Syrian army targets ISIS bases in coordination with Iraq - Polidicks

[QUOTE]BEIRUT: Syria's army has been pounding major bases of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria in coordination with the Baghdad government for the last 24 hours, an activist group says Sunday. The strikes against ISIS -- which has spearheaded a week-long jihadist offensive in Iraq -- have been more intense than ever, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "The regime air force has been pounding ISIS's bases, including those in the northern province of Raqa and Hasakeh in the northeast," which borders Iraq, said the Britain-based group. The regime of President Bashar Assad was responding to the fact that ISIS "brought into Syria heavy weapons including tanks" captured from the Iraqi army. In Raqa, the air force bombed the area surrounding ISIS's main headquarters in Syria, as well as the group's religious courts, said the Observatory, adding there were no reported casualties. Photographs sent by activists in Raqa that could not be independently verified showed craters in the ground and rubble in front of the main gates of the headquarters, a former town hall. Saturday, the regime also bombarded ISIS's headquarters at Shaddadi in Hasakeh, home to a frontier crossing from Iraq that is under the jihadists' control. Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the strikes were the regime's most "intense" against ISIS, and that they were being carried out "in coordination with the Iraqi authorities." The government in Baghdad has been gearing up for a counter-offensive against ISIS in areas where it and other Islamist militants have advanced in northern Iraq in the past week. ISIS espouses a radical interpretation of Islam, and aims to set up a state stretching across the Syria- Iraq border. It has been accused of committing widespread human rights abuses in Syria. Once welcomed in Syria by rebels seeking Assad's overthrow, the well-armed and well-organised ISIS soon gained the Syrian opposition's wrath because of its quest for hegemony and systematic abuses. In 2013, it took part in operations against government forces. But in recent months, it has exclusively fought against the Syrian rebels, who accuse the group of serving the interests of Assad's regime. [url]http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Jun-15/260207-syria-pounds-isis-bases-in-coordination-with-iraq.ashx[/url][/QUOTE]

so wait... we're now on the same side as the syrian army, iran, and they are working on the same side as the kurds and iraqi army? [editline]15th June 2014[/editline] is this the end of days, nobody has gotten along this well in the middle east since the AK was invented

A common enemy brings people together, but when that threat is gone, its back to the shitstorm that is global politics

I hope this cooperation lasts after ISIS is destroyed. I'd love to see a (semi-)united Middle East, even though I know it's not really possible.

[QUOTE=Grenadiac;45111976]I hope this cooperation lasts after ISIS is destroyed. I'd love to see a (semi-)united Middle East, even though I know it's not really possible.[/QUOTE] Surely if ISIS was completely annihilated another group would just fill the power vacuum.

[QUOTE=markg06;45112002]Surely if ISIS was completely annihilated another group would just fill the power vacuum.[/QUOTE] The problem is that ISIS was created because of a power vacuum caused by the Syrian Civil War. The only way to really destroy it is to band up all the surrounding factions together and take back what they took from them.

Also one of the main reasons that there's as much Islamic terrorism as there is is because of Wahhabisim. The state religious doctrine of Saudi Arabia. Their foreign policy is literally WE TRAIN AND FUND TERRORISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

[QUOTE=Sableye;45111904]so wait... we're now on the same side as the syrian army, iran, and they are working on the same side as the kurds and iraqi army? [editline]15th June 2014[/editline] is this the end of days, nobody has gotten along this well in the middle east since the AK was invented[/QUOTE] the enemy of my enemy is not my friend. This won't last

It says something about the strength of Assad's forces that they can spend men and material outside of their territory to fight these people. This is a pretty good sign that the Syrian Rebels are at the end of their rope.

[QUOTE=Paul McCartney;45112054]Also one of the main reasons that there's as much Islamic terrorism as there is is because of Wahhabisim. The state religious doctrine of Saudi Arabia. Their foreign policy is literally WE TRAIN AND FUND TERRORISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST.[/QUOTE] We should honestly depose the Saudi monarchy and let them have a democratic government.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;45113030]It says something about the strength of Assad's forces that they can spend men and material outside of their territory to fight these people. This is a pretty good sign that the Syrian Rebels are at the end of their rope.[/QUOTE] Syrian rebels are basically extremists at this point, like ISIS. So this is kinda good.

But that will never happen because oil. merge broke

[QUOTE=Taepodong-2;45113059]But that will never happen because oil. merge broke[/QUOTE] Really? You really think that the western world should slam their cock back into middle eastern affairs? Did you literally learn nothing from the past 15 years?

[QUOTE=Taepodong-2;45113053]We should honestly depose the Saudi monarchy and let them have a democratic government.[/QUOTE] Being the country with the two most significant holy sites in their religion, plus the fact that the monarchy is the only thing keeping them not defined as a theocracy, I don't see how could possibly manage to get into a democracy that wouldn't devolve into a theocracy or violent religious dictatorship.

[QUOTE=Taepodong-2;45113053]We should honestly depose the Saudi monarchy and let them have a democratic government.[/QUOTE] Probably not gonna turn out well.

[QUOTE=Taepodong-2;45113053]We should honestly depose the Saudi monarchy and let them have a democratic government.[/QUOTE] The US will never do this. Saudi's kingdom and unique stability ensures their alliance/ties and oil will always be available to America.

[QUOTE=Starpluck;45113471]The US will never do this. Saudi's kingdom and unique stability ensures their alliance/ties and oil will always be available to America.[/QUOTE] And its also used for US forces as a base of operations, I've heard

[QUOTE=Valiantttt;45113057]Syrian rebels are basically extremists at this point, like ISIS. So this is kinda good.[/QUOTE] Even the one that were semi secular did a restructuring and because of that a lot of the warlords went and formed their own groups or went off and joined ISIS. The Free Syrian Army is a huge fucking joke at the moment. [editline]15th June 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Starpluck;45113471]The US will never do this. Saudi's kingdom and unique stability ensures their alliance/ties and oil will always be available to America.[/QUOTE] Saudi Arabia isn't exactly stable per say. They're a Despotic near totalitarian state.

[QUOTE=Valiantttt;45113057]Syrian rebels are basically extremists at this point, like ISIS. So this is kinda good.[/QUOTE] syrian rebels are fighting against ISIS. [video=youtube;9Cb3OURdl3g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Cb3OURdl3g[/video] it's long, but it's interesting and gives a little insight.