ISIS
has released a slickly produced new video warning the United States of
the carnage it wants to inflict in Iraq if President Obama deploys
troops to the war-torn nation as he attempts to 'degrade and ultimately
destroy' the terror group.
Resembling
a blockbuster movie trailer, the disturbing 52-second video entitled
'Flames of War' shows militants blowing up tanks in dramatic slow
motion, wounded US soldiers apparently being executed and the White
House in the sights of a shaky camera.
It
then shows a clip of the president from before the 2011 withdrawal from
Iraq saying that combat troops will never return to the Middle Eastern
nation, before the video ends with a text overlay that reads, 'Flames of
War -- fighting has just begun ... Coming soon.'
The
video's timing, released yesterday, suggests it was a direct response
to General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,
who told the Senate Armed Services Committee that fighting in Iraq may
require the use of ground troops.
The
video was released by the al-Hayat Media Center, which has become known
for its propaganda videos for ISIS which include high-production
values, CGI explosions and slow motion footage.
The
video also appears to mock the United States by including an image of
the infamous 'Mission Accomplished' banner that made an appearance on
board USS Abraham Lincoln during George W. Bush's victory speech in 2003
following the US-led invasion of Iraq.
President
Bush's former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld also makes an
appearance in the video, walking through Iraq during the occupation.
Destruction: During the video ISIS
soldiers are seen to unleash multiple and successful strikes on US
troops and tanks in the Middle East
Blast: The video - which bears all the
hallmarks of a highly produced Hollywood trailer shows the destruction
of US military targets at the hands of ISIS
That
image is then followed by a picture of the White House at night, filmed
by a moving camera from what is presumably a car driving past.
The
movie is just the latest heavily edited video from ISIS, that has
included gruesome footage of the beheadings of two American journalists
and a British aid worker.
General
Dempsey told a U.S. Senate panel on Tuesday that American troops might
soon provide Iraqi forces with 'close combat advising' in the fight
against the ISIS terror army.
That
clarification of the Pentagon's mission in the Middle East could mean
that U.S. soldiers and Marines are embedded with Iraqi army units,
helping them conduct warfare.
Heavily armed: New York City police
officers stand guard in Times Square on September 17, 2014 in New York
City. A blog affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS)
mentioned Times Square as a target for bombing
Slow motion: ISIS militants are seen to heroically survive American attacks and retaliate with superior force in the video
Gen.
Martin Dempsey, who chairs the military's joint chiefs of staff, told
the Senate Armed Services Committee that the American military is
currently serving a purely advisory role. But in certain circumstances,
he said, they might provide 'close combat advising.'
Citing
a hypothetically urgent mission focused on 'retaking Mosul' as anti-war
protesters provided frequent interruptions, he said he could envision
U.S. troops 'accompanying that mission.'
'
Mocking: The video attacks President George W. Bush's assertion in 2003 that the invasion of Iraq was completed
Ominous: The video shows a brief and
shaky clip of a car driving past the White House filming it - clearly
threatening the home of the US president
In
his opening statement, he said that 'if we reach the point where I
believe our advisers should accompany Iraqi troops on attacks against
specific ISIL targets, I will recommend that to the president.'
ISIL is an alternate name for ISIS.
President Obama has maintained that American forces won't have a combat mission in Iraq.
But Oklahoma Republican Sen. Jim Inhofe said Tuesday that he's not convinced the White House is true to its word.
'It
will take an army to beat an army, but instead the President presented a
limited counter-terrorism strategy,' Inhofe said during the hearing.
'His
claim of "no boots on the ground" is an insult to the men and women in
Iraq today who are serving in harm’s way. We already have boots on the
ground in Irbil and in Baghdad and throughout Iraq.'
Joint
Chiefs chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey (right) said he might recommend
inserting U.S. troops to 'accompany' Iraqis in combat situations, if
airstrikes failed to neutralize ISIS
Protesters,
from the far-left CODEPINK group, numbered at least 10 -- all of whom
managed to get into the hearing room without a challenge from Capitol
Police
Dempsey
and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel faced multiple questions from
lawmakers in the first high-stakes hearing examining Obama's expanded
military campaign to counter the relentless terrorist threat from Middle
East extremists.
The
U.S. military conducted strikes near Baghdad against ISIS, the
self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham. ISIS has seized large
swaths of Iraq and Syria.
Obama
is seeking congressional support to train and equip vetted Syrian
moderates fighting both the Islamic militants and forces loyal to
President Bashar al-Assad.
Dempsey said the United States is prepared to strike Islamic targets in Syria.
'This
will not look like "shock and awe" because that is not how ISIL is
organized. But it will be persistent and sustainable,' Dempsey said,
referring to the air bombardment at the start of the Iraq war in March
2003.
Hagel seconded him.
'Because
ISIL operates freely across the Iraqi-Syrian border, and maintains a
safe haven in Syria, our actions will not be restrained by a border in
name only,' he said.
Doing
Obama's bidding: Hagel, shown with the president after a Medal of Honor
ceremony on Monday, is responsible for implementing his policies -- and
taking blame if they fail or if 'mission creep' kicks in
Several
lawmakers have their doubts about the United States being pulled into a
larger war, with increasing numbers of American troops. The president
has already dispatched more than 1,000 Americans three years after
combat forces left Iraq.
Many
Republicans and Democrats have expressed reservations about the ability
to identify moderates in a country awash with rebel formations and
shifting alliances. The Islamic State grew out of the al-Qaeda movement,
but the two are now fighting. In some instances, the moderate Free
Syrian Army has teamed with al-Qaeda's local franchise, the Nusra Front.
Hagel said the U.S. will monitor them closely to ensure that weapons don't fall into the wrong hands.
'There
will always be risk in a program like this, but we believe that risk is
justified by the imperative of destroying ISIL – and the necessity of
having capable partners on the ground in Syria,' the defense secretary
said.
Anti-war
protesters filled the front rows at the hearing, chanting 'No more war!
No more war! No military solution!' at the start of the session and
repeatedly interrupting testimony.
'War is not the answer!' one activist yelled as Hagel was introduced.
Hagel said the involvement will not be 'an easy or brief effort. We are at war with ISIL, as we are with al-Qaeda.'
DAILYMAIL.CO.UK
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