BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL AID TABLE
FOLLOWING THE ELECTION, BILL CLINTON NEEDED TO SEEK SOME RELEASE.
Is the Clinton foundation paying for the back rub. Let your imagination do the talking. @billclinton @HillaryClinton @Enquirer @politico
REACHED FOR COMMENT CRANKY CLINTON SAID SHE'D BEEN DEALING WITH "BIMBO ERUPTIONS" FOR YEARS AND THAT, LIKE HERPES, THERE IS NO CURE.
A state of emergency has been declared in Baghdad, Hit and Haditha as attacks from the Islamic State are anticipated.
This follows the bombing of a wedding late yesterday. BBC NEWS notes the bombing took place in Ameriyat al-Falluja and that it left at least 17 people dead in this area of south of Falluja where locals "have joined a Sunni tribal militia which has been fighting IS [the Islamic State]."
Aftermath of #isis attack targeting a wedding in Amryat Al smood in Al anbar province tonight , 15 killed and tens of wounded civilians.
Alsumaria reminds Falluja witnessed 2 car bombings on Monday which left 9 dead and twenty-six people injured. AL JAZEERA updates the death toll from the wedding bombing today to 40 dead with sixty more injured. BBC also points out, "In June, Iraqi forces declared Falluja 'fully liberated' from IS after more than a month of heavy fighting." Earlier this week a member of Anbar's Provincial Council spoke with AL MADA newspaper about the situation in Falluja, noting that residents are returning daily but that provision of goods and services had yet to reach a sustainable level.
Which brings us to the slog that is liberating or 'liberating' Mosul -- now on day 32. AP reveals, "As the operation to retake Mosul enters its second month on Thursday, Iraqi forces are preparing for prolonged, grueling urban combat. "
Of that effort, Wael Grace (AL MADA) reports that a decision was made on priorities -- taking the airport or protecting the people. The airport won out. Military leadership decided that the airport was more important to ensure air cover.
How this makes sense, no one stops to ask.
The Islamic State -- whose highest estimated number in Iraq has been 30,000 -- has no helicopters, has no airplanes. They do have drones. But you don't need an airport to handle drones.
Most likely, the airport won out because (a) the lives of civilians are of so very little importance to the government of Iraq (Mosul was seized by the Islamic State in June of 2014 and only now, as the year 2016 ends, does the government send in fighters) and (b) with all the desertions in the military taking place during this operation they needed a big (and easy) step that would result in headlines and conceal what a sorry and unsuccessful operation this has been thus far.
While the Islamic State has no war planes, ALL IRAQ NEWS notes that Iraq received four more F-16s from the US.
AFP's W.G. Dunlop Tweets:
Battle for Iraq's Mosul far from over but PM & Kurds already publicly at odds on post-Mosul territorial control bit.ly/2gmb7EW @AFP
As the slog continues, there is great rejoicing that the Iraqi forces have taken a piece of Tal Afar.
ALL IRAQ NEWS notes that announcement and includes a photo. Examining the photo of empty space all around, one wonders exactly what was re-taken (a vacant lot)?
RECOMMENDED: "SHE MADE ME LAUGH must-read book"
"Duty"