Posted on 05/22/2015 1:29:00 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
WASHINGTON THE fall of the Iraqi city of Ramadi on Sunday, and of the Syrian city of Palmyra on Wednesday, is a big gain for the Islamic State, but not an utter disaster, as many observers fear.
Rather than inducing panic in Western capitals, it should lead to a realistic assessment of the Islamic States strengths and weaknesses. One setback in a long war must not trigger hasty strategic shifts that lead to foreign countries becoming mired in Iraq once more.
Palmyra has economic and cultural significance, as it sits among gas fields and is home to renowned ruins. But Ramadi, in western Iraq, is of far greater military and strategic consequence.
The attack on Ramadi was a sign of desperation, not strength. It took 16 months of continual clashes with tenacious Iraqi security forces and loyal Sunni tribes before the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, could take Ramadi. Before it fell, the Islamic State already controlled half of the city. Its battlefield rivals were exhausted, and it wanted to give its adherents a psychological boost. Ramadi was a ripe target.
But the Islamic State is not on an unstoppable march. In Iraq, and to some extent Syria, it remains on the defensive. In April, the Islamic States defenses in large swaths of Salahuddin Province and the provincial capital, Tikrit, collapsed. In the north, Iraqi Kurds have contained the Islamic State. In Syria, Kurds supported by Iraqi pesh merga forces and by American airstrikes decisively defeated the group in the town of Kobani. Unlike the disastrous fall of Mosul in June 2014, the conquest of Ramadi hasnt led to a collapse of Iraqi military units.
There is even a silver lining in the fall of Ramadi.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Let’s hope for a LONG and BITTER stalemate of ISIS and the world’s shites for a long time...
I think the Israelis have enough sense to knock it down before it gets close to them. Besides, ISIS sees us as the bigger enemy.
The Target is either New York or Washington DC. New York because it would send American finances/economy into a tailspin and wreak massive monetary damage to the nation.
Washington D.C. because it is the seat of our government, and it would be a symbolic strike, though the stupid F***ers probably don't realize that hitting Washington D.C. would probably improve our efficiency at eradicating them.
Iraqi forces are doing the rope-a- dope. Getting ready to spring the trap. /s
The left deals only in delusions. That way they can’t lose.
They handle the reality of Isis with a delusion of no problem
And they handle the delusion of AGW with the reality of government regulation and tax growth.
Spot on appropriate.
I Can’t my hairs on fire!
the correct tense is has won rather than is winning
So this is where Baghdad Bob ended up, under an assumed name...
The Saudis were just attacked by ISIS. Lets see how they respond..
I thought Palmyra was a bridge to Philly? Now you tell me it’s in Iraq.
That was kerry’s answer to a reporter when asked about the takeover.
The NYT defines victory as “us not sending in ground troops.” So yeah... from that perspective we’re still winning. We can give them the whole middle east and the NYT would call it a victory as long as we don’t send troops.
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.
NYT NEWSFLASH!!
MILLIONS did not die in Russia under a brutalistic regime due to starvation.
History repeats .. Again .. And again..
The Old Gray Lady delivers..
The usual bull.
In Grey Lady land, ISIS will only be winning when one of two things happens:
1) a Republican adminisstration takes over and assumes control of foreign policy
or
2) New York Times reporters start getting beheaded
(and as long as Obama is president, I’m not sure about (2) )
Thank goodness for one optomitrist in the group. :-)
An event happened that they can’t deny, yet isn’t in the narrative, so they can only trivialize it.
Right Amed, you found the right place to peddle your crap!
Kerry said that? I hadn’t heard that one.
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