While conventional states try to win hearts and minds abroad before necessarily resorting to military force, the jihadist group is also achieving its aims by psychological means - backed up by a reputation for extreme violence.
The Islamic State, which in June captured a vast stretch of territory in the north including the largest city Mosul, used this strategy when its fighters met armed resistance from the town of al-Alam for 13 days running.
They kidnapped 30 local families and rang up the town's most influential citizens with a simple message about the hostages: "You know their destiny if you don't let us take over the town."
Within hours, tribesmen and local leaders caved in to save the families. The black flag of the Sunni militants, who are bent on overthrowing the Shi'ite-led Iraqi government, was soon flying over government buildings and police stations in al-Alam." Reuters
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This kind of population control works. I have seen it many times, but it also fuels a future resistance that will begin when assistance in money and arms begins to flow to those who will wish to resist. pl
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"H.E. Lukman Faily told an audience at an Atlantic Council event in Washington that for the US and Iraq “to conduct counterterrorism operations in urban areas occupied by ISIL, we need precision US air attacks,” and that “the US should offer air support targeting terrorist camps and supply convoys in remote areas.”
American air strikes would also “protect Iraq’s borders against further terrorist influx” the ambassador said, since key elements of ISIL have flowed across the porous Iraq/Syria border in the past several months, giving the group freedom of movement across the Sunni-dominated western Iraq and eastern Syria.
Last week, almost 70 House Democrats sent a letter to President Barack Obama demanding congressional approval before ordering any offensive American military operations in Iraq, telling the president that “as you consider options for US intervention, we write to urge respect for the constitutional requirements for using force abroad.” The Democrats were joined by nine Republicans on the letter." Defense News
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This is not going to happen. The rump government of Iraq now located in Baghdad was unable to defend itself and its territory against what was initially a few thousand lightly armed men. It then failed in a counteroffensive attampt at Tikrit with yet more losses in men and equipment. The Kurds have already begun to sell oil from the Kirkuk area fields they recently captured. Iraq is powerless to do anything about that. Finito. pl
http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140721/DEFREG04/307210015
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"Television pictures showed the senior police officers being led outside in handcuffs with some raising their handcuffed hands above their heads in a show of defiance.
The Hurriyet daily said on its website that simultaneous raids were conducted in 22 cities across Turkey.
The suspects are accused of espionage, illegal wire-tapping, forgery in official documents, violation of privacy, fabricating evidence, and violation of secrecy of investigation, the reports said.
Istanbul's prosecutor's office said in a statement that the head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) Hakan Fidan was among the key figures who were wiretapped.
Erdogan has accused supporters of Gulen of holding excessive influence in the country's police and judiciary and concocting a graft scandal to unseat his government ahead of March local polls.
Erdogan's Islamic-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) scored a decisive victory in those local polls, and the prime minister is now standing in elections for president to be held on August 10." Ahram on Line
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Erdogan is following the usual ME pattern of suppression of political enemies. This seems to be working well for him. He now says that he does not speak to Obama anymore because Obama does not obey with regard to Syria and Gaza. I have been waiting for several years for signs of life in the secular Turkish republic that I once lived in. If there is such life, it is invisible. pl
Kunuri
Where would you recommend that an American visit in Turkey that is off the beaten path? To have an outdoor adventure to experience the natural beauty and of course the local cuisine. Naturally I understand the inability to speak Turkish may be a hindrance.
Posted by: Jack | 23 July 2014 at 12:44 AM
Great note. The genie is out of the bottle. How can the ME return to stability when it's social fabric is disintegrating? When more sophisticated weapons are being introduced? When the definition of Islam is being contested? When the US intervenes with haphazard policies?
It seems so bleak for the innocent trying to live and raise families in peace. Does the conflagration have to get much bigger first?
Posted by: Jack | 23 July 2014 at 01:11 AM
I watched Crosstalk on RT yesterday, with van Crevelt and Flynt Leverett on the subject of Gaza. It is a silly format, and not made for an academic used to speak and be listened to like van Creveld.
Van Creveld's sole point, brought out with considerable agitation, was 'I want the missiles to end so my 7 year old grandson can grow up in peace'. I think in this sentiment he speaks for many Israelis.
Just so, it is that he is oblivious to the missiles coming out of Gaza for a reason. You can't besiege and on occasion ravage Gaza and expect to be able to do that with impunity forever. You can't expand setlements forever, to accomodate immigrants from the former USSR, squeeze and squeeze the Palestinians, and expect the Palestinians to willingly collaborate forever like Fatah.
And yet, that is a reality that happens 30km off Tel Aviv, and is way out of general public consciousness, just like the harsdship the blockade of Gaza imposes on the Palestinians. It is not part of the life of van Creveld. A missile endangering his grandson is.
Van Creveld walked out in anger for being interrupted (that being the point with 'crosstalk rules'). Sad spectacle.
I like van Creveld's book on military logistics. Here's a brilliant man lost, and, sadly, wrong.
Posted by: confusedponderer | 23 July 2014 at 04:01 AM
I know you focus on the serious here, but this is too good not to share and we certainly need a good laugh
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10152628908997845&set=vb.744562844&type=2&theatered
Posted by: Cee | 23 July 2014 at 08:36 AM
Kunuri: Versus not caring at all?
Posted by: Matthew | 23 July 2014 at 10:03 AM
pipe dream of competence:
President: James Webb
Secretary of State: Chas Freeman
Secretary of Defense: John Mearsheimer
National Security Advisor: Steve Walt
Posted by: Dismayed | 23 July 2014 at 10:52 AM
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephen-m-walt/aipac-americas-israel-policy_b_5607883.html
Posted by: Andrew | 23 July 2014 at 12:44 PM
You are never boring, look at us we're mostly all here many times a day.
Posted by: Charles I | 23 July 2014 at 05:51 PM
Marty Indyk's prescription on Charlie Rise last night was since we can't fix it, let it get a lot worse until global public or political opinion forces adoption of Israel's position - depose & destroy Hamas, demilitarize Gaza, install the P.A min-Marshall plan, it, go back to sleep.
Posted by: Charles I | 23 July 2014 at 05:57 PM
Charles I
Indyk, another racist asshole heard from. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 23 July 2014 at 06:14 PM
Haven't laughed so hard in a long time!
Posted by: Farooq | 23 July 2014 at 06:29 PM
Hilarious! Thanks!
Posted by: FB Ali | 23 July 2014 at 07:05 PM
And what was so great about the introduction of that Latin alphabet; a Turk can walk around in Istanbul not understanding a single "Katibe" while an Iranian understands 70% of it - barring the Turkic verbs.
Ataturk destroyed the unity of the 700-year old Seljuk cultural achievement of Perso-Turkic culture and replaced it exactly what?
Nothing.
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 23 July 2014 at 09:02 PM
I agree with you about Erdogan's policies benefiting Anatolia.
He also made it possible for women with hejab to participate in the public life of Turkey.
But he has failed miserably in foreign policy - I do not know how much that was due to his own Muslim Brotherhood inclinations and how much due to what he owed to NATO (they telling him to jump and he jumping).
Posted by: Babak Makkinejad | 23 July 2014 at 09:06 PM
Jack, first of all, you would get by just fine with English, Turkey is a very touristic country now. Also, Turkey is a very large and diverse country, the cousine changes from region to region, all good. One common thread though is history, it is endless, from Istanbul to remotest Eastern province. Another is that you would find people very friendly respectful and deferential. Also, in the last 20 years, since Turkey pretty much integrated to the world, a foreigner walking around by himself is no longer a novelty. Transportation and accomodation is cheap and efficient, and the cops will keep an eye on you, you would feel safe. I live in a little community of expats, all would agree. Other than that, there must be literally 100s of travel books on Turkey, and many websites. Dig in, and if you follow the bits and pieces that interest you, you can come up with a pretty good list of things to do and places to go in Turkey.
Just for one example, I went on a location scouting trip to Antalya, Belek region last week. Outdoor concert, mostly for Tourists . There were many fancy Hotels along the 30 mile strip of wonderful Mediterrenean beach, and I asked the local guide how many 5 star hotels are there along that beach. The answer was 50. Swim the net, you will see what I mean. Cheers.
Posted by: Kunuri | 24 July 2014 at 06:54 AM
'Tis their season
Posted by: Charles I | 24 July 2014 at 08:53 AM
kunuri
Back to my memories of Izmir, I have been looking at Alsancak in Google Earth. We lived in an apartment building just around the corner immediately south of the Atatürk museum. There is a little square there that had a single palm tree in it and it still does. The grass is gone in the square, replaced with paving. The bay was just beyond Birinci Kordon (Ataturk Caddesi now). There seems to have been land created beyond the street now. There is a photo posted in GE that shows the square and the palm looking east. We lived in the building on the left on the fourth floor. There was a little restaurant within a few blocks inland in which the waiters wore white dinner jackets and would bring you the day's main course choices on a silver platter to choose (fish, etc.) The same people had another restaurant in a beach town south of Izmir. We patronized both a lot. We are struggling to remember the name of the pace. do you? pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 24 July 2014 at 11:21 AM
Pat,
Just caught up with your posts about the infrastrucure at Albiyim. What, no golf course?! Are you sure this was a USAF facility?? (Just a feeble attempt at some levity...!)
Posted by: McGee | 24 July 2014 at 04:43 PM
McGee
I am not a golfer and so do not remember it but I am sure there was a golf course around somewhere at Izmir. There was an air base(Cigli) just north of Izmir. That had been a US/Turkish base until a month before we arrived. Perhaps the golf course was out there. my wife and I spent a lot of time in the Konak bazaar in the city. I remember that Johnny Walker Black was three dollars a bottle in the NATO Class Six store. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 24 July 2014 at 05:33 PM
Albayim, any chance that beach town can be Cesme? It has a fantastic Crusader-Ottoman castle.
There was a golf course and a hunting club within the environs of Bornova, 15 km east of Izmir on the way to Manisa. Bayrakli olso had some facilities, but I am not sure which.
On a trip to Istanbul from Izmir, I took the long way off Izmir by Cigli, which is next to a natural preserve. The base is still there, but I believe it is under Turkish command now. What struck me from outside is that all of its housing was standard US base style, I have been to quite a few of them in US. Even the surrounding roads and avenues were built to exact US standards, widthwise, and rarely a crack or a pothole on the asphalt.
I will be in Izmir first week of August for a shoot. Undoubtedly I will visit the cafes and restaurants along 1.Kordon, I will make sure I have my camera with me.
Posted by: Kunuri | 25 July 2014 at 06:01 AM
kunuri
We went to Cesme a lot and it could have been there but it could also be in Urla. I see that there is a restaurant named Yengec that has places in both Alsancak and Urla. That could be the one although my wife does not remember the name as that. In those days the Alsancak restaurant was not on Birinci Kordon but they may have moved. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 25 July 2014 at 10:40 AM
Albayim, it shouldn't be too hard for you get yourself invited to a conference or seminar in Istanbul, I am sure there are many people around the world who would love to hear you speak for an hour, and Izmir is only a jump and a skip away from Istanbul.
And Urla, is literally 15 minutes away from where I would be staying in next week. And I heard of Yengec, means "crab", I shall inquire further.
Posted by: Kunuri | 25 July 2014 at 03:33 PM