Islamic State fighters overrun Iraqi govt lines east of Ramadi

[Bosonic]

Source: Reuters

Islamic State militants overran Iraqi government defences east of the city of Ramadi on Thursday, police and pro-government tribal fighters said.

The defensive line was breached at Husaiba, about 10 km (six miles) from the city, on Thursday afternoon after IS fighters intensified mortar and rocket fire.

“The situation is very critical now after Daesh (IS) fighters managed to overrun our defensive line in Husaiba," Police major Khalid al-Fahdawi said.

"We have retreated to the eastern part of the area and we’re waiting for more reinforcements and air force strikes to stop the Daesh advance.”

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/05/21/us-mideast-crisis-iraq-ramadi-idUSKBN0O62BY20150521

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Concurrently:

IS takes last Syria regime-held crossing on Iraq border: monitor

Beirut (AFP) - Jihadists from the Islamic State group seized the last Syrian regime-controlled crossing on the border with Iraq late Thursday, a monitoring group said.

"IS seized control of the Al-Tanaf border crossing on the Syrian-Iraqi border... after regime forces withdrew, leaving the Syrian regime with no control over its border with Iraq," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

http://news.yahoo.com/takes-last-syria-regime-held-crossing-iraq-border-201246007.html;_ylt=AwrC2Q5QPl5VMEQATmnQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTByOHZyb21tBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMxBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--

ISIS takes control of Syria, Iraq crossing

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria militants took control of the Syrian side of the the Al Waleed border crossing which connects the country with Iraq, Al Arabiya News Channel reported.

Earlier on Thursday, a fire erupted at the crossing after Iraqi troops blocked access from their side after Syrian regime forces had withdrew from Al Waleed.

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/05/21/Fire-erupts-in-Al-Waleed-crossing-between-Syria-Iraq-.html

[Fournier]

1. This is to be expected.

ISIS fighters are motivated. Iraqi troops, not so much. The dubious US paradigm of installing a puppet government and training troops to defend it for a paycheck has never worked. I don't understand why the US keeps trying it.

[jtuck004]

2. What would be the optimal way forward? n/t

[Fournier]

3. Some problems don't have a solution.

All I know is that US involvement has been a disaster for the Middle East, and continued involvement will only make things worse.

[jtuck004]

4. I understand. A few years back I came to the conclusion that we should just load up planes

with books and carpet bomb OUR country. There would, of course, be massive casualties of people smothered in their lazyboys, but as you suggested, some things have no solution.

Then load the planes up, go elsewhere and build schools where people are dying to get in, spend our resources protecting people who would face acid attacks for the chance to learn how to read what they want to read, and let the people who think they know better here fend for themselves.

[TwilightGardener]

5. Jesus.

[cosmicone]

6. This is not the time to be cowardly

We created this mess and hundreds of thousands of lives are affected by this including the rape and forced impregnation of women as young as 12.

It is our responsibility to sort this out.

[Daniel537]

13. 'kay, and you're solutions would be???................

[bigworld]

7. Taking bets on the date of the fall of Baghdad.

Before the end of the year?

[happyslug]

8. Iran will NEVER let that happen

Iran has troops within 100 miles of Baghdad (the Iranian border with Iraq is less then 90 miles from Baghdad). The Iranian Army of Today is NOT the Ukrainian Army Saddam kept at bay in the 1980s, the Iranian Army is much more capable. As much as the Iranian Army has improved since the 1980s, the Iraqi Army of today has deteriorated. With most Iraqi troops facing ISIS, there is nothing stopping an Iranian surge to Baghdad, and in most cases the Iraq people and army would welcome the Iranian Intervention (and that would make the intervention even easier for the Iranians).

[bemildred]

10. That's what worries me.

This could turn into a real war fast.

[happyslug]

11. Iran can have an armor division in Baghdad within a day.

Infantry divisions with a slightly longer period, mostly do to congestion such a movement of troops will cause on the local roads. The Basra area of Iraq will clearly support such a move, Basra is overwhelmingly Shiite, thus the oil from Southern Iraq and Iran could be shipped by barge up the Tigis to fuel the Iranian army.

Saudi Arabia's army is as close, but has NO support from the Government of Iraq (That support from the Government of Iraq for intervention would give the Iranian enough political cover to defeat any effort to condemn they intervention into Iraq).

On the other hand Saudi Arabia is the number one oil exporter in the world and can cut off such exports hurting not only the US but Japan, China and Europe (or worse force from a US point of view, all three to come to accommodations with the #2 exporter of oil, Russia).

Thus the US may support an Saudi Arabia Intervention into Iraq, and that will be in support of ISIS, through the House of Saud may decided to deny that support while providing it. The US may also ignore that support, while supporting Saudi Arabia's own intervention in Iraq.

This has all of the possibility of going full scale war quickly.

[bemildred]

12. Yes, it's kind of obvious.

Lot's of wishful thinking about "restraint", and IS could care less, war is their element.

[roamer65]

14. The Iranians are not going to let the Saudi proxies (IS) have Baghdad.

Won't happen. There will be a Iranian invasion first.

[hollowdweller]

9. Now we see why Iraq was a majoirty Shiite country ruled by minority Sunni

The Sunni kicks more ass.

[roamer65]

15. The Kurdish Peshmerga kick more ass.

I hope they get an independent Kurdistan.