So the Iraqi forces have captured Mosul, Tall Afar, and Hawija.

Around 1000 ISIS fighter surrendered rather than fight in the latest Hawija victory. That basically ends the pockets within eastern and northern Iraq.

Western Anbar province has the last territory controlled by ISIS. Mostly desert with no major population center.

There was an interesting report from the Tall Afar area about ISIS fighters paying high fees to smuggle themselves out of Tall Afar. Back into Syria. Given how quickly Tall Afar and Hawija fell I would guess a large number of militants did this.

So the energy of those fighters might break on Syrian troops rather than Iraqi. I still have a hard time with Assad partly controlling Syria, but at least his troops are better than ISIS.

It will be fastening to see what happens after ISIS loses all of its territory and all the vested parties try to hash it out.

10/5/2017 9:09:46 AM

Definitely good news for Iraq and also good their soldiers are getting experience.

Quote :

"I still have a hard time with Assad partly controlling Syria, but at least his troops are better than ISIS."

Yea, that's the shitty thing about geopolitics and limited resources.

[Edited on October 5, 2017 at 11:22 AM. Reason : a]

10/5/2017 11:21:55 AM

https://syria.liveuamap.com/en/2017/12-october-taf-peace-eagle-flying-near-idlib

Turkey armed forced entering FSA territory and setting up check points.

Stabilization force?

Protecting people from Assad?

Trying to claim hold in territory to eventually absorb into Turkey? I think there are a decent amount ethnic Turks in the area.

No idea but its significant.

10/13/2017 4:08:19 PM

That map site is amazing - I came across that earlier this year.

Turkey is there for the Kurds.

10/14/2017 12:26:24 AM

Just to reinforce: https://www.funker530.com/nato-member-turkey-suicide/

10/14/2017 3:33:04 AM

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/15/world/middleeast/kurds-independence-iraq.html

10/15/2017 11:37:49 PM

https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq-war/iraqi-army-controls-wide-regions-kirkuk-state-tv/

Interesting.

PleaseDontFightPleaseDontFightPleaseDontFight

10/16/2017 7:47:02 AM

http://taskandpurpose.com/kurds-iraq-kirkuk-kurdistan-referendum/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tp-today&utm_content=button

Quote :

"The Resurgent Conflict Between The Iraqi Government And The Kurds, Explained"

10/17/2017 10:47:53 AM

don't worry. I'm sure the U.S. has carefully planned out a peaceful solution well in advance.

10/17/2017 1:19:06 PM

Thanks, Obama?

More like Thanks, Linda!

10/24/2017 10:19:46 PM

So congress didn't know about Niger and Trump didn't authorize it so it looks like it was completely illegal. Now, people are saying we have to triple down to make these people pay for Americans who had no business there in the first place.

10/25/2017 7:48:21 PM

Didn’t Trump hand over autonomy to the field so to speak? He didn’t even sign off on MOAB.

[Edited on October 25, 2017 at 8:05 PM. Reason : Which is, of course, dangerous because the CiC will have a better pulse on potential diplomacy]

10/25/2017 8:04:58 PM

Congress was briefed on Africa deployments as well.

10/25/2017 8:57:12 PM

ISIS is expanding in Africa and we are trying to stay ahead of it. Some Muslim communities and tribes invite them in. But it always goes south. They brutalize most populations.

10/26/2017 1:10:13 PM

to the world cup...

Quote :

"Lionel Messi, Neymar Receive Threats from ISIS in Photoshopped Execution"

Quote :

" "you will not enjoy security until we live it in Muslim countries.""

10/31/2017 7:20:08 PM

http://isis.liveuamap.com/en/2017/3-november-iraqi-forces-gain-total-control-of-qaim-city-center

Fast gains by Iraqis. I cant imagine there was much resistance.

Now it all collapses. They run into the desert. Low level insurgency for several years.

All the recruiting efforts will happen in other countries. Afghanistan, Africa, SE Asia, Egypt, Libya.

Lets see what the Assad government does. What happens to Kurdish held territory? Will there be a dialogue or Assad trying to take back everything with brute force?

11/3/2017 10:19:57 AM

https://meduza.io/en/shapito/2017/11/14/russia-s-defense-ministry-cited-videogame-footage-as-irrefutable-evidence-of-u-s-isis-collaboration

11/14/2017 12:55:18 PM

Wow. Must read.

Raqqa's Dirty Secret

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/raqqas_dirty_secret

The world will be paying for a long time to come for the West giving safe passage to these monsters. They should have blown them up. WTF???

11/26/2017 9:26:42 PM

Yea, its a balancing act on letting them govern themselves vs defining strategy. There were many many civilians killed because they were being kept as hostages. Also, Kurds arnt as well armed as Iraqis and losses would have been pretty bad.

Also thought they might go fight Assad somewhere else and hopefully not get out of Syria.

11/27/2017 7:28:48 AM

This guys has dinosaur balls and extreme mental fortitude

Unmasked: Mosul Eye is anonymous historian who leaked Daesh secrets
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1205166/middle-east

Must read and watch.

12/12/2017 3:54:32 PM

Quote :

"The world will be paying for a long time to come for the West giving safe passage to these monsters. They should have blown them up. WTF???"

what's the cost/benefit analysis between liberating an entrenched force from an urban stronghold and sending them into the desert versus invading and killing every last individual in urban combat?

12/12/2017 4:02:02 PM

Lindsey graham said "If any american anywhere is killed by ISIS in the future, the responsibility will fall on (trump)". Is there anyone left who can suspend bias to evaluate the logic of that statement?

Another senator(I forgot who, dems and republicans are indistinguishable when it comes to the question of war), said our special forces should already be preparing to go back and take out ISIS all over again once Trump is gone.

We never had a roadmap or plan for ISIS even though our very presence is what created the organization. We're just supposed to stay in there forever. and the kurds? Where is their state? If we cared so much about the kurds why didn't we just push for a Kurdish state? When you see the strategy behind the lack of a Kurdish state, you will start to understand how all of this ties in.

[Edited on October 16, 2019 at 9:58 PM. Reason : military industrial complex is a big enemy ]

10/16/2019 9:57:15 PM

it is partisan bias to believe that the person who caused isis members to escape is responsible for isis escaping

10/16/2019 10:08:42 PM

its not parisan at all. The notion that we have to permanently be at war abroad is bipartisan and the "just not the right time" argument is a bullshit excuse too. It will never be a perfect time to leave under their conditions. Thats why we are STILL in Afghanistan. Americans should be pissed. This is a money drain and a life drain and is destroying the places we claim to be protecting.

The only thing benefiting from all of this is the pockets of defense contractors and all of their . puppet politicians in DC. Its all happening right in front of you. SEE IT.

Trump didn't set ISIS free. Thats complete bullshit. Also, ISIS is an ideology that will continue regardless of what we do. Some guy on his computer in Kansas could be planning an ISIS attack right now. Forever war is the cause of that, not the prevention.

This is one of . those times where I get so worked up and angry typing I can't even hit the right keys. Its always the bipartisan bullshit that hurts the most.

10/16/2019 10:17:18 PM

Then turn off the damn computer and volunteer to read to some kids at the library.

10/16/2019 10:40:45 PM

Quote :

"even though our very presence is what created the organization"

haha wtf. our very non-presence is what created ISIS(obama)

10/16/2019 11:43:49 PM

Quote :

" Then turn off the damn computer and volunteer to read to some kids at the library."

My guy literally seeked out protected twitter accounts to bitch about his last name being suspended from TWW, including people who had nothing to do with it (me).

Forgive me for not wanting him to be anywhere near kids.

https://twitter.com/cryptocommies/status/1019000105603457024?s=21

10/17/2019 5:54:04 AM

Reads like a Trump tweet.

10/17/2019 7:20:59 AM

tRuMp DiDn'T fReE iSIs

10/17/2019 8:50:57 AM

^^^There's a whole lot of wtf in that tweet. Care to elaborate on the background for this? Who is cryptocommies?

10/17/2019 9:18:31 AM

It’s Earl and his bucket of aliases.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to look at his tweets and figure out who it currently is on TWW.

10/17/2019 9:41:36 AM

This is my modern day library reading session of reading to children.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant
ISIS was named a terrorist group in 2004

Quote :

"When the Iraq-based insurgent group Mujahideen Shura Council announced it was establishing an Islamic State of Iraq in October 2006, it claimed authority over seven Iraqi provinces: Baghdad, Al Anbar, Diyala, Kirkuk, Saladin, Nineveh, and parts of Babil.[42]"

Weird how Obama did that with non presence.


With that research, you should also be able to see that I admire Kurdish Rojava for their anticapitalism and be able to tell that my support for withdrawal is actually because its the right thing. I believe Trump even mentioned that they were communists as a reason for withdrawal. Just because I take a different path to reach a similar conclusion, doesn't mean I'm like Trump.

^You have everything to do with it. Still no idea why you insist on saying I'm Earl.

10/17/2019 10:13:56 AM

i mean, qtnmfred knows if its earl or not, and the twitter stuff will likely get horosho banned [again] right?

10/17/2019 10:18:26 AM

Quote :

"This is my modern day library reading session of reading to children."

Naw, we're all inmates in this asylum.

10/17/2019 10:38:50 AM

hahahaha

he thought he included me in that tweet but it’s someone else

still creepy as fuck, tho

10/17/2019 11:05:52 AM

what did earl do in the past to get banned?

[Edited on October 17, 2019 at 11:15 AM. Reason : also how could he miss TWWs biggest social media personality who makes fun of him constantly?]

10/17/2019 11:10:55 AM