TIKRIT Iraq (Reuters) – Sunni insurgents overran parts of the Iraqi city of Tikrit on Wednesday, security sources said.
Tikrit, which is located 150 km (95 miles) north of Baghdad, is the hometown of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
Another notch in the Obama legacy belt
All the decent people flee.
Over 500,000 people have abandoned their homes and businesses and fled so far that we know of.
That means that Maliki’s offer of free guns and ammo to fight off this al Qaeda organization will go unheeded by all but those straw front men for al Qaeda’s own forces!
In other words, Maliki may end up giving arms to al Qaeda as they send front men to ask for arms to fight al Qaeda!
Another city, an oil refinery in the north is on fire.
Obama supporters compare this war with WWII (in length) but it is a war more like the Hundred Years War.
These new victors will strengthen themselves and come back after US interests and even our mainland once they can.
Some president, post Obama, will have to re-start the active fight against Islamists intent on world domination.
“These new victors will strengthen themselves and come back after US interests and even our mainland once they can.”
That is one very scary statement NanG.
Don’t be fooled they are already here….just not active…yet…
Which is WHY our borders need to be sealed off.
Which is WHY the US needs to be more assertive/in control when it comes to immigration/visas.
Which is WHY no matter the ‘cost’ we need to root out and deport…. funny how cost is such a big deal in this matter – when our Government pretty much ‘blows’ trillions anyway – smart people know the ‘cost’ will be a “return” on many levels in the long run.
As a nation with known enemies who want to destroy us and our way of life….we can no longer take chances.
No excuses just facts.
Blame the terrorists.
I stumbled upon this site…both interesting, informative and scary all bundled into one bad reality.
http://www.cis.org/kephart/update-most-terrorist-incidents-past-five-years-committed-foreign-born
@Nanny G: @FAITH7:
What we are watching unfold in Iraq is simply a repeat of the fall of Saigon. Town after town, until finally there is nothing left and Iraq is totally retaken by radical Islamists. I predict that Baghdad will fall within two weeks. On top of that, the NYTimes (of all places) is reporting that al Maliki requested air support from the White House to bomb the ISIS staging areas. It was of course denied. So al Maliki requested just drones to take out the camps of the ISIS. That was also denied.
So while we sacrificed all that blood and treasure to secure Iraq as a free nation, we now deny them any help. But there is help going to Iraq. From Iran.
So history is repeating itself. As the Democrat congress refused to support the South Vietnamese after we pulled out, now Obama is refusing to support Iraq. Obama is getting to relive his glory days as an anti-war protester. Some things never change.
One other interesting little fact; once the ISIS crosses over into Syria, they are no longer the bad guys according to this misadministration because they will be fighting against Assad and we will be arming them.
I just don’t understand why someone doesn’t dig up all of those WMDs buried in the Syrian desert by Saddam. They could turn the tide either in Syria or Iraq.
U.S. sources say the United States Embassy in Baghdad is preparing plans to facilitate the evacuation of that massive facility as Islamic militant groups continue their blitz across that country.
The $750 million complex is the world’s largest foreign embassy facility and was built to house tens of thousands of government employees and contractors.
(Maybe the Islamists will behead people there, or shoot women in the head like they did in that fancy Olympic stadium.)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) has one goal:
to create a pan-Islamic state that stretches from the Mediterranean coast (Israel) to the Iranian border.
@ retire05 #3 “So while we sacrificed all that blood and treasure to secure Iraq as a free nation, we now deny them any help.”
Seemingly Iraq security/Military were not prepared for this?
I am wondering just what or how this happened? Was this a surprise attack/take over? Why did they not see this coming?
@retire05 – I realize the below is from one man’s opinion (Ayad Allawi), but, it seems even ‘he’ is all over the place when it comes to these revelations.
He says the Iraqi Government has not done its part (applying the Law, securing freedom and peace).
He says he doesn’t know what happened to billions of $$ to train an army? (no doubt U.S. Aid).
Then he ‘blames’ the ‘international community for not helping. (huh?)
He says no one cares about Iraq. (huh?)
He finally says (to the international community) just stay out of it. (what?)
Following from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/10892299/Iraq-crisis-al-Qaeda-militants-push-towards-Baghdad-in-sight-live.html
I realize this is one man’s opinion but, it is breathtaking in light of the sacrifices the United States has made in trying to secure the country and supply aid and guidance. For whom does he speak, and does ‘his’ opinion really matter?
____________________________
Sorry, but it makes people like me want to say you ungrateful bastard – screw you! Then go it alone and quit complaining.
Why should the U.S. help – if not for innocents who have become caught up in this?. We get brow beaten (actually spit on) whenever we try to intervene on behalf of freedom. And that is on both sides.
We all know how the Liberals here hated Bush for getting involved in Iraq. Look at Iraq now. Would you call what we did under Bush, as the liberals did, an invasion? What is happening there now IS an Invasion of evil, specifically what the U.S. was trying to “help” prevent or at least to prepare Iraq for an event like this.
Seriously, for all the work we did there humanitarian, military/security training and other….should these people not have to stand on their own and make use of the influence we provided?
When is the United States going to learn? We throw money at ‘these’ countries to placate or help? and receive nothing but grief and hatred in return.
I have to agree this time, times have changed and these wars on terror are not ‘normal’ wars…. coupled with the fact we are broke…. and I believe we indeed need a breather…
This is probably the wrong question.
After the surge, Iraq had a good opportunity to build a functioning society, a growing economy, and a legitimate, self-governing country.
But there is a problem.
Are Arabs capable of self-government?
John Hinderaker points out:
Islam demands a slave class of underlings be they hostages from piracy, people from neighboring towns or countries or their own poor.
Islamic governance is a slightly disguised form of kleptocracy.
This is the main reason Islam always requires scapegoats.
Sometimes it is one’s neighbor, who isn’t of the same sect or religion.
Other times it is the ”Little Satan,”Israel.
Often it is the “Big Satan,” the USA.
But the failures of Islamic governance is ALWAYS someone else’s fault.
Leaders tell the poor masses:
Quick!
Look over there!
Not behind these tall walls and guarded gates where your own leaders live like pashas.
@NanG#7 – Thanks.
Very much in agreement.
Thank God for the Constitution of the United States of America. We have hit dysfunctional levels here in the U.S., God help us – and thankfully it is not ‘as’ dysfunctional…
@Nanny G: @Nanny G, Why did W Bush sign the status of forces agreement with Maliki that required the withdrawal of US combat forces from Iraq by the end of 2011?
@retire05: @retire05, ISIS was kicked out of Al Qaeda in February of this year by Zawahiri. They’ve already raised hell in Syria. The Anbar Sunnis, neglected and abandoned by Maliki, have no affection for ISIS but seek to depose Maliki by any means possible. So much for Maliki’s putting the Anbar awakening to sleep. The Sunni deep pocket petro states (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, etc.) don’t want Obama to intervene. Only Iran is motivated to help Maliki and, if he chooses, Obama to takes steps to counter the ISIS advance. These people have to work it out themselves. Doesn’t the news of the retreat of 30,000 Iraqi soldiers in the face of 800 ISIS rabble tell you something?: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/11/mosul-isis-gunmen-middle-east-state
@FAITH7: The 2003 USA invasion of Iraq was about stabilizing the Persian Gulf so that oil could flow to industrialized nations…period.