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Today: 72 articles and 197 comments as of 9:38.
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Area: WoT Background    Non-WoT    Opinion        Politix   
Nigeria Recaptures Gwoza from Boko Haram
Today's Headlines
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Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 4: Opinion
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Africa Horn
At least 10 killed in Mogadishu hotel attack
[NEWS.XINHUANET] At least 10 people were killed and scores of others injured in a suicide car kaboom and gun attack targeted Maka Almukara Hotel in Somali capital Mogadishu Friday, a police officer have confirmed.

"Ten people were died, including Somali Ambassador to Switzerland
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
Yusuf Barari was maimed and later died in Madina hospital, and more others maimed," said Somali Police front man Qasim Ahmed Roble.

Roble said the fighting lasting three hours inside the hotel, but security forces saved more people and killed all the attackers in the hotel, which now is under the control of Somali Special Forces.

Somali bully boy group Al-shabaab claimed the responsibility of the attack, saying they killed government officials at the hotel and will continue to target government officials at any place in Mogadishu.

The attack comes barely a day after police seized a cache of weapons and explosives in a house in the capital during a raid.
Posted by: Fred || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab


Shabaab suicide assault team storms hotel in the Mog
[LongWarJournal]
Posted by: newc || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab

#1  Death toll from Somalia hotel attack by Islamists rises to 15
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/28/2015 3:48 Comments || Top||


Africa Subsaharan
Nigeria Recaptures Gwoza from Boko Haram
[AnNahar] Nigeria's military on Friday announced that troops had retaken the town of Gwoza from Boko Haram
... not to be confused with Procol Harum, Harum Scarum, possibly to be confused with Helter Skelter. The Nigerian version of al-Qaeda and the Taliban rolled together and flavored with a smigeon of distinctly Subsaharan ignorance and brutality...
, from which the group declared their caliphate last year.

"Troops this morning captured Gwoza destroying the Headquarters of the Terrorists self-styled Caliphate," Defense Headquarters in Abuja said on Twitter.

"Several turbans died while many are captured. Mopping up of entire Gwoza and her suburbs is ongoing," it added in a separate message.

"Troops this morning captured Gwoza destroying the Headquarters of the Terrorists self-styled Caliphate," Defense Headquarters in Abuja said on Twitter.

Earlier this month, residents who fled the town in Borno state told Agence La Belle France Presse that murderous Moslems had been massing in Gwoza and killing local people who were unable to flee.

That led to speculation that the group, which has been pushed out of a number of towns in three northeast states in recent weeks, was preparing for a final assault.

Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau declared on August 24 last year that Gwoza was "part of the Islamic caliphate", adding to speculation the murderous Moslems were imitating the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group.

- 'Final onslaught' -
Shekau had the previous month praised IS leader His Supreme Immensity, Caliph of the Faithful and Galactic Overlord, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
...formerly merely the head of ISIL and a veteran of the Bagram jailhouse. Looks like a new messiah to bajillions of Moslems, like just another dead-eyed mass murder to the rest of us...
but stopped short of pledging allegiance. He has since formally allied himself to the group in Syria and Iraq.

Nigeria's national security front man Mike Omeri said last week that troops had begun the "final onslaught" against Boko Haram, saying Gwoza was one of three areas yet to be retaken.

A four-nation coalition of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon
...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there...
has claimed a number of successes since the turn of the year to end the insurgency which has claimed more than 13,000 lives since 2009.

The ongoing operation was cited as a reason to delay Nigeria's general election on February 14 to this Saturday, as soldiers would not be able to provide security nationwide.

In a televised address broadcast on Friday, President Goodluck Jonathan
... 14th President of Nigeria. He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP). He is a lover of nifty hats, which makes him easily recognizable unless someone else in the room is wearing a neat chapeau...
hailed troops for having "successfully stemmed the seizure of Nigerian territories".

"I heartily commend the very courageous men and women of our Armed Forces for the immense sacrifices which they continue to make in defending the nation and protecting its citizens," he added.

But Chad's President Idriss Deby accused Nigeria of failing to cooperate with the regional coalition battling the jihadists, saying there had been zero contact between their armies.

"The whole world is asking why the Nigerian army, which is a big army... is not in a position to stand up to untrained kids armed with Kalashnikovs," Deby told French magazine Le Point, in an interview published this week.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Boko Haram


Uganda Police Hunt Terror Suspect Planning Attacks on Foreigners
[AnNahar] Police in Uganda on Friday said they were hunting a terrorist suspect they believe is linked to Somalia's Shabaab Lions of Islam and was planning an "imminent" attack in the capital Kampala.

Police spokesperson Fred Enanga said the suspect, who remains on the lam, had plotted to attack places popular with foreigners.

"From intelligence, they were actually targeting public places patronized by basically the whites, like some of the shopping malls," said Enanga.

"The intelligence was also talking about parks and markets within the city center," he said.

Enanga said the suspect was "very most likely linked" to Somalia's Shabaab, an al-Qaeda affiliate responsible for double suicide kabooms that killed at least 76 people in Kampala in 2010.

The United States embassy in Uganda had on Wednesday issued an emergency terror warning to its nationals.

"The U.S. Embassy has received information of possible terrorist threats to locations where Westerners, including U.S. citizens, congregate in Kampala, and that an attack may take place soon," the embassy said.

A similar warning was issued by the U.S. in September, after which Ugandan security forces seized boom jackets and explosives during a raid on a suspected Shabaab cell in Kampala.

Uganda is a key contributor to the African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
's AMISOM force battling the Shabaab inside Somalia, making the country a target.

Police on Friday said the single suspect had already entered the country and was being sought.

"We have the name and particulars, we are working on the identity," said Enanga.

Police chief Kale Kayihura said the threat had been "imminent."

"The threat was very specific, the attack was supposed to happen yesterday," he told news hounds at a presser at police headquarters.

Kayihura said Uganda has "foiled" numerous plots since the deadly 2010 attacks.

"There have been very many attempts, we've defeated them," he said.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Shabaab


Arabia
Erik Prince was hired by crown prince of Abu Dhabi to put together a 800-member battalion
[ProfessionalOverseasContactors] According to the New York Time, Erik Prince billionaire founder of Blackwater was hired by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi to put together an 800-member battalion of foreign troops for the U.A.E., according to former employees on the project, American officials and corporate documents obtained by a reputable source.

The force is intended to conduct special operations missions inside and outside the country, defend oil pipelines and skyscrapers from terrorist attacks and put down internal revolts, the documents show. Such troops could be deployed if the Emirates faced unrest in their crowded labor camps or were challenged by pro-democracy protests like those sweeping the Arab world this year.

The U.A.E.’s rulers, viewing their own military as inadequate, also hope that the troops could blunt the regional aggression of Iran, the country’s biggest foe, the former employees said. The training camp, located on a sprawling Emirati base called Zayed Military City, is hidden behind concrete walls laced with barbed wire. Photographs show rows of identical yellow temporary buildings, used for barracks and mess halls, and a motor pool, which houses Humvees and fuel trucks. The Colombians, along with South African and other foreign troops, are trained by retired American soldiers and veterans of the German and British special operations units and the French Foreign Legion, according to the former employees and American officials.
Posted by: BrerRabbit || 03/28/2015 11:25 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Call it the White Company.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/28/2015 12:36 Comments || Top||

#2  Good idea. As the way our president is running thing the UAE needs to grow their forces or they will perish.
Posted by: 49 Pan || 03/28/2015 12:37 Comments || Top||

#3  All is foretold in this book by Steven Pressfield, author of Gates of Fire.
Posted by: Matt || 03/28/2015 12:47 Comments || Top||

#4  Yep. FYI, Zen has an Official Trailer vid.
Matt ~ Disregard.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/28/2015 13:10 Comments || Top||

#5  I don't remember such a plethora of mercenaries being employed since the African revolutions of the '60s.

More of that new "smart" diplomacy's unintended(?) consequences.
Posted by: AlanC || 03/28/2015 15:01 Comments || Top||

#6  I would imagine mercenary deployments tend to be common in eras without super-powers.
What happened to the Roman Legions once their salaries stopped coming over the Alps?
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/28/2015 15:05 Comments || Top||


Two Saudi pilots eject over Red Sea, rescued with US help
Two Saudi pilots ejected over the Red Sea on Friday after their fighter plane suffered a technical problem and were rescued with US assistance, state media said.

"A plane of the F-15S type was stricken by a technical fault yesterday evening over the Red Sea and the two pilots were forced to use their rescue seats," state news agency SPA quoted a defense ministry official saying.
Inshallah maintenance?
No word yet on Benghazi rescue.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/28/2015 03:44 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Inshallah maintenance?

Probably not, IIRC contract maintainers - overwhelmingly former USAF/USN types - do the RSAF's serious maintenance work. High performance combat aircraft can and do break for no reason sometimes, so this one could come under the heading of One Of Those Things(TM).

If it happens again, tho....

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski || 03/28/2015 7:38 Comments || Top||

#2  Maybe there was a collision.
Posted by: Heriberto Thraising3592 || 03/28/2015 10:11 Comments || Top||


Saudi Pounds Yemen Rebel Camps
[AnNahar] Saudi-led coalition warplanes bombed rebel camps in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
Friday in a second day of strikes as embattled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi arrived in Egypt for talks with Arab allies.

A months-long rebellion by Shiite fighters has escalated into a regional conflict that threatens to tear apart the impoverished state at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis

#1  Months long? I thought this stuff was going on for years.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain || 03/28/2015 11:58 Comments || Top||

#2  #1 Months long? I thought this stuff was going on for years. Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain

It's actually been going on for about 700 years, but the current festivities have their roots in the late 1960s, and the "unification" of Yemen in 1973.
Posted by: Old Patriot || 03/28/2015 14:07 Comments || Top||

#3  If a regime falls in the Arabian Peninsula and no journalist notices can anyone hear the screams?
Posted by: Fred || 03/28/2015 14:07 Comments || Top||


Coalition: UAE Warplanes Took Part in Yemen Strikes
[AnNahar] United Arab Emirates warplanes "intensively" participated in air strikes against Iranian catspaws and their allies in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
Friday, the Saudi-led coalition said.

All members of the Arab coalition contributed to the operation but "Emirati air forces participated intensively," front man General Ahmed Assiri told news hounds in Riyadh.

He said Yemen's air space was completely under coalition control, and that aircraft seized by the Huthis had been destroyed.

Coalition warplanes Friday raided al-Anad airbase, seized by the Huthis earlier this week, north of the key southern city of Aden, Assiri said.

The strikes were aimed at preventing the Huthis using the base, he said, vowing to "do what is necessary to protect the legitimacy of the government" in Aden.

Aden is the stronghold of embattled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, who fled there after escaping house arrest by rebels in Sanaa last month.

Assiri said the Arclight airstrikes had also targeted Huthi supply lines between the north and south.

The operations targeted Huthi air defense systems, rockets and anti-aircraft artillery.

Coalition aircraft targeted "limited movements (of Huthis) along Yemen's northern border using Apache (helicopters) and ground artillery," said Assiri.

He urged Yemeni civilians to keep away from rebel "gatherings or hideouts."

"Such militias try to use citizens or civilian gatherings as human shields to avoid coalition strikes," said Assiri.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis


Tribes Kill 21 Huthi Rebels in South Yemen
[AnNahar] At least 21 Yemeni Iranian catspaws were killed Friday when residents in a tribal southern region shot up their vehicles, a local official and witnesses told AFP.

The Houthis, who are also facing Saudi-led air strikes, were traveling in three vehicles from restive Lahj
... a Yemeni governate located in the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. It is the stomping grounds on the southern secessionist al-Harak movement
province towards Aden, the southern stronghold of embattled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi, when they were ambushed.

The attack took place just 15 kilometers (about nine miles) north of Aden, where tensions were high on Friday as the rebels clashed with the "popular committees" -- an anti-Huthi militia controlling parts of the city, security officials and residents said.

At least eight people were killed in festivities around Aden airport, where the Shiite turbans were deployed on the runway, security and medical sources said.

The popular committees used rocks and tree branches to block entrances to some Aden neighborhoods, as shops remained shut for the second day in a row, after Arab coalition air strikes began on Thursday, witnesses said.

Meanwhile,
...back at the hoedown, the fiddler suddenly struck a sour note. The dancing stopped abruptly. Everyone looked at Bob...
dozens of youths looted arms depots abandoned by troops in the Khormaksar neighborhood, security officials told AFP.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis

#1  This is how you deal with muslims. Give them weapons and a manufactured grievance, and they'll be so happy and busy blowing each other to bits they won't even think about anything else.

Anyone who doubts this knows nothing of Islamic history.
Posted by: Black Bart McGurque3985 || 03/28/2015 10:47 Comments || Top||

#2  I always chuckle at these stories. "TRIBES" just gives me such charming pictures of advanced civilization/society.

They got flags?
Posted by: AlanC || 03/28/2015 12:16 Comments || Top||

#3  They got flags? Posted by: AlanC

No, but they have a special fist-bump and a secret decoder ring.
Posted by: Old Patriot || 03/28/2015 14:15 Comments || Top||


Egyptian, Saudi Vessels Approach Yemen Coast
[VOA News] Egypt's military says Saudi and Egyptian warships deployed Friday to the Bab al-Mandab strait off Yemen's coast to secure the strategic passage, as a Saudi-led coalition carried out Arclight airstrikes on rebel targets in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic...
for a second straight day.

Military officials told the News Agency that Dare Not be Named that Saudi and Egyptian vessels were at or near the strait.

Bab Al-Mandab is a critical waterway for Egypt's national security and is the main entrance for access to the Red Sea en route to the Suez Canal, a key route for shipping between Europe and Asia.
Posted by: Fred || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Houthis


India-Pakistan
Bomb targeting police bus kills 2, injures 14 others in Karachi
[DAWN] KARACHI: A kaboom hit a police van in Bloody Karachi
...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous...
Friday, killing at least two coppers and wounding 14 other people, officials said.

The blast occurred near Murghi Khana bus stop in Karachi's Quaidabad area.

The explosives, which were planted on a cycle of violence, detonated as a bus of the Sindh Police's Special Security Unit passed by, according to Station House Officer of Quaidabad cop shoppe.


Speaking to DawnNews from some holy man's guesthouse an undisclosed location, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistain (TTP) front man Muhammad Khorasani grabbed credit for the attack.

DIG-East Munir Sheikh told media representatives that the bomb was remotely detonated.

Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) personnel said that five kilograms of kaboom were used in the blast. Around 50 police personnel were travelling in the vehicle at the time of the blast.

Rescue and emergency teams were dispatched to the blast site, while the victims were shifted to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medical treatment.

Two coppers later shuffled off the mortal coil while receiving treatment.

"Two coppers were killed and 14 other people including two civilians were maimed when a bomb planted on a cycle of violence was blown up as a police van was passing by," Karachi police chief Ghulam Qadir Thebo told AFP.

He said the officers belonged to the Special Service Unit, an elite squad that guards VIPs, and were on their way to guard Bilawal House, the residence of former president Asif Ali Zardari.

In-charge of the JPMC Accidents and Emergency Department, Dr Seemi Jamali, confirmed the number of casualties. She added that the condition of one of the maimed persons was reported as critical.

Dr Jamali further said that most of the victims had suffered ball-bearing and shrapnel injuries.
Posted by: Fred || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: TTP


Police arrest Quetta terror mastermind
[DAWN] Police on Friday tossed in the slammer
Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages!
the man behind several terrorism incidents in Quetta, including a kaboom targeting the vehicle of an anti-terrorist court (ATC) judge.

Quetta Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Razzaq Cheema, while addressing a presser, said the criminal mastermind of numerous kabooms in Quetta was arrested by police in Hazar Ganji area of the city.

Cheema said the accused was involved in a series of bomb kabooms in Quetta that claimed scores of precious human lives.

The CCPO confirmed that the accused had also targeted the vehicle of an ATC Judge, Nazeer Ahmed Langove, on November 11, 2014, at Quetta's Double Road, killing two and injuring more than thirty individuals.

The accused was identified as Saurat Khan Marri. "He belongs to a banned myrmidon outfit," said the CCPO. Police also recovered two mortar shells, hand grenades, land mines and other weapons from his possession, Cheema said.

Security forces have arrested more than 3000 bully boyz linked with different myrmidon groups in Balochistan
...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it...
in the aftermath of the announcement of the National Action Plan (NAP). Forces have stepped up their efforts to apprehend bully boyz in Quetta and other parts of Balochistan to ensure peace in the province.
Posted by: Fred || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan


Iraq
Iranians suffer embarrassing defeat in Iraq
The Iranians have suffered a humiliating defeat.

More than 20,000 fighters with Iranian-backed Shiite militias have withdrawn from the 3-week-old battle to oust Islamic State militants from the Iraqi city of Tikrit.

And the Iraqis have turned back to the U.S. military for help.
When you positively need something destroyed in 30 minutes or less.
U.S. aircraft launched airstrikes in Tikrit on Wednesday for the first time since the battle began, providing vital military support that came only after the Iraqi government agreed to seize command and control of the fight on the ground and temporarily halt operations of Iranian-backed militias.

"The Shiite militias that were there have pulled back from that area," Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, the chief of U.S. Central Command, said Thursday on Capitol Hill.

"Preconditions for us to provide support were that the Iraqi government had to be in charge of this operation. We had to know exactly who was on the ground," Austin said.

On Wednesday night, U.S. and coalition aircraft unleashed 17 airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Tikrit, destroying buildings, bridges, checkpoints, staging areas and a command and control facility.

The start of U.S. airstrikes in Tikrit punctuated an intense geopolitical drama that began three weeks ago when the Iraqi government stunned many American military officials by mounting a massive effort to seize the strategically important city without asking the U.S. for help.

The Iraqis instead sought large-scale, open military support from Iran, whose Shiite regime is a strong ally of Iraq's Shiite-led government in Baghdad.
There is your first mistake
The Iranian-funded militias of Iraqi Shiites far outnumbered the Iraqi government's own military forces, U.S. officials said.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps provided tanks and artillery, and Iran's most powerful military leader, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, gave TV interviews from the front lines in Tirkit.

Yet the Iranian-backed effort stalled and Islamic State forces continue to hold the city.
Small guess here, but I doubt the Iranians are trained in good combined arms tactics to make use of infantry and armor working together in a city environ ment
"It shows that, for the Iraqis to do what they want to do, they really need American support ... they can't do this with just the Iranians," said Adam Tiffen, a member of the Truman National Security Project's Defense Council and an Iraq War veteran.
Another of Obumble's great plans falling into ruin
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in early March that he had "great concern" about Iran's military presence in Iraq because it could inflame sectarian tensions that are driving support for Islamic State militants.

The fight against the IS stronghold in Tikrit began with considerable bluster.
As usual with 3rd world tinpot generals and leaders
"When Tikrit operations kicked off … we heard quite a bit from the Iraqis and some even from the Iranians, some fairly high-confidence statements about how rapidly the operation in Tikrit would go," Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said Wednesday.

"Obviously they were incorrect," Warren said.
Running up for the most British style understatement of the year
"I think it's important that the Iraqis understand that what would be most helpful to them is a reliable partner in this fight," Warren said. "Reliable, professional, advanced military capabilities are something that reside very clearly and very squarely with the [American-led] coalition."
No... with just the Americans. You people lack the professional and reliable part
Austin said the campaign in Tikrit has failed so far because the Iraqis were not in control of the forces on the ground and those forces were not trained and equipped well enough to take on intense urban combat operations that present unique challenges.
And they fight like Arabs (insult I know since they want to be called Persians)
Austin acknowledged that U.S. and Iranian goals in Iraq are similar ‐ to defeat the Islamic State militants.

But he also recalled that just a few years ago, U.S. forces were battling those same Iranian-backed Shiite militias.

"I hope we never coordinate or cooperate with Shia militias," Austin bluntly said.
I'm all for their complete extermination
Posted by: DarthVader || 03/28/2015 10:50 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State

#1  Wait a minute. Am I pleased or frightened?
Posted by: Matt || 03/28/2015 11:36 Comments || Top||

#2  Natural Selection n.noun,
1.The process in nature by which, according to Darwin's theory of evolution, organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to survive longer and transmit more of their genetic characteristics to succeeding generations than do those that are less well adapted.
Posted by: Besoeker || 03/28/2015 11:44 Comments || Top||

#3  One side likes to murder people in horrible ways and post the pertinent videos to YouTube. The other doesn't post to YouTube but wants to nuke me. You know, Matt, it's a really hard question.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/28/2015 11:45 Comments || Top||

#4  Are these the "elite" Iranian Revolutionary Guards?
That seems to mean something else in the Middle East.
Posted by: tu3031 || 03/28/2015 11:55 Comments || Top||

#5  elite = politically loyal to whatever regime
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/28/2015 12:37 Comments || Top||

#6  "Another of Obumble's great plans falling into ruin" I think his "great plan" is doing just fine. This is a sideshow. Do not read this as any kind of endorsement of the Obamagenda. Do not talk about the Obamagenda.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/28/2015 14:44 Comments || Top||

#7  Or as Joe said elsewhere today "As Globalist Amerika PCorrectly self-retreats around the World..."
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 || 03/28/2015 14:46 Comments || Top||

#8  As I was saying elsewhere, would it be wrong to hope for another Battle of the Somme (Tigris version)?
Posted by: Glenmore || 03/28/2015 15:58 Comments || Top||

#9  ...or Verdun?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/28/2015 17:10 Comments || Top||

#10  Hardly a defeat.

They have got the Americans to do the hard part and will reap the rewards, without the costs.
Posted by: phil_b || 03/28/2015 17:40 Comments || Top||

#11  Defeat? Not exactly. More like a setback.

Iran is learning almost the same lesson with Iraqi Shiite militias that the US learned (repeatedly) with Iraqi Army forces: Iraqi military leadership sucks. And if you're not prepared to get down into the weeds, spend time and money and often do some ass kicking, you're going to end up with yet another traditional Arab warrior-mob.

IMNSHO, this reads like another AyPee let's-defend-the-administration-at-home piece.

I can see the WH assuring the mullahs that it was for "public consumption."
Posted by: Pappy || 03/28/2015 18:23 Comments || Top||


Baghdad Bagatelles
40 gunmen storm police station, release person in Baghdad

[IraqiNews.com] On Thursday, a security source in Baghdad province revealed, that 40 Death Eaters, dressed in military uniform, stormed a cop shoppe and released a person in northern Baghdad.

The source stated to IraqiNews in an interview, "This evening, 40 gunnies, dressed in military uniform, stormed a cop shoppe in al-Qahira neighborhood, located in northern Baghdad," pointing out that, "The gunnies beat a number of police elements and seized their cell phones."

The source added, "One of the jugged
Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages!
individuals has been released."

3 Civilians injured in northern Baghdad

[IraqiNews.com] Three persons were maimed when a bomb went kaboom! in Sabaa al-Bour area, northern Baghdad on Friday.

The kaboom resulted in material damages to the nearby buildings," according to a security source.

IA kills, wounds 54 terrorists in eastern al-Karma

[IraqiNews.com] On Wednesday, Baghdad Operations Command announced, that 54 bandidos snuffies have been either killed or injured in an operation by the security forces in eastern al-Karma.

Baghdad Operations Command said in a statement obtained by IraqiNews, "Our security forces have managed to kill 49 bandidos snuffies and wound 5 others in a security operation in eastern al-Karma," pointing out that, "The operation has also resulted in destroying 7 hideouts for the bandidos snuffies and cleansing the area of 32 bombs."
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Tikrit [agonizingly slow] Reconquista
Lots of little news reports, not a great deal of forward progress.
France launchs its first air strike against ISIS in Tikrit

[IraqiNews.com] Chief of Staff of the French army announced Thursday, launching La Belle France's first air strike against ISIS sites in the city of Tikrit.

The front man for the Chief of Staff of the French army said, "We launched on Wednesday evening an air strike in the framework of the US-led international coalition operation in Tikrit."

"This was La Belle France's first participation in the attack on Tikrit," he added.

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced on Wednesday, that the US-led international coalition was ordered to strike led by the United the ISIS group in Tikrit.

This comes in conjunction with the announcement of Prime Minister General Commander of the Armed Forces Haider al-Abadi, in a televised speech that the hour of salvation and victory has come and Salahuddin is finally "coming home," stressing that ISIS no longer has a foothold in Iraq.
A slight exaggeration, as it turns out...
U.S.-led strikes kill, wound 80 ISIS militants in Tikrit

[IraqiNews.com] On Thursday, a security source in Salahuddin province said, that 80 ISIS turbans have been either killed or injured in air strikes in Tikrit.

The source stated for IraqiNews, "Warplanes of the international coalition have carried out air strikes against headquarters and gathering sites for the ISIS group turbans in the areas of Wadi-Sheyshin, located in southern Tikrit, and al-Qadesiyah, located in northern Tikrit, and the presidential palaces in the center of the city."

"The air strikes resulted in killing 50 ISIS turbans and injuring around 30 others," the source added.

IAF conduct 25 airstrikes against ISIL terrorists in Tikrit

[IraqiNews.com] Iraqi Sukhoi aircrafts of the Iraqi Air Force conducted 25 Arclight airstrikes against the ISIL shelters in central Tikrit today, Thursday.

A security source told Iraqi News that " Sukhoi aircrafts of the Iraqi Air Force conducted 25 Arclight airstrikes targeting the ISIL turbans in central Tikrit".

International coalition raids on Tikrit were Abadi’s request, says Washington
I's crossed and t's dotted, so it's a go.
[IraqiNews.com] The US State Department stated Thursday, that the international coalition raids on Tikrit on Wednesday were at Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's request, noting that the United States and the Iraqi government will work together to achieve the common goal of defeating ISIS and training national and professional security forces to be able to protect the Iraqi nation.

The US State spokeswoman Jen Psaki
...a valley girl who woke up one morning and found she was spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of State...
said in a statement followed by IraqiNews.com, "At the request of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the US-led international coalition launched Arclight airstrikes on the city of Tikrit and its surroundings to support ground operations of the Iraqi security forces."

Jen added that the strikes were designed to destroy ISIS strongholds precisely to protect innocent Iraqis by reducing the damage to infrastructure and enable the Iraqi forces under the command of the Iraqi leadership to continue offensive operations against ISIS in the vicinity of Tikrit.

Psaki confirmed that all the air raids were in coordination with the Iraqi government and the Iraqi security forces through the joint operations center in Baghdad.

Obaidi personally strikes ISIL shelters in Tikrit
Good for him! Not many heads of state could say the same.
[IraqiNews.com] The Iraqi Minister of Defense, Khalid al-Obaidi, participated in the Arclight airstrikes against the ISIL shelters in Tikrit.

Some photos posted in the Obaidi's personal Facebook account show Obaidi participates in Sokhoi-25 Fighter in striking the ISIL shelters.

US led coalition, Iraqi Aviation conduct 17 airstrikes against ISIL targets

[IraqiNews.com] The US Army announced on today Thursday that the US-led coalition and Iraqi Aviation have conducted (17) Arclight airstrikes against ISIL targets in Tikrit town.

A press statement by the US Armyreceived by IraqiNews.com cited that "The US-led coalition joined to the Iraqi Aviation conducting (17) Arclight airstrikes against the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
of Iraq and Levant targets in Tikrit".

Tikrit attack on four axes with participation of 500 fighters, says Salahuddin MP

[IraqiNews.com] On Thursday, MP of Salahuddin province Badr Fahl revealed that the liberation plan of Tikrit includes the attack from four axes, indicating that 500 fighters from the city participated along with the Iraqi forces in the operation.

Fahl informed IraqiNews, "The attack on the remaining areas of Tikrit will be from the four main axes," noting that, "The first axis is the southern side of Awja toward the city, and the second is the western region of al-Diom toward al-Zohour neighborhood in Tikrit."

Fahl added, "The northern axis is the third, from Hayakil neighborhood towards the industrial district of the city," pointing out that, "The fourth axis will be across the river between al-Alam district and Tikrit."

Federal Police Forces arrive in Tikrit to support ISF

[IraqiNews.com] The Federal Police Forces arrived in Tikrit to support the Iraqi Security Forces in liberating the city.

Security source stated to IraqiNews.com "A big security force of the Federal Police arrived in Tikrit to support liberating the city from the ISIL terrorists.”

Key figure for volunteers assures death of Tikrit military alderman by airstrike in Tikrit

[IraqiNews.com] A leader of the Public Mobilization emphasized on Thursday that what is so called the military alderman of Tikrit was killed by Arclight airstrike central town. The leader reported to told Iraqi News that " what is so called the military alderman of Tikrit was killed today morning by Sukhoi aircraft 25 near the presidential palaces inside Tikrit".

Joint force kills 4 suicide bombers in northern Tikrit

[IraqiNews.com] On Wednesday, a security source in Salahuddin province said, that the Iraqi security forces have managed to kill 4 jacket wallahs in the area of al-Qadesiya, located in northern Tikrit.

The source stated to IraqiNews in an interview, "A joint force, consisting of army troops and local police elements, with support from al-Hashed al-Sha'bi militia fighters have managed to kill 4 suicide bombers who had worn boom belts in an attempt to target gathering sites for the security forces in the neighborhood of al-Qadesiyah, located in northern Tikrit."

"The holy warriors are being trapped inside Tikrit, while the security forces advance into the city,” the source added.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Iraq


Mosul and the Peshmerga
ISIS elements killed, injured in air strikes by international coalition in Mosul

[IraqiNews.com] A source within the Kurdish Peshmerga forces announced on Thursday, that dozens of ISIS elements have been killed or maimed in air strikes by the US-led international coalition targeting ISIS posts in djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
The source said in an interview for IraqiNews.com, "The international coalition aircrafts launched intensive air raids targeted the strongholds, gatherings and headquarters of the ISIS group in al-Noran Waterfalls and Khursapad areas in the city of Mosul."

The source, who requested anonymity, added, "The raids resulted in killing and wounding dozens of the terrorist group's elements."

The international coalition led by the United States has been implementing air strikes targeting sites belonging to ISIS in Iraq and Syria for months, without revealing the size of ISIS human causalities.

6 ISIL terrorists killed in Mosul

[IraqiNews.com] Six ISIL bad boyz were potted of western djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
Security source stated to IraqiNews.com "The US-led Coalition bombarded the ISIL holy warriors in Shalalat area of western Mosul to kill six of them."

Peshmerga forces repel two major assaults on eastern Mosul

[IraqiNews.com] On Wednesday, a military source in Nineveh province stated, that the paramilitary Kurdish Peshmerga forces foiled two major assaults by the ISIS group turbans on eastern djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
The source informed IraqiNews, "The Peshmerga forces have managed to repel an attack by the ISIS group turbans on the area of Khazr, located in eastern Mosul," pointing out that, "The turbans used heavy weapons during the attack."

"The international coalition warplanes have backed the Peshmerga in battling the holy warriors," the source added.

"ISIS Death Eaters have carried out another attack on sites for the Peshmerga in the area of Ba'shiqah, however, the attack was foiled, and their ranks have been forced to withdraw when faced by heavy artillery fire by the Peshmerga forces."
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Anbar District Antics
ISIL shells central Amiriya Al-Fallujah district

[IraqiNews.com] The gunnies of the ISIL shelled central Amiriya Al-Fallujah district in Anbar province.

A security source told IraqiNews.com "The shells fell on apartment complex resulted in a number of deaders and injuries including children and women," noting that "The Security and Army Forces supported by the rustics are preparing to start an extensive campaign to liberate Albuhwa and Al-Owysat districts from the control of the ISIL terrorists".

The source added "The shells came from these places towards Amiriya al-Fallujah district."

Anbar police foils ISIS attack on police station in central Ramadi

[IraqiNews.com] On Thursday, a source within the police force in Anbar province announced, that the security forces have managed to foil an attack by the ISIS group gunnies on al-Houz cop shoppe in central Ramadi.

Col. Hamid Chanduch stated to IraqiNews in an interview, "A police force backed by armed rustics have managed to repel an attack by the ISIS group gunnies on al-Houz cop shoppe, located in central Ramadi city," pointing out that, "The security forces killed a number of ISIS holy warriors, including a jacket wallah, that which caused them to withdraw."

Great losses have been inflicted in lives and equipment upon the group's ranks," Chanduch asserted.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State


Iraqi Miscellanies
8 Syrians arrested while crossing Iraqi borders to Turkey

[IraqiNews.com] Iraqi interior Ministry assured arresting eight Syrian citizens who were trying to sneak through the Iraqi borders into the Turkish territories.

Spokesperson of the Iraqi MoI, Colonel Saad Maan said in a statement received by IraqiNews.com on Thursday "The first brigade within the Command of Border Guards/ First Area enjugged
Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit!
eight persons carrying Syrian Nationality while they were trying to cross the Iraqi side of borders with The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire....
illegally in Bajika area within the territory of Dohouk."

Coalition is ”clearly degrading” ISIS, says U.S. Gen. John Allen

[IraqiNews.com] On Thursday, U.S. General John Allen stated, that since the international coalition campaign began against ISIS myrmidons, the group has lost more than a quarter of its seized territories in Iraq.

The international coalition's efforts against the ISIS group holy warriors are "clearly degrading" the group's capabilities, the U.S. special envoy to the coalition retired General John Allen asserted on Thursday.

"Since the coalition campaign began, ISIL has lost more than a quarter of the populated territories it has held in Iraq," Gen. John Allen said, while addressing the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

He added, "The allure of the so-called caliphate is under direct assault."

Security forces kill 13 ISIS elements in southern Biji

[IraqiNews.com] On Thursday, a security source in Salahuddin province announced, that 13 elements of the ISIS group have been killed in festivities with the security forces in the village of al-Mazra'ah in the district of Biji.

The source stated to IraqiNews in an interview, "Violent festivities between the security forces and ISIS bandidos holy warriors broke out on the back of the group's assault on the village of al-Mazra'ah, located in southern Biji," pointing out that, "The festivities between the two sides resulted in killing 13 elements of the ISIS group."

IA bombs building used by ISIL terrorists to snipe at ISF

[IraqiNews.com] A security source in Salah-il-Din today Thursday reported that the Iraqi Aviation bombed an ISIL building used by them to snipe at the Security Forces.

"The Iraqi Aviation bombed an ISIL building used by them to snipe at the Security Forces in Tikrit central province", the security source told IraqiNews.com.

ISF discover factory for improvising explosive belts northern Babel

[IraqiNews.com] Iraqi Security Forces supported by Volunteers discovered a factory or improvising explosive vests northern Babel on Thursday.

Security source from Babel Operations Command assured for IraqiNews.com "ISF and Volunteers continue their operation to search the whole area of northern Babel to look for weapons caches hidden there," noting "A force from ISF and volunteers discovered a factory for improvising explosive vests hidden inside a caravan allocated for breeding chickens in Fadhliya area within Jurf al-Sakher 45 Km to the north of Babel."

"The factory contains machines, wires, cell phones and more than 300 kg of C4 explosives hidden in bags," the source added.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


ISIS Militants Stone an Iraqi Couple Accused of Adultery
[NYTIMES] Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
bandidos snuffies in Iraq on Tuesday publicly stoned a man and woman to death on charges of adultery, parading the victims in a public square in the northern city of djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
, according to witnesses and an Iraqi military official.

Later in the day, the bandidos snuffies publicly beheaded three young men on a street in central Mosul, accusing them of being the nephews of a political opponent of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL.

They were the latest in a series of public executions of people accused of social offenses in the city, which the bandidos snuffies wrested from Iraqi control last June.

The stoning victims, who were not identified, were in their 20s, witnesses said. The woman was described as being married. It was not known whether they had been given a trial, but none was held in public.
Posted by: Fred || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State

#1  They'll stone you when you're walking on the street
They'll stone you when you're trying to keep your seat
They'll stone you when your walking on the floor
They'll stone you when your walking to the door
But I would not feel so all alone
Everybody must get stoned
Posted by: Glenmore || 03/28/2015 6:43 Comments || Top||


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Army Detains Two Lebanese Linked to Policemen Abduction Ordeal
[AnNahar] An army unit detained overnight two suspects over links to the abduction of Internal Security Forces members in August in the northeastern border town of Arsal and assaulting military positions in the area.

The army said in a communique issued on Friday that Ahmed Ali Krumbi and Ali Abdullah Krumbi were tossed in the slammer
I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece!
on charges of engaging in an assault with terrorist groups on army posts in Arsal during battles with jihadists in August, attacking the cop shoppe in the area and kidnapping several coppers.

The statement said that investigations are underway with the two suspects under the supervision of the competent judicial authority.

Jihadists from al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra
...the current nom de guerre of al-Qaeda in the Levant, which isn't to be confused with al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Levant...
Front and the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group are entrenched on the outskirts of the town on the porous Syrian-Lebanese border.

The army engaged in a fierce shootout in August with jihadists who streamed across the border.

Fighting ended with a truce mediated by holy mans, but the jihadists took with them the Lebanese army and police hostages.

At least four have since been executed.

Meanwhile,
...back at the palazzo, Don Smilzo looked for an avenue of escape. The only window opened a hundred feet above the moat. The nearest of the hired assassins hold a bloody axe.
The window was looking better all the time....

the army said in another statement that a unit detained a group comprised of seven individuals trying to infiltrate Leb through an illegal crossing in the town of al-Sweiri near the Masnaa border checkpoint in the Bekaa valley.

The military command said in its communique that the army unit issued several warnings to the seven individuals to persuade them to stop but they refused to comply to their orders and fled the area, which compelled troops to pursue them.

Lebanese national Imad Ahmed Zrara and Syrian Sabri Mohammed were detained in the process.

The statement said that an illegal cycle of violence and car were seized from the infiltrators.

Mohammed Khaled Hammoud, a Lebanese, was maimed in the chase and succumbed to his wounds at a hospital he was admitted to in the Bekaa.

The detainees were handed over to the competent judiciary for investigation.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Salafists


Islamists Advance in Fierce Clashes for Syria's Idlib
[AnNahar] Salafist tough guys made fresh advances Friday on the edges of Idlib city in northwest Syria, after fierce festivities that have left dozens of dead, a monitoring group said.

"The fighters have advanced on the northwestern and southeastern sides of the city," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

"There are very violent festivities, and last night 26 Death Eaters and four regime soldiers were killed," he told AFP.

An activist from the area said civilians were trapped in their homes.

"The humanitarian situation is very difficult. There are refugees from other parts of the country who are in Idlib," said Ibrahim al-Idlibi.

On Tuesday, a new coalition of Salafist tough guys launched a coordinated attack against Idlib city, which is held by government forces.

Calling itself "The Army of Conquest," the coalition is led by al-Qaeda affiliate the al-Nusra
...the current nom de guerre of al-Qaeda in the Levant, which isn't to be confused with al-Qaeda in Iraq and the Levant...
Front and includes several other Islamist groups.

The rebels have advanced using "street fighting," taking control of the city's edges, neighborhood by neighborhood, said another activist, Khaled Hanoun, who is in contact with rebels in Idlib.

According to Abdel Rahman, the Syrian army had sent in reinforcements and carried out air strikes on rebel positions on the outskirts of Idlib.

The province of the same name is largely under the control of al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli sh-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
, but scenic provincial capital Idlib city remains in regime hands.

If it falls to rebel groups, it would be only the second scenic provincial capital lost by the regime after Raqa, which is now the de facto capital of the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
jihadist group.
At which point there will be the ISIS caliphate, the al Nusra not-quite-caliphate, and Assad's rump Syria, to which most of those with sense have fled.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: al-Nusra


Syrian Army Turns to Women on Damascus Front Lines
[AnNahar] Perched on a makeshift bench taking turns with a sniper rifle, the Syrian army's top markswomen await their "prey" on the front line in east Damascus.

Sergeant Rim, 20, and Chief Sergeant Samar, 21, belong to the First Women's Commando Brigade of the Republican Guard, an elite unit stationed on some of the most dangerous battlegrounds on the outskirts of the Syrian capital.

There are roughly 800 soldiers in these all-female commando brigades, who face determined and entrenched rebels to the east and southeast of Damascus.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Syria

#1  I guess hiding behind them didn't work any more.
Posted by: Black Bart McGurque3985 || 03/28/2015 10:51 Comments || Top||

#2  More than 46,000 soldiers have been killed since the conflict erupted in March 2011, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Assuming these are all Alawites, that's a pretty high death toll. The US lost 400K dead during WWII. That was 0.3% of the population. Alawites are estimated at 3.3m people in total. 46K out of 3.3m is 1.4%, or about 5x the US casualties per capita during WWII. They had will need to be drafting all able-bodied Alawites over 12 soon.
Posted by: Zhang Fei || 03/28/2015 12:20 Comments || Top||

#3  Assuming these are all Alawites, that's a pretty high death toll.

I assume that anyone not in the various Free Syria factions, Al Nusra, ISIS or Syrian Kurdistan has hooked up with Assad if they possibly can, and some of them are getting actual paychecks for being soldiers. I suspect it's not an insignificant death toll, nonetheless. Everybody fights dirty over there.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 19:55 Comments || Top||


U.S. Drops 60,000 Propaganda Leaflets on IS in Syria
[AnNahar] The U.S. military dropped 60,000 leaflets on the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group's de facto capital in Syria showing a grisly depiction of krazed killer recruits being fed into a meat grinder, the Pentagon said Thursday.

An F-15E fighter jet last week unloaded a canister containing the graphic leaflets on the northern city of Raqa, the latest in an effort by a U.S.-led coalition to undermine the IS krazed killers' own extensive propaganda and recruiting efforts.

"The message of this leaflet is: if you find yourself recruited by Daesh, you will find yourself in a meat grinder -- and it's not beneficial to your health," said Pentagon front man Colonel Steven Warren, using the Arabic acronym for the IS group.

The drawing shows young men lined up under a sign in Arabic, "Daesh Recruiting Office."

An IS man with a monstrous face is beckoning a frightened-looking recruit forward, while a second IS member is operating the meat grinder, pushing someone into the machine -- which is labeled "Daesh."

Blood is spewing from the grinder's feeder tube, and two legs are sticking out.

U.S. diplomats and generals have said the IS has proved adept at exploiting social media and reaching potential volunteers online with slickly produced videos.

The leaflets were produced by members of Military Information Support Operations, known previously as psychological operations, Warren said.
Posted by: trailing wife || 03/28/2015 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Islamic State

#1  I never thought I would see the day whem middle eastern countries (besides Israel) would seem to pick targets better than us.
Posted by: chris || 03/28/2015 0:50 Comments || Top||

#2  Tree killers burn in hell!
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 03/28/2015 3:49 Comments || Top||

#3  And somewhere a military accountant is is fuming that perhaps 50,000 would have been enough.

At least, according to the article, only a single aircraft was used.

Must have been a whopping big canister or very tiny leaflets, though.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 03/28/2015 8:03 Comments || Top||

#4  Toilet paper resupply accomplished. Does this get a tick on the sortie count?
Posted by: Procopius2k || 03/28/2015 10:16 Comments || Top||

#5  Can they read?
Posted by: AlanC || 03/28/2015 15:04 Comments || Top||



Who's in the News
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Two weeks of WOT
Sat 2015-03-28
  Nigeria Recaptures Gwoza from Boko Haram
Fri 2015-03-27
  Egyptian navy has fired shots at Iranian warships
Thu 2015-03-26
  Yemen's Houthis take over state institutions in Aden
Wed 2015-03-25
  Unknown plane fires 3 rockets at Hadi's palace in Aden
Tue 2015-03-24
  White House: Israel's '50-year occupation' must end now
Mon 2015-03-23
  Yemeni president declares Aden provisional capital
Sun 2015-03-22
  US evacuates troops from south Yemen base
Sat 2015-03-21
  Westgate mastermind confirmed dead in Somalia airstrike
Fri 2015-03-20
  46 killed, 100 injured in suicide attacks on 2 Yemen mosques
Thu 2015-03-19
  117 BIFF millitants, six soldiers killed so far
Wed 2015-03-18
  19 Killed in Attack at Tunisia Museum; 2 Gunmen Dead After Firefight
Tue 2015-03-17
  Baghdad seeks airstrikes to rid Tikrit of IS; Saddam tomb leveled
Mon 2015-03-16
  Iraqi forces poised for final Tikrit assault
Sun 2015-03-15
  Suicide bombers kill 14 people outside Pakistani churches
Sat 2015-03-14
  Iraqi offensive on Tikrit appears to stall

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