Washington Post: Plans by U.S. to capture Islamic State’s capital already go awry
AIN ISSA, Syria — In this abandoned desert town on the front line of the war against the Islamic State in Raqqa, local fighters are fired up by announcements in Washington that the militants’ self-proclaimed capital is to be the next focus of the war.
But there is still no sign of the help the United States has delivered ostensibly for the use of the Arab groups fighting the Islamic State, nor is there any indication it will imminently arrive, calling into question whether there can be an offensive to capture Raqqa anytime soon.
Fifty tons of ammunition airdropped by the U.S. military last week and intended for Arab groups has instead been claimed by the overall command of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, which is fighting alongside Arab units but overwhelmingly dominates their uneasy alliance, according to Kurdish and Arab commanders.
WNU Editor: The Kurds are not interested. The Sunni rebel Arabs are too disorganized. The U.S. is not interested in deploying ground forces. And the Syria military with its allies are more interested in battling against the rebels in the east of the country .... and not the Islamic State.
9 comments:
WNU Editor,
The YPG sees no tactical or strategic value in try to capture Raqqa. It leaves the Kurdish enclaves disconnected, strains and leaves vulnerable the supply lines for the attack, and if successful, the rats will just flee elsewhere.
The YPG want to link the Kurdish enclaves, which will close the border with Turkey and cut off the ISIS supply lines. To do so, requires a "protector", to keep the Turks on the sidelines, and just limited to threats, fuming, and releasing another flood of refugees into Europe.
The U.S. seems to be unwilling to provide such protections and is focused on Raqqa for it's propaganda value.
The Russians are not yet ready to provide such protections, but in a month or two, they may.
BTW, confirmation out of Turkey today that the sarin gas attacks were a joint Turkish MIT/ISIS Operation.
I am slightly more pessimistic than you are Jay on this one. I see next year as the year where the Islamic State will be under pressure ... not in the next two months.
WNU Editor,
ISIS is already under pressure, thus their attempts to make deals with Al Quida and the FSA jihadi's.
They have lost Beiji to the Iraqi Shia Militias, and their forces besieging the SAAF Kuweiris Airbase, are becoming surrounded and hard pressed by the SAA.
"fighting season" in eastern Syria and western Iraq ends in February, when the sandstorms come. There are 6 small areas, with two towns and about 3 dozen villages, that separate the YPG enclaves and allow ISIS resupply, oil trade, rearming and fresh recruits from Turkey.
The YPG, with air support could clear and hold those areas, if somebody keeps the Turkish Airforce and Army from intervening. Russia is not in position to provide that yet, but may be able to in about 2 months as they continue to ramp up. Russia would also need to be in a position to rearm and resupply the YPG.
While closing the border would not end ISIS, it would put a severe strain on their logistics, and would put in place an anvil for next years fighting season.
Jay. I know Russia has made the decision to fight in this war until it is over .... and the Islamic State is definitely in their sites. Your prediction for next year is probably spot on.
Jay have you heard the consent of logical insanely .... We can finish this war in 23 hours is call b2 with a neutron bomb payload straight from Missouri to raqqa .and..game over .I can go on this one Whit more details about , I don't think is necessary you are very smart.
Soviet/Russian Policy is that any nuclear use, is Nuclear war,
Google "Peremyter".
Nuke Use = World End.
Ain't nobody but the crazies ending the world over a small bunch of jihadi's ( less than 0.004% of the Syrian Population).
I am sorry if misspellings miss lead any comments the I have attempted to make.
Jay I appreciate the input of your comments on this blog . WNU outstanding work with your comments keep me reading the blog .
In a previous comment I posted a very radical idea of the use of a neutron bomb and this is what I refer to What would you do if you were able to use a nuclear weapon to stop the German war machine, the day after the invasion of Poland.
Now you can save the lives of millions in the eastern front at the costs of thousands . we have the very same dilemma in my opinion.
Si-vis-pasen,
"What would you do if you were able to use a nuclear weapon to stop the German war machine, the day after the invasion of Poland.
Now you can save the lives of millions in the eastern front at the costs of thousands"
That is an interesting argument that has it's roots back in theories on the "nature" of time.
First you have to suppose that you have a view of the future that is certain, but if your act negates that future then there will be no evidence that your act accomplished the desired outcome. A good example of this is the "killing baby Hitler" supposition. If you could go back and kill the baby Hitler to prevent all the nasty things he later did, would you? Most reasonable people would reply "of course". But if you did kill Hitler and none of the nasty things happen, wouldn't that just be murder.
It was not for nothing that Caesar uttered (this is disputed) the phrase " ālea iacta est" when crossing the Rubicon.
There is an old saying that goes something like this "The past is an alien country, they do things differently there." People of the present tend to forget that.
OK all these big thoughts have made my head hurt, anymore and you'll ask the smart guys that comment here.
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