In a unique turn of events, information was revealed that details how 17 U.S. troops and seven Iraqi police officers who had been exposed to chemical weapons in Iraq were denied appropriate medical attention on grounds of secrecy. From 2004 to 2011, both American and American-trained troops repeatedly encountered situations where they were wounded by chemical weapons, remnants of the Saddam … [Read more...]
United States Prepared to Begin Limited Ground Operations Against ISIS
Although president Obama has continuously assured the U.S. population that ground military interventions in Iraq will not become a reality, recent developments could endanger his promises. In fact, during a Congress meeting on Tuesday, Gen. Martin E. Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggested that the United States deploy combat forces against ISIS extremists. According to him, … [Read more...]
President Obama Faces the Difficult Decision: Should the US Become Involved in the Syrian Conflict?
For the past three years, president Obama has firmly maintained his position that the United States would not be intervening in the Syrian conflict. The pull of military action in Syria has grown stronger, however. Can the beheading of American Reporter James Foley be the last drop in a sea of tension and could the threat that the Islamic State poses to U.S. interests be enough to change the … [Read more...]
UN Asks International Community to Help Amerli, an Iraqi Town Besieged by ISIS
Nickolay Mladenov, the UN secreteray-general special representative to Iraq has urged the international community to take action before a "possible massacre" unfolds in the northern town of Amerli. Amerli has been under siege by ISIS (the Islamic State Militants) for the last 2 months. At the moment, the city has no electricity, and food supplies are running low. Medicine supplies are also … [Read more...]
Kurdish Forces Are Fighting to Take Back Their Key Towns
Iraq's Kurdish security forces continue their battles across the country with insurgent groups to retake their key towns. Earlier this Sunday, Kurdish troops carried out an offensive that helped them gain control of Iraq's largest dam in the Nineveh province as well as a few key Christian towns. The objective of Peshmerga Kurdish forces was to recapture the Mosul Dam on the Tigris River (it can … [Read more...]
Yazidi Rescue from Mt. Sinjar Could Require U.S. Troop Involvement
The U.S. dispatched 130 special advisers to Iraq so that they could assess the situation in which the religious minorities on Mt. Sinjar find themselves and develop a rescue plan that would have them seen to safety. Ben Rhodes, National Security Council spokesman, explained that the Obama administration is concerned with the safety of the Iraqis that have been trapped on the mountain. As such, … [Read more...]
U.S. Airstrike Mission in Difficulty Because of Iraqi Tactic Modifications
After the newly launched United States Airstrikes, Iraqi militants have begun changing tactics and these modifications are complicating US airstrike missions. Until now, American officials noticed that the IS (Islamic State) had been organized like an army- they moved strategically, they pursued military objectives and acted with planned and organized intent. Now, officials have begun noticing … [Read more...]
