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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
US Launches Nine More Airstrikes Near Embattled Kobani
2014-10-10
[Ynet] The United States conducted nine Arclight airstrikes on Thursday on Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
Death Eaters around the embattled Syrian city of Kobani, US Central Command said.

Six Arclight airstrikes south of Kobani struck a large Islamic State unit and two small ones, and destroyed two buildings held by the Death Eaters along with a tank and heavy machine gun, the Central Command statement said. Three Arclight airstrikes north of Kobani struck two small Islamic State units and destroyed two buildings held by the murderous Moslems, the statement added.
Posted by:trailing wife

#29  Battle of Mashtanur Hill, Kobane.

Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2014-10-10 21:38  

#28  Man, whatever happened to the good ol' days where you could crush your enemies, drive them before you and listen to the laminations of their wimmen? Damn candy-ass war.
Posted by: SteveS   2014-10-10 20:30  

#27  The kurds are caught between a hammer and anvil. I'm just waiting for word on Baghdad starting to fall, THEN things will get bad. What with the greenzone still staffed, it wouldn't shock me if we end up with thousands of dead americans.

Kobani? Sideshow is all that's happening. Though I'm somewhat curious if an Assad/Kurd alliance is possibly in the works with how things are going.
Posted by: Charles   2014-10-10 20:11  

#26  Still, one thing a 24-7 spooky mission could do is interdict the hell out of the ISIS forces that are supporting and supplying those in contact. Basically, if it's coming from any direction other than north, it gets lit up. Lay that cordon sanitary about a mile out and turn it into a beaten zone with direct fires and air delivered FASCAM with antipers and anti veh anti armor mix.

If nothing else it breaks ISIS ability to reinforce and resupply.
Posted by: OldSpook   2014-10-10 20:10  

#25  I am under the impression that an arclight would have worked earlier in the week, but not now. They were reportedly all out in the open if you didn't want to #### around and just wanted to kill a bunch.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2014-10-10 19:36  

#24  MOUT

If a eunuch weren't Sultan of Turkey,
Nor Ottoman morals so murky,
When the airstrikes were done,
He'd command: "Thunder run!
Go smoke up some nice ISIS jerky."
Posted by: Zenobia Floger6220   2014-10-10 19:10  

#23  I like the one where ISJV is snackbaring their tank, then the tank gets popped.

I also had fun images of those little technicals and chow wagons attempting to cross a bomb cratered moonscape. Not knowing the geography and watching some videos, I would have to think the vibrations would collapse a number of buildings...maybe that would be a feature?
Posted by: swksvolFF   2014-10-10 16:02  

#22  

Video of ISIS in Kobane.
Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2014-10-10 15:52  

#21  "Mout"situation, makes me wonder what is going to happen as ISIS gets closer and closer to Bagdhad. They will threaten the airport and the Green Zone.
Posted by: JohnQC   2014-10-10 15:43  

#20  With all due respect, how the hell is an ARCLIGHT, a wide-area open-field tactic, going to be effective when it's effectively a MOUT situation? This ain't Viet Nam!

For crissakes, Jimmy Doolittle, start thinking originally, willya?
Posted by: Pappy   2014-10-10 15:18  

#19  This would be the perfect time to use an ARCLIGHT strike, followed by a pair of Spookies. Fly them out of Cyprus, since we can't fly out of Turkey. Load up a dozen BUFFs (76,000lb payload) and B1s (80,000lb payload) in England, and let them unload on three sides of Kobani. Warn the Kurds to hunker down and put on/in ear protection. Of course, Obumble won't allow anything THAT effective...
Posted by: Old Patriot   2014-10-10 14:55  

#18  Ebb - thanks for that.

Here is a good twitter source. Here is a pic dump - more humanitarian than war pr0n.

There are no Western forward air controllers with YPG inside #Kobane, which makes usage of air power in/around city much less effective.
Posted by: mossomo   2014-10-10 14:15  

#17  

ISIL rapes then murders 13 year old girl, brother rescued by Kurdish YPG.

Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2014-10-10 13:33  

#16  Excellent map! tells more about Kobani than any news article I've read the last few days.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418    2014-10-10 13:11  

#15  Elevated Airstrikes against ISIS 2 hours ago.

Stephanie Hegarty ‏@stephhegarty 2h2 hours ago
Felt that one in my chest -twice! Biggest airstrikes I've seen all wk. 2 in a row. All of #kobane shrouded in smoke
Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2014-10-10 12:12  

#14  At this time, ISIS positions. Turkish tanks are preventing supplies to cross the border into the town. Kurds and the Turks have been at odds but it must be understood, this will increase tensions between Turks and Kurds.

Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2014-10-10 12:04  

#13  Jawas reporting it isn't decided yet.
Posted by: swksvolFF   2014-10-10 11:51  

#12  Ebbomosh Hupemp2664 are you near the fighting?

No but Kobane defenders are twittering on twitter and supporters of the Kurds are linking to interviews by international news outlets with personnel in the Kobane area.
Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2014-10-10 11:43  

#11  Sshhh. He might not have thought of that yet.

Maybe he has but someone actually got to him.

I'm dreaming for a 'Spooky' or two.

A guy can dream, no?
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2014-10-10 11:23  

#10  #7 Honestly, I'm surprised Obola hasn't ordered strikes on Kurdish positions yet.

Sshhh. He might not have thought of that yet.
Posted by: JohnQC   2014-10-10 10:36  

#9  Nine strikes - four buildings and a tank. Just enough to announce to the press that we're fighting hard.

Looks like Kobani will be overrun.
Posted by: KBK   2014-10-10 10:18  

#8  Ebbomosh Hupemp2664 are you near the fighting?
Posted by: Shipman   2014-10-10 07:52  

#7  Honestly, I'm surprised Obola hasn't ordered strikes on Kurdish positions yet.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2014-10-10 07:38  

#6  Any chance a gun ship can circle the city?
Posted by: Airandee   2014-10-10 06:20  

#5  NATO should evict Turkey immediately. Kobani is about to turn into an unimaginable slaughter. I am ashamed of Washington. This could have easily been prevented and thousands of ISIS killed or captured.
Posted by: Besoeker   2014-10-10 06:17  

#4  9? Gimme a damned break. Their targeting lawyers must really be denying a lot of targets. I think ISIS is inside the USAF/Pentagon?ValJar IDA loop, big time.
Posted by: OldSpook   2014-10-10 01:20  

#3  Kobane resistance to ISIS.

Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2014-10-10 01:06  

#2  Kobane YPG Kurdish defenders, men, women, and entire families fighting ISIS ordered to die defending their position. No retreating.

YPG Commander Meysa Ebdo, one of the YPG/YPJ (People's/Women's Protection Units) Kobanê Commanders, spoke to ANF about the present situation in Kobanê

Before they entered Kobanê great resistance was exhibited on Miştenur Hill. In fact we can easily call this the legend of Miştenur. Miştenur Hill was attacked with very heavy weapons from both the south and the east from the village of Helıncê. Before they made it to Miştenur their attacks were broken time and time again. The gangs which advanced from the Helıncê front lost scores of men and they then surrounded Miştenur on all sides. Now ISIS is increasing its attacks on Miştenur from the east and south.

Much can be said about Miştenur. When ISIS was on the verge of taking Miştenur our comrade Arîn Mîrkan infiltrated the gangs to the east and carried out a suicide attack in which many gang members were killed. We know that ISIS lost tens of fighters in this attack. Our comrade Arîn and our other comrades were resisted to the death in their positions exhibited a legendary resistance on Miştenur. We said from the beginning that ‘they will only pass over our dead bodies.’ And with the resistance on Miştenur hill we showed this. Thanks to comrade Arîn Mîrkan we can see our comrades who resisted heroically on Miştenur and joined the train of martyrs. Arîn has become a reflection of all our comrades resisting in a spirit of sacrifice.

The first places they entered the city was to the south and east on 48th avenue and it was hell for them. Our friends died heroically however in the places that they first entered the city they suffered more casualties than could be counted. We can say that hundreds of ISIS fighters have been killed since they entered the city. ISIS fighters by relying on heavy weapons. They are fighting with tanks, artillery and rockets but they have taken many blows. They have suffered many losses and have experienced a serious setback. Up until now we have faced the ISIS gangs with ambushes and traps, creative defence tactics and a sacrificial determination and we turned the first places they entered – the southern tip of the city and the 48th avenue – into a hell.

We can say that the coalition forces were late in deciding to strike ISIS. They took these decisions very late. They were not very active strikes with results. However over the last two days we can say that the airstrikes by coalitions forces have affected the gang’s attacks. The fighting is now inside the city and thus coordination with us needs to increase. If the coalition forces really want to finish ISIS and are sincere on this subject almost all of ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria are around Kobanê. Then they should continuously and more effectively attack ISIS gangs around Kobanê and in places close to Kobanê in complete coordination with us. If ISIS is broken in Kobanê they will be finished everywhere.
Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2014-10-10 01:00  

#1  When I was in the Air Guard (back when) 9 launches would be an easy training day for the squadron. Granted this is just Kobani and doesn't consider other areas but that is still pretty weak for mission count.
Posted by: tipover   2014-10-10 00:30  

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