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  • Current Events & Politics Moderators: deficiT | tryptakid | Foreigner

The ISIS Megathread

You mentioned the Section 8 waiting period being exceptionally long before. This neglected to mention the numerous other housing programmes as mentioned in this chart here. 11 different housing programmes! Talk about efficiency!

Quite the list of social-services programs, thank you!

Some are narrow scope. For example, few of us here would qualify for the program for the elderly, or for Natives. Rural housing services probably wouldn't affect a lot of us as well.

I notice that the programs are either USDA or HUD.
 
Back on topic: (opinion piece)

A small victory in Syria is no reason to celebrate as the Islamic State gets stronger

U.S. OFFICIALS are celebrating a modest victory in the war against the Islamic State in Syria — the apparently successful defense of the Kurdish town of Kobane, on the border with Turkey. Under siege since early October, Kobane has little strategic value but came to be seen as a test of whether the United States and its allies could stop the expansion of the Islamic State and the humanitarian crimes that accompany it.

With the help of Kurdish ground forces, the extremists were turned back. But perhaps the most significant fact about Kobane is that it consumed 75 percent of the nearly 1,000 airstrikes carried out by allied planes throughout Syria since September, according to The Post.

That astonishing share reveals the absence of a U.S. military strategy for Syria outside of preventing the fall of a single border hamlet that attracted the attention of international media. In the rest of the Syrian territory it controls, including its capital of Raqqa, the Islamic State faces little pressure from Western airstrikes and is growing stronger rather than weaker.

Mr. Obama still speaks of fostering a Syrian rebel force that could fight the Islamic State. But the initiative is pathetically underresourced and moving at a snail’s pace. Similarly, a CIA program to help rebel groups has been so limited that many fighters have defected to more militant Sunni groups, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.

Behind this feckless effort is a cluster of mistaken notions. Mr. Obama has convinced himself that it’s not possible or desirable to create a Syrian force that could defeat the regime of Bashar al-Assad; that the only alternative to his policy is an Iraq-style invasion by U.S. troops; and that the Islamic State can somehow be defeated in Iraq without tackling its Syrian birthplace and stronghold.

Most disturbingly, senior administration officials have grasped the figment that Russia and Iran can broker an end to the Syrian civil war — one that at least temporarily leaves the Assad regime in place. Setting aside the moral repugnance of a policy that would accept the continuance of a regime that has slaughtered tens of thousands of civilians with chemical weapons, “barrel bombs” filled with shrapnel and mass starvation, this thinking is, as a practical matter, delusional. Mr. Assad long ago showed he will not compromise with secular rebel forces, which in any case are not taking part in Russian-sponsored peace talks.

The administration appears to believe that Iran’s cooperation in Syria will flow from a hoped-for deal on its nuclear program — and conversely, that no action can be taken in Syria that might upset Tehran before such a deal is struck. But Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has strongly rejected cooperation with the United States on regional security. Nor will traditional U.S. allies, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, consent to a new Syrian order sponsored by Iran.

Mr. Obama’s passivity and false hopes are contributing to the steady worsening of the humanitarian and strategic situation in Syria, and the postponement of steps required for an acceptable outcome. These include military action to weaken the Assad regime and a concerted effort to create a new Syrian army and government. Kobane’s relief, while welcome, won’t alleviate the mounting catastrophe.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...6b-9df2002b86a0_story.html?wprss=rss_opinions
 
It's still a loss for ISIS and even if it may not be that important strategically they aren't looking as invincible as they where a few months ago. They put all that effort into Kobane and they still got sent packing so it is a moral boost for the Kurdish forces as well as a moral loss for ISIS. It's also a gain for the YPG as they have shown that they are capable fighters especially given the lack of weaponry they had compared to ISIS. With any luck this will help the Kurds in establishing their own autonomous region but the Turks are already none to happy about this.

If ISIS losses more ground i can see 1 of 2 things happening. Either they forget their stupid attempts at attacking the west as their resources would be better spent on the home front or they get even more desperate and actually try to attack the west more so then they are doing.
 
My guess is they continue to kidnap foreign nationals and extort ransom money to pay for their war, and the US continues to allow perpetual war in this region of the world so they dont have to fight one on native soil. These ISIL fuckers are never going to give up and I say good, it will be easier to kill them in their own sandbox then ours. I'm also really digging the fact vets are re enlisting with the Kurds and Syrians to help. Fuck ISIL and their messed up shit eating god
 
My guess is they continue to kidnap foreign nationals and extort ransom money to pay for their war, and the US continues to allow perpetual war in this region of the world so they dont have to fight one on native soil. These ISIL fuckers are never going to give up and I say good, it will be easier to kill them in their own sandbox then ours. I'm also really digging the fact vets are re enlisting with the Kurds and Syrians to help. Fuck ISIL and their messed up shit eating god

Apparently a fair few Canadians have joined up with the Kurdish forces which is something i wasn't really predicting at all. At the moment the united front approach is certainly working in favor of the Kurds. I can see ISIS going for easier and more lucrative targets then Kobane as they are really nothing more then fucking bandits hiding behind a Islamic flag anyway.
 
True that, I think a lot of the Canadian/Americans helping are keeping a low profile (for good reason) don't seem to hear much about it until they return. I guess they are big propaganda targets. Hopefully with the price of oil staying down the Saudis are reducing their contributions to the war effort and saving their coins for exotic cars and pets instead of religious nut cocksuckers
 
True that, I think a lot of the Canadian/Americans helping are keeping a low profile (for good reason) don't seem to hear much about it until they return. I guess they are big propaganda targets. Hopefully with the price of oil staying down the Saudis are reducing their contributions to the war effort and saving their coins for exotic cars and pets instead of religious nut cocksuckers

Yeah there's been fuck all in the news about it. Granted unless they are rimming Harpers arsehole the CBC won't report it. They would be propaganda targets but i doubt they could ransom them off cause it's not like most vets are flush with cash or come from rich families or anything. Most of the people i know who ended up in the army did so cause there where no other real jobs around and because they liked a fight so the best ISIS would get out of that is practice.
 
Yup not great targets other than making YouTube videos for their demented fucking whoremaster friends. Fucking ISIS asswipes I hope they all just end up killing one another after they get gassed

Personally i think we should air drop our Conservative Christians right in the middle of ISIS territory and let them rip each other apart. We could do with getting rid of some of our own religious cunts while we are at it.
 
Indeed, Harper should go first with Baird, McCockfuck, and the rest of his shit eating cohorts straight into the middle of the mess he has continued to help perpetuate. This whole thing is a fucking PR stunt waiting to happen so he can win another election while hiding in a cupboard in Parliment.
 
I wonder what the Japanese PM means when he says they will get revenge.
 
ISIL video purportedly shows killing of Jordanian pilot

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant group (ISIL) has published a video that purportedly shows the burning death of the captive Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kassasbeh.
The video released on Tuesday said that the killing of Kassasbeh was in response to Jordan's role in the US-led coalition against ISIL.
Jordan's King Abdullah, who was in Washington D.C. to meet top US official, has cut short his visit following the news of the pilot's death.
"Today we stand together with the family of Moaz al-Kassasbeh," he said in a video statement. "This will only make us more united and powerful."
A Jordanian army spokesperson vowed to avenge Kassasbeh's death, saying the response "will be proportional to this catastrophe that has struck all Jordanians."
"His blood will not be shed in vain."
The country's military has officially informed Kassasbeh's family of his death, according to Al Jazeera's Nisreen el-Shamayleh, who is reporting from the Jordanian capital Amman.
According to state television a period of mourning has been declared. It also reported that the pilot, who had been in ISIL's captivity since December, was killed on January 3.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Abdel Bari Atwan, a Middle East analyst, said that if proven true, the killing of Kassasbeh is "unprecedented."
"It's a very clear message and they are trying to show maximum brutality," Atwan said, adding that ISIL is not interested in negotiations.
"They are looking to terrorise."
Reacting on the report, US President Barack Obama said that his government and coalition partners will redouble efforts "to make that that they [ISIL] are degraded and defeated."

The rest here

So what's everyone's thought's on this? Personally i think this shows that ISIS is getting desperate more then anything else and are just flexing their muscles so to speak. After they got driven out of Kobane and are also suffering further losses i think such pointless acts of brutality are showing their weaknesses rather then their strengths as they have just with this one act pretty much killed any future prospects of them ransoming off people for money or doing prisoner exchanges as nobody is going to deal with lunatics who for no good reason go and burn people alive ffs. If there intention is to instill terror i think all they are going to succeed in doing is pissing off even more people now specifically the Jordanians. ISIS does not seem to understand that the effective use of terror does not have to mean mindless brutality but then again that goes along with their fucked up Wahhabi radical sect of Islam just like burning people at the stake was in vogue with the early Puritan settlers in America.
 
The rest here

So what's everyone's thought's on this? Personally i think this shows that ISIS is getting desperate more then anything else and are just flexing their muscles so to speak. After they got driven out of Kobane and are also suffering further losses i think such pointless acts of brutality are showing their weaknesses rather then their strengths as they have just with this one act pretty much killed any future prospects of them ransoming off people for money or doing prisoner exchanges as nobody is going to deal with lunatics who for no good reason go and burn people alive ffs. If there intention is to instill terror i think all they are going to succeed in doing is pissing off even more people now specifically the Jordanians. ISIS does not seem to understand that the effective use of terror does not have to mean mindless brutality but then again that goes along with their fucked up Wahhabi radical sect of Islam just like burning people at the stake was in vogue with the early Puritan settlers in America.

Obviously, it's pretty horrific. I've watched the video.

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on Kobane, it's a single battle of which there will be many more. ISIS is not a static entity by any means, kill a large sum of their troops, it's likely there will be new recruits being brought in domestically from Iraq or Syria or flying in Western countries to become martyrs. I doubt there support will dry up much from a video of a man being burned to death.

Anyways, I suppose no discussion of this is complete without a cursory mention of a radical sect of Christianity from 200-300 years ago.
 
I thought the Puritans liked hangings, not burning at the stake.

After abit of reading you seem to be right the Puritans tended to hang the witches not burn them. Burning witches and Heretics at the stake seems to have been a old world practice not something that was routine in New England at all. Though they did apparently crush atleast 1 person to death over the course of 2 days as he refused to "confess".

Obviously, it's pretty horrific. I've watched the video.

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on Kobane, it's a single battle of which there will be many more. ISIS is not a static entity by any means, kill a large sum of their troops, it's likely there will be new recruits being brought in domestically from Iraq or Syria or flying in Western countries to become martyrs. I doubt there support will dry up much from a video of a man being burned to death.

They can recruit more people but training these people to be halfway effective fighters is going to take time. I don't care how much of a Martyr complex many ISIS supporters have what good is the promise of a few dozen Virgins going to do you or the group as a whole if you get picked off by a sniper on your first day there without killing so much as one of their enemies due to total lack of training? Not to mention the failure of ISIS to take Kobane from the Kurdish fighters after fighting this long for it is a blow to the morality of ISIS and a lift to the YPG/YPJ and Peshmerga forces. It was only a few months ago that they where looking damn near invincible now they are losing ground. Also while i doubt a video of ISIS burning to death a hostage will dry up their support from fellow Wahhabi Islamist's it may very well make anyone think twice of negotiating a ransom payment with these butchers as this makes ISIS look even more barbaric and people may start taking the attitude that you can't negotiate with such nut jobs.

Anyways, I suppose no discussion of this is complete without a cursory mention of a radical sect of Christianity from 200-300 years ago.

Sorry but ISIS never fails to remind me of Cromwell and his ilk. One has to admit that they had the same type of radical religious fervor driving them
 
Do you guys think we have a large number of is is memebers in America?

No that's bullshit. Although they may attract ignorant disenfranchised westerners who instead of laying the blame for the sorry state of affairs of society where it belongs which is right at the feet of the elite Bourgeois they instead blame "infidels" there aren't huge numbers of them. I guess the same sorry bastards who would have joined up with Fascists back in the 30's are now joining up with ISIS as it takes the same scapegoating, complete lack of critical thinking and the same type of reactionary politics as Fascism does essentially. Both radical Islam and Fascism draw their supporters from the bottom of the barrel so to speak as they are truly the dregs of society.
 
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