ISIS aka The Islamic State
- Thread starter cheryl
- Start date
Thousands of ISIS members were secretly allowed to leave Raqqa with weapons and ammo — and the US knew about it
Why the US and its allies let ISIS escape
The US not only knew about the deal — they reportedly kept a close watch on the the convoy as it drove through the desert towards Iraq's border.
"When the last of the convoy were about to cross, a US jet flew very low and deployed flares to light up the area. IS fighters s--- their pants," one of the drivers told the BBC.
Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the US-led coalition fighting ISIS, explained to the BBC why the US knowingly accepted the deal.
"We didn't want anyone to leave," Dillon said. "But this goes to the heart of our strategy, 'by, with and through' local leaders on the ground. It comes down to Syrians – they are the ones fighting and dying, they get to make the decisions regarding operations."
The US-led coalition has met criticism over its airstrikes killing civilians, but ISIS tactics include hiding among civilian populations and using them as human shields. The massive human cost of continuing the bombing campaign on Raqqa may have swayed the decision makers to allow so many ISIS fighters to leave with their weapons.
The retreating ISIS fighters reportedly threatened the drivers and the others they met, saying that they would return and bring with them Sharia law. But ISIS today is a far cry from its heyday, and members of the group that was once bent on martyrdom have now begun to surrender en masse.
Why the US and its allies let ISIS escape
The US not only knew about the deal — they reportedly kept a close watch on the the convoy as it drove through the desert towards Iraq's border.
"When the last of the convoy were about to cross, a US jet flew very low and deployed flares to light up the area. IS fighters s--- their pants," one of the drivers told the BBC.
Col. Ryan Dillon, spokesman for the US-led coalition fighting ISIS, explained to the BBC why the US knowingly accepted the deal.
"We didn't want anyone to leave," Dillon said. "But this goes to the heart of our strategy, 'by, with and through' local leaders on the ground. It comes down to Syrians – they are the ones fighting and dying, they get to make the decisions regarding operations."
The US-led coalition has met criticism over its airstrikes killing civilians, but ISIS tactics include hiding among civilian populations and using them as human shields. The massive human cost of continuing the bombing campaign on Raqqa may have swayed the decision makers to allow so many ISIS fighters to leave with their weapons.
The retreating ISIS fighters reportedly threatened the drivers and the others they met, saying that they would return and bring with them Sharia law. But ISIS today is a far cry from its heyday, and members of the group that was once bent on martyrdom have now begun to surrender en masse.
Babagounj
Strength through joy
Raqqa’s Dirty Secret, Thousands of ISIS Fighters, Families Allowed to Flee
The Syrians entered into a deal with ISIS to allow their fighters and families to escape Raqqa. The agreement was supposed to forbid foreign fighters from escaping and allow only personal belongings, but ISIS quickly reneged on that, taking all of their foreign fighters as well as loading trucks with arms and ammunition.
The Kurdish-led SDF announced that the convoy would not be televised and only a few dozen ISIS fighters would be allowed to leave. But the BBC has uncovered, with photos, that the numbers were much, much higher, perhaps as high as 4000. The convoy was six kilometers long with 50 trucks, 13 buses and over 100 of ISIS’ own vehicles.
I still don't see Trump's name mentioned .
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
He's the commander in chief of the US backed kurdish forces. Hope this helps.
FDR and Truman and Kennedy, even Clinton would've handled it better than Obama. No Republican president would've set a red line, threaten Syria better not cross it, and then not follow through. Obama was all talk. And by the way is ISIS reforming somewhere?LMAO. Lay off the kool-aid.
What I'm suggesting, is that you and republicans are a bunch of hypocrites. You'd all beting your pants if the commander in chief was a democrat while we let thousands of surrounded terrorists just drive off with truckloads of weapons.
Trump isn't their commander. We work with them, we don't control them.
Babagounj
Strength through joy
Yet he gave command over to the generals .
And non USA forces fought & died in this battle , all credit should go to Rojda Felat , the SDF female general .
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
So you think our military is their bitch, and I think it's the other way around. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
No but the republican will promise to destroy terrorists, then have our military stand down and let them go when we have them surrounded. Trump is all talk.
Again it wasn't our military surrounding them. All ISIS has now is pretty much lone wolves committing acts of terror.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
You keep proving a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Story of your life.
Yes, I've had to deal with too many like you with limited knowledge of how things work.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Good, get some oxygen up there. Might help.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Trumpflake is back to deflecting from dear leader's failures. Sad.
Got the tax cut passed. All y'all can do is lie about it only helping the rich. Voters will see through the Dems lies.
DriveInDriveOut
Inordinately Right
Keep deflecting, proving my point.
You say deflecting, but I'm pointing out real, positive change took place today. And you know what? No matter how well the economy does because of the tax reform you'll never admit it was a good idea.