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[Frumple]

Might as well pick the option that leaves the least amount of people to complain, then. Normally that'd be bombing, but sometimes...

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Here's something unrelevant and lighthearted about ISIS: a while ago they posted a map of the Islamic world under their banner:

Note the borders of other states. Apparently people at ISIS are fans of strategy games by Paradox Interactive, Victoria 2 in particular.

Is that a tiny bit of Bengal left over? IIRC they were that color of blue. I now wonder what's so wrong with Assam in their eyes.

Yep, looks like they took over Bhutan and just ignored Assam. Why do they get abandoned ;_;

[nenjin]

ISIS is fighting various opposition groups in Syria too, not only Assad, and they have split from Al Quaeda. Not sure anyone had them on the radar a year ago. Their core seem to be foreign fighters, like from Chechnya, but they are liberating many prisoners in Iraq. That may not be enough to start a civil war in Iraq too, but it might strenghten their position in Syria.

ISIS was definitely a known entity as early as 2012. They weren't a large enough threat to be noticed above Al Qaeda, but they were established earlier than 2013 and contributed to the Iraq War.

[GreatJustice]

Well, ugly borders are a big problem in any Paradox game, and no land connection increases revolt risk IIRC. Also India is usually a cash cow there.

Notably they also don't want the Uighur parts of China.

Nah, even dumb extremists who think India is muslim know not to fuck with the Sisko Chinese.

But they took Tibet from what I can see. Like, what?

[Willfor]

Nah, even dumb extremists who think India is muslim know not to fuck with the Sisko Chinese.

Somewhat off topic: A fellow SFDebris fan. :O A rare sighting.

[ibot66]

So perhaps radical religous terrorists are not the smartest or most consistent of people?

[misko27]

Cyprus and Eastern Samothrace seems fine too.

Yes in General terrorists of that type are not particularly smart, except a few. That or they have really weird priorities.

[Zangi]

I reckon the typical middle eastern 'terrorist' tend to come from poor places with poor schooling...

[Sheb]

Or it's a fake map.

[XXSockXX]

Despite their poor use of Vicky2 maps, ISIS are advancing towards Baghdad while the Kurds have seized Kirkuk. So this could get much more chaotic soon.

Also with ISIS having taken Turkish hostages, a Turkish (and possibly NATO) intervention could become more likely...

[Sheb]

Obama has announced his willingness to deploy drones against ISIS.

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Gee if only we'd supported the Kurds and FSA to head off some sort of insurgent snowballing effect

[Dutchling]

Gee if only we'd supported the Kurds and FSA to head off some sort of insurgent snowballing effect

Pissing Turkey off and arming future ISIS?

[Sergarr]

Gee if only we'd supported the Kurds and FSA to head off some sort of insurgent snowballing effect

The last time an insurgent snowballing effect happened it was called Arab Spring. And it was not good.

[10ebbor10]

Gee if only we'd supported the Kurds and FSA to head off some sort of insurgent snowballing effect

Pissing Turkey off and arming future ISIS?

Also, possilble capture of chemical weaponry by insurgents.

Anyway, the situation would have resulted in either a military dictature (like Egypt) or a failed warlord state (like Lybia might soon be)

But probably even less stable, as Syria is a key Iranian ally*, Iraq has never really been functional and the whole area is completely out of control.

*Pretty sure that would have killed the Geneva talks, actually.

Gee if only we'd supported the Kurds and FSA to head off some sort of insurgent snowballing effect

The last time an insurgent snowballing effect happened it was called Arab Spring. And it was not good.

This Syria war is still the effect of the Arab spring, FYI.