The Briefing Room
General Category => World News => Topic started by: mystery-ak on June 11, 2014, 05:38:44 pm
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http://news.yahoo.com/u-watches-iraq-speeds-toward-094500826.html;_ylt=AwrBEiJOiJhT3VgA4I3QtDMD (http://news.yahoo.com/u-watches-iraq-speeds-toward-094500826.html;_ylt=AwrBEiJOiJhT3VgA4I3QtDMD)
The Fiscal Times
By David Francis
Fighters for the al Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) took Mosul today, giving the militant group control of Iraq’s second largest city and setting the country on a path toward chaos.
ISIS militants already control Fallujah, a city that American Marines took in 2004 in what was the bloodiest battle of the Iraq War. Now, with both Mosul and Fallujah under their control, nearly half of Iraq is in the grips of a group that is a formal affiliate of a terrorist group.
Equally troubling are the circumstances under which the city fell. Iraqi security personnel simply abandoned their posts, according to reports.
This is problematic for a host of reasons. First, it shows that the American-trained Iraqi military is not adequate. Second, Iraqi soldiers left their weapons behind – giving ISIS a huge cache of equipment.
But the most disturbing aspect of the desertion is what Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki proposed to replace the missing troops. In an address to the nation Tuesday, he called on Iraqi citizens to take up arms against ISIS in an attempt to retake the city.
“We will not allow for the remainder of the ... province and the city to fall," he said, adding that he would arm them. “This requires all efforts, both civilian and official, to confront this ferocious attack that harms all Iraqis, from a deteriorating security situation to a humanitarian crisis.”
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All our sacrifices for nothing....thanks Obama
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If there are any Christians left in Iraq they better get the hell out now...
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GWB saved Iraq from al-qaeda
Barack Obama gave it to them on a silver platter
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In the words of Gen. Colin Powell, "you break it, you own it." So much for the "nation building" of muslim lands.
So much for training the military in muslim lands. So much for wasting our country's lives, limbs and treasure on the pipedream that these types of places will adopt democracy, live in peace, etc.
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In the words of Gen. Colin Powell, "you break it, you own it." So much for the "nation building" of muslim lands.
So much for training the military in muslim lands. So much for wasting our country's lives, limbs and treasure on the pipedream that these types of places will adopt democracy, live in peace, etc.
too true
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http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/11/u-s-embassy-prepares-for-possible-evacuation-as-militants-take-control-in-iraq/ (http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/06/11/u-s-embassy-prepares-for-possible-evacuation-as-militants-take-control-in-iraq/)
U.S. Embassy Prepares for Possible Evacuation as Militants Take Control in Iraq
Jun. 11, 2014 5:25pm Sara Carter
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad is preparing contingency plans to evacuate its employees if necessary now that one of the deadliest Islamic militant groups in the region has taken control of large swaths of Iraq, a U.S. official told TheBlaze.
The State Department also warned U.S. citizens against traveling to Iraq, following several days of bloody clashes between insurgents with the Al Qaeda-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Iraqi military forces. ISIL has taken control of Mosul, Tikrit and Fallujah and aims to create an Islamic state across the Iraq-Syria border.
The U.S. official told TheBlaze that the U.S. Embassy, United Nations and other foreign organizations with a presence in Iraq are “preparing contingency plans to evacuate employees.”
Mortar rounds and rockets have hit Baghdad International Airport and Mosul’s airport has been the target of militant assault. The State Department advisory warned U.S. citizens to avoid public gathering places because of the high risk of kidnapping and terrorist violence.
A U.S. counterterrorism official said the violence has reached “levels not seen since 2007.”
Iraqi forces are conducting military operations in Nineveh and Anbar provinces against the insurgent and terrorist organizations that have occupied those territories, the State Department said.
“We are working with Iraqi leaders from across the country to support a coordinated response and you can expect we will provide additional assistance to the Iraqi government to combat the threat from ISIL,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday.
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They better evac them now before they have another Benghazi on their hands...but then again they may not care.
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Obama will sit idly by while the Caliphate is restored.
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Obama will sit idly by while the Caliphate is restored.
Not quite. What we are seeing is Iraq breaking up into essentially three groups: Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, which is what the Bush Administration warned about endlessly to little or no avail. When we summarily withdrew from Iraq because Obama failed to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement, it set the stage for years of civil war.
We are witnessing the Obama Doctrine in action.
:smokin:
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(CNN) -- Iraq's government Wednesday indicated a willingness for the United States military to conduct airstrikes against radical Islamist militants who have taken over one large city and are threatening to fully control another, a U.S. official told CNN.
Several U.S. officials said Washington views the situation as "extremely urgent" and is looking to see what more support the United States can provide to the Iraqi government, in addition to weapons and vehicles it has already provided.
Part of this will be giving Iraqi officals intelligence they can use to go going after the militants, believed to be from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, also known as ISIS and ISIL.
Assistance could also involve training and "kinetic" activity, U.S. officials told CNN, but they wouldn't specify whether those options included airstrikes.
Baghdad's openness to airstrikes was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday night.
More plus video report: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/11/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html
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However, Obuttocks is closed to anything of that sort.
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BAGHDAD — Sunni militants consolidated and extended their control over northern Iraq on Wednesday, seizing Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam Hussein, threatening the strategic oil refining town of Baiji and pushing south toward Baghdad, their ultimate target, Iraqi sources said.
As the dimensions of the assault began to become clear, it was evident that a number of militant groups had joined forces, including Baathist military commanders from the Hussein era, whose goal is to rout the government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. One of the Baathists, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, was a top military commander and a vice president in the Hussein government and one of the few prominent Baathists to evade capture by the Americans throughout the occupation.
“These groups were unified by the same goal, which is getting rid of this sectarian government, ending this corrupt army and negotiating to form the Sunni Region,” said Abu Karam, a senior Baathist leader and a former high-ranking army officer, who said planning for the offensive had begun two years ago. “The decisive battle will be in northern Baghdad. These groups will not stop in Tikrit and will keep moving toward Baghdad.”
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/world/middleeast/iraq.html
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I don't know. A few high altitude bombing runs are a minimal risk and would shore up his foreign policy chops in the eyes of his base.
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Sounds like South Vietnam, 1975, all over again.
From early on in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the outcome once we left was a foregone conclusion.
Tell me folks, honestly -- who did NOT expect this?
Who in this forum REALLY BELIEVED that once we were no longer present there, that the islamic militants would not make their moves?
The enemy in Iraq was never really Saddam.
The enemy in Afghanistan was not, and is not now, the taliban.
The enemy is something else.
Have you figured out what (and who) that is, yet ??
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Just all that American equipment such as night vision goggles and other material in the hands of Al Queda
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WASHINGTON – The United States is preparing to send new aid to Iraq to help slow a violent insurgent march that is threatening to take over the nation's north, officials said Wednesday. But the Obama administration offered only tepid support for Iraq's beleaguered prime minister, and U.S. lawmakers openly questioned whether he should remain in power.
With no obvious replacement for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki -- and no apparent intent on his part to step down -- Washington is largely resigned to continue working with his Shiite-led government that has targeted Sunni political opponents and, in turn, has inflamed sectarian tensions across Iraq.
"He's obviously not been a good prime minister," said Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "He has not done a good job of reaching out to the Sunni population, which has caused them to be more receptive to Al Qaeda efforts."
The panel's chairman, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., noted only lukewarm support for al-Maliki, both in Iraq and among U.S. officials. "I don't know whether or not he will actually be the prime minister again," Menendez said. "I guess by many accounts, he may very well ultimately put (together) the coalition necessary to do that."
Insurgents with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, which is inspired by Al Qaeda, overran the northern Iraqi town of Tikrit on Wednesday, a day after seizing Mosul, the nation's second-largest city. The insurgent network has controlled the western city of Fallujah since the start of this year, and is fighting to take over Beiji, a key northern oil refinery town.
The rampage has raised new doubts about al-Maliki's ability to protect Iraq in areas that were mostly calm when U.S. troops withdrew from the country less than three years ago. Since then, violence has roared back to Iraq, returning to levels comparable to the darkest days of sectarian fighting nearly a decade ago when the country teetered on the brink of civil war.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/12/white-house-weighs-sending-fresh-aid-to-iraq-amid-distrust-al-maliki/
A very good analysis of the "rock and a hard place" nature of dealing with Iraq.
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-12/iraq-seeks-to-check-advance-of-islamists-near-saddam-s-hometown.html (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-06-12/iraq-seeks-to-check-advance-of-islamists-near-saddam-s-hometown.html)
Iraq Battles Islamists in Saddam’s Hometown, 80 Miles From Baghdad
By Glen Carey and Mahmoud Habboush Jun 12, 2014 9:21 AM CT
Iraqi forces sought to check the rapid advance of Islamist militants who had seized major cities, as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki responded to the greatest threat to his government since taking power.
The military attacked fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in Saddam Hussein’s former hometown of Tikrit, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Baghdad, state-sponsored Iraqiya television reported. In Mosul, the air force struck ISIL positions after they seized the largest city in Iraq’s north earlier this week, Iraqiya said. Al-Sumaria television reported heavy clashes as the army fought for Tikrit backed by air support.
The surge in violence across northern and central Iraq, three years after U.S. troops withdrew, has raised the prospect of a return to sectarian civil war in OPEC’s second-biggest oil producer. Al-Maliki’s Shiite-led government is struggling to retain control of Sunni-majority regions, and his army units in northern Iraq collapsed in the face of the Islamist advance.
“This can’t be looked at as anything other than a comprehensive failure by the Iraqi army,” Crispin Hawes, managing director of the research firm Teneo Intelligence in London, said in a phone interview. “If the army can’t protect Mosul, how are they going to protect other cities?” he said. “Moving southward would be the logical thing to do for ISIL.”
Refugees fleeing from Mosul head to the self-ruled northern Kurdish region in Irbil,... Read More
Oil Prices
The advance of ISIL fighters has rattled oil futures and markets in both Iraq and Turkey. Brent crude oil rose to the highest since the start of March and West Texas Intermediate to an eight-month high amid the violence.
Kurdish authorities, who control the territory to the east of Mosul, have fortified defenses around their borders and also dispatched their armed forces to take control of Kirkuk, home to the biggest northern oilfield, the semi-autonomous Kurdish government said on its website.
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Obama Won’t Try To Stop al-Qaida Army In Iraq
Posted By Neil Munro On 10:35 AM 06/12/2014 In | No Comments
President Barack Obama denied U.S. air support to the elected government of Iraq, which is reeling in the face of a large-scale jihadi invasion from the Syrian desert.
The invasion comes three years after Obama pulled out the last U.S contingent from a then-quiet Iraq.
From 2003 to 2011, 4,485 U.S. soldiers were killed by jihadis and their allies as the U.S. helped establish Iraq’s democratic government. A 2007 “surge” offensive established a shaky peace, and helped reconciliation talks.
But Obama’s 2011 pullout completed his 2008 campaign promise, which Obama has frequently congratulated himself for doing.
Obama’s rejection of support was announced by a late-night statement from his press secretary.
The statement notably ignored the Iraq government’s request for a U.S. force of high-tech airpower — such as aircraft and drones — that could destroy jihadi groups as they advance in the open desert. (RELATED: Al-Qaida Establishes Islamic Caliphate Across Syria, Northern Iraq)
The letter instead offered reassurances of support, the promise of future financial aid and the promise of some military supplies.
If approved, U.S. airpower would boost the morale of the damaged Iraqi military, and give them time to organize a counter-attack against the jihad army, which is a regional spin-off of the al-Qaida force.
The jihadi force, named the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, captured the country’s second largest city this week. It has also captured an armored column and several smaller cities in the western part of the country, and is threatening to wreck the nation’s major source of revenue, its oil refineries.
Without U.S. air support, Iraq may be forced to ask for combat support from the Iranian military.
“We offer our condolences to the families of those killed and underscore our commitment to assist the Iraqi people as they confront the threat… [and] the United States will stand with Iraqi leaders across the political spectrum as they forge the national unity necessary to succeed in the fight,” said Obama’s statement.
“We will work with Congress to support the new Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund, which will provide flexibility and resources to help Iraq respond to emerging needs,” it added.
“We will also continue to provide, and as required increase, assistance to the government of Iraq to help build Iraq’s [military] capacity,” the note said.
Obama’s decision to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq, despite the hard-fought victory by U.S. forces, is a reason for pride, Obama’s press secretary declared June 10.
“I would put ending the war in Iraq, responsibly winding down the war in Afghanistan, and decimating and destroying core al-Qaida… are a handful of accomplishments that certainly this president and this commander-in-chief are proud of,” Josh Earnest said.
Follow Neil on Twitter
Article printed from The Daily Caller: http://dailycaller.com
URL to article: http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/12/obama-wont-try-to-stop-al-qaida-army-in-iraq/
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10895007/Repent-or-die-al-Qaeda-forces-announce-rules-for-Iraqi-territory-they-now-control.html (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10895007/Repent-or-die-al-Qaeda-forces-announce-rules-for-Iraqi-territory-they-now-control.html)
Repent or die: al-Qaeda forces announce rules for Iraqi territory they now control
ISIS, the al-Qaeda group that has swept through northern Iraq, releases list of rules that citizens must live by: including 'repent or die'
(http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02939/iraq-execution_2939456b.jpg)
A man is executed in a new video released by ISIS
By Damien McElroy
12:51PM BST 12 Jun 2014
Iraq crisis: follow live updates
The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham has set out a list of rules for residents of Mosul as it seeks to impose its Islamist rules on Iraq's second city.
Referring to the area by its ancient name, Nineveh, the group says it has a clear set of instructions for the remaining occupants of the city and surrounding area.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2655977/ISIS-militants-march-Baghdad-trademark-bullet-head-gets-way-control-north.html#ixzz34PqXWUxn (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2655977/ISIS-militants-march-Baghdad-trademark-bullet-head-gets-way-control-north.html#ixzz34PqXWUxn)
The battle for Baghdad is nigh: Thousands of men answer Iraqi government's call to arms as ISIS jihadists bear down on capital
Iraq's government has indicated a willingness for the US military to conduct airstrikes against radical Islamist militants
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have taken over Iraq's second biggest city Mosul and town of Tikrit
Government forces have stalled the militants' advance near Samarra, a city just 110km (68 miles) north of Baghdad
ISIS's goal is to create a Islamic caliphate (state) - it already controls territory in eastern Syria and western/central Iraq
Iraq's parliament were to hold an emergency session today but it was postponed due to a opposition boycott
Kurdish forces are in full control of Iraq's oil city of Kirkuk after the federal army abandoned their posts
Iran has sent special forces and a unit of elite troops to Iraq to assist the Iraqi government halt the advance
Turkey is negotiating for the release of 80 nationals held by Islamist militants in Mosul
Iraqi air force is bombing insurgent positions in and around Mosul - 1.3 million citizens still remain in the city
By Jill Reilly
Published: 02:15 EST, 12 June 2014 | Updated: 10:14 EST, 12 June 2014
Thousands of Iraqis young and old have answered the beleaguered Shia-led government’s call to arms and signed up to protect the capital, and country, from ISIS militants.
As jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant march on Baghdad after capturing swathes of northern Iraq male supporters of the government turned out in droves today to enlist and fight back.
The militants have already seized control of Iraq's second largest city Mosul where it is reported that roughly 30,000 soldiers fled as just 800 fighters approached.
Less than 24 hours later the oil-rich city of Tikrit was captured by the militants, who then turned their attentions to the capital.
But so far government forces have stalled the militants' remarkably rapid advance near Samarra, a city just 110km (68 miles) north of Baghdad and they are now bombing insurgent positions in and around Mosul - although 500,000 residents have fled, 1. 3 million citizens still remain in the city.
Nevertheless ISIS is pushing ahead with its aim to overthrow the western-backed government as part of its goal to create an Islamic emirate spanning both sides of the Iraq-Syria border.
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This is the Obama Doctrine in action. The four year ongoing slaughter in Syria is not enough, Obama is going to stand by and do nothing while Iraq descends back into even bloodier civil war.
I fear the day is coming when one of these warring extremists gets their hands on a nuclear warhead, uses it, and sets off a nuclear brush war all over the Middle East.
:smokin:
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Not quite. What we are seeing is Iraq breaking up into essentially three groups: Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, which is what the Bush Administration warned about endlessly to little or no avail. When we summarily withdrew from Iraq because Obama failed to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement, it set the stage for years of civil war.
We are witnessing the Obama Doctrine in action.
:smokin:
The Kurds are Christian?
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I wonder if Obama would do anything if the Pakistani Government called to say that their nuclear warheads are in jeopardy, and requesting US Military aid to secure them?? I think the warheads would be long gone before Obammy got around to making up his mind about anything.
:smokin:
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This is the Obama Doctrine in action. The four year ongoing slaughter in Syria is not enough, Obama is going to stand by and do nothing while Iraq descends back into even bloodier civil war.
I fear the day is coming when one of these warring extremists gets their hands on a nuclear warhead, uses it, and sets off a nuclear brush war all over the Middle East.
:smokin:
Plus I fear the day this very thing happens here in the states..
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WSJ: US Caught Off-Guard by Iraqi Insurgency
Image: WSJ: US Caught Off-Guard by Iraqi Insurgency Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel speaks during the opening session of the Gulf Cooperation Council on May 14 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Thursday, 12 Jun 2014 09:39 AM
By Drew MacKenzie
With Iraq teetering on the brink of collapse, the White House has been caught off guard by the capture of two cities by Muslim militants and the desertion of thousands of Iraqi security forces, The Wall Street Journal reported.
As Sunni fighters with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) headed to Baghdad after taking Mosul and Tikrit, the Obama administration hastily arranged a meeting on Wednesday with military leaders and policy makers to deal with the latest Middle East crisis.
Even though the State Department has known for some time that jihadists wanted to create an Islamic state in parts of Iraq and Syria dominated by Sunnis, the United States was ill-prepared to counter the ISIS onslaught.
"Recent events in Iraq show the potential risks of the administration's foreign policy approach," the Journal's Adam Entous and Julian E. Barnes wrote, referring to President Barack Obama’s approach of limiting U.S. involvement in foreign conflicts.
Obama was recently criticized by Republicans for his speech at the West Point military academy where he urged allies to take the lead in fighting terrorist threats in their regions, allowing American troops to take a back seat in worldwide confrontations.
The United States had hoped that the $14 billion it had spent to bolster Iraqi security forces would be enough to contain the violent ISIS extremists. But officials did not take into account that Iraqi security forces would lay down their arms in droves, along with their weapons and their uniforms.
The Journal reported that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel had attended a meeting of Gulf states in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in May, which focused on al-Qaida inspired Islamic forces seizing territory in Syria and Iraq. But no decisions were made by Hagel and his counterparts on how to force back the insurgents.
Now Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, has been overrun, and the United States believes that there’s little chance of Iraqi forces recapturing it in the near future. As the United States mulled air strikes in bid to support Iraq’s embattled troops, the bigger concern is that the Shiite-controlled capital Baghdad does not fall to advancing ISIS forces.
After American forces pulled out of Iraq in 2011, the region remained fairly stable until the civil war in Syria gave the ISIS the opportunity to recruit, train and operate in vast areas of the two countries.
U.S. military officials say that ISIS is now a bigger terrorist threat to the United States than the al-Qaida-based organizations in Yemen or Africa and more powerful than al-Qaida's leadership in Pakistan, the Journal said.
Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, told the Journal the threat of terrorism from the ISIS "worse than pre-9/11 Afghanistan" because of the large number of foreigners, including Europeans and Americans, who are joining the fight.
"These people will come home eventually and they are going to come home with, I believe, intentions to fulfill al-Qaida's dream for another attack on our homeland and, certainly, another attack on our Western and European allies," Rogers told the paper.
Read Latest Breaking News from Newsmax.com http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/WSJ-Iraq-insurgents-uprising/2014/06/12/id/576637#ixzz34RswQHNV
Urgent: Should Obamacare Be Repealed? Vote Here Now!
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Uh, no, WSJ, only our illustrious "leaders" were caught off-guard. Conservatives and Republicans have said for years that this would happen if we withdrew without having completed the job. It's not by accident that we're still in Germany and Japan, for example. It's also no accident that they are societies governed by democratic principles.
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http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/12/americans-being-evacuated-from-iraqi-air-base/ (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/06/12/americans-being-evacuated-from-iraqi-air-base/)
Americans being evacuated from Iraqi air base
Published June 12, 2014
Associated Press
Officials say three planeloads of Americans are being evacuated from a major Iraqi air base in Sunni territory north of Baghdad to escape potential threats from a fast-moving insurgency.
A current U.S. official and a former senior Obama administration official say that means the American training mission at the air field in Balad has been grounded indefinitely.
Twelve U.S. personnel who were stationed at Balad were the first to be evacuated. Several hundred American contractors are still waiting to leave.
They have been training Iraqi forces to use fighter jets and surveillance drones.
Other U.S. contractors at a tank training ground in the city of Taji is still ongoing for now.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they refused to be named in discussing the sensitive situation.
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Caught off guard?? Why, the only thing that matters is that Obama ended that war and he is going to make sure it stays ended......
:smokin:
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I expect to see Baghdad overrun over the weekend.
:smokin:
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Does anyone have any idea as to how many Americans are in Baghdad? The last I heard, a few years ago, was that there was a sizable contingent at, and around, the Embassy. In addition to State, a lot of civilian contractors tasked with all sort of support roles. I wonder how many are still in country?
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My family was lucky..we only lost about 5 years of *family time*..with the deployments of my husband and son...compared to those who were injured or killed in OIF.....praying for those families... 8888crybaby
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Does anyone have any idea as to how many Americans are in Baghdad? The last I heard, a few years ago, was that there was a sizable contingent at, and around, the Embassy. In addition to State, a lot of civilian contractors tasked with all sort of support roles. I wonder how many are still in country?
I have heard roughly 7000 contractors. Either Ford or Allegra will have a better idea, having been there recently.
My family was lucky..we only lost about 5 years of *family time*..with the deployments of my husband and son...compared to those who were injured or killed in OIF.....praying for those families... 8888crybaby
You were lucky.
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Does anyone have any idea as to how many Americans are in Baghdad? The last I heard, a few years ago, was that there was a sizable contingent at, and around, the Embassy. In addition to State, a lot of civilian contractors tasked with all sort of support roles. I wonder how many are still in country?
Some answers in here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/06/12/diplomats-pilots-and-hired-guns-here-are-the-americans-left-in-iraq/ (http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/06/12/diplomats-pilots-and-hired-guns-here-are-the-americans-left-in-iraq/)
A State Department official said in January that it still had about 5,000 contractors working in Iraq at the embassy in Baghdad and at consulates in Basra and Irbil. About 2,000 were U.S. civilians. That reflected a steep decrease from January 2013, when the State Department had about 12,500 contractors — 4,500 of them Americans — but it still underscores the significant logistics an evacuation of U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq would require.
There are now about 250 U.S. troops in Iraq, Pentagon officials said. That’s down from 157,800 at the height of the U.S. military surge there in 2009. About half of those who remain are Marine Corps embassy security guards who protect diplomatic compounds. Many others work for the Office of Security Cooperation – Iraq, which still provides some advice to the Iraqi military.
There also is an unknown number of U.S. security contractors protecting State Department personnel in Iraq. They work from a $10 billion, 5-year Worldwide Protective Services contract the department signed with eight companies in 2010.
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Obama and his lunatic cohort never did much like the final result of the Iraq War, since America more or less won. So they have worked diligently to turn it into the war whose outcome they far preferred: Vietnam.
And why do I suspect that al Qaeda will soon have all the hostages they need to effect the emptying of our Guantanamo Bay prison, to the silent cheers of this lawless Administration?
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Just all that American equipment such as night vision goggles and other material in the hands of Al Queda
Don't forget tanks, helicopters, radios, HMMV's, weapons, aircraft, MRAP's................
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Twelve U.S. personnel who were stationed at Balad were the first to be evacuated. Several hundred American contractors are still waiting to leave.
Cute. Leave the eeeevil contractors in place. I remember that happening in Bosnia also. Being abandonded is not a good feeling, even in a permissive environment.
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The Kurds are Christian?
Kurds are Christian.In recent years a few Kurds from Muslim background have converted to Christianity
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Don't forget tanks, helicopters, radios, HMMV's, weapons, aircraft, MRAP's................
Exactly. These guys didn't just get Obama style bandaids and MREs, they got all of the logistical and operational support they need to be top dog on the ground. More importantly, they got hard cash to buy more ammo with, and the Middle East has been nasty with arms merchants since the Ottomans were in charge. Old Krupp used to finance his latest weaponry to sell to Europeans, by selling last year's model to the Ottomans. The Krupps were known as "Kannonen Koenigs" or "Cannon Kings" for good reason.....
Same old, same old, only with better weapons. Wait till someone liberates Pakistan's nuclear warheads for the Cause.....
:smokin:
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Not quite. What we are seeing is Iraq breaking up into essentially three groups: Shiites, Sunnis, and Kurds, which is what the Bush Administration warned about endlessly to little or no avail. When we summarily withdrew from Iraq because Obama failed to negotiate a Status of Forces Agreement, it set the stage for years of civil war.
We are witnessing the Obama Doctrine in action.
:smokin:
goopo
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Just all that American equipment such as night vision goggles and other material in the hands of Al Queda
:#@$%:
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I just hope that this evacuation does not turn into the 1975 evacuation of Vietnam. We seen the film people cramming into those helicopters
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The Kurds are Christian?
There are Christian and Jewish Kurds
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Kurds are Christian.In recent years a few Kurds from Muslim background have converted to Christianity
Kurds are Christian, Sunni, Shiite, communist, or western leaning. Whatever floats their boat.
If Kurds don't have anyone to fight with, they fight amongst themselves. The one thing that does bind them together is that they are all Kurds.
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Kurds are Christian, Sunni, Shiite, communist, or western leaning. Whatever floats their boat.
If Kurds don't have anyone to fight with, they fight amongst themselves. The one thing that does bind them together is that they are all Kurds.
I agree.
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Does anybody know where Allegra is? In terms of her service/career overseas.....
Hope she's safe and sound.
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The part I cannot get over is the millions of dollars of equipment that will be left over. From bullets to night vision goggles in the hands of the enemy.
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Does anybody know where Allegra is? In terms of her service/career overseas.....
Hope she's safe and sound.
She is stateside..and safe
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Exactly. These guys didn't just get Obama style bandaids and MREs, they got all of the logistical and operational support they need to be top dog on the ground. More importantly, they got hard cash to buy more ammo with, and the Middle East has been nasty with arms merchants since the Ottomans were in charge. Old Krupp used to finance his latest weaponry to sell to Europeans, by selling last year's model to the Ottomans. The Krupps were known as "Kannonen Koenigs" or "Cannon Kings" for good reason.....
Same old, same old, only with better weapons. Wait till someone liberates Pakistan's nuclear warheads for the Cause.....
:smokin:
I left Iraq in December 2010. We (as in State Dept) gave the Iraqi's 100 brand new MRAPs. There was also a shipment of ~ 1100 SUV's and full-size American Pickups that were delivered to tre Iraqi's because someone forgot to cancel the order.
At Al Asad Air Base in Anbar Province, there was an area on top of the wadi 500 meters deep and 3 miles long, holding rolling stock, shipping containers, housing units, you name it. All awaiting disposal. It wasn't going to be shipped back to the US.
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She is stateside..and safe
Thanks! Glad to know that. :patriot:
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Thanks! Glad to know that. :patriot:
Hi y'all! Yep, I'm stateside for now and not intending to go back to any war zones. Dubai looks to be my next assignment.
I have a friend and former colleague who was on the F-16 training case at Balad. He messaged me yesterday and said they were preparing to evac. Lots of mortar and rocket fire in the area. I haven't had a follow-up message yet; I'm sure things are crazy right now.
Another guy at the Embassy in Baghdad, which is where I was working with the J8 last year said evac plans are underway, but they're still there. I hope it doesn't become like the Saigon evacuation, because there are a *lot* more people at the Baghdad Embassy than there were at Saigon.
Thanks for thinking of me.
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Hi y'all! Yep, I'm stateside for now and not intending to go back to any war zones. Dubai looks to be my next assignment.
I have a friend and former colleague who was on the F-16 training case at Balad. He messaged me yesterday and said they were preparing to evac. Lots of mortar and rocket fire in the area. I haven't had a follow-up message yet; I'm sure things are crazy right now.
Another guy at the Embassy in Baghdad, which is where I was working with the J8 last year said evac plans are underway, but they're still there. I hope it doesn't become like the Saigon evacuation, because there are a *lot* more people at the Baghdad Embassy than there were at Saigon.
Thanks for thinking of me.
Thanks for checking in Allegra....I sure hope they can get all your friends out in time..ISIS seems to be moving fast across Iraq.
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Another guy at the Embassy in Baghdad, which is where I was working with the J8 last year said evac plans are underway, but they're still there. I hope it doesn't become like the Saigon evacuation, because there are a *lot* more people at the Baghdad Embassy than there were at Saigon.
I mentioned that
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I just hope that this evacuation does not turn into the 1975 evacuation of Vietnam. We seen the film people cramming into those helicopters
It was a gigantic mess and logistical nightmare with no thought put into it.
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Hi y'all! Yep, I'm stateside for now and not intending to go back to any war zones. Dubai looks to be my next assignment.
I have a friend and former colleague who was on the F-16 training case at Balad. He messaged me yesterday and said they were preparing to evac. Lots of mortar and rocket fire in the area. I haven't had a follow-up message yet; I'm sure things are crazy right now.
Another guy at the Embassy in Baghdad, which is where I was working with the J8 last year said evac plans are underway, but they're still there. I hope it doesn't become like the Saigon evacuation, because there are a *lot* more people at the Baghdad Embassy than there were at Saigon.
Thanks for thinking of me.
:beer:
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Hi y'all! Yep, I'm stateside for now and not intending to go back to any war zones.
Uh-huh................ you have the Contracting Disease Syndrome. It's known to cause an a compulsive desire to live in substandard housing units, use Axe body spray, and an intense lusting for Green Beans coffee in 140 degree heat. ^-^
It's only cure is retirement, but symptoms can be mitigated by going through a MOD 11 physical.
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It was a gigantic mess and logistical nightmare with no thought put into it.
The American cue to evacuate was played over Armed Forces Radio "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby
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The American cue to evacuate was played over Armed Forces Radio "White Christmas" by Bing Crosby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AiyFF9qOls
Vietnam Saigon Evacuation
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Question from katzenjammer above:
[[ Does anyone have any idea as to how many Americans are in Baghdad? ]]
Does the American embassy there have a helicopter pad up on the roof?
How much longer until we see a Saigon-style evacuation ?
You know it's what's coming.
Kinda like "Deja Vu, all over again...."
Aside: without the helicopters, it might very well end up like Tehran in 1979.
Even -more- Deja Vu !!
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Hi y'all! Yep, I'm stateside for now and not intending to go back to any war zones. Dubai looks to be my next assignment.
Yeah, right. If there is a war, you'll be there. It's addictive. :tongue2:
Glad you are safe at home for the moment. Word on Dubai - wife says it is getting risky for a woman to walk down the street on her own. Something I never figured she'd say about there, but she's rather good with people and picking up vibes. Her last Dubai trip (about a month back) she refused to leave the hotel and two of her female colleagues were followed and harassed. So be careful there, eh?
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Question from katzenjammer above:
[[ Does anyone have any idea as to how many Americans are in Baghdad? ]]
Does the American embassy there have a helicopter pad up on the roof?
How much longer until we see a Saigon-style evacuation ?
You know it's what's coming.
Kinda like "Deja Vu, all over again...."
Aside: without the helicopters, it might very well end up like Tehran in 1979.
Even -more- Deja Vu !!
Unfortunately, I think it would be much bloodier than Tehran in 1979.
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Hi y'all! Yep, I'm stateside for now and not intending to go back to any war zones. Dubai looks to be my next assignment.
I have a friend and former colleague who was on the F-16 training case at Balad. He messaged me yesterday and said they were preparing to evac. Lots of mortar and rocket fire in the area. I haven't had a follow-up message yet; I'm sure things are crazy right now.
Another guy at the Embassy in Baghdad, which is where I was working with the J8 last year said evac plans are underway, but they're still there. I hope it doesn't become like the Saigon evacuation, because there are a *lot* more people at the Baghdad Embassy than there were at Saigon.
Thanks for thinking of me.
It's good to hear from you Allegra and that you're alright! I've thought about you the past few days and wondered how you were doing. Glad you're back!
:beer:
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Question from katzenjammer above:
[[ Does anyone have any idea as to how many Americans are in Baghdad? ]]
Does the American embassy there have a helicopter pad up on the roof?
How much longer until we see a Saigon-style evacuation ?
You know it's what's coming.
Kinda like "Deja Vu, all over again...."
Aside: without the helicopters, it might very well end up like Tehran in 1979.
Even -more- Deja Vu !!
A State Department official said in January that it still had about 5,000 contractors working in Iraq at the embassy in Baghdad and at consulates in Basra and Irbil. About 2,000 were U.S. civilians. That reflected a steep decrease from January 2013, when the State Department had about 12,500 contractors — 4,500 of them Americans — but it still underscores the significant logistics an evacuation of U.S. diplomatic facilities in Iraq would require.
The article validated my logistical nightmare fiasco
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/06/12/diplomats-pilots-and-hired-guns-here-are-the-americans-left-in-iraq/
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So when is he going to say what - if anything - the US will do about it? Valerie? Mommy? Help!
Iraqis flee as militants close in; Obama says Iraq's government needs help
By Faith Karimi and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
June 13, 2014 -- Updated 1209 GMT (2009 HKT)
CNN) -- Radical Islamists pushed forward in Iraq as an increasingly nervous United States sought ways to stop the militants from closing in on Baghdad.
As Iraq further disintegrated, residents fled Mosul in droves. Militants captured the country's second-largest city this week after soldiers scattered, leaving their uniforms and weapons behind.
Jittery families eager to leave sat in traffic jams stretching as far as the eye could see.
Violence is spreading and security deteriorating in the nation, prompting U.S. President Barack Obama to say the beleaguered government required assistance.
"It's going to need more help from us, and it's going to need more help from the international community," Obama said Thursday. "I don't rule out anything, because we do have a stake in making sure that these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria."
A senior Obama administration official said Friday that the president has not yet made a decision on whether to act on any military options. But another senior administration official indicated that a decision could come as early as this weekend.
Airstrikes are among the options on the table, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Thursday. But there will be no repeat of a large U.S. troop presence on Iraqi soil.
"We are not contemplating ground troops," Carney said. "I want to be clear about that."
U.S. officials have also discussed bolstering ongoing efforts to send arms, equipment and intelligence information to help Iraq and its military.
The militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, want to establish an Islamic caliphate, or state, in the region.
ISIS has had significant success in Syria, where it is battling President Bashar al-Assad's government.
ISIS fighters amid civilian population
According to several U.S. officials, the U.S. military has not finalized a proposed set of ISIS targets in Iraq for Obama, amid significant military concerns that strikes may prove futile against ISIS fighters who are dispersed and mingled with a civilian population.
Several more top-level meetings are scheduled in the next 48 hours, as Obama mulls his course of action.
"Our planning is looking at the full range of options," a senior U.S. official told CNN. Those options range from increasing U.S. surveillance flights over ISIS areas to potential airstrikes, the official acknowledged.
But conducting airstrikes by either manned aircraft or drones presents several problems now being discussed inside the administration, the official said.
The official said that while the U.S. military and intelligence community had been watching events in Iraq closely, there is some surprise in the last few days about how fast ISIS has moved, and the scope of the lack of response from Iraqi forces.
Iraq has indicated a willingness for the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes against the militants.
Washington has already provided $15 billion in training, weapons and equipment to the Iraqi government.
The militants' march in Iraq has caught the world's attention, especially the United States, which led the 2003 invasion that toppled longtime leader Saddam Hussein.
Since then, instability and violence have plagued Iraq; though, until now, its woes had not included a fast-moving takeover of key cities.
Peshmerga gains
On Friday, fighting for control of towns in Iraq continued.
While the Iraqi army has done little to resist the advance of the ISIS militants, Kurdish fighters deployed by the semiautonomous Kurdish regional government, in coordination with Baghdad, are having more impact. ...
More from CNN (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/13/world/meast/iraq-violence/)
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So when is he going to say what - if anything - the US will do about it? Valerie? Mommy? Help!More from CNN (http://edition.cnn.com/2014/06/13/world/meast/iraq-violence/)
They're putting the finishing tweaks on his speech, where he will say he found out about this the same way we have - seeing it on television. And how he's mad as hell and going to send John Kerry over there to negotiate with ISIS.
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Its too late.
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Is our pal "Allegra" still there?
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Is our pal "Allegra" still there?
She is home at the moment - posted yesterday.
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Uh-huh................ you have the Contracting Disease Syndrome. It's known to cause an a compulsive desire to live in substandard housing units, use Axe body spray, and an intense lusting for Green Beans coffee in 140 degree heat. ^-^
It's only cure is retirement, but symptoms can be mitigated by going through a MOD 11 physical.
:silly: :silly:
I definitely desire indoor plumbing these days. The upcoming gig will have nicer accommodations, no T-walls and no Hesco barriers.
My friends got out of Balad over the weekend and are waiting things out in the UAE.
My friend at the Embassy is still at the Embassy. That does not evoke a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Note to Embassy recreation staff: Do not show "Argo" at the Embassy theater right now, 'K?
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Is our pal "Allegra" still there?
I'm home! Thanks for asking. :dx1:
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It's good to hear from you Allegra and that you're alright! I've thought about you the past few days and wondered how you were doing. Glad you're back!
:beer:
Thanks! Me too. Last year at this time, I was working at the Embassy in Baghdad and the situation outside the wire had begun to deteriorate.
The only good thing was, they weren't paying any attention to us infidels.
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Question from katzenjammer above:
[[ Does anyone have any idea as to how many Americans are in Baghdad? ]]
Does the American embassy there have a helicopter pad up on the roof?
How much longer until we see a Saigon-style evacuation ?
You know it's what's coming.
Kinda like "Deja Vu, all over again...."
Aside: without the helicopters, it might very well end up like Tehran in 1979.
Even -more- Deja Vu !!
There are a couple of helo landing zones at the Embassy.
Sorry for the brevity - I probably should refrain from being any more specific.
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Yeah, right. If there is a war, you'll be there. It's addictive. :tongue2:
Glad you are safe at home for the moment. Word on Dubai - wife says it is getting risky for a woman to walk down the street on her own. Something I never figured she'd say about there, but she's rather good with people and picking up vibes. Her last Dubai trip (about a month back) she refused to leave the hotel and two of her female colleagues were followed and harassed. So be careful there, eh?
Will do! Good to see you!