our troops will  probably/possibly not even know that they are shooting at anti ISIS forces.  CIA mercs will on the ground lighting up the wrong people. 

Iraq would be wise to keep the USSA the hell out.  We are out of control. 

Thu, 12/10/2015 - 14:05 | 6905294 Clesthenes
Clesthenes's picture

“US Wants to Send Attack Helicopters…” er, correction, “Munitions Makers and Judeo-Bolsheviks want to Send Attack Helicopters to Iraq As Battle Wages for Key City Held by CIA-Front ISIS.”

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 01:06 | 6908788 onmail1
onmail1's picture

mabee they will drop money from helicoptors 

to their (terrorist) boys

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