U.S. Begins Airstrikes Against ISIS In Syria (Updated)

[Webster]

...and so it begins...

CBS News: U.S. begins airstrikes against ISIS in Syria
Excerpt...

The U.S. military has begun airstrikes against ISIS in Syria, CBS News has confirmed.

Pentagon Press Secretary, Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a statement Monday evening that a mix of fighters, bombers and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles were engaged in the attack.

"The decision to conduct theses strikes was made earlier today by the U.S. Central Command commander under authorization granted him by the Commander-in-Chief," Kirby said.

Details about the targets were unclear, but according to social media chatter coming out of Syria, strikes were conducted in the city of Raqqa. Video purporting to show the strike there was surfaced on YouTube, although its authenticity has not been independently verified.

President Obama spoke with House Speaker John Boehner and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi about the strikes Monday evening, officials said. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the Senate Committee on Intelligence, was briefed by Vice President Biden earlier in the day.

Since Aug. 8, the U.S. has launched nearly 200 strikes against ISIS targets in Iraq. That increased military assistance, including the deployment of more than 1,600 U.S. advisers, has helped Iraqi and Kurdish security forces stem the tide of ISIS' advance, though serious challenges remain.

Over the last several weeks, during which ISIS militants have beheaded two American journalists and a British aid worker, President Obama signaled America's intention to broaden its campaign against the extremist group into Syria. Surveillance flights to gather intelligence on potential targets in Syrian territory were authorized in late August.

Throughout the ongoing operations, Mr. Obama has been steadfast in his insistence that the U.S. would not put boots on the ground in their fight against ISIS. Instead, the U.S. will rely on local forces in Iraq and moderate rebels in Syria to fight the extremists.

Thoughts?

 

[+paradox]

RE: U.S. Begins Airstrikes Against ISIS In Syria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7axlcY3PU0

your thoughts?

 

[Webster]

RE: U.S. Begins Airstrikes Against ISIS In Syria

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7axlcY3PU0

your thoughts?

Watching that video above just reminded me that, while I don't care for America's resident warmongers, John McCain and Lindsay Graham, I just remembered that I really don't care for Bill Maher either....

 

[Webster]

RE: U.S. Begins Airstrikes Against ISIS In Syria

AFP-Yahoo News: Saudis Confirm Taking Part In Syria Air Strikes

Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Arabia confirmed it took part along with Arab allies in US-led air strikes against jihadists from the Islamic State group in Syria on Tuesday.

"The Saudi Royal Air Force participated in the military operations against IS in Syria, in support of the moderate Syrian opposition, and as part of the international coalition," a government spokesman said, quoted by the official SPA news agency.

The coalition, he added, was formed to "eliminate terrorism, a deadly disease, and to support the brotherly Syrian people to restore security, unity and development in this stricken country".

The statement came after Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates also confirmed their warplanes had taken part in the US-led strikes against jihadists in Syria overnight.

The Pentagon said Qatar also took part in the military action.

Given Saudi Arabia's position in the Persian Gulf and the risk ISIS poses to them, this isn't surprising...thoughts?

 

[+paradox]

Only if you believe the forced fed bs that the media is giving you...

 

[Webster]

Only if you believe the forced fed bs that the media is giving you...

I usually tend to take of Ronald Reagan to heart when it comes to the lamestream media: trust but verify. There are a few exceptions to that rule and their names are Andrew Breitbart and Bill Maher; those two can go jump off a cliff for all I care.

 

[+paradox]

Not saying that bill is never wrong but he does make his points and there's some good ones, and he makes it a bit funny, or he tries at least...

 

[Webster]

Not saying that bill is never wrong but he does make his points and there's some good ones, and he makes it a bit funny, or he tries at least...

Oh, I got no problem w/Maher there, Justice; its' just - and maybe its' just my own opinion here - that Maher comes off as too crass and too much of a bloviator at times, akin to Keith Olbermann back when K.O. was on MSNBC.

 

[+paradox]

Oh, tell me why you think he's too much of a crass and he bloviates because he's a talk show host and a comedian... he just talks loud enough and makes himself clear...

 

[Webster]

AFP-Yahoo News: Jordan bombed IS in Syria on Wednesday: US officials

Washington (AFP) - Jordanian warplanes carried out a bombing raid against the Islamic State group in Syria on Wednesday as part of a second day of US-led air strikes against the jihadists, two US defense officials told AFP.

"Jordan conducted an air strike overnight," said one of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The raid was in addition to a US bombing run announced earlier by the American military's Central Command, the official said.

Pentagon officials offered no further details on the Jordanian air strike.

Jordan confirmed on Tuesday that it was taking part in the air campaign and four other Arab states have said they are participating: Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

US officials say Arab coalition aircraft dropped bombs in the first round of strikes launched early Tuesday but have not provided details of each country's role.

Although US aircraft are responsible for the vast majority of strikes on the IS group, the participation of the Sunni-ruled Arab countries carries symbolic weight and Washington sees it as crucial.

The Arab partners have denounced IS extremists but also deeply oppose the Syrian regime led by President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by their rivals in Shiite-ruled Iran.

Apart from the Jordanian raid on Wednesday, a US air strike in the past 24 hours damaged eight IS vehicles northwest of the Iraqi border town of Al-Qaim, officials said.

US aircraft have been bombing IS extremists in Iraq since August 8 in a bid to halt an advance by the militants that saw them seize large swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq.

The US bombing runs continued into Wednesday, with four raids bringing the total number of air strikes in Iraq to 198, according to US Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East. France recently joined the air campaign in Iraq.

In the latest air raids in Iraq, strikes west of the capital Baghdad hit two IS armed vehicles and an arms dump. Two more destroyed IS fighting positions threatening the Kurdish regional capital Arbil, Central Command said.

US aircraft have been targeting IS militants southwest of Baghdad recently because the group has been staging attacks in the area in an attempt to threaten the capital, said a second defense official, who asked not to be named. "They've been probing and prodding there," the official said.

Okay, so that makes it two countries w/aircraft over the region: the U.S. and Jordan.

 

[DrLeftover]

More than that now.

And, if I'm not mistaken, here's another war that Mr. Bush has started for us.

Right?

 

[Webster]

More than that now.

And, if I'm not mistaken, here's another war that Mr. Bush has started for us.

Right?

Ha ha ha...good one there, Doc. No, this one's on President Obama, though if Dubya hadn't got us into Iraq back in 2003, we might not be there now.

 

[DrLeftover]

No, you're right.

They would be HERE now.


Fundamentalists pushing violent jihad were already on the rise during his time in office.

 

[Webster]

No, you're right.

They would be HERE now.

Fundamentalist pushing violent jihad were already on the rise during his time in office.

Ahh, the ye' olde "if we don't fight them there, we'll fight them here instead" canard...I've lost count of how many times I've heard that argument over the years. If I remember correctly, the enemies who struck us on 9/11 came not from Iraq but from, (a)Saudi Arabia and (b)Afghanistan, so remind me again why we had to invade Iraq?

 

[DrLeftover]

No, you're right.

They would be HERE now.

Fundamentalist pushing violent jihad were already on the rise during his time in office.

Ahh, the ye' olde "if we don't fight them there, we'll fight them here instead" canard...I've lost count of how many times I've heard that argument over the years. If I remember correctly, the enemies who struck us on 9/11 came not from Iraq but from, (a)Saudi Arabia and (b)Afghanistan, so remind me again why we had to invade Iraq?

Beats the hell out of me, but it did one thing, it made the Kurds happy, which is worth something.

And the old canard does have some truth to it, and, they are coming again, or at least they'll try.

Also, the branch of Al Qaeda was based in Afghanistan. Which, until recently, was under new management.

 

[Webster]

NBC News: Airstrikes in Syria - U.S., Allies Hit ISIS Oil Facilities

U.S. military forces and Arab partner nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, carried out more airstrikes against ISIS militants in Syria on Wednesday, using a mix of fighter and remotely piloted aircraft. The strikes hit a dozen ISIS-controlled modular oil refineries — a major source of income for ISIS — in eastern Syria. The coalition forces also took out one ISIS vehicle.

In a release, the U.S. Central Command said it was "still assessing the outcome of the attack on the refineries," but it had "initial indications that the strikes were successful." CENTCOM said the "small-scale" refineries, which can be easily transported and assembled, provided fuel to run ISIS operations, revenue to finance continued attacks throughout Iraq and Syria and an "economic asset" to aid future campaigns.

"The destruction and degradation of these targets further limits ISIL's ability to lead, control, project power and conduct operations," CENTCOM said, using an alternative acronym for the terror group. ISIS makes an estimated $1 to $2 million per day in sales of all its black market oil.

 

[DrLeftover]

In other news, the price of crude oil is expected to decline due to a disruption in the supply line.....

Anybody want to bet that'll be the headline in a day or two?

 

[+paradox]

It's all united state's cia and Israel's isis...

Stop believing their bs and wake up you slaves...

Sorry to be so harsh but the good that has been trying to fight for what's right, needs your help... unfortunately, this is the last step into world war III and I've been saying this for a very long time now... you think the middle east will be the end from within?

 

[Webster]

It's all united state's cia and Israel's isis...

Oh, sure, blame Israel for everything in the Middle East...when the rest of the Arab world decides to recognize Israel's right-to-exist, I might be inclined to pay attention to the Arab street in that regards...until that day arrives, they can all go pound sand.

 

[+paradox]

obviously you don't know what's real and what's not...

and it's a real shame...

who do you think created and financed the "taliban" and "al-qaeda"?

you really think the cia and the massad are innocent?

you and a lot more of humans really have no clue with your american idol and bs brainwashing material... and the sad thing is the elites are brainwashing all the key countries in a way that is effective, upon the same goal...

good luck...