https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdxED1ZbG5U
Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), the international effort to squash ISIS, seems to be going well. In a Pentagon release published Wednesday, OIR spokesperson Col. Steve Warren welcomed a recent announcement that Canada planned to up its involvement in training and assisting Iraqi security forces and said that the nations involved in the American-led mission were making gains. ISIS, Col. Warren said, “has not gained a single inch of territory in Iraq in months.”
And that’s probably because US and coalition air power is making mincemeat of ISIS held facilities like the Syrian gas and oil plant that bites the dust in the stunning OIR videos below, posted February 2. According to RT, the Islamic State “receives two-thirds of its revenue from the sale of its illicit oil production,” so any ISIS-held plant is a prime target.
In the release, Col. Steve Warren highlighted positive progress in sweeping ISIS out of Iraq, then addressed Russia’s problematic presence in Syria as well. While the Russian Federation has claimed it is also hammering away at parts of Syria under ISIS’s sway, Col. Warren was deeply critical of Russian actions there. The actions taken by Putin’s forces were part of “a strategically short-sighted vision of operations inside of Syria.”
On Thursday, Russia didn’t respond directly to Warren, but addressed the prospect of deeper incursions into Syria from the U.S. and coalition partners. The saber-rattling was loud and clear:
#BREAKING Russia PM warns foreign offensive in Syria could spark 'world war'
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) February 11, 2016
h/t RT