A Look At The Islamic State

[T.Lex]

Anecdote from the battle for Raqqa.

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-mi...le-kurdish-sniper-cheats-death-at-hands-of-is

So, couple observations in a totally MMQB kinda way:
- good on her for fighting for her cause
- good on her for (likely) being a really good sniper
- perhaps her worst enemy is complacency; just because she's good doesn't mean she can get away with slewing the barrel out the window like that
- a Daesh counter-sniper probably counted that as a kill

 

[dudley0]

My thought is that two minutes after they stopped filming it hit her as far as how close she came to being a corpse.

 

[T.Lex]

Somalia attack: Death toll rises in Mogadishu blast - BBC News

Interesting, in part, because al-Shabab hasn't actually taken responsibility for it.

 

[BugI02]

IIRC, wasn't there a schism when they elected not to support/swear allegience to IS a couple years ago? Perhaps the work of that splinter, with logistical help from outside? Kind of seems like IS's MO - long on slaughter and low on strategic value.

I gather that bombs of that size were thought to be beyond their capability, but they may have only supplied the 'guidance systems'

 

[T.Lex]

I understand the politics and the Politics of this. But... wow.

Raqqa's dirty secret - BBC News

Raqqa’s freedom was bought with blood, sacrifice and compromise. The deal freed its trapped civilians and ended the fight for the city. No SDF forces would have to die storming the last IS hideout.

But IS didn’t stay put for long. Freed from Raqqa, where they were surrounded, some of the group's most-wanted members have now spread far and wide across Syria and beyond.

But, I did kinda like this part.

Past the last SDF checkpoint, inside IS territory - a village between Markada and Al-Souwar - Abu Fawzi reached his destination. His lorry was full of ammunition and IS fighters wanted it hidden.
When he finally made it back to safety, he was asked by the SDF where he’d dumped the goods.
“We showed them the location on the map and he marked it so uncle Trump can bomb it later,” he says.

 

[Phase2]

Islamic State’s ‘caliphate’ has been toppled in Iraq and Syria. Why isn’t anyone celebrating?

The caliphate is dead. IS will presumably still go on in some form as a terrorist organization, but they've lost all of their territory.

 

[T.Lex]

I think it is still premature to say they've lost all their territory. The major cities, yeah, probably, for now. I'll withhold judgment on victory for awhile.

 

[printcraft]

USIS... it's going to be interesting to watch what happens to them in the next month or so.

What a difference a year makes right?

What else happened this year.... oh yeah.

 

[jamil]

I think it is still premature to say they've lost all their territory. The major cities, yeah, probably, for now. I'll withhold judgment on victory for awhile.

What a difference a year makes right?

What else happened this year.... oh yeah.

Whatever's been achieved is a far lot better than what we left off with from the previous administration with their pee stained shoes.

 

[T.Lex]

I didn't even realize that was a topic of dispute.

Who actually should get more credit, though, as between Putin or Trump could be a different matter.

 

[jamil]

I didn't even realize that was a topic of dispute.

Who actually should get more credit, though, as between Putin or Trump could be a different matter.

Just making an observation. It seems that military goals are more reliably achieved when politicians leave the warring to warriors.

 

[T.Lex]

Just making an observation. It seems that military goals are more reliably achieved when politicians leave the warring to warriors.

I think there's even an INGO consensus on that.

 

[T.Lex]

https://apnews.com/cdc0567f7bf34958...-Scholar-risked-all-to-document-Islamic-State

Fascinating. And IMHO heroic.

 

[Route 45]

Trump, Mattis turn military loose on ISIS, leaving terror caliphate in tatters | Fox News

 

[spencer rifle]

I'm still waiting for all the jihadis to abandon Daesh. They said that Allah favored them since they were taking more real estate. Now that they are hiding in basements in Bumfight, Syria, doesn't that mean the Allah no longer favors them?

 

[T.Lex]

Fascinating read:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/12/world/middleeast/iraqi-spy-isis.html

 

[BluedSteel]

Fascinating read:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/12/world/middleeast/iraqi-spy-isis.html

It is also a great example of how ordinary people of conscience can use the skills they already have to fight against the injustices of the world around them.