Where is ISIS Headed Next?

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Sat Sep 13, 2014 at 10:36:51 PM EST
Tags: ISIS, Iraq (all tags)

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ISIS has been fairly quiet about its plans lately. Today, it released a new recruitment type video (non-violent). It's called "Squadrons of My State." You can view it here.

The chirons for the video use the phrases "Alive in Baghdad First" and "May Allah preserve them alive as knights in Baghdad First" while showing a blown upphoto of Baghdad and the old Sheraton Ishtar hotel. The hotel was the site of several bombings in 2004 and 2010. It was also a favorite of foreign journalists and businessman. [More...]

In 2012-13, it was renovated and is now called the Cristal Grand Ishtar. It is the tallest building in Baghdad, and used to be referred to as a "missile magnate." (It hasn't been owned by the Sheraton in decades.)

The thought process behind the 2010 bombing of the hotel was said to be:

“The message is that Iraq can’t provide security for foreigners.”

The other recurring theme of the new video is "Our Damascus" with almost the same message: "May Allah preserve them alive as the brave ones within the walls of our Damascus."

It also says "The men of Dawla have been and continue to be loyal to us" while showing a photo of Omar Shishani, their Chechen military leader in Syria, who also organized the groups of immigrant fighters in Syria.

In related news, the Washington Post reports today that Iraqi Prime Minister's new "national guard" units in Iraq may not be successful in fighting ISIS. And the LA Times reports today Prime Minister Abadi has declared his government will not bomb areas with civilians.

I have no idea if ISIS is finally ready for a fight in Baghdad or they are just using it and Damascus as rallying cries. Or why they picked today to release it, given they were already in the news with the Haines execution. But, it's out there, and it probably means something.

< ISIS Executes David Haines, Alan Henning Next | Move Over ISIS, The Khorasan Are Waiting in the Wings >

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Where is ISIS Headed Next? | 10 comments (10 topical)

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No chance at Baghdad (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by Jack203 on Tue Sep 16, 2014 at 10:33:33 PM EST

They didn't have a chance before we started bombing them. Now that we are, it's non-existent.

10,000 douchebags in pickup trucks. A couple counties in Alabama full of rednecks, pickup trucks and assault rifles could take out ISIS.

They are not going to take a city of almost 4 million majority Shia. Ever.

: Hear hear! (none / 0) (#10)
by Militarytracy on Wed Sep 17, 2014 at 02:37:30 PM EST

I especially love 10,000 douchebags in pickup trucks

Kerry scours. (none / 0) (#1)
by lentinel on Sun Sep 14, 2014 at 07:33:24 AM EST

Kerry Scours Mideast for Aid in ISIS Fight
NYTimes
As Secretary of State John Kerry received broad assurances but no public commitments from Egypt as he tried to assemble a coalition to fight ISIS, Australia on Sunday committed aircraft and military advisers to the effort.

First commit the blood and resources of the American people, and then look for folks in the MidEast to put an acceptable veneer upon it.

A touch of putting the cart before the arse.

Australia. Great. Poland. Terrific. Denmark... uh huh. The UK with a David Cameron looking to be Blair 2 to try to save his sorry keister. Francois Holland idem.
All nice.
All White.

Get your scouring chops together, John.

A pathetic farce.

It seems to me that several people with brains said, back in 2002, that the invasion of Iraq and the deposing of Hussein would lead to a serious destabilization of the region.

It's too bad the lemmings in Congress, under Democratic control at the time, paid no heed, but instead rushed to war. And that includes actors still on the scene. Among them the scouring Mr. Kerry and the heir presumptive to the Bush throne, Ms. Clinton.

We haven't had a government in place since then willing to acknowledge the rotten underpinnings of the action taken by GW Bush.

So we're plunged into a perpetual state of war with targets pinned on our backs, while the newly named Blackwater is licking its rimless lips.

Yep...Today he's in Paris. (none / 0) (#2)
by fishcamp on Sun Sep 14, 2014 at 08:01:34 AM EST

Paris is a nice place to be, (none / 0) (#3)
by KeysDan on Sun Sep 14, 2014 at 12:38:57 PM EST

just returned myself. I think Brian McFadden's "The Strip," September 14, captured Secretary Kerry, maybe in Paris, using his app: "Can't we solve this diplomatically," Kerry asks. Reply, " I am unfamiliar with that term, did you mean airstrikes?"

Don't know where ISIS is headed, but fear I do know our direction, as McFadden presents in the same cartoon, we are expanding our quagmire to Syria. We will now be supporting the good rebels, but there are, according to the NYTimes, about 1500 rebel groups. No small job to separate that wheat from the shaft...worry not so much that we will not be able to do that, but that we will wind up getting the shaft. Yep, Iraq 3.0 or, if you prefer, Iraq 2.0 to be continued. And, continued.


We should stay out of Syria (none / 0) (#4)
by Politalkix on Sun Sep 14, 2014 at 12:53:32 PM EST

The most we should do is push ISIS into Syria with air strikes elsewhere and let Assad do the rest.


: I suspect (none / 0) (#5)
by CaptHowdy on Sun Sep 14, 2014 at 01:00:04 PM EST

This will not end well for Assad either. Don't think they are going to allow any if this to help him. Quite the opposite.

Not a bad move (none / 0) (#6)
by NYShooter on Sun Sep 14, 2014 at 01:40:55 PM EST

by Prime Minister Abadi.

The one thing, and, the only thing that can turn the situation around and would (could) spell the end of ISIS in Iraq is if Abadi could truly unite the Sunni/Shiite, and, possibly, Kurdish factions together. If not in a kissy/huggy/kumbaya sort of way, at least in a Nationalistic, strategic, common foe way.

ISIS has been so successful, so fast, for one reason, and, that is the great disarray among intra-Muslim factions. Focused, brutal strikes when those groups are fighting each other makes for an irresistible, and, easily defeated foe.

While denying your soldiers (airmen) permission to bomb where civilians are likely to be killed, or, injured, even though the restriction is militarily, strategically unwise could prove very beneficial in the long run. As common sense (and, Israel) shows us making friends with people whose family's you're bombing usually doesn't work.

Bottom line, there are many dozens of Islamist, terrorist organization (like al-Qaeda & ISIS) in the Middle East. Trying to fight hundreds, or, thousands of small, local battles is not a long-term strategy for success. Political unification, using our great wealth to better people's lives, not military might should be the general strategy.

I'm sure you all remember the story (from Aesop's fables) telling of Androcles, a slave, and the lion (the one with a thorn in its paw.) Using our money for schools, hospitals, homes, and, infrastructure will have a much better chance of calming down the Middle East than will trillion dollar f-35's.

US airstrike south of Baghdad (none / 0) (#7)
by Green26 on Mon Sep 15, 2014 at 05:57:54 PM EST

in support of Iraqi troops, now being reported. First airstrike in expansion of the US commitment.

: Support Iraqi troops...Syrian quagmire... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by fishcamp on Mon Sep 15, 2014 at 08:30:42 PM EST

What a senseless mess our leaders have led us into. WMD, right. But we'll get their oil in return, right. Now they want us to bomb and kill more people, just great. And also they're supposed to be sneaking across the Mexican border with their swords and dirty bombs. Unbelievably stupid. Glad I'm just a simple fisherman. But of course, some of you are glad about that too, but at least I catch fish.