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New development.

Boko Haram pledging allegiance to ISIS.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31784538

 Grey Templar wrote:
New development.

Boko Haram pledging allegiance to ISIS.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31784538

How great. Just when you think things can't get any worse. At least Al Qaida and ISIS still hate each other. Right? I'd never thought I'd say something like this, but ISIS and Boko Haram make Al Qaida and the Chechens look like nice, reasonable guys.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:
New development.

Boko Haram pledging allegiance to ISIS.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31784538

How great. Just when you think things can't get any worse. At least Al Qaida and ISIS still hate each other. Right? I'd never thought I'd say something like this, but ISIS and Boko Haram make Al Qaida and the Chechens look like nice, reasonable guys.

Yeah, it's odd to think that the terrorist groups of a decade or more ago are starting to look like the small guys.

 Soladrin wrote:

Yeah, it's odd to think that the terrorist groups of a decade or more ago are starting to look like the small guys.

Remember the good old days when all we had to worry about was being assassinated by the CIA/MOSSAD, blown up by either the UDF or IRA, shot by FARC, brainwashed by the KGB, or held hostage by the PLO?

I miss those days.

 Grey Templar wrote:
New development.

Boko Haram pledging allegiance to ISIS.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31784538

Glad to know the Obama administration talked about how the world is much safer. I'd be concerned otherwise.

 BaronIveagh wrote:

 Soladrin wrote:

Yeah, it's odd to think that the terrorist groups of a decade or more ago are starting to look like the small guys.

Remember the good old days when all we had to worry about was being assassinated by the CIA/MOSSAD, blown up by either the UDF or IRA, shot by FARC, brainwashed by the KGB, or held hostage by the PLO?

I miss those days.

Me too. We didn't have whole sale slaughter of villages back then.

 Soladrin wrote:

 BaronIveagh wrote:

 Soladrin wrote:

Yeah, it's odd to think that the terrorist groups of a decade or more ago are starting to look like the small guys.

Remember the good old days when all we had to worry about was being assassinated by the CIA/MOSSAD, blown up by either the UDF or IRA, shot by FARC, brainwashed by the KGB, or held hostage by the PLO?

I miss those days.

Me too. We didn't have whole sale slaughter of villages back then.

Or mass public beheadings.

If it was not for the fact that these groups are well and truly horrifically real...I would joke by saying..

The must sit around and make a evil check list..beheadings....burning people....slavery....selling organs....destroying art and artifacts..
And when this is all over they will just cash in on all the movie rights and video game likeness..because they have made themselves the most naughty badguys of this century...so far.

Depressing.....

 Iron_Captain wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:
New development.

Boko Haram pledging allegiance to ISIS.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31784538

How great. Just when you think things can't get any worse. At least Al Qaida and ISIS still hate each other. Right? I'd never thought I'd say something like this, but ISIS and Boko Haram make Al Qaida and the Chechens look like nice, reasonable guys.

Chechens killed children and they cut heads off like ISIS. Al Qaeda are the good guys, they just blow people up, none of the really nasty stuff for them, too time consuming anyway.

What ever happened to the girls Boko Haram took?

A few escaped, a few were released, but I believe most are still in captivity or unknown.

Computron wrote:
Al Qaeda are the good guys, they just blow people up, none of the really nasty stuff for them, too time consuming anyway.

Al-Zarqawi (were he still alive) would disagree.

Strictly speaking they all think they're the 'good guys', it tends to be their opposition (us) that tend to disagree.

Its an interesting situation though, iraq aside the whole region has had a push of destabilization in the last 10 years. Arafat got assassinated, Mubarik was forced out of office, Ghaddafi was executed by militants. Who am i forgetting? It sort of reeks of a co-ordinated effort, which makes me wonder how ISIS is really involved in all of it. Are they the masterminds, or just a front?

FFS

 CptJake wrote:

Computron wrote:
Al Qaeda are the good guys, they just blow people up, none of the really nasty stuff for them, too time consuming anyway.

Al-Zarqawi (were he still alive) would disagree.

Well, debateably, ISIL has moved the bar on what "really nasty stuff" is past beheadings.

At this point ISIS have reached James Bond level of villain. I really wouldn't be surprised if they had pools filled with alligators and sharks and were taking lessons in moustache twirling.

 Iron_Captain wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:
New development.

Boko Haram pledging allegiance to ISIS.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-31784538

How great. Just when you think things can't get any worse. At least Al Qaida and ISIS still hate each other. Right? I'd never thought I'd say something like this, but ISIS and Boko Haram make Al Qaida and the Chechens look like nice, reasonable guys.

Actually Boko is being attacked by multiple nations right now and are on the defensive. This is a desperation PR move.

 Howard A Treesong wrote:
http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-31760656

Destroying the history and culture of a country now. Are they so threatened by archaeological sites that depict other religions that they must destroy them? If you act like savages people will assume you're savages.

Just like the Taliban did before ISIS existed; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhas_of_Bamiyan

 BaronIveagh wrote:

ThatSwellFella wrote:
And apparently they are recruiting from bosnia for quite some time(most of you don't give a damn about it but consider the fact that Bosnia is next To Croatia, you get it..).

Someone should tell Putin they're poaching his mercenaries.

LOL

Looks like that didn't last long, although admittedly longer than I thought.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/iraqi-offensive-for-tikrit-stalls-as-islamic-state-inflicts-casualties/2015/03/16/258a6dec-cb58-11e4-8730-4f473416e759_story.html

Why don't they just encircle the town and move on? Where's Guderian when you need him?

Your to use to seeing victory from US Military ground forces.

Rise of terrorism is obviously disadvantageous for the civilian population. But I wonder just how advantageous it would be for the more civilized part of the world for the Middle East to remain destabilized. I'm talking about governments and military specifically. And me being American, I wonder how advantageous it would be for us in particular.

It does prevent the rise of a strong islamic power in the region, which would be problematic for all of western civilization.

The big issue is determining if ISIS is just another destabilizing element or are they the beginning of that strong central power.

 Grey Templar wrote:
It does prevent the rise of a strong islamic power in the region, which would be problematic for all of western civilization.

The big issue is determining if ISIS is just another destabilizing element or are they the beginning of that strong central power.

Given their barbarity, we hardly want that strong central power. They'll make Nazi Germany look like playground bullies.

Yup. Definitely bad news all around. Its fortunate they have such internal strive making unification difficult, but the right leader or circumstances could lead to it happening.

Former Air Force mechanic just got popped for trying to join ISIS.


Edit

He ETS out in '98

Man, are people really stupid to where they don't believe all the stuff being said about ISIS or are they really that on-board with their philosophy?

 Grey Templar wrote:
It does prevent the rise of a strong islamic power in the region, which would be problematic for all of western civilization.

Saudi Arabia diesn't count?

To be fair though, one of the reasons Nazi Germany was so dangerous was because they were a result of rationalism gone bad. Despite making up the whole deal with "Jewish science", Nazi Germany still had more than enough brilliant scientists and thinkers to be a credible threat and to organize the mass extermination of the Jews.

Meanwhile, unless ISIS manages to somehow become really good at administrating their territory, they're only going to have nominal control of their territories. As far as I know scientists aren't exactly lining up to join ISIS, and the whole "Western education is a sin!" deal isn't going to help them get competent administrators at all.


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 Shadow Captain Edithae wrote:

 Grey Templar wrote:
It does prevent the rise of a strong islamic power in the region, which would be problematic for all of western civilization.

Saudi Arabia diesn't count?

Or Iran, for that matter.

The Saudis are too dependent on us buying their oil. Much like China, war is not in their interest.

At worst, some Saudis will fund terror organizations and countries but they'll never join up openly. Not till the oil dries up or we no longer need it. Once they stop selling oil their economy would go belly up quite fast.

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:
To be fair though, one of the reasons Nazi Germany was so dangerous was because they were a result of rationalism gone bad. Despite making up the whole deal with "Jewish science", Nazi Germany still had more than enough brilliant scientists and thinkers to be a credible threat and to organize the mass extermination of the Jews.

Meanwhile, unless ISIS manages to somehow become really good at administrating their territory, they're only going to have nominal control of their territories. As far as I know scientists aren't exactly lining up to join ISIS, and the whole "Western education is a sin!" deal isn't going to help them get competent administrators at all.

Do you see ISIS being successful if they manage their territory in a similar manner to Hamas?