Update: June 16 1827 hours, President drafts letter to Hill leaders regarding the War Powers Act — sending 275 U.S. Armed Forces personnel to Iraq for security at US embassy.
Update: June 16 1852 hours,
‘It is possible that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters acquired stinger missiles from army bases they have taken over in recent days, the sources said. The Stinger missile is a shoulder-fired surface-to-air weapon that is used against aircraft. As ISIS forces have advanced through Iraq, concerns have increased that more U.S.-made weaponry could fall into the hands of the radical group.
Iraqi intelligence officials said ISIS fighters managed to take control of two big weapons depots late last week holding some 400,000 items, including AK-47 rifles, rockets and rocket-propelled grenades, artillery shells and mortars. A quarter of the stockpiles were quickly sent to Syria in order to help the group’s comrades there, they said.’
Update: June 16 1916 hours, Barack Obama putting together plans to shift war dollars from Afghanistan to Iraq.
While there is the obvious reports via the media on Iraq, there is much more to report. Here goes:
I’m told that US drones will begin strikes from later today – Iraqia TV is reporting that US confirmed armed drones may be used in Iraq.
TUZ KHURMATU – The Kurdish Peshmerga said on Sunday that a security belt they have created on the southern edges of Tuz Khurmatu has prevented the militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from bringing their fight to the Kurdish areas.
A Peshmerga officer in the area also told Rudaw that the ISIS have contacted them by courier, saying, “If you don’t attack us, we would not attack you.”
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Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today ordered the amphibious transport dock ship USS Mesa Verde into the Arabian Gulf. CVN 77 CBG has arrived in the Persian Gulf and is flanked by USS Philippine Sea a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser and USS Truxton an Arleigh Burke missile destroyer. The USS Mesa Verde is a San Antonio class amphibious transport dock which is equipped to deliver a fully equipped battalion of up to 800 Marines is dispatched to the Persian Gulf.
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Both John Kerry and Hillary’s policy wonk Mike Morrell both agree that it is prudent to ally with Iran to take on the ISIS insurgency in Iraq. Iran was once again listed and summarized by the State Department as a state sponsor of terror.
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As the Kurds/Peshmerga are generally allies of the United States, they have been dispatched to Iran to collaborate a joint agreement to take on the Shiite factions in Iraq as long as everyone leaves the Kurds alone. This is easily be an Iranian ploy.
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It is already been proven historically that releasing detainees from Guantanamo is not a good idea. While some have returned to the fight, others have been working diligently in other countries to not only recruit but to fund-raise. Imagine the possibilities for the newly released Taliban 5. New arrests are occurring.
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The treasure trove included names and noms de guerre of all foreign fighters, senior leaders and their code words, initials of sources inside ministries and full accounts of finances. “We were all amazed, and so were the Americans,” a senior intelligence official said. “None of us had known most of this information.”
Officials, including CIA officers, were still decrypting and analysing the flash sticks when Abu Hajjar’s prophecy was realised. Isis swept through much of northern and central Iraq over three stunning days, seizing control of Mosul and Tikrit.
“By the end of the week, we soon realised that we had to do some accounting for them,” said the official. “Before Mosul, their total cash and assets were $875m. Afterwards, with the money they robbed from banks and the value of the military supplies they looted, they could add another $1.5bn to that.” Laid bare were a series of staggering numbers that would be the pride of any major enterprise, let alone an organisation that was a start-up three years ago.
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The Iranian forces deployed to Kurdistan’s disputed areas and Nineveh province in response to the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) are made up of Kurds, Lors and Turks.
Security sources from Kurdish cities in Iran state that some Iranian soldiers have entered Iraq’s disputed areas and settled there under the excuse of fighting against ISIS. But on Wednesday a number of Iranian soldiers came close to Khanaqin, and they are high military advisors who previously trained Assad’s soldiers in Syria.
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Most disturbing of all —>>>>
He is the smiling chief executioner who dares to bare his face in grotesque videos of himself executing prisoners.
Referred to as the ‘Desert Lion’ by his supporters, Shakir Wahiyib is the public face of the army threatening to destroy Iraq and is the chief executioner of the ISIS terror group.
Unlike many other commanders in the Islamist militant organisation, he appears on camera without covering his face.
Now it is claimed he revels in being a Jihadist poster boy – and has even attracted female admirers from across the Middle East.
Documents discovered in 2007-2007 and published in summary describe al Qaeda in Iraq war plans. The full plan includes 5 steps and is titled the Baghdad Belt.
