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Islamist Fighters Reportedly Attempting to Encircle Baghdad
McClatchy ^ | Tuesday, June 24, 2014 | Mitchell Prothero

Posted on 06/24/2014 5:07:02 PM PDT by kristinn

IRBIL, Iraq — Iraq’s dire situation has gone from bad dream to nightmare in two weeks of fighting that have seen Sunni Muslim gunmen assert control over a growing area, including, Kurdish officials said Tuesday, at least two towns that lie on a crucial supply route linking Baghdad, the capital, with the mostly Shiite Muslim south.

The fall of towns in an area that American troops knew as the “triangle of death” because of its propensity for violence provided an ominous signal, the Kurdish officials said, that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and its Sunni allies are working to encircle Baghdad.

“The picture is no longer scary,” said Shafin Dizayee, the spokesman for the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government in Irbil. “It has become close to a nightmare scenario, where we see Daash expanding and taking control of its borders.” “Daash” is the Arabic acronym for ISIS.

Another Kurdish official, Jabbar Yawar, the spokesman for the Kurdish peshmerga militia, said ISIS fighters apparently had seized control of the towns of Iskandariya and Mahmoudiya, south of Baghdad, and were reported in some instances to be just six miles from Baghdad.

“This area controls access to southern Iraq, and it appears as if they might try to push into Baghdad or even south towards the city of Hilla,” he said.

Southern Iraq is mostly Shiite, and it supports the embattled government of Prime Minister Nouri al Malaki. Thousands of young men from the south have flocked to Baghdad to bolster the flagging army, and many observers have assumed that the flow of southern militiamen would help stem an ISIS advance that’s captured much of northern and central Iraq in the weeks since the city of Mosul fell under ISIS control June 10.

(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: globaljihad; iraq; isis; muslimworld
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Good article. More at the source link.
1 posted on 06/24/2014 5:07:02 PM PDT by kristinn
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To: kristinn

Nearly a decade long war, hundreds of billions in American treasure, and over 4,000 American loves lost. Things were reasonably stable there until this idiot Administration decided to walk away.

I hate my government.


2 posted on 06/24/2014 5:10:30 PM PDT by Lurker (Violence is rarely the answer. But when it is it is the only answer.)
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To: kristinn

Isnt southern Iraq where the oil infrastructure is with access to the Gulf ?

Freightening scenario if they seize that or all access to it.


3 posted on 06/24/2014 5:11:41 PM PDT by Col Frank Slade
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To: kristinn

obama needs to go there now


4 posted on 06/24/2014 5:12:01 PM PDT by dontreadthis
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To: kristinn

Maybe at least they can give al-Sadr his just desserts.


5 posted on 06/24/2014 5:12:44 PM PDT by Rob the Ugly Dude
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To: kristinn

The EXEMPT US gov’t has trained
every side of these terrorists.
Trained and armed them ... against the American people.

The American people
hate the treasonous EXEMPT in DC for very good reason.


6 posted on 06/24/2014 5:12:49 PM PDT by Diogenesis
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To: Col Frank Slade

There is oil in the Kurdish controlled areas as well.


7 posted on 06/24/2014 5:14:48 PM PDT by mazda77
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To: kristinn
Looks like the guys that Hussein Obama was arming and threatening to bomb Assad over have a shot at taking Baghdad.

Encircled is not a good place to be.

If they are able to mass a sufficient force and press the attack before reinforcements from Iran show up, Maliki is a goner.

Most likely they will leave the US embassy alone, although I expect there will be lots of taunting going on, and we will have to ask their permission for our people to get out alive.

8 posted on 06/24/2014 5:19:33 PM PDT by Rome2000
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To: Rob the Ugly Dude

Ditto!


9 posted on 06/24/2014 5:23:37 PM PDT by Enterprise ("Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities." Voltaire)
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To: kristinn

Oh dear, I hope they don’t capture Kerry.


10 posted on 06/24/2014 5:23:49 PM PDT by FES0844
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To: FES0844
Oh dear, I hope they don’t capture Kerry.

They'd give us 5 terrorists to take him back.

11 posted on 06/24/2014 5:33:15 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
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To: Rome2000

Now the Miliki Iraqis could use those 400 surface to air missiles stolen in Benghazi by terrorists...OH I forgot ISIS are the terrorists.


12 posted on 06/24/2014 5:38:15 PM PDT by Kackikat
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To: Rome2000
Looks like the guys that Hussein Obama was arming and threatening to bomb Assad over have a shot at taking Baghdad.

The conduct of the Executive branch..."feckless" is as good a word as any, I guess.

13 posted on 06/24/2014 5:39:02 PM PDT by no-s (when democracy is displaced by tyranny, the armed citizen still gets to vote)
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To: Rome2000
Are these the same guys that overran the compound in Benghazi and are using the weapons they stole/received from the CIA?

So many high crimes, so little time.

14 posted on 06/24/2014 5:44:15 PM PDT by Former Proud Canadian
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To: FES0844

So starts the seige of Baghdad—next they will turn off the elecricity and water-—watch for bombs to go off and aircraft shot down at the airport—the next big battlefield.


15 posted on 06/24/2014 5:55:18 PM PDT by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: Rome2000
Most likely they will leave the US embassy alone

Why would you say that? I've seen no sign of compassion or adherence to international norms of behavior from them so far.

Did you watch their video? They are really like mad dogs. I expect they will kill every American then can find.

Obama needs to start the evac now.

16 posted on 06/24/2014 6:10:57 PM PDT by Jack Black ( Disarmament of a targeted group is one of the surest early warning signs of future genocide.)
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To: Rome2000

“Most likely they will leave the US embassy alone, although I expect there will be lots of taunting going on, and we will have to ask their permission for our people to get out alive. “

I would not bet the farm on that happening. These thugs would love nothing better than to be seen parading our embassy people around as hostages. I am very afraid we are going to end up seeing a tragedy unfold on TV if Obama does not evacuate that embassy.


17 posted on 06/24/2014 6:11:15 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: kristinn

Isnt southern Iraq where the oil infrastructure is with access to the Gulf ?

Freightening scenario if they seize that or all access to it.


18 posted on 06/24/2014 6:13:49 PM PDT by Col Frank Slade
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To: Jack Black
Screwing with our "embassy" forces the USA into the fight.

They are stupid, but not that stupid.

19 posted on 06/24/2014 7:08:42 PM PDT by Rome2000
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To: Rome2000

I don’t know we need embassies in every country. Especially really small and unimportant ones. Whatever happened to sending envoys when they were needed, why do we need full-sized permanent diplomatic presence in so many countries?


20 posted on 06/24/2014 7:09:55 PM PDT by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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