Posted on 06/11/2014 6:45:43 PM PDT by kristinn
BAGHDAD — Sunni militants consolidated and extended their control over northern Iraq on Wednesday, seizing Tikrit, the hometown of Saddam Hussein, threatening the strategic oil refining town of Baiji and pushing south toward Baghdad, their ultimate target, Iraqi sources said.
As the dimensions of the assault began to become clear, it was evident that a number of militant groups had joined forces, including Baathist military commanders from the Hussein era, whose goal is to rout the government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki. One of the Baathists, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, was a top military commander and a vice president in the Hussein government and one of the few prominent Baathists to evade capture by the Americans throughout the occupation.
“These groups were unified by the same goal, which is getting rid of this sectarian government, ending this corrupt army and negotiating to form the Sunni Region,” said Abu Karam, a senior Baathist leader and a former high-ranking army officer, who said planning for the offensive had begun two years ago. “The decisive battle will be in northern Baghdad. These groups will not stop in Tikrit and will keep moving toward Baghdad.”
The sudden successes of the militant forces sent hundreds of thousands of people running, some literally, from the fresh outbursts of violence, panicked leaders in Turkey and Syria and revived memories of bloody American struggles to wrest the same places — Mosul and Tikrit — from jihadist fighters a decade ago.
By late Wednesday the Sunni militants, many aligned with the radical Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, were battling loyalist forces at the northern entrance to the city of Samarra, about 70 miles north of Baghdad. The city is known for a sacred Shiite shrine that was bombed in 2006, during the height of the American-led occupation,...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Kerry, Hillary, Hagel, and Obama are getting the “Vietnamization” result they wanted from the beginning. ....
Won’t this be great for the terrorists. They’ll have their own little Caliphate to plot from, rig up that stolen Malaysian jet like a cruise missile and fly it into an embassy somewhere. Obama has been a great member of AQ.
An existential moment for Iraq. Does Maliki cut a deal with Iran? Do they bring in the Russians? Is this going to affect 0bama’s handicap?
al-Douri, he’s the “Irishman”
Methinks we were better off with Sadam and Kadaffy (or however you spell his name)
What’s Obama doing? Resting up for a fundraiser?
On the links.
I really believe Clown prince nobama is celebrating with his coven of commie criminals. Everything this freak does or doesn’t do is intentional.
That’s why they’re gone and why our PINO wants Assad gone as well.
You know it is coming. One of the released detainees will end up being a commander and on TV before long. I can’t wait.
Let’s see.
1) Bathists use Sunni Islamist allies to slaughter Shi’ites.
2) Bathists then slaughter Islamist allies.
3) Ruthless dictator rules Iraq through terror.
Things are working there way back around to normal
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