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ISIS close to overrunning strategic Anbar town: sources
Asharq al-Awsat ^ | Saturday February 14, 2015 | Manaf Al-Obaidi

Posted on 02/15/2015 4:26:11 AM PST by piasa

Anbar, Asharq Al-Awsat—Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters have now taken control of large parts of the strategic Anbar town of Al-Baghdadi—55 miles west of the provincial capital Ramadi—amid fears that the jihadist group is seeking to overrun the nearby Ain Al-Assad airbase where US troops are training local forces.

Fierce fighting between local tribal forces and ISIS broke out in the western Iraqi town over the past 48 hours, with ISIS quickly overrunning a number of Al-Baghdadi districts.

ISIS simultaneously attacked the nearby Ain Al-Assad airbase. Around 25 ISIS militants carried out the attack, led by several suicide bombers, who managed to come close to the base on Friday before being repulsed by Iraqi security forces.

Pentagon spokesperson Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters that US Marines training Iraqi troops were not involved in the fight.

US forces had scrambled drones and Apache helicopters to assist Iraqi forces to repel the attack but the fighting was over by the time they arrived.

Al-Baghdadi and its environs, including the Ain Al-Assad military base where several hundred US marines are training Iraqi forces, represent an important foothold for anti-ISIS forces; ISIS controls an estimated 80 percent of Iraq’s western-most Anbar province.

The fighting in Al-Baghdadi continues with rapid changes on the ground making it difficult to give an accurate assessment over just how much of the town ISIS has been able to capture.

Although initial indications were that ISIS was able to take control over a large area of Al-Baghdadi, with some media reports saying that jihadist forces were in control of as much as 90 percent of Al-Baghdadi’s territory, local tribal forces backed by Iraqi government troops have now launched a counter-attack.

A senior Iraqi security force, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity said: “Army forces have now deployed a combat regiment and a convoy of tanks and armored personnel carriers from Ain Al-Assad military base to purge Al-Baghdadi from ISIS control.”

Anbar Governor Suhaib Al-Rawi denied that ISIS was in control of the majority of the city, stressing that the jihadist forces had captured just one Al-Baghdadi district.

In comments to Asharq Al-Awsat, Rawi said: “Military reinforcements have already arrived in Al-Baghdadi and they will soon drive ISIS out.”

However Sheikh Ma’di Al-Samarmad, an Anbar tribal elder based in Al-Baghdadi, told Asharq Al-Awsat that despite the reinforcements and pledges of support from the central government the vast majority of the city’s 50,000 residents have been internally displaced by the fighting in the city and those who are left are looking for a way out.

Samarmad, who is a member of the powerful Al-Obeid tribe, said: “The families fleeing from the fighting are now looking for a safe exit to get to nearby Haditha. ISIS has deployed snipers on top of buildings and they are shooting at everyone trying to leave.”

“ISIS fighters have cut off communications, electricity and water in the city, and they are now in control of a wide area of Al-Baghdadi,” he said late Friday, warning of a possible “massacre” of Al-Baghdadi’s residents unless help arrives soon.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: albaghdadi; alrawi; anbar; anbarprovince; haditha; iraq; isis; refugees; snipers
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1 posted on 02/15/2015 4:26:11 AM PST by piasa
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To: piasa

Darn JV team!


2 posted on 02/15/2015 4:29:39 AM PST by b4its2late (A Liberal is a person who will give away everything he doesn't own.)
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To: piasa

——US forces had scrambled drones and Apache helicopters to assist Iraqi forces to repel the attack but the fighting was over by the time they arrived——

Translation: Lawyerly dithering prevents fighting and thus saves lives.


3 posted on 02/15/2015 4:32:27 AM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc.;+12, 73, ..... Obama is public enemy #1)
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To: piasa

Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1939.

God help us all.

4 posted on 02/15/2015 4:42:17 AM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: piasa

Our cic has no intention of stopping them.


5 posted on 02/15/2015 4:48:29 AM PST by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible. Complicit in the destruction of this country.)
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To: SkyPilot

Islam is on the move!


6 posted on 02/15/2015 4:50:01 AM PST by The_Media_never_lie (The media must be defeated any way it can be done.)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

US forces had scrambled drones and Apache helicopters to assist Iraqi forces to repel the attack but the fighting was over by the time they arrived

7 posted on 02/15/2015 4:58:36 AM PST by SJackson (“ISIS is now going to regret this … because King Abdullah is not Barack Obama, Rep. Duncan Hunter)
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To: I want the USA back
Are ISIS oil tank trucks being bombed?

How about supply routes?

Did Obama know where the hostages were?

Could the US military wipe the floor with this JV team in a matter of days?

Is Assad fighting against ISIS?

Inquiring minds would like some answers.

8 posted on 02/15/2015 5:12:05 AM PST by Former Proud Canadian (Save Western Civilization. Embrace the new Crusades.)
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To: piasa

What are the Marines doing in Iraq at this point? They say training Iraqis, but its too late, they have already lost their country. The Marines are sitting on a relatively small spot in Iraq and the other main locations are lost or in the process of falling to ISIS. I say get the hell out of there. This is nuts.


9 posted on 02/15/2015 5:24:09 AM PST by iontheball
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To: piasa
Oh who cares about terrorists, the internet is more important.


10 posted on 02/15/2015 5:44:13 AM PST by GrandJediMasterYoda (Obama: 11 acts of blatant treason and counting.)
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To: piasa

There is a rise in the beliefs expounded by a 1960s islamic Radical Quto which he outlined in his book Milestones. its belief is that Muslim religion has been dead for centuries because of Godless Ignorance (jahiliyya) and must be reconquered by secular Islam. No wonder Obama supports the ISIL existence - it is the area of the Levant, whereby Israel does not exist. does anyone remember the assassination of Egypt’s Anwar Sadat - by a radical of the beleifs espoused by what is now called Qutbism. Oddly America’s resurgence of the 60s mentally has come to fruition, the same is happening in other parts of the world - rstlessness amongst the adherents to Islam - where is the 12th Imam the promised one whom was supposed to be here in 2014, he never showed up, so now their is a belief that in order for the 12th Imam to show up, massive destruction must take place in the world - in Islamic countries and in the west. the killing will happen between the religious factions, the leadership of the Arab countries and the west, where the tenants of Islam are mocked. Yes it is coming to America, become Obama believes as they do himself. a police state - no an Islamic state were Jews, and Christians, conservatives, children - anybody that has opposed Obama. Unfortunately for Obama has has not been able todeliver on everything he promised. The gay marriage law is a facade - the gays will be registered and the Obamites will now where they are and the gays will die alongside the Jews, the Christians and the conservatives. Net Neutrality is just a way to have people registered for the new world order under the guise of Obama. Some will sy tinfoil hat time. Look it is happening in Europe the Muslims whom were invited into the countries of sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland are rising up to declare war on the West. france, Great Britain, Germany and many others have and will see the same issues happen. It is a call to rise up against the West . In order for it to work in the USA - guns have to be outlawed. families have to be destroyed by gay marriage and the healthcare system has to be destroyed. Just wait net neutrality, gun laws and all other issues will have to be placed in effect, the Islamic cultists will flood America and America will be in a chaotic war, the Obama Administration will capitulate and Obama will be declared the 12th Imam - the anti christ.


11 posted on 02/15/2015 5:52:10 AM PST by hondact200 (Candor dat viribos alas (sincerity gives wings to strength) and Nil desperandum (never despair))
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To: Former Proud Canadian

oh please bozo is taking more hard hitting interviews than yours like what superpower would you be or taking time out for selfies and making videos or giving statements about 3 muslims killed in NC but nothing about muslims killing Christians in Denmark


12 posted on 02/15/2015 6:05:46 AM PST by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
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To: hondact200

when one looks at the 63 commie manifesto and then thinks about how bozo has acted then they have nearly completed their manifesto, queer marriage, queers, cross dressing, the media lying, social other issues, foreign policy even with now Cuba.

What is even more pathetic is that we get a handful on here who actually have no problem with homosexual marriage, open borders, lesser military and foreign policy. They are all shooting for the commie manifesto too and either know they are or just too dumb to understand what they are helping.


13 posted on 02/15/2015 6:09:32 AM PST by manc (Marriage =1 man + 1 woman,when they say marriage equality then they should support polygamy)
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To: piasa
Result of Obama’s Foreign Policy debacle:

...(song) You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, you put your right foot in and you shake it all about, you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself about, that's what it's all about!

Massive miscalculation on the part of Barry. If US troops come to harm, it will be on Barry's head yet again!

14 posted on 02/15/2015 6:14:15 AM PST by Netz
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To: piasa

Who runs ISIS? Mad Mo? Turkey? Iran? Ruskies? Bammy? McCain? Muzzie Broz?


15 posted on 02/15/2015 6:14:44 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: piasa

Let the muzzies learn to eschew Islam.


16 posted on 02/15/2015 6:16:39 AM PST by Paladin2
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To: hondact200

The anti-Christ will come from the Old Roman Empire. Kenya was never a part of the Old Roman Empire.


17 posted on 02/15/2015 6:22:15 AM PST by SVTCobra03 (You can never have enough friends, horsepower or ammunition.)
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To: Paladin2

How is it even possible that a group can organize, take much territory, and not be pushed back? In such a short time.


18 posted on 02/15/2015 6:49:53 AM PST by FreedomStar3028 (Somebody has to step forward and do what is right because it is right, otherwise no one will follow.)
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To: piasa
THIS JUST IN! ... "French Troops Hold Dien Bien Phu While Paris Mulls Over New TV Broadcasting Rules!"
19 posted on 02/15/2015 6:55:31 AM PST by Gritty (Islam is not a peaceful religion. It never has been. It never will be .- Franklin Graham)
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To: FreedomStar3028

Power vacuum, free weapons, and strong ideology.


20 posted on 02/15/2015 7:08:10 AM PST by Paladin2
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