So your above post explains this msg Suli!! It's like, even the usa military wants to answer your questions.
ISIS in Iraq and Syria
- Thread starter Suli
- Start date
You are quite right!So your above post explains this msg Suli!! It's like, even the usa military wants to answer your questions.
The only thing that could make the situation better is if the Peshmerga are allowed to enter Kobane with heavy weapons.
Peshmerga are on the way, Turkey gave them permission. Unclear whether they'll be allowed to cross with their weapons.
ISIS supposedly approaching the Sinjar mountains again after taking losses in Kobane.
Turkey being cnuts again, supposedly not happy at the US arming Kurdish fighters.
Turkey being cnuts again, supposedly not happy at the US arming Kurdish fighters.
Sorry mate forgot to respond to this. Better late than never I guess:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/16/isis-targets-baghdad-car-bombs-mortar-attacks
Eventhough its PressTV its an interesting story nonetheless:
Press TV’s correspondent in Turkey, Serena Shim, has been killed in a suspicious car accident near the Turkey-Syria border.
Shim was killed on Sunday as she was on a working mission in Turkey to cover the ongoing war in the strategic Syrian town of Kobani.
She was going back to her hotel from a report scene in the city of Suruç in Turkey's Urfa Province when their car collided with a heavy vehicle. The identity and whereabouts of the truck driver remain unknown.
Shim, an American citizen of Lebanese origin, covered reports for Press TV in Lebanon, Iraq, and Ukraine.
On Friday, she told Press TV that the Turkish intelligence agency had accused her of spying probably due to some of the stories she has covered about Turkey’s stance on the ISIL terrorists in Kobani and its surroundings, adding that she feared being arrested.
Shim said she was among the few journalists obtaining stories of militants infiltrating into Syria through the Turkish border, adding that she had received images from militants crossing the Turkish border into Syria in World Food Organization and other NGOs’ trucks.
Shim flatly rejected accusations against her, saying she was “surprised” at this accusation “because I have nothing to hide and I have never done anything aside my job.”
Kobani and its surroundings have been under attack since mid-September, with the ISIL militants capturing dozens of nearby Kurdish villages.
Turkey has been accused of backing ISIL militants in Syria.
SF/SS
Press TV’s correspondent in Turkey, Serena Shim, has been killed in a suspicious car accident near the Turkey-Syria border.
Shim was killed on Sunday as she was on a working mission in Turkey to cover the ongoing war in the strategic Syrian town of Kobani.
She was going back to her hotel from a report scene in the city of Suruç in Turkey's Urfa Province when their car collided with a heavy vehicle. The identity and whereabouts of the truck driver remain unknown.
Shim, an American citizen of Lebanese origin, covered reports for Press TV in Lebanon, Iraq, and Ukraine.
On Friday, she told Press TV that the Turkish intelligence agency had accused her of spying probably due to some of the stories she has covered about Turkey’s stance on the ISIL terrorists in Kobani and its surroundings, adding that she feared being arrested.
Shim said she was among the few journalists obtaining stories of militants infiltrating into Syria through the Turkish border, adding that she had received images from militants crossing the Turkish border into Syria in World Food Organization and other NGOs’ trucks.
Shim flatly rejected accusations against her, saying she was “surprised” at this accusation “because I have nothing to hide and I have never done anything aside my job.”
Kobani and its surroundings have been under attack since mid-September, with the ISIL militants capturing dozens of nearby Kurdish villages.
Turkey has been accused of backing ISIL militants in Syria.
SF/SS
The BBC have confirmed it too! The Peshmerga could be there in a few hours from now.
Ok so this was delayed. Parliament approved it today though, limited number (?) of Peshmerga with heavy weaponry will be sent to Kobane within the next week.
how long do you think this battle will take before one side wins, suli?
If America continue air strikes and air drops, and Peshmerga enter the town by, let's say Monday, then I think they will be forced out of the town in two weeks? YPG were struggling in this battle because of a lack of ammo, heavy weapons and men. The above fixes that.
is that true?
Yeah the video is here, it got blown up afterwards when they realised their mistake.
They probably got more from filming it than they did from the amount they carried in their pockets before scurrying back as it got bombed.
They probably got more from filming it than they did from the amount they carried in their pockets before scurrying back as it got bombed.
By the way, @Relevated , there were 28 air drops in total, 27 landed accurately and that was the only one that didn't. So overall, it was a very successful mission.
Notice how they're on motorcycles too. They couldn't have carried back all of that lol, it really was just for the camera. They even lined them up near the fence to make it seem like a lot.
A third American joins YPG ranks. Interview with him is on this site.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-security-guard-jeremy-woodard-fights-isis-in-syria-with-kurds/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-security-guard-jeremy-woodard-fights-isis-in-syria-with-kurds/
The new Spanish Civil War, eh?
Air drops are not laser guided so not surprising that some will miss the target. Add in human error the wind etc etc. yeah some will either be dropped in the wrong spot or land in the wrong spot.
Let's hope for a different outcome this time.
Interview with a few ISIS prisoners
ISIS have a few days to try and capture Kobane before the reinforcements arrive, so they're definitely going to go all out. They've used so many reinforcements from neighbouring towns, including experienced fighters and their best weaponry, meaning I could expect the Kurds to drive them all the way back to Raqqa.
First phase of Peshmerga deployment to Kobane will involve 200 Peshmerga with heavy weaponry.
Who are the Peshmerga and what is their significance? Without meaning to sound insensitive there are that many factions, groups and splinter cells that I can't keep up and am trying to follow it and quanity the significance of different events.
The Kurdish army in Iraq, they're going to send troops and weapons to the Kurdish army in Syria. Both armies have been fighting ISIS and been supported by the international coalition via weapons and air strikes.
Who are they the equivalent to, are they a big deal? What separates them to other factions that would make you really excited to see them go in? Or is it just a case of more hands make lighter work?
It's the first foreign contingent to go to Syria to fight ISIS. It displays unity between the two Kurdish armies, something that is huge for Kurdish people.
The Peshmerga are a strong army, arguably stronger than the Iraqi army. They're the army of the Kurdish region in Iraq, under an internationally recognised government. So it's not just a militia group but an actual army.
I'm happy because it shows cooperation between the Kurdish people, which will lead to better things in the future.
Army size is ~ 250k btw.
@Zarlak My explanation was pretty crap so you can read this if you want.
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28738975
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-28738975
Peshmerga are tough fighters, and they are around 200k !!
As Suli said, they could very well be stronger than the current Iraqi army if it wasn't for the weaponry, but even with that they could be still stronger simply 'cause their fighters are more ideological, dedicated and determined.
As Suli said, they could very well be stronger than the current Iraqi army if it wasn't for the weaponry, but even with that they could be still stronger simply 'cause their fighters are more ideological, dedicated and determined.
Yeah, weaponry doesn't count for much if there is no will to fight, as seen in Mosul and in Kobane.
At a time when no one is willing to provide boots on the ground and with a "sectarian" Iraqi army, Peshmerga are emerging as the first line of defence against ISIS.
@Suli, do you know have the Peshmerga ever been in conflict with the PKK in Iraq? And if so, how do you think this might affect the resistance in Kobane?
I'm just wondering because of the Turkish government's warm relations with the KRG in contrast to their long campaign against the PKK, and because the PKK have long used remote parts of Iraqi Kurdistan to launch attacks against Turkey.
I'm just wondering because of the Turkish government's warm relations with the KRG in contrast to their long campaign against the PKK, and because the PKK have long used remote parts of Iraqi Kurdistan to launch attacks against Turkey.
There was a civil war in 1996-97 between various Kurdish factions, which did include PKK and Peshmerga. But that's in the past. More recently, the Peshmerga and PKK were actively cooperating in battles across places such as Shingal, Kirkuk and neighbouring towns. The President, Barzani, praised the PKK's efforts in helping them in the fight against ISIS. There has been no tension between the two groups since the 1990s.
The YPG are a PKK offshoot. The YPG also assisted Peshmerga against ISIS and were again praised by the President. However, no Peshmerga have ever entered Syria to help the YPG. So it's only been one way.
After the issue in Kobane was raised, government officials from both Kurdistan in Syria and Iraq met and agreed on some things. For example, the air drops were Peshmerga supplies. The decision to send Peshmerga to Kobane also came from this meeting.
The YPG welcome the Peshmerga's involvement with open arms and will fight side by side in Kobane. Turkey is pissed off at this, even if they do accept it, because it shows that the Peshmerga are moving closer towards their Kurdish brothers.
Tl;Dr - Tensions were high two decades ago but they have fought side by side in Iraq in recent months and will be fighting side by side in Kobane soon. This will lead to more unity in Kurdistan, hopefully that means we will have one united Kurdish army in the coming years, to the anger of Turkey.
Thanks for you response. Sounds very encouraging for the prospect of unity between Iraqi Kurdistan and Rojava, which makes you wonder why the Turks are allowing the Peshmerga into Syria at all.
Yep, my thoughts precisely. Turkey have refused it in the past so it may be that the USA pushed Turkey to do it.
This may be a dumb question, but would Turkey accept a Kurdistan nation if they accepeted not to claim any turkish territory? Or is it something unthinkable for the turkish?
Then it wouldn't be a Kurdistan nation.
Then it wouldn't be a Kurdistan nation.
Maybe not with the whole territory they wanted, but it would be a country.
Then it wouldn't be a Kurdistan nation.
I was going to answer that an equally important question is whether the Kurds would accept a country that left out the part that is now currently part of Turkey.
Dumb request. Could someone list the various groups and try to put in categories? Perhaps 2 or 3 categories with a one liner to describe each group? Too complex situation to do that? I'd love to understand all these posts better but struggle to keep up.