With Iraqi ground forces fleeing faster than the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) forces advance, the military is increasingly relying on air strikes to try to slow the ISIS takeover.
That’s got Iraqi warplanes pounding Iraqi cities, or at least what were once Iraqi cities, and large numbers of civilians are fleeing those captured towns to escape both the al-Qaeda forces within and the air strikes looming overhead.
Mosul saw a big exodus when the city first fell, and Kurdish Peshmerga forces are reporting another large surge since the most recent air strikes, fleeing into the Kurdish territories by way of Kirkuk.
While the region’s Shi’ite minority fled quickly in the face of likely execution by ISIS, most of the weekend’s refugees were reportedly Sunnis, some unhappy with their new rulers, and others simply seeking to get out of the way of the air strikes.
what Iraqi warplanes? In the article you're citing, the Iraqi citizens are citing helicopters and "jets"
f16s aren't in Iraq possesion yet, are they? I thought scheduled first delivery Sept 2014.
So the only things Iraq can use are RU attack Helicopters delivery started 10/13, and the only planes, are trainers –the T-6 Texans, right? The only footage I've seen are Russian made Iraqi helicopters firing rockets.
Anybody? Just saying, IF there are sightings of jets in the sky –who owns them?
A negative for asking the very obvious question? Figures…
How about I postulate sources for jets (if they are really in the air): 1) Syrian Jets are in Iraq; 2) US Jets are in Iraq; 3) US armed drones are in Iraq; 4) UFOs
…because Iraq hasn't had an air force with jets for a decade, hence the Iraqi REPEAT calls for AIR SUPPORT.
Reuters states the first jets are officially delivered (aka ribbon ceremony), but then indicates they won't be in Iraq's possession until later this year.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/06/03/us-usa-…