Islamic State vs. The World (except Canada)

[swl]

If some of you have 4 hours a week that may be interesting: https://www.edx.org/course/bux/bux-intl301x-war-greater-middle-east-1556#.VCJ3QPmSyAU

[Silent Hunter]

UK Parliament to be recalled on Friday to approve UK involvement in strikes on Iraq (not Syria).

[Indy Texas]

First day of US-bombings in Syria: ca. 50-120 Islamofascists dead (and 11+ civilians, 3+ children)

http://orf.at/stories/2246804/2246798

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-29333348

I hate that term. It's blatantly inaccurate and just indicates the person who uses it has no clue what the hell fascism is beyond an epithet for subjectively bad stuff.

Islamofascists. It is what they are and always will be.

I'm fairly certain that the people of ISIS would be in jail if they lived in Francoist Spain, Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy, even if they never committed a single act of violence. By advocating for a multiethnic theocracy, they would be going against that most basic tenet of fascism that is the People and the State above all else.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

There's virtually nothing fascist about ISIS. What's their ideological relation to Mussolini?

[Cory]

Islamofascists. It is what they are and always will be.

I didn't know a mixed economy based on syndicalism, nationalism and "class cooperation" was such a big deal to the Islamic State.

[patrick1]

Tender I watched the VICE doc a month ago.  Raqqa seems like the worse place in the world...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2768352/Extraordinary-footage-heart-ISIS-regime-filmed-woman-wore-secret-camera-burqa.html

[Deus Naturae]

Obama invokes Iraq War authorization...in Syria.

[Cory]

Obama invokes Iraq War authorization...in Syria.

Well technically they are an enemy operating in Iraq that has forces in Syria, thus triggering the mutual defense agreement as legal justification for attacking them there as well. Or am I missing something?

[Middle-aged Europe]

[Miles]

British Parliament votes for ISIS airstrikes.

[politicus]

British Parliament votes for ISIS airstrikes.

Doesn't rule out extending the mission to Syria:

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/sep/25/mps-commons-debate-iraq-air-strikes


BBC commentator: "Vast majority doesn't reflect the enormous unease among backbenchers"

[dead0man]

Denmark sending 7 F16s and small ground crew to attack targets in Iraq (not Syria)

(link not in English)


Canada still thinking about it

[MaxQue]

Denmark sending 7 F16s and small ground crew to attack targets in Iraq (not Syria)

(link not in English)


Canada still thinking about it

The issue in Canada is than this won't go well with his huge program of cuts (Defence is cut, too).

[dead0man]

Canada is very lucky to have such good neighbors.  You guys should really thank us more

[Velasco]

I'm fairly certain that the people of ISIS would be in jail if they lived in Francoist Spain, Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy, even if they never committed a single act of violence. By advocating for a multiethnic theocracy, they would be going against that most basic tenet of fascism that is the People and the State above all else.

Do you really think so? I'd say that the Nazi, Fascist or National-Catholic "ideological principles" would have mattered very little, in the unlikely case that something similar to ISIS was existing then. A group like that could have been better used as a combative mercenary troop, or as allies of convenience in the North of Africa and the Middle East. Racial scruples might have prevented Hitler much more than other considerations; never Mussolini or Franco. Do you know which was the religious affiliation of Franco's shock troops in the Civil War and the mounted soldiers of his personal guard? I'll give you a clue; they came from the north of Morocco. Note that Franco's regime was branded as National-Catholic.  

The misuse of the words "fascist", "genocide" and "anti-semite", together with comparisons with the Holocaust, should be banned by the international law.


How much time will pass until Assad is proclaimed the new ally of convenience by the international coalition?

[MaxQue]

Canada is very lucky to have such good neighbors.  You guys should really thank us more

We both know than it's more complicated than that.
Also, current government is a bit annoyed at current government (since Harper is a puppet of oil industry, government isn't pleased at the indecision of your government about Keystone).

I even wonder if Harper did try to use Keystone as a bargaining chip against Iraq involvement.

[dead0man]

Canada is very lucky to have such good neighbors.  You guys should really thank us more

We both know than it's more complicated than that.

Sure, but it's still kind of sad that tiny Denmark (1/7th your population) and Australia (2/3rds) is helping so much more than you guys.

[MaxQue]

Canada is very lucky to have such good neighbors.  You guys should really thank us more

We both know than it's more complicated than that.

Sure, but it's still kind of sad that tiny Denmark (1/7th your population) and Australia (2/3rds) is helping so much more than you guys.

Things are worst than I thought. Obama called some leaders to have their help in Iraq, he sent a letter to Harper. At the security council meeting about IS, Obama was there from Cameron and Abbott and left seconds before Harper started talking. At the NATO meeting in Newport, Harper wasn't invited at the main reception table, unlike the traditionnal European allies.

Harper is putting intense pressure on Obama to accept Keystone and it's pretty much the only subject he talks with Obama. Every time the Canadian government talks about USA, they remember us than they didn't accepted yet Keystone. Even former Canadian Conservative leaders attacked him for damaging Canada-USA relationship over Keystone. He is obsessed by Keystone.

It's a shame, for Canada.

[dead0man]

Well we should have allowed the thing, but yeah, he really REALLY shouldn't let that get in the way of US-Can relations.

[Middle-aged Europe]

Germany has delivered some weapons and military advisors to the Kurds.

That is after they finally managed to get the planes off the ground. Apparently, most of the German Air Force is not in an operational state.

[dead0man]

Germany has delivered some weapons and military advisors to the Kurds.

That is after they finally managed to get the planes off the ground. Apparently, most of the German Air Force is not in an operational state.

I just read today that your entire navy has 5 (FIVE!) operational helicopters.  Your old Sea Lynx choppers are falling apart and the delays relating to the NH90 have hurt pretty much every country that got on that train to Dudsville. 

Sometimes it's better to just Buy American

[Hash]

Jesus Christ Harper, what a pile of pathetic trash.

[Tirnam]

After the execution of the hostage Wednesday, support for air strikes against ISIS in France increased from 53% to 69%.
Second most popular military intervention in 20 years, behind the Mali.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Good for Canada. Why should they tie themselves down in this clusterfink?

[Indy Texas]

I'm fairly certain that the people of ISIS would be in jail if they lived in Francoist Spain, Nazi Germany or Mussolini's Italy, even if they never committed a single act of violence. By advocating for a multiethnic theocracy, they would be going against that most basic tenet of fascism that is the People and the State above all else.

Do you really think so? I'd say that the Nazi, Fascist or National-Catholic "ideological principles" would have mattered very little, in the unlikely case that something similar to ISIS was existing then. A group like that could have been better used as a combative mercenary troop, or as allies of convenience in the North of Africa and the Middle East. Racial scruples might have prevented Hitler much more than other considerations; never Mussolini or Franco. Do you know which was the religious affiliation of Franco's shock troops in the Civil War and the mounted soldiers of his personal guard? I'll give you a clue; they came from the north of Morocco. Note that Franco's regime was branded as National-Catholic.  

The misuse of the words "fascist", "genocide" and "anti-semite", together with comparisons with the Holocaust, should be banned by the international law.


How much time will pass until Assad is proclaimed the new ally of convenience by the international coalition?

I didn't mean literally taking ISIS and putting them in early 20th century Europe. But if, say, a militant Catholic group whose leader viewed himself as the legitimate leader of Christendom and demanded the submission of fellow Christians and the Holy See and of secular governments to their authority came into existence, I don't think Franco et al would be okay with it.

Remember that Bashar Assad himself is something of a Middle Eastern version of Hitler. Ba'athism is basically European-style fascism tweaked to fit an Arab context. Assad doesn't emphasize religion too much for the same reason Hitler didn't - his country isn't religiously homogenous so religion is something that prevents the binding of the nation together. He's not an atheist or a Marxist - he's not shutting down mosques and banning the Koran. But he clearly believes religious identity should be a component of and below national identity and that religious institutions ideally should serve the interests of the state.