Iraq

I was watching SKY News this morning and they had a report supposedly from the front line with Kurdish troops.

The report concerned the Kurds' concerns over lack of weaponry and showed at least one heavy machine gun, saying that the Islamic State "fighters" had far more weapons at their disposal thanks to their financial backing plus the virtually useless Iraqi Army running away leaving all their equipment.

The report camera then switched to an anti-aircraft gun mounted on a pick-up truck and the reporter then said that this was the kind of equipment the Kurds need.

As far as I've seen in news reports, American forces plus some British forces and possibly Turkish air forces are in command of the air space over the entire region so why on earth do the Kurds need AA guns?

This is quite probably the SKY reporter's error as we saw footage of her bouncing around in the back of a pick-up truck but she was not wearing a helmet or any flak protection so this was probably staged just outside Erbil for the cameras.

Not sure if the Beeb are also reporting this AA gun story.

Just checking through other sites (AINA's quite good), I find that it's the CIA that's currently supplying arms to the Kurds and it seems the air strikes have actually been having little effect.

From unsubstantiated Kurdish sources, Islamic State "fighters" have been using hundreds of refugees as human shields.

This could possibly be the reason that the mighty air power of the US is ineffectual if innocent civilians are being used in this way but obviously it's hard to first hand reports that tell you the truth.

Ghastly things happening there yet our PM is happy to continue his holiday isn't he so that's alright then. stevmk2

Re: Iraq

He's probably woken up to the fact that every time we meddle in the Middle East we make things worse and end up being kicked out and making some lame comment about having given Democracy a chance to flourish

Re: Iraq

Probably Curmudgeon but even Cameron's own back benchers are said to have stated that the UK had no "coherent" approach to tackling these Islamic extremists and now the clergy too.

The political haste to get "boots" out of Iraq left a huge void with an Iraqi PM failing miserably to integrate the Shias and Sunnis fully to ensure a workable government and this seems to be a direct consequence of that to me.

Now Church Leaders are saying the same but it seems the emphasis is on the UK rather than the thousands at risk in Iraq, some of which are Christians.

I find it amazing in some ways that both the UK and the US are intent on getting all "boots" out of Afghanistan too by 2016 so what then happens with Islamic State virtually in control of an oil state at the moment and also apparently having Sunni backers with very deep pockets?

Afghanistan is home to some of the world's most experienced terrorist extremists who know nothing else but war and death after so many years.

What happens if Islamic State forms an alliance with them by 2016? stevmk2

Re: Iraq

I find this whole story just too sad and depressing and sadly I hold the west wholly accountable for what is happening. George Bush Snr and Jnr should just be put against a wall and shot. You're absolutely right their mission was to get in and when "successful" get out again. The vacuum has been filled by these marauding bullies.

I don't understand why the press are giving them a name "ISIS" or "IS" - why name them. When the thugs announced their change of name the press responded with "oh right you are boys - it's IS from now on".

One of my very good friends from university days lives in Baghdad and I've been emailing him and judging by the replies his email address has been hacked e.g the word "gonna" was used - I know he wouldn't know that word and even if he did he'd never use it. I'm so sad for him and his wife. I just hope they've got out.

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ISIS... or IS or what ever they want to call themselves make Al Queda look like boyscouts.. In fact, Al Queda has disassociated themselves from them because they are so extreme.. That's all I'm saying on this topic.

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About nine months your and my Government's wanted to bomb Assard to help these animals overthrow him.

Re: Iraq

So now we have a video of an American Journalist being beheaded... and a threat to behead another if we don't stop our air strikes. Looks like ISIS is getting what they asked for in begging us to fight them. These people are savages.

http://www.aol.com/article/2014/08/2...6pLid%3D517758

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Absolutely sickening and disgusting turn of events today. The news tonight is unspeakably sad.

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Yes.... well, it's gotten the attention of the American people... who by the way are pretty pissed off by this to say the least. Even the ususal antiwar crowd. ISIS or ISIL.. or IS.... can now kiss their asses goodbye..

Re: Iraq

I can imagine Audrey as we're pretty shocked and horrified too.
I suppose that these "fighters" must of course realise by now that sooner or later the death sentence undoubtedly, surreptitiously put on this one individual will be carried out by US Special Forces or the CIA along with perhaps a growing list of other so-called soldiers of ISIS / IS / ISC already known plus those from Syria too.

It won't do much for the family of course and it is the wrong thing to doI know - but it'll happen. stevmk2