ISIS militants attack and take over Iraqi northern city of Mosul

[JD]

Yup, having been to Erbil a few times, I can confirm the drivers there are a bigger threat to humanity than any war.

Then again, driving from Al Khobar into Bahrain over the causeway on a Thursday afternoon WAS basically war. Erbil drivers are not the worst.

[Cheese]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

No, unfortunately I can't carry. It's against the law and also against company rules.

The area I work in is protected by the OPF (Oilfield Police Force) and the Pesh Merga. There are gaurd towers for the OPF and PM dotted throughout the landscape in all directions and road blocks on all the roads to identify drivers.

We also had a private security force that was around us most of the time. Usually when you want to go to the airport or town VSC (the security company) does all the transits in convoy with guards.

But I drive into Erbil myself all the time. The biggest danger is really the other horrid drivers on the roads.

Our camp borders onto the newly built OPF base camp, so in about 3 weeks there will be 300 OPF officers within shouting distance of my camp.


So like I said, I feel fairly safe. We would be screwed if a true attack happened, but ISIS would have to get through a lot of security measures and we would have a lot of advanced notice in that case so I could get away before any of the real fighting starts.

And add in that several local workers from the villages around our area work under me, so they usually have their finger on the pulse of what is going on as well.

Edit: Also, Canada has a military camp near erbil now and a sniper regiment in training the pesh merga. Canada recorded the first on ground kills by coalition forces. That's why we became HVT's, because of our snipers. I heard a story from a Pesh Merga guard (and he may be exaggerating but I like to think not), that one canadian sniper took a class of sniper trainees out on patrol 2 weeks ago and they ended up engaging ISIS and he and the trainees sniped 17 militants, with the Canadian getting the majority of the kills. Could all be bull####, but needless to say, makes Canadians look like bad asses (which I am not at all, haha).

crazy...are you allowed to take pics of the area with your phone and attach for us? Or is that prohibited?

[FlamesAddiction]

The air strikes wouldn't scare as much as the possibility of having some ISIS fanatic suicide bombing something or setting up an IED somewhere.

[Flames_Gimp]

Anonymous “Hacktivists” Strike a Blow Against ISIS

http://anonhq.com/anonymous-hacktivi...ike-blow-isis/

[Flames_Gimp]

Wow, the video of the jordanian pilot burned alive is horrific

[Muta]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

Wow, the video of the jordanian pilot burned alive is horrific

I do myself a favour and don't watch videos like that. It's better for the mind to not have that ingrained in there forever.

[Flames_Gimp]

I shouldn't have watched it, just fuels the hatred i have for them!

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Flames_Gimp

I shouldn't have watched it, just fuels the hatred i have for them!

Here's how I look at it. No one important on the story would want me to watch it. The pilot, his family, the various governments, or anyone I know. The only people who want me to see that are the perpetrators. I'm not about to give them that

[metallicat]

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/world/kayla...-say-1.2951572

American aid worker killed. ISIS says by air strikes...why do I not believe them?

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/world/kayla...-say-1.2951572

American aid worker killed. ISIS says by air strikes...why do I not believe them?

It is quite plausible and as horrible as this is to say: likely better than the fate that might have otherwise awaited her

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by oilers_fan

http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/world/kayla...-say-1.2951572

American aid worker killed. ISIS says by air strikes...why do I not believe them?

While possible, it is just way too convenient for them to say that.

It's a moot point anyway as they put her in danger.

I am curious as to why the U.S. kept her identity a secret for so long while they are open about other hostages taken by ISIS. They said it was to protect her, but I wonder why her identity was more of an issue than others that were and are in the same situation.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

It is quite plausible and as horrible as this is to say: likely better than the fate that might have otherwise awaited her

I seem to recall that ISIS had published a bombed out building that she was supposed to be held in, and Jordan came back and said, nobody bombed that building.

the execution by burning of the Jordanian was the first mis-step in what was a pretty successful public relations campaign. Sure ISIS will still be able to recruit the stupid, the angry and the ill-informed, however they had just managed to get the UAE to halt their campaign, and signs of cracks were showing in the coalition, and the operational tempo of the air strikes was sharply dropping. Now its increased basically 10 fold, and there's a good chance that Jordan will eventually put a heavy formation on the ground that ISIS won't be able to combat.

As for the girl, my assumption is that she was probably abused, and raped and beheaded a long time ago, and they were holding the video for best effect. But this is a clumsy way for them to get away from putting out a horrifying execution video, not because of compassion, but because they now know that the response to the execution of the girl on T.V. will probably ramp up a very heavy Western Response.

I've always said that in the battlefield people are more horrified at the thought of female casualties, and mans instincts when they see that happen are probably several times more based in rage then the death of a male.

I remember when we bought woman into our unit, there was a lot of talk at night over beers about female soldiers. The talk wasn't as much about can they do the job, but more about what you would do if a female soldier that you knew and worked with got killed or captured.

Sexism I know, but that's how we're wired.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Cheese

crazy...are you allowed to take pics of the area with your phone and attach for us? Or is that prohibited?

I am attempting to upload pics, but I realize I have no clue how to do that on here.

[CaptainCrunch]

Sounds like those sicko's sent a video of the girls execution directly to her parents.

That could just be a rumor from this morning that I can't verify.

[FlamesAddiction]

Obama is asking Congress for war powers this morning to use against ISIS. It still doesn't include ground troops though.

[nik-]

I had read photographs. Not of the execution, but of her body.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by nik-

I had read photographs. Not of the execution, but of her body.

That is what I read too. They are claiming she was not executed but killed by a Jordanian airstrike.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Obama is asking Congress for war powers this morning to use against ISIS. It still doesn't include ground troops though.

I think he's basically looking for a 3 year mandate on military options.

so he's looking for a 3 year air strike commitment.

I'm still convinced that you have to go in and scare your enemy into making mistakes, and you can do that with special forces troops.

Go in at night and snatch up their leaders, or saw a couple of their heads off, make them nervous.

[polak]

If say NATO decided to send in a large amount of ground troops, how fast could they eradicate ISIS?

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by polak

If say NATO decided to send in a large amount of ground troops, how fast could they eradicate ISIS?

I guess that depends on the goalposts, the iraqi army disintegrated in meer days yet the US never "won"