• Deash/ISIS captures gas fields outside of Palmyra, Syria; Meanwhile Iraq mobilizes Shi'ite paramilit
    3 replies, posted
[quote][B]ISIL seizes gas fields near Syria's Palmyra[/B] The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group has seized two gas fields northeast of Syria's ancient Palmyra, a day after firing rockets into the city and killing five people, reports say. The Al-Hail and Arak gas fields, which were captured by ISIL on Monday, are 40km and 25km respectively from Palmyra, the reports said. They were vital for the Syrian government's generation of electricity for areas under its control, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. ISIL fired a barrage of rockets on residential neighbourhoods in the city of Palmyra on Sunday night, killing five civilians including two children, the Syrian Observatory said. "At least five civilians, including two children, were killed Sunday night when IS fired rockets on numerous neighbourhoods in Tadmur," the monitor said, using the Arabic name for the city. "It's the first time that ISIL has fired so many rockets on the city," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory, said. The monitor's reports could not be independently verified by Al Jazeera. Deadly clashes have continued on Palmyra's outskirts since ISIL launched an offensive on May 13 to capture the 2,000-year-old world heritage site nicknamed The Pearl of the Desert. Since then, at least 364 people, including fighters from both sides and 62 civilians, have been killed in battles. Located in central Homs province, Palmyra lies 210 km northeast of Damascus in desert that stretches to the Iraqi frontier to the east. ISIL seized most of Palmyra's north on Saturday, but were pushed out by government troops less than 24 hours later. "The military situation is under control in the city, but the clashes are ongoing north and northwest of it," said Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs. [img]http://media.web.britannica.com/eb-media/15/111915-004-3CA31629.gif[/img][/quote] [url]http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/reports-isil-seizes-gas-fields-palmyra-150518190906957.html[/url] [quote][B]Shia groups deployed to retake Iraq's Ramadi from ISIL[/B] At least 3,000 Shia-led fighters have arrived near Ramadi in Iraq's western Anbar province, a day after the city's capture by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. Iraqi military officials said on Monday the fighters entered Ramadi, the provincial capital, from the south and stationed themselves at a military base there. "Hashid Shaabi forces reached the Habbaniya base and are now on standby," Sabah Karhout, head of the Anbar provincial council, said. They were fully equipped and highly capable, according to the provincial council, which comprises tribal leaders.A senior Iranian official said on Monday that his country was ready to help confront ISIL and that he was certain Ramadi would be "liberated" from their grip. "If the Iraqi government made an official request to the Iranian government in it's capacity as a friendly and brotherly country to Iraq, which can take on a role to help Iraq to confront these extremist phenomena - then the Islamic Republic will respond to this request," said Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Meanwhile, US-led fighter jets have stepped up raids against ISIL, conducting 19 air strikes near Ramadi over the past 72 hours at the request of the Iraqi security forces, according to a coalition spokesperson. At the same time, the US has played down the significance of the fall of Ramadi, however, with John Kerry, the secretary of state, saying that ISIL's offensive would be reversed. "I am convinced that as the forces are redeployed and as the days flow in the weeks ahead that's going to change, as overall [they] have been driven back ... I am absolutely confident in the days ahead that will be reversed," he said during a visit to Seoul, South Korea, on Monday. The UN said almost 25,000 people have fled Ramadi after ISIL's attack on the city. [img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9_5E38ZgKj4/UypTb1mi_vI/AAAAAAAAFSc/p-kjDdu6oDY/s1600/72090084_iraq_anbar_syria_464map7.gif[/img] [/quote] [url]http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/05/shia-militia-iraq-ramadi-anbar-isil-150518133709204.html[/url]
I wonder what these guys are thinking is going to happen, Like, they push out all their enemies and establish a stable border, then what? They have burned the schools, their industries are bombed to shreds, they have no allies and every person that steps up to organize them is eventually assassinated or killed in the continuous carpet bombing.
[QUOTE=Sprockethead;47755047]I wonder what these guys are thinking is going to happen, Like, they push out all their enemies and establish a stable border, then what? They have burned the schools, their industries are bombed to shreds, they have no allies and every person that steps up to organize them is eventually assassinated or killed in the continuous carpet bombing.[/QUOTE] At least some of them believe they will either die fighting and secure their way to eternal bliss in heaven, or keep fighting a lost war until god steps in and forcibly creates order in their favour. This is the problem with fundamentalism. From your point of view, their behaviour will be illogical. They are going to ignore losses that anyone without the religious belief couldn't accept. [editline]19th May 2015[/editline] Even if they are beaten on their back and lose all "held" ground, they will turn into a hidden guerilla terrorist group ala Al-Qaeda which will continue suicide bombing and doing other isolated acts of terror. [editline]19th May 2015[/editline] The whole issue with middle east is that it's a "war" that simply cannot be won by power. It's the ideology and belief that has to be fought, which nobody figured out how to do at all so far.
I guess it's a whole different ball game trying to destroy morale in a force where the death of one soldier results in the rest of the 'unit' saying 'God is good' and being happy for the person who has been 'martyred'. That totally removes one of the major effects of a prolonged bombing campaign.
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