http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Northern_Iraq_offensive

Does anyone here find this almost ludicrous (in a depressing way) that the Americans were fighting AL-Qaeda in Iraq for years, and now that very group is on the verge of controlling the entire country?

How the fuck does this even happen.

Genius military strategists, generals and politicians. #sarcasm

This is no surprise. USA and her allies had no business there in the first place.

Saddam was given weapons and money from the US to invade Iran because the Sjah was gone and the Khomeini came on power. He caused big increase in the oil prices so the west had to intervene again. Then Saddam used the same weapons to invade Kuwait and the same America who helped him went to war with him.

That's how the US works. When they need you they give you money and weapons and when you are no longer in need, you will be hanged in the name of democracy.

Al Quaeda != ISIS. The two groups share some similarities, and cooperated for a while, but then had a falling-out.

Anyway, it's not surprising. The US destroyed Saddam Hussein's regime - who was a dictator, and an aggressor towards Kuwait, but also a stability factor against islamistic groups, since he and his entire regime were quite moderatte with regard to religious questions.

And if you invade a country _and_ destroy the largest faction that doesn't have religious ties, it's not surprising that the already radical religious opposition gets stronger and even more radical.

From what I've read they were a branch of AQ in Iraq, but had a falling-out because they turned out even more extreme than AQ (in Syria). So they're even worse than AQ, if that's possible.

They may have won against alkaida, but they lost the war for the hearts and minds of the people.

Jon Stewart Tackles Crisis in Iraq - 'What the F*ck Is Going On?!'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krTwYVTTYrg

Fifth column... inside job... proxy war... puppet state.

The terms are numerous and old as dirt. The west manipulating middle eastern countries is no different than the Romans propping up the Armenians or Egyptians to act as buffer states against the Persians some 2000 years ago.

Now the stability that the American forces helped create is gone and Albert Kida is running amok in the country (most likely from arms brought in by the west and east). This will help push oil higher, create further tensions with Iran, and possibly lead to genocide by the Shiite and Sunni sects.

And somewhere in a board meeting several powerful men in expensive suits are laughing their asses off.

This wouldnt be exactly the first time something like this happens...

It's all right, Tony Blair says we should just invade Syria. That'll sort things out.

a) ISIS aren't al Qaeda. Difference might seem pedantic to you, but it's pretty major on the ground. Different funding, methods, influences, resources, bases;
b) There's NO chance they can control the entire country. Simple demographics tell you that much.

The situation is dangerous, but also highly overblown. Nothing like the threat of TERRORISM to jack up gas prices right in the middle of summer.

Oil companies? Don't know. The Iraq was has yet to interest me.

You're right, they were kicked out of al Qaeda last year. But I'm not sure most people see that as a big difference.

I'm not sure why anyone is surprised to see Iraq collapse into civil war; it was widely predicted even before Bush launched, as the famous Israeli military historian Martin van Creveld put it, "the most foolish war since Emperor Augustus in 9 B.C sent his legions into Germany and lost them."