Article

2015-02-10 Terror Networks

As defections rise, ISIS faces suicide bomber shortage

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2015-02-10 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top
File under: Islamic State

#1 Well, it not like you can use them again.

Posted by Steven 2015-02-10 01:36|| 2015-02-10 01:36|| Front Page Top

#2 AlQ, probably, rolling on the floor, laughing.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2015-02-10 03:16|| 2015-02-10 03:16|| Front Page Top

#3 Anyone actually believe 70 casualties has them under any pressure?

Posted by Rob Crawford 2015-02-10 06:04|| 2015-02-10 06:04|| Front Page Top

#4 Anyone actually believe 70 casualties has them under any pressure?

It's cumulative. 5500 sorties have been flown, using precision weaponry against ragtag rebels. 100K sorties were flown during Desert Storm, but a lot of that was dumb bombs, a fair chunk of which did a limited amount of damage. At this rate, I expect ISIS to disintegrate before the end of the year, as long as the Kurds and the Shiites keep up the ground campaign. Ultimately, they are serving the role of the Northern Alliance during the collapse of the Taliban in 2001 and 2002.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2015-02-10 07:46|| 2015-02-10 07:46|| Front Page Top

#5 The reason ISIS is crumbling is because Uncle Sam did the heavy lifting for almost a decade. There's no way the Shiites and the Kurds could have stood up against Saddam's remnants if the US had declared victory and left after executing Saddam. We are talking probably north of 100K men with battlefield experience fighting both Iran and Coalition forces.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2015-02-10 07:51|| 2015-02-10 07:51|| Front Page Top

#6 It's cumulative. 5500 sorties have been flown
It's not just the number of sorties or the quality of munitions, or even the accuracy of target selection intelligence; the will to accept collateral damage or mistakes can really ramp up the 'effectiveness' of the attacks.

Posted by Glenmore 2015-02-10 08:29|| 2015-02-10 08:29|| Front Page Top

#7 It's not just the number of sorties or the quality of munitions, or even the accuracy of target selection intelligence; the will to accept collateral damage or mistakes can really ramp up the 'effectiveness' of the attacks.

Obama has shown little reluctance to kill entire families via air attack when high-value jihadists were spotted.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2015-02-10 08:40|| 2015-02-10 08:40|| Front Page Top

#8 In the case of an active conventional battlefield, with an adversary who holds ground and needs to resupply his units with fresh troops, food, water and equipment, across a terrain that's mostly desert, there's no shortage of targets to interdict.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2015-02-10 08:44|| 2015-02-10 08:44|| Front Page Top

#9 "Suicide hotline, call now, our operators are standing by"

Posted by Frank G 2015-02-10 09:10|| 2015-02-10 09:10|| Front Page Top

#10 When a string of conquests proves they have Allah's blessing, a string of defeats proves they do not. Even having to scurry about in women's clothing and civilian vehicles instead of triumphant columns of captured humvees drives home the message of defeat rather than clever, temporary subterfuge.

Posted by trailing wife 2015-02-10 09:17|| 2015-02-10 09:17|| Front Page Top

#11 The Koran isn't big on robotics and automation is it? Sometimes fundamentalism sucks.

Posted by Procopius2k 2015-02-10 10:16|| 2015-02-10 10:16|| Front Page Top

23:20 KBK
22:41 KBK
22:17 JosephMendiola
21:57 JosephMendiola
21:55 JosephMendiola
21:47 JosephMendiola
21:43 JosephMendiola
21:30 JosephMendiola
21:19 chris
21:13 chris
20:36 regular joe
20:35 Zhang Fei
19:34 no mo uro
19:22 Anguper Hupomosing9418
19:08 jvalentour
19:04 Procopius2k
19:00 Zenobia Floger6220
18:57 DarthVader
18:50 Chuckles Shatle5927
18:46 USN, Ret.
18:42 USN, Ret.
18:36 USN, Ret.
18:36 Frank G
17:59 Zenobia Floger6220