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[smjjames]

The Turks are getting itchy trigger fingers and want in on the Mosul fight. From the article, it sounds like they either just want to fight the Kurdish separatists and Shiia militias that are part of the coalition attacking Mosul or they just want to make sure that the Kurdish fighters and the Shiia militias don't do any funny business.

[Strife26]

Speaking of Saudi Arabia, a few days ago the country accepted foreign loans for the first time in their history, by giving out state obligations. Their petro dollar reserves have dwindled.

Meanwhile near Mosul, Iraqi troops are preparing to advance into the city. They worry about visibility. IS has set fire to all oil sources in the area, blanketing the city in a black cover of smoke. "Walking here is like walking through the inside of a chimney".

Sounds like a fun time for everyone involved.

[Loud Whispers]

The Turks are getting itchy trigger fingers and want in on the Mosul fight. From the article, it sounds like they either just want to fight the Kurdish separatists and Shiia militias that are part of the coalition attacking Mosul or they just want to make sure that the Kurdish fighters and the Shiia militias don't do any funny business.

Mosul was once part of the Ottoman empire and Turkey sees the city as squarely within its zone of influence.
"I know that the Turks want to participate, we tell them thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle," Mr Abadi said after meeting Mr Carter in Baghdad on Saturday.
"If help is needed, we will ask for it from Turkey or from other regional countries," he said.
Mr Carter meanwhile indicated his conditional backing for a possible Turkish role in the campaign, pointing out that there was an agreement in principle that could allow for eventual Turkish participation.

Just wanna preserve influence

"Turkey... has an interest in the ultimate outcome in Mosul. Many other parties do as well. It's a complicated city," he said.

It is a scientific fact that... Dramatic pauses... Make you seem suspicious

[smjjames]

To be blunt though, MOST of the Middle East that wasn't either Iran/Persia or the southern parts of the Arabian Peninsula were part of the Ottoman empire at some point.

[Loud Whispers]

Now you see the extent of Erdogan's ambitions

[smjjames]

I suppose one might ask whether those ambitions include countries covered by the peak extent in late 17th to early 18th centuries.

[martinuzz]

Kurdish peshmerga have gained some ground, moving their frontline to 8km from Mosul, and capturing parts of a major highway. They have been assisted by the Turks. Turkish prime minister Yildirim said "the peshmerga have requested aid from our soldiers at Bashiqa base, so we have aided their tanks with our artillery".

All in all, there's quite a large force amassing around Mosul now. Coalition forces number's are over 100000 now. That's no small battle.
It's estimated that around 4000 IS fighters remain in Mosul, resisting ferociously with snipers, landmines, suicide bombs, and using civilians as human shields in strategic locations, and even strapped to vehicle's roofs, to prevent being bombed.

[redwallzyl]

Kurdish peshmerga have gained some ground, moving their frontline to 8km from Mosul, and capturing parts of a major highway. They have been assisted by the Turks. Turkish prime minister Yildirim said "the peshmerga have requested aid from our soldiers at Bashiqa base, so we have aided their tanks with our artillery".

All in all, there's quite a large force amassing around Mosul now. Coalition forces number's are over 100000 now. That's no small battle.
It's estimated that around 4000 IS fighters remain in Mosul, resisting ferociously with snipers, landmines, suicide bombs, and using civilians as human shields in strategic locations, and even strapped to vehicle's roofs, to prevent being bombed.

well at least you know who the bad guys in the fight are then they are literally using civilians for armor.

[Zangi]

If you ignore the fact that human shields are being used, that is some pretty decent resistance of so few against so many.  (Propaganda material)
Well, it does lower the chance of them simply being wiped out by artillery/bombing/drones.

[martinuzz]

Nah it's not decent resistance, it's unfair advantage of those 4000 IS fighters being able to hide amongst the 1.5 million inhabitants of the city. It's not some small town.

[Zangi]

isis stronk, tactically using what little resources they have on hand against over 100k soldiers with Murrican backing.  /isis propaganda

[martinuzz]

In Pakistan, 3 armed assailants broke into the sleeping quarters of the police academy, killed over 60 students and wounded more than 100, before being killed / detonating themselves. IS has claimed the attack.

Now, Pakistan. That's the worst case scenario. If IS somehow would manage to gain territory there, nuclear war will ensue. No way that the West (or India, for that matter) would allow Pakistan's nuclear arsenal to fall into IS hands. Let's hope it doesn't evolve past some terror attacks on police academies.

EDIT: the Al-Qaida subgroup Lakshar-e-Langvi has also claimed the attack now.

[Vilanat]

What's the difference between Islamic State and Al Qaeda or Taliban which have decades old roots in pakistan?

[Catmeat]

Their funding roots.
IS gets CIA.
Taliban is NSA.
Al Qaeda is soviets.
Btw hey Vilanat long time

[Grim Portent]

They have different religious/political ideologies generally speaking. Often not huge differences because a lot of them splintered from each other, but big enough differences that many hate each other as much as if not more than they hate the countries they fight.

Not sure if I'm remembering correctly or not, but I think ISIS was started by an Al-Qaida splinter group, and the remaining groups of Al-Qaida view them as enemies now.