Iraqi Special Forces Join Battle for Mosul, US Soldier Dies - Polidicks

[quote] [img_thumb]http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/WireAP_378b71fff6134d3bbac64ea9f529135b_16x9_1600.jpg[/img_thumb] In a significant escalation of the battle for Mosul, elite Iraqi special forces joined the fight Thursday, unleashing a pre-dawn assault on an Islamic State-held town east of the besieged city, and the U.S. military announced the first American combat death since the operation began. U.S. officials said the American service member died Thursday from wounds sustained in a roadside bomb explosion north of Mosul. More than 100 U.S. special operations forces are embedded with Iraqi units in the offensive, and hundreds more are playing a support role in staging bases. The American had been operating as an explosive ordnance disposal specialist in support of the Iraqi Kurdish force known as the [URL="http://abcnews.go.com/topics/news/world/peshmerga-kurdistan.htm"]peshmerga[/URL], the U.S. officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss details. Roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices pose a particular danger to advancing Iraqi forces and the U.S. advisers who are with them. The Islamic State group, which has occupied Mosul for more than two years, has prepared extensive defenses in and around the city.[/quote] [URL="http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/iraqi-special-forces-join-mosul-offensive-42930172"]ABC News article[/URL].

thought the header image was Mad Max for a second

Man those humvees are [b]buffed[/b].

4th time's the charm!

[QUOTE=Kill001;51236147]thought the header image was Mad Max for a second[/QUOTE] Some the jury rigged shit people have done with construction vehicles and civilian ones is pretty impressive.

[QUOTE=Kill001;51236147]thought the header image was Mad Max for a second[/QUOTE] Mediocre, ISIS!

[t]http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/WireAP_378b71fff6134d3bbac64ea9f529135b_16x9_1600.jpg[/t] [I]Witness meeeeee![/I] lets see how long it takes for the republicans to say obama is getting our troops killed in there (when their plan is to surge troops in there) also lets hope everything goes well and ISIS is no more by thanksgiving

[QUOTE=Sableye;51237349][t]http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/WireAP_378b71fff6134d3bbac64ea9f529135b_16x9_1600.jpg[/t] [I]Witness meeeeee![/I] lets see how long it takes for the republicans to say obama is getting our troops killed in there (when their plan is to surge troops in there) also lets hope everything goes well and ISIS is no more by thanksgiving[/QUOTE] The Surge under Bush was in Afghanistan. Obama's administration did the Surge in Iraq.

[QUOTE=Ridge;51237606]The Surge under Bush was in Afghanistan. Obama's administration did the Surge in Iraq.[/QUOTE] No that was Bush too. [url]http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bush-going-for-broke-with-troop-surge/[/url]

Goddamn that is a really nice looking picture

[QUOTE=Sableye;51237349][t]http://a.abcnews.com/images/International/WireAP_378b71fff6134d3bbac64ea9f529135b_16x9_1600.jpg[/t] [I]Witness meeeeee![/I] lets see how long it takes for the republicans to say obama is getting our troops killed in there (when their plan is to surge troops in there) also lets hope everything goes well and ISIS is no more by thanksgiving[/QUOTE] End of the day it's cleaning up the mess that Bush's administration created.

[QUOTE=Ignhelper;51238636]Goddamn that is a really nice looking picture[/QUOTE] Makes me start hearing the BF3 main theme song in my head when I look at it, though in reality the war on the ground there's likely quite the hellish situation.

Agreed, those humvees look sweet but the fighting over there must be hell on earth.

[media]http://twitter.com/bm27_uragan/status/789794969917743104[/media]

Clearing out tunnels has to be the most nerve-wracking operation a soldier can be ordered to do Close quarters, unknown terrain, almost total darkness and the possibility of booby-traps everywhere. What a nightmare

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;51244666]Clearing out tunnels has to be the most nerve-wracking operation a soldier can be ordered to do Close quarters, unknown terrain, almost total darkness and the possibility of booby-traps everywhere. What a nightmare[/QUOTE] They could save some dollars by setting off some demo charges, couldn't they? I mean, so long as there are no civilians, you seal the place and to hell everyone inside that shithole.

[QUOTE=Cutthecrap;51244691]They could save some dollars by setting off some demo charges, couldn't they? I mean, so long as there are no civilians, you seal the place and to hell everyone inside that shithole.[/QUOTE] Can't know there's any civilians in there as hostages unless you go down in it. Plus, at least in Vietnam, tunnels were used as major forward command posts - a treasure trove of enemy intel if captured. [editline]22nd October 2016[/editline] Not to mention you may not know where all the tunnel entrances are and if you think you blow them all up but leave one behind, it could empty out a dozen enemy combatants behind your lines.

Just want to update that the soldier who lost his life was an EOD Navy Chief Petty Officer Jason Finan out of Coronado, CA

ISIS made a successful counter-attack to the North East a few days ago and captured/destroyed several vehicles, including a rare Caspir [media]http://twitter.com/PurpleOlive2/status/789922434623430656[/media]

[QUOTE=StrykerE;51246449]ISIS made a successful counter-attack to the North East a few days ago and captured/destroyed several vehicles, including a rare Caspir [media]http://twitter.com/PurpleOlive2/status/789922434623430656[/media][/QUOTE] what the hell...

Merely a bump in the road on the way to the end of IS.

[QUOTE=Kylel999;51246532]what the hell...[/QUOTE] If you think this is bad, you should have seen what it was like when ISIS was on the offensive in 2014. The Iraqi Army would just abandon equipment in droves when they retreated which created a snowball effect as ISIS would use their equipment against them in the next offensive. They lost 2,300 Humvees and 40 M1A1M Abrams by the time ISIS took Mosul. [t]http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/img/shiplord_kirel/2015/05/19/df410da0.jpg[/t] That said, compared to then this is just a minor delay

It's not even a delay, currently offensive is going ahead of schedule. The Coalition expected much stronger resistance from ISIS.

[video=youtube;7mmwC4zoXgo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mmwC4zoXgo[/video] [editline]when[/editline] These guys might actually be western volunteers with the Peshmerga. It would explain the flags/patches and all the personally purchased equipment [t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cvdz0BGUMAATDyY.jpg:large[/t][t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cve6AMdXEAA_uZX.jpg[/t]