Enlightened men and Russian bombers

Submitted by Michael S (United States), Nov 24, 2015 at 06:23

Hi, Moh. You said,

I know that if France, Russia and the US (and possibly the RAAF for good measure! ) started bombing basically unarmed cities (not counting rifles) and towns here, backed up by a few battalions of Peshmerga on the ground, - a surrender would be achievable in a short time.

The only "surrender" the Caliphate is likely to give the Russians, is a face-saving opportunity for the Russkies to leave them alone. Russia has already systematically leveled Raqqa, a city of 200,000; and I doubt that ISIS dead were more than 2000 -- which can be replenished within a few weeks by zealous volunteers from abroad.

You must be in New South Wales or South Australia. Iraq is bigger than Victoria. In American terms, Syria and Iraq combined are just a little smaller than Texas. Syria alone is about the size of the State of Washington. At any rate, the US is far more powerful than Russia; and we were unable to hold South Vietnam -- which is smaller than Syria.

The Peshmerga? They are allied with Turkey, and hence connected with ISIS. It is the PKK and YPG who are doing most of the fighting against the Caliphate. Even so, the latter have no desire to take and hold cities like Raqqa. At best, the place is destined to become a UN refugee camp. I doubt that its Sunni inhabitants will live peaceably under Assad. If he remains in power, I expect vengeance to fall upon the people of Raqqa, big time. Turkish intervention is a real possibility (cf Ezekiel 38-39).

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