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Banned
NO what? You want them to go out on the ground and do the shooting for the Iraqi soldiers also? So you can moan about that?
As they said:
As the bolded parts make clear, the USA is already helping. Active, advising and ready to react with armed drones, at any second that they need to. The Iraqis need to do the footwork themselves.
Last edited:
The context was about the Iraquis having to wait a long time to buy US aircraft and the Russians and Belerussians will deliver them immediately. The drones are not there as a substitute.
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Banned
The context of my post was that the USA is already active in Iraq. It's a post about advisors and armed drones. It is a statement of fact. I said nothing about competing with Russian delivery of aircraft.
You then in your usual confusion, waffled:
Thus, looking at your "NO" and it's attached opinion, it's clear, one, that you are objecting to something I posted.
Two, you are implying that the drones are not there to protect Iraqis.
So I reply:
Of course, you then start waffling, without explaining your "NO":
Now, confused one, get it straight, that my post stands in isolation, from any Russia vs USA, plane delivery schedule hangup, you have.
Space_Chief
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I wouldn't call it that. The Iraqis also have themselves to blame. But the lesson is to be more careful with interventions.
Which ones.
Libya, Iraq x2 , Afghanistan, Somalia, ...
All have been a complete disaster!
Unhappy1
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Target ISIS: First batch of Russian Su-24 jets arrives in Iraq
http://rt.com/news/169144-iraq-russian-jets-arrive/
http://rt.com/news/169144-iraq-russian-jets-arrive/
If these Russian jets are to be deployed against ISIS as quickly as the Iraqi's are implying, then they defiantly will not be flown by Iraqi's. Its not possible to train up a pilot to be effective in a modern jet within days. Unless of course they are going to use them as kamikaze or something. Most likely by Russian or other Eastern European mercenaries.
Yes, my thoughts exactly, and to answer the ever-argumentative Lightscribe. The US drones are not there to protect Iraqis.
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Banned
Haha! Says the one starting arguments, for something another did not say or post. Classic.
The drones are there to help protect Iraqis. Read my post again. They are not there for a holiday. Tell us what part of the bolded information you do not understand. The bolded red part in particular...
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Banned
Yes, Americans working with Iraqis. Helping the Iraqis. Advising the Iraqis. 30-40 Surveillance missions each day. Air strikes against the militants if it is deemed necessary.
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
ISIL DECLARES 'CALIPHATE' AS IRAQ PRESSES COUNTER-OFFENSIVE
by W.G. Dunlop
The ISIL jihadists whose sweeping Sunni militant offensive has captured swathes of Iraq have declared an "Islamic caliphate" in their territory as Iraqi forces battle to retake Saddam Hussein's hometown Tikrit.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on Sunday announced it was establishing a "caliphate" -- an Islamic form of government last seen under the Ottoman Empire -- extending from Aleppo in northern Syria to Diyala in Iraq, the regions where ISIL has fought against the regimes in power.
In an audio recording distributed online, ISIL declared its chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi "the caliph" and "leader for Muslims everywhere".
Though the move may not have a significant impact on the ground, it is an indicator of the group's confidence.
The crisis in Iraq is said to rival the brutal sectarian war of 2006-2007, with more than 1,000 killed and hundreds of thousands displaced within weeks.
Alarmed world leaders have urged a speeding up of government formation following April elections, warning the conflict cannot be resolved by force alone.
While beleaguered Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has conceded a political solution is necessary, his office has for days touted the Tikrit operation, which could be crucial tactically, and for morale in the security forces.
"The security forces are advancing from different areas" around Tikrit, said Lieutenant General Qassem Atta. "There are ongoing clashes."
Atta said troops had detonated bombs planted along routes into the city, which militants took more than two weeks ago.
Witnesses reported waves of government air strikes in central Tikrit and Saddam's former palace compound in the city.
The Iraqi forces, according to Atta, are coordinating with recently-arrived US military advisers in "studying important targets".
Maliki's national reconciliation adviser, Amr Khuzaie, said the crisis was even more dangerous than the brutal Sunni-Shiite violence that left tens of thousands dead.
"Now, the danger is definitely more... than 2006, 2007," he told AFP.
Before, militant groups sparked a "sectarian war, but now (the) war is more organised" and the militants' abilities were greater.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has raised grave concern about human rights violations and "the rising number of civilian deaths and injuries, with over one million Iraqis having fled their homes due to the fighting", his spokesman said.
The onslaught that ISIL led this month overran parts of five Iraqi provinces after capturing the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor near Iraq, Raqa in the north, and parts of Aleppo province.
Its leader Baghdadi, who once spent time in an American military prison in Iraq, is touted within ISIL as a battlefield tactician, and is increasingly seen as even more powerful than Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Experts say the announcement of the caliphate could open a new era of jihadism with a powerful new leadership.
The caliphate is "the biggest development in international jihad since September 11", said Charles Lister of the Brookings Institution in Doha, referring to the Al-Qaeda attacks on the United States.
"It could mark the birth of a new era of transnational jihadism... and that poses a real danger to Al-Qaeda and its leadership," the expert said, adding that ISIL with members in many countries is the richest jihadist group.
ISIL's announcement came as Iraq took delivery of the first batch of warplanes from Russia, with the newly-purchased Su-25s expected to be pressed into service soon.
An Iraqi official said pilots from Saddam's air force would fly the planes.
Su-25s are designed for ground attack, meaning they would be useful for Iraqi forces trying to root out ISIL-led militants from a string of towns and cities they have seized.
Washington has stopped short of calling for Maliki to quit but has left little doubt it feels he has squandered the opportunity to rebuild Iraq since American troops withdrew in late 2011.
Maliki's security spokesman has said hundreds of soldiers have been killed since the insurgent offensive was launched on June 9, while the UN puts the overall death toll at more than 1,000, mostly civilians.
World leaders have insisted on a political settlement among Iraq's various communities and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, revered among the country's Shiite majority, has urged political leaders to quickly form a government after parliament convenes on Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday called on the international community to back the independence of Iraq's Kurds as well as support for Jordan amid fears that ISIL might extend its control into that country.
Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani has said Baghdad could no longer object to Kurdish self-rule in Kirkuk and other areas from which federal forces withdrew as the insurgents advanced.
Kurdish forces moved into areas vacated by Iraqi federal soldiers, putting them in control of disputed areas that they have long wanted to incorporate into their three-province autonomous region, a move Baghdad strongly opposes.
Source : Sapa-AFP /mm
Date : 30 Jun 2014 05:09
by W.G. Dunlop
The ISIL jihadists whose sweeping Sunni militant offensive has captured swathes of Iraq have declared an "Islamic caliphate" in their territory as Iraqi forces battle to retake Saddam Hussein's hometown Tikrit.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on Sunday announced it was establishing a "caliphate" -- an Islamic form of government last seen under the Ottoman Empire -- extending from Aleppo in northern Syria to Diyala in Iraq, the regions where ISIL has fought against the regimes in power.
In an audio recording distributed online, ISIL declared its chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi "the caliph" and "leader for Muslims everywhere".
Though the move may not have a significant impact on the ground, it is an indicator of the group's confidence.
The crisis in Iraq is said to rival the brutal sectarian war of 2006-2007, with more than 1,000 killed and hundreds of thousands displaced within weeks.
Alarmed world leaders have urged a speeding up of government formation following April elections, warning the conflict cannot be resolved by force alone.
While beleaguered Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has conceded a political solution is necessary, his office has for days touted the Tikrit operation, which could be crucial tactically, and for morale in the security forces.
"The security forces are advancing from different areas" around Tikrit, said Lieutenant General Qassem Atta. "There are ongoing clashes."
Atta said troops had detonated bombs planted along routes into the city, which militants took more than two weeks ago.
Witnesses reported waves of government air strikes in central Tikrit and Saddam's former palace compound in the city.
The Iraqi forces, according to Atta, are coordinating with recently-arrived US military advisers in "studying important targets".
Maliki's national reconciliation adviser, Amr Khuzaie, said the crisis was even more dangerous than the brutal Sunni-Shiite violence that left tens of thousands dead.
"Now, the danger is definitely more... than 2006, 2007," he told AFP.
Before, militant groups sparked a "sectarian war, but now (the) war is more organised" and the militants' abilities were greater.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has raised grave concern about human rights violations and "the rising number of civilian deaths and injuries, with over one million Iraqis having fled their homes due to the fighting", his spokesman said.
The onslaught that ISIL led this month overran parts of five Iraqi provinces after capturing the Syrian province of Deir Ezzor near Iraq, Raqa in the north, and parts of Aleppo province.
Its leader Baghdadi, who once spent time in an American military prison in Iraq, is touted within ISIL as a battlefield tactician, and is increasingly seen as even more powerful than Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Experts say the announcement of the caliphate could open a new era of jihadism with a powerful new leadership.
The caliphate is "the biggest development in international jihad since September 11", said Charles Lister of the Brookings Institution in Doha, referring to the Al-Qaeda attacks on the United States.
"It could mark the birth of a new era of transnational jihadism... and that poses a real danger to Al-Qaeda and its leadership," the expert said, adding that ISIL with members in many countries is the richest jihadist group.
ISIL's announcement came as Iraq took delivery of the first batch of warplanes from Russia, with the newly-purchased Su-25s expected to be pressed into service soon.
An Iraqi official said pilots from Saddam's air force would fly the planes.
Su-25s are designed for ground attack, meaning they would be useful for Iraqi forces trying to root out ISIL-led militants from a string of towns and cities they have seized.
Washington has stopped short of calling for Maliki to quit but has left little doubt it feels he has squandered the opportunity to rebuild Iraq since American troops withdrew in late 2011.
Maliki's security spokesman has said hundreds of soldiers have been killed since the insurgent offensive was launched on June 9, while the UN puts the overall death toll at more than 1,000, mostly civilians.
World leaders have insisted on a political settlement among Iraq's various communities and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, revered among the country's Shiite majority, has urged political leaders to quickly form a government after parliament convenes on Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunday called on the international community to back the independence of Iraq's Kurds as well as support for Jordan amid fears that ISIL might extend its control into that country.
Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani has said Baghdad could no longer object to Kurdish self-rule in Kirkuk and other areas from which federal forces withdrew as the insurgents advanced.
Kurdish forces moved into areas vacated by Iraqi federal soldiers, putting them in control of disputed areas that they have long wanted to incorporate into their three-province autonomous region, a move Baghdad strongly opposes.
Source : Sapa-AFP /mm
Date : 30 Jun 2014 05:09
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
TEMPERS FRAY AS DISPLACED IRAQIS BREAK MUSLIM FAST
Waving pots and pans, police pushed back dozens of hungry Iraqi refugees as they rushed to seize free food, ending their first daylong fast of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in an encampment for the displaced.
Shouting men scrambled Sunday to reach pots of rice, meat and chicken stew in this dusty, hot encampment some 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the northern city of Irbil, the capital of Iraq's self-ruled Kurdish region. The chaotic scene underscored the fearful insecurity of displaced Iraqis as they begin Ramadan in a nation gripped by unrest and bitterly divided along sectarian lines.
For Bashir Khalil, a 39-year-old Shiite, and his wife Nidal, a Sunni, Ramadan has been robbed of its rhythm of communal solidarity.
The couple, who fled Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul after it was captured by Sunni extremists earlier this month, has always been poor. But in their impoverished quarter of the city, neighbors shared their food. Here, when the food ended, there would be no more until another charity came by.
"When this food finishes, there'll be nothing else," 34-year-old Nidal Khalil lamented.
She and her husband fled after Sunni militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, who consider Shiites apostates, interrogated them. He was under suspicion as a Shiite, and she was questioned because she worked as a cleaner in a Shiite charity.
They returned days later after receiving assurances from local gunmen that they wouldn't be harmed, but found their home had been damaged in clashes.
"We don't want this one or that one," said Nidal Khalil, referring to the Shiite-dominated government and the Sunni insurgents. "Neither of them cares about us poor people."
Her mother-in-law, Shamsa, sat nearby, smoking a cigarette. Fasting Muslims are not supposed to smoke, eat or drink during daylight hours, but the 70-year-old woman shrugged and said she couldn't fast in the heat.
Though Bashir Khalil did not manage to get any of the food donated by a local television station, his 10-year-old daughter, Sara, shared the bag filled with containers of soup, rice and meat that she managed to grab in the melee.
At the encampment's edge, it was quiet in tent D42, where Umm Mishal watched the sun sink over the horizon alongside her youngest daughter Amal, who wore a torn red dress.
"Ramadan is a generous, blessed month. We will not go hungry," the 49-year-old woman said, even as she complained that other families had taken more than their fair share of the donated food, chaotically distributed off the back of trucks.
"They have grape juice," she said, pointing at another family.
Then, on a plastic sheet emblazoned with the United Nations' logo, she set out three tubs of soup, three plates of rice, a loaf of bread, a small roasted chicken and sliced watermelon.
The evening's meal was taken care of. Suddenly giddy, she exclaimed, "God has blessed us!"
"Eat some chicken!" she said with a giggle.
Source : Sapa-AP /um
Date : 30 Jun 2014 14:33
Waving pots and pans, police pushed back dozens of hungry Iraqi refugees as they rushed to seize free food, ending their first daylong fast of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in an encampment for the displaced.
Shouting men scrambled Sunday to reach pots of rice, meat and chicken stew in this dusty, hot encampment some 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the northern city of Irbil, the capital of Iraq's self-ruled Kurdish region. The chaotic scene underscored the fearful insecurity of displaced Iraqis as they begin Ramadan in a nation gripped by unrest and bitterly divided along sectarian lines.
For Bashir Khalil, a 39-year-old Shiite, and his wife Nidal, a Sunni, Ramadan has been robbed of its rhythm of communal solidarity.
The couple, who fled Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul after it was captured by Sunni extremists earlier this month, has always been poor. But in their impoverished quarter of the city, neighbors shared their food. Here, when the food ended, there would be no more until another charity came by.
"When this food finishes, there'll be nothing else," 34-year-old Nidal Khalil lamented.
She and her husband fled after Sunni militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, who consider Shiites apostates, interrogated them. He was under suspicion as a Shiite, and she was questioned because she worked as a cleaner in a Shiite charity.
They returned days later after receiving assurances from local gunmen that they wouldn't be harmed, but found their home had been damaged in clashes.
"We don't want this one or that one," said Nidal Khalil, referring to the Shiite-dominated government and the Sunni insurgents. "Neither of them cares about us poor people."
Her mother-in-law, Shamsa, sat nearby, smoking a cigarette. Fasting Muslims are not supposed to smoke, eat or drink during daylight hours, but the 70-year-old woman shrugged and said she couldn't fast in the heat.
Though Bashir Khalil did not manage to get any of the food donated by a local television station, his 10-year-old daughter, Sara, shared the bag filled with containers of soup, rice and meat that she managed to grab in the melee.
At the encampment's edge, it was quiet in tent D42, where Umm Mishal watched the sun sink over the horizon alongside her youngest daughter Amal, who wore a torn red dress.
"Ramadan is a generous, blessed month. We will not go hungry," the 49-year-old woman said, even as she complained that other families had taken more than their fair share of the donated food, chaotically distributed off the back of trucks.
"They have grape juice," she said, pointing at another family.
Then, on a plastic sheet emblazoned with the United Nations' logo, she set out three tubs of soup, three plates of rice, a loaf of bread, a small roasted chicken and sliced watermelon.
The evening's meal was taken care of. Suddenly giddy, she exclaimed, "God has blessed us!"
"Eat some chicken!" she said with a giggle.
Source : Sapa-AP /um
Date : 30 Jun 2014 14:33
Grant
Honorary Master
given the extent of suffering & misery, i would assume their god had abandoned them.
if their god was of any use whatsoever, he would put an end to what is happening to his flock - however . . . . .
Space_Chief
Honorary Master
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2012
- Messages
- 12,949
- Reaction score
- 4
You know, that's such a load of crock. You're sitting comfortably in a peaceful area while these people are suffering. Well guess what, GrantZa, if you knew real suffering, any reprieve would be a blessing. Real suffering puts things in context.
OrbitalDawn
Ulysses Everett McGill
Albereth
Honorary Master
What does Grantza's geographic location have to do with their god having abandonded them?
Grant
Honorary Master
why are they suffering, what is the cause of this suffering & conflict, could this deity perhaps have something to do with the ongoing conflict, suffering & misery across the entire region.
this deity deserves nothing by scorn, not praise for tossing it's followers an occasional bone in the sand, or do you feel this deity deserves praise & worship 5 times a day given the circumstances of it's followers ?
LazyLion
King of de Jungle
IRAQ PARLIAMENT SESSION ENDS IN CHAOS AS TURMOIL DEEPENS
Iraq's new parliament broke up in chaos Tuesday, with lawmakers threatening each other or walking out despite global calls for fractious politicians to form a government needed to face a Sunni militant onslaught.
After a break called to calm soaring tempers, so many Sunni and Kurdish deputies stayed away that the quorum was lost, so a speaker could not be elected as was constitutionally required, and the session ended in disarray.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's bid for a third term has been battered by the jihadist-led offensive that has seized large chunks of five provinces, adding fuel to dissatisfaction over persistent allegations of sectarianism and monopolising power.
The latest crisis has alarmed world leaders, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and polarised Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish populations.
The disunity quickly manifested itself in what was the opening session of a parliament elected in April, which included walkouts, threats and confusion over the constitution.
Kurdish lawmaker Najiba Najib initially interrupted efforts to select a new parliament speaker, calling on the federal government to "end the blockade" and send withheld budget funds to Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.
Kadhim al-Sayadi, a lawmaker in Shiite premier Maliki's bloc, responded by threatening to "crush the heads" of the country's autonomous Kurds, who look increasingly likely to push for independence.
That was reinforced when their leader, Massud Barzani, told the BBC they would hold a referendum within months on independence.
Some Sunni MPs walked out of the chamber when mention was made of the Islamic State (IS), the jihadist group leading the anti-government offensive, and enough Sunnis and Kurds did not return following a break that Tuesday's session was without a quorum.
Presiding MP Mahdi Hafez said the legislature would reconvene July 8 if political leaders are able to reach a deal on senior posts.
Under a de facto agreement, the prime minister is chosen from among Shiite Arabs, the speaker from Sunni Arabs and the president is a Kurd. All three posts are typically chosen in tandem.
It increasingly looks as if Maliki is on the way out.
The premier faces criticism from senior leaders in all three major communities over allegations of sectarianism, sidelining partners and a marked deterioration in security that culminated in the June 9 launch of the militant offensive.
Even so, Maliki's bloc won by far the most seats in April.
"This has become a much more competitive race for the premiership," said Ayham Kamel, Middle East and North Africa director for the Eurasia Group consultancy.
"The broad direction here is to be more inclusive, at least when it comes to the Sunni community, and figure out a power-sharing deal."
Though the vast majority of Iraq's Sunni Arab minority do not actively support the militants, analysts say their anger over alleged mistreatment by the Shiite-led authorities means they are less likely to cooperate with the security forces, fostering an environment in which militancy can flourish.
Kamel noted that any military successes could boost Maliki's chances, with thousands of troops taking part in an ambitious operation aimed at retaking the city of Tikrit, which fell on June 11.
Iraqi forces initially wilted in the face of the onslaught but have since performed more capably, with officials touting apparent progress toward recapturing the city.
However, the cost has been high. Nearly 900 security personnel were among the 2,400 people killed in June, the highest figure in years, according to the UN.
Loyalists are battling militants led by the IS, which Sunday declared a "caliphate," an Islamic form of government last seen under the Ottoman Empire, and ordered Muslims worldwide to pledge allegiance to their chief.
Though that may not have significant immediate effect on the ground, it is an indicator of the group's confidence and marks a move against Al-Qaeda, from which it broke away.
Iraq has appealed for the US to carry out air strikes against the jihadists. Washington, which further bolstered security at its embassy on Monday, has so far not acceded, and said planned deliveries of F-16 fighter jets could even be delayed.
Meanwhile, Baghdad has recently purchased more than a dozen Russian warplanes to bolster its fledgling air force as it takes the fight to militants holding a string of towns and cities.
State TV quoted Maliki's security spokesman Tuesday as saying the newly arrived Sukhoi ground attack jets, which are expected to be pressed into service as soon as possible, have already flown over Iraqi territory.
Source : Sapa-AFP /mr
Date : 01 Jul 2014 16:08
Iraq's new parliament broke up in chaos Tuesday, with lawmakers threatening each other or walking out despite global calls for fractious politicians to form a government needed to face a Sunni militant onslaught.
After a break called to calm soaring tempers, so many Sunni and Kurdish deputies stayed away that the quorum was lost, so a speaker could not be elected as was constitutionally required, and the session ended in disarray.
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's bid for a third term has been battered by the jihadist-led offensive that has seized large chunks of five provinces, adding fuel to dissatisfaction over persistent allegations of sectarianism and monopolising power.
The latest crisis has alarmed world leaders, displaced hundreds of thousands of people and polarised Iraq's Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish populations.
The disunity quickly manifested itself in what was the opening session of a parliament elected in April, which included walkouts, threats and confusion over the constitution.
Kurdish lawmaker Najiba Najib initially interrupted efforts to select a new parliament speaker, calling on the federal government to "end the blockade" and send withheld budget funds to Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.
Kadhim al-Sayadi, a lawmaker in Shiite premier Maliki's bloc, responded by threatening to "crush the heads" of the country's autonomous Kurds, who look increasingly likely to push for independence.
That was reinforced when their leader, Massud Barzani, told the BBC they would hold a referendum within months on independence.
Some Sunni MPs walked out of the chamber when mention was made of the Islamic State (IS), the jihadist group leading the anti-government offensive, and enough Sunnis and Kurds did not return following a break that Tuesday's session was without a quorum.
Presiding MP Mahdi Hafez said the legislature would reconvene July 8 if political leaders are able to reach a deal on senior posts.
Under a de facto agreement, the prime minister is chosen from among Shiite Arabs, the speaker from Sunni Arabs and the president is a Kurd. All three posts are typically chosen in tandem.
It increasingly looks as if Maliki is on the way out.
The premier faces criticism from senior leaders in all three major communities over allegations of sectarianism, sidelining partners and a marked deterioration in security that culminated in the June 9 launch of the militant offensive.
Even so, Maliki's bloc won by far the most seats in April.
"This has become a much more competitive race for the premiership," said Ayham Kamel, Middle East and North Africa director for the Eurasia Group consultancy.
"The broad direction here is to be more inclusive, at least when it comes to the Sunni community, and figure out a power-sharing deal."
Though the vast majority of Iraq's Sunni Arab minority do not actively support the militants, analysts say their anger over alleged mistreatment by the Shiite-led authorities means they are less likely to cooperate with the security forces, fostering an environment in which militancy can flourish.
Kamel noted that any military successes could boost Maliki's chances, with thousands of troops taking part in an ambitious operation aimed at retaking the city of Tikrit, which fell on June 11.
Iraqi forces initially wilted in the face of the onslaught but have since performed more capably, with officials touting apparent progress toward recapturing the city.
However, the cost has been high. Nearly 900 security personnel were among the 2,400 people killed in June, the highest figure in years, according to the UN.
Loyalists are battling militants led by the IS, which Sunday declared a "caliphate," an Islamic form of government last seen under the Ottoman Empire, and ordered Muslims worldwide to pledge allegiance to their chief.
Though that may not have significant immediate effect on the ground, it is an indicator of the group's confidence and marks a move against Al-Qaeda, from which it broke away.
Iraq has appealed for the US to carry out air strikes against the jihadists. Washington, which further bolstered security at its embassy on Monday, has so far not acceded, and said planned deliveries of F-16 fighter jets could even be delayed.
Meanwhile, Baghdad has recently purchased more than a dozen Russian warplanes to bolster its fledgling air force as it takes the fight to militants holding a string of towns and cities.
State TV quoted Maliki's security spokesman Tuesday as saying the newly arrived Sukhoi ground attack jets, which are expected to be pressed into service as soon as possible, have already flown over Iraqi territory.
Source : Sapa-AFP /mr
Date : 01 Jul 2014 16:08