Kobane, Air Drops and the Turks

"The chilling sight of the Islamic State's black jihadist flag is still visible in  Kobane - despite Kurdish territorial gains and  weeks of sustained airstrikes by American and Arab warplanes.  The terrorist group was thought to have been pushed out of the centre of the besieged Syrian city after hundreds of brave Kurdish resistance fighters coordinated fierce street battles with coalition bombing raids - forcing the well-equipped jihadis to retreat into the outskirts of Kobane.  But this morning the group's black jihadist flag could clearly still be seen inside city, raised over a multi-storey building just a few hundred feet away from where the yellow, triangular flag of the Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG) could be seen fluttering above a largely destroyed housing complex.  The image emerged as American and Arab jets launched fresh attacks on ISIS positions in the north of Kobane - with pyrotechnic tracer ammunition lighting up the night sky and coalition warplanes destroying ISIS-held buildings with a barrage of air-to-surface missiles." Daily Mail

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Well, pilgrims:

-  IS just retook a key hill on the west side of Kobane.  This elevation has changed hands a number of time during what the press mysteriously calls a "siege."  It seems more like the battle of Pork Chop Hill in Korea or any number of face to face serious fights that I can remember.

- I really feel for the poor bugger shepherd that you can see in one of these pictures taken from the safety of the Turkish side of the border.  His chance of keeping those sheep alive is slim.

- So far, the Kurds in the town rate the value of the supply drops as next to zero.  As someone on SST commented, "looks like an airborne trash delivery."  If we are going to do this, then we should stop playing the game of clearing everything with Baghdad and Ankara and just take charge ourselves.  Get some useful weapons; claymore mines, personnel and anti-vehicle land mines,  a lot of crew served machine guns,  a heap of plastic explosives, the aforementioned shoulder fired recoiless rifles a mountain of ammunition and medical supplies, some 81 mm mortars and go drop the stuff low, at night and as close to the Turkish border as you can manage.  I'll be glad to ride along as an in the way bundle pusher (term of art). There are others here who would also volunteer.  For god's sake, if this battle is going to be a symbol, let's not lose it because of the timidity of cookie-pushers in the WH and at State.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2804365/The-black-flag-ISIS-flies-Kobane-Chilling-sight-jihadists-emblem-just-streets-away-Kurdish-stronghold.html#ixzz3GywbI0Z4 Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

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"The attempted abduction, reportedly carried out by Turkish gang members whom the Islamic State enticed with a promise of $500,000, targeted a popular Syrian rebel commander who had crossed into Turkey seeking refuge from ongoing violence across the border, according to a report by the Washington Post. It was a close call for the commander, who was shot in the stomach before managing to escape — and the clearest indication yet that the Islamic State has established a potent network inside Turkey, the Post reported.

The incident occurred in Sanliurfa about 220 miles east of Incirlik Air Base, which is home to thousands of U.S. airmen and their families. Air Force personnel also are stationed in Ankara and Izmir, and the Army maintains two Patriot missile batteries — a rotational force of about 250 soldiers — in Gaziantep, about 150 miles west of Sanliurfa."  USATODAY

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Once again, pilgrims this is serious business.  We have lots of military personnel in Turkey.  They are spread across the country.  pl

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/10/22/kidnapping-plot-in-turkey/17756353/

 

 

 

Comments

[Sean Paul Kelley]

I was wondering when this was going to affect Sanliurfa. I have spent a fair portion of my life in that region between Urfa and Diyarbakir. Tough to realize that the area's going to the dogs.

[Aka]

dear sir,
"Get some useful weapons" and may be some thermobaric devices like the M202 FLASH or the Russian RPO-A Shmel. Heard those are very effective in urban warfare to clear buildings and vehicles like Toyotas that ISIS uses.

And may be US should train the Kurds on making claymore mines. Then they will be able to make mines according to their need. Having seen its "results", it is very effective against vehicles and foot columns and is relatively easy to use.

[turcopolier]

Aka

We have everything they need, mountains of materiel. pl

[SteveG]

If past is prologue might these weapons
eventually fall into IS possession as it
appears the Turks are doing nothing to
help any of the Kurdish groups.

[Kunuri]

Very interesting, may I ask you in what capacity?
And, when have you been to the region last, I personally have never been there, but in the last 10 years the area has changed a lot, both in content and context.

[Kunuri]

I think the para drop was a publicity stunt.

This whole thing is a farce, between the US, TR Sultanate, the KRG, various Arab extras, the MSM, the Syria, USSR and Iranians. A note of irony alert for USSR...

All above mentioned actors are trying to seem to be doing something while trying all others to do the actual dirty work with minimal cost to themselves. Sounds like an underfunded B movie production to me, farcical.

[different clue]

Steve G,

The Kurds would fight with these weapons, not put them down and run away.

[Kunuri]

Aka, any mention of to train, when things are so serious, sounds to me like let's establish a commission and look into it when it comes to political matters. Its a way of putting things off on the face of cluelessness, while keeping appearances of doing something. IS is a manace, and it would not go away without actually fighting it, and getting someone else to do the actual fighting will not work. I root for PYG, those sturdy mountain Apaches, if they win, they deserve to dictate the terms of their victory. All else is CYA and ideological grandstanding. Its not going to accomplish anything. Just put yourself in the shoes of a Kobani ethnic Kurdish resident, sans nationality, as artificial it will be.

[turcopolier]

SteveG

Nothing we would drop to the Kurds would greatly enhance IS capability but it would be a great help to the Kurds. pl

[SteveG]

different clue

In this case I meant
the possibility of their
positions being overrun.

[mike]

Kunuri -

seems to me you are right that the paradrop was a PR stunt. But IMHO the stunt was aimed at Erdogan and his party faithful to needle them a little bit about not allowing arms to the YPG in Kobane. That paradrop - plus Tuesdays State Department briefing where spokesman Marie said PYD was not a terrorist organiization - plus not-so-secret back channel talks between Washington and the PYD gave Turkey the message and shortly after that they are now allowing Peshmerga into Kobane.

[SteveG]

Col.

Would the Turks consider this
a threat? Do we have an
"Understanding " with them on
this and other issues?

[turcopolier]

SteveG and mike

I don't buy any of that. IMO the Turks want to screw these Kurds and the Obamites can't take the lefty pressure that results from leaving them to be butchered by IS if the town falls. Also IMO the drop was not a PR stunt. It was merely inept as is so much of what Obama's "team" tries to do. You fellows are chasing conspiracy fantasies. Think Occam's Razor. pl

[dilbert dogbert]

Is this the key hill? http://news.yahoo.com/video/air-strike-targets-militants-hill-193744679.html Some guy with black pajamas seen running for his life.

[turcopolier]

DD

That's the hill. They will learn to surround themselves with PWs in bare places like that. pl

[dilbert dogbert]

Wonder why they are digging big holes for the IS. Wouldn't air bursts work better on exposed ground? Maybe just Shock and Awe for the news cameras?

[different clue]

SteveG,

I misunderstood the meaning. My apologies for that.

Yes, if the Kurds get weapons they will keep fighting till they either run out of IS opponents (the best case), or the Kurds run out of weapons or the weapons run out of Kurds. If the ISIS wins in the end, the Kurds will have made them pay for every weapon they live to take away.

[dilbert dogbert]

Second thoughts about PWs. They have to be managed, so would reduce the effectiveness of the IS troops. Women and children would be better except even a greater management situation. The logistics would be a pain in the ass.
In today's combat having a fixed location seems like a bad idea.

[turcopolier]

DD

Nit-picking about the PW/civilian difference. This is not a guerilla campaign. You have to hold ground. pl

[turcopolier]

DD

Those may have been air bursts. pl

[BabelFish]

Thinking they are or should be using CBU-87s, which can be set to air burst. Thousands were used during Desert Storm.

[Ishmael Zechariah]

Col. Lang, SST;

Leaving tactics aside, what are your predictions/wishes for a stable political solution for the region?

Ishmael Zechariah

P.s: Here is a different view of the Kurds:
http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1406.aspx

[turcopolier]

IZ
I grieve for you, brother, but you must seize the nettle. IMO the only viable US position now is one of containment vis a vis IS. pl

[Babak Makkinejad]

That seems to be the case.

[Babak Makkinejad]

I agree.