Iraqi Military Out of Hellfires in Battle Against ISIS
Iraqi Military Out of Hellfires in Battle Against ISIS, ABC News, Martha Raddatz, June 21, 2014
The Iraqi military ran out of Hellfire missiles six days ago, and though the U.S. is rushing more missiles into the country, Iraq has only two modified Cessna aircraft to launch them in their battle against the radical Islamic militia ISIS.
ISIS has damaged 28 tanks and shot down three helicopters, a significant percentage of the government force, and the militia killed an entire Iraqi Security Force brigade in the last couple of days at the border with Syria, which ISIS now controls.
The losses have left the Iraqi military with no offensive capability, and no real air force.
Troops Surrounded, Trapped in Iraq’s Key Refinery, Sources Tell ABC News
Crisis in Iraq
Obama To Send Up To 300 U.S. Military Advisers To Iraq
Boehner Says Obama Should ‘Absolutely Not’ Coordinate With Iran On Iraq Crisis
With the brigade at the border at Al Qaim wiped out, ISIS now controls the territory from Rubiya to Al Qaim. The tribes in Al Qaim tried to fight them, but ISIS unleashed a major artillery barrage, then a major assault, and they could not hold the back.
Taking Al Qaim opens up the entire Euphrates Valley to the insurgents, and ISIS has a safe haven across the border in Syria, which makes air strikes difficult.
Threat of a massive drive into Baghdad has receded somewhat, but fear remains that the radical militia will try big attacks for propaganda victories, or that its forces might take small neighborhoods and publicize its victories on YouTube in an attempt to scare the Shia into overreacting with the militias.
Until now, many moderate Sunnis have not rallied to the ISIS side, but provoking violent retaliation by Shiite militias in Baghdad against any Sunnis could draw more support to the radicals.
The Maliki government has yet to mount a counteroffensive to roll back the ISIS blitzkrieg, although thousands of Shiite Iraqis have rallied to the government’s side to defend against ISIS, which is composed of Sunni Muslims.
Maliki’s regime suffered another blow Friday when Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the spiritual leader of Iraq’s Shiites, called for a new, “effective” government.
“It is necessary for the winning political blocs to start a dialogue that yields an effective government that enjoys broad national support, avoids past mistakes and opens new horizons toward a better future for all Iraqis,” al-Sisanti said.
President Obama has also criticized the Maliki government for alienating the country’s Sunni population.
Obama has thus far declined to launch U.S. bombers against ISIS, but said Thursday he will deploy as many as 300 U.S. special forces soldiers to help train and advise Iraqis in their battle with ISIS and the Sunni tribes that have joined them.
Explore posts in the same categories: Uncategorized
WarSclerotic 
June 22, 2014 at 7:17 PM
Sunni militants seize Iraq-Jordan border crossing
ISIL takes points on Jordan, Syrian frontiers in push west apparently aimed at key dam
Read more:
http://www.timesofisrael.com/sunni-militants-seize-iraq-jordan-border-crossing/#ixzz35OCbR5OQ
June 22, 2014 at 8:33 PM
Is this the Iraqi Army that we’ve already trained which we are training again?
June 22, 2014 at 8:51 PM
Z
June 22, 2014 at 8:58 PM
Perception is reality. A generation ago it was perceived by most that Israel was invincible. A country no one wanted to mess with, defeated all comers.
Once Oslo arrived and Israel started to slide down the slippery slope of retreat the perception began to change. Israel’s enemy’s saw another way they could attack. Death by a thousand cuts, till now where Israel’s enemy’s slap her on the face nearly daily. Israel’s response is always tepid leaving the enemy standing to claim victory. The status quote anti is a losing proposition for Israel.
Israel needs to crush its enemy in the next go around. Israel needs to stopping worrying about the judgement of others and utterly crush those who want her dead. Time to reverse Oslo and perception.
June 22, 2014 at 10:36 PM
Map of ISIS controlled areas, updated daily…..
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=206503076099972915830.0004fb81021906110e889&t=m&source=embed&ll=34.939985,41.616211&spn=6.302619,12.304687
June 23, 2014 at 1:56 AM
Reblogged this on rovitothis201.
June 23, 2014 at 3:46 AM
X
June 23, 2014 at 3:49 AM
As foretold and the tip of the iceberg!
Dozens of terror tunnels discovered in West Bank
Elite engineering unit Yahalom uncovers hiding holes and weapon caches in homes of Hamas activists in Hebron area.
Yoav Zitun
Published: 06.22.14, 23:09 / Israel News
The IDF has discovered dozens of suspected terror tunnels in the Hebron area during Operation Brother’s Keeper. Members of Israel’s elite engineering unit Yahalom uncovered the tunnels and hiding holes while searching for the three teens kidnapped in the West Bank ten days ago.
Follow Ynetnews on Facebook and Twitter
Some of the tunnels were found by soldiers inside the homes of Palestinians, under large pieces of furniture and laundry machines. According to one senior officer in the engineering corps, the IDF had no prior intelligence reports regarding the tunnels.
Using their specialized equipment, Yahalom (diamond in Hebrew) forces participated in dozens of raids on the homes of Palestinian activists across the West Bank, confiscating caches of weapons and explosives.
IDF Operation Brother’s Keeper footage
The unit’s forces discovered close to 20 laboratories for manufacturing improvised explosives devices hidden in homes they searched. “We would arrive at a suspicious hope and find a family living on the first floor and a laboratory with explosives on the third floor,” said a senior officer in the unit.
“We also discovered underground spaces in the Hebron area which we had not known about previously. Because of the intensive operations, we have had to cut short the advanced training for some of our soldiers in order to reinforce the units in the field, even as we continue our operations in the Gaza sector and GOC Northern Command,” he added.
June 23, 2014 at 5:06 AM
At least some in Israel are not idiots!
Expert: Abbas is Only Paying Lip Service
Abbas “says what is expected of him to say” when he condemns Hamas, according to Middle East expert Dr. Mordechai Keidar.
Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on gmail More Sharing Services
0
By Shimon Cohen
First Publish: 6/23/2014, 5:46 AM
Mahmoud AbbasFlash 90
Middle East expert Dr. Mordechai Kedar dismissed on Sunday the comments by Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas condemning the kidnapping of three Israeli yeshiva students.
Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Kedar said that Abbas was simply paying lip service, similar to that of former PA Chairman Yasser Arafat, who would often make the right statements at the right time in order to appease the United States or Israel.
“He says what is expected of him to say,” noted Kedar, adding that Abbas’s remarks were nothing more than a meaningless word game. “The question is what does he do with [Hamas]. Whether they continue to be in the same coalition and the same government.”
He further predicted that Hamas and Fatah, despite the unity agreement, will continue to separate from one another and would have done so regardless of Abbas’s condemnation of the kidnapping which resulted in a condemnation of him by Hamas.
As long as Fatah and Hamas do not give up power and continue to seek to dominate each other, there will never be a true unity between them, said Kedar.
“[Hamas Prime Minister] Haniyeh wants to control Gaza and wants the nearby gas. Hamas will not give up on the country it founded in Gaza as part of its preparation for control of Judea and Samaria,” he predicted.
Kedar also reacted to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s remarks on Sunday that Israel will soon release proof that Hamas was behind the kidnapping of the three boys, and said that Hamas will likely be able to find a way to deny responsibility.
“One does not receive a certificate of membership in Hamas,” he said, noting that any person can declare to be a member of Hamas at any time, while Hamas can deny any connection to any person in the organization.