I am rather surprised how a bunch of Jihadist can defeat the Iraqi army with some much fire power.

Posted by: nini | Jun 11 2014 18:06 utc | 1

Splitting Iraq into three pieces was certainly the goal of some of the neocons that pushed for war in Iraq. If I recall correctly, the late neocon convert Hitchens was a major advocate for Kurdish independence. The incompetence of the Shia led government might very well let that happen.

Posted by: ToivoS | Jun 11 2014 18:08 utc | 2

admitting total ignorance of the different factions and their motives in syria and now in iraq let me please ask:
given that i heard assad avoided attacking ISIS/ISIL, could that be a counter-move against US interests? trying to force them to commit on more than one front?
im still clueless if the us likes whats happening there or not ...

Posted by: svd | Jun 11 2014 18:11 utc | 3

What the U.S. elite is saying, b, is that ISIS's success in Iraq is proof that the "moderate opposition" has to be armed as quickly in possible in Syria.

Robert Ford, former U.S. ambassador to Syria, has an Op-Ed that is appears in today's print edition of the NYT, "Arm Syria's Opposition," arguing that in order to protect the national security of the United States from attack by AQ-type groups the mythical moderate Syrian opposition has to be fully supported.

The insanity, the lack of any rationality, any reasoning, any analysis whatsoever begs for a JSorrentine jeremiad. Notice how the Free Syrian Army is never even referred to anymore. Why? Because besides the lack of any military victories to speak of, the last we heard of the FSA it was giving up its stockpile of U.S.-supplied hardware to the jihadis. Sort of queers Ford's pitch, doesn't it?

Posted by: Mike Maloney | Jun 11 2014 18:24 utc | 4

your title captures it.

Posted by: james | Jun 11 2014 18:24 utc | 5

@4 - mike.. in other words, the idea of overthrowing a leader/dictator is still the preferred path of these elites looking to profit off total mayhem..

Posted by: james | Jun 11 2014 18:28 utc | 6

b.

The Turkish consulate in Mosul was taken by ISIS and the Turkish personal there is now in ISIS custody. I had earlier seen tweets that mentioned an offer by Kurdish forces to evacuate the consulate to safety. The Turks had rejected that. Now the Turkish Prime Minister is demanding NATO consultations about the captured diplomats. This is pretty ridiculous. Without logistic support from Turkey for the insurgents in Syria ISIS would never have developed as it has.

ISIS is creating a reason for intervention. Turkey wants to intervene as part of NATO.

add this here - from Russia Today

Meanwhile, Reuters sources suggested Ankara has been in “direct contact” with the militants over the situation.

“Certain militant groups in Mosul have been directly contacted to ensure the safety of diplomatic staff,” a Turkish government source told the agency.

The Turkish government has earlier been accused of assisting jihadist groups fighting in Syria against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s government. Damascus complained to the UN in March that Turkey was providing cover to rebels crossing the border from Turkish territory, which allegedly included several Al-Qaeda affiliates.

Turkey now calls for a NATO emergency meeting.

Great.

Posted by: somebody | Jun 11 2014 18:32 utc | 7

This here is Ottoman Mosul Vilayet - in place till the end of World War I, after that Britain took over.
It is a stealth way of NATO getting involved in Syria. See map of Mosul
Sure, the Sunni population does not fight ISIL - they have been promised NATO involvement on their side, you bet.

Posted by: somebody | Jun 11 2014 18:44 utc | 8

@3, svd, "given that i heard assad avoided attacking ISIS/ISIL"

Where did you hear?

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11 2014 18:53 utc | 9

svd #3 queries let me please ask: given that i heard assad avoided attacking ISIS/ISIL, could that be a counter-move against US interests?

Now this is pure speculation on my part but I would not be surprised if in that great world of the spooks that Syrian intelligence has not placed a few assets within the Islamists militias. I think it is understood by many that Ambassador Stevens was in Benghazi to facilitate the transfer of weapons from eastern Libya to Syria via Turkey -- this was the so called "rat line" that Sy Hirsch wrote about. The immediate effect of Steven's killing is that the US pulled out a few dozen CIA from Benghazi immediately afterwards. Syria was obviously the biggest beneficiary of that action.

For over a year Syria has allowed ISIS free reign in eastern Syria. ISIS has spent more effort fighting other anti-Assad rebel forces that they have against the Syrian army. This latest blow up in Mosul has to be a major blow against Turkey. This might very well end with an independent state of Kurdistan right on Turkey's border. If Syria is not actively supporting ISIS in some covert ways they certainly have to be delighted with current developments.

It was a few years ago that some analysts were worried that the civil war in Syria might spill over its borders and produce some unpleasant blow back. No one was predicting the current outcome, but talk about an unforeseen circumstance!

Posted by: ToivoS | Jun 11 2014 19:05 utc | 10

"There is certainly no need for conspiracy theories here. The local reasons fully explain the conflict and the current events"

Does it?
Limited hang out only?
Conspiracy theories. Didn't that originate with RAND?
Odd to see that used here.

There is a vastly bigger picture then just a local one

Posted by: Penny | Jun 11 2014 19:28 utc | 11

@10 "For over a year Syria has allowed ISIS free reign in eastern Syria"

Where are you getting this?

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11 2014 19:30 utc | 12

No doubt there are some in the US government who do applaud what is going on, particularly those who see the splitting of Iraq as a worthwhile object.
But rational elements will realise that this is a nightmare for them: whatever relations the US and its agents have with ISIS leaders, the reality is that the sudden growth of this army in numbers and firepower, not to mention wealth and population puts the entire ramshackle smoke and mirrors polity of the Saudi-Gulf in peril. The Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, are essentially defenceless, heavily reliant on "allies" and mercenaries because they dare not empower militaries of their own.

And then there is Israel, so small that it is vulnerable to any popular uprising in the region. No doubt it is laughing at the discomfiture of the Shia and regards any weakening of the Iraqi state as a strategic bonus. But they are mistaken on both counts.

For years after 2003 I warned supporters of the war against Iraq that, far from being over, the war in Iraq had barely begun. One thing is certain: ISIS is not the Al CIAda of myth and legend. It is not doing Uncle Sam's bidding, if only because Uncle Sam has no idea what it wants and what it is doing. It has no need to know, it can change its story ten times a week, if necessary, and the media will swallow new "truths" as rapidly as it files the old ones in the memory hole.

re @3 I too have seen this canard charged against Assad. I am fairly sure that its simply propaganda, emanating from the "feckless left" which still waits patiently for the Proletariat to take power in Damascus and invite intellectuals from London over to advise them-at enormous salaries.

Posted by: bevin | Jun 11 2014 19:34 utc | 13

Someone said in Goingtotehran.com site, and I agree with:

"In my opinion, Iraq is not headed towards an internal conflict similar to Syria. These groups presenting themselves as AQ have no grass-root backing in the population, neither in Syria nor in Iraq. They would have been politically decimated long time ago if not backed by powerful actors."

Posted by: ATH | Jun 11 2014 19:35 utc | 14

This here is from April ! this year

There have been some interesting claims and speculation recently that the United States and Turkey may be planning to take joint action against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighting in Syria. ...

That's where we come on to a more recent report on this situation from World Bulletin which discusses a recent claim that the U.S is also cooperating with Turkey on plans to launch an operation against this Islamist group which was formerly an affiliate of the Al-Qaeda in Iraq group. It has however directly broken from that group after it refused orders to leave Syria. It is now even fighting the other Islamist Nusra Front group as well as the Free Syrian Army along with smaller militants and the Kurds.
As a result of this many, including the Turkish Foreign Minister, have accused them of being Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's "backstage partner" given the fact the ISIL haven't been fighting the Syrian regime but instead focusing on targeting the other armed opposition groups.

The last part is clear, they don't fight for politics but for religion

In this sense, there is no evidence to date that Azerbaijanis have joined other non-jihadist groups such as the Free Syrian Army (FSA). There are several reasons for this. First of all, extremist ideology is the main reason why Azerbaijanis join jihadist groups; unlike the FSA, jihadist groups don't care about the political integrity of Syria nor the fate of Bashar al-Assad. These jihadist groups fight against both Assad and anti-Assad forces.

Local Azerbaijani media has shared video footage of Azerbaijani jihadists openly saying that they have joined the war in the name of God, to spread Islam and be martyred. These are essentially farewell messages. Their indifference to Syria's future as a sovereign state is also interesting. While some foreign fighters such as Chechens are fighting against the Syrian government as a continuation of the war with Russia (which supports Assad), this is not the case for Azerbaijanis.

The route from Azerbaijan to Syria, goes via Turkey. They are not based on the local Iraqui tribes. It is not a civil war. It is a sectarian religious group fighting for its ideology.

This here is the Guardian.

Unlike the Iraqi troops facing them Isis fighters are highly motivated, battle hardened and well-equipped, analysts say.

"It also runs the equivalent of a state. It has all the trappings of a state, just not an internationally recognised one," Douglas Ollivant of the New America Foundation, told the Washington Post.

It runs courts, schools and services, flying its black-and-white flag over every facility it controls. In Raqqa, it even started a consumer protection authority for food standards.

Isis has bolstered its strength by recruiting thousands of foreign volunteers in Syria, some from Europe and the US, and is estimated to have more than 10,000 men under its control. As for resources, it counts large extortion networks in Mosul that predates the US withdrawal and in February it seized control of the financially valuable Conoco gas field, said to be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars a week, from Jabhat al-Nusra in Deir Ezzor, in Syria.

Now that it has captured Mosul, Isis is in an even stronger position to bolster its claim that it is the leading jihadi group.

"Isis now presents itself as an ideologically superior alternative to al-Qaida within the jihadi community and it has publicly challenged the legitimacy of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri," said Charles Lister, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution, Doha, in a paper last month. "As such it has increasingly become a transnational movement with immediate objectives far beyond Iraq and Syria."

You can bet that some cynical secular people are very interested in this "transnational movement"

Posted by: somebody | Jun 11 2014 19:37 utc | 15

Russia, Europe, Turkey, the US and even Israel are quietly looting Iraqi oil from 'Kurdistan' despite protests from the Iraqi Government.

It isn't just an aggrieved Sunni population that may be interested in a weakened central Government.

Posted by: Pat Bateman | Jun 11 2014 19:49 utc | 16

"There is certainly no need for conspiracy theories here. The local reasons fully explain the conflict and the current events. Sure, the situation would not have developed as such without the U.S. "war of terror" and the "regime change" attacks against any ruler noncompliant towards Washingon's demands."

Yes, I know the routine. Local conflict without outside help or control. Just like with Libya, Syria and the Ukraine, the USA, EU, NATO are totally innocent of involvement. As a last resort, if we are forced to admit outside actors steering things, we can always blame the Muslims, the Chinese or the Russians, whichever scenario sells it the best for our purposes.

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 11 2014 19:56 utc | 17

One thing is certain: ISIS is not the Al CIAda of myth and legend. It is not doing Uncle Sam's bidding, if only because Uncle Sam has no idea what it wants and what it is doing.

| Jun 11, 2014 3:34:06 PM | 13

complete nonsense.

and note not so much as one scrap of evidence or intelligent reasoning is offered to support the silly claims made above,.

It's just a silly series of bald assertions made to support the ever-increasingly ridiculous, (and completely without any evidentiary foundation) "Imperial Incompetence" theory so beloved of certain commenters here.

Such obvious fictions may be comforting to certain people but they are nothing but fictions, and any "analysis" based on such obvious fictions is not analysis at all but merely a series of statements based on nothing more than wishful thinking.

whatever relations the US and its agents have with ISIS leaders, the reality is that the sudden growth of this army in numbers and firepower, not to mention wealth and population puts the entire ramshackle smoke and mirrors polity of the Saudi-Gulf in peril.

| Jun 11, 2014 3:34:06 PM | 13

Naw - the reality is that people making such statements have themselves no real understanding of the "smoke and mirrors polity of the Saudi-Gulf" - they see all the smoke-and-mirros and presume it is just smoke, that there's no substance at all, and therefore conclude that, on the basis their own faulty reasoning, there can be no rhyme-nor-reason directing the smoke-and-mirrors.

It never seems to occur to such individuals that just because they themselves are incapable of determining neither rhyme nor reason embedded within the smoke-and-mirrors, that rhyme-and-reason may nevertheless exist within all the smoke and mirrors, despite their inability to discern it

Smoke and mirrors can be used to hide actual stratagem just as easily as they can be used to disguise the lack of same

At the end of the day such "reasoning" is nothing but childish wishful thinking - repeating the mantra that "due to incompetence, the empire is dead!", a million times or more won't make it so

You may want to believe that, but the Empire is far from dead, and can cause a LOT of destruction before it ever gets close to actually dying

There's as much to gain as there is to lose, amidst all the deliberate (not "accidental" nor "unintended" nor even "the result of incompetence") chaos

Posted by: lol_OMFG | Jun 11 2014 20:11 utc | 18

@Toivois "If Syria is not actively supporting ISIS in some covert ways they certainly have to be delighted with current developments."

Of course they are. They have warned the West that supporting the change of regime in Syria will spill over in the region and cause a disaster.
Thanks to Hezbollah Lebanon has been preserved. Iraq has no one to defend it and it divided ethnically and religiously. It is an easy prey for Islamists. With a weak army, Libya is also an easy prey but General Haftar has emerged and situation the change.

ISIS is only interested in creating an Islamic state in the oil rich areas inhabited by rural Sunnis who are religious and opposed to the Shia and Alawite and to the Sunni ruling class. They are limiting themselves geographically to North-East Syria and North of Iraq.

ISIS is certainly helpful to Syria as it is combating the enemies of the Syrian government. The Syrian army is allowing them to gather in North of Syria. They will soon become an easy target to bomb at the second stage when the large main cities of Syria would have been back under the government control.
The war in Iraq will drain many ISIS fighters from Syria thus weakening their offensive capabilities on other parts of Syria. It may disrupt the contested delivery of oil from Kurdish areas to Turkey and provoke a refugee crisis that would weaken the Kurdish government. Overall it will create a diversion useful to the Syrian government's narative. It confirms that all rebellion in the area are essentially driven by Islamist extremists and can only be crushed by force.
As Syria may draw some benefits from the chaos in Iraq that may affect also Turkey, it's no surprise that Syria is accused to behind the advance of ISIS in Iraq.

Posted by: Virgile | Jun 11 2014 20:12 utc | 19

http://www.worldsecuritynetwork.com/Iraq/Galbraith-Peter-W/The-Case-For-Dividing-Iraq

Posted by: Bob In Portland | Jun 11 2014 20:15 utc | 20

This can easily evolve into a battle royale between Turkey, Kurds, Sunni Jihadists, Sunni Bathists in the North to see who gets Mosul and Kirkuk as spoils of war. I doubt the Shiite militias will bother going beyond the ring of towns around Baghdad were they have some populations centers and shrines (like Samarra). And I doubt there is an Iraqi Army anymore. The units in the south are likely to become Shiite militias in anything but name. Shiites have the oil from the fields in the South, they don't need to fight for the center and North other than for security. Shiites and 'moderate' Sunnies don't care about each other anymore.

There is like zero chance of spilling to Iran from Anbar province, they are one of the few countries with a strong army in the zone. Jordan and Saudi Arabia should be starting to think if they really want such neighbors on their frontiers. Of course they can 'pay them' for protection, but that works until the 'protector' wants.

Posted by: ThePaper | Jun 11 2014 20:20 utc | 21

General Haftar in Libya is a pretty obvious US tool. They want to clear the jihadist mess in Libya. In any case whatever they attempt will fail in the short and medium term.

Posted by: ThePaper | Jun 11 2014 20:23 utc | 22

13

I dont know if US support ISIS they DO however support a sunni regime before a shia government.

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 11 2014 20:24 utc | 23

Iraq is under attack by the US, France and Saudi Arabia, according to Voltaire Network. ‎ anyway

The government of Iraq is being attacked by CIA-created US-Imperial proxy known as ISIS

"The Islamic Emirate in Iraq and the Levant is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi on behalf of Prince Abdul Rahman al-Faisal, the brother of the current Saudi Foreign Minister and of the Saudi ambassador in Washington. He is funded and supervised jointly by U.S., French and Saudi officers. Over the past month, he has received new weapons from Ukraine, where Saudi Arabia has acquired a weapons factory, and via Turkey, which has created a special rail line alongside a military airport to supply the IEIL.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is an Iraqi who joined Al-Qaeda to fight against President Saddam Hussein. During the U.S. invasion, he distinguished himself by engaging in several actions against Shiites and Christians (including the taking of the Baghdad Cathedral) and by ushering in an Islamist reign of terror (he presided over an Islamic court which sentenced many Iraqis to be slaughtered in public). After the departure of Paul Bremer III, he was arrested and incarcerated at Bucca from 2005 to 2009. This period saw the dissolution of Al-Qaeda in Iraq whose fighters merged into a group of tribal resistance, the Islamic Emirate of Iraq.

On 16 May 2010, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was named emir of the IEI, in the process of disintegration. After the departure of U.S. troops, he staged operations against the government al-Maliki, accused of being at the service of Iran. In 2013, after vowing allegiance to Al-Qaeda, he took off with his group to continue the jihad in Syria, rebaptizing it Islamic Emirate of Iraq and the Levant. In doing so, he challenged the exemptions previously granted, on behalf of Al-Qaeda, by Ayman al-Zawahiri in Syria to the Al-Nusra Front, which was originally nothing more than an extension of the IEI."

there's at least something that looks factual in there - which is always preferable to a bunch of wishful thinking imo

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 20:46 utc | 24

Posted by: lol_OMFG | Jun 11, 2014 4:11:26 PM | 18

I think they are Turkey's. Syria possibly does not intervene because it suits them fine. A weakened Iraqui central government that is on their side does not suit them though. A weakened Iraqi government plus weakened Iraqi Kurds suit Turkey.

I also think the US is doing the rounds encouraging everybody "to get more active".

Posted by: somebody | Jun 11 2014 20:51 utc | 25

The blowback from the 2003 invasion has begun. The puppet Iraqi State just disintegrated and Iraq is partitioned. The Shiite militias will set up barricades and checkpoints around Shia enclaves in Bagdad. They will fight the ISIS to the death. I expect shortly a repeat of the April 1975 Saigon embassy helicopter evacuation since there will be no Iraqi troops defending the Green Zone but are gone to defend their families from beheading.

This is not new or unexpected. Bloggers predicted this a decade ago.

I believe it is the natural consequence of the takeover of western democracies by the transnational elites. Their number one goal and greatest success, so far, is the rapid reduction in the power of the States in order to reduce taxes on the rich, move their wealth offshore, and avoid nationalization of their banks.

The wars are not meant to be won but to be fought forever to get a cut of the taxpayers’ money spent on weapons and munitions and the looting of the targeted countries. This creates huge swaths of land where there is no government. ISIS arose in such an area between the Iraq and Syria and is the natural consequence of the wars conducted against both states. In addition, Israel has pushed ethnic hatred and war so hard that it is now encircled by enemies. The only buffer left intact is Jordon. Finally, the American Empire is so weak it cannot field a people’s army but has to fund mercenaries. The new ISIS caliphate is a direct result of American support for Syrian Jihadists.

Even worse, the consequences of neo-liberal-con American government support of Nazis in Ukraine is a replay of the summer of 1914 leading inevitably to a shooting war between Russia and NATO unless peace negotiations start right now.

Posted by: VietnamVet | Jun 11 2014 21:02 utc | 26

@svd: ISIS hasn't had as many clashes with the SAA as all the other factions in Syria since they had an agenda (strategic aim) of their own. They will fight whomever stands in their way. That much is obvious. Speculation on the assumed relationships built between baathist pasts and old Iraqi insurgency ties are just that. Assumptions. They have fought the SAA and given the chance will gladly annihilate any Alawite they come across. They're religious zealots remember? Unfortunately they keep their strategic goals in sight and almost do not deviate from that.

They captured Raqqa and the border with Turkey (a small stretch) and are fighting to control Deir al Zour. They want the oil fields and the roads and Euphrates river as their main line of supply to and fro Iraq.

Looking at the map my best guess would be that they'd concentrate on controlling the swathe of land from Ramadi to Tikrit and to the iraqi border along the Tigris River. They attacked Tikrit and Baji (oil field there).

I'm curious as to what their next goal is, besides the oil (income) and the border area (supply lines).
1) Syrian Kurds: Will they conquer the Iraqi border with Turkey so they can isolate the Syrian Kurds (YPG) and cut off their lines of supply. Taking the Turkish consul hostage would mean no interference from Turkey (plus they have a common interest in seeing the Syrian Kurds weakened).

2) Sectarian Strife: Or will they go for the Shia shrines in Samarra/Karbala (or even further down south)(remember AQI did the same in 2006 and 2007) or strike into Baghdad. This would surely flare up the sectarian divisions and escalate even further from a civil war into a sectarian war. This is something which AQI/ISIS has always done (except strike against Iran on orders from Al Zawahiri).

I agree with b's stance that ISIS has managed to grow because of al Maliki's mishandling of the political situation in Iraq and the failing regime change in Syria but most importantly is Turkey's assistance in the Syrian proxy war. They got into contact pretty quick with ISIS to negotiate... Must be great to have such warm ties with fellow islamic co-zealots

Posted by: Gehenna | Jun 11 2014 21:12 utc | 27

@20 -bob in portland. good link from 2006 that seems prescient.. i recall talk of that, sort of like dividing up the spoils of war, as opposed to keeping iraq whole..

for anyone who missed the link from KerKaraje yesterday -
http://radioyaran.com/2014/06/10/is-isis-the-taliban-of-this-decade/

@23 omfg - some of it supports the above linked viewpoint and makes sense. i am curious about this quote though "Over the past month, he has received new weapons from Ukraine, where Saudi Arabia has acquired a weapons factory, and via Turkey, which has created a special rail line alongside a military airport to supply the IEIL."

how does sa acquire a weapons factory in ukraine? did they buy it off an oligarch, or? as for turkey supporting anything here, it sure doesn't look positive with isis holding 80 or so turkish folks in the mosul area.
http://rt.com/news/165340-turkish-consulate-mosul-qaeda/

Posted by: james | Jun 11 2014 21:16 utc | 28

#25 Small part left out:

Looking at the map my best guess would be that they'd concentrate on controlling the swathe of land from Ramadi to Tikrit and to the iraqi border along the Tigris and Euphrates river. They attacked Tikrit and Baji (oil field there).

Posted by: Gehenna | Jun 11 2014 21:17 utc | 29

#25 Small part left out:

Looking at the map my best guess would be that they'd concentrate on controlling the swathe of land from Ramadi to Tikrit and to the iraqi border along the Tigris and Euphrates river. They attacked Tikrit and Baji (oil field there).

Posted by: Gehenna | Jun 11 2014 21:17 utc | 30

OT Sorry

The Kremlin Stooge hits the spot again

“No talks with terrorists“, vowed Ukraine’s “burly” new leader (that’s a new word for “corpulent from a lifetime of ease and rich food”, in case you didn’t recognize it), who supposedly compelled the “overwhelming rallying” of his people behind him and who confidently promised to roll up the terrorists “in a matter of hours” with his “robust campaign”.

Meanwhile Seemorerocks reports suggestions that the US may try to do a Ukraine on Bulgaria in order to seal of South Stream (they hope).

It seems the 'barbarians' are at many of the gates our latter day Roman Empire.

Posted by: Yonatan | Jun 11 2014 21:18 utc | 31

No wonder the Brits (not mentioning any names)
say that there is no need to send British troops to Iraq
as a result of this covert Al-Qaeda
(a rose by any other name would smell as sweet)

You cant go against the fruits your own creation.
That would be like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Posted by: chris m | Jun 11 2014 21:22 utc | 32

Jen Psaki , concern-trolling Iraq

U.S. Condemns ISIL Assault on Mosul

Press Statement by Jen Psaki

State Department Spokesperson, Washington, DC

June 10, 2014

The United States is deeply concerned about the events that have transpired in Mosul over the last 48 hours where elements of the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIL) have taken over significant parts of the city. The situation remains extremely serious. Senior U.S. officials in both Washington and Baghdad are tracking events closely in coordination with the Government of Iraq, as well as Iraqi leaders from across the political spectrum including the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and support a strong, coordinated response to push back against this aggression. We also commend efforts by the KRG to respond to the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The United States will provide all appropriate assistance to the Government of Iraq under the Strategic Framework Agreement to help ensure that these efforts succeed.

ISIL continues to gain strength from the situation in Syria, from which it transfers recruits, sophisticated munitions, and resources to the fight in Iraq. It should be clear that ISIL is not only a threat to the stability of Iraq, but a threat to the entire region. This growing threat exemplifies the need for Iraqis from all communities to work together to confront this common enemy and isolate these militant groups from the broader population.

The United States stands with the Iraqi people and the people of Ninewa and Anbar now confronting this urgent threat. We will continue to work closely with Iraqi political and security leaders on a holistic approach ["holistic approach" = F*ckin LOL!] to diminish ISIL’s capacity and ability to operate within Iraq’s borders. Our assistance enables Iraq to combat ISIL on the front lines, where hundreds of Iraqi security force personnel have been killed and injured in that fight this year.

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 21:22 utc | 33

What on earth are the iraqi army doing? News is that more cities, perhaps even bagdahd might be next to be taken!

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 11 2014 21:23 utc | 34

It's China's & Russia's turn to straighten out Iraq. They're the new Superpowers, or so I'm told, so let's see what they can do. I bet they sit back and watch as they feed both sides weapons and then conveniently blame it on The West. Time to step up Russia and China. You want to be the Big Boys on the block? Well, it's time to prove your meddle.

I won't hold my breath. As America steps back and away, the world will burn hotter and faster. Ask, and you shall receive — and man, are you going to receive it in bushels. You thought it would result in peace — instead you'll get nothing but suffering and death on a scale not seen since the World Wars.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jun 11 2014 21:24 utc | 35

ISIS, and any other group like it, is nothing without weapons. Follow the weapons to their source, or better yet, follow the profit from the sale of the weapons. It's not a complex formula.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jun 11 2014 21:27 utc | 36

@34

America is the #1 arms exporter, moron.

Posted by: Massinissa | Jun 11 2014 21:30 utc | 37

Excuse me for being a bit more cynical/"conspiratorial" but I seem to remember during nearly each and every fucking "situation" - e.g., Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Ukraine blah blah - that one of the major propaganda thrusts of each of these campaigns was that the situation was "complex", the causes for the conflict were "historical" and just NO ONE in the entire US intelligence apparatus/Establishment could even HOPE to know what's going on much less have had a hand in the planning and/or precipitation of said "situation". At least that was the official line in the MSM and the government mouthpieces. Yup, they're just monitoring the situation that they just have NO FUCKING IDEA as to how it started, who it exactly involves and who's exactly responsible.

They know for certainty the name of a shadowy mysterious, evil and powerful enemy - (whispers) ISIS - but they don't really know how this situation happened to turn into a conflagration.

Yup, with each every new roll-out of some conflict/situation that just "flared up" all by itself - ok, maybe with a teensy weensy little part due to US involvement in the region - fucking CIA gasbag Juan Cole and other erudite fools are trotted out to explain to good bourgeois lefties and others that "intelligent" people shouldn't jump to any conclusions but especially any about US behind-the-scenes involvement because - y'know - it really was just a big surprise to everyone and the situation was frustratingly multicausal.

Why, shithead gatekeeper - who remember just loved him some Qaddafy knife ass-raping - Cole has a piece out just today telling us how the rise of ISIS in Iraq can be blamed on just about EVERY SINGLE FUCKING historical fact in the book going back to WWI. Yup, Cole STARTS with W. and goes on from there. What a fucking scholar!!!

Why, it's interesting that Mr. Cole - and the rest of MSM press which is literally SCREAMING about ISIS today when it didn't even know that it existed less than a day ago - leaves out all the machinations on the part of US war criminals involved in what's been going on concerning the funding/arming/supporting of all of these "terror groups" - cough MERCENARIES cough - across the ME and elsewhere since before the beginning of the GWOT and up till now.

Why, all of what we're seeing now is simply just the "confusion" left over from the US invasion of Iraq 11 years ago. Yup, don't mention the US involvement in Syria because then you'd have to talk about Libya and Ukraine on and on and on and how in all of those cases while it may have SEEMED to have been just an organic "situation/event/reaction" what had really transpired was that the Americans - and their Israeli partners - were - surprise surprise - once again neck deep in the shit pulling strings of various groups and making payments/arming others directly or through proxies.

ASIDE: And whatever you do, do NOT mention the Yinon Plan and how the fracturing of Iraq further plays into the hands of the Zionist Israeli apartheid scum. Yeah, I'm sure the Israelis who helped gave birth to Hamas, who have supported scores of "crazy jihadists" - most recently in Syria - over the decades and who have a modern military and nukes I'm sure are just REALLY worried about a rag tag collection of mercenaries helping them out in dissolving Iraq and Syria according to a plan they set out 30+ years ago.

Stop it ISIS, you're just helping us TOO much!!!

Yup, all of this stinks like a intel fucking rollout. The MSM coverage with each outlet showing its own version of the "ISIS Controls the World" Map. Juan "Knife Ass-Rapist" Cole and others deflecting for their buds at the CIA. Fuck, the NYT itself has breathlessly told us that now ISIS has gotten hold of all sort of US weaponry! Uh oh!! Look like we'll need to buy more weapons of our own then!!Whoddathunkit!!! Why, I'd better watch one of the handy-dandy videos the NYT has recently supplied about the history of ISIS or look at their interactive ISIS map which shows me where the evil ISIS is hiding to make myself feel better! What a life-saver!

What we are witnessing is the real-time creation/roll-out of another US-intel backed "boogeyman" one that has the same air of "mystery" and "ultimate evilry" attached to it that Al-CIAda had back 10+ years ago although obviously on a smaller scale.

If people remember, by the morning of 9/12/01 the MSM had shiny Al-CIAda maps and charts, blueprints of their secret caves and all of that other fucking nonsense crap. That rollout reminds me of this one. OTOH, after 4 months on during the Ukraine "crisis" you could barely find a person in the MSM who could tell you who Bandera was, ffs.

The purported "confusion" on the part of the US Establishment is belied by how sleek, shiny, "out-of-nowhere" and coordinated the coverage of ISIS in the MSM. That's the tell.

Certainly, not everyone in the US Establishment knows what's going on but make no mistake a number of them do and they haven't been caught off guard.

Watch out for the false flag. That's when real innocent people start dying.

BTW, for being such a crazy bunch of jihadists that don't care if they die or not, ISIS sure does seem to make sure that they're photographed with their masks on an awful lot, huh?

Probably just bashful. Oh well.

Posted by: JSorrentine | Jun 11 2014 21:30 utc | 38

there are no sunglasses

The regime Legitimate Govt of Syrian President Bashar Assad said Wednesday it is willing to help Baghdad in the fight against “terrorism”, a day after jihadists overran Iraq’s second city Mosul.

“The foreign-backed terrorism that our brothers in Iraq are facing is the same that is targeting Syria,” said the foreign ministry.

Damascus is “ready to cooperate with Iraq to face terrorism, our common enemy”, it said in a statement.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant is a radical jihadist group operating in Iraq and Syria. It aims to establish an Islamic emirate stretching across the two countries’ borders.

ISIL militants spearheaded a jihadist offensive on Tuesday that claimed the province of Nineveh and its capital Mosul, as well as other parts of northern Iraq.

In Syria, ISIL controls large swathes of the oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor, which borders Iraq.

“This terrorism is a threat to peace and security in the region and the world,” said the Syrian ministry, calling on the U.N. Security Council “to decisively condemn these terrorist and criminal acts, and to take action against the countries supporting these groups.”

In Syria, the regime has systematically branded peaceful opponents, rebels and jihadists alike as “terrorists” backed by the Gulf.

But rebels and dissidents opposed to Assad’s regime have turned against ISIL because of their quest for hegemony and systematic abuses.

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 21:32 utc | 39

ISIS, and any other group like it, is nothing without weapons. Follow the weapons to their source, or better yet, follow the profit from the sale of the weapons. It's not a complex formula.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jun 11, 2014 5:27:38 PM | 34

well off you go then - get back to us when you trace those weapons

thanks in advance for all yer future hard work tracking down the source of the weapons

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 21:34 utc | 40

Assad took a stand against political Islam from the start.

“The project of political Islam has failed, and there should be no mixing between political and religious work.” His exact words. PRECISELY what the ghouls of Washington, Ottawa, London, Paris etc say they want. But they lie. Everybody knows that.

ISIS, the first two letters stand for Islamic State, is political Islam in spades. And some here say, Assad is giving them a pass. Does not compute.

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11 2014 21:35 utc | 41

As America steps back and away, the world will burn hotter and faster.

Since WHEN has the US stepped back and away?

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 21:36 utc | 42

ruralito

Its "political islam" its jihadists. Not lump "political islam" together like that. Assad belongs to shia islam and Syria use some political islam itself.

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 11 2014 21:39 utc | 43

ASIDE: And whatever you do, do NOT mention the Yinon Plan

Posted by: JSorrentine | Jun 11, 2014 5:30:45 PM | 36

How DARE you, Sir!!!

I'll have you know that amongst the most exalted North America pseudo-Leftist professorial-circles it is know as "The Yinon Ineptitude"

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 21:40 utc | 44

In Syria, the regime has systematically branded peaceful opponents, rebels and jihadists alike as “terrorists” backed by the Gulf.

Well, if they're truly against terror, they would throw in their lot with Assad and not pretend to be "moderate". How can they be for peace? As W(atch me pray, rube) put it: You're with us or you're with the terrorists.

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11 2014 21:42 utc | 45

cold n holefield - moa's john kerry..

Posted by: james | Jun 11 2014 21:52 utc | 46

The blowback from the 2003 invasion has begun

blowback?

Are you guys contractually obliged to insert that word into EVERY conversation concerning the Imperial-proxy Terrorist/Mercenary Armies destroying the secular Middle Eastern nations, or what?

That utterly discredited (and frankly stupid) concept rears it's ugly head every single time the topic is discussed - and it is clearly nonsense. Even a dimwitted dropped-on-it's-head child should be able to see that by now

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 21:55 utc | 47

Maliki's army is behaving like Chiang Kai Shek's army in the last months of the Chinese Civil War, or the South Vietnamese army in the month or two before the fall of Saigon.

Posted by: lysias | Jun 11 2014 22:00 utc | 48

"Assad belongs to shia islam and Syria use some political islam itself."

Where? How?

Study this pic carefully.

Assad addresses Syria's parliament at the start of the shameful war unleashed upon that innocent country by sanctimonious ghouls, devourers of human flesh. Notice the audience. You see, men and women, in islamic dress and business suits. Xtians, atheists, the bearded, the shaven, the dark, the light, the gamut. Where is the bias for one religion or creed?

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11 2014 22:06 utc | 49

"Are you guys contractually obliged to insert that word into EVERY conversation"

Been coming here for years. First time I've seen that word.

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11 2014 22:10 utc | 50

@31 Short version: If we figure out where al-Baghdadi is we'll drone the bugger.

Posted by: dh | Jun 11 2014 22:17 utc | 51

The isis grunts have no local roots ,they are simply pushed along by cash , lead and programming. With no real tap root they will wither in the dry sand, no matter how much horse manure their deranged gardeners shovel on.

Posted by: bridger | Jun 11 2014 22:22 utc | 52

what many are forgetting is Israel is all over northern Iraq
and the best route for Israel to fly over and bomb Iran cuts right across that very area...

no bigger picture, eh?

Posted by: Penny | Jun 11 2014 22:26 utc | 53

"Are you guys contractually obliged to insert that word into EVERY conversation"

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11, 2014 6:10:20 PM | 48

Well then you seriously need to get your eyes tested

731 results : https://www.google.com/search?&q=site%3Amoonofalabama.org+blowback

And more specifically,

32 results - https://www.google.com/search?q=site:moonofalabama.org+blowback+%22posted+by:+vietnamvet%22

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 22:39 utc | 54

@52, you got me. In my defense, just let me say, I never signed a contract.

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11 2014 22:56 utc | 55

Blowback is a good word and describes accurately unintended consequences (bad ones especially). It is an anathema to conspiracy theorists that posit a single malevolent (and mostly invisible) force that rules the planet. This force never errs and every event is well planned in advance. National leaders are mere puppets being directed from "above". One of the more absurd claims is that Lenin and Stalin were puppets of this force that also ran the capitalist nations. Sometimes it goes by the name Rothschild other times it is a collective like the masonic lodges.

Posted by: ToivoS | Jun 11 2014 23:14 utc | 56

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11, 2014 6:56:13 PM | 53

"@52, you got me. In my defense, just let me say, I never signed a contract."

Just an "Israeli handshake". ;)

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 11 2014 23:16 utc | 57

Posted by: ToivoS | Jun 11, 2014 7:14:57 PM | 54

"Blowback is a good word..."

Blowback...blowjob, personally, I think both are the overrated fetishes of those with very limited potential. ;D

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 11 2014 23:28 utc | 58

54

It is the alleged "unintended consequences" i am referring to

People like you have absolutely no evidence whatsoever that ANY of these so called blowbacks are in anyway "unintended"

In fact given what we already know regarding imperial financing, training arming and supply of these groups, what little evidence is available actually shows the exact opposite of what you people claim

And yet you people keep using it as if you had something concrete to support your ridiculous claims of "blowback"

Personally i'd call people that, despite all the evidence to the contrary, continue to reference "blowback" in relation to groups such as ISIS either "stupid" or "dishonest"

Which are you?

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 23:47 utc | 59

Short version of ISIS in mosul

"The Kurds have been getting seriously rich lately (and consequently probably a little uppity too) due to high oil prices, and the empire decided they needed to be taken down a peg or two, by having their neighbourhood destroyed and their population murdred."

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 23:51 utc | 60

Weapons">http://www.vz.ru/world/2014/6/11/690908.html&usg=ALkJrhgN9UzUciY7G9g7fMgcanSpAEQiVg">Weapons to Syria and Kurdistan refugees

"Iraq is one step away from the introduction of a state of emergency: the number of refugees has reached half a million people, Sunni insurgents hit government forces on all fronts, and captured weapons trafficked into Syria. U.S., are direct perpetrators of such developments, while only promise help, without specifying it."

Amazing how much clearer are descriptions of the situation is when western war crimes and machinations don't have to be obfuscated, covered up or hidden.

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 11 2014 23:58 utc | 61

54

If you want to dishonestly pretend that current events in the M.E. are NOT following the "Yinon Plan Ineptitude" then go right ahead.

But don't expect anything other than suspicion disrespect and ridicule to be directed at you after you do so

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11 2014 23:58 utc | 62

"Just an "Israeli handshake". ;)"

What is that supposed to mean? I hate, loathe, abominate and execrate the Vanity State. If that's what you're suggesting, go to hell.

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 11 2014 23:59 utc | 63

Jesus...

http://tinyurl.com/mnmefxz "Weapons to Syria and Kurdistan refugees"

"Iraq is one step away from the introduction of a state of emergency: the number of refugees has reached half a million people, Sunni insurgents hit government forces on all fronts, and captured weapons trafficked into Syria. U.S., are direct perpetrators of such developments, while only promise help, without specifying it."

Amazing how much clearer are descriptions of the situation is when western war crimes and machinations don't have to be obfuscated, covered up or hidden.

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 12 2014 0:00 utc | 64

ie, if you're suggesting otherwise.

Posted by: ruralito | Jun 12 2014 0:02 utc | 65

the best route for Israel to fly over and bomb Iran cuts right across that very area...no bigger picture, eh?

Posted by: Penny | Jun 11, 2014 6:26:23 PM | 51

Penny, Israel might talk alot about bombing Iran, by I'm pretty certain that they themselves won't be doing any such thing

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 12 2014 0:05 utc | 66

. . . Won't be doing any such thing . . . anytime soon

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 12 2014 0:10 utc | 67

Today I'm sick of local politics as it has developed into the meaningless - well ethically meaningless mire that is all politics, so I cast a beady eyeball over this ISIS mob.

As much as I believe most of the fat asses running the amerikan empire are lazy incompetents who fail more often than they succeed (if the invasion of Iraq hadn't become such a massive FAIL we wouldn't be here now) I don't believe that the ISIS wannabe caliphate would have gotten as big as it got prior to launching this summer's actions without coming to the attention of amerikan imperial hq.

So this mob suddenly appear and no one knows who they are? I call bullshit on that right now. Same as I call absolute crap on the notion that they are a rag tag band of jihadis using hand me down material.
Sure the 'official' Iraq army didn't put up too much of a fight but I'd reckon that would be more to do with them being on another mob (sunni & kurd) territory than anything else.

amerika has always been plain that its really all about the oil and keeping a stable administration is secondary to grabbing the resources in any colony. That shit seems to be working OK for the english and french in Libya so I reckon the cynical fucks who make up the obama administration believe they have come up with a winner to do the same in Iraq.
Opress the jihadis in some areas such as Yemen, AfPak etc then but pressure off, even encourage em in Syria then Iraq. The jihadis flow down the pre-ordained channel.
If it works there's a win-win for amerika, the ISIS mob will get to take the oil out of Iraq without needing to divert profits into placating those Iraqis outside the oil/ gas bearing areas. More money goes to assholes n greedheads.

The english did this 100 years ago in the ME which is how places like Kuwait and the other 'gulf states' got set up. The lessons of Egypt & the Suez canal. If there is something you want somewhere, rule number one for the english became keeping the other sides population as small as possible. Then bribery is much more achievable & affordable.

I don't believe that this ISIS takeover either 'came from nowhere' or that it it exists without tacit amerikan acceptance. Otherwise the leadership would have been "droned back to the stoneage" as the amerikan warmongers like to bluster.
Over the next few months -this summer- we will find out how deep the empire's involvement is.
The easiest way to judge that will be Iran's response when ISIS knocks on Baghdad's door.

Posted by: Debs is dead | Jun 12 2014 0:20 utc | 68

“The civil war between Shia and Sunni in Iraq, temporarily suppressed under U.S. occupation, bribes and torture during the "surge", has restarted.”

Another in chain of nonsense, by B.

Please...do open my eyes and tell me when Shia and Sunni were at war, and U.S. "suppressed"!? Amazing.

Posted by: neretva'43 | Jun 12 2014 0:41 utc | 69

The isis grunts have no local roots ,they are simply pushed along by cash , lead and programming. With no real tap root they will wither in the dry sand, no matter how much horse manure their deranged gardeners shovel on.

Posted by: bridger | Jun 11, 2014 6:22:37 PM | 50

Best comment yet. I agree — and then their replacement steps up to the plate. It comes in waves — for eternity it seems. Peace is an illusion. No peace at all costs versus peace at any price.

Posted by: Cold N. Holefield | Jun 12 2014 0:43 utc | 70

So why did the western fascists send in their "new and improved Al CIA-da" into Iraq Kurdistan?

Gasprom is drilling there. Similar scenario as Libya. Naughty country deals with Russia or China, western fascists send in their terrorist mercs to take over. After they are finished, miraculously, these mercs decide to boot the Russian and Chinese business interests. That will happen in Iraqi Kurdistan with Gasprom (and any other Russian or Chinese interests, if any) if the west's "ISI" mercs take it over.

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 12 2014 0:43 utc | 71

Posted by: neretva'43 | Jun 11, 2014 8:41:33 PM | 67

“The civil war between Shia and Sunni in Iraq, temporarily suppressed under U.S. occupation, bribes and torture during the "surge", has restarted.”

Another in chain of nonsense, by B.

Please...do open my eyes and tell me when Shia and Sunni were at war, and U.S. "suppressed"!? Amazing.

Agree. It was American, Israeli and British covert operators who instigated conflict between Shia and Sunni in Iraq. They even got busted a few times doing it. The idea being to keep the country in turmoil and prevent its recovery after the wholesale destruction the west did there. Israel wanted Iraq destroyed, and kept down, and that's what they got.

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 12 2014 0:50 utc | 72

Are you B suffer from this:

“Helen Benedict: The Moral Confusion of Post-War America”
http://www.guernicamag.com/daily/helen-benedict-the-moral-confusion-of-post-war-america/

Posted by: neretva'43 | Jun 12 2014 0:50 utc | 73

OMFG@45
Blowback = Nonsense

Please link the documents that show ISIS is controlled by CIA. I think you are arguing that since they are under Western/Saudi control everything they do is at their handler’s behest.

On the other hand, I believe America should have never given support to Jihadists from Afghanistan to Syria because they are never totally controllable and will sooner or later turn on their infidel paymasters. ISIS has done so by seizing Mosul and Tikrit if they were ever under anybody's control. No USA government would repeat the the humiliation of helicopter evacuation of the Green Zone like Saigon in 1975 which is likely to happen in the next week since the puppet Iraqi Army has fallen apart.

Posted by: VietnamVet | Jun 12 2014 0:53 utc | 74

Here's a WaPo article about the "new Bin Laden", "world's most dangerous" man blah blah blah Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Although they mention that he was imprisoned for 4 years in Camp Bucca where he supposedly met and trained his new Al-CIAda cohorts - or was HE trained BY them, hmmm reports as you'll see seem to differ there - I found this piece from an earlier Aussie report from January more interesting:

Some describe him as a farmer who was arrested by US forces during a mass sweep in 2005, who then became radicalised at Camp Bucca, where many al-Qaeda commanders were held. Others, though, believe he was a radical even during Saddam Hussein's rule, and became a prominent al-Qaeda player very shortly after the US invasion.

"This guy was a Salafi [a follower of a puritan brand of Sunni Islam], and Saddam's regime would have kept a close eye on him," said Dr Michael Knights, an Iraq expert at pro-Israel think tank the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

"He was also in Camp Bucca for several years, which suggests he was already considered a serious threat when he went in there."

That theory seems backed by US intelligence reports from 2005, which describe him as al-Qaeda's point man in Qaim, a fly-blown town in Iraq's western desert.

"Abu Duaa was connected to the intimidation, torture and murder of local civilians in Qaim," says a Pentagon document. "He would kidnap individuals or entire families, accuse them, pronounce sentence and then publicly execute them."

Why such a ferocious individual was deemed fit for release in 2009 is not known. One possible explanation is that he was one of thousands of suspected insurgents granted amnesty as the US began its draw down in Iraq. Another, though, is that rather like Keyser Söze, the enigmatic crimelord in the film The Usual Suspects, he may actually be several different people.

"We either arrested or killed a man of that name about half a dozen times. He is like a wraith who keeps reappearing, and I am not sure where fact and fiction meet," said Lieutenant-General Sir Graeme Lamb, a former British special forces commander who helped US efforts against al-Qaeda in Iraq. "There are those who want to promote the idea that this man is invincible, when it may actually be several people using the same nom de guerre."

So according to this account he was a known point man for Al-CIAda, he was maybe radicalized maybe not - Israel sure think so, funny that! - he might be dead but no one knows and no one seems to know why he was allowed to leave prison and assume his Kesar Soze persona of "invincibility". Sweet. Sounds all on the up and up to me.

I especially like how the photos of the guy a la fat/skinny/old/healthy Bin Laden don't fucking match whatsoever.

So, we don't even no what he really looks like, if he's alive or anything else but we do know that he's the "most dangerous man" on the planet. Well I guess it's time for the US to escalate of course! Send in the bombers, fuckers!!!

Posted by: JSorrentine | Jun 12 2014 1:59 utc | 75

Debs is dead @66

The tell for me was Poroshenko's "and scene" rampdown at about the same rate the new licensed professional football club ramps up. (JSorrentine @68, thanks for that most timely promo press release from the league, wow.)

Rule of thumb: whenever you smell the stench of Augustinian imperial doctrine, Caesar is never far behind.

Posted by: Jonathan | Jun 12 2014 3:57 utc | 76

Theories behind the ISIS takeover of Iraqi province
http://english.al-akhbar.com/node/20125

Iraq: The Armed Conflict has Gone Wild
http://journal-neo.org/2014/06/12/rus-irak-vooruzhenny-j-konflikt-rasshiryaetsya/

interesting quote from the bottom link : Washington will have to choose – either to continue the confrontation with Moscow in Ukraine, or try to keep the richest oil and gas region under control, since the West won’t last for long without the hydrocarbons supplies.

Posted by: james | Jun 12 2014 6:06 utc | 77

ISIS is the US way of reversing the results of the Iraq war. Following US withdrawal, there would be an Iran-Iraq-Syria-Lebanon axis that would become the most powerful force in the middle east. The US, along with KSA,Turkey, Qatar and, behind the scenes Israel, spent the last 3 and 1/2 years arming Jihadi terrorists in Syria to break that axis and failed. Now they think they have found a weaker link in Iraq. Hence, ISIS. Through them the US aims to retake Iraq, (or burn it so that no one can have it.) This can happen in two way; either directly through ISIS, or by means of intimidating the Iraqi government into acceding to all US demands, in which case the US will disable ISIS for them.

Whether or not the US plan can succeed or not is separate question. The Iraqi army is one thing, the Shiite militias and their Iranian helpers are another matter entirely. But certainly they are going to try. Neither the US, nor KSA, nor Turkey and certainly not Israel can ever abide by a unified force of 4 countries refusing to accept US-Israeli hegemony.

This is simply a continuation of US strategy and tactics employed all over the world. The original color revolution model no longer works, because no one believes it. And so it is modified with violence. Notice the difference between the strictly non-violent Orange revolution of 2004 and the much more violent "Brown" revolution of 2013, where government buildings are seized and police are burned alive with Molotov cocktails. Then notice the Libyan revolution and the Syrian. The color revs were very effective when most did not understand them, and that is why it is key for the alternative media to figure out that this is indeed the US strategy and to start warning everyone. That is how the color technique became ineffective.

Is it possible I'm wrong? Yes, I suppose so. If so, nothing is lost from a heightened paranoia. But if I'm right and ISIS (meaning the US) gets to Baghdad, then we are in trouble.

Posted by: Lysander | Jun 12 2014 6:47 utc | 78

Here we go again:

Iraq want US attacks on Iraq and obama want it too..

http://rt.com/news/165440-iraq-open-us-airstrikes/

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 12 2014 7:12 utc | 79

Please link the documents that show ISIS is controlled by CIA. I think you are arguing that since they are under Western/Saudi control everything they do is at their handler’s behest.

Posted by: VietnamVet | Jun 11, 2014 8:53:25 PM | 72

Here's a much much better idea

Why don't YOU show ME the documents that prove that ISIS is NOT operating at it's handlers behest when it attacks Mosul and Fallujah?

YOU are the one that has once again introduced the stupid and discredited concept of "blowback" into the conversation. YOU are the one making the claim that needs some proof, not me.

YOU claim that ISIS are NOT operating at the behest of the people that we know have been financing training and arming them, so why don't YOU, instead of making demands from others, get your finger out and provide evidence for YOUR stupid and discredited claims?

This fiction that you peddle, that ISIS only sometimes operates at it's handlers behest, and sometimes takes actions that are detrimental to the interests of it's handlers, despite the fact that it's handlers seem to continue with it's financing arming and training, is just that: a fiction which people like you invent and introduce into the conversation because you are terrified of confronting the apparent likely truth of that matter: that everything ISIS do is at their handlers behest.

Choosing to introduce fictions like "blowback" just because you cannot face the likely alternative (that ISIS is completely under the control of it's handlers, rather than merely "partly under control" as you like to pretend) is just childish tbh

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 12 2014 7:20 utc | 80

PS:

People like YOU keep uselessly alleging "unintended consequences" without ANY proof whatsoever that these any of these consequences are in any way "unintended"

So it's time to put up or just shut up

Provide some proof that these are actually unintended consequences or just please retire the childishly stupid and utterly deceptive "blowback" concept once and for all.

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 12 2014 7:24 utc | 81

Posted by: Lysander | Jun 12, 2014 2:47:27 AM | 76

I think it is some kind of judo. I subscribe to your view of US "strategy" - well adventurism, however, that strategy only works as long as the US have the strength to ensure their proxy forces do not win over. And as long as the US follows up on promises of support.

It is a perfect storm. The whole colonial enterprise depends on not one force taking over or uniting.

Thanks for your enlightening links, James. From the Al Akhbar one

This happened only days after a similarly fierce and shocking attack was halted at the doorsteps of the shrine of al-Imamain al-Askariyain in Samarra, as all concerned forces intervened to spare Iraq developments similar to those of 2006.

Posted by: somebody | Jun 12 2014 7:50 utc | 82

Which are you?

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 11, 2014 7:47:15 PM | 57

Are you which??. One big dumb sh** for sure. Why expose yourself as one big dumb sh**? Surely you must have realized by now that we are much more sophisticated than you are. Why do you expose your ignorance for the rest of us to just laugh at your juvenile rants?

Posted by: ToivoS | Jun 12 2014 7:57 utc | 83

we are much more sophisticated than you are.]

OMFG ROFLMAO

Well you keep telling yourself that, then, ToiBoi, if it makes you feel better

and who knows? someday your little sophistication fairytale may even come true!!

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 12 2014 8:06 utc | 84

Posted by: ToivoS | Jun 12, 2014 3:57:27 AM | 81

"Surely you must have realized by now that we are much more sophisticated than you are."

Who is "we" and how can those "we" be so sure about that? :)

Not required viewing.

Posted by: scalawag | Jun 12 2014 8:21 utc | 85

Uh? No conspiracy? As if the Syrian mayhem was not a way to provoke the creation of Kurdistan, in the first place? As if it could stop without "boots on the ground"? As if Maliki and al-Asad suddenly welcoming a common answer on these guys did not smell the deal? As if the smoke screen was not coming at a perfect timing to hide the slaughter in South East Ukraine? As if Putin was not compelled into the deal because of the common interests of Russia and the world's multinationals in South East Ukraine?

Posted by: Mina | Jun 12 2014 9:14 utc | 86

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 12, 2014 3:24:32 AM | 79

There are loads of unintended consequences. The world is too complex to be just a chessboard, and even a chessboard is complex enough to have taken computing power ages to master. So from a certain number of moves onwards you walk into the unknown.

If you analyze the game as a three way geopolitical chessboard between the US, Russia and China with a few regional powers, then the US has just been faced with a few headaches
- the strategy of ruining the Russian economy with a sinking oil price is dead
- the strategy of making Europe energy independent from Russia is dead (expensive oil equals more dependency on gas, plus higher price for gas)
- Iran has officially proposed to help the Iraqi government "fighting terrorism"
- Obama's "foreign policy achievement" of leaving Iraq has been put into jeopardy
- Obama's "foreign policy achievement" of "having defeated Al Qeida" has been exposed as a lie
- oil exports from Kurdistan to Turkey have been halted (making Turkey more dependent on Russia)

to gain - what?

- an Al Qeida state across the Syrian/Iraqi border
serving as barrier/irritant to the "Shiite" governments of Syria, Iraq and Iraqi Kurdistan

That Turkish truck driver story taken hostage by ISIL actually is intriguing, as

LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) - Israeli and U.S. oil refineries have joined the growing list of customers for crude from Iraqi Kurdistan, a region locked in a bitter struggle with the central government in Baghdad that says the sales are illegal.

The United States imported its first crude cargo from the region two weeks ago while at least four have gone to Israel since January, ship tracking and industry sources said, after two were shipped there last summer.

The Iraqi government has repeatedly said oil sales by-passing Baghdad are illegal and has threatened to sue any company involved in the trade, yet Kurdish crude and light condensate oil has been sold to several European buyers. Baghdad refuses to sell oil to Israel, echoing other Arab states.

Israel's Energy Ministry declined to comment, saying that it does not discuss the country's sources of oil.

A senior Iraqi oil ministry official said Baghdad had no information on the sales but was investigating.

"If these reports are correct, then dire consequences will be inevitable," the Iraqi oil official said.

"This is a seriously dangerous development. We have always warned the region to stop smuggling Iraqi crude by trucks to Turkey...and now if this is proved true then they are going too far."

An official of Kurdistan's Ministry of Natural Resources said from the region's capital Arbil: "The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) has not sold crude directly or indirectly to such destinations."

So who sent those trucks, who was financed by it, and who maybe stopped paying forcing ISIL to look for other sources of income.

Posted by: somebody | Jun 12 2014 9:26 utc | 87

The reality is that the US doesn't give a damn what happens to any of the countries it destroys. In fact, the more countries it destroys, the bigger the business opportunities!

Thus I read in 'b's piece that:

"What will the U.S. "elite" say about this fantastic mess it created? "It sure is a good thing that Iraq does not have WMDs..."

The US elite doesn't give a shit about the awful mess it's created, it's simply not relevant. What is relevant is that spaces are opened up for US investment and products, if not now then at some point in the future.

I can't count the number of times, both from liberals and lefties, that I read that the US 'made a mistake', or it 'didn't think it through', as if the people who run the US state are stupid, when they are not.

Now it's true that they can miscalculate, so for example, they didn't expect Russia to move so fast and secure the Crimea but overall, the 'Euromaidan' coup was a resounding success and of course, if they had stopped to think it through further, they would have realised that there is NO WAY IN HELL, that Russia is going to lose access to the Black Sea!!!

But 'Euromaidan' diverted scarce Russian resources; it ties Russia down and it gives USNATO a foothold right on Russia's borders. And given the totally interlocked relationship between the media and state in the imperialist countries, there's no danger that our populations will see daylight anytime soon.

The issue of what happens to the population and its economy is of no real interest to the US or to the EU. What they want is access to markets for the goods that are piling up in shops and warehouses across the imperialist world.

If anything, reducing Ukraine to a Third World basket case takes yet another potential competitor out of the field.

Posted by: William Bowles | Jun 12 2014 9:30 utc | 88

The Americans claim to have spent billions over 10 years, training up and equipping the Iraq army, well that was money well spent, 800 Jihadis chased two divisions [30,000] troops from the Mosul area, it is believed that troops fled from other towns just on the rumor the Jihadis were on their way. The head chopping Jihadis reputation certainly went before them and seems to work well.One Iraqi deserter said he only joined the army for the pay, not to fight. Lysander @76 said if ISIS get to Bagdad we are in trouble, I suspect it will be ISIS that will be in trouble Bagdad is a mainly Shia city now, the Shia outnumber the Sunni two to one in Iraq as a whole, and are just as motivated to fight as the Jihadis, in fact more so, they take their shrouds with them into battle, the Jihadis want a sectarian civil war, they should be careful what they wish for.

Posted by: harry law | Jun 12 2014 9:37 utc | 89

- Even Turkey is VERY worried. They wanted to help the US to overthrow the Assad government in Syria but now the fighting has spilled over into northren Iraq, Turkey does get worried because in Turkey are A LOT OF Kurds are living.
- The ISIS is backed by the Saudis who want to undermnine both the Maliki & Assad government. So nice for the US to have such lovely & fine friends, right ?

Posted by: Willy2 | Jun 12 2014 9:43 utc | 90

One is overlooking that Turkey has supported the syrian rebels under US pressure. But now that has started to backfire.

Is this the end of Erdogan ?

Posted by: Willy2 | Jun 12 2014 9:46 utc | 91

I forgot to add the Iranian government has just promised to help the Iraqi government fight terrorism, the Jihadis don't stand a chance, at the end of the day even the majority of Sunnis hate them.

Posted by: harry law | Jun 12 2014 9:48 utc | 92

harry law

Nonsense, Iran has not said as you seems to think, going to invade Iraq.

Posted by: Anonymous | Jun 12 2014 9:52 utc | 93

b

I've been coming here since 2003, and nothing tickles me more than when you guys wander off into the desert with your pop star political ramblings about this or that figurehead or this or that Gang of 8 who are covertly planning this or that...

Let's start over. 2000, UN Oil-for-Food deal with Saddam supplies oil to EU for $15 a barrel. The US Big Oiligarchy is actually fine with this, because of the EPA low-sulfur fuel mandate with tax credits. Rather than actually invest in sulfur removal equipment, Big Oil elects instead to buy cheap sweet crude from Saudi, since America is a captive market for gasoline.

Then Saudi Prince Bandar announces 'Oil should be fair priced at $25 a barrel." That's code words to the elites to invest and go long. Ahh, and then Saddam has to open his big mouth and say he'll grant an honorarium reward to any jihadists who dies for Islam. That was the tripwire, and only months later Cheney was hawking his Yellow Cake up and down the UNSC, and we were in Iraq, not to oust the 'Bad Man', that was for the TV cameras. We were in Iraq to destroy the oil production competition to Saudis.

Forget Canada. They're trapped. Their only outlet is the US. Forget Russia. At that time it was still in turmoil of billionaire oligarch consolidation. Iraq was Sauds main competitor, and Cheney took them out. Oil spiked to $147 a barrel, the greatest surge of any strategic commodity in the history of the Empire, and NOT ONE WORD of investigative journalism. None!

With Iraq oil 'shut in', now MIC was free to DOUBLE in size, and GOV bloat as well, the fastest metastasis of federal central government in the history of the Empire, and yet again, NOT ONE WORD of investigative journalism. You are either with us, or you are dead.

Fast forward past the R/E bubble collapse destroying American home equity and rotating 10,000,000s of fixed income seniors out of their paid-for retirement homes into G-d knows what warehouse, again, the greatest sloughing of an entire generation in Empire history.

Now were in 2014, and Iraq announces just two weeks ago, huzzah!! Fear not for Ukraine, Iraq is now at 3.5 MGD oil production and expecting to go to 8 MGD by 2015. Not a day passed before Saud announced they are at 12 MGD, 'but can go as high as 15MGD'. It's all about OIL SUPPLY DESTRUCTION because global oil demand has FLATLINED.

You would have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to see the Saudi connection to Mosul. ISIS is on their speed-dial, the way a chauffeur is on the intercom. 'PAC MAN IS ON THE MOVE" and you better damn well have your chauffeur hat on and the motor warmed up. Same with ISIS. The House of Saud calls. 'Take Mosul'. Do you think Kerry-Kohn cares? Obama bin Biden's son is sitting on the Board of Ukraine's National Oil Company. Oil is about to SPIKE HUGE!

This is just typical oil cartel wars, like any banana republic in South America. The US will hector and wait until Baiji is seized before they act. Iraqi oil production will plunge from pre-2003 levels back to no threat to Saudi hegemony. The Sauds are financing a propaganda campaign in Western Canada among aboriginals to keep Canadian oil shut in. Iran is boxed in by heavy trading and financial sanctions, as is Russia.

All four of Saudis oil competitors are now trapped. The next phase of the Oil Wars begins, and, huzzah, the House of Saud, (which had attacked the US on 9/11), is now back on top!
Any 'civil war' or 'competing factions' analysis is just a bunch of HuffPost propaganda.

Posted by: chip nikh | Jun 12 2014 9:52 utc | 94

Posted by: Willy2 | Jun 12, 2014 5:43:32 AM | 88

It seems to have been a business fight spiralling out of control. Some people are very worried about the US leaving the Middle East and they are sure the ones interested in fueling this into a truely worrying state, and yes they are the usual suspects.

More on this Kurdish oil sold by trucks - from the Financial Times, from May.

Hopes for an early release of disputed oil pumped from Kurdistan – but held in Turkey – are rising, a person familiar with the issue said. A resolution to a political impasse between the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and Iraq could free up for sale millions of barrels of oil that have been stockpiled on the Eastern Mediterranean coast since the end of last year.

Oil has been flowing from Kurdistan – sometimes described as ‘the last great oil frontier’ with a potential 50bn barrels in reserves – through a newly-constructed pipeline to the Turkish export terminal of Ceyhan for more than five months.

But a disagreement between Baghdad and Erbil, the Kurdish capital, over who has the legal right to control hydrocarbon exports led to a block on sales of the oil by the Iraqi federal government. Instead, some 2.5m barrels have built up in tanks at Ceyhan as the Iraqi, Kurdish and Turkish authorities struggled to reach accord on a system for sharing payments.
...
Explorers Genel and DNO, who operate the Taq Taq and Tawke fields in Kurdish Iraq, have been selling oil locally below international prices while some exports have been leaving by truck.

This here is Genel's board of Directors. Conspiracy theories tend have a foundation in reality from where they become theory. In this case it is a foundation of Wallstreet/UK/Turkey/Israel.

Posted by: somebody | Jun 12 2014 10:03 utc | 95

Posted by: chip nikh | Jun 12, 2014 5:52:34 AM | 92
ok. that is one of the actors. It is not US interest.
This here is another actor.

NIQASH: Prime Minister Al-Maliki has asked Iraq’s Parliament to declare a state of emergency throughout the country. Is that a good idea, do you think?

Rajab: I believe al-Maliki wanted Mosul to be captured by ISIS so that he could force Parliament in Baghdad to declare a state of emergency. Once that happens, he will be the only ruler of Iraq and he will have all authority. Mosul was under siege from ISIS for several days and he didn’t do one thing to stop it

Posted by: somebody | Jun 12 2014 10:30 utc | 96

We should defend Iraq's holy sites: Muqtada Sadr

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/366508.html

Posted by: Paty Kerry | Jun 12 2014 10:40 utc | 97

So we now have a scenario where we think Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Israel, Syria, Maliki, Kurdistan, Iran, Russia all profit from ISIL/ISIS taking control of Mosul.

I am beginning to think the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq is quite viable.

The US now has the choice to reengage or let Iran/Maliki clean up the mess. The alternative, to continue covert support of Jihadis will drive oil prices through the roof. The ones to suffer from that will be European and US economies, the economy to profit is Russia.

My bet is not on reengagement.

Posted by: somebody | Jun 12 2014 10:45 utc | 98

There are loads of unintended consequences. The world is too complex blah blah blah blah blah blah

Posted by: somebody | Jun 12, 2014 5:26:36 AM | 85

yeah whatever.

We are talking about a very specific issue here, (That the ISIS attack on Mosul is an "unintended consequence") not the sort of unspecific generalised nonsense you are blathering on about, m'Kay?

I read your first sentence, thought "Oh here he goes again with his usual boring not-addressing-the-actual-point bs", quickly scanned the rest of your screed and noticed nothing that actually addressed the issue under discussion - which is exactly what I predicted before I read anything you wrote @85

So far none of you "blowback"-ers here can provide anything to back up your childishly-naïve/deliberately-misleading assertions that the ISIS Mosul attack is an "unintended consequence" of anything at all.

So it really is time for you lot to just give this childish Blowback crap a rest

This blowback nonsense you lot keep wanking-off too is just fuckin stupid BS you lot invent because you are too dense to see what is actually going on or too addicted to self-deception to ever dare consider that you have been wrong all along about who is doing what and to whom and for what reasons.

End of story

And you lot didn't even invent this stupid concept of "blowback" - it was invented for you by the F'n Zio-MSM talking heads (FFS), the greatest bunch of bullshit artists ever known in the history of mankind.

Not only are you lot peddling childishly naïve utterly discredited bullshit, you're not even clever enough to invent your own childishly naïve utterly discredited bullshit, and have to borrow it from the Zio-MSM

Posted by: OMFG | Jun 12 2014 10:48 utc | 99

94

If your theory were valid, you're saying al-Maliki would risk Iraqi government's Baiji
oil revenues, $100Ms a DAY, being overrun by ISIS? That makes absolutely no sense at all.
If Baiji falls then he's toast. KSA is extracting $1B a DAY from US in excess oil profits,
and so is Big Oil, now that they have tar sands crude and US fracking crude to play with.

There is a huge global glut of oil being held in tankage and in tankers anchored offshore.
We are entering the US summer driving season with no demand and US oil is just piling up.
You need to grok 'pipeline'. Once you start a 'pipeline', you have to keep the flow going.
You will do anything, destroy anything, to keep that 'pipeline' from being shut in again.

Same thing happens with drugs when too much supply hits the street. Drug lord gang wars.

Posted by: chip nikh | Jun 12 2014 10:55 utc | 100