Originally Posted by
dawg80
Official announcement: at 4am CST November 22, 2017 ISIS is defeated militarily.
Iraqi Prime Minister announces, one day after his Syrian counter-part did the same in his country, ISIS no longer exists as a viable military organization. US officials on the ground in Syria and Iraq echo that contention. ISIS has been crushed.
In the summer of 2014 ISIS suddenly appeared with surprising military capability, and swept from their strongholds in Syria into Iraq. Then president, barry obummer, brushed them off as nothing more than a "JV team." But, the core of ISIS were battle-hardened veterans of Saddam Hussein's once powerful Iraqi Army. When the US invaded Iraq in 2002 and defeated Hussein, a good portion of his military escaped into what was, at that time, a welcoming Syria. Of course, they also transported a large portion of Hussein's WMDs into Syria. The early ISIS army was formidable. They had the latest equipment and knew how to use it. They were also organized into militarily efficient battalions and had capable officers. In 2014 a typical ISIS battalion operated as a "legion" or as a corps operates in modern armies. They had all aspects needed: infantry, artillery, armor, and logistics and supply. Each battalion numbered about 5,000 men total. Each battalion could operate on its own and ISIS smartly deployed these professional battalions into key regions, and were augmented by groups, militias, of volunteer loonies usually organized into 500-man units. This is why two such battalions (10,000 men) crushed a hastily created Iraqi army of 60,000 early in the war. ISIS was NOT some "JV team" and only a roaring moron would have thought so.
But...such veterans and all that good equipment could not be easily replaced. So, over time, ISIS suffered losses and the quality of their army declined. They lost capable officers in battle, and could not replace such experience. It was the Kurds who first, in the fall of 2014, managed to fight one of these battalions to a stand-still. Dug in along a strong defensive position and refusing to give up!! the Kurds stood their ground. Then, when the US (secretly) supported those Kurds with air power, ISIS was driven back. This was ISIS' "Battle of Midway." It was the first time they tasted defeat on the battlefield after crushing everything in its path and gobbling up thousands of square miles of territory.
So, 3 1/2 years later, about the usual tenure of such evil armies, ISIS has been defeated as a viable military. In total 67 nations participated in the effort. But, by far, the US, Russia, Turkey, and Iran were the biggest foreign contributors. Iran is now setting up shop in Syria, presently with Assad's approval. This is NOT over....yet.
Finally, here's a tip of the hat to the Kurds. They started fighting for their very existence using makeshift and captured equipment. Then president, barry obummer, refused to support them. Turkey was putting too much diplomatic pressure on that weasel for him to support the Kurds. Fortunately, obummer okayed a military measure that OUR GUYS took as permission to actually support the Kurds. It was a stretch to apply the order that way, but our military advisors on the ground in Iraq knew the Kurds needed our support, and also knew only the Kurds had the will to defeat ISIS.
The remnants of ISIS remain scattered in the desert region along the Syria-Iraq border, and mop up operations will continue for months. But there is no command structure left. ISIS also remains a threat across the world as isolated pockets of terrorists.
Now...the new conflict begins: with Iran. And, what will happen to the Kurds?