Islamic State Crisis Megathread (ISIS/ISIL/IS) II

[Salus Maior]

Hopefully Mr. Beall is aware to also protest the British support of the Saudi and Gulf regimes that have been stoking up more extremism, anger and discontent long before the airstrikes began or, you know, before ISIS was even a thing.

Indeed. Something needs to be done about the Gulf states.

[Gauthier]

Hopefully Mr. Beall is aware to also protest the British support of the Saudi and Gulf regimes that have been stoking up more extremism, anger and discontent long before the airstrikes began or, you know, before ISIS was even a thing.

Indeed. Something needs to be done about the Gulf states.

Isn't Qatar a Gulf State? If they won't go to war over the World Cup, I don't know what they'd go to war over.

[Ganos Lao]

Indeed. Something needs to be done about the Gulf states.

Isn't Qatar a Gulf State? If they won't go to war over the World Cup, I don't know what they'd go to war over.

The World Cup ought to be boycotted en masse like the '80 Olympics in Moscow were, if FIFA has no spine to give it to someone more deserving, but that won't happen because FIFA's, well, FIFA.

[Ganos Lao]

Hopefully Mr. Beall is aware to also protest the British support of the Saudi and Gulf regimes that have been stoking up more extremism, anger and discontent long before the airstrikes began or, you know, before ISIS was even a thing.

Indeed. Something needs to be done about the Gulf states.

But what is to be done? The West is in a bind. If they just flat out disown the Gulf States, their days are numbered. ISIS, or groups like ISIS, will go to town on their sorry asses. If the West continues to prop them up, they'll just keep funding the guys who go to town on innocent citizens such as in Paris.

I have no faith in the powers that be to do anything about anything, let alone the Gulf States, without the situation getting much much worse first.

[West Aurelia]

The US will send an "expeditionary force" of special forces to Iraq which may conduct cross-border combat operations.

[Supreme Allied Commander]

3) Impose the West as sole agents for all oil tanker export sales out of the Gulf. Seize all oil tankers exporting oil and sell the oil, depriving regimes of oil profits.

Acts of war are fun, aren't they? But it's almost like you think they won't defend their tankers and potentially throw everyone into some sort of conflict.

I do think that the Gulf countries would be well advised not to attempt (and fail) to "defend their tankers" and not to "throw everyone into some sort of conflict" (which they would lose).

I do understand that oil tankers can only be exported efficiently from the Gulf in a reasonably peaceful and permissive environment.

Whilst potentially, Gulf countries could refuse to export any of their oil via tankers at all, it would be their Gulf economies which would suffer a severe regime-toppling economic loss while Western countries' economies would be merely inconvenienced by higher global oil prices.

Therefore the West can comfortably endure any suspension of Gulf oil tanker exports for so long as it takes for Gulf countries to change their minds or their regimes.

If any Gulf country would rather commit economic suicide and never export any more of their oil that would, in my humble opinion, be a (higher global oil) price worth paying to remove the source of funding for state sponsorship of global jihadi terrorism.

The Gulf countries would have more to lose than we would from suspending Gulf oil exports so I think it is reasonable to assume that they'd blink first and bend to our requirements to end state-sponsorship of jihadi terrorism.

[Visegradian Poland]

Nuke them before they get a nuke. Collateral damage is necessary here.

[Seraven]

The US will send an "expeditionary force" of special forces to Iraq which may conduct cross-border combat operations.

operating independently of local troops in Iraq and Syria for the first time, defense secretary Ash Carter has revealed, in a significant escalation of the frontline use of American ground troops in the region.

Operating independently? Does it means the US expeditionary force won't cooperates with local troops in Iraq and Syria and try to form US-supported government?

[Ganos Lao]

Nuke them before they get a nuke. Collateral damage is necessary here.

[The Huskar Social Union]

Nuke them before they get a nuke. Collateral damage is necessary here.

Dont... just dont.

[Ganos Lao]

The US will send an "expeditionary force" of special forces to Iraq which may conduct cross-border combat operations.

operating independently of local troops in Iraq and Syria for the first time, defense secretary Ash Carter has revealed, in a significant escalation of the frontline use of American ground troops in the region.

Operating independently? Does it means the US expeditionary force won't cooperates with local troops in Iraq and Syria and try to form US-supported government?

The plan has always been, and will be, to form a pro-American government in a whole and united Iraq. This is just them trying to keep people from getting uppity in the US.

Also, there's a Parliamentary debate going on over expanding British airstrikes in Westminster. Ed Milliband just said he will be voting against expansion while Crispin Blunt says al-Nusra and others should be attacked as well.

[Ganos Lao]

I do think that the Gulf countries would be well advised not to attempt (and fail) to "defend their tankers" and not to "throw everyone into some sort of conflict" (which they would lose).

Riiiight. I'd say that I hope you'd enjoy the egg on your face when this plan fails, but it'd be innocent civilians getting it in their faces when they're shot down in some Western city over further American meddling. But hey, you still get the oil rather than, you know, invest in alternate energy. Like nuclear, for example. I also noticed you have no plans for the aftermath of defeating ISIS. Would you care to expand on that particular topic, please?

[Gauthier]

I do think that the Gulf countries would be well advised not to attempt (and fail) to "defend their tankers" and not to "throw everyone into some sort of conflict" (which they would lose).

Riiiight. I'd say that I hope you'd enjoy the egg on your face when this plan fails, but it'd be innocent civilians getting it in their faces when they're shot down in some Western city over further American meddling. But hey, you still get the oil rather than, you know, invest in alternate energy. Like nuclear, for example. I also noticed you have no plans for the aftermath of defeating ISIS. Would you care to expand on that particular topic, please?

I know, a provisional government headed by some of the best buds of the Bush 2 Administration!

[Daburuetchi]

Dont... just dont.

That was the legit policy advocated by Henry Kissenger in "Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy"

[Minoa]

I am leaning towards intervention, but on condition that it is well planned, and that they have a solid plan to restore inclusion of all denominations of Islam, as well as the Kurdish. Either a clear plan, or I cannot decide.

I think the existing Middle Eastern borders is out of date but there is still no excuse for extremism like what ISIL is doing.

[Daburuetchi]

I am leaning towards intervention, but on condition that it is well planned, and that they have a solid plan to restore inclusion of all denominations of Islam, as well as the Kurdish. Either a clear plan, or I cannot decide.

I think the existing Middle Eastern borders is out of date but there is still no excuse for extremism like what ISIL is doing.

Lol the invasion of Iraq and the destabilization of Syria were "planned" and look where that got us. Stop screwing with the middle east

[Ganos Lao]

I am leaning towards intervention, but on condition that it is well planned, and that they have a solid plan to restore inclusion of all denominations of Islam, as well as the Kurdish. Either a clear plan, or I cannot decide.

I think the existing Middle Eastern borders is out of date but there is still no excuse for extremism like what ISIL is doing.

Intervention is inevitable. Everything up to that point has been the concentrated efforts of the Western governments to avoid impeachment from a war weary populace, especially in the United States. I mean, if Obama were to go out and say, yeah, we're sending our boys back, the fallout would be astronomic in scope.

And that's just domestically speaking.

[Ganos Lao]

I am leaning towards intervention, but on condition that it is well planned, and that they have a solid plan to restore inclusion of all denominations of Islam, as well as the Kurdish. Either a clear plan, or I cannot decide.

I think the existing Middle Eastern borders is out of date but there is still no excuse for extremism like what ISIL is doing.

Lol the invasion of Iraq and the destabilization of Syria were "planned" and look where that got us. Stop screwing with the middle east

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. That's where everyone's at at this point.

Also, the Middle Easterners themselves should stop screwing around with it too.

[Minoa]

I am leaning towards intervention, but on condition that it is well planned, and that they have a solid plan to restore inclusion of all denominations of Islam, as well as the Kurdish. Either a clear plan, or I cannot decide.

I think the existing Middle Eastern borders is out of date but there is still no excuse for extremism like what ISIL is doing.

Lol the invasion of Iraq and the destabilization of Syria were "planned" and look where that got us. Stop screwing with the middle east

My concept of intervention must involve more than taking down ISIL if we cannot negotiate with them peacefully despite many attempts: it has to also address the causes so it does not happen again. Addressing the causes will require the cooperation of everyone from all sides, but ISIL has already dug a hole of trouble so deep that it has many enemies now because of the unprecedented war crimes they committed.

This is the problem of using violence for revenge and retribution. I know some will refuse to forgive for what has happened, but there has to be a civilised way to put things right, but the problem is that the ongoing violence is making things worse.

EDIT: the conflict is already so messed up: one of the reasons for moving to a quieter country. Everyday I read the international news (no matter how truthful they are) my mind gets more messed up.

[Visegradian Poland]

Nuke them before they get a nuke. Collateral damage is necessary here.

No, no, no guys I'm being serious here. Bomb all the ISIS controlled areas. Don't nuke because of radiation.

[Ganos Lao]

Russia's military releases what it believes is solid proof that the Turks are working with ISIS.

You can watch the video version here. Yes, I know it's RT, but no doubt others will pick up on it if the supposed proof has any real merit.

Washington Post says the Turks are claiming the Russians are complicit themselves in the ISIS oil trade.

[Ganos Lao]

No, no, no guys I'm being serious here.

Hence my gif.

[Ganos Lao]

From a few days ago, the Turkish government charged journalists with spying and “divulging state secrets” after they openly claimed the Turks were working with ISIS.

[Visegradian Poland]

No, no, no guys I'm being serious here.

Hence my gif.

Ya. We should bomb them.

[Uxupox]

Russia's military releases what it believes is solid proof that the Turks are working with ISIS.

You can watch the video version here. Yes, I know it's RT, but no doubt others will pick up on it if the supposed proof has any real merit.

Sorry but I don't believe in state media especially if it's RT.