Erwin Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 What is puzzling is why the Kurds believe anything we've told them or promised them... Next time they may as well throw in their lot with the next ISIS-type insurgency. They certainly got nothing from the west/allies. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, Erwin said: Next time they may as well throw in their lot with the next ISIS-type insurgency. Nope.....That would not fit in with the wider Kurdish philosophy at all. They are a remarkably egalitarian mob, especially for that part of the world. I really feel for them, this situation totally sucks! On a brighter there are rumours that the (largely Kurdish) SDF are now talking to the SAA & the Russians in Syria, possibly with a view to exchanging control of the oil-fields north of Deir ez-Zor for a bigger stake (Possible autonomy?) in the post conflict state. Interesting times. PS - Blimey: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-kurdistan-rosneft-pipeline/russias-rosneft-to-take-control-of-kurdish-oil-pipeline-amid-crisis-idUSKBN1CO38L Edited October 20, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 "The United States called the referendum a provocation but Moscow has effectively supported the vote, saying it understood Kurdish aspirations for independence." It's like we're living in "Bizarro World". This is the sort of thing I would read about the US supporting independence around the globe 35+ years ago while the good ol' USSR would call it "provocative". 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 20, 2017 Author Share Posted October 20, 2017 (edited) I did consider the possibility that the Kurds were being used as a means to an end, ie: as a potential casus belli for a squabble with Iran, but I think changes, both on the ground and politically, have significantly reduced that risk.....Rosneft buying that pipeline was a very deft manoeuvre. Ironically I found this (just before the edit option expired), make of it what you will, but keep in mind it's from Rudaw: http://www.rudaw.net/english/kurdistan/201020174 As for current US foreign policy it's a complete mystery to me TBH, but it's also an area that's probably best discussed elsewhere. Edited October 20, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted October 20, 2017 Share Posted October 20, 2017 (edited) "He added Israel wanted to see Kurds in Iraq provided with the means to protect themselves. “It would be best if someone gave them weaponry, and whatever else, which we cannot give, obviously," Obviously... lol. Of course there is always covertly... Edited October 20, 2017 by Erwin 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 28, 2017 Author Share Posted October 28, 2017 War College on the Kurdish situation: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted October 28, 2017 Author Share Posted October 28, 2017 Peshmerga claim to have defeated a PMU attack on one of their checkpoints: https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/News/2017/10/24/Exclusive-Iraqis-surrender-at-Makhmur-Kurdistan 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 I may be proven sadly wrong, but I don't see the Shias fighting that hard to hang on to Kirkuk, or (shattered) Mosul. The IA is nothing without Western overwatch. And the cream of the Sunni Arab travel team just perished under the ISIS banner. So in spite of the implacable hostility of all their (disunited) neighbours, the Kurds are in about as good a place today to carve out a nation state and get it recognized as they have been since the Mongols passed through. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted October 29, 2017 Share Posted October 29, 2017 The Kurds really deserve a break and I hope they get it finally. (With all the Catalonia excitement maybe the time is ripe for some new state-making.) PS: Have noticed that within a year or two of my visits to various countries, they all seem to have big issues. Eg, Bin to Egypt, Turkey, Spain, Jordan and a few others with problems... Am wondering if I can request a fee from countries to NOT visit them. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted November 13, 2017 Author Share Posted November 13, 2017 (edited) Interesting Counterpunch article, here: https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/11/13/tikrit-and-najaf-agony-and-ecstasy-in-iraq/ It seems we haven't been told the whole story of the PMUs (Hashd al Shabi).....A third of them are Sunni (which fact makes the suggestion that the PMUs are Iran's private army a little bit harder to sell). Edited November 13, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 Brutal piece here. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/nov/21/after-the-liberation-of-mosul-an-orgy-of-killing Half an hour later, there was still no news of reinforcements. “Boys, we can’t just sit here. We will lose all our work, let’s move,” said the junior officer. “Two of you go from that side and skirt around them, and we move to the next house.” They divided up the hand grenades, and were preparing to move when the sounds of heavy machine-gun fire came from outside the entrance of the house. The door was pushed open, and 15 Iraqi army soldiers from another column stumbled into the room. “Disperse,” shouted their chubby officer. “And keep an eye on the door.” It was chaos: soldiers were shouting at their officers, and officers were refusing to obey orders radioed to them by their commander. The building they had captured earlier had been set ablaze by Isis fighters as they escaped, and two of their men had burned to death inside. They did not want a repeat of that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erwin Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 Quite horrifying. People will excuse it as a "cultural values" thing that "they" do "over there". Thank goodness we're are not letting these folks bring their cultural values to come and live in the west. Oh wait... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akd Posted November 23, 2017 Share Posted November 23, 2017 (edited) 2 hours ago, Erwin said: Quite horrifying. People will excuse it as a "cultural values" thing that "they" do "over there". Thank goodness we're are not letting these folks bring their cultural values to come and live in the west. Oh wait... You think that abuse and extra-judicial killing in war is primarily a cultural / ethnic / racial issue? Edited November 23, 2017 by akd 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted November 24, 2017 Share Posted November 24, 2017 Agree AKD, this seems like standard issue human behavior when conditions and lack of external restraint cause moral rules to be suspended by mutual consent. Had US casualties at Fallujah been heavier, you would likely have seen some similar acts out of sight of camera crews and higher ups ("He's faking.... You're dead now, mother******!") Yet these atrocities took place side by side with acts of mercy, kindness and charity by the very same men. I highly recommend this piece to CMers (with strong stomachs) btw, for its unflinching description of the chaos of urban combat, not just the war crimes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted November 24, 2017 Author Share Posted November 24, 2017 (edited) Yup, we in the west have had a few 'cultural issues' of our own over the years.....Some of them got quite badly out of hand: The Hague still remains busy to this day: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-42080090 Edited November 24, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 (edited) Recent discussions have made my mind up for me, I will be turning out Part 2 (Al Hutumah) as another CM:SF stand alone scenario in due course.....Once the opportunity presents itself, I'll remake the lot as a campaign for CM:SF II.....I reckon it will be interesting to see how capable the newer AI engine is on a map this complex, looking forward to the new title immensely. Edited December 29, 2017 by Sgt.Squarehead 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongLeftFlank Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2017/sep/09/the-war-zone-drawings-of-ghaith-abdul-ahad "Most buildings in the old city have two levels of basements, so even bombing a house once did not end Isis resistance – [Iraqi forces] would have to bomb it twice, or three times. So actually when you go to the old city in Mosul you don’t see streets any more. You can’t distinguish where the buildings stood and where the street was. I’ve never seen anything like it." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted January 22, 2018 Author Share Posted January 22, 2018 (edited) Poor Mosul. The 'Old-City' portion of West Mosul was a warren before the bombing started, I had a look at it in various media and it would be a serious challenge to map in CM, even before it was blown to smithereens. Edited January 22, 2018 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Jack Ripper Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 Just wanted to come in and say, I had played a bit more of "The Hornet's Nest" (vid on my youtube) but honestly, things have progressed to the point where I am feeling a sense of dread every time I click the red button. I even have to admit I save scummed a turn, which is nearly unheard of in my gaming practice. MOUT is quite simply an absolute nightmare. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 7, 2018 Author Share Posted February 7, 2018 (edited) It's intentionally a rather vicious fight.....It's more intense than I'd ideally like, but with the way the game behaves it would be too easy to sit back and pick ISIS apart were less pressure applied and we know that is not what happened in Mosul. The Iraqis were forced to use their air & artillery support quite heavily, especially in West Mosul (just take a look at the state of the place these days) in order to keep their own casualties down: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/07/15/world/middleeast/mosul-before-after.html This is what I meant by the Iraqi commander's dilemma, you do have all the tools to complete the mission, but using them will not be at all kind to the local civilians. @sburke summed it up beautifully in testing: On 04/06/2017 at 6:46 PM, sburke said: my men are tired of dying. They would rather be clearing the enemy bodies out of the rubble than evacing their own casualties. It's by no means a no win situation (all outcomes are possible and the game engine is actually quite forgiving of the player on this front, you really do have to go the full Stalingrad to be seriously penalised), but it is something of a balancing act.....I'd guess you've been just a bit too kind. Sad to hear that you are not enjoying it though. Edited February 7, 2018 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Jack Ripper Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 (edited) What I can't understand is why I'm forcing myself to move faster than I should. I have 57 minutes left on the clock, and I'm only a block and a half from the final phase line, but for some reason I'm kicking in doors and running down streets in a way I really shouldn't be, as if the battle will be over in just a few minutes. There is some type of emotional reaction I'm having to this scenario, a tangible sense of a looming threat, that is forcing me to act in ways I would never do otherwise. I seem to have gotten stuck into a headspace that screams "GO FASTER, FASTER!!" "FASTER I SAID!!" When all that is doing is piling casualties on top of each other to no real gain. I don't know how to explain it any better. I wouldn't say I'm not enjoying it, but I'm definitely not having fun. I guess I'm just not the type to carpet bomb my way to victory. I'm already so deathly afraid of hitting my own men I've cancelled all incoming support calls. EDIT: If I were a more ruthless commander, I would have simply blasted down a corridor through the buildings and advanced to the phase line through the rubble. Edited February 8, 2018 by SLIM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 (edited) I suspect the tunnels would be a factor, they're certainly meant to put the player under a bit of pressure. I should probably have emphasized in the briefing that your 155mm artillery is US crewed, they are very, very good.....Pick a building, any building! So long as your spotter has good LOS (Mosque) you will pulverise it with surprisingly little collateral (when the SEALs turn up use their spotter for V+ extra deadly & fast too, just don't FFS get him killed). There will always be some collateral damage of course, but the way the game allocates points in a 'Preserve/Destroy Objective' is quite forgiving of anything other than wanton devastation. Your 82mm mortars are CTS crewed, but they are pretty handy too and unless you go mental with them they won't take down structures unless they are already damaged, they are roof sweepers (& tall brick wall removers) par-excellence. Also the HMMWVs & MRAPs can engage targets in buildings without needing to fire through the windows, their bullets rip straight through the walls and will actually punch them out completely with sufficient sustained fire (& you have virtually limitless .50 ammo between all those vehicles). If it helps, from what I can make out it actually took CTS something like a month to totally secure the ground you are advancing over (scenario two, 'Al Hutumah', is set a month later), but without persistent map damage it would be impossible to model the fight at a more realistic density/timescale.....I was asked to make Mosul for CM:SF, I did my best. Edited February 8, 2018 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Canadian Cat Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 (edited) 50 minutes ago, SLIM said: "GO FASTER, FASTER!!" "FASTER I SAID!!" When all that is doing is piling casualties on top of each other to no real gain. Stop doing that. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Edited February 8, 2018 by IanL added smillie 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 8, 2018 Author Share Posted February 8, 2018 And keep in mind it's Mosul.....Utterly wrecking some of it has to happen, or it just wouldn't be. Poor Mosul! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt.Squarehead Posted February 9, 2018 Author Share Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) For the benefit of current & future players of 'Ash Al Dababir' & 'Al Hutumah'.....If you meet your objectives and the map doesn't look any worse than this: That's a victory. Poor Mosul! Edited February 9, 2018 by Sgt.Squarehead 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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