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| Iraq |
| Iraq braced for the Battle of Baghdad |
| 2015-05-19 |
| ISIS militants have held a twisted victory parade after taking the key city of Ramadi in an orgy of violence and beheadings - and the extremists could march on the Iraqi capital Baghdad within the next month. Mutilated bodies scatter the streets of the 'Gateway of Baghdad', where Islamic State slaughtered around 500 and forced nearly 25,000 to flee their homes over the last few days. Now ISIS has released images of militants celebrating, children wielding automatic weapons and a fleet of pick-up trucks carrying its jubilant fighters through the blood-stained streets of Ramadi. Shi'ite fighters have already launched a counter-offensive to recapture the city, but these kinds of tactics play straight into Islamic State's grand plan to spark all-out war in the region, according to the Middle East director of counter-terrorism think-tank RUSI. Islamic State militants are already marching east towards the Habbaniya army base - around 20 miles east of Ramadi - where a column of 3,000 Shi'ite paramilitaries are amassing, witnesses and a military officer has said. And if ISIS manage to reach Baghdad, it would be 'utter carnage', Professor Gareth Stansfield told MailOnline. |
| Posted by:Blossom Unains5562 |
| #26 As per BHARAT RAKSHAK + DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS + VARIOUS TWITTERATI = SO-CALLED "TWITHEADS", looks like the post-Ramadi ISIS/ISIL may strike at Fallujah proper + surrounding areas??? |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2015-05-19 23:00 |
| #25 |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2015-05-19 21:24 |
| #24 |
| Posted by: OldSpook 2015-05-19 20:24 |
| #23 But the White House said today Ramadi is just a minor setback and the overall strategy is working! |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2015-05-19 19:53 |
| #22 I suspect ISIS is just the Iraqi Army's way of scourging the Sunni population. Where are they selling their oil through? |
| Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain 2015-05-19 19:10 |
| #21 Without a continuing series of providential sandstorms, it's hard to see how ISIS holds Ramadi, let alone advances on Baghdad. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2015-05-19 14:23 |
| #20 @#19: Biden: Split Iraq into 3 different regions [LINK] |
| Posted by: Blossom Unains5562 2015-05-19 13:44 |
| #19 my sense of the situation is that Iraqis will not fight to protect outsiders. I.e. Shia will not defend a Sunni town (like Ramadi). They will only retake a Sunni town if they can ethnically cleanse the place. They WILL defend Shia communities. The Kurds will also defend their own if they are given weapons and ammo. The difference between them and the Shia is the Kurds been willing to defend Yazidis, Christians and other minorities. The Sunni will defend themselves but will not take orders from the Shia. Iraq is splitting into three pieces as Obama golfs. Al |
| Posted by: frozen al 2015-05-19 12:59 |
| #18 If Iran is to exercise regional hegemony, then Iran must ultimately be seen as the agent of rescue and salvation of Iraq. By regime public relations design, no one will remember the bit part the Champ played in Iraq, they'll only remember it was a 'Bush war' that toppled Saddam which eventually led to the Iranian-Iraqi alliance. To this end, we now receive near daily reminders from the usual media talking heads. Champ's interests are pretty much domestic in nature. If he has any foreign interests, the are found with his people in Africa. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2015-05-19 12:49 |
| #17 Why, it's as if someone has preordained that Baghdad must fall. For sure, it would help bolster a particular political narrative |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2015-05-19 11:54 |
| #16 If ISIS reach Baghdad in force, there will be a mass panic, with a couple of million Shiias fleeing south. Effectively the collapse of Iraq as a state. Neh. Shia militias can defend their turf. It's the Sunni areas they/Iraqi "army" can't hold---amateurs & logistics? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-05-19 10:52 |
| #15 Ok, quick geography lesson for the media. Ramadi is west of Baghdad. Fallujah is in between Ramadi and Baghdad. ISIS already controls Fallujah. So why is Ramadi's proximity to Baghdad a concern? IMHO, Ramadi's fall does allow ISIS to consolidate their gains in Al-Anbar and focus on offensive operations instead of consolidation of Al-Anbar. The Shia will never let Baghdad fall. Neither will our new ally, Iran. |
| Posted by: ConstantCough 2015-05-19 10:07 |
| #14 And if ISIS manage to reach Baghdad... Doubtful. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2015-05-19 10:01 |
| #13 What does "braced for battle" mean when talking about the Iraqi army? It means curly toe slippers OFF. Ready to go toe dug into the sand with back to the battlefield. |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2015-05-19 09:04 |
| #12 The land of false gods. Mookie, Maliki, moohammad. Makes me embarrassed to have the letter M in my name multiple times... |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2015-05-19 09:01 |
| #11 What does "braced for battle" mean when talking about the Iraqi army? |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2015-05-19 09:00 |
| #10 If ISIS reach Baghdad in force, there will be a mass panic, with a couple of million Shiias fleeing south. Effectively the collapse of Iraq as a state. Any battle is largely irrelevant. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2015-05-19 08:48 |
| #9 I'm with Grom. Popcorn. As they march to Baghdad I hope to see a trail of dead Mahdi and Iranians. |
| Posted by: jvalentour 2015-05-19 07:46 |
| #8 I'm expecting the Shiia militias to get slaughtered. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2015-05-19 06:46 |
| #7 Compare Gods' Patience to those whom side with evil - to Dresden from here on out. There is no rebuilding. EVER AGAIN. |
| Posted by: newc 2015-05-19 01:43 |
| #6 The main Iraqi population better discover some serious testicular fortitude right quick, or they will find themselves at about par with the population of Phnom Penh circa late April 1975. Hopefully the Iraqis - with their backs against the wall - will stand and fight for a change. If not - well then, they become part of the Caliphate, and subject to everything unleashed against that monstrosity. |
| Posted by: Lone Ranger 2015-05-19 01:23 |
| #5 Popcorn |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2015-05-19 00:37 |
| #4 I wonder if ISIS would stop just short of taking over Iraq and offer to return the country to its leadership if they just promise to be nice. |
| Posted by: gorb 2015-05-19 00:33 |
| #3 Tell your Men, they are just as good as in a flaming cage if they fail to repel the plague coming their way. Tell them that BY GOD do not lose this place. Lest you want to just flee and let them pillage and rape, and what have you then? Tell them, "we barely just now got our Government to the point where we may represent you better, but that will not work if you throw down your arms. You end up with your throat slit that way. STAND". |
| Posted by: newc 2015-05-19 00:32 |
| #2 About 63 miles from Ramadi to Baghdad as the TOW flies. Somebody get Dempsey on the phone. |
| Posted by: SteveS 2015-05-19 00:22 |
| #1 So Baghdad falling is part of the "plan" and this "smart policy" stuff I keep hearing about and that ISIS really isn't winning and our air strikes are working and everything is under control? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2015-05-19 00:15 |