IRAQ 3
 

UK just announced support for US involvement in Northern Iraq, to include surveillance, refuelling, and airdrop.


Good luck guys and gals.


BBC News - UK planes to drop emergency aid to Iraqi refugees

Ever hear of Operation Provide Comfort?
Operation Northern Watch?

US mucking about in Northern Iraq/Kurdish areas is old hat, old news, and no surprise.

Someday, I hope, Kurdistan will arise from the ashes of whatever is around it. Give them a shot at running their own place, just as
Bosniaka
Kosovars
Jews/Israelis
et al

have been given their chance to run their own show.

Can't see Turkey ever being happy about that

Yes thanks, been there, done that.


Apparently the Pentagon, MoD etc think this IS newsworthy.

Lapdogs.
 

Lapdogs still. For what practicable help the UK will really be here. Keep out and away.

Why is that HS? Is it just because it is OOR of any manned present (or future) RN asset? You seem mighty keen to promote anything going on, on the great Ogg or the shoreline!;)

OAP

And, meanwhile, POTUS starts air strikes on IS[IS] in Northern Iraq ... I'm just faintly puzzled that the US can go and start bombing people without a UN resolution.

Humanitarian issue? The fact that US Forces are nearby? "The War on Terror"? Or just trigger happy?

Perhaps I'm a bit tired of the US shooting everything?

TBH MPN, I would keep those opinions to yourself when "sometimes in KIAD";).

OAP

Or as requested by the elected leader of Iraq?

Just watched the British Def minister on BBC.

"We are there to support others (the US) and conduct food drops of our own"
or words to that effect.

to be honest, it Sounded like the UK was scrambling to wave the flag
and still be heard.

If food drops are required, why wait for the US ? Why not lead from the front
instead of looking like a lap dog ?

Or Iran.

Sovereign country asking for assistance, none of the UN's business.

Very much agree with 500N
 

Watching the TV news on Friday, I thought very much the same - sad posturing and flag waving from Britain - very little practical the UK can do right now that will seem to affect this. There is little America needs from us at all.
We haven't got the capability to muster large numbers of transport aircraft to drop supplies to the people in need. We haven't got bases to attack from ISIS from and the structure is no longer there for this sort of operation.


American bombing raids are being conducted by F18 fighter bombers from aircraft carriers in the Gulf.
UK government spokesman said we wouldn't be committing anything or anyone to a combat role.
Posting boxes of tea bags and "get well soon" cards would commence after the 5pm collection on Monday 11th August, he might have added, for all the help we will be.
Just as well because everything the west has done, in recent years, seems to have been a disaster for somebody else later on. Iraq, Afghanistan,Syria and Libya are now violent basket cases partly thanks to our servile support of American planning and policies over many years.
Everywhere I look, we seem to have ****** up, massively.

Mr Blair will sort it all out. Trust the envoy with a track record in the Middle East ! :ugh:

Oh good...

Britain considers bombing Iraq to avert genocide as hundreds of Yazidi women are taken captive and American carries out SECOND round of airstrikes against ISIS | Mail Online

Islamist militants vow to blow up embassies after Obama launches airstrikes | Mail Online

HS, Sorry but you are wrong again. The RAF can make supply drops there and, drop bombs there if the UKGov decrees. All without RN support.;)
Also, IMO, we could still have other core capabilities if the RAF wasn't wasting many £Billions on TWO new shiny supa-doopa aircraft projects that we didn't need yet, and the RN wasting many £Billions on two giant war canoes that will not actually do the job! :uhoh:

OAP

Yes, seems like a great idea.


What could go wrong.

Anyhow, nice to see that the BBC were up to their usual standard of talking about 'strikes carried out by two F/A-18s' while showing footage of... F-16s.:hmm:

Ah well, it was a fast pointy jet thing I suppose.

British aid plane takes off for Iraq
 

"A cargo plane has left RAF Brize Norton carrying British humanitarian aid to Iraq, the BBC understands."

BBC News - British aid plane takes off for Iraq

If the US had not removed Saddam Hussein in the first place and supported the removal of Assad in neighbouring Syria then we would not be in this mess. Sometimes its better sticking with the devil you know. Actions have consequences and what we see now is a direct result of Gulf War 2 and the attempts by the west to remove Assad. This whole thing is a disaster of our own making. From this point on there are no easy answers. It must be a lesson to us to think far more logically regarding foreign policy in future.