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American soldier killed in effort to free Islamic State captives

Oct 22, 2015 3:38 pm By Robert Spencer

The first U.S. soldier killed in Iraq since 2011. The captives were facing “mass execution.” Why mount these dangerous half-measure operations at all, instead of taking genuine action to destroy the Islamic State, as Obama promised to do?

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“First American soldier killed in Iraq since official end of combat in 2011,” by Mustafa Salim, Missy Ryan and Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Washington Post, October 22, 2015:

BAGHDAD —Elite American and Kurdish forces raided an Islamic State prison in northern Iraq on Thursday, freeing about 70 captives facing “mass execution” and leaving one U.S. commando dead, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.

The raid marked the first time a member of the U.S. military had been killed in a combat situation in Iraq since the United States launched its campaign against the Islamic State last year.

U.S. Special Forces have staged several raids on Islamic State compounds in northern Syria, but Thursday’s predawn raid was the first of its kind against the jihadist group in northern Iraq.

The operation by the Army’s Delta Force also highlighted the U.S. military’s close cooperation with Kurdish rather than Iraqi federal forces, a move likely to anger the central government in Baghdad. In the past, Iraqi leaders have sparred with Kurds over growing Kurdish power, oil revenue sharing and political independence in their northern enclave.

The Special Operations forces and Kurdish peshmerga troops launched the operation early on Thursday to rescue hostages who “faced imminent mass execution,” Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said.

In a statement, Cook said that U.S. helicopters flew the Kurdish forces to the town of Hawija, well south of Iraq’s largely autonomous Kurdish region. The hostages freed included more than 20 members of Iraqi security forces, Cook said. Five Islamic State militants were captured and at least 10 were killed.

The Kurdish Regional Government said that none of the 69 freed captives were Kurdish, contradicting earlier claims by other Kurdish officials. The Pentagon placed the number of freed prisoners at 70.

One U.S. service member died from wounds suffered when Islamic State forces opened fire on the Kurdish and American forces, Cook said. Four peshmerga were wounded….

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Filed Under: Featured, Iraq, Islamic State (aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) Tagged With: Baghdad


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Comments

  1. Cornelius says

    Oct 22, 2015 at 3:50 pm

    ROBERT: The first U.S. soldier killed in Iraq since 2011. The captives were facing “mass execution.” Why mount these dangerous half-measure operations at all, instead of taking genuine action to destroy the Islamic State, as Obama promised to do?

    This is my only problem with the anti-Jihad. We wisely counsel against getting involved in Islam’s age-old internecine power struggles….and then we turn around and castigate Obama for not doing more to fight this faction or that faction.

    I’m a true disciple of Robert’s….but I’m waiting for him to clear up this seeming incongruity. Should we get into a full scale war against ISIS…or not?

    • Angemon says

      Oct 22, 2015 at 4:23 pm

      Cornelius posted:

      “This is my only problem with the anti-Jihad. We wisely counsel against getting involved in Islam’s age-old internecine power struggles….and then we turn around and castigate Obama for not doing more to fight this faction or that faction. ”

      Cornelius, the islamic state is not limited to fight other islamic groups for local supremacy. It has declared war on the West and muslims pledging allegiance to it have murdered people in Western nations.

    • Alarmed Pig Farmer says

      Oct 22, 2015 at 4:59 pm

      Why mount these dangerous half-measure operations at all, instead of taking genuine action to destroy the Islamic State.

      Never mentioned by anybody, including the military analysts on Fox RINO, is just what a full-measure operation would be. What must be done to defeat ISIS? The answer is that the war must be taken to the population in Syria, western Iraq and now Libya. Moslem activists (aka terrorists or Mujahidin) have always embedded in local populations, and are able to do so because the locals agree with them in principle. Defeating ISIS is a dream unless the civilized world is prepared to unleash major violent force door to door from Mosul to Benghazi. And look for that range to rapidly grow in all four directions. No civilized nation is willing to do that. For example, will Germany support us in that endeavor even as it’s in the throes of self-Islamizing? I don’t think so.

      • pennant8 says

        Oct 22, 2015 at 5:53 pm

        You are right about our reluctance to mount a full measure attack, aka Patton style attack, against ISIS or any of the other alphabet soup jihadist groups. We have a military force deployed to the Middle East equal in size to some of the largest campaigns in WWII, yet nearly all the actual combat is carried out by small unit/special forces groups. This is reflected in the post 9/11 war movies. Films like The Hurt Locker, Lone Survivor, and American sniper.

        We got into the habit of building and hunkering down inside fortified outposts reminiscent cavalry forts on our western frontier back during the Vietnam War. Somehow I can’t imagine any of our WWII generals putting up with such a strategy.

        • worldcitizen1919 says

          Oct 23, 2015 at 12:07 am

          The problem is there’s an election in 2016 and if American troops are put on the ground before then the Democrats will be ousted for certain. Obama got elected on withdrawing the troops so it doesn’t matter how many get beheaded all that’s important is that Hillary wins.

          That’s why ISIS use beheadings to turn populations against war. The only way they can be defeated is by boots on the ground but can you imagine what videos of beheadings of American troops will do to American streets? Millions will be out in protest against the war so it’s political suicide to send troops in, so SIS will grow stronger.

          The danger is that ISIS can spread the conflict throughout the whole Middle East and we have WW3.

    • Aron says

      Oct 23, 2015 at 12:26 am

      SMOKE SCREEN OPS HAVE BEGUN TO RELOCATE ISIS
      Isis is in deep trouble and in verge of swift dramatic collapse.
      Obama and Pro-Jihadi western powers now need to rescue the ISIS, provide them with a sanctuary and immunity from ruthless Russian hot pursuit.
      Presto!
      US special ops rebegin ostentatiously with Kurds.
      What would follow is- “US tells Russia to keep off Iraqi air space even if Iraqis request for extension of their air strikes into Iraq.
      We will mop up ISIS here in Iraq and Russia must keep off.
      Air space ‘incidents’ will be staged- involving fighter jets or installations of west.
      At all cost- ISIS must escape with its top thugs into Iraq say Mosul.
      Obama administration will then continue to provide the needful for their recovery and rebuilding kept immune from Russian pursuit inside Iraq.
      These special ops are just those smoke screen behind which desperate salvaging of the crumbling ISIS will begin.

  2. Alarmed Pig Farmer says

    Oct 22, 2015 at 4:52 pm

    Back in the Vietnam protest days the leftists screamed that America’s not the world’s policeman. Now, in fact, we are. Where are soldiers from other developed nations in the battle against ISIS? Nobody from China, or Canada, or Down Under, or from anywhere in Europe or Scandinavia. Russia only has pilots in there along with some ground support troops, and they’re not fighting ISIS they supporting Bashar Assad.

    America is being left out on the limb, taking the responsibility for the free world. Meanwhile, the free world is purposefully making itself less so. Worst of all, you can’t win against Moslems, nobody ever has or ever will. All you can do is cauterize the running suppurated sore and hope to isolate the infection. Instead we’re injecting it into our bloodstream.

    ***

    Kudos to Trey Parker and Matt Stone for their movie Team America: World Police. It had Moslems as the entity that needed constant policing. Too bad they did that spoof on South Park about the Holy Prophet that never got aired, and that the TV show is now hands off when in comes to the world’s biggest problem. Another loss in a long line of them. The threat and terror of personal injury or death is a powerful tool, and the Holy Prophet unleashed that on the world sometime during the 630s. It has only grown as a world influence since, and has metastasized over the last 10 or 20 yrs.

    • Peggy says

      Oct 22, 2015 at 11:54 pm

      ” Russia only has pilots in there along with some ground support troops, and they’re not fighting ISIS they supporting Bashar Assad”
      ==========================
      Seeing how Assad is fighting ISIS, supporting him is fighting ISIS. Obama is supporting ISIS by hindering Assad and placing Muslim Brotherhood people in top positions there. Also sending weapons which surprise, surprise end up in the hands of ISIS.

      .

      • Ernie says

        Oct 23, 2015 at 7:33 am

        Right Peggy , supporting the Ba’ath government of Syria/ Bashar elAssad is fighting Islamic State . But what about all other TERRORISTS ? I consider The Islamic Republic of Iran a major sponsor and executive of ( Shiíte ) terrorism the world over , and Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation . Iran and Hezbollah ( Shiíte ) are EVIL Peggy ( as are ALL Sunni sponsors and executives of TERRORISM , Western governments/politicians/mass media and the Left in general included .) . Pandora’s box has been opened , EVIL is fighting Evil . Sunni Islam fighting Shiíte Islam and visa versa . The West supporting Sunni’s ; Russia ( and China ) supporting Shiítes . Sunni’s and Shiítes both hate Christians and Jews , and are our ENEMIES .

  3. mortimer says

    Oct 22, 2015 at 5:47 pm

    The US will have to approve of a separate Kurdish homeland. They deserve it after fighting valiantly.

    • Jay Boo says

      Oct 23, 2015 at 1:55 am

      Thanks to Putin for embarrassing Obama to take on ISIS.
      But none of the 69 freed captives were Kurdish which Obama probably knew because Ankara and Bagdad will only permit Obama so much leeway.

      • underbed cat says

        Oct 23, 2015 at 11:12 am

        When I read this, and found out they had bad intelligence on who were the hostages. I thought that it seems very dangerous for our troops anywhere…..sent on a mission to rescue( but never Christians or Jews) that could be releasing soilders that could turn of the U.S, military rescuers like a trojan horse, and for one American it already did. What would have happened if the hostages were armed and 70 armed men came out shooting. ?????

        Another toothy grin?????

    • yohanan says

      Oct 24, 2015 at 7:46 am

      A fuller measure, a “genuine action to destroy the Islamic State”, is made up of such tactical actions. The raid on the ISIS prison is a big achievement and highly symbolic victory whoever the freed prisoners and hostages are. Respect for the Delta Force, condolences for the family of the anonymous fallen soldier.

      Military aid to the Kurds is not wasted or lost. With support, the Kurds may win more than their autonomy despite Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran, big powers etc.

      http://rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/221020153

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazidis#Persecution_by_the_Islamic_State_of_Iraq_and_the_Levant_.28ISIL.29

  4. johnrowe1 says

    Oct 22, 2015 at 6:36 pm

    Remove the UN agreement,
    Send in my Clan
    and make them all worm dirt

    JOHN ROWE (USMC) tell’em the leather-necks are coming

  5. Matthieu Baudin says

    Oct 22, 2015 at 10:06 pm

    Still, the soldier who gave his life is a hero of mine as are the others who took part in the ‘hands on’ part of the operation.

    • Peggy says

      Oct 22, 2015 at 11:58 pm

      Yes, these men are genuine heroes. It’s a shame that Obama isn’t serious about getting rid of MB or ISIS and keeps ordering these highly risky missions which won’t do anything to subdue ISIS and will put these men’s lives in danger.
      I think it’s great that they managed to save the prisoners but they might not have had to do that if Obama pulled his finger out and engaged ISIS from the very beginning instead of aiding them.
      For the brave soldier who gave his life I have the utmost respect and gratitude but I feel he was let down by his country.

  6. BC says

    Oct 23, 2015 at 6:03 am

    As he was special forces he will no doubt remain anonymous, but will Obama hail him, I wait with baited breath

  7. Daniel Triplett says

    Oct 23, 2015 at 6:56 am

    May The Lord care for this brave soldier’s soul. May we as a nation care for his widow and orphans.

    Operations like this are just plugging the hole in the dike with a finger.

    Bring all US troops and American civilian personnel home, then let nukes do the fighting for us.

    • David Scoltock says

      Oct 24, 2015 at 2:02 am

      Completely stupid and ignorant suggestion.

      I love how people harp on about nukes while knowing NOTHING about them and the political, social and enviromental consequences of their use.

      An American nuclear attack on any nation is the end of America. The US will become Iran, crippled by sanctions, ignored by the world and leaving Russia and China as the sole superpowers.

      • Daniel Triplett says

        Oct 24, 2015 at 3:15 am

        “Completely stupid and ignorant suggestion.

        I love how people harp on about nukes while knowing NOTHING about them and the political, social and enviromental consequences of their use.

        An American nuclear attack on any nation is the end of America. The US will become Iran, crippled by sanctions, ignored by the world and leaving Russia and China as the sole superpowers.”

        Really??

        I learned about nukes and winning wars as a 21 year USAF Officer/pilot and 6 year war vet.

        How did you gain your genius knowledge of using nuclear weapons and their affects?

        When and where did you serve in combat to gain your superior knowledge of how this whole jihad thing with the Muslims works?

        And please, explain your plan to me for defeating the Islamic threat. I’m waiting…go ahead.

        You’ve obviously never read my FULL strategy, beyond my simple one-line remark above? You just like shooting your mouth off like a fool.

        You’re naïve, and horribly disrespectful.

        • David Scoltock says

          Oct 24, 2015 at 5:03 am

          Give your brain a chance and scroll down.

          Strategic nukes would cause too much damage and would effect our allies ( like Israel). Tac nukes are useless as cinventional thermobaric warheads do the same damage without the drawbacks (moabs).

          Add in the political and economic ramifications and any one who seriously considers nukes as a viable weapon is a complete idiot.

  8. David Scoltock says

    Oct 24, 2015 at 1:59 am

    They should of done the job properly the first time.

    After the occupation of Germany, the Marshal plan funneled the resources required to fix Germany and the troops where put in place to properly secure and occupy the nation. The result is a democratic and free state.

    Bush didn’t do the homework, didn’t put in the resources and didn’t deploy the troops needed to properly secure and rebuild Iraq. The end result is isis and a nation in ruins.

    History shows that if you are to go to war, do it properly or spend decades paying for it.

    • Daniel Triplett says

      Oct 24, 2015 at 5:56 am

      Got it General.

      Your genius plan is to put troops in place to properly secure, occupy, and rebuild Iraq, like a Marshall Plan.

      And what’s your plan to counter the OTHER 49 Islamic sovereign countries, including Iran? Or do you think the World Islamic threat ends at the Iraq/ISIS border?

      Where do you plan to get all the gold and military to invade and indefinitely occupy 50 Islamic countries, all without using nuclear weapons?

      …And you think my suggestion is ignorant and stupid.

      Fool.

      And we’re just speaking about Islamic countries here.

      You haven’t even begun to explain how you plan to protect us from the 6,700,000 Muslims/jihadists right here in America.

      What’s your advice to European leaders about how to handle the 50,000,000 rapidly growing Muslims/jihadists infesting Europe?

      You apparently believe you’re in George Marshall’s league of military genius. So what’s your plan?

      I suspect you don’t have a plan at all. You just like to yap your pie-hole and excoriate those of us who do.

      • David scoltock says

        Oct 24, 2015 at 6:05 am

        Communism fell because poland, czech and the GDR realised how better off the west was. Get obe working Islamic democracy going and dont mess it up like we dud with Iran when the shah was put in power. That gives other narions a viable example, makes the people want it and creates sicual change. Chrustianity evolved from murdering, catholic autocracies the same way. We gad a few protestant republics lije Holland and the reformation german states, fillowed by a protestant, parlimentary England and that ked to the west as we know it today. Bliwing holes in the sand with big bimbs will not change a thing.

        • Daniel Triplett says

          Oct 24, 2015 at 6:55 am

          You’re not even American are you. Or for that matter, you’re neither a UK, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada native. English isn’t even your native language. If it is, go back to 3rd grade and learn how to spell.

          So here’s some advice for you. Just stuff it. I’m done wasting my time with you. I don’t take military advice or accept critiques from some ying-yang who isn’t even an American Ally.

          Your plan isn’t even a plan at all. It’s just pure nonsense.

          Do you really think Muslims can’t already see what’s going on in the Western World? You don’t think they have Internet or TV? Hell, even the Muslims already living in the West all want to convert us to Islam. You are seriously uninformed, and have no business critiquing me or any other Westerner. You especially have no business castigating the military plan of an American war vet.

          Do you seriously think that if Muslims could just see how great things are in the West, they’ll magically denounce Allah and Muhammad, and want to be like us? You are dangerously naïve.

          How often do you see Muslims come onto jihadwatch.org and say, “Wow, thanks Robert, I’ve been such a fool all this time. Thanks for showing me the light. I’ll declare my Apostasy immediately!” I’ve never seen that happen. Even after years and years of Robert spreading the truth about Islam, most every Muslim still comes on here to defend their demonic ideology.

          The solution involves both education and overwhelming force. Neither will work alone.

          BTW, Christian Armies never murdered anyone. If a pack of Muslims breaks into your house to rape your wife and daughters, are you a murderer if you eject them from your home and kill them? You can shove your revisionist history where the sun doesn’t shine.

          Wake up fool. You’re the idiot here.

          And we’re done. You can waste your own time from now on.

        • Angemon says

          Oct 24, 2015 at 10:27 am

          David scoltock posted:

          “Get obe working Islamic democracy going and dont mess it up like we dud with Iran when the shah was put in power.”

          That’s the whole con: believing that there’s something as an islamic democracy. You either have islam or you have democracy. Anything else in between will just piss off both sides.

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