ISIS/ISIL conflict in Syria/Iraq (No OpEd, No Politics)

Re: Persian Gulf & Middle East News & Views

Some interesting notes of the recent happenings in Iraq.


- In Mosul Iraqi army had 15 men against every 1 ISIS fighter and yet they did run away. That does not include police.

- ISIS captured at least 20 upgraded T-55's and plenty of other AFV's and some of those are being transferred to Syria.

- ISIS and other Sunni militants now control roughly 50% Iraq and of course ISIS controls many towns in Syria.

- At this moment ISIS has already formed small caliphate.

Re: Persian Gulf & Middle East News & Views

Broccoli said:

Some interesting notes of the recent happenings in Iraq.


- In Mosul Iraqi army had 15 men against every 1 ISIS fighter and yet they did run away. That does not include police.

- ISIS captured at least 20 upgraded T-55's and plenty of other AFV's and some of those are being transferred to Syria.

- ISIS and other Sunni militants now control roughly 50% Iraq and of course ISIS controls many towns in Syria.

- At this moment ISIS has already formed small caliphate.

Click to expand...

Looks like Iraq's fracturing into Greater Iran in the Shia south, Kurdistan in NW and Sunni Syriaq in the rest.

Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

I have a bad feeling that this will be the first steps in setting up a new governemnt in northern Iraq (to control the north Iraq oil fields) that will have as its ultimate goal the creation of a Pan-Arab nation with Pan-Arab ideology that rejects capitalism, Christianity and the Jewish faith. This single Arab nation could then move forward in the creation of a One-Arab state which would lead to a major Islamic Jihad.

This could be the beginning of something very bad unless the West ( and some other Arab nations) get their act together and stops it now.

Re: Persian Gulf & Middle East News & Views

Broccoli said:

At this moment ISIS has already formed small caliphate.

Click to expand...

And that, IMHO, is their entire objective.

A growing Al Queda led Calliphate. Right now it makes up half of Syria and haf of Iraq. They hope to defeat all of Iraq...but will have a tought to impossible time of controlling the South (IMHO).

They also hope to defeat Assad.

At some point, they will form (and are foriming) a defacto country. That will bode badly for the future in terms of extremists and terror camps and breeding grounds.

I expect they will ally themselves with the Taliban, and that the Taliban and affiliates of these people will make a push to completely control Afghanistan as soon as the US pulls out.

Syria is fighting them. I expect Iran will try and co-op them or bring them into its sphere. If Iran is successful in doing this...Iran will then itself be an effectual calliphate from the middle of Syria to the Pakistan border. If Pakistan falls to them...they will then be nuclear armed and even larger. THey are also making in roads into Africa.

Sadly, I believe all of this is possible in current geo-strategic situation in the Mid-East.

Re: Persian Gulf & Middle East News & Views

Jeff Head said:

And that, IMHO, is their entire objective.

A growing Al Queda led Calliphate. Right now it makes up half of Syria and haf of Iraq. They hope to defeat all of Iraq...but will have a tought to impossible time of controlling the South (IMHO).

They also hope to defeat Assad.

At some point, they will form (and are foriming) a defacto country. That will bode badly for the future in terms of extremists and terror camps and breeding grounds.

I expect they will ally themselves with the Taliban, and that the Taliban and affiliates of these people will make a push to completely control Afghanistan as soon as the US pulls out.

Syria is fighting them. I expect Iran will try and co-op them or bring them into its sphere. If Iran is successful in doing this...Iran will then itself be an effectual calliphate from the middle of Syria to the Pakistan border. If Pakistan falls to them...they will then be nuclear armed and even larger. THey are also making in roads into Africa.

Sadly, I believe all of this is possible in current geo-strategic situation in the Mid-East.

Click to expand...

I don't see how Iran can align with al-Qaeda seeing as how they're sworn enemies.

If the West had intervened in Syria, and they would've if not for Russia, then the ISIS caliphate would include Damascus right now. It's mind-boggling how schizophrenic the US foreign policy is right now.

Re: Persian Gulf & Middle East News & Views

Jeff Head said:

And that, IMHO, is their entire objective.

A growing Al Queda led Calliphate. Right now it makes up half of Syria and haf of Iraq. They hope to defeat all of Iraq...but will have a tought to impossible time of controlling the South (IMHO).

They also hope to defeat Assad.

At some point, they will form (and are foriming) a defacto country. That will bode badly for the future in terms of extremists and terror camps and breeding grounds.

I expect they will ally themselves with the Taliban, and that the Taliban and affiliates of these people will make a push to completely control Afghanistan as soon as the US pulls out.

Syria is fighting them. I expect Iran will try and co-op them or bring them into its sphere. If Iran is successful in doing this...Iran will then itself be an effectual calliphate from the middle of Syria to the Pakistan border. If Pakistan falls to them...they will then be nuclear armed and even larger. THey are also making in roads into Africa.

Sadly, I believe all of this is possible in current geo-strategic situation in the Mid-East.

Click to expand...

Some very big if's in that post Jeff.

Re: Persian Gulf & Middle East News & Views

SouthernSky said:

Some very big if's in that post Jeff.

Click to expand...

The biggest one would be Iran's ability to co-opt the ISIS.

I readily admit it is unlikely...and honestly hope something like that will not happen.

More likely to see a bloody war between the ISIS on one side and the Iranian and Syrian militaries on the other.

Remember the many year long Iraq-Iran war.

Such a conflict would be an internal, Islamic struggle. If it ended up a stalemate then both sides would be weakend and unable to gain a stronger position. If one side won (which the most likely side IMHO would be Iran) then you would have a burgoning Iranian enfluence that strectched from Syria to the border of Afghanistan.

Would the Taliban in Afghanistan/Pakistan fight Iran thereafter?

Anyhow...this is getting into conjecture and is off topic. I'll stop with that.

Re: Persian Gulf & Middle East News & Views

Personally I couldn't see India, Russia and potentially China comfortable with the Taliban being affiliated with nuclear weapons. I guess I'll pull up there.

Re: Persian Gulf & Middle East News & Views

It should be noted that some of "Gentlemen" the Obama administration just traded for our Wayward Sergeant, were noted for negotiations between the Taliban and Iran.

Re: World News Thread & Breaking News!!

Miragedriver said:

I have a bad feeling that this will be the first steps in setting up a new governemnt in northern Iraq (to control the north Iraq oil fields) that will have as its ultimate goal the creation of a Pan-Arab nation with Pan-Arab ideology that rejects capitalism, Christianity and the Jewish faith. This single Arab nation could then move forward in the creation of a One-Arab state which would lead to a major Islamic Jihad.

This could be the beginning of something very bad unless the West ( and some other Arab nations) get their act together and stops it now.

Click to expand...

Yes, let Western countries end their support for the terrorists and let them pressurize Saudi Arabia and several Gulf countries to do the same.
Btw a single Arab state is far from possible.