COL Ted Mc 852779 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>From IHS Janes 360<br /><br />Islamic State territory shrinks by 9.4% in first six months of 2015<br /><br />The Islamic State’s recent successes in Palmyra and Ramadi came at the expense of significant territorial losses elsewhere, leading to an overall reduction in the territory controlled by the Islamic State of 9.4% in the first six months of 2015. The group’s ‘Caliphate’ now spans an estimated 82,940 km2, according to IHS’s definition of territorial dominance.<br /><br />Advances by rival Sunni insurgents against forces loyal to President Assad are drawing the Islamic State further into western and southern Syria, as it seeks to position itself for a power struggle in the increasingly likely event of the Alawite government withdrawing to the coast. If the Syrian government is defeated, the conflict will become focused on the battle between the Islamic State and rival Sunni factions for control of major cities, such as Damascus, Aleppo and Homs.<br /><br />Within the Sunni opposition, factions that are arguably the most organised and effective – al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham – share ...<br /><br />EDITORIAL COMMENT:- Is it really possible to sell a defeat of ISIS by other &quot;radical &#39;Islamist&#39; forces&quot; - that have the same goals as ISIS - as a victory for &quot;our side&quot; during the Presidential election campaign? Tune in and find out.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.janes.com/article/53239/islamic-state-territory-shrinks-by-9-4-in-first-six-months-of-2015?utm_campaign=[PMP]_PC5308_J360%2029.7.15_KV_Deployment&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Eloqua">http://www.janes.com/article/53239/islamic-state-territory-shrinks-by-9-4-in-first-six-months-of-2015?utm_campaign=[PMP]_PC5308_J360%2029.7.15_KV_Deployment&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Eloqua</a> <div class="pta-link-card answers-template-image type-default"> <div class="pta-link-card-picture"> <img src="https://d26horl2n8pviu.cloudfront.net/link_data_pictures/images/000/018/973/qrc/logo.png?1443049843"> </div> <div class="pta-link-card-content"> <p class="pta-link-card-title"> <a target="blank" href="http://www.janes.com/article/53239/islamic-state-territory-shrinks-by-9-4-in-first-six-months-of-2015?utm_campaign=[PMP]_PC5308_J360%2029.7.15_KV_Deployment&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Eloqua">Islamic State territory shrinks by 9.4% in first six months of 2015 - IHS Jane&#39;s 360</a> </p> <p class="pta-link-card-description">The Islamic State’s recent successes in Palmyra and Ramadi came at the expense of significant territorial losses elsewhere, leading to an overall reduction in the territory controlled by the Islamic State of 9.4% in the first six months of 2015. The group’s ‘Caliphate’ now</p> </div> <div class="clearfix"></div> </div> ISIS is losing ground faster and faster 2015-07-29T13:38:09-04:00 COL Ted Mc 852779 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>From IHS Janes 360<br /><br />Islamic State territory shrinks by 9.4% in first six months of 2015<br /><br />The Islamic State’s recent successes in Palmyra and Ramadi came at the expense of significant territorial losses elsewhere, leading to an overall reduction in the territory controlled by the Islamic State of 9.4% in the first six months of 2015. The group’s ‘Caliphate’ now spans an estimated 82,940 km2, according to IHS’s definition of territorial dominance.<br /><br />Advances by rival Sunni insurgents against forces loyal to President Assad are drawing the Islamic State further into western and southern Syria, as it seeks to position itself for a power struggle in the increasingly likely event of the Alawite government withdrawing to the coast. If the Syrian government is defeated, the conflict will become focused on the battle between the Islamic State and rival Sunni factions for control of major cities, such as Damascus, Aleppo and Homs.<br /><br />Within the Sunni opposition, factions that are arguably the most organised and effective – al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra, Jaysh al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham – share ...<br /><br />EDITORIAL COMMENT:- Is it really possible to sell a defeat of ISIS by other &quot;radical &#39;Islamist&#39; forces&quot; - that have the same goals as ISIS - as a victory for &quot;our side&quot; during the Presidential election campaign? Tune in and find out.<br /><br /><a target="_blank" href="http://www.janes.com/article/53239/islamic-state-territory-shrinks-by-9-4-in-first-six-months-of-2015?utm_campaign=[PMP]_PC5308_J360%2029.7.15_KV_Deployment&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Eloqua">http://www.janes.com/article/53239/islamic-state-territory-shrinks-by-9-4-in-first-six-months-of-2015?utm_campaign=[PMP]_PC5308_J360%2029.7.15_KV_Deployment&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Eloqua</a> <div class="pta-link-card answers-template-image type-default"> <div class="pta-link-card-picture"> <img src="https://d26horl2n8pviu.cloudfront.net/link_data_pictures/images/000/018/973/qrc/logo.png?1443049843"> </div> <div class="pta-link-card-content"> <p class="pta-link-card-title"> <a target="blank" href="http://www.janes.com/article/53239/islamic-state-territory-shrinks-by-9-4-in-first-six-months-of-2015?utm_campaign=[PMP]_PC5308_J360%2029.7.15_KV_Deployment&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Eloqua">Islamic State territory shrinks by 9.4% in first six months of 2015 - IHS Jane&#39;s 360</a> </p> <p class="pta-link-card-description">The Islamic State’s recent successes in Palmyra and Ramadi came at the expense of significant territorial losses elsewhere, leading to an overall reduction in the territory controlled by the Islamic State of 9.4% in the first six months of 2015. The group’s ‘Caliphate’ now</p> </div> <div class="clearfix"></div> </div> ISIS is losing ground faster and faster 2015-07-29T13:38:09-04:00 2015-07-29T13:38:09-04:00 SCPO David Lockwood 852830 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>Don't let up! Keep pushing them back! Response by SCPO David Lockwood made Jul 29 at 2015 1:51 PM 2015-07-29T13:51:55-04:00 2015-07-29T13:51:55-04:00 SSG Private RallyPoint Member 852857 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><a class="dark-link bold-link" role="profile-hover" data-qtip-container="body" data-id="337757" data-source-page-controller="question_response_contents" href="/profiles/337757-col-ted-mc">COL Ted Mc</a> ,<br /><br />Great news, but until ISIS is obliterated, they are a threat sir. Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 29 at 2015 1:58 PM 2015-07-29T13:58:21-04:00 2015-07-29T13:58:21-04:00 SSgt Private RallyPoint Member 852888 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div><br />My question is, what strategic significance does the land that they gave up have? Did they release land that doesn't hold strategic purpose in order to gain land that does? Are they doing this to suck opposing forces in in order to surround &amp; destroy them as they have done in other areas?<br /><br />I'm still waiting for the chess game to play out. I think their strategists are better than many in the world are giving them credit for. Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 29 at 2015 2:16 PM 2015-07-29T14:16:28-04:00 2015-07-29T14:16:28-04:00 SCPO Private RallyPoint Member 854134 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>I'm sure I'm not the only one when I say to kill all these scum-of-the-earth bastards. Kill every last member and wannabe. BUT, unless we kill every living soul over there, there will always be hundreds to eventually take the place of every ISIS or Al Qaeda terrorist soldier killed. i firmly believe this War on Terror will never end. Not as long as there are radical and/or fanatical Muslims. Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 30 at 2015 1:06 AM 2015-07-30T01:06:21-04:00 2015-07-30T01:06:21-04:00 SFC William Farrell 2324940 <div class="images-v2-count-0"></div>They should all die in hell <a class="dark-link bold-link" role="profile-hover" data-qtip-container="body" data-id="337757" data-source-page-controller="question_response_contents" href="/profiles/337757-col-ted-mc">COL Ted Mc</a> they are savages. Response by SFC William Farrell made Feb 8 at 2017 11:51 PM 2017-02-08T23:51:01-05:00 2017-02-08T23:51:01-05:00 2015-07-29T13:38:09-04:00