ISIS/ISIL conflict in Syria/Iraq (No OpEd, No Politics)

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

List of Iraqi aircraft that flew to Iran in 1990 during Gulf War I:

24 Mirage F-1s
4 MiG-23BN
2 Su-20
4 Su-22M2
9 Su-22M3
15 Su-22M4
24 Su-24
7 Su-25
4 MiG-29B
15 Il-76
2 Dassault Falcon 20
3 Dassault Falcon 50
It would be interesting to see how many could be made air worthy.


I will now get back to bottling my Malbec

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

Islamic State parading captured Iraqi army M198 howitzers in city of Raqqa, Syria.


SCUD and other captured stuff.
[video=youtube;wRCwq99czvE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRCwq99czvE[/video]

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

Looks like some of them are also wearing captured uniforms.

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

Miragedriver said:

List of Iraqi aircraft that flew to Iran in 1990 during Gulf War I:

24 Mirage F-1s
4 MiG-23BN
2 Su-20
4 Su-22M2
9 Su-22M3
15 Su-22M4
24 Su-24
7 Su-25
4 MiG-29B
15 Il-76
2 Dassault Falcon 20
3 Dassault Falcon 50
It would be interesting to see how many could be made air worthy.


I will now get back to bottling my Malbec

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I'd say the Su-20/22s, Su-25s , Mig-23 and Mirage F-1s are the ones being returned (if they still work), the rest are planes the Iranians would still rather keep for their own use.

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

no_name said:

Looks like some of them are also wearing captured uniforms.

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Or they are regular army that switched sides.

ISIS capturing heavy weapons is an embarrassment, but not all that big of a deal if they haven't got the expertise to use them effectively.

Heavy weapons with defecting troops fully trained on their operation are a completely different matter.

ISIS tactics may seem excessively cruel, barbaric, even nonsensical and counter productive to most of us, but we have to remember the realities on the ground.

Iraq is not a united people, and I think ISIS is being very deliberate and calculating with the excessive cruelty and barbarism it has shown because it wants to exploit the frail racial, tribal and religious fault lines that runs deep in Iraq, which had already explosively fractured during the American occupation resulting in huge casualties from Sunni-Shia violence.

It is a strategy ISIS had used to good effect so recently in Syria, so it would only be logical that they would be using a refined version of that tactic in Iraq.

The goal of ISIS is to be so brutal and cruel in its treatment of Shias that they turn on their Sunni neighbours in their blind rage. That will dive Sunnis into the waiting arms of ISIS while weakening Iraq's collective defence.

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

The understated point here Wolfie is that this situation is a Sunni revolt which is being led and co-ordinated by ISIS. On their own and without any assistance and support, they would not have been able to achieve a fraction of the gains they have taken.

The problem is now more than ISIS, it is the new Caliphate. Even if ISIS falls, implodes or is chased off by other militant groups, the Sunni Caliphate will still exist and prove a stronger lure than any single militant group.

It is a political and theological notion and ideal, let out of the bag and made flesh. It will prove very difficult to put it back in the bag and harder still, the longer it stands.

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

Broccoli said:

SCUD and other captured stuff.

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It could be a big trouble if they learn how to use that . Recently, tactics of islamists was to open artillery fire on Israeli positions near Golan Heights . Israel air force would then attack positions of Syrian army, effectively giving support to islamists . Imagine what would happen if they launch Scud type weapon (possibly filled with chemicals they captured) on Israel or Turkey .

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

SampanViking said:

The understated point here Wolfie is that this situation is a Sunni revolt which is being led and co-ordinated by ISIS. On their own and without any assistance and support, they would not have been able to achieve a fraction of the gains they have taken.

The problem is now more than ISIS, it is the new Caliphate. Even if ISIS falls, implodes or is chased off by other militant groups, the Sunni Caliphate will still exist and prove a stronger lure than any single militant group.

It is a political and theological notion and ideal, let out of the bag and made flesh. It will prove very difficult to put it back in the bag and harder still, the longer it stands.

Click to expand...

The country most in danger in the medium term is their original sponsor - Saudi Arabia. The caliphate might well become a civilizing factor in the World, as earlier caliphates were, but by then scores of years will have passed.

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

thunderchief said:

It could be a big trouble if they learn how to use that . Recently, tactics of islamists was to open artillery fire on Israeli positions near Golan Heights . Israel air force would then attack positions of Syrian army, effectively giving support to islamists . Imagine what would happen if they launch Scud type weapon (possibly filled with chemicals they captured) on Israel or Turkey .

Click to expand...

Scud was developed sixty years ago. It has been a military ineffective weapon already for a long time but it carries a name that is still feared due to incompetent or, more likely, false journalists.

Re: 2014 ISIS attack in Iraq: News, Views, Photos, Videos

We've heard that the Iraqi government has received at least 5 Su-25. Any news that they've started using these weapon against the ISIS?