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[Bam Bam Baklava]

and how does your statement of fact relate to the topic?

Just a friendly reminder in case anyone didn't have the full perspective of the situation. Defeating IS is not just about what piece of land you control in Iraq and/or Syria. It goes beyond that.

 

[Chittagong]

The day Raqqa is captured back will be a glorious one.

 

[Azih]

"rebuilding" the army. maybe if the motherfuckers didn't surrender and run off leaving tanks, humvees etc. for ISIS we wouldn't have had to rebuild them.

Iraq should have no fucking say in what happens to deal with ISIS. They are the shitheads who alienated countless people into the hands of ISIS by expelling them from the Military, government etc all so the government could have their flavor of Islam only Government and Military.

Er. Bremer did that with his de-Baathification shit show.

Edit:I'm late on this but seriously, the Coalition had no serious plan on what to do with Iraq after Saddam fell.

 

[davepoobond]

The day Raqqa is captured back will be a glorious one.

Raqqa is not in Iraq...

 

[diamount]

Just a friendly reminder in case anyone didn't have the full perspective of the situation. Defeating IS is not just about what piece of land you control in Iraq and/or Syria. It goes beyond that.

How isn't it? You deprive them of their revenue, they won't be able to pay their fighters, religious fervour doesn't satiate hunger I believe.

 

[HariKari]

This is really morbid.

It is, but both sides have been posting a lot of GoPro footage of the conflict. Pretty crazy. Reddit has a sub for combat footage (from all wars).

 

[Suen]

"rebuilding" the army. maybe if the motherfuckers didn't surrender and run off leaving tanks, humvees etc. for ISIS we wouldn't have had to rebuild them.

Iraq should have no fucking say in what happens to deal with ISIS. They are the shitheads who alienated countless people into the hands of ISIS by expelling them from the Military, government etc all so the government could have their flavor of Islam only Government and Military.

This of course completely ignores that the cities that fell to ISIS were because local forces, Sunnis and Kurds, ran away. After the US forces realized that the debaathification was causing them more headaches they pressured Iraq's govt. to bring back ex-Baathists and have them be responsible for their areas (i.e. a more "representative force" bullshit). So US creates a program to remove them, pressures to bring them back (despite the obvious connections with AQ/ISIS and GCC they had), they become responsible for their areas, abandon their posts and cheer for ISIS in their streets. Ramadi, Fallujah, Anbar in general, Beiji and Mosul.

Alienated countless of people, fucking lol. Iraq had one of the most, if not the most representative government in the region. In fact Sunnis had a larger portion than what they were supposed to have in the government. You should take a look at what rights Sunnis have in the Sunni majority countries in ME.

But yeah alienation right. I guess Sunnis are also alienated in Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, France and Belgium as well based on your logic. Oh wait.

Here's your alienation, the "peaceful protestors", overrepresented in the government and whom you are making excuses for, "peacefully protesting" with those beautiful ISIS flags they are waving:

Keep spouting crap and make excuses for ISIS supporters, sympathizers and members. You might as well apply for their media wing.

 

[Chittagong]

Raqqa is not in Iraq...

I don't think "Iraq" and "Syria" are concepts recognised by Daesh. It won't be Iraqi army, sure, but inevitably it will be someone.

 

[Suen]

I think there was a reason why the Shiite militias didn't partake in the battle. Looks like the US wanted to show that Iraq doesn't need them and I heard that the forces that took Ramadi was recently US trained forces.

You couldn't be more wrong. Ramadi fell to ISIS when PMU withdrew at the order of the Iraqi govt. who received the order from US. When they withdrew the city was left with the local federal police and portions of the Golden division. Airstrikes by coalition forces were minimal, what was left was in disarray and the federal police left abandoned their positions as Haris Al Iraq slowly retreated while trying to save civilians who were escaping the cities and comrades trapped in it. Meanwhile the locals who escaped the city before ISIS took it over were interviewed by the PMU and army and said they had been sold out by their own leaders who called for this little ISIS revolution and then went straight to Erbil as soon as shit hit the fan. Dempsey even called the city insignificant(!) as it fell to ISIS and civilians were escaping for their life. Much like most other areas in charge of IA-PMU Ramadi would have never fell if it wasn't for the US and the Iraqi govt. falling for its pressure.

Also, that the forces are US trained has minimal effect on the situation. Most soldiers in IA are US trained, or rather, have gotten some instructions from US trainers, now and before Jun 2014. If this training made up the majority of what they learn in aggregate you'd have a point but they don't, in fact if I recall it correctly it doesn't even make up a fifth of what IA soldiers learn in aggregate. As much as the US the western media, and perhaps you yourself like and have been trying to glory hunt the progress and achievement made by IA, IAA, IAF, HAI, PKK and PMU it doesn't change the facts on the ground.

Also calling PMU a Shia militia is pretty pathetic, no offense meant. It shows how little aware you are of how mixed it has become. You could have, by a weak definition, called it that when it was formed but at this point it's just stupid. Saying Iraq doesn't need them is also laughable. IA wouldn't have made half the progress this year if it wasn't for the PMU and that goes for Salah Ad Din, Anbar, Baghdad, Babil, Samarra and the safety in Najaf and Kerbala. Heck, the defensive line in Makhoul Mountain alone is mostly set up by the PMU. You also don't seem to be aware of how interwined IA and PMU actually are, or the amount of cooperation they do or the warm relations they enjoy, it's not even uncommon that you have a family having their sons serving in both groups. Once ISIS is expelled the next step should be for the govt. to integrate PMU in the army since most of them are otherwise mostly regular citizens.

For clarity, I believe that this is the ISF retaking the old government compound and the area around it in the city centre. As far as I know, IS still control part of the city.

Correct, but whatever they control is nothing. It's just a matter of time, the moment IA reached the center it was game over.

 

[Suen]

I'd pay to watch a livestream of these assaults. Why aren't there any streams of these battles. It's 2015 yall.

Not anything like a live stream but hey, a late merry christmas to you from Ramadi anyway

 

[davepoobond]

I don't think "Iraq" and "Syria" are concepts recognised by Daesh. It won't be Iraqi army, sure, but inevitably it will be someone.

yeah, well, who cares about what Daesh recognizes? lol

there is still an Iraq and Syria, and the Iraq military ain't going into Syria.

 

[TacticalHotdog]

Some footage from ISOF came out. Nothing graphic, but you can see their vehicles are really beat to shit. Many windows with bullets in them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5DSyVpVnXk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QOdDpSWQyo

 

[CHEEZMO™]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QOdDpSWQyo

I wonder whose idea it was to stick a Hussain banner on their humvee

 

[thefro]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35188479

Ramadi officially declared as liberated today