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Iraq
US troops return to Iraq to battle Islamic State — report
2015-09-17
From a few days ago, but still good to know. May they be speedily victorious, despite the ROEs.
[IsraelTimes] 160-strong force lands in Anbar, Asharq Al-Awsat says, to join campaign to push IS out of province's capital Ramadi

A force of 160 American army soldiers have landed in Iraq as part of ongoing efforts by a US-led coalition to defeat the 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....
 that has captured swathes of the country and its war-torn Syrian neighbor, the Arabic-language media outlet Asharq Al-Awsat said.

Iraqi security sources told the pan-Arab paper that the force landed at a military base in the Anbar province, from where Iraq is running its offensive against IS, Israel's Walla news reported Saturday.

The base is already hosting hundreds of American Army personnel who are training the local forces, but this is the first time that a US fighting force has arrived in Anbar, the report said. The soldiers are expected to take part in an operation to oust the Islamic State from Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, and some 70 miles (115 kilometers) west of Baghdad.

Posted by:trailing wife

#16  Pretty much Iraqi, though they certainly didn't forget what tribe they belonged to.
Posted by: Pappy   2015-09-17 23:28  

#15  Was it a middle class that saw itself as Iraqi rather than Shiite or Sunni, as Iraqi more than tribe? That's part of my definition of 'middle class', not just economic. So, who did they vote for and why to lead the country? Not enough to overcome tribe/sect loyalties among the whole population. [and, yes that's evolving here as well].
Posted by: Procopius2k   2015-09-17 19:34  

#14  Iraq had things that most other middle east countries didn't: a middle class, far more secular society that produced decent engineers and doctors (female ones too), etc. Its more of the British legacy, like in Jordan, excepting when the Baath party took over. But the basis was there if we had gone in heavy back in 91 - or simply put the surge in and maintained it this past time. I did work, and a republic was being shaped before we abandoned it to devolve into a "democracy". So I disagree Proc - there was a distinct possibility that the society there could have been reshaped with sufficient time and force, and we did have that in place prior to the precipitous dump-n-run we did. (Think more of the Swiss federation toward its early years, much like the US was These United States instead of The United States)

Now though? Too late. Its already fractured, and its best to jsut tear it into 3 parts, and go ahead and establish Kurdistan, Shia-stan around Baghdad and let the Saudis pay their Wahabbists to control Sunni-stan.
Posted by: OldSpook   2015-09-17 19:24  

#13  Not large enough, and when you directly border Iran, Syria, and Saudi, you're not going to have 'secure' borders, unless you're the biggest SOB on the block (which they were to the extent the Americans provided the SOB function).
Posted by: Procopius2k   2015-09-17 17:18  

#12  Actually, Iraq did have a middle class and reasonably secure borders.
Posted by: Pappy   2015-09-17 16:13  

#11  I blame not wanting to face historical facts. You can't make a democracy out of any country. If you lack any tradition, a viable middle class, and secured borders, it's not going to evolve on its own. Obama and Bush (and the Beltway - and throw in academia) all operated on fantasies.
Posted by: Procopius2k   2015-09-17 15:35  

#10  If we had simply left a brigade combat team in place, and an additional training brigade, and an air wing, we would be talking about US drawdown from a pacified Iraq instead of this shit.

Put the blame suqarely on Obama and the left for bailing, and on Bush for not getting rid of Maliki's corrupt Shia kelptocrats and Iranian proxies.
Posted by: OldSpook   2015-09-17 15:21  

#9  #6 It's TW's post, my comment.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2015-09-17 13:28  

#8  These are mere replacements for the current group cycling out. No surprise meter??
Posted by: illeagle   2015-09-17 13:11  

#7  Putin knows that if his forces bring stability to the middle east:

  • The huge refugee crisis will abate in Europe

  • Putin will gain a more favorable standing in Europe than the United States

  • The US world foreign policy failures under the Obama/Kerry cause domestic difficulties within the US banking and credit system when the dollar collapses under the weight of the US's huge international debt obligations and the world bank will see no reason to be cooperative in a US recovery efforts.


Posted by: Ebbomosh Hupemp2664   2015-09-17 12:54  

#6  g(r)omgoru,
Nice post. Thanks.
Posted by: Sven the pelter   2015-09-17 11:27  

#5  How many are breast feeding?

I'm in favor of either staying the hell away from the whole area or of kicking any and all ass and going full MacArthur in Japan afterwards.
Posted by: AlanC   2015-09-17 11:25  

#4  In slipers or birkenstocks?
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2015-09-17 11:19  

#3  Task force Obama?
Posted by: Shipman   2015-09-17 10:45  

#2  I hope this is not true.
Posted by: jvalentour   2015-09-17 08:25  

#1  160?
Posted by: JohnQC   2015-09-17 07:59  

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