Posted on 11/06/2014 10:58:16 AM PST by SeekAndFind
BAGHDAD — The extremists of the Islamic State appeared unstoppable after their sudden blitz through Iraq this summer, with its battle-hardened fighters continually raising their black flag over newly conquered areas.
Today, roughly a third of Iraq is dotted by active battle fronts, with intense fighting and occasional Islamic State victories. But analysts also say the days of easy and rapid gains for the jihadists may be coming to a close in Iraq, as the group’s momentum appears to be stalling.
The international airstrike campaign against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has clearly played a role in slowing the Sunni Muslim group’s advance. But analysts say other factors are having a major effect, including unfavorable sectarian and political demographics, pushback from overrun communities, damage to the group’s financial base in Syria and slight improvements by ground forces in Iraq.
Across the territories the Islamic State holds, the group has overhauled its operations. Bases and hospitals have been evacuated and moved to civilian homes that are harder to identify and bomb, Iraqi officials said. Fighters who used to cross the desert in convoys now move in small groups or by motorcycle.
“The airstrikes from the coalition have been very helpful, and now the ISIS fighters are confused and don’t know where to go,” said Maj. Gen. Hamad Namis al-Jibouri, the police chief of Salahuddin Province in Iraq, where a combination of government security forces and Shiite militias have been fighting the jihadists near the town of Baiji. “They have also raised the spirits of the groups on the ground that are fighting ISIS.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Noticed your article about Windows 10 will not accept replies. How did you pull that off?
When I submitted the article, I got an error response. I re-submitted it and it was accepted.
Something funky going on with the FR Servers.
OK. Just don't plan on taking a stroll in Fallujah anytime soon.
Over time, lopping off heads does not do a heck of a lot to win friends or influence people.
When ISIS first started the invasion of Iraq, their long convoys could have easily been destroyed like the road of death in Kuwait in '91. But Obastard was too busy playing golf to be bothered with it.
TMUIPIH is now writing for the New York Times?
What did you do, O'Useless, blow up a couple more Toyota pickup trucks?
By the way, First Megalomaniac...
It's not YOUR Staff. It is the staff of the office of the President.
It's not YOUR military. It is the Military of the U.S. Government/People.
It's not YOUR pen and YOUR phone. They belong to your employers, The American People. Abuse them while you can.
It is NOT YOUR Air Force One. Are you beginning to get the picture?
Oh by the way, do you still remember that elections have consequences? Remind Valerie, will ya? She's kinda dense, like you.
Elections require eligible citizens to vote; those that do not bother to vote don't exist. Neither you nor anyone else can assume how they might have voted had they bothered to do so. Got that?
The NYT is not likely to give us truth about the march of radical bearded subhuman savages who rape and murder anyone who is not one of them.
It’s just not getting reported in the US because it was perceived as harmful to Obama. I see plenty of articles about their attacks in the foreign press.
every ISIS fighter that is captured alive should be also beheaded and his body left to the dogs . This is the message that Iraq/Syria need to send to the hairball muz wanabee jihadist potential recruits in Europe and elsewhere . Come to the Caliphate and end up as dog meat .
This should apply to the female ISIS they catch also .
No mercy , no quarter , no remainder .
Use chainsaws
I like the idea of using feral hogs, Texas has plenty, and getting killed and eaten by a hog would be a mujahid’s worst nightmare.
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