They are just moving them to the next desired mean point of impact. It's a bit like weapon to target matching, just done the other way around.

----------
I wonder who the reporter is referring to, and where that quote comes from. I was under the impression that 'kill or capture' was the RoE around Mosul, but perhaps I am guessing badly. A source would be interesting.
Might they simply have caught the various forces in and around Mosul by surprise by moving *when* they did? Most of the forces trying to take Mosuls are focused on the problem in Iraq, their turf, not what's going on in Syria.
Take a look at this from an Iraqi local commander's perspective: if they flee Mosul, that's one less bunch of people I have to fight with this lashed together coalition trying to recapture the town. Don't send your precious air strikes off after those who are fleeing, I need those sorties over here. (Here being somewhere in or around Mosul.
One wonders at what went on, and why airstrikes on the moving units were not taken as attacks of opportunity? :confused:

This is what the U.S. Commander (Townsend) had to say on ISIS leaving for Palmyra...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=b89_1481779907
Calling the Syrians "Russian Proxies" was very calculating.

Is it not beyond the realms of probability that in this instance the U.S. used Daesh as their proxies? So many thousands of fighters and vehicles, traveling out of a combat zone across a desert, without being detected and countered? The excuse of being in Syria does not wash, it hasn't stopped operations there over the last few years.

Campaign Medal for Op Shader?
 

OK, so it was reported in the Mirror but..

Give RAF heroes campaign medal for fighting ISIS, says Labour Shadow Defence Secretary - Mirror Online

Not heard anything concrete or rumours in the crew room.

Rex Tillerson - Secretary of State - press conference this evening.

Question: "Would you and president Trump organise a coalition to remove Assad from office"

Answer: "Those negotiations are underway".......

Homs - TLAMs
 

A brace of at leasr 50 on their way... or already landed says Reuters.
This from the NYT.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/06/w...=top-news&_r=0

Much discussion on Fox News right now (1908 here in Phoenix, AZ).

It seems the US knew where the CBW strikes were launched from, and has checked no Russian aircraft were on site. Overnight attack to minimise impact of personnel at their workplace. No suggestion Putin was advised beforehand, but then monitoriting would have given them enough clues it was coming. USN destroyers had been training for 2 days before the launch.

Interesting timing for President Xi at Mar-del-Lago, who might see President Trump in a different light now.

Oh dear!
 

The US has just "delivered" 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles to a Syrian Air Force Base. Hang on to your seats...

And then we have this;
Syria war: US launches missile strikes in response to chemical 'attack' - BBC News
f

Fox News now saying 59 Tomahawks used.

Hang on to your seats, this could be the beginning of something dramatic. I really hope not...

They asked ASS ad to sign the receipt to verify delivery but he wans't there. Maybe next delivery will be to his home at 3AM ?? lone can hope !! :cool:

CONSO
 

I was hoping for that quite some years ago now. The man is pure evil. I'm sure they knew exactly where he was and could have done so if they desired... All a bit late now, wonder how the hell the Russians are going to respond to this? :uhoh:

It was said here by the Russian media that the Russian military were informed shortly before the strike and they were assured that the parts of this base where their personnel might be located would not be hit.
Military wise I wonder why that many missiles were launched (59)? Are Tomahawks so ineffective? Are USN just getting rid of some items with ended life cycle? Raytheon cannot sell new ones before the stock is reduced?

Raytheon share price up 0.53%...most tomahawks launched in one day for nearly 20 years. 'A measured response' :D

Maybe there were 59 targets?!

https://pbs-h2.twimg.com/media/C8xst95XcAU5wjX.jpg

Pentagon Statement.

At the direction of the president, U.S. forces conducted a cruise missile strike against a Syrian Air Force airfield today at about 8:40 p.m. EDT (4:40 a.m., April 7, in Syria). The strike targeted Shayrat Airfield in Homs governorate, and was in response to the Syrian government's chemical weapons attack April 4 in Khan Sheikhoun, which killed or injured hundreds of innocent Syrian people, including women and children.

The strike was conducted using Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) launched from the destroyers USS Porter and USS Ross in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. A total of 59 TLAMs targeted aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems, and radars. As always, the U.S. took extraordinary measures to avoid civilian casualties and to comply with the Law of Armed Conflict. Every precaution was taken to execute this strike with minimal risk to personnel at the airfield.

The strike was a proportional response to Assad's heinous act. Shayrat Airfield was used to store chemical weapons and Syrian air forces. The U.S. intelligence community assesses that aircraft from Shayrat conducted the chemical weapons attack on April 4. The strike was intended to deter the regime from using chemical weapons again.

Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line. U.S. military planners took precautions to minimize risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield.

We are assessing the results of the strike. Initial indications are that this strike has severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft and support infrastructure and equipment at Shayrat Airfield, reducing the Syrian Government's ability to deliver chemical weapons. The use of chemical weapons against innocent people will not be tolerated.

Business as usual: no proof (here about chemicals), blame your enemy for whatever happens in the world and arrange a strike.

"Déjà vu" in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Lybia, etc.

IS and so-called rebels often used chemicals both in Syria and Iraq (either self-made or stolen long ago from the regime before they were eleminated) but these facts were ignored and not broadcast in western "mainstream media". IMHO, it does not sound absurd that some of their stocks was blown up during the bombardment and poisoned an area around. However, I do not line out the possibility of the Assad's men involved (don't like that guy). In fact, it looks not so difficult to investigate what actually blew up that contained sarin (or whatever was inside), but who bothers? The side to be blamed was assigned in advance.

Erm...... apart from the fact that gadaffi admitted to having chemical weapons, and then agreed to get rid of the (2004) and asked for foreign assistance transporting them out of the country (2014). But I'm sure you knew that!

Saddam also gassed plenty of Kurds. Remember?

As for Yugoslavia...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/721644.stm