Posted on 03/29/2016 1:16:45 AM PDT by GonzoII
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - United States Marines based at the artillery firebase on the Makhmour front gave fire support to the joint coalition offensive on Islamic State (ISIS)-held villages.
From the ‘Firebase Bell’ outpost the Marines reportedly fired their howitzer artillery guns in support of Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga troops as well as illumination rounds to help those troops identify ISIS positions during Thursday offensive against ISIS positions according to an anonymous senior US official cited by AP.
The existence of the artillery base was revealed to the public last weekend when ISIS katyusha rocket fire killed a Marine there. The outpost is home to 200 US Marines which the US stresses are there to provide fire support to the nearby Iraqi base as well as protection for the Iraqi troops the US is training there.
(Excerpt) Read more at rudaw.net ...
Interesting. If the Kurds push west from there they could eventually link up with the Syrian Kurds southeast of Ash Shaddadi and cut off the ISIS supply lines to Mosul.
I assume the goal of the Kurds/US is to deny user of route 1 to the south in Iraq to ISIS. If the Syrian Kurds take control of rt 47 to the west of Mosul, that will cut most of the routes into Mosul off.
Is Syrian going to end up with the equivalent of a Berlin Wall?
Except in this case, both sides will suck.
Actually;
The only goal of any action by the Kurds is the ultimate formation of Kurdistan. All actions taken by them are in support of that goal. We might perceive them as tactical or strategic maneuvers to one of our goals, but never forget that they never take their eyes off the prize; Kurdistan.
Wouldn’t a Kurdistan formed from their regions of Turkey, northern Iraq and Syria be a good thing? Seems that they could do the policing while providing a buffer and US troops could come home.
They have had their eyes on that goal since the Partition. One I talked with in the '70s spoke of it then, and how long they had been after that very aim.
The last paragraph is - well, interesting.
Hit with rocket fire a few days ago that killed a Marine and firing it’s big guns in support of combat operations - but it’s not a combat outpost.
To maintain presidential credibility, the Marines were all wearing Nikes
thus, there were no boots on the ground
Oh, yes, I quite agree.
I’m also pretty sure that they would like for Syrian Kurdistan to join with Iraqi Kurdistan to form a Greater Kurdistan.
If they get that, it will be a pretty good achievement. What comes after that, could make things more interesting... i.e. Iranian Kurdistan and Turkish Kurdistan.
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