Thread: What Will It Take To Get Rid Of ISIS?

Originally Posted by DrB0b

They DID hold territory. They claimed to be a STATE. That was a major part of their attraction. Now they have NO TERRITORY they cannot claim to be a Caliphate and cannot claim to be A STATE! Got it? Fuck the mindset, what matters right now is they've lost all their land and thousands of their fighters have been killed. No matter that they still have support this is a major victory.

Christ Bob, you believe that, Jesus that break did you no favours. It was never the territory it was always the ideology, the caliphate - not hard to understand Bob, ask an Imam, its front and centre on their agenda 101 alongside the infidels.

Originally Posted by NamPikToot

Christ Bob, you believe that, Jesus that break did you no favours. It was never the territory it was always the ideology, the caliphate - not hard to understand Bob, ask an Imam, its front and centre on their agenda 101 alongside the infidels.

Dozens of my friends were killed by IS because they were in territory captured by them. Do you not understand what State means, do you not understand what caliphate means?

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Dozens of my friends were killed by IS because they were in territory captured by them. Do you not understand what State means, do you not understand what caliphate means?

Yes I do, so continue.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Now they have NO TERRITORY they cannot claim to be a Caliphate and cannot claim to be A STATE!

They can if they wish, return and mingle with the returning refugees. What the western media calls them is for them to decide and support of deny further aid, political, financial or military, as they have done for the past few years.

Originally Posted by DrB0b

Dozens of my friends were killed

I am sorry you personally lost friends.

Originally Posted by Takeovers

They just switch operating mode. They are still a strong force of terrorism.

The fighting between the "factions" has been going on for centuries - in reality, since the beginning of recorded history. The fighting will continue until world's end.

Just change the name, same bad guys (and/or their sons), new name - same atrocities... History Repeats Itself, again, and again, and again...

Originally Posted by bowie

The fighting will continue until world's end.

Luckily, they always will be given graciously the things to fight with... (don't say by whom...)

Originally Posted by OhOh

They can if they wish, return and mingle with the returning refugees. What the western media calls them is for them to decide and support of deny further aid, political, financial or military, as they have done for the past few years.

And that's why they adapted to things like using trucks as a terrorist weapon.

The occupied Golan Heights is offered to Israel and yet the indignation is verbal, nothing more


US President Donald Trump has announced that it is time to recognise the occupied Syrian Golan Heights as part of Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under attack at home, subject to prosecution for corruption and bribery, has welcomed the gift from Trump. The timing is perfect for Netanyahu, who is struggling to eke out a majority in forthcoming elections. His political rivals, the Blue and White party, appear to the public as a relatively centrist alternative to Netanyahu, even though their leaders, former Chief of Staff Benny Gantz and ex-finance minister Yair Lapid, are far from being moderates.

How will the world react? Will anyone oppose Trump’s illegal move?

When questioned about the relationship between the timing of his announcement and the Israeli domestic elections during an interview with Fox News, President Trump contradicted himself. “I wouldn’t even know about that (the Israeli elections), I have no idea (about the Israeli elections).” But he then confirmed that he is informed about the Israeli elections: “I hear he’s doing okay”, Trump said.

For decades, US Presidents have intervened in Israeli elections, supporting a Prime Minister against his political rivals or pulling the carpet from under a Prime Minister’s feet when there is disagreement- as George Bush did in 1991 – just one occasion – when he rejected a $10bnloan to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir’s government. Shamir then lost the election to Yitzhak Rabin.

But Trump has made 7,645 false or misleading claimssince taking office. An additional one won’t disturb his sleep. The moral is that the US establishment does not care what the world has to say if it doesn’t fit with its own policies and objectives. The US considers itself entitled to break laws because it is the strongest, and can apparently do anything it wishes to. Indeed, the US occupied Iraq in 2003 without the approval of the United Nations. Libya was bombed before any UN decision and US forces are deployed in east Syria and on the Syrian-Iraqi borders as occupation forces without a UN mandate.

Moreover, Trump moved his embassy to Jerusalem and defined the Palestinian Capital as Israeli propriety, disregarding the world’s resentment and rejection of his decision. Jerusalem is the first Qibla of the Muslims, the direction Muslims around the world used to pray to before Makkah (Mecca). Arab populations are boiling about this decision, while their leaders connive against their will, establishing warm relationships with Israel. Thus, there is no reason why Trump or Netanyahu should be worried about violating UN resolutions 242, 338, and 497 (including the fate of UNDOF presence and security in the Golan) that require Israel to withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights, Gaza and the West Bank. Why would the Trump-Netanyahu duo care when the Arabs are divided and the Russian, Chinese and European countries who protest will not to go war to recover the occupied Golan Heights?

On October 17, 1973, it was the Arabs who publicly used oil as a weapon to challenge US objectives when OPEC began its embargo. Today the oil is at the service of the US to protect its client Arab leaders and their monarchies. The only possibility of opposition to Trump’s move is a popular mobilisation resistance, mainly a Syrian resistance force. However, the Syrian government is, for the moment, unwilling to start a new battle against Israel. Regaining the occupied Golan Heights could only be achieved through local resistance and attacks against the occupier, an audacious and costly move that President Bashar al-Assad may not be able to undertake right now, particularly when the war in Syria is not over yet. The Syrian government needs to start rebuilding local morale for reconciliation among Syrians and the suffering economy and infrastructure certainly do not allow for Syria to initiate a new war against Israel. The north west of Idlib (under Turkey and jihadists control) and the north east (under the US occupation forces) are still occupied.

One important point though: if Trump considers the Lebanese Shebaa Farms as part of his gift of the occupied Golan Heights to Netanyahu, the situation may change because Hezbollah is said to be determined to continue its military campaign to recover the Lebanese farms. Unless Israel is willing to take the Golan and withdraw from the Shebaa Farms, Hezbollah might move its operation against Israel to the Golan- subject to the permission of President Assad.

Another issue is the presence of the Russian forces patrolling the Golan line to prevent any attack against Israel. It is also worth noting that for over 30 years, Presidents Hafez and Bashar al-Assad have never attacked Israel on this Golan front. Therefore, it cannot be excluded that Israel is relying on this combination of elements to impose its authority over a Syrian territory which it has been occupying for decades and expects little resistance to counter its move.

It should be recognised that Israel has been playing its cards well in Syria since the beginning of the war 8 years ago. Although Israel has openly and tacitly supported al Qaeda, ISIS, and other takfiri Islamist armed groups in Syria, it has paid little price in Western public opinion, as Western governments have done the same. It has adopted a politico-military policy to take advantage of the situation and has succeeded in every move, including bombing Syria and destroying Syrian army and Iranian military objectives. The timing of its attacks has been carefully chosen, giving the impression that its arms can reach anywhere. And it has refrained from provoking Hezbollah in Lebanon to avoid retaliation (in 8 years of war, only few exchanges in the area have been registered).

Netanyahu has managed to bring the US establishment to its side, to the point where the US President openly supports the Israeli Prime Minister’s election with the gift of the Golan Heights even as Netanyahu is due to visit Washington next week. Trump has saved Netanyahu domestically from a serious threat to his political future, and Trump expects similar favours from Israel at the time of the US election. In the midst of this, the Arab countries look on, powerless. They obey Trump’s diktat by coming closer and establishing open relationships with Israel, and by slowing down the resumption of diplomatic relations with Damascus. The gift of Jerusalem was a shock that demonstrated the impotence of Arab leaders.

In fact, nothing can be expected but shows of indignation from the United Nations and Europe. No serious steps can be expected from the Arabs, especially from those who are allies of the US and who have established overt and covert ties with Israel. Apart from a few flag burnings, no concrete response can be expected.

For all his lies, Trump may be the most honest US President to lead his country for decades, since all previous Presidents hid their real intentions, orchestrating the Israeli-Arab relationship in hiding, preparing moves against the Palestinian right of return, opposing the recognition of a Palestinian state, and approving Israeli control of the occupied territories. Now that the veil has fallen and the US openly supports Israeli radicalism, the Arab nations can be expected to do nothing.

https://ejmagnier.com/2019/03/23/the-occupied-golan-heights-is-offered-to-israel-and-yet-the-indignation-is-verbal-nothing-more/

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...s-factcheckers

It will be opposed and nothing will change.

The Golan Heights are too much of a security risk for the Israelis to give up, but no-one is going to just give them to Israel.

This is all just wind and piss.

It seems that the IS leader is still alive.


https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-48098528

IS leader al-Baghdadi appears in first video in five years

The Islamic State group has released a video of a man it says is its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, vowing to seek revenge for its loss of territory.

He has not been seen since 2014, when he proclaimed from Mosul the creation of a "caliphate" across parts of Syria and Iraq.

In this new footage, Baghdadi acknowledges defeat at Baghuz, the group's last stronghold in the region.

It is not clear when the video was recorded. IS says it was shot in April.

The footage was posted on the militant group's al-Furqan media network.

What does he say?

Baghdadi says the Easter Sunday Sri Lanka attacks were carried out as revenge for the fall of the Syrian town of Baghuz.

He also says that he has had pledges of allegiance from militants in Burkina Faso and Mali, and talks about the protests in Sudan and Algeria - claiming that jihad is the only solution to "tyrants". Both countries have seen their long-term rulers overthrown this month.

Baghdadi - an Iraqi whose real name is Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim al-Badri - was last heard from in an audio recording last August.

At the time, he appeared to be trying to shift attention away from his group's crippling losses, BBC Middle East correspondent Martin Patience says.

But this latest 18-minute video addresses the losses head on.

"The battle for Baghuz is over," he says, before adding: "There will be more to come after this battle."

He also reportedly says the group is fighting a "battle of attrition".



For his hardcore followers, there is almost as much symbolism in this video as there is content.

The underlying message is not just one of survival against the odds. The optics here are vintage Osama Bin Laden: the jihadist leader squatting cross-legged in an anonymous room beside a short, personalised, paratrooper version of an AK assault rifle, the quasi-military fishing waistcoat, the attentive companions calmly discussing plans, and the long, prematurely ageing grey beard (he is only 47).

Over the last five years, Islamic State has largely eclipsed al-Qaeda on the media front. At the same time, IS has been reaching out to potential jihadist affiliates in areas of Africa and Asia that have previously looked to al-Qaeda for support.

The overriding aim of this video is clear: to show that despite its resounding military defeat IS has survived and that its leader, with a $25m bounty on his head, is still at large.

You'd think for $25 million some fucker would have grassed him up by now.

^ A number have tried but have never been seen again. He lives safely under guard. All his desires supplied by a willing despot in exchange for few videos on topical subjects every few years.

Originally Posted by OhOh

^ A number have tried but have never been seen again.

Really?

How does one "try"?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

How does one "try"?

Drop off a letter at your local 7/11. All are treated similarly, twin head shot suicides.

Originally Posted by OhOh

Drop off a letter at your local 7/11. All are treated similarly, twin head shot suicides.

Yes, I thought so. Another witless HoHo fantasy.

He has not been seen since 2014...

He does not seem to be much tired from the many years long hunting organized to capture him (similarly as they hunted Osama? Hasn't he inherited from him his Kalashnikov?)






BTW, to which side does he report?

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

fantasy

It's going well, how about yours?

US military stops releasing Afghanistan war information
1 May 2019



FILE - In this Feb. 11, 2019, file photo, acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan, left, arrives in Kabul, Afghanistan, to consult with Army Gen. Scott Miller, right, commander of U.S. and coalition forces, and senior Afghan government leaders. Amid a bloody stalemate in Afghanistan, the U.S. military has stopped releasing information often cited to measure progress in America’s longest war. (AP Photo/Robert Burns, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Amid a battlefield stalemate in Afghanistan , the U.S. military has stopped releasing information often cited to measure progress in America’s longest war, calling it of little value in fighting the Taliban insurgency.

The move fits a trend of less information being released about the war in recent years, often at the insistence of the Afghan government, which had previously stopped the U.S. military from disclosing the number of Afghans killed in battle as well as overall attrition within the Afghan army.

The latest clampdown also aligns with President Donald Trump’s complaint that the U.S. gives away too much war information, although there is no evidence that this had any influence on the latest decision.

A government watchdog agency that monitors the U.S. war effort, now in its 18th year, said in a report to Congress on Wednesday that the U.S. military command in Kabul is no longer producing “district control data,” which shows the number of Afghan districts — and the percentage of their population — controlled by the government compared to the Taliban.

The last time the command released this information, in January, it showed that Afghan government control was stagnant or slipping. It said the share of the population under Afghan government control or influence — a figure that was largely unchanged from May 2017 to July 2018 at about 65 percent — had dropped in October 2018 to 63.5 percent. The government’s control or influence of districts fell nearly 2 percentage points, to 53.8 percent.

Less than two years ago, a top American commander in Afghanistan called population control “most telling.” Gen. John Nicholson told reporters in November 2017 that he wanted to see the figure, then about two-thirds, increase to at least 80 percent, with the Taliban holding only about 10 percent and the rest contested.

“And this, we believe, is the critical mass necessary to drive the enemy to irrelevance,” Nicholson said then.

Nicholson’s successor, Gen. Scott Miller, believes there already are enough such assessments available to the public, including one produced by intelligence agencies.

“We are focused on setting the conditions for a political settlement to safeguard our national interests,” Col. David M. Butler, a spokesman for Miller, said in an email exchange Tuesday. “The district stability assessment that was previously provided by DOD was redundant and did little to serve our mission of protecting our citizens and allies.”

Read more
https://www.apnews.com/253f6e2504ad4c72aed8a2d0499a673e

Originally Posted by OhOh

It's going well, how about yours?

What are you fantasising about now?

Originally Posted by OhOh

He lives safely under guard.

Didn't you say the same thing about Bin Laden?



His time is coming.

Don't tell us to halt the violence, tell the Americans, Afghan Taliban say

KABUL (Reuters) - The U.S. special peace envoy for Afghanistan should stop calling on Taliban militants to lay down their arms and tell the United States to end the use of force instead, the Taliban said on Friday.

Zalmay Khalilzad, an Afghan-born U.S. diplomat, entered a sixth round of talks with the hardline Islamist group in Qatar this week in a bid to end America’s longest war.

“In our opening session, I underscored to the Talibs that the Afghan people, who are their brothers & sisters, want this war to end,” Khalilzad said in a tweet.

“It is time to put down arms, stop the violence, & embrace peace.”

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a series of sharp tweets in response.

“@US4AfghanPeace (Khalilzad’s twitter handle) should forget about the idea of us putting down our arms,” he said.

“Instead of such fantasies, he should drive the idea home (to the U.S.) about ending the use of force and incurring further human and financial losses for the decaying Kabul administration.”

He said the United States must stop repeating failed strategies while expecting different outcomes.

“It would be better if @US4AfghanPeace musters the courage to call a spade a spade, not a gardening tool & accept the current realities.”

Intense fighting continues across the country with the Taliban controlling or influencing more territory than at any point since their ouster at the hands of U.S.-led troops following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

The United States has about 14,000 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO-led mission, known as Resolute Support, that is training and assisting Afghan security forces in their battle against Taliban fighters and extremist groups such as Islamic State and al Qaeda.

After five rounds of talks, Khalilzad reported some progress towards an accord on withdrawing U.S. troops and on how the Taliban would prevent extremists from using Afghanistan to launch attacks.

The Taliban insist that talks cannot move ahead until foreign forces leave.

“Peace will require that we find common ground on four inter-connected issues: troop withdrawal, counter-terrorism assurances, intra-Afghan dialogue & negotiations, and reduction in the violence leading to a comprehensive ceasefire,” Khalilzad said in his tweet.

“Nothing will be final until we agree on all 4 issues.”

Read more
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...+World+News%29

^Maybe a Taliban air defence system or two could "found" in an abandoned arms stock pile and made useable.

Surely the Russians must have forgotten a few, when they left years ago.