tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post6855069397159879374..comments2024-03-18T16:10:41.673-04:00Comments on The Elephant Bar: Erdogan’s “dealings with the ISIS are unacceptable - Turkey harbors an ISIS militant camp in Istanbul - Turkey has also allowed weapons to be transported into Syria through its borders - Turkey allows ISIS to sell its oil via TurkeyDeuce ☂http://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-86493075030018170782014-10-13T22:15:23.669-04:002014-10-13T22:15:23.669-04:00It is a simple matter to understand the strategy h...It is a simple matter to understand the strategy here. We say that it is a critical national security matter to stop ISIS, then we refuse to take the actions that will stop ISIS. Why does everyone want to make this complicated?The Bard of Murdocknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-75003878600616082292014-10-13T17:42:14.720-04:002014-10-13T17:42:14.720-04:00300 men defending a perimeter the size the Baghdad...300 men defending a perimeter the size the Baghdad airport is thin coverage. I don't know what to make of it. allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605114251615293411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-2708655209521178802014-10-13T17:38:55.564-04:002014-10-13T17:38:55.564-04:00.
I linked a comment to the helicopter issue belo....<br /><br />I linked a comment to the helicopter issue below by mistake.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-12527499564968814072014-10-13T17:37:02.631-04:002014-10-13T17:37:02.631-04:00.
...the helicopters will have to vacate until th....<br /><br /><i>...the helicopters will have to vacate until the artillery is neutralized.</i><br /><br />A point I hadn't considered. I just assumed they would be used to take out enemy positions along in conjunction with planes doing conventional bombing of any artillery sites. However, if you think about it, using Apaches is about as close to having 'boots on the ground' as you can get without actually having boots on the ground.<br /><br />Add to that reports that Obama is micromanaging bombing targets, the need to minimize US deaths, the MANPADS IS is reported to have, and maybe the risks outweigh the benefits.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-47843619908261519242014-10-13T17:35:10.662-04:002014-10-13T17:35:10.662-04:00155 mm HE rounds can penetrate up to 28” of reinfo...155 mm HE rounds can penetrate up to 28” of reinforced concrete. HE rounds with concrete piercing fuses can penetrate up to 46” of reinforced concrete.<br /><br />I have seen no report on the rounds available to IS.allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605114251615293411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-56320015603013027952014-10-13T17:25:46.513-04:002014-10-13T17:25:46.513-04:00.
I do not recall any reports of artillery being ....<br /><br /><i>I do not recall any reports of artillery being used around Baghdad. Maybe IS has none there.</i><br /><br />A possibility. Though if they are there that could change.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-81856752399377073262014-10-13T17:22:40.355-04:002014-10-13T17:22:40.355-04:00.
In Libya, despite videos of bombed homes, pictu....<br /><br />In Libya, despite videos of bombed homes, pictures of dead children, and interviews with distraught civilians, the constant message we received from DOD officials was "We aren't able to confirm those reports at this time."<br /><br />In Syria, when there were complaints of civilian deaths do to US bombing raids, the DOD said, ""We aren't able to confirm those reports at this time."<br /><br />Don't expect things to change.<br /><br />. Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-14277189578125359302014-10-13T17:17:42.769-04:002014-10-13T17:17:42.769-04:00.
Up to this point, it appears the US pretty much....<br /><br />Up to this point, it appears the US pretty much is the coalition.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-81976119298480745352014-10-13T17:15:50.818-04:002014-10-13T17:15:50.818-04:00.
Our allies in the 'coalition' seem to b....<br /><br />Our allies in the 'coalition' seem to be using 'stealth' in more ways than one.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-427010369369682022014-10-13T17:13:02.188-04:002014-10-13T17:13:02.188-04:00.
CNN? Actually, what CNN said was IS moved 10,0....<br /><br />CNN? Actually, what CNN said was IS moved 10,000 troops from the Mosul area AND Syria. However, if you don't like CNN,<br /><br />3 days ago<br /><br /><i>ISIS has infiltrated suburbs just eight miles from Baghdad's international airport... and has missiles that can shoot down a plane<br /><br />• ISIS militants have now reached Baghdad's outer suburb of Abu Ghraib <br />• Jihadists are currently engaging in hit and run attacks against Iraqi troops<br />• The suburb lies just eight miles from the country's international airport<br />• Heavily-armed militants have sourced shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles</i><br /><br />Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2788743/isis-infiltrated-suburbs-just-eight-miles-baghdad-s-international-airport-wields-shoulder-fired-anti-aircraft-missiles.html#ixzz3G3l6UU4F <br />Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook<br /><br />2 days ago<br /><br /><i><b>Iraq asks for US ground troops as Isil threaten Baghdad</b><br /><br />Islamic State jihadists move within eight miles of the Iraqi capital, sparking calls for America to return to the country</i> <br /><br />===============<br /><br /><i>Iraqi officials have issued a desperate plea for America to bring US ground troops back to the embattled country, as heavily armed Islamic State militants came within striking distance of Baghdad.<br /> <br />Amid reports that Isil forces have advanced as far as Abu Ghraib, a town that is effectively a suburb of Baghdad, a senior governor claimed up to 10,000 fighters from the movement were now poised to assault the capital. <br /><br />The warning came from Sabah al-Karhout, president of the provisional council of Anbar Province, the vast desert province to the west of Baghdad that has now largely fallen under jihadist control. <br /><br />The province’s two main cities, Fallujah and Ramadi, were once known as “the graveyard of the Americans”, and the idea of returning...</i><br /><br />1 day ago<br /><br /><b>Battle for Baghdad: ISIS now within 8 miles of airport, armed with MANPADS</b><br /><br /><i>Islamic State’s offensive on the Iraqi capital intensified as the jihadist fighters advanced as far as Abu Ghraib, a suburb only 8 miles away from Baghdad’s international airport.<br /><br />The outer suburb of Abu Ghraib is also the site of the infamous prison the US military used to humiliate and torture Iraqi detainees. <br /><br />There are reports by the Iraqi military that the militants are in possession of MANPAD anti-aircraft missiles. The short-range, shoulder-fired missiles can shoot down airplanes within a range of 15,000 feet.</i> <br /><br />http://rt.com/news/195072-baghdad-airport-isis-manpads/<br /><br />Today from the WaPo<br /><br /><i>The instability in Anbar has stoked fears that Islamic State fighters could use their gains to push into areas closer to the capital, including the volatile Abu Ghraib district, which lies just west of Baghdad’s international airport. So far Baghdad has largely avoiding being in firing range of the Islamic State, though the group has carried out sporadic mortar attacks and regular suicide bombings in the capital. On Monday, bombings in mostly Shiite neighborhoods of Baghdad killed at least 30 people, the Associated Press reported.</i><br /><br />http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/islamic-state-seizes-third-iraqi-army-base-in-anbar-after-military-retreat/2014/10/13/ebf830a0-bc9b-459f-ad7f-3dfe99b9bacd_story.html?hpid=z9<br /><br />.<br /><br />Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-21180518207508963592014-10-13T16:48:52.265-04:002014-10-13T16:48:52.265-04:00The "politics" of this are pretty mixed....The "politics" of this are pretty mixed. I'm not sure that, say, France, or Belgium, wants to make a big deal out of every single flight.Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-174164677990110482014-10-13T16:40:39.077-04:002014-10-13T16:40:39.077-04:00What seems to be minimized is the very fact that I...What seems to be minimized is the very fact that IS is at the gates of Baghdad. Some reports indicate that they are operating within Baghdad. <br /><br />As Lee asked before the Seven Days' Battle, "How are we going to get at those people"?<br /><br />What is being maximized is the strength of the Iraqi Army and Shi'a militias within Baghdad. Let me rephrase, how confident can we be that the defenders are that strong and that competent? It seems to me that if I had the numbers of troops available within Baghdad that are claimed, and those troops were as fired up as claimed, I would, at least, be skirmishing and doing recon in force -- anything that would take harass IS and take away its freedom to operate at will.<br /><br />Score me as skeptical of any propaganda coming out of Baghdad. allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605114251615293411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-41178857669308657662014-10-13T16:28:41.103-04:002014-10-13T16:28:41.103-04:00"QuirkMon Oct 13, 04:04:00 PM EDT
Like Baghd..."QuirkMon Oct 13, 04:04:00 PM EDT<br /> Like Baghdad, it is unlikely the airport would fall what with the US troops and copters stationed there..."<br /><br />I do not recall any reports of artillery being used around Baghdad. Maybe IS has none there. If IS is able to get artillery within range of the 155 guns (14 miles) and have spotters directing fire, the helicopters will have to vacate until the artillery is neutralized. If the helicopters are in hardened bunkers able to withstand 155mm penetrating rounds, that will mitigate but not eliminate the risk of their loss. Once the helicopters leave shelter to take flight (a lengthy process), they are vulnerable to guns capable of firing 2 - 4 rounds per minute. It would be dicey. <br />allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605114251615293411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-2225896641988188622014-10-13T16:13:49.438-04:002014-10-13T16:13:49.438-04:00I am confident that anyone flying operations will ...I am confident that anyone flying operations will notify the press. All our so-called allies want to share the limelight and the U.S. certainly wants it to appear that everyone is pulling his weight. As to official DoD comments, you may be correct. To know for sure, I would have to do some digging. allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605114251615293411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-22845261759259544382014-10-13T16:08:47.266-04:002014-10-13T16:08:47.266-04:00Wasn't it CNN that said ISIS was moving 10,000...Wasn't it CNN that said ISIS was moving <b>10,000</b> fighters from the North to Anbar?<br /><br />They were, also, promoting the idea that "aliens" took that Malaysian Airplane, right?Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-29188018084947439092014-10-13T16:04:23.212-04:002014-10-13T16:04:23.212-04:00.
The statement is true in the sense that it is i....<br /><br />The statement is true in the sense that it is inconceivable IS can take Baghdad. However, they can make things miserable there. The uptick in the terrorist bombings there are one way. <br /><br />CNN analysts report they have seen IS troops operating about 8 miles from Baghdad, close enough to bombard the International Airport. Like Baghdad, it is unlikely the airport would fall what with the US troops and copters stationed there; however, it can be harassed and flights delayed or cancelled. The US has 1600 people and diplomatic personnel in Baghdad and the airport is their only way out.<br /><br />People disregard the importance of optics, yet, when you are trying to convince a population to stand up to an enemy like IS, the mere appearance of which side seems to be winning can be important.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-51258560542549419592014-10-13T16:00:18.941-04:002014-10-13T16:00:18.941-04:00Very possible, Ash, very possible.
He takes such ...Very possible, Ash, very possible.<br /><br />He takes such a smorgasbord of meds it would be hard for even a normal person to keep it all straight.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07877200182060537865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-8901602731894418492014-10-13T15:52:32.054-04:002014-10-13T15:52:32.054-04:00.
Had that been your first response, Ash, I could....<br /><br />Had that been your first response, Ash, I could have accepted it. Now, after it was pointed out to you that there was more to the story and that it had to do with more about Obama than the frequency of his golf, your comment merely seems a little petty and peevish, not to mention silly.<br /><br />Not quite on a par with your equating your job with that of POTUS but still...<br /><br />.<br /><br />.Quirkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00272168240606512672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-10102516891034226752014-10-13T15:50:47.052-04:002014-10-13T15:50:47.052-04:00I think that what some of you may be missing is th...I think that what some of you may be missing is that, except for when we fly a "Joint" Mission with one of our coalition partners, we don't comment on what They are doing.<br /><br />While we are flying our four or five missions / day, the Brits, and the Aussies, and the French, and the Dutch, and the Belgians are also flying over Iraq, and<br /><br />the Sauds, and the UAE, are striking targets in Syria.<br /><br />In short, there is more going on than is being discussed by our DOD.Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-22931886722491279012014-10-13T15:45:08.356-04:002014-10-13T15:45:08.356-04:00Rufus: Not so bad for a little "flyin' a...Rufus: Not so bad for a little "flyin' around, and bombing," I'd say.<br /><br /><br />But when Israel was "flyin' around, and bombing," they were called cowards….<br /><br />HmmmWhat is "Occupation"https://www.blogger.com/profile/02054075097495500689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-33184928510073619662014-10-13T15:44:16.352-04:002014-10-13T15:44:16.352-04:00Rufus IIMon Oct 13, 03:17:00 PM EDT
I don't kn...Rufus IIMon Oct 13, 03:17:00 PM EDT<br />I don't know; Very few, if any, civilians have died in Iraq as a result of our strikes, a whole bunch of ISIS have, and No Americans have been killed.<br /><br />That's right you don't KNOW. And if there are were any I am sure you'd say that those deaths were ok, after all they were collateral damage, whereas the "civilians" that died by Israel's hand were victims.<br />What is "Occupation"https://www.blogger.com/profile/02054075097495500689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-81394757926067842972014-10-13T15:17:40.233-04:002014-10-13T15:17:40.233-04:00I don't know; Very few, if any, civilians hav...I don't know; Very few, if any, civilians have died in Iraq as a result of our strikes, a whole bunch of ISIS have, and No Americans have been killed.<br /><br />Meantime, ISIS is almost completely rolled back from the North, and has been kicked off two of the three dams.<br /><br />Not so bad for a little "flyin' around, and bombing," I'd say.Rufus IIhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05297231055991566183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-90170268319733449102014-10-13T14:16:37.299-04:002014-10-13T14:16:37.299-04:00"QuirkMon Oct 13, 11:10:00 AM EDT
A rather pa..."QuirkMon Oct 13, 11:10:00 AM EDT<br />A rather pathetic display of military might, IMO."<br /><br />If these attacks were directed at my home, it would be of grave concern. It these attacks were directed at my town ... not so much ...<br /><br />I concur: "pathetic" is the ideal word.allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605114251615293411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-53944110766268083122014-10-13T14:11:34.530-04:002014-10-13T14:11:34.530-04:00Right
“'There is simply no way, for instance,...Right<br /><br />“'There is simply no way, for instance, Daesh could storm the large, combative Shiite militias that are awaiting in the Iraqi capital, and which enjoy unconditional state backing, from both the local government and Iran,' he said in an e-mailed reply to questions."<br /><br />http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-13/airbase-falls-to-islamic-state-as-u-s-warns-of-baghdad-threat.html<br />Islamic State Seizes Iraq Base Amid Concern for Baghdadallenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15605114251615293411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-44368730808953631602014-10-13T13:42:46.250-04:002014-10-13T13:42:46.250-04:00That was your highlighted.point from the article o...That was your highlighted.point from the article old man and based in its absurdity there is no need to look any further at it. If you think there us something salient in it, well, excerpt it.Ashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16688752302081088907noreply@blogger.com