Their proxies in Iraq have been shifted off to the East side of the Tigris River after failing to push ISIS out of Tikrit, while the Western-backed Iraqi Army steps into the lead, with US and coalition (reportedly including France) airstrikes begin. A few nights of airstrikes and gunship patrols will make a big difference.
The US airstrikes began on Wednesday, and the Saudis/GCC began airstrikes on Thursday against the Iranian proxies in Yemen. Probably not just a coincidence.
The Saudi-led coalition, which is now at war against the Iranian-led coalition, may involve powerhouses like Egypt and Pakistan. Drawing them into hostilities, if it happens, would be huge strategic blows against Iran.
Diplomatically, it seems that the Saudis may have flipped Sudan from cooperating with the Iranians - which just by itself would have marked a very bad week for the Iranians.
Petraeus coming out and saying that Iran is the real threat to Iraq no longer seems like an isolated event. The ground has shifted under the Iranians in a major way this week - militarily, politically, and diplomatically.
Thanks for updating.
I hate ISIS.
I hate Iran.
I guess I don’t mind if we bomb ISIS today so long as we bomb Iran tomorrow.
So let me see if I have this correct:
We are currently negotiating with Iran to give them Nuclear Weapons.
We are now bombing and fighting subsidiaries of Iran in Iraq.
Wouldn’t this be TREASON??
Suddenly, Iran has an air force?
My wife came from the Arab world, and when something bad would happen, she'd put her hands to her face and cry "bo, bo, bo."
But thanks for putting some kind of sense to the current nuttiness.
The only possible positive is this: Did the US demand Iranian Qassem Suliemani and his Kuds Force back off before helping the Iraqis in Tikrit? (though Suliemani would later just come in and take Tikrit afterward, so that doesn’t make much sense)
The Sunni Arab world is going to end up HATING Obama. It’s already begun. And they will not be bought off by Obama offering Israel as a consolation prize.
Tikrit was liberated before obama became president.
Whatever Obamugabe is doing to “fight” terrorism, it is for PR purposes only.
Period.
Full stop.
End of story.
This is obama’s war!! I want to leave them to kill each other. Who votede for this? What the hell is the legal justification for spending printed money on this. GET THE HELL OUT!! We ARE NOW ALLIES WITH THE IRANIANS!! Thus is madness.
I know nothing of the situation but am learning from reading this post. This is what FR is meant to be!
I get so tired of the many jokes and little substance on most of the articles nowadays. Thanks for this thread and the knowledgeable comments you stirred here.
nuclear weapon toys are being sent out as we speak. Nice small ones you can put in your pocket. The tech has been around for half a century.....check Davy Crockett weapon.
Mushrooms are gonna be going up all over Allah land....them virgins gonna be busy busy busy.
A sunni Shiite nuke war.....was the only way to bring islum into the 21st century.
Here is a link to a CNN video, showing Shia militias break into celebratory dancing, with the recently severed head of of a prisoner. http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/04/01/exp-arwa-damon-in-tikrit.cnn
One says to the camera that they are coming to Mosul.
That should help ensure a greater and more brutal bloodbath there...
Looks like four nights of American bombing opened large areas of the city for the Iraqi Army and Shia militias to move in. The video shows extensive damage to some of Saddam’s old palaces.
ISIS must have taken significant casualties, but apparently there are still some fighting. They will be herded into smaller areas, and blown up. Seems to be winding down, with lots of booby traps to disarm, bodies to bury, and buildings destroyed. Not as bad as Kobane, but worse than the US invasion in 2003.