Page added on August 6, 2014
The fundamentalist retro-gang that has conquered Northern Iraq has decided it needs to go Taliban on cultural monuments it disapproves of. One of the most recent outrages was the destruction of the tomb of Yunus, better known in the West as the prophet Jonah (yes, the biblical one who spent some time in the belly of a whale). Jonah is one of the prophets revered by both Christians and Muslims, so the motivation is not entirely clear. However, this is by far not the only ancient religious site ISIS has destroyed in the vicinity of Mosul. Reportedly the group has by now destroyed some 30 ancient shrines, churches, mosques and Hussainiyas in the area of Mosul alone. Oddly, this included at least four Sunni mosques, so there appears to be a certain degree of arbitrariness to these actions. Yazidi monuments are of course also on the list of things ISIS destroys whenever an occasion presents itself.
In short, the group is not only killing people that don’t conform to its harsh version of Islam, it is also trying to erase all traces of their history and culture. It cares not one whit how old or unique these buildings and monuments are. For instance, the mosque of Yunus was built on an archeological site the oldest parts of which date back to the 8th century BC. In short, there are buildings in Iraq that have survived 2,800 years of upheaval and strife, but they haven’t survived the coming of ISIS. Apparently ISIS considers all the shrines and mosques it destroys “places of apostasy”. In the course of its rampage it has also burned the books of the Diyala province’s library, so reading is apparently a no-no for ISIS as well.
It should be noted that this rabid interpretation of Sunni Islam is quite a retrogression from Islam as it was originally practiced in the centuries after its founding. The schism between Shi’ites and Sunnites of course goes back almost to the beginning of the Muslim religion. However, although the Muslim rulers of old were expansionist and not at all averse to warfare, were actually relatively tolerant of members of other religions living on their lands.
A tiny part of the traditions established at the time are even preserved by ISIS in a way. It reportedly gives Christians living in the areas of Iraq and Syria it controls the choice between conversion, paying the jizya tax, or death. The payment of this special tax was historically actually not regarded as an injustice, but was rather seen as an attempt to balance the Muslim zakat tax and so to speak create a level playing field. Of course for ISIS it is just another source of revenue.
It is quite ironic that one of the main financial backers of ISIS is finally getting worried a bit in light of all these events:
“Saudi Arabia is seeking help from Pakistan and Egypt to protect its borders and religious sites from attacks by the Islamic State (IS), formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS), the International Business Times reported.
“The kingdom is calling in favors from Egypt and Pakistan. No one is certain what ISIS has planned, but it’s clear a group like this will target Mecca if it can. We expect them to run out of steam, but no one is taking any chances,” the International Business Times wrote Sunday citing an adviser to the Saudi government. The jihadist group started a large-scale offensive against Iraq’s Shiite government led by Nouri Maliki in June, aiming to seize Baghdad.
Militants have destroyed several prominent religious sites in the Iraqi city of Mosul, some 400 kilometers (nearly 250 miles) north of Baghdad, over the past weeks. The group defended their actions by saying, “The demolition of structures erected above graves is a matter of great religious clarity,” according to Agence France-Presse.’
Among the levelled sites were some of the main mosques, the Nabi Yunus shrine (Tomb of Jonah) and a shrine to The Prophet Seth. Eleven sites of Christian worship have been destroyed, including the Chaldean archdiocese, as well as the Diyala Province Library, where approximately 1,500 books were burnt.
(emphasis added)
We would add to this that there is no proof that the Saudi government has done anything beyond tolerating that rich private Saudi citizens supported ISIS with donations, but let us apply some logical thinking here. This is an army that has grown from an “estimated 2,000 fighters” to “no-one knows how many fighters” practically overnight. As we have pointed out previously, it has quite a lot of sophisticated equipment at its disposal as well. Not only military equipment, but also things like construction machinery. It runs its own oil and gas fields and even has a kind of propaganda ministry capable of regularly putting out slickly produced recruitment videos. When it was recently reported that the group has taken over the Mosul dam, it was revealed that there are also numerous engineers in its ranks who have previously helped with employing water as a weapon to help its war effort (see also below).
So this is clearly not a fly-by-night operation at all, quite the contrary (for some additional background on this, here is a list of our previous articles on ISIS, or IS as it is now calling itself since it has proclaimed its caliphate, in chronological order: “ISIS Attempts to Establish Islamist Caliphate” , “The Cheerful, Yet Lethal Prophet”, “Iraq Continues to Unravel” and “Islamic Caliphate Proclaimed”).
What can one conclude from this fact? That some unknown djihadist with the nom-de-guerre Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi managed to actually create a huge, well-trained and well-equipped army plus an apparatus that has many characteristics of a State, or better said, a well-run vertically integrated military-industrial-religious conglomerate, out of thin air? And every single intelligence agency in the world just happened to ‘miss’ that this was happening? Doesn’t sound very credible, does it?
It seems far more likely that ISIS did in fact receive state support, quite possibly from more than just one state. Probably it was intended as a counterweight to Shi’ite (or Allawite), influence in Iraq and Syria, mainly in order to thwart Iran, resp. lessen its regional influence. Presumably, this abomination has eventually developed a dynamic of its own and has ultimately gotten out of control, big time.
The prophet Yunus Mosque before it was blown up by ISIS. Henceforth, it will forever remain a post card.
(Photo via beirut-today.com / Author unknown)
Using water as a weapon in Iraq is not exactly a new idea. Saddam reportedly already considered flooding a large area of Iraq by blasting the Mosul dam so as to entrap the US army, but evidently reconsidered this course (too much damage would have been wrought). What he definitely did do was to divert water from the Southern Iraqi marshes, where Euphrates and Tigris meet – the largest area of natural wetlands in the Middle East. This was done to drive out the so-called Marsh Arabs, nomadic Shi’ites who have lived in the area for centuries. He actually managed to almost completely dry out this unique habitat, poisoning the soil over a vast area, as salts would no longer be washed out. In an astonishing demonstration of nature’s persistence, the marshes have almost completely recovered since Saddam’s exitus.
Anyway, Saddam was no doubt a fount of rationality and reserved politeness compared to ISIS. Hence recent news that the group had captured the huge Mosul dam was greeted with some trepidation – especially as the dam is already considered an accident waiting to happen, due to long neglected maintenance.
In the meantime it has emerged that Kurdish Peshmerga have apparently managed to hold or retake the Mosul dam, although these reports emanating from the fog of an ongoing war are probably not very reliable. After all, the ISIS takeover of the dam was originally reported by Kurdish forces as well, which incidentally lost three cities and an oil field to ISIS over the very same weekend. One thing is certain, if the ISIS leadership were to prove crazy enough to use the dam to create an artificial flood, it would be a gigantic catastrophe.
An aerial view of the Mosul dam
(Photo © Ali Haidar Khan)
A close up picture of the Mosul dam installations made by the US army corps of engineers in 2006. At the time it was already noted that the rickety structure was in urgent need of renovation. It may not even require sabotage by ISIS for a catastrophic breakdown of the dam to happen.
(Photo © Reuters)
Whether or not ISIS actually controls the dam, it definitely does control large parts of the upper reaches of both Euphrates and Tigris in Northern Iraq. With that it has already control over several major dams, and is presumably in a position to make life difficult for those living downstream. In fact, the New Scientist reported in mid June already that ISIS had apparently captured the Mosul dam (that is the one at “risk of collapse” in the excerpt below):
“Iraq is ancient Mesopotamia, the once-fertile floodplain of the Tigris and Euphrates that cradled the first human civilization. The rivers remain crucial to the farming on which most Iraqis depend, according to a report by the International Centre for Agricultural Research on the Dry Areas, which was once based in Aleppo, Syria, but has now decamped to Amman in Jordan to avoid fighting.
ISIS now controls several major dams on the rivers, for instance at Haditha and Samarra. It also holds one 30 kilometers north of Mosul that was built on fragile rock and poses a risk of collapse. It holds at least 8 billion cubic meters of water. In 2003, there were fears Iraqi troops might destroy the dam to wipe out invading forces. US military engineers calculated that the resulting wave would obliterate Mosul and even hit Baghdad.
ISIS has already used water as a weapon, in a smaller way. In late April ISIS stopped flow through the relatively small Nuaimiyah dam on the Euphrates in Fallujah, reportedly with the aim of depriving Baghdad and southern Iraq of water. It could also have been to block military approaches to the town.
Instead, the river backed up and poured into an irrigation canal, flooding the town of Abu Ghraib and dozens of surrounding villages over 200 square kilometers. Five people died, and 20,000 to 40,000 families fled to Baghdad.
(emphasis added)
Dams allegedly controlled by ISIS as of mid June.
(Map via plattformbelomonte.blogspot.co.at)
As can be seen above, ISIS definitely doesn’t shy away from using water as a weapon when it feels that occasion demands it.
In order to blackmail Lebanon’s government into releasing one of its leaders who was recently captured, ISIS recently expanded its conquest into Lebanon as well, capturing the fairly large city of Arsal, in a Sunni majority region near the Syrian border. Arsal houses 40,000 regular residents and 120,000 Syrian refugees, so it is not just some hick town. According to the Wire:
“Militants associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) captured the Lebanese city of Arsal in fighting that began on Friday and continued Monday.
According to The Telegraph, a Syrian rebel group set up check-points in the border city but have not yet declared the area as part of the caliphate. In addition to 40,000 residents, there are roughly 120,000 refugees living in Arsal.
The conflict broke out after the Lebanese Army arrested Abu Ahmad al-Jumaa, a former commander in the Free Syrian Army who later declared allegiance to ISIS. Officials said they arrested Jumaa because he planned to attack an army outpost.
Since the Syrian Uprising began in 2011, an estimated one million refugees have crossed the nearly 250 mile border from Syria into Lebanon, a number expected to hit 1.5 million by the end of 2014 The United Nation’s Refugee Agency predicts.
The Sunni insurgents said they will leave Arsal if the government releases Jumaa, something Lebanese Prime Minister Tammam Slama flatly rejected on Monday.
(emphasis added)
National borders haven’t stopped ISIS before, and evidently the border between Syria and Lebanon isn’t regarded as anything special by it either. Moreover, this incursion potentially promises a to give it a chance to tussle with Hezbollah, the Shi’ite political party and militant group that predominates in Lebanon. Since its members are apostates in ISIS’ book, it probably relishes the opportunity.
The Lebanese city of Arsal has been captured by ISIS as well now, so to speak in passing.
(Map via gotnewswire.com)
Amazingly, this happened practically concurrently with ISIS’ forays into Kurdish held territory, which shows what enormous reach the organization actually has by now. It seems pretty clear that its membership is far larger than the estimated 2000 fighters that were attributed to it as recently as in April or May.
Luckily, there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Not only do the Saudis believe that “ISIS will run out of steam” just before it gets to Mecca (see above), but more importantly, “the US State Department also issued a statement that it was “actively monitoring” the Iraqi situation” (apparently it neglected to “actively monitor” the Lebanese situation though).
What could possibly go wrong?
Just in case you thought there wasn’t enough bloodshed and war in the world just yet, another old conflict has just broken into the open again, namely the never-ending battle between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
“Azerbaijan and Armenia on Monday both reported more losses in a sharp escalation of fighting over the South Caucasus region Nagorno-Karabakh, with 18 soldiers now confirmed dead.”
What the hell is going on we wonder? Is it something in the air? Note that all of this is happening with stock markets still fairly close to their recent all time highs. If the markets decline from here, it will signal a worsening social mood, which as a rule tends to invite even more war.
27 Comments on "ISIS Marches On (And The Saudis Are Getting Nervous)"
Plantagenet on Wed, 6th Aug 2014 6:11 pm
The chickens are now coming home to roost on Obama’s stupid middle east policy. Obama pulled US troops out of Iraq assuming everything was hunky dory. Then obama did nothing as ISIS rampaged in Syria, and he did nothing when ISIS took over northern Iraq. It would seem to be pretty obvious that the last thing the US would want to see is the Islamist nutjobs of the former al Quaida in Iraq reinventing themselves as a Caliphate and seizing huge swaths of territory and threatening a large part of the world’s oil supply, but thats what is happening while Obama golfs.
Fishman on Wed, 6th Aug 2014 6:27 pm
Ah, the religion of Pieces
bobinget on Wed, 6th Aug 2014 7:29 pm
Plantagenet, OK: I’ll bite, how in the world did President Obama’s ‘stupid’ Middle East policy create this Islamic schism? I read O is 53 not 753 years old.
He drew a line in the sand in the Syrian proxy war promising to bomb if Assad used poison gas again but backed down once Russia urged Assad to rid his arsenal of chemical weapons.. which was done.
I’ll admit, He never should have issued such threats.
But, it’s debatable that such wishy-washy behavior
caused The Islamic State. I can make a case that invading Iraq in the first place destabilized everything.
This situation is so complicated, so nuanced, that for Plant or anyone to simplify the entire mess by saying ‘It’s all Obama’s fault’ is just not worthy of print.
Getting back to ISIL.
Think about this for a sec. All ISIL need do is capture or
buy, from Pakistan, “An Islamic Bomb” it renders our
5,000 and Israel’s 500 nuclear weapons useless.
Remember, ISIL is pulling in more then eighty million a day on former Iraqi oil. A few weeks of those paydays
and North Korea and Pakistan will be bidding against each other.
We, the US, haven’t the foggiest as to the location of this single nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.
Will it be O’s fault if these insane, murderous, closet humans calling themselves “The Islamic Nation” travel to West Africa and load up on Ebola virus for later distribution.
as if we need to know….. 2 hours ago
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28677283
Live:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28683800
Here’s a genuine human tragedy…
Chaos in Iraq’s north as Yazidi minorities starve and Islamic State presses Kurds
BAGHDAD – Politicians appealed Wednesday for emergency aid for thousands ofminority Iraqis who have been stranded with little food on a mountaintop in the country’s north, surrounded by al-Qaeda-inspired rebels.
For nearly two months, Kurdish forces had managed to protect the area from the Sunni extremists, who have rampaged through much of northern Iraq, slaughtering opponents, destroying ancient shrines and demanding that people of other religions convert or die. But last weekend the famously tough Kurdish fighters suffered their first setbacks in the Sinjar region, prompting hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee.
An estimated 10,000 to 40,000 of them sought refuge on the craggy peaks of Mount Sinjar – largely members of the minority Yazidi sect. They fear death if they descend into areas controlled by the extremist rebels, who consider them apostates. Kurdish forces have so far failed to break through the militants’ lines to reach them, despite launching a counteroffensive early this week.
The Iraqi government conducted two airdrops of aid to the desperate refugees on Wednesday, but humanitarian workers said they did not come close to meeting the growing need. Some of the water bottles in the aid bundles cracked open.
“Is help coming?” one of those trapped on the mountain, 23-year-old Shihab Balki, asked when contacted by cellphone – one of the few belonging to the refugees that still had battery life. He said that at least 17 children have died on the mountain because of the inhospitable conditions.
Iraqi Yazidi women who fled the violence in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar sit at a school where they are taking shelter in the Kurdish city of Dohuk in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region on Aug. 5. (Safin Hamed/Getty Images)
“I’m standing here next to an old lady and a child lying on the ground, they are not dead, but we fear they are dying,” Balki said.
UNICEF says it has confirmed that children have perished on Mount Sinjar but does not have verified up-to-date figures.
Balki said later Wednesday that he had managed to secure about four gallons of water for his family of seven from one of the day’s airdrops — not nearly enough in the hot Iraqi summer. Many of the bottles dropped in a wooden crate had cracked, their precious contents spilling onto the rocks, he said. Earlier airdrops included food and milk, but the cartons of milk also smashed on the mountainside, he said.
Haji Ghandour, a Yazidi parliamentarian in Baghdad, said the shortage of aid was acute.
“There are some airdrops, but they aren’t even covering half the need,” he said. “Most of these supplies fall near to [Islamic State fighters], others break and are ruined. The operation is not accurate.”
The United Nations says the Iraqi government has yet to take up an offer of technical assistance for airdrops, which are being coordinated with local authorities in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
Falah Mustafa Bakir, the Kurdistan region’s foreign minister, argued that Iraq simply lacks the capacity to provide aid and needs international help. “This is not a time for technical assistance,” he said. “This is a time for immediate action. Children are dying.”
Displaced families from the minority Yazidi sect take refuge Aug. 4 in Dohuk province. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered his air force to back Kurdish forces against Islamic State fighters. (Ari Jala/Reuters)
In Washington, Obama administration officials did not respond Wednesday to queries about whether the U.S. government was considering providing assistance.
Trouble on several fronts
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of newly displaced people have flooded into the Kurdish region, which Bakir said lacks the finances to assist them. The region, which is home to just over 5 million residents, is now hosting an additional 1.5 million people — refugees from the Syrian war and internally displaced Iraqis, he said.
Kurdish officials had warned for weeks that they were unable to maintain the fight along the semi-autonomous region’s 650-mile-long front with the militants, unless the Kurds got outside support. A lack of ammunition and advanced weaponry forced the retreat from Sinjar, Kurdish officials say.
The Kurds say they are trying to put out fires on multiple fronts, trying to recapture land only to be attacked elsewhere as Islamic State continues to jab at its boundaries.
That threat was underscored on Wednesday when, as Kurdish forces continued their counteroffensive near Sinjar, they were forced to send reinforcements 150 miles east to Makhmur and Gweir as militants attempted to push closer to their regional capital, Irbil.
“It’s not fair that we are left fighting these terrorists alone,” said Bakir, the Kurdistan region’s foreign minister. “We need immediate action. We look to the United States, we look to NATO.”
“The West have armed many groups around the world, why not help us be in the front against terrorism?” Bakir said. “We don’t understand.”
Kurds receive air cover
The Kurds are supposed to receive a share of weapons and budgetary outlays from the national government in Baghdad. But relations between the two sides have soured, as some prominent Kurdish leaders have called for independence.
In recent days, however, the Iraqi military has started providing air cover to Kurdish forces known as pesh merga.
Still, Kurdish troops have not been paid for months because of the suspension of budget payments from Baghdad, and the northern region has struggled to procure military supplies. Those relations are likely to worsen if Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stays in power, with a change in leadership seen by many as the only way of keeping the north from splitting away. Maliki has held the country’s top political job since 2006.
The premier appeared defiant on Wednesday, even though the country’s religious authorities and his own party are indicating he should step aside. He argued that his political bloc had won the largest share in the elections in April and should be allowed to nominate the prime minister. If the constitution is ignored, it will “open the gates of hell” in Iraq, he said.
Mustafa Salim in Baghdad and Karen DeYoung in Washington contributed to this report.
Posted note:
Forget about Gaza. Forget about Russia ‘invading’ Eastern Ukraine.. All that is piddling compared to what is going down in Iraq, Syria.
Iraq TODAY is more like Uganda or Ruanda on steroids. Millions will be dead and who will care?
Plantagenet on Wed, 6th Aug 2014 9:04 pm
@ Bobinget
Obviously Obama didn’t cause the schism between the Sunni and the Shia. You sure have some strange ideas.
AND you don’t have your facts right—the schism isn’t 753 years old—its more than 1330 years old—the Caliph ALi murdered Hussein in the year 680.
I normally enjoy your posts, and you’ve got a lot of interesting things to say—but please check your facts. We already have a few posters like NWResident who fabricate much of what they post.
Jimmy on Wed, 6th Aug 2014 9:35 pm
Hey plant you know where the recruiting centre is. Since you’re so keen that the USA get back in the game in Iraq why don’t you go sign up?
I’ll tell you why. Cuz you’re a fat ass lazy American warmonger with nothing but a big mouth. Fucking hero.
jjhman on Wed, 6th Aug 2014 11:11 pm
I’ve been thinking for a couple of weeks now that this whole “Islamic Stat” business is just too big and too successful to be the simple bunch of lunatics that the media keeps playing it as. The points in this article of competent engineers, construction equipment etc. reinforces my suspicion that there is not only big bankroll behind these guys but some real organizational and stratigic skills that can only,most likely, come from either a national level organization or some group with major corporate capabilities. I think that can only lead to Saudi Arabia. They certainly have the whacko religious bias along with the money and the organizational skills, at least in ARAMCO if not some part of the national government. Oh wait they are both the same; a nice family business.
GregT on Wed, 6th Aug 2014 11:16 pm
“We already have a few posters like NWResident who fabricate much of what they post.”
Honestly Plant, are you for real?
Makati1 on Wed, 6th Aug 2014 11:19 pm
Let’s see… Bush Jr popped the Caliphate genie’s cork when he killed Saddam. Only the strong dictators of the pre-2000’s had any kind of control over the festering hatred between sects. Gadaffi in Libya. ETc.
GregT on Wed, 6th Aug 2014 11:21 pm
“my suspicion that there is not only big bankroll behind these guys but some real organizational and stratigic skills that can only,most likely, come from either a national level organization or some group with major corporate capabilities.”
That should be obvious by now, by anyone that has been watching events unfold. But who could possibly be behind such a diabolical plot?
I’ll stop right there, I’ve already been labelled a conspiracy theorist.
Northwest Resident on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 12:00 am
Plantagenet — “We already have a few posters like NWResident who fabricate much of what they post.”
Hey Plant, next time I “fabricate” something, please point it out and let’s discuss. You’ll have to take a break from your non-stop Obama-blaming politically buffoonish clown routine, but I think you can do it. Did I fabricate anything this time?
PrestonSturges on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 12:14 am
Also it was Bush that set the withdrawal date, which was binding because Iraq would not agree to host our troops any more.
And Plant is more than a little obsessed with foreign affairs for someone that barely leaves the house.
PrestonSturges on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 12:18 am
But it’s entirely possible these guys will want to grab Mecca. There was a famous standoff in 1979 by a well funded group of radicals. Sound familiar? The battle inspired a young Osama Bin Laden.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Mosque_Seizure
MKohnen on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 2:03 am
If you’re al-Baghdadi, would you be content having a Caliphate that comprised just the northern regions of Iraq? I would say that if you’re planning on beating the Shias and Israel, you need a lot more money than you’re going to get from a couple oil wells. You really do need to take Saudi Arabia. Once you have that, the entire game changes. Without it, you’ll probably never take Baghdad.
Arthur on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 2:50 am
It is hilarious to see Plant keep blaming the affirmative action hiree and empty suit for all the wrongs in this world, where in reality Plant should go after O’s handlers, but Plant won’t, because, you see, that would be an antisemitic thing to do and Plant is glad he is not like that. Than we have bobinget who likes to pretend that US involvment in Syria has a humanitarian angle to it and mumbles something about chemical weapons, in line with the wmd farce, applied to Iraq. The reality of course for anybody who pays a little bit of attention is that the destruction of the ME is the direct intended result of a zionist defined policy from the ninetees and formulated in the Clean Break document that has been implemented from the moment said zionists managed to telecrash a number of planes into highrise buildings. The idea was to use the same patterns as applied to Afghanistan, namely hire a bunch of jihadis, arm them and let them overthrow the acting secular government, that is the commies in Afghanistan and now the Baath socialist Assad in Syria. The monumental mistake of these zionist string puller clowns was that they did not have the faintest notion of the unintended consequences of their actions and that in hindsight the good old solid dictators were to be preferred over these archaic jihadis, who now give the US the finger and start to mop up the entire ME. Currently the US is too busy to get WW3 started in the Ukraine, so these jihadis can carry on, for the moment.
Talking about 9/11… a few days ago there was a massive breakthrough in that for the first time a MSM, C-SPAN, paid attention to 9/11, Richard Gage, in a serious fashion, not in the usual alu-hat ridiculisation tone:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-walls-are-crumbling-down-around-the-official-911-story-why/5394984
Internet rules.
Additionally there is a former senator Bob Graham, who announced that there is a massive breakthrough coming regarding 9/11. Probably they are going to blame Saudi-Arabia (not the real culpritt Israel) and perhaps sacrifice a few lower ranking officials from the Bush administration. And there are rumours that Putin could release some sensitive information, now that he no longer can deny that he is under attack from ‘the partners’.
Interesting also is that the MSM liefactories are all of a sudden silent about MH17. They seem to realize that the ‘Putin’s Buk’ story is untenable.
Internet rules again.
Last but not least, Bulgaria yesterday has given the finger to John McCain and his despicable Brussels lapdogs and announced that they are going to build South-Stream anyway, as they are not going to sit in the dark, just because the EU likes to draw Ukraine in their empire. Way to go, Bulgaria!
Davy on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 6:57 am
Isis and the Taliban have a bright future if they can get their shit together. The reason I mention this is they need to lay low until the other ME powers are preoccupied by a collapsing BAU. If they become too aggressive now with a functioning BAU the natural response of the ME powers will be power balance efforts which will bring down a heavy response to ISIS from all sides and multiple powers. The same is true of the other primitive warrior culture the Taliban with Pakistan. Pakistan is not going to allow too much power to the Taliban for their own political survival reasons. They want just enough to keep Afghanistan weak and divided. Isis is doing the right thing now while the west is preoccupied and divided with Ukr issues. They need to probe their adversaries and push their advantages wherever it is possible. It may not be the case that these ISIS people can manage their conquest because the ISIS folks are a warrior culture. If you stop the warring then you have a primitive warrior movement that will deflate. I am worried about the Kurds. The Kurds are the one force in Iraq that could if supported maintain the northern flow of Iraqi oil that is vital to global BAU. I want a crisis to shake BAU to its core but not initiate a quick and painful collapse. If our liquid fuel supply is disrupted too much BAU’s crash will be ugly. BAU is greased by stability and confidence do not think otherwise. ISIS is instability incarnate. ISIS is a warrior culture on the move and spreading fear, panic, and destruction in a TBTF region. They are no different than a plague of locust moving over the desert consuming everything in their path. If they are not managed by TPTB then they will bring down BAU. Which consequently being a primitive culture will be the best situation for them at least initially. Longer term it will depend on how far BAU falls before reboot. I am not sure with the population overshoot of the ME if ISIS can survive as a regional force. A collapsed BAU could be just a localized affair in a destroyed desert world with little food and water. If ISIS were to attain broad power can they maintain the oil flow vital for almost everything in a region with overpopulation and food/water stress. Oil needs a functioning BAU for its economic dynamics. Oil is among the most expensive and technical of resources to produce. Do you think these mongrels can achieve that? No way.
Arthur on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 8:00 am
I agree with Davy that it is desirable that oil supply is disrupted to a considerable but not catastropic extent, so that the illusion of BAU is destroyed, while their is still some fuel left to complete a transition of sorts.
Davy on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 8:40 am
Damn, Art, am I rubbing off on you. I will say this you have introduced to me some thought provoking ideas. I appreciate the insight. I also enjoy poking you in the ribs.
pctech on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 8:56 am
When the ISIS situation interferes with oil production, it will likely start the “crusades” of the 21st century. The ME is returning to it roots,I don’t see a good outcome for anyone.
JuanP on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 9:28 am
Davy, I read reports yesterday that the USA started providing advanced weaponry to the Kurds a couple of days ago after they were beaten badly by ISIS in clashes during the past weeks. It’s about time, I hope the jurds can better defend themselves now, cause ISIS has been beating the crap out of them these past few days.
Davy on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 9:52 am
Juan, the US providing arms to Kurds is a delicate issue with ally Turkey. I imagine the delay was partly from consultations with Turkey.
JuanP on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 10:52 am
Davy, I agree. Turkey has to be very careful with how they handle Kurdistan. They potentially stand to lose as much as anyone. My understanding is that Turkey has benefitted from Kurdistan’s autonomy so far and they are getting along better than I expected. The Kurdish guerrilla problem in Turkey has improved significantly thanks to the fact that most Turkish Kurdish militants, guerrillas, and activists have migrated to the Iraqui Kurdistan.
Turkey has also allowed the export of Iraqui Kurdish oil against Baghdad’s wish, that implies a certain degree of agreement and cooperation between them.
Arming the Kurds with advanced weapons introduces a whole new level in this game.
GregT on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 11:25 am
So many economies to collapse. So little time.
Ordo Ab Chao
Northwest Resident on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 11:49 am
GregT — So true. Imagine all the economies of all the nations on earth all stacked up like a circle of dominoes, just waiting for that first one to fall. It is a little scary to imagine how it could all go down very fast, all it needs is just that one big push…
Hey, if you’re still reading this, did you see the pics of my “garden”. I know you’re in the process of getting your own self-sufficiency garden setup going — I wanted to make sure that you saw what I did — am doing!
David Fabick on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 11:52 am
NR, where is your scarecrow?
Arthur on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 12:56 pm
ISIS, another nail in the coffin of the NWO.
Other nails:
– China
– Russia
– BRICSs
– European nationalists, with #1 Marine le Pen
– American constitutionalists a la PCR, Ron Paul, Alex Jones, etc.
– Internet bypassing the MSM
– 9/11 truth.
Good luck with, Bill Kristol.
Northwest Resident on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 1:50 pm
David — What scarecrow? Don’t have one. Why do you ask?
louis wu on Thu, 7th Aug 2014 1:52 pm
“The chickens are now coming home to roost on Obama’s stupid middle east policy. Obama pulled US troops out of Iraq assuming everything was hunky dory.”
Plantegenet, can you tell everyone else exactly what specific middle east policies Obama has put forward, because as best as I can recall he is pretty much just continuing what was in place before he was in office.And as for him pulling out the troops he was simply honoring the agreement made by the previous administration which immediately tried to change it so troops could remain indefinitely and this administration also tried to do and failed as well.He did a good job after the fact of spinning it as keeping his campaign promise of ending the war ih Iraq but spin is all it was.