The Battle for Mosul has started

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

Someone should AGEOD this regional conflict (along the line of Revolution Under Siege with all the various faction players). It would be forty levels of cray.

The expansion for Labyrinth: The War on Terror just came out.  Labyrinth: The Awakening: 2010-?.  I'm just reading through the rules now.  Lots of stuff about civil wars in Syria, Libya, and Iraq.

[Airborne Rifles]

A good look at some of the Iraqi soldiers on the front lines fighting ISIS. It makes me hopeful for the post-war country of Iraq. Crucibles like this can pull a country together.

http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-iraq-mosul-military-brothers-snap-story.html

Also, this video from CNN today:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/31/middleeast/iraq-mosul-advance/index.html

Yes, I know, the guy in the video is firing his M-240 machinegun from the shoulder, which is complete idiocy. However, these guys are on the front lines of a major battle against a great evil in our world. Their bravery, if not their level of military proficiency, deserve our respect, IMHO. Also, some shots of Iraqi Abrams tanks in action.

[JasonPratt]

Would never have thought I'd respect the words "Iraqi" and "Abrams" used jointly together again in a sentence...

[Sir Slash]

They can't start the battle yet. We're not watching until AFTER next Tuesday.  ;D

[Gusington]

I can't believe the Iraqis have Abrams either.

[Staggerwing]

I can't believe the Iraqis have Abrams either.

Where do you think IS-HOLE got their Abrams from?. The Iraqi army left hundreds of US-made vehicles behind when Ramadi fell, including a bunch of MBTs

[Gusington]

Maybe I phrased it wrong. I suppose I can't believe they are actually operating them. I guess that is pretty racist of me to say.

[Airborne Rifles]

Watch the video. Take a look at the pictures. Read the articles. There are a group of heroes over there with the guts to advance into the teeth of ISIS suicide bombers, rockets, snipers, and ambushes to take their country back.

Trust me, I know how bad the Iraqi army was up until a couple of years ago. I had to work with them, and help train them. This is a different type of force moving into Mosul. They may not be very good now by our standards, but what I'm seeing is a toughness and determination that wasn't there before.

I suppose it's easy to forget that we disbanded the professional Iraqi army after we invaded and tried to replace it with a bunch of rank amateurs cobbled together in a force designed for internal security, then more or less left them out to dry when their country was invaded by a battle-hardened ISIS army that was both ruthless and fought like a conventional force.

[Staggerwing]

AB,
Thank you for making sure we don't get too comfortable sitting around making the modern equivalent of Italian Navy glass Bottom boat/French Rifle Only Dropped Once jokes from the ease of our comfy chairs. We need a good slap every now and then, even if it's a friendly one.

I hope that all the brave Iraqi patriots you worked with over there make it through.

[Gusington]

I've never been over to Iraq but I still think of it as a 5th-world hell hole. Clearly the US invasion didn't help. All I'm saying is that seeing Iraqis operate an M1 is new and novel to me. I'm not questioning their patriotism or anything like that.

[Airborne Rifles]

Apologies, didn't mean to imply that you were. Just wanted to draw attention to the bravery and hard fighting that's going on over there.

[mirth]

Just wanted to draw attention to the bravery and hard fighting that's going on over there.

Thanks for doing so.

[GDS_Starfury]

[mirth]

Isn't that what the Abrams is designed to do when taking a hit like that to the turret rear? The ammo blows up and out, away from the crew compartment?

[undercovergeek]

It looked like something you could return with a tennis racket - until it blew