Start the NEO now!

The probability of fighting extending into the west and north sides of Baghdad is high.  This could reach the US embassy.  IMO a Noncombatant Evacuation Operation  (NEO) should start ASAP.  pl

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Comments

[The Twisted Genius]

Absolutely agree. This is going to be a war of militias, none of which are particularly fond of us. Here's a McClatchy article that mentions some of the players.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/06/12/230150/militias-become-iraqs-only-defense.html?sp=/99/117/

[VietnamVet]

Colonel

Yes, get them out now. Yesterday may have been too late.

Are regular Iranian forces headed for Baghdad? Agreeing to the a negotiated settlement of Syrian Civil War before the release of hostages being held in the Green Zone by Iranian Army is better than being beheaded.

The Israel First Foreign Policy just went belly up. Iran won the Iraq Iran War. Iraq is dismembered. If history is a guide the radical ISIS will make short work of the remaining Baathists and the Caliphate will be up and running.

[turcopolier]

VV

Iran lost the war with Iraq but has now triumphed through the idiocy of sustained US policy failure. pl

[David Habakkuk]

VietnamVet,

"The Israel First Foreign Policy just went belly up."

That is indeed the 'deep truth' of the current situation. But are Americans going to cotton on? I doubt it.

[Anon1]

How are they going to evacuate? BIAP may be too dangerous to fly in and out. Maybe only option is overland route to Kuwait.

[Jim Ticehurst]

I agree NOW is the time for this move.. no more Nam or Iran debacles at Our Embassys..I believe ISIS cant wait to occupy the Embassy and raise their flag on the Building ..More billions in NEOCON Waste..The Islamist also desire to Create their OWN New World Order..and they have the Resources and advantage..Sign of the Times..You and Larry understood that in 2001 and You understand that NOW. Time for the Politicians to pull their Heads out of Their Ass..

[oofda]

And now Iran is now apparently offering to cooperate with the U.S. in the region. As COL Lang said, they really don't want a jihadi state on their border.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/13/us-iraq-security-iran-idUSKBN0EO0QH20140613

[Kunuri]

Turkish Consulate in Musul now is living a US Embassy in Vietnam 75 and Iran 1980 simultaneously. ISIS as SAS in Europe in 1944 and 45, just technicals for jeeps, and Kerkuk is Kurd's forever ala British in Jerusalem in 1917. I may be a little off with dates by a year or two, sorry.

All this is hard to follow, so I note historical analogies and try a non linear, non-Cartesian approach to make sense of it all. Maybe someone has a better method and bigger mind than I to grasp all that is happening over there. Oops, over here...

[Anna-Marina]

"Iran won the Iraq Iran War." This should be nicely printed, framed, and hanged on the walls of neocons "do-not-think" tanks to remind the pompous imbeciles about their bloody damage to the US.
Meanwhile, the Nulandistas from Kiev had bombarded civilians with white phosphorous. Not a peep from State Dept. Who was a supplier?
http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2778861&Itemid=1

[Highlander]

Could this be the start of BHO's very own "Jimmy Carter" style Iranian embassy hostage event?

[Kerim]

When you've experienced the liver eaters once, you generally want them all dead. True believers don't do compromise.
The Iranians and Shia in General know very well who they're dealing with and won't take any chances.
In the next days and weeks it will be interesting to see how this develops into a bloody chaotic mess.

[samuelburke]

Didn't we build a mega base over there?

[turcopolier]

samuelurke

Perhaps you mean Balad? that is in rebel hands. There is also a base in Qatar. pl

[turcopolier]

highlander

That could be. That is why I want the NEO started. pl

[Fred]

I know he (Obama) loves Hollywood but hopefully this is not Benghazi 2.

[Jim Ticehurst]

That Embassy is a Monument To Bush/Cheney,Rumsfeld Arrogance,Ego,Vanity, and Stupidity Feed by Ignorance..Now Obama says he doesn't have enough Information to Respond to this Crisis while long columns of ISIS Warriors roll down the Hiways unimpeded.. hmmm No Kuwait Images here..No Smoking Columns..The surrendering Iraq Soldiers said thier Commanders Told them to surrender..ISIS just robbed the bank in Mosul of 500 Million Dollars..and we have another Viet Nam..Im sure all the Vets waiting outside Those Unfunded VA Hospitals are Thinking "Mission Accomplished" ?? Whose Mission and What did they Accomplish ? FAILURE..And Bringing SHAME To America and The Office of The President.. (The Progressives and Neo Cons have other Prioritys) We Pay for THIER Failures.

[Valissa]

Got this report from STRATFOR earlier today:

U.S. companies evacuated staff supporting the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program from Balad air base into Baghdad due to security concerns on June 12, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, Al Arabiya reported June 13. Psaki also said that the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad was operating as usual.
http://www.stratfor.com/situation-report/iraq-us-companies-evacuate-air-base-north-baghdad

[Tidewater]

Sir,

That 'megabase' samuelburke mentions. Wouldn't that be Camp Taji? They have an airfield with a mile long runway. They have refueling facilities for helos. They are about 25 miles north of Baghdad on the west bank of the Tigris. They are the base of the Iraqi Ninth Armoured Division. That division has been worked on hard by American armoured instructors and it was certified about 2011. They've been learning those 140 M1A1's for at least three years. Their leader is General Quassim Jassim Nazal al-Maliki. I think he will lead the counterattack from there. I have noticed that the contractors attached to this base have not left. I will bet they will go along for the ride. The bad news is that ISIS seems to have Russian anti-tank weapons--Saggers?--and have damaged a handful of the Abrams in the fiasco up north.

[bookwurm]

If they have taken Balad what about the US contractors that are/were there?

[Tidewater]

Bookwurm,

Drudge says the Iraqis flew them out.

[walrus]

What is the betting that Maliki will leave Iraq before the U.S. Ambassador?

The only certainty from these wars is anew insurge of refugees. The Maliki Iraqi restaurant chain? Karzai's on Friday night?

[robt willmann]

This article talks about getting contractors out of Balad, but it is unclear on time frames and the dates things were happening there--

http://www.wnd.com/2014/06/200-u-s-contractors-surrounded-by-jihadists-in-iraq/

[Babak Makkinejad]

Would the EU states?

I doubt it.

France and UK have assets in the Persian Gulf - for war against Iran - they would be loath to use them to help Iraq.

[confusedponderer]

"ISIS just robbed the bank in Mosul of 500 Million Dollars"

That would then be the robbery if the century.

[confusedponderer]

... but then, the century is still young.