President Obama sends 450 more troops to Iraq. Source article on CNN.com 3,050 US troops are in Iraq advising & training Iraqi troops. 450 more troops will go train Sunni tribe soldiers to fight ISIS. Sunni Muslims used to thrive under Saddam Hussein. They have been marginalized since his overthrow. Which is why some Sunnis view ISIS (also Sunni) as …
ISIS Wins on 2 Fronts
ISIS has won 2 major victories in the last week. Source article from CNN.com (opens in new tab) ISIS captured 2 cities this week: one in Iraq and one in Syria. In Iraq, ISIS took control of Ramadi, capital of Anbar province. Ramadi is just 75 miles east of Baghdad. In Syria, ISIS took the city of Palmyra on Thursday. …
ISIS Captures Ramadi
Strategic city falls to ISIS after months of fighting. Ramadi is in central Iraq. It has a population of ~200,000. ISIS and Iraqi forces have been fighting over it for months. Thursday night, ISIS launched a massive offensive. It included suicide bombers in cars with explosives. The fighting continued through the night and into Friday. ISIS’s black flag has been …
Did Iraq Have WMDs?
Document justifying Iraq war declassified. On March 20, 2003, the US launched a war against Iraq. Bush admin. said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. They said Iraq was developing bio & chemical weapons. And that Saddam Hussein was training al Qaeda operatives. Evidence of the claims is in the National Intelligence Estimate. The NIE has just been declassified and …
Bikers vs. ISIS
Dutch and German biker gangs go to fight ISIS No Surrender Banditos Club is a Dutch biker gang. They went to Mosul, Iraq to help Kurdish fighters against ISIS. Dutch officials say it is not illegal to join a foreign army. There are ~70,000 Kurds living in the Netherlands. Median Empire Motorcycle Club is a German biker gang. This week, …
ISIS Takes Iraqi Base
Jihadist group loots base then burns it down ISIL captured the city of Heet in Iraq’s Anbar province. Heet holds the 3rd largest Iraqi military base. The Iraqi Army “tactically withdrew” to defend Al Asad Airbase. ISIL took supplies, munitions, armored vehicles, and tanks. U.N. says ~180,000 people have been displaced fleeing Heet. Heet lies on a strategic route, giving …
ISIS Taking More Ground
Terror group closes on Baghdad The fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria is not going well. The US is conducting airstrikes but ISIS is still advancing. ISIS came within 15.5 miles (25 km) of Baghdad airport. Iraqi forces are threatening to flee unless US intervenes. But Iraq officials say they don’t want US ground forces. In Kobani, a key …
Mid-East Update
Israel, Gaza, and Iraq Iraq ISIS attempted to capture a strategic dam. In the past, ISIS has used dams to flood cities. Iraqi and Kurdish forces, aided by US, drove ISIS from dam. Israel and Gaza Israel/Hamas ceasefire ended abruptly on Tuesday. 3 rockets were fired into Israel this morning from Gaza. Hamas says they didn’t do it. Israel responded …
IRAQ UPDATE 8/14: Aid stops. Strikes continue.
US reveals team on ground ISIL is a group of Sunni Muslim extremists. Thousands of people have been trapped on a mountain in Northern Iraq fleeing for their lives from ISIL. The US launched air strikes against ISIL and also dropped food and water for the people. The US revealed that a 20-man was on the ground evaluating the situation. …