There is now 'victory' in Mosul https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/09/iraq-announces-victory-over-islamic-state-mosul Though frankly it looks like Mosul is no more. 900,000 people have apparently escaped from a city that held 3.2 million. They say thousands dead or countless dead. I do wonder how many dead civilians. This video was done three days ago in the ruins of Mosul It is hard for me to think that a destroyed city permeated by the stench of death is very much to celebrate. Maybe that was why there was no thread on it. I suspect sometime maybe not for a very long time we will get the death toll....and then on the BBC they say, well ....they have other hang outs now....
to be honest I don't have words to express the horror they must have faced with all the booby traps...
Until the enemy is all dead there is no victory. These worms can just slither off to another rat hole.
Yes Africa and South East Asia... this war will not be over for generations... but Mosul is an important victory in this war.
So have we completely given up on the rules of war - re care of civilians. When civilians are under duress, held captive we just bomb them? Is the future just basically genocide?
What do you suggest they do A? Considering they lost 40% of their counter terrorism forces trying to get to the civilians in questions. The past is genocide, the present is genocide... why would the future will be any different.
I am simply pointing out that we had rules of war - even back in the supposed barbaric past. 3.2 million civilians lived in Mosul. 900,000 escaped. How many more left. No one would have said that prior to 9/11 or indeed until today. What was once the most despised activity is the new norm it would appear.
Can't tell Al-Baghadi studied ,"The Art of War" can you? Attack where they are cannot attack back, never attack steady soldiers, use earth and heaven against them, know thy enemy and know thyself. Disperse when you're outmatched in any way. He's hitting on virtually everything written in that book, and his background as a scholar leads me to believe that book has given him the ability to wage a war against the world. It's a succesful strategy of war.
Possibly. And yet, the war itself is fueled by the hatred of the religious fervor that drives it. Never underestimate the power of folks who believe in their own righteousness.
Killing reporters and declaring war on the entire world was thier mistake, they could have used the media on left liberals in the west to pressure those gov's like other terrorists do, they could have negotiated a zone for themselves with some countries, I dont think they are that smart.
Just want to point out, the majority of the troops who bled to defeat ISIS in Mosul were themselves Muslims. This entire victory is a giant "**** off" to the people who claim moderate Muslims don't stand up to extremsists.
I don't think most of them are religious. From what I read the Iraqi ones were not before they got started on ISIS! They apparently are happy that most who join them were not religious beforehand. They seem to have got their original ideas from Al Qaeda so presumably thought that was a good way to go - and of course got plenty of donations from rich Saudis but from what I read most of them were not religious when they got started and do not seem to be now. He then goes into detail of all the arguments that this is Islam that not to accept it is Islam is to be PC and then goes on to investigate if this is so http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2015/03/mehdi-hasan-how-islamic-islamic-state[/quote] It is an excellent article read the rest at the link.
Ah, "the Caliphate". PLEASE Take A Number, Mr al-Baghdadi. The Secretary will kick your butt in the order it is received.
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...e-guardian-view-on-mosul-the-price-of-revenge It is reckoned it will cost $1 billion to rebuild Mosul yet the UN's humanitarian appeal is not half funded. The above goes somewhat in line with what Trump was calling for - the killing of the families of ISIS members as well. It also points out that the torture and killing is random. They may be ISIS and ISIS families or they may just be civilians who were held by ISIS. Revenge is being sought and currently kept quiet about so people can still enjoy the good feeling of having a space of land which used to be Mosul back. The article goes on to illustrate that the battle against ISIS has been won but as things are going there is a strong possibility that the treatment of the people of Mosul is going to result in ISIS 2. Due process is needed against those believed to have committed crimes and A political solution is needed to end this bloodshed. That seems to be what people avoid recognising. Without that this may go on and on and on. https://www.theguardian.com/comment...e-guardian-view-on-mosul-the-price-of-revenge
