ISIS officially has 50,000 troops

[MD]

And it's growing. They started out with a few thousand
Islamic State 'has 50,000 fighters in Syria' - Middle East - Al Jazeera English


They also beheaded an American journalist
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/19/world/meast/isis-james-foley/

 

[Bunyip]

Yes, however much of ISIS troops are an untrained, undisciplined rabble.

They are not an army, they are a riot.

 

[MD]

Yes, however much of ISIS troops are an untrained, undisciplined rabble.

They are not an army, they are a riot.

They are beating back Assads alawite troops. They beat the Iraqi army. They were even defeating the Peshmerga, until the U.S. air strikes. They even defeated the Lebanese army during a battle they had.

They're not ragtag. I would say they are probably one of the better trained forces in the region and they continue to improve.

 

[MD]

Wiki puts them at 70,000

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Bunyip]

They are beating back Assads alawite troops. They beat the Iraqi army. They were even defeating the Peshmerga, until the U.S. air strikes. They even defeated the Lebanese army during a battle they had.

They're not ragtag. I would say they are probably one of the better trained forces in the region and they continue to improve.

An excellent summation, time will tell.

 

[s2a]

Then numbers dictates our entire future!

Convert while you can!

Or, not...

*geez*

 

[Phil25]

A well organized and well trained force. Many of its fighters have had previous experience in fighting in Syria. ISIS is a definetely a force to be reckoned with. Taking them lightly would be a grave mistake.

 

[Bunyip]

Then numbers dictates our entire future!

Convert while you can!

Or, not...

*geez*

I would imagine that much of ISIS would evaporate under airstrikes. That is why Al Qaeda had so little infrastructure - it had no targets to attack.

ISIS wants to be a government, a state - and so unlike Al Qaeda it cannot function without infrastructure and is thus vulnerable.

 

[Avi1001]

They also beheaded an American journalist
ISIS beheading U.S. journalist James Foley, posts video - CNN.com

Very sad and gruesome.

They are trying to draw us in again.

The real message is to pull all Americans out of these dangerous, crazy places.

And, we have a great deal to learn about assymetric warfare. It seems it is going to be the winning strategy of the 21st century.

 

[Bunyip]

Very sad and gruesome.

They are trying to draw us in again.

The real message is to pull all Americans out of these dangerous, crazy places.

And, we have a great deal to learn about assymetric warfare. It seems it is going to be the winning strategy of the 21st century.

Indeed. The myth of peace through superior firepower has been categorically debunked.

 

[Avi1001]

Indeed. The myth of peace through superior firepower has been categorically debunked.

Correct, and yet we are moving our traditional forces right back in. How could we have learned so little, in the 13 years since 911?

 

[Bunyip]

Correct, and yet we are moving our traditional forces right back in. How could we have learned so little, in the 13 years since 911?

Sadly governments tend to act like spoiled children as opposed to adults, people do learn - but our leadership seems to represent the worst of us, rather than the best.

Watch how fast the world will change when you can 3d print a missile, the balance of power is shifting back to the populace - and governments across the earth are terrified.

 

[MD]

Then numbers dictates our entire future!

Convert while you can!

Or, not...

*geez*

This is the Middle Eastern debate section and they are a growing army, which definitely will change the future of the region.

Their strength went up by a factor of 10 in 3 months. If that rate continues they will be a million man army in another 3 months. I don't think it will but just to keep things to perspective.

 

[MD]

Very sad and gruesome.

They are trying to draw us in again.

The real message is to pull all Americans out of these dangerous, crazy places.

And, we have a great deal to learn about assymetric warfare. It seems it is going to be the winning strategy of the 21st century.

If they wanted to draw the U.S. they would have continued putting pressure on their push into Kurdistan.

The journalist beheading was to scare other journalists away from reporting against them.

 

[MD]

I would imagine that much of ISIS would evaporate under airstrikes. That is why Al Qaeda had so little infrastructure - it had no targets to attack.

ISIS wants to be a government, a state - and so unlike Al Qaeda it cannot function without infrastructure and is thus vulnerable.

If they are too exposed they hide in civilian areas, that way if any are killed in air strikes civilians will die as well and the general anger of the populace increases.

 

[Bunyip]

If they are too exposed they hide in civilian areas, that way if any are killed in air strikes civilians will die as well and the general anger of the populace increases.

Sure -but if they become the established government then they must have airports, military bases, power plants etc etc etc.

All of which are targetable. That is the difference between terrorist insurgencies and governments.Al Qaeda offered no target.

 

[Avi1001]

If they are too exposed they hide in civilian areas, that way if any are killed in air strikes civilians will die as well and the general anger of the populace increases.

Air strikes will not work. Ground forces will not work. We need to develop a new type of armed forces.

 

[Bunyip]

Air strikes will not work. Ground forces will not work. We need to develop a new type of armed forces.

Or conversely we need to seek consent and cooperation rather than thinking that force will always make people obey,

 

[Phil25]

How do you plan to cooperate with ISIS?

 

[MD]

Sure -but if they become the established government then they must have airports, military bases, power plants etc etc etc.

All of which are targetable. That is the difference between terrorist insurgencies and governments.Al Qaeda offered no target.

This is true, which is why ISIS can never stay and consolidate. It will constantly be looking to expand into other neighboring countries. The U.S. can attack them in Iraq. But if it attacks them in several ME countries, that's pretty much a war between USA and the Middle East.

Which will escalate FAST.