"U.S. Airstrikes Have Failed To Stop ISIS In Iraq" Topic

"After six weeks of American airstrikes, the Iraqi government's forces have scarcely budged the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State from their hold on more than a quarter of the country, in part because many critical Sunni tribes remain on the sidelines.

Although the airstrikes appear to have stopped the extremists' march toward Baghdad, the Islamic State is still dealing humiliating blows to the Iraqi Army. On Monday, the government acknowledged that it had lost control of the small town of Sichar and lost contact with several hundred of its soldiers who had been besieged for nearly a week at a camp north of the Islamic State stronghold of Falluja, in Anbar Province…"
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Amicalement
Armand

Although the airstrikes appear to have stopped the extremists' march toward Baghdad, the Islamic State is still dealing humiliating blows to the Iraqi Army.

Air strikes have stopped advances, but it is unlikely ever to do the job on its own.

What does one expect.

The Iraqi army is garbage and it's best forces have been kept in reserve around Baghdad lest other Shia groups attempt a coup.

To win a war some one has to have dependable boots on the ground. Unless you have the national will to make the target area a parking lot. Any other strategy will just cost us lives and treasure.

Not saying I want any of my brothers in arms and friends to go there but, our current plan is not a plan for success for us our our allied nations.

Pretty much agree with all said here … The War on Terror has been going on for over a decade now. The "turning the area into a parking lot" concept is beginning to have some appeal more and more, to me … Hopefully, the local forces may get their together (?). Otherwise I think we ought to get a refund from the Iraqis for all the $$$ we spent trying to turn them into a credible fighting force. Maybe sue al Maliki for dropping the ball so badly … Unfortunately we'll never be able to get back all the "blood" lost along with all the "treasure" …

Give it time!

Airpower by itself cannot win wars.

And in other news, water is wet.

Yes … we all know that, but air support makes things a lot easier for the Gropos …

There was a recent analysis put together by a couple who worked on the strategy for the surge.

While their plan called for boots on the ground the centerpiece of their plan called for getting the Sunni population into the game. Not surprising as that was a major factor in the success of the surge.

From what I've been hearing it's not the Iraqi soldiers that's found to be wanting but their officers. Hence we're hearing all these rumblings about embedding our spec ops advisors within these units.

Gents:
As of the time of this post they have only launched about 220 sorties. That's pretty limited use of air power to date so don't expect miracles in the short term. If and when they are up to thousands a day and IS is able to remain functional then it is time to worry. This is going to take time and planning and the "Coalition" will have to convince a great many unenthusiastic foot soldiers and officers to fight this war on our behalf. That is going to take some time and a good deal of very persuasive diplomacy (and/or baksheesh) so the air campaign should ramp up as we find fighters with the nerve and ambition to go up against the forces of IS and similar-minded groups.
Rod Robertson

They'll just copy Hamas' and Hezbollah's play book and hide amongst the civilians. What then? Sure, most of their pretty toys might be broken, but retaking territory requires somebody's PBI's to root them out, as it always has done. What also happens as Afghanistan starts to fold? A scenario that has far more potential to cause political embarrassment to this administration. Will we start bombing the Taliban?

The Son's of Satan (those Imams know how to do rhetoric) are being pounded from the air because that's all we can do and it looks good on TV.

Despite U.S. Air Strikes The Islamic State War Machine Continues To Advance In Kurdish Areas

".S. planes pounded Islamic State positions in Syria for a second day on Wednesday, but the strikes did not halt the fighters' advance in a Kurdish area where fleeing refugees told of villages burnt and captives beheaded.

President Barack Obama, speaking at the United Nations, asked the world to join together to fight the militants and vowed to keep up military pressure against them.

"The only language understood by killers like this is the language of force, so the United States of America will work with a broad coalition to dismantle this network of death," Obama said in 40 minute speech to the U.N. General Assembly…"

Full article here
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Amicalement
Armand

Airpower alone never wins a war (except maybe a nuclear war!)

Certainly the airstrikes will have a tactical benefit, but they will not be the deciding factor. They also make for nice video on the 6:00 news and all the pols who called for them can point and say, "See. I'm doing something."

But I think the real fight will be waged in the same way it was against Al Qaeda in Afghanistan with covert ops, drone attacks, assassinations, and abductions.

The one thing here that is different here is the coalition of Arab countries. ISL has nowhere to run and no white knight to protect them. It will be tough for them to sustain major combat ops for very long under those conditions.

Still, we are never going to put any of these organizations down for good. The just reemerge with different combatants in some other place, with the same, or a new name.

Increase the numbers and pace of strikes, attrite Daesh as much as possible and see how things go. Try to shut down their flow of foreign fighters, outside funding, etc.(good luck with that, but still try). As it appears more Arab and Euros are jumping on the band wagon. Mass is a principle of war. We as the civilized world can't stand-by and do nothing … I'm an old formed Grunt … every one of the enemy we kill today is one less that may kill my comrades or I or even non-combatants tomorrow … The only way we fail is if we do nothing …

I hope we finally get some cheap oil out of the deal, to help defray expenses/treasure at least a little.