ISIS forces have attacked the outskirts of the Syrian military airport of al-Dumeir, killing at least 14 soldiers and capturing multiple strategic positions outside of the airport itself, threatening control over an area just 40 kilometers outside of the capital city of Damascus.
ISIS has been trying to capture new territory in recent weeks with multiple offensives, trying to bolster its hold in the area around Palmyra, and contesting two major military airbases, al-Dumeir as well as the airport in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor.
For quite some time ISIS appeared to be regularly losing territory on multiple fronts, but appears to have turned the table, at least in Syria, where it retains substantial territory. In Iraq, ISIS has little territory left, but efforts by the Iraqi military to take it have been arduously slow.
The al-Dumeir military base is heavily guarded, and today’s push is unlikely to seriously threaten to take the base itself. If ISIS can get a steady foothold close to the base, howev3r, they can threaten planes taking off to the point that the base will no longer be usable.
ISIS probably got fresh loads of money, ordnance & intelligence from USA and its other allies.
They already have but not under the banner of ISIS.
He clearly wants to terminate the serial failure of neocon policy in the Mideast, so he will do things differently.
The US is pushing ISIS out of Iraq and back into Syria. It’s the latest gambit in pursuit of the original goal of Syrian regime change. But it’s plan C or D and really doesn’t stand a chance of accomplishing anything substantial. It will make things a bit more difficult for Russia and Syria, but in the end will probably backfire.
My guess is that ISIS will adjust in some way. Perhaps they will make the Iraqis pay dearly for Mosul as they pull back, then wait yet again for the US to back away from Iraq, and then re-invade the Sunni area of Iraq were they have Sunni support, and humiliate the Iraqi army… again.
The US “mission” to build an Iraqi (Shiite) army failed utterly the first time — for sectarian/tribal structural reasons — and will fail utterly… again, once the US pulls back… again. And the US ***WILL*** pull back.
The wild card now is Trump. Say what you will, he has already demonstrated that he has incredible energy and is a man of action. (Smart action or stupid action — you and history be the judge.) — but action it will be. He wants to terminate the serial failure of neocon policy in the Mideast, so he will do things differently. Precisely what? Can we imagine that he can succeed where all the foreign policy “experts” have failed so catastrophically? Most people, including all those “experts” would likely say no. But all those “experts” also scoffed that he had no chance of winning the presidency. So who is now is willing to be so very sure again, only to turn out to be so very wrong yet again?
We’ll have to wait and see.
” He clearly wants to terminate the serial failure of neocon policy in the Mideast, so he will do things differently.”
Yeah, sure he will! He’s already started by sending Syrian rebels armoured vehicles. That’s different from Obama’s support of ammunition and shoulder arms.
Yes, I know that you clowns are going to have to be dragged kicking and screaming away from Trump’s side.
luv from Canada.
They’re Kurds; you’re clueless; and blocked.
Saddam Hussein army personnel are successful on their operations.Thats what happens when you invade Iraq and you are not having any plan what to do Iraqi army at the time . Stupidity of Chaney / Bush and others.
Now we have Trump. .This is terrible joke with deadly punch line.