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After yesterday’s strikes on oil refineries in eastern Syria controlled by ISIL terrorists, initial assessments are that the strikes were successful in rendering all 12 of the targeted modular refineries inoperable, according to Pentagon Spokesman Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby. Six U.S. jets, joined by 10 fighter aircraft from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, participated in the strikes.
See the lead graphic by DOD.
The coalition aircraft were responsible for 80 percent of the explosive effect on the targets, Kirby noted.
“These precision-guided munitions, as you know, come in various sizes and forms and tonnage, and the coalition aircraft were flying with heavier tonnage, by and large — heavier tonnage bombs than we were,” he explained.
Claudette Roulo from DoD News, Defense Media Activity, continues:
The strikes were intended to disable the refineries, not destroy them, [admiral John Kirby] said. “We’re trying to remove the means through which this organization sustains itself.”
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“These refineries were in place before ISIL came along,” he added. “And assuming that Syria gets to a point where it’s better governed, you know, we’d like to preserve the flexibility for those refineries to still contribute to a stable economy in what we hope will be a stable country when the Assad regime is not in control anymore.”
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Until a time when the refineries can be used by a moderate opposition, he said, the airstrikes will stop the refineries from being used to produce petroleum or to serve as communications or berthing areas.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Gena Fedoruk and U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. Marcel Trott take off in a KC-135 Stratotanker from a base in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to support airstrikes in Syria, Sept. 23, 2014. Multiple KC-135 Stratotankers were part of a large coalition strike package that was the first to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant targets in Syria. Photo DOD
Today, airstrikes continued against ISIL targets in Iraq.
From a U.S. Central Command News Release:
U.S. military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq, using a mix of attack, bomber and fighter aircraft to conduct 11 airstrikes yesterday and today, U.S. Central Command officials reported.
One airstrike west of Irbil struck ISIL fighters and damaged an ISIL armed vehicle. Five airstrikes south of Kirkuk struck ISIL fighters; destroyed an ISIL tank, an ISIL vehicle and an ISIL Humvee; and damaged two ISIL armed vehicles. Five airstrikes west of Baghdad destroyed an ISIL Humvee, four checkpoints, a fighting position, two guard towers and a command post.
In the meantime, at an Air Force Association breakfast on Monday, the director of the Joint Staff Air Force Lt. Gen. David L. Goldfein said that the Arab countries in the coalition are bringing a great deal of professionalism and pride to their activities over Iraq and Syria.
Goldfein said it is “very significant” that five Arab countries joined the coalition against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. He noted that this wasn’t the first time Arab nations came forward. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan helped in air operations over Libya. Goldfein previously served as commander of U.S. Central Command’s Air Force component.
The Arab nations fit right in with operations against ISIL, he said. “I actually got to fly with each of the countries in the Gulf,” the general said. “What I came away with is there may be no better example in how an investment in building partner capacity has paid off.”
The Arab pilots were all graduates of the Gulf Air Warfare Center sponsored by the United Arab Emirates. The facility is similar to the U.S. Air Force’s Red Flag facility in Nevada, he said.
The general said each nation can have a great deal of pride in its participation. “From everything I’ve seen so far, this is a very successful event,” he added.
Finally, the G-7 Foreign Ministers issued a statement today on “Joint Action to Fight the Terrorist Organisation ISIL/DAESH.”
The following are excerpts from the statement released by the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and High Representative of the European Union: (Read the entire statement here)
We, the Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union jointly condemn the brutal violence, hatred and intolerance of the terrorist organisation operating under the name ISIL. It negates basic Islamic and human values and poses a deadly threat to Iraq and Syria, the broader Middle East and beyond, including our own societies. We reaffirm our commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 2170 (2014) and demand the immediate, safe and unconditional release of all those who are kept hostage by ISIL or associated individuals and entities.
Over the last weeks at meetings both regionally and throughout the world leaders have agreed on a comprehensive approach to fight ISIL and to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. We support this comprehensive and coordinated, long-term effort to degrade and defeat ISIL…
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… we must tackle the military strength, the access to funds and fighters, and the violent radicalising and recruiting influence of ISIL. We also need to support moderate forces opposed to ISIL in both Iraq and Syria…
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We support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, Nikolay Mladenov, to advance an inclusive political dialogue, national reconciliation, and a regional dialogue…
We are committed to restoring stability and peaceful co-existence of all ethnic and religious groups in Syria and Iraq. We welcome the unequivocal stance taken by Muslim leaders against ISIL’s message of intolerance, hatred and violence.
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We remain committed to providing assistance to the victims of ISIL terror and to continue our humanitarian aid in close coordination with the UN and other international organisations…
Finally, resolute steps to hamper and prevent the flow of fighters and funds to ISIL are urgent…
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.