US official: Airstrikes killed 10,000 Islamic State fighters

[webfact]

US official: Airstrikes killed 10,000 Islamic State fighters
By BASSEM MROUE

BEIRUT (AP) — A U.S. official said Wednesday that more than 10,000 Islamic State fighters have been killed by American-led airstrikes in Iraq and Syria in nine months, offering a body count for a campaign that has yet to blunt their advance.

Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken's figure came after a Paris conference on how to stop the extremists ended without any new strategy to halt their campaign. It also comes months after the Pentagon dismissed such counts as "simply not a relevant figure" in the fight against the Islamic State group.

Meanwhile, the Islamic State group launched a major attack on the predominantly Kurdish city of Hassakeh in northeastern Syria, according to activists and Syrian state media.

Speaking Wednesday to France Inter Radio a day after the Paris conference, Blinken said the airstrikes have been effective.

"We have seen enormous losses for Daesh," Blinken said, using an Arabic acronym for the group. "More than 10,000 since the beginning of this campaign. That will end up having an effect."

Blinken did not offer any figure for civilian casualties.

In September, the CIA said that Islamic State group has up to 31,500 fighters, meaning that could represent a loss of a third of its forces. Despite that, the extremists continue to attract more recruits from around the world who come to fight with the group to expand its self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq.

It's not clear why Blinken offered the figure, as the U.S. military in conflicts since the Vietnam War has been either hesitant or discounted such figures as indicators of success. Adm. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, declined to offer them in January when asked by a reporter.

"The less of these guys that are out there, certainly that's the better, but the goal is to degrade and destroy their capabilities," Kirby said at the time. He added: "It's simply not a relevant figure."

White House spokesman Josh Earnest, later asked about Blinken's figure, said he had "no reason to believe" the number was inaccurate, saying 1,000 Islamic State fighters were killed in the fight for the Syrian border town of Kobani alone.

Meanwhile Wednesday, the Islamic State group targeted Hassakeh in an apparent attempt to reverse some of the advances made recently by Kurdish fighters in the northeastern Syrian province. Kurdish fighters have captured dozens of towns and villages there with the help of U.S.-led airstrikes and are getting close to Tel Abyad, a major Islamic State-held border town near Turkey.

The extremists launched the push on the city of Hassakeh, which is split between government forces and Kurdish defenders, on Tuesday night.

Syrian state television said extremists are battling for control of a juvenile prison still under construction on Hassakeh's southern edge and have so far attacked it with five suicide car bombs.

The TV report said government warplanes have struck the Islamic State stronghold of Shaddadeh, south of Hassakeh. An Islamic State-affiliated Facebook page said the airstrikes on Shaddadeh destroyed seven homes without causing any casualties.

Syria's state news agency SANA said another suicide car bomb targeted the city's power station, causing damage and a power outage.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Syrian air force is also taking part in the battle around Hassakeh and that Islamic State gunmen have entered the prison building. The group said dozens of fighters were killed on both sides, adding that IS brought reinforcements of about 400 fighters from the nearby province of Deir el-Zour.

Activists also reported intense fighting Wednesday in the northern Aleppo province between Islamic State fighters and other insurgent groups including al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front. The Islamic State group has been on the offensive in the area where they captured several towns and villages over the past days.

Also Wednesday, nine prominent jihadi ideologues issued a fatwa, or religious edict, in which they called on Muslim militants to fight the Islamic State group because they have attacked insurgents.

"As the nation of Islam was waiting for more conquests by the holy warriors, the Baghdadis were stabbing the holy warriors in the back," read the Fatwa that was posted on several jihadi accounts on social media, referring to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. "They stopped the holy warriors' march against the regime."

The fatwa that was signed by religious figures including Jordan's top pro-al-Qaida ideologues Abu Qatada and Abu Mohammed al-Maqdisi, as well as Abdullah al-Mheisny of Saudi Arabia who is now in Syria with the Nusra Front.

In the Qatari capital of Doha, U.S. envoy John Allen said Iraq's so-called Popular Mobilization Forces — which include Iranian-backed Shiite militias — have a role to play in helping take back territory from Islamic State militants in the Sunni-dominated Anbar province, but that they must fall under Baghdad's control.

Speaking at the U.S.-Islamic World Forum, Allen said leaders in Anbar "do not view these forces through strictly a sectarian prism" and understand they do not only include Shiite hard-liners.

"But we also remain very attentive to and concerned about extremist militia elements frequently influenced and led by the Iranian leadership," he continued. "It is critical that all forces in the battle space fall under the command and control of the government of Iraq."

The role of the militias is contentious among many Sunnis in Iraq, who fear they could enhance Shiite powerhouse Iran's influence in the country and exacerbate sectarian tensions.

Allen, a retired Marine Corps general, is President Barack Obama's envoy for the global coalition against the extremist group.
___

Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Lori Hinnant in Paris and Darlene Superville in Washington contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-06-04

[MaxYakov]

"On Sept 11, 2014, The Obama Administration announced that Gen Allen would coordinate international efforts against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Allen would be named as the Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition against ISIL" - Wiki

He was named as SPE for the GCAI because ...

[thaibeachlovers]

10,000 Islamic State fighters have been killed

Only 10 million to go.

[ABCer]

10,000 Islamic State fighters have been killed

Only 10 million to go.

Without questioning the figures above, - did anybody try to stop and think :

# how huge is the task ahead?

# how is it possible to achieve with the enemy thinly spread between our ranks?

# what happens when the spread becomes thicker?

# are we resolved enough or capable of such mass killings?

# are these killings necessary?

The solution of the problem is very simple, right in front of our eyes and there is no need to kill so many human beings.

The only reason we do not see it - we do not like it !

[hawker9000]

I sometimes wonder if we're not missing an opportunity in trying to stop these home-grown islamic sociopaths from travelling to Syria/Iraq to fight. Better in some coalition fighter's crosshairs there than back home carrying out some random DIY terrorist attack on a totally vulnerable civilian population. Then unleash the cluster bombs on 'em over there!

[h90]

Most probably were half of them just bystander, women and children.

While bombing them also all the goods, houses, animals etc of many families destroyed.

So most probably by killing 5.000, they turned 20.000 people who didn't care and just wanted to have a good life into sympathizers.

It is just amazing how little the USA learned since they supported the Islamists in Afghanistan when it was against the Soviets.

With all these billions of taxpayer money spent, they could have made the region rich which automatically reduce all fanatic tendency.

Or they could have invested it into alternatives to the oil from this region. Without western money they would ride their camels like 2000 years before. Just need a fence around.

Or just not doing anything would be better....Saddam Husein, Gaddafi and Assad took care of the problem.

[slerickson]

Did they check their ID?

[arjunadawn]

10,000 Islamic State fighters have been killed

Only 10 million to go.

Without questioning the figures above, - did anybody try to stop and think :

# how huge is the task ahead?

# how is it possible to achieve with the enemy thinly spread between our ranks?

# what happens when the spread becomes thicker?

# are we resolved enough or capable of such mass killings?

# are these killings necessary?

The solution of the problem is very simple, right in front of our eyes and there is no need to kill so many human beings.

The only reason we do not see it - we do not like it !

10,000 is totally fictional; at best it is speculative but being as the US has steadfastly refused to use body counts as a measurement of success it is pretty clear what the purpose of this statement is- to obfuscate reality on the ground. Air Land battle is notoriously difficult to conduct Battle Damage Assessment for body counts. War fighting metrics that actually mean something useful are not body counts but can be measured in morale of the enemy, ground held, ground aquired, recruitment, administration of municipal services and other legitimacy, etc. By these metrics the body count farce shows its uselessness.

-The task is huge only relative to the investment. As long as there is actually no intention to destroy the enemy such developments as we see each day will continue.

-The enemy is actually not thinly spread between our ranks. The enemy may variously be in built up areas which require collateral damage assessments but generally they are fighting as a fielded army and as such are subject to considerable attrition; this is hardly happening.

-We are not resolved enough to prevent further human barbarism but more importantly the sunni arabs appear hardly resolved. The arab states themselves have the capacity to route this army but do not.

-Are which killings necessary? The air land killings of forces opposed to DAESH? If so, yes. You cannot negotiate with god.

So, what is the solution that is so simple? I cannot see it and have poured over the thoughts of lots of smart people who are missing it too. What mechanism can end the savagery without empowering 7th century tribal jihad ambitions, and allow the West to continue to exist as a post enlightenment world? It is quite possible you have a great idea. Please share because I genuinely have no clue how to proceed because that which is required to end this Third Great Jihad appears to only have bad options.

[Transporter]

They need to kill 10000 every 9 hours to make any real impact. 10000 over 9 months is a joke.

[Jenny Adara]

there is no way around this! you cant possibly wipe out extremists without killing innocents, its simply the tactics the extremists use by hiding among them, trying to brainwash and secure more numbers to join them when innocents are killed by the West, angers rise and extremists can recruit much easier. On the other side the Obamas US has long been critisized by the pro bush voters for not having any spine, they want war and thrive on it. This time Obama is giving them a little of what they want but keeping it lowkey so as not to be the cowboy.

Conclussion: no way around this really - unless its another game of Oil using the excuse of fake extremism, innocents and lots of them will die in the crossfire, then be named as extremists to keep the US looking like the white nights. its all pretty transparent i think.

Personally i think the extremists do need taking out quickly, as they are growing and going global in their pathetic attempts of fighting for fake religious causes. but what choices do they have, and what has the US to gain from this? why send troops over, what financial gain will come to the US from this? and dont tell me there isnt one... there is always a hidden agenda!

Edited June 4, 2015 by Jenny Adara

[ezzra]

10,000 Islamic State fighters have been killed

Only 10 million to go.

Without questioning the figures above, - did anybody try to stop and think :

# how huge is the task ahead?

# how is it possible to achieve with the enemy thinly spread between our ranks?

# what happens when the spread becomes thicker?

# are we resolved enough or capable of such mass killings?

# are these killings necessary?

The solution of the problem is very simple, right in front of our eyes and there is no need to kill so many human beings.

The only reason we do not see it - we do not like it !

Those are not human beings, those are rabid dogs.....

[sitti]

And how much "collateral" damage?

[brain150]

So, first the US funds the IS, then arms it and then bombs it ... isn't that funny ?

Declassified information from the US Government !

The US "welcomed" the founding of the IS and saw an opportunity to overthrow

the Syrian Government buy funding and arming IS ...

Now it's welcome to bomb them as it is always good for the US economy to bomb something into the ground

and kill innocent people ... it's a good business model if you are a psychopath [like most in the US Government]

[EnglishJohn]

Most probably were half of them just bystander, women and children.

While bombing them also all the goods, houses, animals etc of many families destroyed.

So most probably by killing 5.000, they turned 20.000 people who didn't care and just wanted to have a good life into sympathizers.

It is just amazing how little the USA learned since they supported the Islamists in Afghanistan when it was against the Soviets.

With all these billions of taxpayer money spent, they could have made the region rich which automatically reduce all fanatic tendency.

Or they could have invested it into alternatives to the oil from this region. Without western money they would ride their camels like 2000 years before. Just need a fence around.

Or just not doing anything would be better....Saddam Husein, Gaddafi and Assad took care of the problem.

Any actual facts for any of this ignorant blather or is it just rhetoric from the comfort of an armchair ?.

I personally would rather die in the cause of a fight to rid the world of these scumbags than be butchered in the Town square in cold blood by some power-crazed pervert who now has my daughter as a sex slave.

Freedom isn't free.

[NickJ]

only 10,000.....what a wasted effort.....

[hawker9000]

Perhaps what's needed throughout the ME and throughout muslimdom is the wider, broader, deeper, universal understanding that islamic extremism must not be tolerated among them, anywhere, whatever that removal of tolerance might cost... And that if it continues, then there will inevitably be a price in collateral damage to be paid. It's jihad - "collateral damage" is inevitable. It can either be isolated and contained, as painful as that's going to be, or it can be allowed to proliferate. Hard decisions. Probably career ending decisions for anyone with the courage to make them. But life-ending decisions for the many innocents caught up in it, so don't ask me to cry for the politicians. Ask Germany, Japan, England, Russia, Vietnam, China about the collateral damage of war. The ME hasn't seen anything yet. But they're setting themselves up for a belly-full by giving in to the forces of religious extremism and intimidation.

[willyumiii]

Fact check please?

How many were innocent.

They were only "fighters killed"?

Your "smart bombs" are not that smart.

The more innocents you kill,

The more who join the other side.

You are fools.

[Andaman Al]

US official: Airstrikes killed 10,000 Islamic State fighters

I smell male bovine feaces!

How convenient that in stating 10 000 killed, displaying a level of deep knowledge on the ground, they do not say how many civilians were killed as 'collateral damage? Like these IS guys were all stood in a field on their own out of range of any innocents.

I would guess at 10 civilians killed for every 1 IS fighter.

[ABCer]

Have you ever been looking for glasses while they were on your nose?

The solution is obvious, it has been tried out and worked for centuries.

More than that... - no need to kill millions! Nobody has to die on either side.

It is just that you do not like it!

[sunshine51]

I would like to know where this magical figure of 10,000 comes from.

Is it good for the American people to know their tax dollars are being

well spent and that's why the figure was magicly derived out of the ether

or does the US DOD actually have a fairly accurate estimate gleaned

from eyes on the ground? Those eyes on the ground may be a possibility

but over such a wide area? Hmmmm.

How much is this costing?

Here's some websites with possible answers and you can do the math

at your leisure. Mind you...I will add a hypothetical answer though....

http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/jdam.htm

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/u-s-claim-10-000-isis-dead-believable-n369181

http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0814_iraq/

So...if the cost is close to 1 billion USD and there have only been 10K ISIS fighters killed

this works out to 100K USD per killed fighter. How many fighters do ISIS have? Perhaps

many more than the 30+K which is also an estimate....

This is gonna get expensive....and take a long time.

Who is to really blame for all this mess? One person at the helm and a few assistants.

The man at the helm...George W Bush...for invading Iraq in the first place and pissing

off the entire Middle East in the process.

I reckon Bush's New World Order is a fairly good business model though....keep making

those JDAM's & other high tech miitary kit & this will give people jobs which means they

will pay ther taxes...etc...etc...etc. The beat goes on.

Edited June 4, 2015 by sunshine51

[SteveB2]

*Deleted posts edited out*

Some corrections to the above statements is in order.

1. Islam is not a race - its a religion. Hence the poster cannot be accused of being a racist pig, right

2. It is clearly encouraged in the Koran such as Quran 2:191-193 to kill disbelievers during proselytism or defense of Islam.

3. It isn't Islamaphobia... if they really are trying to kill you!

I can only suggest to all, that to get a proper understanding of what ISIS is all about, try living a decade in a 14th century Wahabi feudal monarchy such as Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan..

The West truly doesn't know what it's in for. There is no negotiated peace with these nutters and you ain't seen nothing yet.

[HerbalEd]

10,000 Islamic State fighters have been killed

Only 10 million to go.

Without questioning the figures above, - did anybody try to stop and think :

# how huge is the task ahead?

# how is it possible to achieve with the enemy thinly spread between our ranks?

# what happens when the spread becomes thicker?

# are we resolved enough or capable of such mass killings?

# are these killings necessary?

The solution of the problem is very simple, right in front of our eyes and there is no need to kill so many human beings.

The only reason we do not see it - we do not like it !

Then please do tell us what that simple solution is.

But of course you never will because it doesn't exist.

Edited June 4, 2015 by HerbalEd

[Jimbolai]

Most probably were half of them just bystander, women and children.

While bombing them also all the goods, houses, animals etc of many families destroyed.

So most probably by killing 5.000, they turned 20.000 people who didn't care and just wanted to have a good life into sympathizers.

It is just amazing how little the USA learned since they supported the Islamists in Afghanistan when it was against the Soviets.

With all these billions of taxpayer money spent, they could have made the region rich which automatically reduce all fanatic tendency.

Or they could have invested it into alternatives to the oil from this region. Without western money they would ride their camels like 2000 years before. Just need a fence around.

Or just not doing anything would be better....Saddam Husein, Gaddafi and Assad took care of the problem.

Yes it is amazing how little the USA has learned. Surely they should have let the Nazis take England, they just about did, and saved all that money and American casualties.

Freedom has such a high price. Why pay it for others?

[simple1]

I would like to know where this magical figure of 10,000 comes from.

Is it good for the American people to know their tax dollars are being

well spent and that's why the figure was magicly derived out of the ether

or does the US DOD actually have a fairly accurate estimate gleaned

from eyes on the ground? Those eyes on the ground may be a possibility

but over such a wide area? Hmmmm.

How much is this costing?

Here's some websites with possible answers and you can do the math

at your leisure. Mind you...I will add a hypothetical answer though....

http://fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/smart/jdam.htm

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/u-s-claim-10-000-isis-dead-believable-n369181

http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2014/0814_iraq/

So...if the cost is close to 1 billion USD and there have only been 10K ISIS fighters killed

this works out to 100K USD per killed fighter. How many fighters do ISIS have? Perhaps

many more than the 30+K which is also an estimate....

This is gonna get expensive....and take a long time.

Who is to really blame for all this mess? One person at the helm and a few assistants.

The man at the helm...George W Bush...for invading Iraq in the first place and pissing

off the entire Middle East in the process.

I reckon Bush's New World Order is a fairly good business model though....keep making

those JDAM's & other high tech miitary kit & this will give people jobs which means they

will pay ther taxes...etc...etc...etc. The beat goes on.

Got to remember the estimated death count is based upon Coalition efforts. So just taking account Australia's contribution you're currently looking at roughly an additional $500 m a year.

[Scott]

Some inflammatory, off-topic posts and replies removed.

[Steely Dan]

You can't kill an ideology with air strikes. Sadly the West is nowhere near even comprehending the ideology they are facing. ISIS are a product of Islamic belief, they attract followers based on this belief, not due to Western interference. The ideology can't be defeated without changing Islam, or indeed eradicating it.

[simple1]

You can't kill an ideology with air strikes. Sadly the West is nowhere near even comprehending the ideology they are facing. ISIS are a product of Islamic belief, they attract followers based on this belief, not due to Western interference. The ideology can't be defeated without changing Islam, or indeed eradicating it.

Have to disagree. Western governments are well aware of the attraction to some of literal interpretation of the Koran and the announced Caliphates by DAESH and its partners.

Cannot eradicate radical Islam solely by military means, no matter how many extremist followers are destroyed. Why our governments appear to invest very little effort in counter propaganda, assist the the sects whose core philosophy does not support radical Islam and so on, I do not know.

The British did a good job of countering Wahhabism in India during the 18th & 19th centuries.

Edited June 5, 2015 by simple1

[samuibeachcomber]

This whole middle east thing is really sunni v shia,anyone with any sense would sit back and let them get on with it..........they deserve each other!

Meddling in the ME has never produced any tangible results..........the only thing at stake(for the west) is oil!

Let them slaughter each other,then go and pick up the pieces,like birds onto a dead carcase.

[sunshine51]

^^^ Good point that SBC...however...there is a fault in the plan.

The fault is...if another nation or nations sit back & let em all kill

each other off, then how do the nation(s) make money from it?

Nasty little wars make huge profits for mulitinational corporations

and those MC's want nasty little wars to continue for as long as

possible. It is a tried true & proven business model...in fact it is

one of the best there is.

[Transporter]

I am shocked at the number of misinformed, short sighted, Dudley do rights there are worried about killing evil mass murderers to save the innocent. Anyone who thinks it is wrong to slaughter as many of these scum must be suicidal themselves. Isis members are currently moving around the world to every town, village and area they can find by whatever means they can use. They will be waiting for the signal to strike and then start cutting the heads off of anyone who is not familiar with the Koran and can prove they are not Christians. By the time we all realise whats going on there will not be enough weapons and decent people left to eradicate the problem. The only way is to eradicate them now and as many as possible in as shorter time as possible.

Or we could worry about collateral damage, do absolutely nothing and just wait with our heads on blocks.

Well done to all the pansy governments of any country who are letting them just wander in. Stupid idiots. Do you really think that a show of kindest is going to turn them back into normal people when they have been brainwashed to kill regardless of personal risk right from birth.

I thought I was paying tax in my country for a government who would protect the innocent. Wrong!