ISIL War in Iraq and Syria

[Copperknickers II]

Anyone here look at this site? Almost real time updates on the Mosul offensive (Operation Fatah). Pretty interesting.

[Flavius Julius Nepos Augustus]

A Czechoslovak political cartoon from 1958

[Abdülmecid I]

Tell Rifaat previously belonged to the opposition, but was captured by the Kurds, when Syria crushed their lines in the north of Aleppo. The canton of Afrin has repeatedly used this tactic, attacking from behind territory held by the rebels, while they are busy fighting against either the government or ISIL. Being extremely opportunistic like them might prove to be a fruitful strategy, but it is also a bit risky, especially if you betray everyone in your path to domination, while simultaneously being dependent on allied support. Sometimes you reap what you sowed.

Anyone here look at this site? Almost real time updates on the Mosul offensive (Operation Fatah). Pretty interesting.

I suppose that livemap might be helpful for the offensive of Mosul, but generally I'd advise against using it as a reliable source for the Syrian civil war. The site pretty much collects every news piece about a specific conflict and then uploads them on their map, after having a signigicant proportion filtered out. Not based on cross-examination and the source's trustoworthiness, but on how much the content is in accordance to their goals. These goals have explicitly been said to be the fighting against what the creators perceive as pro-Russian propaganda. I can't comment on Ukraine, but regarding Syria, all they do is posting important, undisputed military conquests, every tiny success of the opposition and every civilian casualty caused by the Syrians or Russians, while being completely silent about the rest.

[Copperknickers II]

Tell Rifaat previously belonged to the opposition, but was captured by the Kurds, when Syria crushed their lines in the north of Aleppo. The canton of Afrin has repeatedly used this tactic, attacking from behind territory held by the rebels, while they are busy fighting against either the government or ISIL. Being extremely opportunistic like them might prove to be a fruitful strategy, but it is also a bit risky, especially if you betray everyone in your path to domination, while simultaneously being dependent on allied support. Sometimes you reap what you sowed.

I suppose that livemap might be helpful for the offensive of Mosul, but generally I'd advise against using it as a reliable source for the Syrian civil war. The site pretty much collects every news piece about a specific conflict and then uploads them on their map, after having a signigicant proportion filtered out. Not based on cross-examination and the source's trustoworthiness, but on how much the content is in accordance to their goals. These goals have explicitly been said to be the fighting against what the creators perceive as pro-Russian propaganda. I can't comment on Ukraine, but regarding Syria, all they do is posting important, undisputed military conquests, every tiny success of the opposition and every civilian casualty caused by the Syrians or Russians, while being completely silent about the rest.

Thanks for the explanation. Still, the format alone makes it a much better aid for following events in conflicts of this type than traditional news media or social media, since it's selective and well-visualised but also comprehensive, in that it reports various different types of events, not just major announcements and mass casualty incidents. Most big media sites simply report on the most significant events, through the lens of their particular agenda, and social media just spews out endless unverifiable information and is only useful for people who are good at cutting through the (i.e. nobody who doesn't speak Arabic and doesn't have a good network of sources). If you know of a better source, in English, which does the same thing but in a more reliable way, I'd be interested to see it.

[Papay]

Well ISIS stages multiple attacks in Kirkuk right now.

[Odenat]

Baghdad government is not able to control its own country. While they are trying to take back Mosul, they are losing Kirkuk. It's time for Turkomans living at the area to decide their own fate.

[Tureuki]

Turkmens are not majority in Kirkuk, nor close to it.

[Vanoi]

Baghdad doesn't even control Kirkuk either, its the Kurds that do. Anyways it was just a distraction against the coalition forces. ISIS is trying to do anything to relieve pressure on Mosul.

[Mary The Quene]

Turks are just wasting time. If i were the SAA i would push towards Al-Bab now while the Turks and Kurds are too busy killing each other. This fighting only enables the IS to re-group.

Won't happen until military operations in Hama are finished, probably also not until they have defeated a rumored Al-Qaeda offensive on Aleppo city.

[Tureuki]

Appearently ISIL is storming Kirkuk. While they are supposed to be trapped in Mosul. Such incompetence from Kurds. Some reports say that Peshmerga are fleeing from the city. And the number of attackers is no more then a few dozens.

[Abdülmecid I]

Appearently ISIL is storming Kirkuk. While they are supposed to be trapped in Mosul. Such incompetence from Kurds. Some reports say that Peshmerga are fleeing from the city. And the number of attackers is no more then a few dozens.

Peshmerga was never particularly efficient on military affairs. They are close to the Iraqi regulars, when it comes to training, discipline, motivation and corruption, which explains why they were also fleeing in front of ISIL, before the ISIL intervention. However, as far as I know, Kirkuk remains still mainly remains under Kurdish control. Surprise attacks are a specialty of ISIL and given that currently Kirkuk is basically guarded by units more similar to private militias, where everyone gives orders and nobody obeys them, their task was not particularly difficult. Meanwhile, in Aleppo, which half the population wants to abandon, rebels have bombarded checkpoints, from where the civilians can reach the government-held areas. This time, according to more reliable outlets than Al-Masdar News. Yes, definitely not used as human shields by the jihadists.

[snuggans]

this is what happens when Iraqis and Iranian PMUs don't take the Hawija area before moving on to Mosul, you get desperate attacks from daesh on Kirkuk, which will be repelled without much fuss, but still that doesn't take care of the Hawija problem since they are coming from that area

[Vanoi]

Meanwhile, in Aleppo, which half the population wants to abandon, rebels have bombarded checkpoints, from where the civilians can reach the government-held areas. This time, according to more reliable outlets than Al-Masdar News. Yes, definitely not used as human shields by the jihadists.

Dubious information again?

[Copperknickers II]

Appearently ISIL is storming Kirkuk. While they are supposed to be trapped in Mosul. Such incompetence from Kurds. Some reports say that Peshmerga are fleeing from the city. And the number of attackers is no more then a few dozens.

This is not the Mosul unit, it's the one in Hawija, as the above posters have been saying. IS controls a large amount of enclave areas within Iraq which are surrounded by government held territory, presumably because the government forces are focussed on seizing strategic areas like major roads and cities, and hoping that the small enclaves will fall when the larger centres are taken out. Also, from what I've heard, there were IS sleeper cells within Kirkuk itself. Bear in mind the city is majority Arab, although it's held by the Kurds (I don't know how true this is at the moment, but it was the case as of 1997).

Peshmerga was never particularly efficient on military affairs. They are close to the Iraqi regulars, when it comes to training, discipline, motivation and corruption, which explains why they were also fleeing in front of ISIL, before the ISIL intervention. However, as far as I know, Kirkuk remains still mainly remains under Kurdish control. Surprise attacks are a specialty of ISIL and given that currently Kirkuk is basically guarded by units more similar to private militias, where everyone gives orders and nobody obeys them, their task was not particularly difficult. Meanwhile, in Aleppo, which half the population wants to abandon, rebels have bombarded checkpoints, from where the civilians can reach the government-held areas. This time, according to more reliable outlets than Al-Masdar News. Yes, definitely not used as human shields by the jihadists.

What are you saying here? Are you saying that mainstream media is demonising IS in Mosul whilst remaining silent on jihadis in Aleppo? I haven't seen many people trying to defend the rebels in Aleppo.

[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]

Dubious information again?

Well, i would say Reuters is quite a name...

[Vanoi]

Well, i would say Reuters is quite a name...

You didnt read it did you or look at where the independent got their information. The claim that the rebels are bombing checkpoints comes from a story about one single mortar landing 50 ft away from a checkpoint. The claim that the rebels are preventing civilians from leaving Aleppo seems to come from the Syrian goverment.

His first source was fine. His second source is just bad.

[Papay]

this is what happens when Iraqis and Iranian PMUs don't take the Hawija area before moving on to Mosul, you get desperate attacks from daesh on Kirkuk, which will be repelled without much fuss, but still that doesn't take care of the Hawija problem since they are coming from that area

Obama wants to take over Mosul by January(when he leaves office)so there is no time to waste on lesser cities sorry

[alhoon]

Obama wants to take over Mosul by January(when he leaves office)so there is no time to waste on lesser cities sorry

I am quite sure that USA just assists the Iraqis to take over Mosul, with just a few hundred Americans on the ground assisting on logistics and not the assault itself. You sound as if USA troops are fighting in there.

[Papay]

I am quite sure that USA just assists the Iraqis to take over Mosul, with just a few hundred Americans on the ground assisting on logistics and not the assault itself. You sound as if USA troops are fighting in there.

In all fronts from Iraq to Libya to Somalia Obama has ordered escalation

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/wo...-war.html?_r=0

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016...her-month.html

He wants to protect his posthumous fame

[Gallus]

In all fronts from Iraq to Libya to Somalia Obama has ordered escalation

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/wo...-war.html?_r=0

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016...her-month.html

He wants to protect his posthumous fame

He has to earn his Nobel peace prize somehow. Even if it's by bombing cities.