LATEST UPDATE PENTAGON FLAK ADMITS "HEAVY FIGHTING" IN AL-BAGHDADI - THAT LOCATION FIVE KILOMETERS FROM AL-ASAD AIR BASE WHERE MORE THAN 300 U.S. MARINE ADVISORS/ TRAINERS HUNKERED DOWN ISIS CAPTURE OF AL-BAGHDADI MEANS MARINES WILL HAVE TO STAY AND FIGHT OR BE AIR-EVACED OUT OF DANGER ZONE - UNCONFIRMED REPORT "FIERCE CLASHES" ALREADY NEAR RUNWAY
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As of 2300 hours Thursday night here in the Eastern Time Zone of the United States, the situation around besieged Al-Asad air base just outside ISIS-controlled Al-Baghdadi is fluid.
The British news agency Reuters reports some 300 U.S. Marine advisors/trainers at the huge base are in danger from the capture of at least 90 per cent of Al Baghdadi, just five kilometers from the key military installation.
Since Al-Baghdadi sits on the only major road route out for American and Iraqi personnel at the besieged base, the situation is fraught with peril.
A Pentagon spokesperson, Navy CMDR Elissa Smith, admitted "heavy fighting" was going on in Al Baghdadi, but did not directly address the obvious. With more than 300 American Marines stationed at the Al-Asad base, right next to newly-controlled ISIS territory, what is the U.S. plan? Is it for the Marines to stand and fight (as they undoubtedly would prefer to do) or be air-evacuated out in an operation similar to the Fall of Saigon when Vietnamese and Americans were rescued by a fleet of Marine helicopters?
PENTAGON FLAK PARSES WORDS
Smith soft-peddled the problem by saying, "there were reports of ineffective fire in the vicinity of the base."
However, there was at least one unconfirmed report from an Islamic source unfriendly to the United States that ISIS had entered the air base and taken control of one building. Also that "fierce clashes" were taking place "near the runway."
We want to emphasize this report from a Rami Al-Holah is unconfirmed and may well be propaganda.
But in her brief remarks, Smith said "there has been no direct attack on the base." The key word here is "direct." Why would the Pentagon flak leave such "wiggle-room," unless the top brass expect there will be some sort of fighting at Al-Asad in the very near future? Perhaps in the next 24 hours.
