Besides Iran there are forces in Saudi Arabia that won't tolerate militants killing and destroying lives and cities in Al Anbar. I just don't see the militant forces being successful. The refugees need to leave. Sunnis or no Sunni rebels if they are killing people in An Albar there will be problems for them. Saudi Arabia and Iran won't put up with that level of instability along their borders.
Iraqi families fleeing violence in the northern province of Nineveh arrived Wednesday at a checkpoint in Aski Kalak in Iraqi Kurdistan, an autonomous region.
BAGHDAD — Sunni militants (click here) extended their control over parts of northern and western Iraq on Wednesday as Iraqi government forces crumbled in disarray. The militants overran the city of Tikrit, seized facilities in the strategic oil refining town of Baiji, and threatened an important Shiite shrine in Samarra as they moved south toward Baghdad.
The territory they influence is in red. They have been rather cowards to date. They are staying away from borders with nations far more powerful then they could ever hope to be.
There is something like 2500 members. When large groups take on check points there will be surrender simply because they are outnumbered.
This group used to be al Qaeda in Iraq. They have pulled off most of the horrific events in Iraq dating back to 2003. They have never been able to establish any consistent governing. Their specialty is violence.
The map is slightly outdated. Their activities have been primarily along the rivers, but, lately they have moved into the Kurdish area in northern Iraq. It could be Turkey they are taking aim at. They already have a presence along the Turkish border with Syria. Turkey has been defeating elements in the mountains there. But, if they expand west in to Kurdish territory they could have a presence along a longer strip of that same border. Turkey has successfully dealt with them in bombing campaigns. It gets tricky, the militias do have anti-aircraft guns.
Iraqi families fleeing violence in the northern province of Nineveh arrived Wednesday at a checkpoint in Aski Kalak in Iraqi Kurdistan, an autonomous region.BAGHDAD — Sunni militants (click here) extended their control over parts of northern and western Iraq on Wednesday as Iraqi government forces crumbled in disarray. The militants overran the city of Tikrit, seized facilities in the strategic oil refining town of Baiji, and threatened an important Shiite shrine in Samarra as they moved south toward Baghdad.
The territory they influence is in red. They have been rather cowards to date. They are staying away from borders with nations far more powerful then they could ever hope to be.There is something like 2500 members. When large groups take on check points there will be surrender simply because they are outnumbered.
This group used to be al Qaeda in Iraq. They have pulled off most of the horrific events in Iraq dating back to 2003. They have never been able to establish any consistent governing. Their specialty is violence.
The map is slightly outdated. Their activities have been primarily along the rivers, but, lately they have moved into the Kurdish area in northern Iraq. It could be Turkey they are taking aim at. They already have a presence along the Turkish border with Syria. Turkey has been defeating elements in the mountains there. But, if they expand west in to Kurdish territory they could have a presence along a longer strip of that same border. Turkey has successfully dealt with them in bombing campaigns. It gets tricky, the militias do have anti-aircraft guns.
