IS

[Agent327]

That may work, but only for a while. It's like Christians supporting Gays in the face of another religion that is hostile to both. Most people don't want to change the way they live for the sake of political expediency.

Well, as already remarked, it's of course perfectly possible that these former officers buy into the propaganda themselves. Or, one can be zealous as well as organized. although this is the first article I've seen that actually deals with the organization of ISIS.

Gentlemen, in spite of your excellent training and orders, do not be daunted if chaos reigns. It undoubtedly will.

Well, as long as there's method in the madness.

 

[Gucumatz]

I found this article interesting talking about some found documents - which makes the amount of plotting it took to put ISIS together all the more incredible: http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/4/isil-is-more-than-just-a-police-state.html

Makes you wonder if this will have any impact on discrediting the "caliph" in the eyes of his followers.

Assad's ba'athists in Syria continue to fight for their lives by using similar tactics of playing religious fears against people [The NDF in Syria, basically Assad's frontline, is basically a recruitment of every religious minority in Syria. The more the NDF fights, the more hatred builds up against these minorities making it more costly if Syrian rebels actually ever manage to win]. If Assad were to fall tomorrow, what happens to all his Ba'athist supporters and the minorities supporting them? Assad largely ignored ISIS, heck Assad even freed former Iraqi ba'athists/ISIS members at the start of the Syrian revolution.

 

[Borachio]

I think I agree with you, but what do you mean by this?

making it more costly if Syrian rebels actually ever manage to win

Do you mean that the victorious Syrian rebels would wreak a cruel revenge on Assad's "minorities"?

Also aren't the Syrian rebels not a coalition of different religions too? I know the IS backed Syrians will be exclusively Sunni, but that's not the whole of the Syrian opposition, is it?

 

[Gucumatz]

Well there are a multitude of rebel groups ranging from Al-Nusra, Hazzms, FSA, etc., but pretty much none of them are Alawites, Druze, Christian, etc. and many of these rebel groups contain hardcore Sunni Islamists who harbor hatred against sects like the Alawites

 

[kramerfan86]

Gaining control? These former Baath officers are in control. they direct ISIS's military operations. Also, a front isn't a power. Though I'd agree that the miltary could be exposed as not being true jihadists. That is indeed a possibility. In fact, it has already happened. So the question is: will the jihadists believe this revelation and if os, what will they do about it?

Yes they direct the military, and the zealots direct the law and society aspects of it, IF they conquer Iraq and Syria then power starts shifting to the society building part of things, how do the Baathists plan on seizing control of that aspect of ISIS which for now is just a convenient front to get recruits? the military they control is full of zealots who have a target to fight at the moment, if those zealots dont have a target anymore military command will mean less to them than social command.

 

[r16]

as soon as the ISIL becomes untenable a new brand will appear and the Saudis will combine their assets into that brand , as will the Qataris as will the Americans and so on . The ISIL success depends much on lack of response and the said Baathist officers had never much of a solution against American bombing since 1990s . As far as a few members of CFC had not even been born . When America bombs , no Jihadist - When America no bomb , yes Jihadist . Now that even the celebrated rescue of 300 females from the clutches of Boko Haram seems to be reversed as a media invention or something .

 

[Tigranes]

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack outside the Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in Garland, Texas -- and warned of more attacks to come.

 

[MacAttack]

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack outside the Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in Garland, Texas -- and warned of more attacks to come.

Do y'all think they were truly behind this plan or just jumping in on the publicity? Particularly since the attackers' connection to ISIS is at best via the internet. I could be wrong, I can only go by what is out there in news and internet.

Clearly they were amateurs since they were quickly taken down by one traffic officer with a Glock pistol. Meanwhile the two men were wearing body armor and armed with assault rifles and opened fire first.

 

[Borachio]

Is that the sign of an amateur then? Wearing body armour and opening fire first with assault rifles? Or being taken down by one traffic cop with a Glock?

 

[MacAttack]

Is that the sign of an amateur then? Wearing body armour and opening fire first with assault rifles? Or being taken down by one traffic cop with a Glock?

The fact that they were taken down by a pistol while wearing body armor and armed with assault rifles. Traffic cops in suburban Dallas don't need to wear bullet proof vests.

It's almost like David with his slingshot and two heavily armed Goliaths. But instead of Goliath, they're more like "looks like Tarzan fights less effectively than Jane".

It doesn't help that I think very poorly of them for attempting to use violence to stop free speech as opposed to peacefully protest an insult to their religion. And the worst part, is this reflects on their religion, which religious leaders here absolutely loathe.

 

[r16]

the Saudis are kinda gaining huuuuuuuge victories in Yemen , the rank and file that kills and rapes and kills need a reminder on their long arm . Which means a strike in the US which certainly doesn't require to be anything like real . No disrespect for traffic cops of Texas , but it's kinda guaranteed that the cop in question might have taken out them two even when them two were riding a Wehrmacht Tiger with sustained Glock fire ...


this is kinda supported by the thing that ı gloriously chanced upon a re-run of Alias on the State Channel . By chance , now that ı seriously do not watch the State Channel . Even better it's the episode with the sweet disaster in Badenweiler , which had hooked me back in the day , too . See , nothing is as it kinda looks . Explains the no disrespect thing , right ?

 

[Hygro]

Explains the no disrespect thing , right ?

nope. You gotta spell it out for us, without allusions, without cleverness, and without metaphor if you want us to understand

 

[Borachio]

Hmm. Badenweiler, right?

Chekhov, Crane, or Lilien?

It seems a bit of an obscure reference whatever it is.

 

[r16]

here it comes ...

nope. You gotta spell it out for us, without allusions, without cleverness, and without metaphor if you want us to understand

now that ISIL can even reach the US and threaten even the utterly self-defending Rednecks , more has to be done . Now that America is a peace loving country and bombing people from the air is Peace and boots on the ground is War and America does not want war ... Now that Syrian moderates are willing to be America's boots and those courageous men need to be protected from the depradations of Esad's airpower so that they can fight ISIL and prevent those funny Jihadists from waving an AK-47 in the face of all them Rednecks ... And Pentagon is on it , a No Fly Zone ; they are talking with their European allies and us . We are also reportedly in talks with mighty strong Saudis . Just in time , considering their brilliantly glorious mightifully spectacular air campaign in Yemen has achieved particularly nothing and does not seem to be achieving any higher traction , despite a Bentley for each aircrew . Now , ı have long understood a Bentley was just a step behind of a Rolls Royce , the guys just want to enjoy their new rides , right ?? Means our new masters need idiots who apparently can still fight ; now that Barack Hussein can do no more or he can be vilified by those Rednecks threatened by AK-47s by funny Jihadists in their trailer parks ...

oh yeah , the Main Opposition thinks it's an A-K-P ploy to defer the Elections for a year , this ground invasion of Syria that's to start within two days . The Goverment Generals all already deserve one , but the exigencies of war will readily make court martials irrelevant , unnecessary and superflous . And actually it's simply a sign that Americans see the elections in balance ; the regular massive election frauds may not suffice . Not that any CHP-MHP coalition could actually shut the door on the face of America but there is this risk that the support Turkey provides to "Democracy" in Syria , namely ISIL , Nusra , the Syrian branch of the seperatists (and the other 1000 odd organizations on which ı don't have the slightest clue about) might be severely curtailed . No more Ammonium Nitrate in the form of fertilizer as humanitarian aid which the West is merely jotting down to prove evil Turks support evil Jihadist murderers . That's sorta why the Jihadists have been so succesful in recent months gaining base areas on the border in preparation for the days they will be waving AK-47s on our face ; making make believe jihad against us .

and the newspapers kinda avoid it like the plague . The one ı buy to look for a job only refers the American chief of staff or whatever who said what Turkey was demanding of the US , a "safe zone" would cost the US 250 billions over the next 5 years , but no word on whether they would cheer from the side as an invasion started . As per guessed already . Although America's Chosen Group A , the Arabs , seem don't overly excited for a fight against the evil Esad . Unless of course it's the Jihadists whom they control from "a distance" or idiots like guess who .

and of course the days stuff inevitably leads to the glorious 10th of May . The fateful anniversary of the day that some person was killed in some fateful explosion and Lord Vader had to use this razor to scrape off the pieces of flesh . Straight from Lady Vader that the oldies are loudly giggling again on the fateful anniversary of that fateful day , with the victim who like totally died on that day giggling the loudest . Uncle Sam ? Resting assured that even Charlie is almost 70 and can't anymore ? You are embrassing the young ones with such dismissal ... Insulting even ...

Badenweiler

evil Studies Department 6 kills Sydney Bristow's fiancee and she being so patriotic goes to CIA ; which instructs her to defuse a bomb that will stop a German factory from creating weapons of mass destruction ; so that supposedly CIA will have time to examine it . She does and her colleague happens to bring another remote control ... A lovely twist , right ? What now , don't ı have a right to like TV shows ?

 

[MacAttack]

 

[Borachio]

That's Mr r16 trying to be as clear as he can. You should see him when he's being deliberately vague.

 

[r16]

thanks a lot . Everything helps to my goal of achieving a dozen thousand whats and lols .. And poor Don Draper , he does never get what he yearns for ... And in fairness talking of some TV series adds some colour to the discussion of some American "allowed" thing going on . Indeed this country failed to find heart in an invasion of Syria , so that the Little Imperialist , sitting on the Prime Ministerial chair , had to take matters at hand and personally invaded Syria at the spot where they claim the Tomb of Süleymanşah now is .

 

[TheMeInTeam]

Is that the sign of an amateur then? Wearing body armour and opening fire first with assault rifles? Or being taken down by one traffic cop with a Glock?

At very least, their training was likely (and fortunately) minimal-to-none. Access to automatic rifles and body armor is questionable though.

 

[Tigranes]

The Islamic State offensive in central Syria has added to the pressures facing government forces that have faced significant setbacks since late March in the four-year-long war.

Palmyra, also known as Tadmur, is home to extensive ruins of one of the most important cultural centres of the ancient world and was put on UNESCO's World Heritage danger list in 2013.

Islamic State, which espouses a puritanical Islamist ideology, has destroyed antiquities and ancient monuments in Iraq. The Syrian government's antiquities chief has said the jihadists will destroy Palmyra's ruins too if they take the area.

 

[Tigranes]

WASHINGTON: US Special Operations forces killed a ‘commander’ of the self-styled Islamic State (IS) and at least 10 other fighters in eastern Syria early on Saturday during a raid at the group’s hideout, Defence Secretary Ash Carter said.

The US media reported that about a dozen IS fighters were killed in the gunfight at a residential building in al- Omar oil field in Deir Ezzor region. But the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a London-based monitoring group, said coalition bombings killed 19 militants.

The raid was aimed at seizing the ‘commander’, Abu Sayyaf, but he was killed when he engaged US troops. His wife, Umme Sayyaf, was captured, said Mr Carter in a statement issued by his office.

There was hand-to-hand combat during the operation and the US personnel used helicopters to enter the hideout, media reports said.

Secretary Carter said Umme Sayyaf, a suspected member of the IS, played an important role in the group’s terrorist activities, and might have been complicit in the enslavement of a Yezidi woman rescued in the operation.

None of the US personnel was killed or injured during the operation.