The peshmerga retreated without losses or a fight. Sounds more like a tactical move to me.
Tactical retreat? Looks more like they just ran away and wanted nothing to do with fighting IS. Getting that dam and oilfield is a huge victory for IS, and the Kurds didn’t even try to stop them. Even they are terrified of IS.
I agree, though, that even if it is a tactical retreat, it is still a bad sign. Giving the other side a bloody nose, then retreating to avoid being trapped or massacred is smart. That doesn't change the fact that they had to retreat, and surrender key locations.
US guys in Erbil need to finish their analysis and decide what can be done. Baghdad won't help. The central government would like the last Peshmerga fighter to die killing the last ISIS fighter.
Seriously doubt that. The peshmerga have engaged ISIS before and generally kicked their butts. Don’t know enough about the tactical situation to tell, but sometimes when fighting amateurs you retreat - even give up a too-good to refuse prize - in order to get them to overextend. Then you cut them off and apart.