Cyprus-Forum.com

[Paphitis]

GREAT NEWS people. We now have a new coalition of the willing comprising: US, UK, Australia, Cyprus, Iraq and Iran ( )

Your great friends and ally, Australia, is coming! So break out the imported Aussie wine and rice and head down to Akrotiri for all the fun. The very patriotic Get Real, will be soiling his G-String all the way there.

Air Strikes have just been approved against the Bearded Goat Shaggers and the first Australian Aircraft should be on their way soon. They are probably refueling as we speak.

The first aircraft to arrive will be C-130 Hercules and C-17 Globemaster Galaxy carrying hundreds of tonnes of bombs, missiles and munitions. F-18F Super Hornets after that!

Rumour has it that the Australian Government has been trying to contact Christofias about some advice on how to store all the ordnance in a safe manner, but he is not answering.

[Lordo]

thats funny last time there was any firing in the area they were already here and hid under their beds. tell me are they bringing their beds or do we have to supply them with beds to hide under.

[Paphitis]

thats funny last time there was any firing in the area they were already here and hid under their beds. tell me are they bringing their beds or do we have to supply them with beds to hide under.

For your information, in 1974 the Australian SAS and Gurkhas were deployed in Cyprus and these guys don't hide under their beds. That's where Australian Politician Martin Hamilton Smith (SAS Commander) met his Cypriot wife.

They stopped the Turkish Invasion pretty quick. What was the matter? Were you too chicken to invade the SBAs?

[Paphitis]

Ooh, I can just tell you're all super excited!

Being the good Samaritan, here are some piccies to get you all hot and bothered!





Maybe they can do a fly by over Nicosia just for Get Real!

[Paphitis]

GREAT NEWS PEOPLE! FRANCE has joined the coalition!

So now we have: US, UK, Australia, France, Cyprus, Iraq and Iran ( )

Aircraft from the US, UK, Australia and France already operating in northern Iraq bombing IS rebels and dropping arms and supplies to the Peshmerga.

SAS may also deploy to assist the Kurdish Peshmerga.

Now for a musical interlude dedicated to Get Real! There's another shorty in the clip but he's still taller than GR!

[Tim Drayton]

What a shame. Sunni tribal leaders in the area are just asking for reinclusion in Iraqi politics and say they will then get rid of Islamic State themselves. It could have been so easy - presuming the goal was to preserve Iraq's unity. How are you going to bomb Islamic State positions without killing lots of innocent local people as well? Ever thought that this may not look good to world opinion and may also drive more locals into the arms of the Islamic State. Nice toys, by the way.

[Paphitis]

What a shame. Sunni tribal leaders in the area are just asking for reinclusion in Iraqi politics and say they will then get rid of Islamic State themselves. It could have been so easy - presuming the goal was to preserve Iraq's unity. How are you going to bomb Islamic State positions without killing lots of innocent local people as well? Ever thought that this may not look good to world opinion and may also drive more locals into the arms of the Islamic State. Nice toys, by the way.

I think the strategy is to bomb the IS and get them on the move towards Syria. Once they are on the move, they will be easy pickings and decimated on the open roads, at least in Iraq.

There appears to be no strategy with respect to IS in Syria, although I believe, the US is not going to allow the IS to have Syria as its refuge. Once they decide what the plan is, then the air campaign will cross into Syria against the IS.

This war is NOT a war against the Sunnis. The US has already mentioned its disapproval of the actions of Maliki, and blame him somewhat for all this. The master plan is to install some kind of Government in Iraq that is willing to represent all Iraqis and not just the SHIA. Whether that is easily achievable is another matter.

However, the west is developing its own proxy in the Kurdish Peshmerga.

The Sunni tribal leaders are safe. The Air Campaign is against the IS and the US will be eager for their participation in the Governance of Iraq - which Maliki refused to do.

[miltiades]

What a shame. Sunni tribal leaders in the area are just asking for reinclusion in Iraqi politics and say they will then get rid of Islamic State themselves. It could have been so easy - presuming the goal was to preserve Iraq's unity. How are you going to bomb Islamic State positions without killing lots of innocent local people as well? Ever thought that this may not look good to world opinion and may also drive more locals into the arms of the Islamic State. Nice toys, by the way.

Given the history of Iraq, Sunnis and Shiites simply can not live together. The 7th century schism is continuing and will continue for ever or until religion seizes to be the primary motivator in this part of the world. Iraq's Shiites suffered a great deal under the late and brutal dictator Sadam.

The West is facing a very difficult decision. Do you remain idle and do nothing or do you intervene and remove the threat of ISIL perceived by the West as well as many countries in the ME as real.

The UK has just raised the threat of ISIS to the UK to severe, the second highest level, critical being the first.

Difficult times ahead, taking into account the Russian- Ukraine conflict that could escalate to disastrous levels.
As always the innocents will suffer the brunt of it all.

[Tim Drayton]

Actually, I have heard a number of Iraqis say that religion and sectarian division mattered so little in Iraq a few decades ago that when they were at university nobody even knew or cared which of their fellow students were Sunni and which were Shiite.

[Tim Drayton]

Re: "Given the history of Iraq, Sunnis and Shiites simply can not live together."

Of course, there are those who say: "Given the history of Cyprus, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots simply can not live together." I do not believe that for Cyprus, and I do not believe it for Iraq, either.