US campaigns to enlist Australia and other allies to attack Islamic State in Syria

[webfact]

US campaigns to enlist Australia and other allies to attack Islamic State in Syria

WASHINGTON: -- The United States has begun to mobilise a broad coalition of allies, including Australia, behind potential US military action in Syria and is moving towards expanded air strikes in northern Iraq, administration officials said on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama was broadening his campaign against the Sunni militants of the Islamic State and nearing a decision to authorise air strikes and air drops of food and water around the northern Iraqi town of Amerli, home to members of Iraq's Turkmen minority, the officials said.

The town of 12,000 has been under siege by the militants for more than two months.

"Rooting out a cancer like ISIL won't be easy, and it won't be quick," Mr Obama said in a speech on Tuesday to the American Legion in Charlotte, New Carolina, using an alternative name for the Islamic State.

He said that the United States was building a coalition to "take the fight to these barbaric terrorists", and that the militants would be "no match" for a united international community.

Administration officials characterised the dangers facing the Turkmen, who are Shiite Muslims considered infidels by the Islamic State, as similar to the threat faced by thousands of Yazidis, who were driven to Mount Sinjar in Iraq after attacks by the militants.

Full story: http://www.theage.com.au/world/us-campaigns-to-enlist-australia-and-other-allies-to-attack-islamic-state-in-syria-20140827-1091d0.html


-- The Age 2014-08-27

[shirtless]

America does not need to ask the Australian Government, As Mr Abbott has no spine and would send Australians to Hell if it would please Obama, This Iraq mission has become a total failure,

[Jingthing]

This action is needed. The USA shouldn't be expected to do all this important fighting against genocidal radical Islamic terrorists alone. Obama is a leader who clearly is not a war monger. But push has come to shove with the emergence of ISIS. They are a MASSIVELY bigger threat to the west than Al Queda ever was. They are reportedly funded at 2 billion dollars. It is more or less predictable as they have many western operatives that they will be able to strike WITHIN western countries. This isn't a quickie thing either .. more like for the foreseeable future and then some.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Jingthing

[jamhar]

It will be good to see where all this leads.

I personally feel let someone else take care of this.

Its neighboring the EU's back yard.

If they are not that interested or concerned, Why is the US, or Oz?

Oz and the US, we're oceans away from all this mess.

[jamhar]

$2B? WOW thats a lot of gummy bears!

JT with funding to that level, it smacks of state sponsorship dont you think? Or at least a nod.

Its hard to move that much money around with no tractability.

perhaps funding provided to destabilize the oil markets to drive up prices?

Who would benefit?

$2B? that smells bigtime!

Sorry, Just thinking out loud.

i've been busy with work

Haven t noticed the news in a while

[jpinx]

Is Obama seriously going to repeat the mistakes???? Do politicans never learn ???

[simple1]

America does not need to ask the Australian Government, As Mr Abbott has no spine and would send Australians to Hell if it would please Obama, This Iraq mission has become a total failure,

A few weeks back Abbott proactively stated he would consider contributing military (RAAF) assistance. So far, at least in the public domain, Oz has only dropped some humanitarian supplies.

The outgoing head of ASIO has stated during "Meet the Press" program he believes up to 150 Australians are either on the ground or trying to support IS within Oz with matters such as recruitment efforts. When asked why supporters in Oz have not been arrested he said it's 'intelligence' & not sufficient evidence for criminal prosecution. Contrary to experts on TV he went on to say only a very small minority of Australian Muslims are sympathetic to radical Islam & Islamic community leaders are helping law enforcement & ASIO. Also said ASIO are actively seeking & recruiting Australian Muslims

Edited August 27, 2014 by simple1

[Steely Dan]

This action is needed. The USA shouldn't be expected to do all this important fighting against genocidal radical Islamic terrorists alone. Obama is a leader who clearly is not a war monger. But push has come to shove with the emergence of ISIS. They are a MASSIVELY bigger threat to the west than Al Queda ever was. They are reportedly funded at 2 billion dollars. It is more or less predictable as they have many western operatives that they will be able to strike WITHIN western countries. This isn't a quickie thing either .. more like for the foreseeable future and then some.

Indeed not a quickie; A retired Australian army commander warned that Australia would likely be at war with this ideology for the rest of the century. Naturally the PC apologists went mad at this.

[rijb]

Iran has already joined in ... http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/26/u-s-and-iran-hit-isis-ignore-each-other.html

[simple1]

This action is needed. The USA shouldn't be expected to do all this important fighting against genocidal radical Islamic terrorists alone. Obama is a leader who clearly is not a war monger. But push has come to shove with the emergence of ISIS. They are a MASSIVELY bigger threat to the west than Al Queda ever was. They are reportedly funded at 2 billion dollars. It is more or less predictable as they have many western operatives that they will be able to strike WITHIN western countries. This isn't a quickie thing either .. more like for the foreseeable future and then some.

Indeed not a quickie; A retired Australian army commander warned that Australia would likely be at war with this ideology for the rest of the century. Naturally the PC apologists went mad at this.

Actually he was specifically referring to radical Islamists that was not denied by PC brigade. Some reports had mis-quoted him as referring to Islam; this is what the 'PC apologists' rejected to which, in writing, he agreed. Original report at:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/well-fight-radical-islam-for-100-years-says-exarmy-head-peter-leahy/story-e6frg8yo-1227018630297

[Kerryd]

A lot of their "funding" has come from robbing banks in the cities they've taken over. Apparently raping, robbing and murdering is all good as long as you claim it is done in the name of your god (and apparently it sure beats working for a living). There was a story a few weeks ago about how ISIS had acquired a windfall (something in the neighbourhood of 400 million US) when they robbed the main bank in Mosul shortly after taking over that city. That was just one bank in one city (admittedly it may have been a central bank for that region and holding considerably more cash than your average neighbourhood branch).

Additionally they do receive a lot of funding and support from various sources, including certain oil-rich Gulf Coast Countries (GCCs) and various mosques that openly solicit donations for their particular "cause". When Saudi Arabia told it's state-sponsored clerics to stop fund raising and sending cash to the rebels in Syria, clerics in Kuwait (and other GCCs) announced that they would continue their activities.

<Long-winded rant about proxy wars and pawns deleted as the more I wrote, the lower my "tolerance" level dipped.)

[iReason]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Is Obama seriously going to repeat the mistakes???? Do politicans never learn ???

It has nothing to do with politicians or Obama. As is clearly illustrated in Thailand, the military rules the US.

This action has been on the drawing board for a long time.

They've just been waiting for the right fear-mongering time.

It's purely about Oil.

The Military are the World Police for the elite.

Any Politician who is not on board (never to advance in The Club) is either ruined, relegated to purgatory, or assassinated.

This talk of political parties is merely subterfuge, parlor talk for the masses.

[Steely Dan]

This action is needed. The USA shouldn't be expected to do all this important fighting against genocidal radical Islamic terrorists alone. Obama is a leader who clearly is not a war monger. But push has come to shove with the emergence of ISIS. They are a MASSIVELY bigger threat to the west than Al Queda ever was. They are reportedly funded at 2 billion dollars. It is more or less predictable as they have many western operatives that they will be able to strike WITHIN western countries. This isn't a quickie thing either .. more like for the foreseeable future and then some.

Indeed not a quickie; A retired Australian army commander warned that Australia would likely be at war with this ideology for the rest of the century. Naturally the PC apologists went mad at this.

Actually he was specifically referring to radical Islamists that was not denied by PC brigade. Some reports had mis-quoted him as referring to Islam; this is what the 'PC apologists' rejected to which, in writing, he agreed. Original report at:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/defence/well-fight-radical-islam-for-100-years-says-exarmy-head-peter-leahy/story-e6frg8yo-1227018630297

Islam is a broad (ahem) Mosque, or so I've heard; of course it's the political supremacist ideology to which he is referring, not automatically anybody who just happens to be born Muslim. Any discussion as to the degree of overlap might take us off topic.

Edit: Though I do have issues with the word radical, what about literal, orthodox or puritanical? Radical infers extreme or fringe, which their behavior might be viewed through our eyes, but in essence the radicals may claim not to deviate one iota from the original scripture in their behavior. My observation deals with ideas not necessarily numbers by the way.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Steely Dan

[Eliot Rosewater]

They should just bomb the UK; thats where most of the isis fighters seem to be coming from

[Credo]

But I thought when they got Bin Laden everything was going to be OK?

[jpinx]

They should just bomb the UK; thats where most of the isis fighters seem to be coming from

Looks like the americans will be fighting on both sides....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28945626#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

[ozsamurai]

They can start arming the ADF with all the Muslim Volunteers in our defense forces..... Its their mess, let them clean it up.

Oz

[NeverSure]

But I thought when they got Bin Laden everything was going to be OK?

Not at all. Bin Dead was a mastermind behind 9/ll and the US believed it had to hunt him down and kill him no matter what or how long it took. In the eyes of Americans who are admittedly a different culture, "no one" waltzes into the US even by proxy and kills 3,000 people, takes down important buildings, hijacks and crashes airliners and creates general mayhem without paying the ultimate penalty.

He was as good as dead the moment those guys of his hijacked the airplanes.

[bridge2bridge]

America does not need to ask the Australian Government, As Mr Abbott has no spine and would send Australians to Hell if it would please Obama, This Iraq mission has become a total failure,

And if we don't support our ALLIES who do we turn to if WE are attacked?

[khunken]

They should just bomb the UK; thats where most of the isis fighters seem to be coming from

Looks like the americans will be fighting on both sides....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28945626#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

It's stupid invasions based on lies and mistaken support to 'rebels' in Syria that has created this mess. The attacks on the ISIS fighters already means that the US is on both sides in Syria anyway.

It's about time that the US put aside it's cold war resurrection with Russia and anti-Iran stance (and f.. the AIPAC) and get a UN SC resolution to rid both Syria and Iraq of these well-funded fanatics.

It was done to get rid of Iraq from Kuwait in a legitimate way. Coalitions with sycophants like Australia tried the illegitimate way which brings us back to where we are now.

[slipperylobster]

Only support we might get from Australia is a can of beer and some kangaroo chips.

[ozsamurai]

shows how little you know about 'diggers', best you look it up before you get rained on..

Oz

[sgtsabai]

Had Bush Jr. not started this crap with his and cheney's lies and 'policies' this wouldn't be happening now. But, it is. Some think maybe, just maybe there are powers that need a boogie man, well you got one now. Do a little research on the leader of this group, prison at who's hands, perhaps something more in the shadows. We just don't know and never will know. The immediate problem is the Kurds, they deserve our support. IS can be stopped, but can the head of the snake be cut off? The US unleashed this on the world. Now it has broken free of it's chains. I'll admit, I'm torn by this. We should have never been in Iraq and those responsible should be prosecuted for war crimes. But we've left the Kurds in the shit before, breaking promises that cost them dearly. As much as I hate it, IS has to be stopped and I'm afraid the only way to truly stop them is to destroy them. That will not happen without "collateral damage", I hate that phrase, lot's of 'collateral damage', which will make more enemies and more hatred for the west. The west will never be welcome in the mid-east, never and it has nothing to do with our so-called freedoms, long ago vanished under the last two regimes.

[kamahele]

America does not need to ask the Australian Government, As Mr Abbott has no spine and would send Australians to Hell if it would please Obama, This Iraq mission has become a total failure,

Australia isn't client state or colony of America. While I don't care for Abbott, there is nothing Australia will get out of this from America.

[rethaier]

It will be good to see where all this leads.

I personally feel let someone else take care of this.

Its neighboring the EU's back yard.

If they are not that interested or concerned, Why is the US, or Oz?

Oz and the US, we're oceans away from all this mess.

It will be good to see where all this leads. - I don't think so.

Though in essence I agree with let them kill themselves, next it will be on the streets of London, New York and Sydney is we don't take some very drastic measures. I don't pretend to know what is best but I think deporting EVERY Muslim from these countries would be a good start and disallowing any new ones entry would be good follow-up. &lt;deleted&gt; human rights a political correctness, it's time to get tough.

[oztaurus]

$2B? WOW thats a lot of gummy bears!

JT with funding to that level, it smacks of state sponsorship dont you think? Or at least a nod.

Its hard to move that much money around with no tractability.

perhaps funding provided to destabilize the oil markets to drive up prices?

Who would benefit?

$2B? that smells bigtime!

Sorry, Just thinking out loud.

i've been busy with work

Haven t noticed the news in a while

$2B smells bigtime? against a country whose military budget in 2005 was $1.5 billion per day? While Senator Dirksen may or may not have actually said "A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money" that is certainly the way US budgets seem to regard the number ... chump change.

[gemini81]

Gotta get that central bank operating over there; only a few countries left to go- Muslims don't accept interest as acceptable terms of banking. Explains the purpose, intent, and reasons for a lot of problems.

[arjunadawn]

With my cocky crystal ball, I will tell you where all of this will lead. I will take one likely path of actions and consequences and state it:

First, use recent history as a guide for the apparent lack of a US policy and you will note that the lack of a policy actually masks a very deliberate policy. It cannot be otherwise. The US will seek to unseat Syria and assuming Russia is somehow compensated for its port or made irrelevant to the issue, Syria will be unseated. Assad will be finished. A "moderate" free syrian army will begin to fill the vacuum from leadership currently living in the West and funded by the west. Simultaneous to the direct or indirect actions that unseat Assad IS will be variously bombed, appear to be running etc. It will not be.

In the immediate aftermath jockeying will be done politically in Syria to make it appear that deliberative government is trying to be formed. It will not be and they will be unable to even maintain this pretense for a short time. The Alawites will be hunted down and killed wherever they are found. IS will be stronger than ever and while some internal battles may take place between various al nursa, et al, factions, Syria will totally fall to Islamists within 12 months of completion of US and coalition bombing.

The contiguous land of the Iranian hegemon will be broken and in its place will be a sunni islamist army that will not turn first on Israel. If IS does not simultaneous (concurrent with US bombing in Syria) attack into Iraq again it will do so now and consolidate from the Sea to the Persian gulf. They will stop just short of Karbala Basra area. The lines now fractured as the US and allies in the region wanted it wanted it.

This is one of only a few roads that will be paved soon.

The nice thing about this prediction is I think it will come to pass in enough time that you guys can tell me what a dumbass I was.

[IAMSOBAD]

Anyone against killing this ISIS CANCER has zero knowledge of the facts.

ISIS wants to kill EVERYONE,even you.

Edited August 27, 2014 by IAMSOBAD

[Thaiready]

They should just bomb the UK; thats where most of the isis fighters seem to be coming from

Looks like the americans will be fighting on both sides....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-28945626#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

It's stupid invasions based on lies and mistaken support to 'rebels' in Syria that has created this mess. The attacks on the ISIS fighters already means that the US is on both sides in Syria anyway.

It's about time that the US put aside it's cold war resurrection with Russia and anti-Iran stance (and f.. the AIPAC) and get a UN SC resolution to rid both Syria and Iraq of these well-funded fanatics.

It was done to get rid of Iraq from Kuwait in a legitimate way. Coalitions with sycophants like Australia tried the illegitimate way which brings us back to where we are now.

UN....!!!!!! Worthless as Tits on a Boar Hog