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US Shift to "Annihilation" Tactics on ISIS

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Sun May 28, 2017 at 07:13:24 PM EST
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James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, said today on CBS' Face the Nation that the U.S. is shifting to "annihilation tactics" on ISIS.

“We have already shifted from attrition tactics, where we shove them from one position to another in Iraq and Syria, to annihilation tactics where we surround them. Our intention is that the foreign fighters do not survive the fight to return home to North Africa, to Europe, to America, to Asia, to Africa. We’re not going to allow them to do so. We’re going to stop them there and take apart the caliphate.”

He also said civilian deaths are to be expected.

“Civilian casualties are a fact of life in this sort of situation....“We’re not the perfect guys, but we are the good guys. And so we’re doing what we can.”

[More...]

Mattis went on to say that after we annihilate them in the physical sense, which he expects to take a long time, the U.S. and other countries will focus on the virtual world.

“We have got to dry up their recruiting,” he said. “We have got to dry up their fundraising. The way we intend to do it is to humiliate them, to divorce them from any nation giving them protection, and humiliating their message of hatred, of violence. Anyone who kills women and children is not devout. They … cannot dress themselves up in false religious garb and say that somehow this message has dignity.”

What about the 100 civilians killed by the U.S. airstrike in March?

“We believe we found residue that was not consistent with our bomb. So we believe that what happened there was that Isis had stored munitions in a residential location. Showing, once again, the callous disregard that has characterized every operation they have run.”

Does the U.S. take responsibility for anything? No, because it's the "good guys."

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    US Shift to "Annihilation" Tactics on ISIS | 7 comments (7 topical)

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    Same Old, Same Old (none / 0) (#1)
    by RickyJim on Sun May 28, 2017 at 09:40:27 PM EST
    For every one annihilated, 2 pop up as replacements.  Mattis should know better.

    War, glorious war... (none / 0) (#2)
    by desertswine on Sun May 28, 2017 at 11:03:55 PM EST
    Forever.

    D. Eisenhower (none / 0) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon May 29, 2017 at 06:19:29 PM EST
    Military industrial complex speech.

    UNTIL THE LATEST of our world conflicts, the United States had no armaments industry.

    AMERICAN MAKERS of plowshares could, with time and as required, make swords as well.

    But now we can no longer risk emergency improvisation of national defense; we have been compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions.

    Added to this, three and a half million men and women are directly engaged in the defense establishment.

    WE ANNUALLY spend on military security more than the net income of all United States Corporations.

    THIS CONJUNCTION of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience.

    The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government.

    We recognize the imperative need for this development.

    Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications.




    Parent
    That's how you boost the economy (none / 0) (#3)
    by Lora on Mon May 29, 2017 at 08:25:34 AM EST
    War bucks. And better if you can rally the masses around a popular cause.  I mean, who doesn't want to get rid of ISIS?  I mean, I want to get rid of ISIS. Don't you???

    He (Trump and mouthpieces) could care less about the blatant hypocrisy of "good guys" killing women and children.

    Typical mentality today among the Trump diehards.  The ends justify the means.  And you know, good-old-boy battles and fights are fun, right? Punch 'em out, he-man style. The movies don't show any collateral damage.

    France just joined us (none / 0) (#5)
    by Militarytracy on Mon May 29, 2017 at 07:46:22 PM EST
    Their special forces are hunting ISIS members who are French citizens. They want them dead, not returning to France.

    GBI (none / 0) (#6)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 30, 2017 at 02:47:04 PM EST
    Ground Based Interceptor being tested at this very moment in an attempt to shoot down an ICBM.

    its on its way.

    catchy name (none / 0) (#7)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue May 30, 2017 at 02:55:06 PM EST
    Vandenberg to launch first test of ICBM intercept and `upgraded kill vehicle'



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    US Shift to "Annihilation" Tactics on ISIS | 7 comments (7 topical)

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