The Islamic State also seized SA-16 MANPADS, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles and MiG-21B jets.
ISTANBUL — Islamic extremists captured a major government military airport in Raqqa, eastern Syria, on Sunday, completing their takeover of the entire province and dealing a humiliating blow to President Bashar Assad.
The victory is further evidence that the Islamic State is determined to widen its grip on the region. Since it launched its brutal assaults in June, the Islamic State has captured half of Iraq and one third of Syria and operates an Islamic caliphate armed with US weapons and financed by booty seized during its lightning raids.
The official Syrian news agency Sunday evening conceded the loss of the Tabka military base with a terse and euphemistic report that said Syrian forces had performed “a successful regrouping after evacuating” the airport.
Journalist Rafik Lutf, who’s close to the Assad regime, had earlier reported the loss of the airport and the death of about 150 troops.
An official of the conquering Islamic State said the group seized control after a four-day battle, in which 78 IS fighters were killed and 240 wounded.
Anti-government activists in the Raqqa area said the Syrian army flew combat aircraft from Tabka to Deir al Zour in eastern Syria and to another major desert base, and that 20 vehicles full of Syrian troops were seen driving out of the base.
The casualties may be a good deal higher. An Islamic State official, who demanded anonymity because he is not an authorized Islamic State spokesman, said the regime had stationed were 873 troops on the base.
The Islamic State, which last week shocked the world by executing American journalist James Foley and circulating the macabre video showing his decapitation, reportedly beheaded a number of captured Syrian soldiers Sunday and put their severed heads on display in the city of Raqqa. The Raqqa Media Center, an anti-government opposition group, published a photo of one soldier’s head, and McClatchy has seen a photo showing nine severed heads.
The regime for its part stepped up its bombardment of Raqqa, andopposition sources said the victims of its bombs Sunday included civilians who had gone to the center of Raqqa to see the severed heads on display.
August 25, 2014 at 7:12 pm
The problem with the recognition of evil is that you are morally obligated to do something about it when you make that recognition. This is why people dance around the issue. As we dither, a genocide is taking place in the Middle East. We can parse words, we can argue semantics, we can beg and plead, but the blood will still flow. Families will still be destroyed and atrocities will be committed by madmen.
At the end of World War II we bore witness to the crass underbelly of a government run amok when we entered the German concentration camps. We saw mountains of corpses. We saw ovens. We say dead women and children. We resolved never to allow this horror again. But we did allow it. We allowed it in Rwanda where 800,000 perished. They were told that they would be slaughtered. Some even wrote letters telling friends and family overseas goodbye because they knew that the end was near.
We knew what was happening in the killing fields of Cambodia and what was done by Stalin in the Ukraine and by Mao in Red China. We stood idle as the innocent perished because we did not wish to shoulder the burden for their defense. So much for “never again. As Martin Niemöller once intoned, “I did nothing, because I was not…” I am not a Coptic, but I object to them being butchered and raped. I am not a Yazidi, but I object to their abuse as well.
Evil triumphs when good men and women close their eyes and ignore it’s machinations. But then there is the age old problem of acknowledging evil, isn’t there? If we recognize that ISIS is evil, then we have no choice, but to destroy it. We have no choice, but to defend it’s victims. The men, women, and children that it despises are not our enemies. They have done us no wrong. Why should we ignore their suffering? Too expensive? The Federal government wastes 100 billion every year and then some. Is it really that we cannot afford to act?
Not our problem? If our fellow man is not our business, then what pray tell is our affair? When a people sees massive slaughter and wholesale destruction of humanity for no other reason, but genocide, is it not incumbent upon them to act? It isn’t as if we do not have the ability to intervene, our military is second to none. No, our problem is one of the will to intervene. In short, we do not have the will to rise to the defense of the helpless.
We do not allow such atrocities to occur in the world. We are Americans and we are better than that. If we stand idle and allow men, women, and children to be slaughtered one right after the next, we are no better than those who murdered them. We have a duty as men to act, we have a duty as a nation to act, and we have a duty as better people to act. As for me, I stand with Bunkerville.
It is time to act or else more innocent lives will be lost.
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August 25, 2014 at 10:09 pm
Thanks again for a comment as only you can write. I despair as I watch the holocaust going on, a repeat of last Century’s when all said never again. We are here on earth for a purpose IMO, and I share your view. The Pope’s tepid comment only reinforces my feeling that he does not get it either, another Chamberlain.
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August 25, 2014 at 6:38 pm
It is a very troubling situation and it was directly brought on by Obama’s policies. When we left Iraq we should have had a states of forces agreement but Obama was more interested in scoring a political victory. Now we all could be in danger and I hope we do not have to pay in blood over here.
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August 25, 2014 at 10:02 pm
I am with you. No good options really. But we sure do know the story line. We have been there before. Meanwhile our borders are wide open.
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August 25, 2014 at 6:19 pm
“Details leaking out suggest that ISIS and the major military ‘surge’ in Iraq – and less so in neighboring Syria – is being shaped and controlled out of Langley, Virginia, and other CIA and Pentagon outposts as the next stage in spreading chaos in the world’s second-largest oil state, Iraq, as well as weakening the recent Syrian stabilization efforts.” RT “isis terrorism usa-cia war”
“Libyan Government Overrun, Central Bankers Prepping Invasion Of Libya” [How better to get the Christians aboard the unleashing WW3.]
“Former Al-Qaeda Operative Claims Qaeda/ISIS Run By The CIA.” (Activist Post 2014/07/ “Former al-qaeda operative claims”)
This Adminst. was trying to get war going a year ago in Syria – the Chemical false flag. More recent in Ukraine – that’s yet to manifest. So, show Christians being killed (which has been going on for some time now) push it – propaganda news, and get them crying out for War.
Again, the Hegelian Dialectic: cause the problem, present the solution (WAR), move the ‘Agenda’ forward.
“Obama’s Islamic Foot Soldiers: Prepped For Battle Inside Malls of America!”
http://joeforamerica.com/2014/08/obamas-islamic-foot-soldiers-prepped-battle-inside-america-malls/
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August 25, 2014 at 10:00 pm
Thanks for the link. Well done Zip.
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August 25, 2014 at 1:18 pm
It’s time to evacuate the Christians and start making glass parking lots.
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August 25, 2014 at 1:25 pm
That is my take on the matter. Little else available as options unless we want to die at the hands of these barbarians.
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August 25, 2014 at 11:46 am
Well, priorities are to send 3 reps to the Michael Brown funeral this morning. Fat chance the asshat will do anything but fund raise and golf these next two years.
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August 25, 2014 at 12:26 pm
At least two more years of zip.
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August 25, 2014 at 9:12 am
McCain’s bob and weave yesterday on the Chris Wallace interview (who incidentally threw softballs at the dancing fool) says it all about our non-leaders and their non-strategies. It is beyond belief that this chump is the stereotype of the self serving elite holding the reigns of political and military power when what we need are militaries leaders and visionaries free of politics, ideology and money of the Patton ilk and politicians of the FDR ilk (in spite of his flaws he dwarfs anyone on the scene today.) Its as simple in concept as KILL ALL THESE MOFO’s NOW! And demand that the oil sheiks melt down their pure silver and gold Mercedes Benz’ and use the money to hire mercenary air and ground forces to go in and obliterate this menace to their kingdoms. There is no reason why they should not be part of Ohmbama’s fictional coalition.
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August 25, 2014 at 12:24 pm
IF we have any decent military leaders after Obama’s purge, I am in. I can’t figure anything else out.
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August 25, 2014 at 8:54 am
American’s have not been up much for rally’s lately, Ferguson and what that was about aside. Were our jihadist-in-chief to take a stand for Christians it could make a difference but he is too busy funding and training terrorists and therefore responsible for the slaughters and by extension so are the American people for not having physically removed him and replaced him with someone who is not a terrorist. So long as We, the People, stand down…. well, I’m just repeating myself.
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August 25, 2014 at 12:23 pm
Strange isn’t it how they blamed Bush for disregarding the warning signs prior to 9/11 even only a few months in office. Forget about Clinton and his disregard. So here we have the warning signs in spades. Just don’t call me after the next slaughter of Americans. Americans are tired of Political wars, how about a military war to win one for the Gipper?
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August 25, 2014 at 12:47 pm
We ought to bomb them back to the dinosaur age. But we are surrounded by gutless wonders.
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August 25, 2014 at 12:50 pm
Maybe after a hundred thousand or more Americans get hit the mood will change. But we are dancing on the head of a pin right now, thinking that we will get away without another attack. I’M in Matrix.
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