Obama Surrenders Iraq

[American Patriot]

Appears Iran is getting involved in this.

[American Patriot]

Iran sends forces to Iraq as ISIS militants press forward, official says

By Faith Karimi and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
updated 12:23 PM EDT, Fri June 13, 2014

Source: CNN



STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Before intervening, U.S. wants assurances Iraq will seek political solution, President says
• Iran sends Revolutionary Guard units to Iraq, security official says
• Sunni tribal leaders supporting militant push, Saudi intelligence source says
• Representative of top Shiite cleric calls for Iraqis to take up arms against militants

Visit CNN Arabic and get updates on Iraq in Arabic.

(CNN) -- Emboldened militants, backed by Sunni tribal leaders, pushed toward Baghdad on Friday as Iran sent troops to fight alongside government forces. In Washington, increasingly nervous U.S. officials mulled their limited options to help slow the militants' advance.

In recent days, Iran has sent about 500 Revolutionary Guard troops to fight alongside Iraqi government security forces in Diyala province, a senior security official in Baghdad told CNN.
Meanwhile, Sunni tribal leaders have lined up behind radical Islamists from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, making their push toward Baghdad easier, a Saudi intelligence official told CNN's Nic Robertson.
Terrorists gain ground in Iraq fighting
More fighting ahead in Iraq?
Turkey affected in the Iraq crisis

Cities under siege in Iraq

As Iraq further disintegrated, residents fled Mosul in droves. Militants captured the country's second-largest city this week after soldiers scattered, leaving their uniforms and weapons behind.


The spreading violence prompted U.S. President Barack Obama to say the beleaguered government required assistance, but he warned Friday that it would take "several days" for the U.S. to react.


"This is not going to happen overnight," he told reporters.


And, he said, the United States will need assurances from Iraq's government that it will work to find a political solution the crisis.


A senior Obama administration official said Friday that the President has not yet made a decision on whether to act on any military options. But another senior administration official indicated that a decision could come as early as this weekend.


Airstrikes are among the options on the table, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Thursday. But there will be no repeat of a large U.S. troop presence on Iraqi soil.
"We are not contemplating ground troops," Carney said. "I want to be clear about that."


U.S. officials have also discussed bolstering ongoing efforts to send arms, equipment and intelligence information to help Iraq and its military.


Kerry: Wake-up call
Secretary of State John Kerry said Friday that the ISIS militants are a threat not just to Iraq, but to the United States and the rest of the world -- and that is why Obama is urgently considering his next steps.


"Every country that understands the importance of stability in the Middle East needs to be concerned about what is happening," Kerry said, speaking at a summit in London.
"That is why I am confident the United States will move rapidly and confidently in order to join with its allies in dealing with this challenge."


Kerry said the latest events had been a "wake-up call" for Iraq's divided political leadership, which has been accused of failing to address growing sectarian divisions.
The United States has a "very direct relationship" with Iraq, he said. "I don't think anybody in the region or in this administration believes it is in the interests of the United States to turn our backs on that."


The militants from ISIS want to establish a caliphate, or Islamic state, in the region -- stretching from Iraq into northern Syria, where it has had significant success battling the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.
Their lightning advance in Iraq has been aided by support from many Sunnis who feel that the Shia-dominated government has marginalized them.
Photos: Iraqi civilians flee Mosul



Militant group seizes cities in Iraq


What's next for Iraq?

U.N: Summary executions, mass displacement



This week's violence has created a brewing humanitarian crisis, thanks to the displacement of some 500,000 civilians from Mosul, and sparked fears of widespread rights abuses against civilians.

Militants take control of Iraqi city

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Friday expressed alarm over the rapid deterioration of the situation in the country.


"The full extent of civilian casualties is not yet known, but reports suggest the number of people killed in recent days may run into the hundreds, and the number of wounded is said to be approaching 1,000," Pillay said in a statement.


She said she was deeply disturbed by reports that ISIS fighters, including prisoners freed when the militants overran Mosul's prison Tuesday, "have been actively seeking out -- and in some cases killing -- soldiers, police and others, including civilians, whom they perceive as being associated with the government."
Her agency has received reports of the summary executions of Iraqi army soldiers during the capture of Mosul, and of 17 civilians on a street in the city on June 11, she said.
More than 500,000 people have fled the fighting in Mosul, the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday.
Jittery families eager to leave sat in traffic jams stretching as far as the eye could see.
The U.N. refugee agency said many left with little more than the clothes on their backs and were in urgent need of shelter, water, food and medical care.


ISIS fighters amid civilian population
According to several U.S. officials, the U.S. military has not finalized a proposed set of ISIS targets in Iraq for Obama, amid significant military concerns that strikes may prove futile against ISIS fighters who are dispersed and mingled with a civilian population.
Several more top-level meetings are scheduled in the next 48 hours, as Obama mulls his course of action.
"Our planning is looking at the full range of options," a senior U.S. official told CNN. Those options range from increasing U.S. surveillance flights over ISIS areas to potential airstrikes, the official acknowledged.
Iraq has indicated a willingness for the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes against the militants.
Iraq violence leaves more than 100 dead

Map: Unrest in Iraq





Washington has already provided $15 billion in training, weapons and equipment to the Iraqi government.

The country has been plagued by instability, though not on the current scale, for years. The United States led the 2003 invasion that toppled longtime leader Saddam Hussein.


Peshmerga gains
On Friday, fighting for control of towns in Iraq continued.
While the Iraqi army has done little to resist the advance of the ISIS militants, Kurdish fighters deployed by the semiautonomous Kurdish regional government, in coordination with Baghdad, are having more impact.


The Kurdish fighters, known as the Peshmerga, are battling ISIS in Iraq's eastern Diyala province, said Mohammed Moullah Hassan, mayor of Khanaqin, a predominantly Kurdish area of Diyala.


He told CNN that 95% of Jalawla'a was now under the control of the Peshmerga, while the town of Sadiya is encircled on one side by the Peshmerga and on the other by ISIS, with Iraqi security forces still in the town.


On Thursday, authorities said Kurdish troops had beaten back militants to control the entire province of Kirkuk.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Malaki has called on Iraqi citizens to join the fight against the militants.


That call was echoed Friday by a representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, the most powerful Shiite cleric in Iraq.
During his Friday sermon in Najaf, Sheikh Abdul Mahdi Al-Karbalai urged Iraqis to volunteer and fight for security forces. "The responsibility to confront and fight the terrorists is everyone's responsibility," he said.


Meanwhile, Iraq's Justice Ministry urged the prisoners freed by ISIS from Badoosh prison near Mosul to surrender to security authorities, according to a statement issued to the media.


It added that the detainees were convicted of civilian and criminal charges, not terror related offenses, and that a special pardon may be issued to absolve them from escape-related charges.


Iraq claims victory in Tikrit
After days of stunning defeats, Iraq claimed a key victory Thursday.


Tikrit, former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's hometown, was under full control of the military Thursday, state-run Iraqiya TV said. Just a day earlier, it appeared to be in the hands of militants.


Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said even though the military fled in Mosul this week, the government has since "taken a number of steps to push back the terrorists."
The Iraqi military carried out airstrikes overnight targeting the al-Ghazlany military base, just south of Mosul, where a group of ISIS militants was believed to be based, the Iraqi Defense Ministry said Thursday.


Footage surfaced on social media sites Thursday purportedly showing ISIS militants parading heavy artillery through Mosul, a predominantly Sunni city of 1.6 million.


U.S. contractors evacuated


State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said American citizens working on contracts supporting U.S. military sales to Iraq are being temporarily relocated.


Among those leaving for safety are U.S. contractors at a military base in Balad, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) north of Baghdad.


The security concerns were exacerbated by the seizure of 48 people, including diplomats, in a Wednesday raid on the Turkish Consulate.


Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Thursday that the health of those captured is "fine." He said the government was working to secure their release.


Militants also seized parts of Baiji, a small town on the main highway to Mosul where Iraq's largest oil refinery is located.


Earlier this year, ISIS took control of the city of Falluja and parts of Ramadi. Across the border in Syria, it controls towns such as Raqqa.

[American Patriot]

Now there are reports of people being beheaded.... lots of people.

[Malsua]

Of course, muslims just love chopping off heads.

[Avvakum]

Same bunch that's fighting the Syrian government in that civil war. American foreign policy has become totally deranged, it's almost as if.... Our President wants to make things as safe for Islam around the world as he possibly can.

[Ryan Ruck]

Is this going to be the next Benghazi?

200 U.S. contractors surrounded by jihadists in Iraq

No help from military as escape routes cut off

If this Contractor story is true, and those people have taken up arms against the terrorists, and Obama lets them die....

then God HELP America.

Something else to consider, I'm willing to bet not all of those "contractors" are of the door kicking variety. There's probably a lot of support type contractors in there.

[Avvakum]

Something else to consider, I'm willing to bet not all of those "contractors" are of the door kicking variety. There's probably a lot of support type contractors in there.

I have a feeling that Obama is going to dither until something happens to these contractors-if they get out before he has to do something, that would be great for him, if not he can weather the storm because he'd rather be seen as an incompetent than as a Moslem Jihadi enabler.

[vector7]

HORROR! ISIS Executes Truckloads of Iraqis in a Ditch Near Tikrit (PHOTOS)

Posted by Jim Hoft on Sunday, June 15, 2014, 1:10 AM




ISIS forces reportedly murdered hundreds of “security forces” near Tikrit this week.
The Islamist group ISIS loaded the “security forces” on at least one truck.

If you look at the picture you’ll notice the “security forces” were dressed in pedestrian clothes.
Here is another load of Iraqi prisoners in a different truck.

@khalidalsubaie
The prisoners were then led to a ditch outside Tikrit.

(The Standard)
The victims were slaughtered like animals in a ditch.

Here’s another view of the ISIS slaughter.
The prisoners were sprayed with bullets and left to die.

What savages.
The Austrian reported on the ISIS mass executions (translated):

The images show how hundreds of people are transported on trucks to their execution. Then they are by armed masked to an obviously uninhabited area driven where they have to lie down side by side with his face to the ground. Then it is seen as a fighter of the ISIS goes along the row with a machine gun and shoots one after another. There are dozens of images, but the majority is too brutal to publish it.
Even before the days claimed ISIS to have captured when taking Mosul 4,500 Iraqi soldiers. The 3000 including Sunnis should be freed, according to ISIS Propaganda, 1700 Shiites, however, had been executed. With the images now published on an official ISIS-channel, the terror group apparently wants to provide the proof. The claims of the radical Islamic group can not be independently verified. Similarly, the place of execution, which is supposed to act according to jihadist propaganda to the province of Salah ad-Din.

[Avvakum]

HORROR! ISIS Executes Truckloads of Iraqis in a Ditch Near Tikrit (PHOTOS)

Posted by Jim Hoft on Sunday, June 15, 2014, 1:10 AM




ISIS forces reportedly murdered hundreds of “security forces” near Tikrit this week.
The Islamist group ISIS loaded the “security forces” on at least one truck.

If you look at the picture you’ll notice the “security forces” were dressed in pedestrian clothes.
Here is another load of Iraqi prisoners in a different truck.

@khalidalsubaie
The prisoners were then led to a ditch outside Tikrit.

(The Standard)
The victims were slaughtered like animals in a ditch.

Here’s another view of the ISIS slaughter.
The prisoners were sprayed with bullets and left to die.

What savages.
The Austrian reported on the ISIS mass executions (translated):

The images show how hundreds of people are transported on trucks to their execution. Then they are by armed masked to an obviously uninhabited area driven where they have to lie down side by side with his face to the ground. Then it is seen as a fighter of the ISIS goes along the row with a machine gun and shoots one after another. There are dozens of images, but the majority is too brutal to publish it.
Even before the days claimed ISIS to have captured when taking Mosul 4,500 Iraqi soldiers. The 3000 including Sunnis should be freed, according to ISIS Propaganda, 1700 Shiites, however, had been executed. With the images now published on an official ISIS-channel, the terror group apparently wants to provide the proof. The claims of the radical Islamic group can not be independently verified. Similarly, the place of execution, which is supposed to act according to jihadist propaganda to the province of Salah ad-Din.

Coming to a town near you, considerably less than 50 to 100 years from now.

[MinutemanCO]

I'd bet my last dollar that Obama is not only enabling this inhuman slaughter, but (dare I say) enjoying it. I don't think he views himself as only a Muslim sympathizer. How do extreme narcissists view themselves? I'll leave the result to your imaginations.

[Ryan Ruck]

I'd bet my last dollar that Obama is not only enabling this inhuman slaughter, but (dare I say) enjoying it. I don't think he views himself as only a Muslim sympathizer. How do extreme narcissists view themselves? I'll leave the result to your imaginations.

[American Patriot]

Something else to consider, I'm willing to bet not all of those "contractors" are of the door kicking variety. There's probably a lot of support type contractors in there.

Ryan, I doubt any of them are of the door kicking variety. I know people (Or used to know people) over there. My son's Father in Law was one of them. I know 6 more that have gone over there in recent months and no clue where they are. None of them were security types, all of them were either former military or have some kind of military training through.

I think MOST of them are like you and I, computer geeks who work on systems to keep things going, or mechanics.

[American Patriot]

U.S. considers air strikes, action with Iran to halt Iraq rebels

By Ziad al-Sanjary and Susan Heavey
MOSUL Iraq/WASHINGTON Mon Jun 16, 2014 11:19am EDT

19 Comments

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Oil up as U.S. looks to Iran over Iraq (01:37)


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(Reuters) - The United States said it could launch air strikes and act jointly with its arch-enemy Iran to support the Iraqi government, after a rampage by Sunni Islamist insurgents across Iraq that has torn up traditional alliances in the Middle East.
Militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant have routed Baghdad's army and seized the north of the country in the past week, threatening to dismember Iraq and unleash all-out sectarian warfare with no regard for national borders.
Joint action between the United States and Iran to help prop up the government of their mutual ally would be unprecedented since Iran's 1979 revolution, demonstrating the urgency of the alarm raised by the lightning insurgent advance.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called the advance an "existential threat" for Iraq. Asked if the United States could cooperate with Iran against the insurgents, Kerry told Yahoo News: "I wouldn't rule out anything that would be constructive."
As for air strikes: "They're not the whole answer, but they may well be one of the options that are important," he said. "When you have people murdering, assassinating in these mass massacres, you have to stop that. And you do what you need to do if you need to try to stop it from the air or otherwise."
Britain, once Washington's only major battlefield ally in Iraq, announced it had already reached out to Iran in recent days. A U.S. official said meetings with Iran could come this week on the sidelines of separate international nuclear talks.
Iran has longstanding ties to Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and other Shi'ite politicians who came to power in Iraq after the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.
ISIL seeks a caliphate ruled on mediaeval Sunni Muslim precepts in Iraq and Syria, fighting against both Iraq's Maliki and Syria's Bashar al-Assad. It considers all Shi'ites to be heretics deserving death and has boasted of massacring hundreds of Iraqi troops who surrendered to its forces last week.
Its fighters are joined by other armed Sunni groups, who oppose what they say is oppression by Maliki's Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad.
ISIL fighters and allied Sunni tribesmen overran yet another town on Monday, Saqlawiya west of Baghdad, where they captured six Humvees and two tanks, adding to an arsenal of U.S.-provided armor they have seized from the disintegrating army.
Eyewitnesses said Iraqi army helicopters were hovering over the town to try to provide cover for retreating troops.
"It was a crazy battle and dozens were killed from both sides. It is impossible to reach the town and evacuate the bodies," said a medical source at a hospital in the nearby largely insurgent-held city of Fallujah.
Overnight the fighters also captured the mainly ethnic Turkmen city of Tal Afar in northwestern Iraq after heavy fighting on Sunday, solidifying their grip on the north.
"The city was overrun by militants. Severe fighting took place, and many people were killed. Shi'ite families have fled to the west and Sunni families have fled to the east," said a city official who asked not to be identified.
Tal Afar is a short drive west from Mosul, the north's main city, which ISIL seized last week at the start of its push. Fighters then swept through towns and cities on the Tigris before halting about an hour's drive north of Baghdad.
Iraq's army is holding out in Samarra, a Tigris city that is home to a Shi'ite shrine. A convoy traveling to reinforce the troops there was ambushed late on Sunday by Sunni fighters near the town of Ishaqi. Fighting continued through Monday morning.
OBAMA WEIGHING OPTIONS
U.S. President Barack Obama pulled out all American troops in 2011 and has ruled out sending them back, although he says he is weighing other military options, such as air strikes. A U.S. aircraft carrier has sailed into the Gulf. CNN reported that it was accompanied by a Navy warship carrying 550 Marines.
The only U.S. military contingent on the ground is the security staff at the U.S. embassy. Washington said on Sunday it was evacuating some diplomatic staff and sending about 100 extra marines and other personnel to help safeguard the facilities.
The sprawling fortified compound on the banks of the Tigris is the largest and most expensive diplomatic mission ever built, a vestige of the days when 170,000 U.S. troops fought to put down a sectarian civil war that followed the 2003 invasion.
Iraqis now face the prospect of a replay of that extreme violence, but this time without American forces to intervene.
Potential cooperation between the United States and Iran shows how dramatically the ISIL advance has redrawn the map of Middle East alliances in a matter of days.
Rouhani has presided over a gradual thaw with the West, including secret talks with Washington that led to a breakthrough preliminary deal last year to ease sanctions in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program. But open cooperation against a mutual threat would be unprecedented.
A spokesman for British Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that London had already made overtures to Tehran.
A U.S. official said talks over Iraq between U.S. and Iranian officials could take place this week in Vienna, where both sides are attending nuclear negotiations.
SAUDI FEARS
Iran blames the United States and its Gulf Arab allies for stoking Sunni militancy in the region by backing the uprising against Tehran's ally Assad in Syria, where ISIL emerged as a dominant Sunni rebel group in a three-year civil war.
Asked if Iran would work with the United States against ISIL, Rouhani said on Saturday: "We can think about it, if we see America starts confronting the terrorist groups in Iraq or elsewhere."
Any rapprochement between Washington and Tehran over Iraq could anger U.S. allies Israel and the Sunni Gulf Arab states. Saudi Arabia, the Gulf's main Sunni power, said it rejected foreign interference in Iraq, and blamed Baghdad's "sectarian and exclusionary policies" for fuelling the insurgency.
ISIL fighters began their assault last week by capturing Mosul. They swept through other Sunni cities in the Tigris valley north of Baghdad, including Saddam's hometown Tikrit, where they captured and apparently massacred troops stationed at Speicher air base, once one of the main U.S. troop headquarters.
A series of pictures distributed on a purported ISIL Twitter account appeared to show gunmen from the Islamist group shooting dozens of men, unarmed and lying prone on the ground.
Captions said the pictures showed hundreds of army deserters captured as they tried to flee the fighting. They were shown being transported in the backs of trucks, led to an open field, laid down in rows and shot by several masked gunmen. In several pictures, the black ISIL flag can be seen.
"This is the fate of the Shi'ites which Nuri brought to fight the Sunnis," a caption to one of the pictures reads.
ISIL said it executed 1,700 soldiers out of 2,500 it had captured in Tikrit. Although those numbers appear exaggerated, the total could still be in the hundreds. A former local official in Tikrit told Reuters ISIL had captured 450-500 troops at Speicher and another 100 elsewhere in Tikrit. Some 200 troops are still believed to be holding out in Speicher.
Power and running water were off in Tikrit, leaving residents dependent on water being brought in by tanker trucks.
With ISIL's advance halted on the Tigris an hour's drive north of the capital, fighters also hold most of the Euphrates valley to the west, which they captured at the start of the year, bringing them to the gates of the city of 7 million.
Shi'ites, who form the majority in Iraq and are based mainly in the south, have rallied to defend the country, with thousands of volunteers turning out to join the security forces after a mobilization call by the top Shi'ite cleric.
ISIL emerged after Saddam's fall, fought against the U.S. occupation as al Qaeda's Iraq branch and broke away from al Qaeda after joining the civil war in Syria. It says the movement founded by Osama bin Laden is no longer radical enough.
(Additional reporting by Isabel Coles and David Sheppard in Arbil, Raheem Salman, Ahmed Rasheed and Ned Parker in Baghdad, Alexander Dziadosz and Samia Nakhoul in Beirut and Missy Ryan and Jim Loney in Washington; Writing by Peter Graff; Editing by Alastair Macdonald and Giles Elgood)

[American Patriot]

'Foreign Legion' in Iraq and Syria may bring jihad to West

By Paul Cruickshank and Tim Lister, CNN
updated 11:07 AM EDT, Mon June 16, 2014

Your video will begin momentarily.


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• ISIS militants have taken control of towns in Iraq and Syria
• The group includes jihadists who have traveled from Europe and elsewhere to fight
• Citizens from France, Germany, Denmark, U.S. have carried out bombings in Iraq and Syria
• Security experts are concerned that Western militants may return home to cause chaos

(CNN) -- Abu Usama appears to be in his late 20s. With a neat ginger beard and a rifle slung over his shoulder, he addresses fellow Muslims back in Germany from his new home in northern Syria.
In a 9-minute video released by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), he explains that he took his name from Osama bin Laden, because "he hit the head of injustice, and he is the one who terrorized [the West] as they terrorized us. Since they did not stop doing this, we will treat them in kind."
He asks his audience: "Are you happy with your life in Germany? Going to the nightclubs and having female friends?" according to a translation of the video by SITE Intelligence.
Abu Usama then appeals for Muslims to join the struggle led by ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi. Addressing al Baghdadi, he says: "The entire world is against you, because you are inviting to establish the Islamic State. Therefore, we love you and we stand beside you."
The message was recorded last November. There is no record of Abu Usama since then. German media have reported that he is a former pizza delivery driver from a small town in North Rhine-Westphalia.
But just how many have beaten the same path as Abu Usama -- from Florida and France, Austria and Australia? And if they come home, will they bring terrorism with them?
Kurdish fighters hold back ISIS
Brutal group behind violence in Iraq
Obama criticized over handling of Iraq
Iraqi commander: 'There will be blood'
ISIS's ambitions are focused on creating an "emirate" in the parts of Syria and Iraq it now controls, as the first step toward the greater goal of a wider Islamic caliphate. But any U.S. military action to support the Iraqi government could change that. If it chose to, ISIS could unleash a tide of young men with "clean" passports, fighting or bomb-making skills and unshakeable belief on their home countries.
In his video, Abu Usama said it was the Americans who were the terrorists.
The task of counter-terrorism agencies is complicated by the fact that in many Western states it is not illegal to travel to Syria. After all, these governments are supporting the Free Syrian Army and many who do go are inspired by humanitarian concerns.
A senior U.S. official, who spoke to CNN on condition of anonymity, said last week that events in Syria and Iraq are dominating discussions in the counter-terrorism community. The official said ISIS was now focused on Iraq, but "the big concern" was that it will shift its attention to the West -- identifying, recruiting and training Western individuals to return to their homelands as hardened, combat-trained extremists.
The signs are there. In January, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi blamed "Jews and Crusaders" for stoking infighting between jihadist groups in Syria, adding: "Very soon you will be in direct confrontation—you will be forced to do so, Allah permitting."
A French-Algerian extremist, Mehdi Nemmouche, is accused of killing four people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels last month. When French police arrested him they also seized a Kalashnikov rifle wrapped in a flag bearing the ISIS insignia, according to prosecutors, who said Nemmouche spent about a year fighting in Syria. It is not known whether he joined ISIS.
At best, Western intelligence has a worryingly incomplete picture of who has traveled to join ISIS and other jihadist groups, despite some success in ascertaining identities through electronic eavesdropping and monitoring social media.
There is very little first-hand intelligence from Iraq or Syria; the majority of foreign fighters have traveled via Turkey. Authorities in France believe some 800 French nationals have travelled to Syria, or intend to. Analysts believe as many as 100 American citizens have made the trek. One additional concern: most Europeans are able to travel to the U.S. without visas.
French and German citizens have carried out suicide bombings in Syria this year. So has at least one American. Last month, 22-year old Moner Mohammad Abusalha from Florida became the first American suicide bomber in Syria, after joining ISIS rival and al Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.
I don't think the public realizes the seriousness of the problem. The penny hasn't dropped. But Syria is a game-changer
Richard Walton, head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command



UK police say they made 40 arrests for Syria-related offences in the first three months of this year, almost double the number of the entire previous year.
Richard Walton, head of Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism command, warned last year there were signs these recruits could be turned around to launch attacks in the UK. "I don't think the public realizes the seriousness of the problem," he said. "The penny hasn't dropped. But Syria is a game-changer."
FBI Director James Comey said last month: "There's going to be a diaspora out of Syria at some point, and we are determined not to let lines be drawn from Syria today to a future 9/11."
Aaron Zelin, a fellow at the Washington Center for Near East Policy, estimates that almost 3,000 European citizens have travelled to fight in Syria.
Many of these young men were drawn to the cause of overthrowing Bashar al-Assad and establishing an Islamic state in part or all of Syria. They see themselves as the foot soldiers of a fledgling Islamic emirate at the heart of the Arab world. But now it is ISIS -- not al Qaeda -- that is bringing the dream of a new Islamic Caliphate so tantalizingly close.
If the group can retain even a few of its spectacular gains in Iraq, adding to the northern parts of Syria it already controls, the flow of foreign fighters from the Arab world and the West will likely be turbo-charged. ISIS has already proved adept at releasing a string of propaganda videos featuring foreign fighters.
So far, the little evidence that has come to light -- mainly from ISIS's own announcements -- suggests that most suicide bombers in Iraq have been Arabs, including Moroccans, Tunisians and Jordanians. But in March, it celebrated the martyrdom of a Dane who had been involved in an attack against an Iraqi army base in Taji, north of Baghdad.
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Another Dane detonated a suicide car bomb against Iraqi troops south of Mosul, and a French citizen bombed a police headquarters in Mosul, the group said in May, in a statement translated by SITE Intelligence. The Frenchman, called Abu al-Qa'qa' al-Firansi, had come to Iraq through Syria.
Al Qaeda in Pakistan taught many European and American recruits how to make high-explosive bombs out of readily available materials. To date there is no public evidence that ISIS or Jabhat al-Nusra have provided Western recruits with bomb-making training tailored for "taking home." Attacking the West has not been a priority for either group to date. But it would be naïve to think that overt U.S. military action -- such as air strikes -- against ISIS fighters in Iraq would not provoke a response.
Laith Alkhouri, an analyst at Flashpoint says the United States would be crossing a red line: "The risk of terrorist attacks in the West will increase because ISIS will see any U.S. intervention as the Crusaders trying to stop an Islamic state rising."
Al Qaeda operatives in the region, despite their differences with ISIS, may also step up attempts to hit the West in the wake of any U.S. strikes. Last month the U.S. Treasury department stated that Abd Al-Rahman al-Juhani, a high-ranking Saudi al Qaeda operative previously based in Pakistan was now operating in Syria and "part of a group of senior al Qaeda members in Syria formed to conduct external operations against Western targets."
Many analysts expect retaliation would be against U.S. interests overseas, rather than the in homeland itself. It has been a growing focus of discussion on jihadist forums. U.S. allies in the region are already concerned about ISIS spreading its wings. In March, Saudi Arabia designated ISIS a terrorist group; hundreds of Saudis are said to have joined the group.
The challenge posed by ISIS is compounded by the fact that it treats Iraq and Syria as one theatre of war. It has even declared the border as non-existent. Its fighters have great mobility, and may gain experience of a variety of combat situations. And as an organization it has depth.
"While observers tend to focus on the 'Syria foreign fighter issue,' the problem actually spans two countries. Iraq is now a key part of the same quandary that Western leaders have been attempting to figure out in Syria for some time," says Zelin.
Additionally, ISIS has shown itself entirely independent -- and highly critical - of al Qaeda 'Central' under the leadership of Ayman al Zawahiri. It has set itself up as the real bearer of Osama bin Laden's legacy, and may be tempted to cement its growing reputation by announcing its reach far beyond Mosul or Raqqa, its "capital" in Syria.
The senior U.S. official said ISIS was growing and making a huge name for itself. "And what better way to capitalize on that than make a major attack in the West?" he added.

[American Patriot]

Obama Heads Back to Washington Facing Iraq Choice

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. June 16, 2014 (AP)
By NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press








Wrapping up a weekend away with his family, President Barack Obama was returning to Washington Monday faced with an impending choice on how to act to stop violent insurgents bringing chaos to Iraq.


The White House said Obama got several updates on the crisis in phone calls from National Security Adviser Susan Rice during his weekend stay with his wife, daughter Malia and friends in the Palm Springs area. Obama said as he left for the trip Friday that he told his national security team to come up with options for U.S. assistance to deal with the worst instability in Iraq since the U.S. withdrawal in 2011.


White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Rice's telephone briefings included updates on developments in Iraq, options being discussed for action and the movement of some staff out of the embassy in Baghdad amid the threat posed by the al-Qaida inspired insurgency. The calls came amid Obama's trip to Orange County Saturday to raise money and deliver a commencement address at the University of California, Irvine, plus rounds of golf back in the desert resort town of Rancho Mirage.


Obama golfed with aides Sunday at Porcupine Creek, a course owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison. Saturday gave him a chance to return to the Sunnylands estate where he's visited three times in the past year. Obama stayed at Sunnylands in two previous visits to the area, but this time was hosted by White House decorator Michael Smith and his partner, James Costos, the American ambassador to Spain.


Obama said Friday that he would take several days to review a wide range of options for action in Iraq, although he ruled out the possibility of sending in American ground troops. Administration officials said other options being weighed include strikes using drones or manned aircraft, as well as boosts in surveillance and intelligence gathering, including satellite coverage and other monitoring efforts.


Obama said the violence "should be a wake-up call" to the Iraqi government to improve sectarian relations and improve its security force. "We can't do it for them. And in the absence of this type of political effort, short-term military action, including any assistance we might provide, won't succeed," Obama said.


Iraqi leaders have been pleading with the U.S. for additional help to combat the insurgency for more than a year. While the U.S. has sold Iraq military equipment, the Obama administration has resisted drone strikes.


———
Follow Pickler at http://twitter.com/nedrapickler

[vector7]

Companion Thread:

• Taliban Prisoner Swap Frees U.S. Soldier Held Nearly 5 Years

Obama Administration Releases 12 More Terrorist Detainees From Afghan Prison

Posted by Jim Hoft on Monday, June 16, 2014, 12:21 AM
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014...afghan-prison/

Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), has transformed a few terror cells on the verge of extinction into the most dangerous militant group in the world.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi or Abu Dua was once held by the US in Camp Bucca Iraq.



(The Telegraph)

But the Obama administration shut down the Bucca prison camp and released its prisoners, including Abu Dua in 2009.

Now Abu Dua and ISIS are on threatening to take control of Baghdad.

Now this…

The Obama administration released 12 more terrorist detainees from a small US military prison in Afghanistan this week.

Reuters reported, via Jihad Watch:The Obama administration has quietly repatriated a dozen detainees from a small U.S. military prison in Afghanistan, moving a modest step closer toward winding down the United States’ controversial post-9/11 detainee system.

President Barack Obama, in a letter to Congress released on Thursday, informed U.S. lawmakers that about 38 non-Afghan prisoners remained at the Parwan detention center outside of Kabul, down from around 50 a few months ago.

A U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that a Frenchman, a Kuwaiti and 10 Pakistani prisoners were sent back to their respective home countries at the end of May.

The remaining detainees include Yemeni, Tunisian and more Pakistani nationals, and a Russian who the United States is also considering trying in a military or civilian court.

The transfers, which are not publicly disclosed, underscore the challenges the Obama administration faces in shutting down Parwan and the larger U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, which has been widely criticized by human rights groups since being populated in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

Many of the detainees have not been charged with a crime, but the release of any military detainees has the potential to intensify the political backlash the Obama administration is facing over its handling of suspected militants captured in Afghanistan and elsewhere since 2001.








Whir Chunk ‏@WhirChunk 1m

Why will #BarackObama "stand with" #Ukraine but not with #Iraq?

[vector7]

Why Saudi Arabia and Qatar want to Eradicate Iraq



http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/15/op...s&emc=rss&_r=1

SundayReview | Op-Ed Columnist
The End of Iraq
Changing Maps in the Mideast

JUNE 14, 2014
Ross Douthat
Comments 41

EVERY so often, in the post-9/11 era, an enterprising observer circulates a map of what the Middle East might look like, well, after: after America’s wars in the region, after the various revolutions and counterrevolutions, after the Arab Spring and the subsequent springtime for jihadists, after the Sunni-Shiite struggle for mastery. At some point, these cartographers suggest, the wave of post-9/11 conflict will necessarily redraw borders, reshape nation-states, and rub out some of the lines drawn by Sir Mark Sykes and François Georges-Picot in a secret Anglo-French treaty almost 100 years ago.

In 2006, it was Ralph Peters, the retired lieutenant colonel turned columnist, who sketched a map that subdivided Saudi Arabia and Pakistan and envisioned Kurdish, Sunni and Shiite republics emerging from a no-longer-united Iraq. Two years later, The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg imagined similar partings-of-the-ways, with new microstates — an Alawite Republic, an Islamic Emirate of Gaza — taking shape and Afghanistan splitting up as well. Last year, it was Robin Wright’s turn in this newspaper, in a map that (keeping up with events) subdivided Libya as well.

Peters’s map, which ran in Armed Forces Journal, inspired conspiracy theories about how this was America’s real plan for remaking the Middle East. But the reality is entirely different: One reason these maps have remained strictly hypothetical, even amid regional turmoil, is that the United States has a powerful interest in preserving the Sykes-Picot status quo.

This is not because the existing borders are in any way ideal. Indeed, there’s a very good chance that a Middle East that was more politically segregated by ethnicity and faith might become a more stable and harmonious region in the long run.

Such segregation is an underappreciated part of Europe’s 20th-century transformation into a continent at peace. As Jerry Muller argued in Foreign Affairs in 2008, the brutal ethnic cleansing and forced migrations that accompanied and followed the two world wars ensured that “for the most part, each nation in Europe had its own state, and each state was made up almost exclusively of a single ethnic nationality,” which in turn sapped away some of the “ethnonational aspirations and aggression” that had contributed to imperialism, fascism and Hitler’s rise.

But this happened after the brutal ethnic cleansing that accompanied and followed two world wars. There’s no good reason to imagine that a redrawing of Middle Eastern borders could happen much more peacefully. Which is why American policy makers, quite sensibly, have preferred the problematic stability of current arrangements to the long-term promise of a Free Kurdistan or Baluchistan, a Greater Syria or Jordan, a Wahhabistan or Tripolitania.

This was true even of the most ambitious (and foolhardy) architects of the Iraq invasion, who intended to upset a dictator-dominated status quo ... but not, they mostly thought, in a way that would redraw national boundaries. Instead, the emphasis was on Iraq’s potential for post-Saddam cohesion, its prospects as a multiethnic model for democratization and development. That emphasis endured through the darkest days of our occupation, when the voices calling for partition — including the current vice president, Joe Biden — were passed over and unity remained America’s strategic goal.

But now that strategy has almost failed. De facto, with the shocking advance of militants toward Baghdad, there are now three states in what we call Iraq: one Kurdish, one Shiite and one Sunni — with the last straddling the Iraq-Syria border and “governed” by jihadists.

This means that Iraq is now part of an arc, extending from Hezbollah’s fiefdom in Lebanon through war-torn Syria, in which official national borders are notional at best. And while full dissolution is not yet upon us, the facts on the ground in Iraq look more and more like Peters’s map than the country that so many Americans died to stabilize and secure.

What’s more, we pretty clearly lack both the will and the capacity to change them. It is possible, as The New Yorker’s Dexter Filkins has argued, that a clearer Obama administration focus on Iraq, and a more effective attempt to negotiate a continued American presence three years ago, could have prevented this unraveling. (Little about this White House’s recent foreign policy record inspires much confidence in its efforts in Iraq.)

But now? Now our leverage relative to the more immediate players is at a modern low point, and the progress of regional war has a momentum that U.S. airstrikes are unlikely to arrest.

Our basic interests have not altered: better stability now, better the Sykes-Picot borders with all their flaws, than the very distant promise of a postconflict Middle Eastern map.

But two successive administrations have compromised those interests: one through recklessness, the other through neglect. Now the map is changing; now, as in early-20th-century Europe, the price of transformation is being paid in blood.



http://english.alarabiya.net/en/view...e-to-hell.html

Iraq… welcome to hell
Saturday, 14 June 2014
Abdulrahman al-Rashed

I will not be exaggerating at all if I say that in Iraq we are facing a new crisis more dangerous than Syria, Libya and Yemen. In Iraq, there are all forms of madness and crazy people who have lost their minds. All this is happening and the U.S. president has not yet understood the gravity of the situation in the whole region. With every day that passes, he shall await an increasingly difficult and expensive tomorrow.

Now in Iraq, a new war is about to begin, and it has already started in three provinces. Incitement to war is at its highest level, as Shiite clerics call upon millions of their followers to defend the holy sites. The mufti of the Sunnis has asked millions to support the rebels. As for the government, it is represented by Nouri al-Maliki, a Prime Minister whose term has expired and is in a case of euphoria as he sees that his chance to stay in power is increasing. He is also in contact with the Iranian regime. Iran is increasingly eager to expand into Iraq under the pretext of supporting the Shiites.

Today, civil war has come closer than ever since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Regional and international reactions are now urgently needed to curb the prospect of civil war.
Distinguishing between facts and myths

Amid all this anger, it is necessary for us to understand the constants and variables, and distinguish between facts and myths. We should keep in mind all the possibilities for months and perhaps years.

At the same time, Arab Sunnis should not keep silent about criminal and internationally wanted groups that take advantage of their misery and step up to defend their cases
Abdulrahman al-Rashed

Of course, the crisis had backgrounds leading up to the fall of Mosul, Iraq's second city, as it was preceded by clashes in Anbar six months ago. We can say that it actually all goes back to 10 years ago with the start of the American invasion, or 20 years ago when Saddam invaded Kuwait, or 30 years ago with the war against Iran.

It can even go back to earlier when an Iranian cleric reached power in Iran and immediately announced a religious and sectarian regime, and threatened its neighbors to export the revolution, or when Saddam isolated his president Hassan al-Bakr paving the way for a dictatorial and terrifying reign in Iraq. We can also go back to 14 centuries ago, when the Sahaba (The Prophet's companions) killed each others for power. First, Caliph Uthman was assassinated and 5 years later, Caliph Ali was killed. The history of Muslims has changed since that day!

When talking about the roots of the crisis, we can pick out any year and build on it a proper defense, according to whatever political theory we want. But this does not eliminate the most important fact, which is that the crisis was always instigated by new conditions. The responsibility is on those involved in it today, whatever the motives and justifications were.
Maliki and Obama are responsible

There is no doubt that Maliki is fully responsible for this crisis. President Obama is also to be blamed as he had the ability to put pressures on the Iraqi prime minister to adopt a conciliatory political project involving various Iraqi forces, but he did not do so.

Maliki has taken over power, taking advantage of this American protection. He has expelled his Shiite allies and took all the decisions by himself. He excluded and offended about one-third of the Iraqi population, Arab Sunnis, and therefore this situation can only generate a continued disobedience, which threatens the stability of Iraq and the state’s structure.

At the same time, Arab Sunnis should not keep silent about criminal and internationally wanted groups that take advantage of their misery and step up to defend their cases, mainly ISIS and al-Qaeda. Unlike what irresponsible people and pretenders might say, they are threatening the Sunni countries; and here is Turkey calling for the NATO intervention after ISIS seized its consulate and kidnapped about 50 diplomats and citizens. Log into the Iraqi ISIS website and you will find that it is a replica of the Syrian ISIS website, which succeeded in tarnishing the Syrian revolution and served Assad’s regime. Their speech is the same as the one that threatened the security of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, and is now wreaking havoc in Yemen.

Are those taking part in the uprising members of ISIS, of the Baath party, or clan members?

I will continue this discussion tomorrow.

This article was first published on Asharq al-Awsat on June 14, 2014.

http://www.policymic.com/articles/91...-the-pipelines
(fair use applies)

To Understand the Crisis in Iraq, Follow the Pipelines
Jenna Kagel 16 hours ago

The news: Terrorist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the world's richest terrorist group, now controls large portions of both Iraq and Syria. Even though al-Qaida ended formal association with the Islamic extremists in February, they've grown large enough to seize areas with particularly lucrative oil resources. By transporting and selling oil to and throughout their regime, ISIS is becoming even wealthier and expanding their power.

The faction's agenda includes money, armed forces, religion and, now increasingly, oil. And it's that last one that poses the largest threat in taking down the Syrian government and creating the proto state they want.

Aaron Zelin, an analyst with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, recently discovered a 2006 map where ISIS projected their potential control.



To get a clearer understanding of the region, this current map illustrates where attacks have occurred and shows the controlled provinces in detail.



By comparing the two, ISIS starts to look like a fine-tuned group with the ability to achieve their ambitious goals. They plotted out regions to control in Syria and northern Iraq with oil in mind.

The New York Times reported that so far ISIS has taken over oilfields in Syria and resumed pumping. On Wednesday, forces gained control of Iraq's largest oil refinery and power plant, Baiji. Even worse, the insurgents have "secured revenue by selling electricity to the government from captured power plants."

In January the Telegraph reported that ISIS was being financed "by selling oil and gas from wells under their control to and through the regime," proving that they've taken very deliberate steps in securing power.

What will the money be used for? Essentially, power. But after robbing Mosul's central bank on Wednesday and walking away with $425 million, you have to wonder why ISIS needs more money.

The insurgents want the money to pay their members. And the group is attracting more members by paying higher salaries. This is in addition to the group's already luring qualities such as extremist ideology, highly skilled armed forces and an ability to consolidate power. So they are bringing in more man-power and paying them much better than the Iraq and Syrian armies, who have seen high a number of deserters recently.

What does this all mean? ISIS has been carving out stringent parameters since the beginning of the year. Their first set of new rules impose strict standards on the occupied territory: No guns, alcohol or cigarettes will be allowed, women must dress modestly and all Muslims are to pray on time.

In a rough count, ISIS only has 7,000 troops, far smaller than the Iraq army's 250,000 troops, not including armed police forces. While the Islamic group does have U.S.-supplied humvees and weaponry, despite many commentators' fears, they don't have the manpower likely needed to seize Baghdad. But even without Baghdad, the group's premeditated tactics have already given them the huge advantage of being able to maintain enough capital to sustain its growing members.

It is still unclear if ISIS will be able to operate and run all of the Syrian and Iraqi oilfields down the line. Though their strategic vision is telling enough about how they operate — enough to worry the rest of the world anyway.



mir ‏@devraso 2m
ISIS killed prisoners by electrical drill #iraq #syria @YourAnonNews @SBSNews @nytimes @georgegalloway pic.twitter.com/BmXj3Y2UEg

Slemani Times ‏@SlemaniTimes

#ISIS executing #Iraq army prisoners from Tikrit using an electric drill. #TwitterKurds #Maliki #USA #Syria #Iran pic.twitter.com/9dlBHUj5JH

https://twitter.com/SlemaniTimes/sta...981056/photo/1


Slemani Times ‏@SlemaniTimes
#ISIS executing #Iraq army prisoners from Tikrit using an electric drill. #TwitterKurds #Maliki #USA #Syria #Iran pic.twitter.com/9dlBHUj5JH






11m
US military official: Military reinforcement of embassy security in Baghdad includes less than 100 soldiers - @Reuters
End of alert

Hassan Altarazi ‏@HassanAltarazi 51s

"Between 50 and 100 U.S. Marines and U.S. Army personnel have arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, U.S. official says." via @cnnbrk #iraq

René Arnaud ‏@RSeize 1m

#Iraq #Baghdad When the fighting will start, the Shia rafidhi militias will be a huge threat for civilian Sunnis... They are now everywhere.

They'll do like they (and Assad's forces) did in Syria, just break into homes and slit throats.


A Truth Teller ‏@leahmcelrath 16s

ANY CONFIRMATION? RT @RamiAlLolah: #BreakingNews Huge explosions are now reported inside the Green Zone in #Baghdad. #ISIS #Iraq


A Truth Teller ‏@leahmcelrath 3m

PT w info from @RamiAlLolah: he says #Iraq state TV is reporting the explosions inside the Green Zone.


thefutureprodigy ‏@entertheprodigy 2m

Witnesses in Baghdad shortly before heard the sound of a huge explosion hit Aviation Square in central Baghdad. #Iraq


Ghazi ‏@ghazishami 16s

#Maliki border guards units reportedly withdrawing from several borders points with #Jordan.. #ISIS #Iraq


©ابنة الشيخ البغدادي ‏@MujaahidaHafy 56s

#BREAKING #ISIS appears to be in control of about 90% of Tal Afar already. #Iraq



1m
State Department official: Secretary of State John Kerry discussed ISIS threat in calls to the foreign ministers of Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia & Qatar - @markknoller


Middleclass Moderate ‏@midclassmoderat 1m

One ironic thing about #Iraq. They asked US to remove all troops to appease the extrimists. Same extremist attacking today. I see a pattern


Burnham ‏@NathanABurnham 2m

@davidgregory Instead of having Romney on to discuss the #Iraq debacle, why not an Obama official? You know, the people actually in power.


Darrin_In_Texas ‏@learjetter 1m

@RealJamesWoods: Where is 0bama while #Iraq collapses from his lassitude? Teeing it up in #PalmSprings! @jenanmoussa pic.twitter.com/gLv9CekBls
Texas, USA


James WoodsVerified account ‏@RealJamesWoods

Where is the Community Organizer while Iraq collapses from his lassitude?Teeing it up in Palm Springs, of course. pic.twitter.com/X90KoBh1IP

Heh, read the conversation under the picture:

https://twitter.com/RealJamesWoods/s...697408/photo/1

Rami ‏@RamiAlLolah 57s

#Maliki wants to drag neighbor countries into his crisis.. Army started evacuating several border points with #Jordan. #Iraq #ISIS


Ali Ayoubi ‏@ali_aub75 1m

The border bw #Syria and #Iraq is totally destroyed! Time for google earth to update their maps! #OneUmmah #Khilafah #ISIS


Consmover ‏@consmover 2m

Same barbaric animals as they always have been. #tcot #ccot #pjnet #ISIS #Iraq pic.twitter.com/O4c5tPe44f

Mahwish ZK ‏@MahwishKD 49s

The Middle East is the trillion$ gift that keeps giving to Big Oil & Big Military. Why would Western corporations want peace there? #Iraq


5m
Officials: US preparing to open a direct dialogue with Iran on the security situation in Iraq - @WSJbreakingnews


Emm ‏@em_ess 59s

#US will sit w #Iran over #Iraq security issues. As predicted. No other way. Major slap in face to US & deserved too.


Matt Soleyn ‏@MattSoleyn 3m

The U.S. Marine Corps is a great group of fighters, but 50-100 of them won't hold the U.S. Embassy if #Baghdad, #Iraq falls to #ISIS.

We know. ^^^^^^^^^^^


I'm not watching this either. Seen enough:

Donald R. Winslow ‏@donaldrwinslow 1m



Rami ‏@RamiAlLolah 9m

#BreakingNews Several embassies in #Baghdad started evacuating their staff tonight.. #Iraq #ISIS


AalaW | كشمير ‏@Aalaw_ 31s

With the 1st rocket stuck #Baghdad airport, #US & other countries start evacuation drill of their diplomates from #Baghdad #Iraq #ISIS #ISIL


SyrianCivilWarReddit ‏@RSyrianCivilWar 1m

Australia withdraws officials from #Iraq: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2...officials-iraq …


Joe Walsh ‏@WalshFreedom 1m

It'll just keep getting worse. Evacuate all US officials, let the country rot. #ISIS #Iraq


luhder ‏@luhder 2m

#ISIS worth $1.5 billion. Foreign jihadists, many from Europe, among those who stormed Mosul & onto Baghdad #Iraq http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...wer?CMP=twt_gu … …


Matthew Fisher ‏@mfisheroverseas 3m

#ISIS attacks leave most of #Iraq aghast, more worried than ever epic-Sunni battle is coming. My file from #Kirkuk http://o.canada.com/news/iraqis-fear...engulf-country …

Abdallaah ‏@mujaahid4life 1m

#BREAKING ISIS literally decimating Baghdad as we speak - MASSIVE advancements, artillery & sleeper cells active again #Baghdad #ISIS #Iraq



Stepped Leader ‏@stepped__leader 3m

RT @intelwire Several reports of explosions in #Baghdad, and #ISIS just unleashed a PR volley to the effect of "we are coming, Baghdad."


Tweeter! ‏@oneworldtweet 4m

Ziraat Bank & Is Bank, Turkey's 2 biggest lenders, temporarily ceased operations in #Baghdad over security concerns http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/201...ghdad-branches …

Self Exile Perdesi ‏@superfares 1m

#Baghdad will fall tonight if Iranian & US don't interfere.


Moe Garmyani ‏@moegarmyani 6m

#Talabani #Iraqi prisedent special forces in #Baghdad asked to offer security to #US Embassy in green zone. #ISIS

Not quite a stutter, more of a choke:

News Rant ‏@NewsRant 1m

NBC News reporter Richard Engel stutters a beat saying Obama was...wrong about Iraq. #MeetThePress #Iraq #ISIS http://twitpic.com/e69c1j/full

It's a little vid, just click on it:

http://twitpic.com/e69c1j/full


Moe Garmyani ‏@moegarmyani 3m

@aljazeeranet praise #ISIS in #Iraq for its fight against #Maliki army, forgot #Iraqi army is #Shias, #Sunnis, #Kurdish, urging civil war,


Reem Hamad ‏@Reem___ 4m

I don't know to which extent US wants to ruin #Iraq more than it is!! Oh yeah, collaboration with Iran!! *Just God damn them*


The Power Of One. ‏@france7776 59s

#Iraq Fire inside #Bagdhad International Airport v @markito0171

Harry ‏@Tark31 35s

Oh great. More animals who should all be f*cking dead right now. RT @RamiAlLolah: All prisoners freed in #TalAfar. #ISIS #Iraq


blackpolbuzz378 ‏@blackpolbuzz378 35s

#Iraq FATHER GOD PLEASE PROTECT ALL U.S. TROOPS IN JESUS NAME.


Nick van Klauswitz ‏@KlauswitzNV 1m

No one should be surprised at #ISIS mass executions in #Iraq. It's been happening in #Syria for years


thefutureprodigy ‏@entertheprodigy 20s

RT @markito0171 #Iraq All flights stopped #Baghdad International Airport after rocket attack- workers flee

Conflict News ‏@rConflictNews 2m

Flight tracker showing flights being diverted from #Baghdad international airport in #Iraq. http://www.flightradar24.com/33.67,44.21/9

Jerome Hudson ‏@JeromeEHudson 4m The US embassy in #Baghdad is about to become a $750 million gift to ISIS. pic.twitter.com/4AuShrba2o
Hide photo

Jeremy Daugherty ‏@JDOGanonymous 1m Reports (Rumor) saying US Embassy has took shelling inside the gates but building was not hit, no casualties known of. #ISIS #Baghdad #Iraq


René Arnaud ‏@RSeize 4m
#Clashes reported by #ISIS North and North West of #Baghdad Airport. #Iraq Time to pack... (?) ISIS win...


██████ ‏@After_Ben_Ali 3m
internet shut down in #mosul (in the past) and now in #baghdad #wtf does they think jihadist havent got satellite or mobil phones??? #iraq

MUSA KESLER ‏@MuSaKesLeR 50s

BREAKING| ISIS surrounds Baghdad airport - attacking from two sides #ISIS #Iraq #Baghdad via @mujaahid4life


‏@After_Ben_Ali 1m

internet shut down in #mosul (in the past) and now in #baghdad #wtf does they think jihadist havent got satellite or mobil phones??? #iraq


Jeremy Daugherty ‏@JDOGanonymous 18s

Reports (Rumor) saying US Embassy has took shelling inside the gates but building was not hit, no casualties known of. #ISIS #Baghdad #Iraq


Lucienne Hanna ‏@LucyHanna 1m

My friend who lives in #Baghdad says that #Media is exagerating cc
@bilarakib


sandra ‏@LVview 2m

AMEEN! RT @sunnysingh_nw3: Take all info from #Baghdad with bag of salt. Really no way of confirming what is going on there tonight #Iraq


Brian Goff ‏@WiselyCracking 2m

#ISIS making lots of social media noise about advancing toward #Baghdad


Steve Martin ‏@Unrealbluegrass 43s

Most of the world does not want American democracy despite what amounts to our proselytizing efforts. Their choice #Iraq #Baghdad





#ISIS fighters may have captured advanced radio equipment that encrypts communication http://wapo.st/1pB3Y0w via @washingtonpost

posted for fair use
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/c...washingtonpost


Checkpoint
Advanced radios captured by Iraqi insurgents could spell trouble

By Thomas Gibbons-Neff June 16 at 7:00 AM

An image downloaded on June 11, 2014 from the jihadist website Welayat Salahuddin shows militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria waving their trademark flag after they allegedly seized an Iraqi army checkpoint in the northern Iraqi province of Salahuddin. AFP PHOTO

Iraq’s security forces, propped up by American equipment and weapons, have been routed by a contingent of insurgents bent on extending their territory from strongholds in Syria deep into Iraq. As Mosul and other cities fell, the West saw a host of images of once-American Humvees and helicopters firmly in the hands of its enemies.

Outrage followed shock, as years of effort in Iraq by the U.S. military seemed to unravel in a coup-de-grace that played out over the Internet. Analysts speculated that the newly seized weapons and vehicles could turn fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria into an even stauncher foe.

Yet, among the towed Black Hawk helicopters, Howitzer cannons and Humvees plastered all over social media lies an unseen weapon that could make the ISIS fighters exponentially more lethal if employed properly: advanced radio equipment.

The issue gained attention on Twitter on Wednesday after former Army Spc. Alex Horton posted a picture on Twitter of an ISIS fighter posing with a cache of ammunition and explosives. Atop one of the many olive drab crates was what Marine Capt. Brett Friedman said was a possible charging station for the AN/PRC-153 radio.

ISIS cache selfie pic.twitter.com/8PjGmnSckh

— Alex Horton (@AlexHortonTX) June 11, 2014



@AlexHortonTX I spy with my little eye…. Iraqi Police issue flack jackets and a charger for PRC-153 batteries.

— Brett Friedman (@brettfriedman) June 11, 2014



The 153 provides encrypted communication over UHF channels. It is used by most U.S. infantry squads in Afghanistan, and allows enlisted squad leaders to communicate with their troops, resulting in more cohesion and coordination on the battlefield.

Also mounted in most of the captured Humvees could be a VHF radio that allows for longer-range encrypted communication. It’s known as a Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System, or SINCGARS. It is not compatible with the PRC-153, although both are commonly used by U.S. troops. They delineate between the two by calling SINCGARS “Green Gear” and radios like the PRC-153 “Black Gear.”

The Iraqi military would and should have changed their encryption keys after the equipment was lost, but new encryption could be emplaced by individuals with specific training and equipment. If that becomes the case, the communications equipment would allow ISIS fighters to coordinate over greater distances without interference from adjacent enemy units. There’s no question that would be easier than figuring out how to operate some of the more advanced pieces of equipment captured, like helicopters.

Insurgent fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan have typically used off-the-shelf Icom two-way radios that allow individuals to speak, but are easily intercepted by anyone who flips to the same channel.

Communication has always been a key component to warfare. Without it, large units can’t attack or coordinate their movements. If ISIS has captured significant pieces of communication gear and have learned how to use it and subsequently encrypt their communication, their advance across Iraq will only be that much more difficult to stop.



LBCI News English ‏@LBCI_News_EN 48s

#United_Nations relocates 58 staff to #Jordan from #Baghdad, more relocations may take place in coming days - spokesman


AyaMazin ‏@Aya_Mazin 4m

Yeah riiighhht thats the reason"@HayderSH: Officials at BIAP say the load on the airport is because of summer vacation #lulz #baghdad #Iraq"

Yup, they gonna vacation their butts on out of the country and never come back ^^^^^^^


Owais Shah ‏@owaistshah 7m

Sunni Muslims flee #Baghdad http://on.ft.com/1qVY3AK

Won't let you read article unless you subscribe ^^^^^ the peeps at the airport, I'm guessing.


The Daily Rapid ‏@earththreats 10m

JUST IN -- U.S troops arrive at the #US Embassy in #Baghdad, #Iraq. #news #IsIs

They couldn't refuse the order. :sigh:

2m
Reports of President Obama planning to sign order extending LGBT protections comes on day before he will attend DNC fundraising event in New York - @markknoller



:clown show: ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

11m
Photo: 'Streets quiet' in Baghdad despite ISIL fighters advancing in Iraqi cities in the last week - @RichardEngel


Sydney Daniels ‏@SydDaniels 25m

'Exhausted' Obama Golfs as Terrorists Flood #Baghdad - Patriot UpdatePatriot Update http://po.st/iqo6qx via @patriotupdate




DANEgerus ‏@DANEgerus 46s

#Baghdad burns, #Kenya burns, #Ukraine burns... JFKerry(D) tells Obama to golf harder, calls Iran for aid and tackles GLOBAL WARMING


Zaid Benjamin ‏@zaidbenjamin 1m

A picture from Tel Afar prison west of #Mosul #Iraq pic.twitter.com/SIfIh7Oe60

This one is really bad. Bunch of shot-up dead bodies in a prison cell:



Zaid Benjamin ‏@zaidbenjamin

A picture from Tel Afar prison west of #Mosul #Iraq pic.twitter.com/SIfIh7Oe60

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Vicky Barker ‏@LVickyBarker 42s

Cant bear these graphic images of #Iraq on the news. Interesting the media shows ppl clearly in a state of distress. Privacy issues? #ofcom

Um...... the truth of the situation. "Back to reality, your son's on crack..." ICP


Karen Paυwellѕ™ ‏@kpauwells 36s

Iraqi sources say ISIS top commander Abu Baker Al Baghdadi has been killed in #mosul #iraq pic.twitter.com/iwdjodlTLB (@dapostmodern)cc @maurimm

Breaking news on RT:



RT Arabic ‏@dapostmodern

Iraqi sources say ISIS top commander Abu Baker Al Baghdadi has been killed in #mosul #iraq pic.twitter.com/ki02Joekia

Peyman Jafari ‏@JafariPeyman 2m

First member of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards reported to be killed in the fight against #ISIS in #Iraq http://tinyurl.com/om5xw9m



Iraq crisis: Britain and the US to hold direct talks with Iran
William Hague has discussed Iraq with Iran's foreign minister, and US and Iranian officials will talk in Vienna

By Peter Foster, Washington
8:58PM BST 16 June 2014
The Telegraph Group

Britain and the US are to enter direct talks with Iran over how to stabilise the situation in Iraq as the country heads towards a de facto partition between Sunnis, Shia and Kurds.

William Hague, the foreign secretary, spoke by phone to his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif at the weekend, he told MPs on Monday, on subjects that included Iraq. He is expected to make another statement on Iran on Tuesday, amid speculation that he will announce the reopening of Britain's Embassy in Tehran, which was stormed and looted in 2011.

The US also officially confirmed that it was prepared to engage with Tehran over events in Iraq, with a senior state department official saying that talks were likely on the margins of negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme in Vienna this week.

Iraqi officials have confirmed that Iran has sent senior military advisers to Baghdad to help draw up plans to repel a militant advance on the capital.

The admission that Iranian help might be needed to keep Iraq from disintegrating came as the competing factions within the country drew up defences along sectarian lines. The US remains committed to a united Iraqi state but many in the country see a partition between Sunni and Shia areas as inevitable, with the Kurds already having the makings of a de facto state in the north

As international pressure built on the Iraqi government, John Kerry, the US secretary of state, said that air strikes against militant forces by manned or unmanned aircraft were an "important" option that was still under active review by US commanders.

"They're not the whole answer, but they may well be one of the options that are important," he said. "When you have people murdering, assassinating in these massacres, you have to stop that. And you do what you need to do if you need to try to stop it from the air or otherwise."

The super-carrier USS George H W Bush arrived in the Persian Gulf over the weekend, accompanied by a cruiser and a destroyer both armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Unlike the US administration, Mr Hague ruled out any direct military intervention, saying Britain would not take part in any air strikes, but said that an "operational liaison and reconnaissance team" from the Ministry of Defence arrived in Baghdad on Saturday. They would "assess the situation on the ground and assist the [British] Embassy in contingency planning", he told MPs.

However US officials said that any offer of military intervention would be conditional on Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, drawing up a plan to heal the country's Sunni-Shia divide and overhauling its poorly-performing national army, which was routed by Isis forces.

Administration officials cited by the New York Times said President Barack Obama believed there was a now a "brief window to pursue diplomacy" as the advance of Isis forces was checked by the stronger defences of Baghdad where Shia militia are expected to stand their ground, unlike the Sunni-dominated towns of Mosul and Tikrit that fell to the rebels last week.

Officials added that US surveillance drones were flying over Iraq and that military options were being drawn up, but cautioned that identifying clear potential targets was "difficult and time-consuming".

Any understanding between the US and Iran risks further alienating Washington's traditional Middle East allies, Israel and Saudia Arabia, which already have deep misgivings about Mr Obama's attempts to forge a deal over Iran's nuclear programme.

Saudi Arabia publicly rejected any foreign intervention in Iraq on Monday, and blamed Mr Maliki's fanning of the sectarian tension in Iraq in recent years for giving rise to the Isis insurgency, a view that was echoed by the Sunni-dominated emirate of Qatar.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...with-Iran.html

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories...06-16-18-42-48

Jun 16, 6:42 PM EDT

Obama: 275 US forces deploying to Iraq
By JULIE PACE
Associated Press
Politics Video


Multimedia
Last U.S. combat troop leaves Iraq
Iraqi Election 2010: What's at Stake?
Returning Troops Find Alternative Motivations
U.S. Troop Casualties in Iraq

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama is notifying Congress that about 275 U.S. military personnel could deploy to Iraq.

Obama says the forces are going to provide support and security for U.S. personnel and the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. He says the forces are equipped for combat and will remain in Iraq until the security situation becomes such that they are no longer needed.

About 160 troops are already in Iraq, including 50 Marines and more than 100 Army soldiers. Some of those soldiers have only recently arrived.

Under the authorization Obama outlined, a U.S. official says the U.S. will put an additional 100 soldiers in a nearby third country where they would be held in reserve until needed.

The White House says the U.S. military personnel are entering Iraq with its consent.

Abdallaah ‏@mujaahid4life 1m

#BREAKING #ISIS attacking Tal Araf airbase with a huge force. Tanks, artillery and lots of infantry & advancing #Iraq


Kron ‏@Kronykal 1m

Is #ISIS attacking #Anonymous? Hmm... "@TheAnonMessage: We hijak account Allah Akbar khelafah Al-Islam will be soon inshallah"


Here's the twitter for ISIS, if you're interested:

https://twitter.com/hashtag/isis?f=realtime&src=hash


Malcolm W ‏@bctwinboys 51s

Didn't @BarackObama say just FRIDAY we wouldn't send troops to Iraq? And yet today sends 275?! Am I missing something @WhiteHouse? #Iraq


Dhekkama B ‏@Dhekkama 2m

@ErinBurnett #Iraq is failure, period! You have asked Ambassador #Bremer serious question. It is sad, he still wants us back in #Iraq.


ZJake ‏@ZJakeo 2m

#Obama "not sending troops into #Iraq". Sends 100 troops. Sends 275, two days after that. This is a man whose word is stronger than oak!


Mohammad Bin AbiBakr ‏@MohammadBinAbiB 1m

@4aBetterDay 1) No 2) No 3) The best outcome is where these #ISIS #JN #AQ #Wahabi terrorists are wiped off the face of earth #IRAQ


Qanta Ahmed ‏@MissDiagnosis 1m

#IRAQ tells us "Exporting" #democracy doesnt work, instead, when in the hands of vengeful minority EMPOWERS tyranny #SECTARIANISM #Maliki


Werner Keil ‏@wernerkeil 2m

@MattyIceAZ Of course the #ISIS uprising and close to 1 Mio. #dead since #Bush went to #Iraq is something even #Putin might fear.


Word Monger ‏@Tazatator 3m

Hey 0bama. I hope you don't mind changing your 'rules of engagement' if you plan on sending our Soldiers into Battle. #Iraq


geo del ‏@delgeo1 54s

"This force will remain in Iraq until the security situation becomes such that it is no longer needed.”-Obama #Iraq


LeftWingLibertarian ‏@RadLibertarian 1m

Sending troops to #Iraq to protect the embassy? Here's an idea: CLOSE THE DAMN EMBASSY AND GET OUR FOLKS HOME!!! We already f*cked up.

Apparently, it would be overrun in one millisecond............ they can't do it.


Russel Jones ‏@Jones8Russel 1m

oil and defense stocks looking good again today. #Iraq


Victoria W. ‏@v__dubb 1m

Do you feel it is our responsibility to send troops to #Iraq to fight #ISIS, and why or why not? #TwitterPoll

https://twitter.com/hashtag/TwitterPoll?src=hash

2tone Almeida ‏@2tonebos 24s

Why would a respectable media outlet seek analyst from the very men who created the mess #Iraq


Melanie Ferreira ‏@Mel_Ferreira_ 1m

Don't complain about military deployment to #Iraq. They are soldiers who chose their job this is not mandatory conscription.


رررررسلان årsªlán ‏@Arsalanism 1m

after benghazi, Obama doesn't wanna take any chances. he deploys 275 troops to protect (so he thinks) the American embassy in Baghdad. #Iraq


BoXiNg RoB 2013 UK ‏@boxingrob1990 33s

ISIS m***********s are gonna be killed & i hope they get gassed out lets all pray for the innocent #PrayforIraq #Iraq


Robert Parham ‏@RobertParham1 2m

What's a Christian 2 do when nothing can be done about Iraq? First, avoid partisan blame game. Second, pray for peace #Iraq #ISIS #Maliki


Russel Jones ‏@Jones8Russel 2m

don't forget, finger-pointers: 40% of house Dems and 58% of senate Dems cast a vote of support for the Bush Cheney invasion. #Iraq


PRINCE PEFFER JR ‏@REPUBLICPRINCE 43s

THAT N!GGER @BarackObama HAS NO RIGHT TO GO INTO #IRAQ & FIGHT #REVOLUTIONARIES WHO ARE FORMING #REPUBLIC SO THAT #USA CAN BUY #OIL. #PUTIN


Matt Hoye ‏@mattyhoyeCNN 1m

#CNN crew at @WhiteHouse sees Dempsey, Hagel and Kerry leaving. National Security meeting on #Iraq could be wrapping up. #CNN


OFAEurope ‏@AktionDemograph 54s

#Breaking Statement by the #PressSecretary on the #WarPowersResolution #Report for #Iraq @WhiteHouse #Irak #ISIS http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-...on-report-iraq …

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-...on-report-iraq



http://iraq.usembassy.gov/em-06162014.html
Emergency Message for U.S. Citizens: Announcement of Relocation of U.S. Embassy Staff

U.S. citizens living and working in Iraq should understand that they accept risks in remaining and should carefully consider those risks. Those who remain should prepare to depart at short notice.

This includes ensuring that travel documents for all family members are available and up to date. U.S. citizens with valid passports and foreign dependents with valid passports or visas should not/not contact the Embassy for travel arrangements. Rather, they should make their own arrangements directly with transportation companies or travel agents.

The ability of the U.S. Embassy to provide consular services to U.S. citizens throughout Iraq, including Baghdad, is particularly limited given the security environment. U.S. citizens should be aware that the Embassy does not offer “protection” services to individuals who feel unsafe.
http://iraq.usembassy.gov/em-06162014.html

Americans in Iraq, not connected to State, are ON THIER OWN....



Rami @RamiAlLolah · 3h

Fierce clashes everywhere in #Tarmia north to #Baghdad.. #Iraq #ISIS



Rami @RamiAlLolah · 4h

Not in #Syria this time.. #Maliki bombarding civilians in #Baiji with barrel bombs.. #Iraq #ISIS

[Ryan Ruck]

Captured radios are going to be the least of our concerns.

US-Made Stinger Missiles Have Likely Fallen Into ISIS Hands, Officials Say

June 16, 2014

U.S. officials with access to the latest U.S. intelligence on Iraq told Fox News it "appears likely/probable" that U.S.-made Stinger missiles have fallen into the hands of Sunni insurgents.

It is possible that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters acquired them from army bases they have taken over in recent days, the sources said.

The Stinger missile is a shoulder-fired surface-to-air weapon that is used against aircraft.

As ISIS forces have advanced through Iraq, concerns have increased that more U.S.-made weaponry could fall into the hands of the radical group.

Iraqi intelligence officials said ISIS fighters managed to take control of two big weapons depots late last week holding some 400,000 items, including AK-47 rifles, rockets and rocket-propelled grenades, artillery shells and mortars. A quarter of the stockpiles were quickly sent to Syria in order to help the group's comrades there, they said.

Also last week, according to a report from the West Point Combating Terrorism Center, the ISIS "now possesses scores of Iraqi military equipment originally provided by the United States, from Humvees and cargo vehicles to small arms."

Benghazi connection?

[American Patriot]

I'm hearing Special Forces are enroute to Baghdad to protect the embassy's buildings.

But "no boots on the ground".... wtf?

[American Patriot]

Apparently we're working with Iran now. To stop terrorists.

WTF is wrong with the world?