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US an Arab allies begin airstrikes in Syria

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September 23, 2014


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A handout picture released by the US Navy on 23 September 2014 shows an US AV-8B Harrier jet launching from the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island during flight operations in the Arabian Gulf, 22 September 2014.



US, Arab allies bomb Daesh targets in Syria
US and Arab warplanes hammered Daesh militants in eastern Syria on Tuesday

US and Arab warplanes hammered the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (which goes by the Arabic name Daesh) militants in eastern Syria early on Tuesday, opening a new front in the fight against the militant group, defence officials said.

The UAE confirmed that its air force joined the US-led air strikes against Daesh targets on Monday night.

"The first air strike was carried out in coordination with forces participating in international efforts against Daesh," according to a Foreign Ministry statement issued on Tuesday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 120 Daesh fighters were killed in the air strikes. The monitor group also added Nusra Front positions had been struck in the provinces of Idlib and Aleppo in northwest Syria.

Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE took part in the bombing raids, US media reported, in an extraordinary show of Arab solidarity against the Isil group that has rampaged through Syria and Iraq.

A US defence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed to AFP that Arab “partners” joined the bombing runs but did not say which countries were involved.

Bahrain had earlier confirmed that its air force joined the US and GCC strikes on terrorist sites in Syria.

Turning point

The US-led air assault in Syria marks a turning point in the war against Daesh, as the administration of US President Barack Obama had long been reluctant to intervene in Syria’s raging civil war.

But Washington concluded it had to act and convinced Arab allies to join in, amid fears Daesh fighters could wreak havoc across the region and eventually stage terror attacks in Europe or the United States if left unchecked.

“I can confirm that US military and partner nation forces are undertaking military action against (Daesh) terrorists in Syria using a mix of fighter, bomber and Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles,” Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement.

The decision to conduct the air strikes was undertaken on Monday by the head of US Central Command, General Lloyd Austin, “under authorisation granted him by the commander in chief,” Kirby said.

“We will provide more details later as operationally appropriate.”

The strikes focused on Isil positions in Raqa, a stronghold for the Sunni extremists, as well as targets along the Iraq-Syria border, according to a second Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

US F-22 fighter jets, America’s most sophisticated warplane, were scheduled to take part in the raids as well - the first combat mission for the costly aircraft, the second official said.

Along with “ongoing” air raids, the US military fired Tomahawk cruise missiles from warships in the Gulf and Red Sea, the official said.

A senior White House official told AFP that Obama was “being updated on the operation” in Syria.

US media said the president had spoken to Congressional leaders about the strikes.

‘No safe haven’

The wave of strikes came less than two weeks after Obama warned that he had approved an expansion of the campaign against the Islamic State group to include action in Syria.

“I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are,” Obama said on September 10 in a speech to the nation.

“This is a core principle of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.”

Under Obama’s orders, US warplanes began air strikes against Isil targets in Iraq on August 8, with about 190 raids carried out against the extremists there.

Obama, however, has repeatedly promised the campaign would not involve a combat mission for US ground troops in Iraq.

France is the only country to have joined the US air strikes against the Isil in Iraq. Australia said Monday it was deploying fighter jets to join the campaign.

Airstrikes, no ground attack

The US president’s strategy calls for American air power combined with training and arming local forces in Iraq and “moderate” rebel fighters in Syria.

His approach has sparked criticism in Washington and the Middle East that the effort will fail without capable ground forces that can roll back the well-organized and well-financed militants.

Last week, the US Congress endorsed Obama’s plan to train and arm moderate Syrian rebels to battle the Isil group, which has beheaded two American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Lawmakers on the left, wary of the United States plunging into another open-ended war in the Middle East, have vowed to hold broad use-of-force debates later this year following the November 4 midterm elections.

The air strikes in Syria came as Kurdish militia fought to defend a key border town in northern Syria, after 130,000 terrified residents fled to Turkey to escape an Isil militants advance.

US, Arab allies bomb Daesh targets in Syria | GulfNews.com
 
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You think Assad is going to be "cool" with RSAF F-15s flying above his presidential palace?
Assad not only cool but laughing his *** off at the idea the a Saudi pilot find Syria, neverless his palace...It is really good that the US are taking you by the hand tell you how and where to fly, which button to push to drop the bombs.
In all, it is good to Saudi getting some flying in night time and eliminate some of your creation...
I saw the before and after picture of the Raid...during the Pentagon press conference, its just mediocre with the power put forward...
 
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Assad not only cool but laughing his *** off at the idea the a Saudi pilot find Syria, neverless his palace...It is really good that the US are taking you by the hand tell you how and where to fly, which button to push to drop the bombs.
In all, it is good to Saudi getting some flying in night time and eliminate some of your creation...
I saw the before and after picture of the Raid...during the Pentagon press conference, its just mediocre with the power put forward...

Yeah, laughing his *** off so much that his pilots were running away from Saudi pilots so hard they entered Israeli air space and got shot down. All US did was take care of Khourasan group, all other strikes were by us. But of course you come to expect condescending posts by the most vile of all members here.


No they shouldn't.
 
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Hopefully the airstrikes are limited to only ISIS targets and not the Syrian military or the legitimate Syrian government of Bashar Al Assad.
Otherwise there will be reprisals.
They hit ISIS only...They informed Syria prior to the attack without sharing the detail with the Syrian envoy in the UN. But the sad thing, is Assad has betray his troops by letting the US in. The next will be Assad ans SAA assets that will be targeted. After what happened early this morning, I think Assad signed his own death certificate.
 
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Yeah, laughing his *** off so much that his pilots were running away from Saudi pilots so hard they entered Israeli air space and got shot down. All US did was take care of Khourasan group, all other strikes were by us. But of course you come to expect condescending posts by the most vile of all members here.



No they shouldn't.
What will be Iran roll in this conflict against ISIS ?
 
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They hit ISIS only...They informed Syria prior to the attack without sharing the detail with the Syrian envoy in the UN. But the sad thing, is Assad has betray his troops by letting the US in. The next will be Assad ans SAA assets that will be targeted. After what happened early this morning, I think Assad signed his own death certificate.

They hit FSA allies too. Near Aleppo and Idlib. And yes, no matter what anyone says. The strike package that was used in yesterdays assault gives very clear indication that the Syrian government was informed.
 
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They hit ISIS only...They informed Syria prior to the attack without sharing the detail with the Syrian envoy in the UN. But the sad thing, is Assad has betray his troops by letting the US in. The next will be Assad ans SAA assets that will be targeted. After what happened early this morning, I think Assad signed his own death certificate.

We'll see what happens. I share your suspicion and unfortunately I also believe that the US is going to turns it guns and target the Syrian military.
Assad or no Assad, I think Syria will turn into a Vietnam like quagmire for the US, if they go to full scale war (which probably has already been started :/).
The Syrian conventional military will be destroyed, but lets hope the Syrians can draw inspiration from the Viet Cong, and the Algerians.
 
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Yeah, laughing his *** off so much that his pilots were running away from Saudi pilots so hard they entered Israeli air space and got shot down. All US did was take care of Khourasan group, all other strikes were by us. But of course you come to expect condescending posts by the most vile of all members here.
Be real here! GCC's pilots are the least experienced, and the Sauds are the least motivated. This is not me saying it to get a rise out of you, which I love to do ounce awhile, but that your purveyors of your military equipments, especially the Americans. It is good that your pilots were given an opportunity to hone their skills. For the Syrian pilot, I doubt he was getting away from the SA aircraft.

We'll see what happens. I share your suspicion and unfortunately I also believe that the US is going to turns it guns and target the Syrian military.
Assad or no Assad, I think Syria will turn into a Vietnam like quagmire for the US, if they go to full scale war (which probably has already been started :/).
The Syrian conventional military will be destroyed, but lets hope the Syrians can draw inspiration from the Viet Cong, and the Algerians.
It is more than likely that Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt are going to be remodeled and we will see the birth of new countries in the area...The goal is to weaken most of those states to make them more maleable [easy to convince] and less threatening to the West.
 
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Be real here! GCC's pilots are the least experienced, and the Sauds are the least motivated. This is not me saying it to get a rise out of you, which I love to do ounce awhile, but that your purveyors of your military equipments, especially the Americans. It is good that your pilots were given an opportunity to hone their skills. For the Syrian pilot, I doubt he was getting away from the SA aircraft.


It is more than likely that Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt are going to be remodeled and we will see the birth of new countries in the area...The goal is to weaken most of those states to make them more maleable [easy to convince] and less threatening to the West.

GCC pilots have the most experience flying than anyone in the region, they clock the most flight hours than anyone. A lot of you forget the patriotic aspect of Saudi society, not everything is religion, a sentence I just said in an Arab forum which got me banned, hahahaha .

Anyways, Saudi Arabia just confirmed publicly that it hit "ISIS and other targets" in Syria. I wonder what those "Other targets" were huh?
 
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Be real here! GCC's pilots are the least experienced, and the Sauds are the least motivated. This is not me saying it to get a rise out of you, which I love to do ounce awhile, but that your purveyors of your military equipments, especially the Americans. It is good that your pilots were given an opportunity to hone their skills. For the Syrian pilot, I doubt he was getting away from the SA aircraft.

This isn't coming from someone neutral trying to analyze the situation and give a fair response.

So how are Algerian pilots ? you will tell us they're superior to any Arab pilot but what makes them so special. For the average Westerner they're nothing but another 3rd world African air force with a small number of Su-30's backed up by a fleet of Soviet era aircraft.

Good pilots are made by training not race and ethnicity as you like to believe.
 
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