US Air Force Targets and Destroys ISIS HQ Building Using Social Media

by MIKE HOFFMAN on JUNE 3, 2015

17613531

Much has been made about the ability of ISIS to master social media to recruit and broadcast their victories. But the U.S. Air Force is turning the militant group’s eagerness to share on social media into that intelligence that produces targets.

Air Force Gen. Hawk Carlisle, head of Air Combat Command, described Monday how airmen at Hurlburt Field, Florida, with the 361st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Group, recognized a comment on social media and turned that into an airstrike that resulted in three Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) missiles destroying am Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) headquarters building.

“It was a post on social media to bombs on target in less than 24 hours,” Carlisle said. “Incredible work when you think about.”

Carlisle was careful not to share all of the Air Force’s secrets to include the location of the building but this is how he told the story at the recent breakfast meeting in Washington D.C. hosted by the Air Force Association.

“The guys that were working down out of Hurlburt, they’re combing through social media and they see some moron standing at this command. And in some social media, open forum, bragging about the command and control capabilities for Daesh, ISIL. And these guys go: ‘We got an in.’ So they do some work, long story short, about 22 hours later through that very building, three [Joint Direct Attack Munitions] take that entire building out.”

The vignette on how this airstrike came to be offers a broader picture into the intelligence gathering being done by Air Force intelligence specialists back at home and stationed forward. Many observers have questioned how the U.S. is producing targets in Iraq and Syria for coalition fighters and bombers with few boots on the ground. Carlisle offered a window into at least part of the process.

The story also offered a view into the Air Force’s updated intelligence organization.

In February, the Air Force stood up the 363rd ISR Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va., — a new wing that provides “cross-domain targeting and analysis” that produces targeting products. The wing is subordinate to 25th Air Force, which had been the Air Force ISR Agency before it became a Numbered Air Force under Air Combat Command. The airmen assigned to the 361st in Hurlburt have fallen under the 363rd since it was stood up.

Air Force intelligence officials have said their collection efforts must utilize a wide network of tools to include social media in order to keep up with the enemy. It appears these re-organization efforts are producing targets.

Carlisle also used the vignette to highlight how the Air Force doesn’t need to deploy as many airman as it may have in the past. Of course, many have discussed how many Air Force pilots are flying MQ-1 Predators and MQ-9 Reapers out of U.S. bases like Creech Air Force Base in Nevada.

But Carlisle pointed out how that also can extend to intelligence units. He said the Air Force still needs a presence in deployed locations, but maybe not as large a footprint as the service required in the past.

“It’s about how can you build that system for the future?”

However, he warned that wars and conflicts in the future won’t allow the U.S. military as much freedom to pass on intelligence like the social media tip collected in Florida as easily in the future. Carlisle suggested that satellite communications will be a target for more advanced enemies and militaries in future conflicts.

Until then, it appears the Air Force is happy to collect intelligence on ISIS militants in Florida and turning that into targets in Iraq and Syria.

– Michael Hoffman can be reached at Mike.Hoffman@military.com

Read more: http://defensetech.org/2015/06/03/us-air-force-targets-and-destroys-isis-hq-building-using-social-media/#ixzz3c3KxNX6I
Defense.org

Advertisement

Twitter- Haider Sumeri

Haidar Sumeri ‏@IraqiSecurity 4h4 hours ago

Looks like someone let off a nuclear bomb in Hawijah Aftermath of huge airstrikes on a Da’ish car bomb factory.

2:26 PM – 3 Jun 2015 · Details

Chairman of the House of Representatives will meet the Pope stresses the need for international complex parking with Iraq

History of edits:: 2015/6/3 22:19 • 68 visits readable

[Baghdad-where]

, He met with Parliament Speaker Dr. Salim al-Jubouri on Wednesday in the papal headquarters in the Vatican Pope Francis first.

A statement from the office Jubouri received by all of Iraq [where] a copy of it: During the meeting, the review of human reality that Iraq is going through, and conditions and the challenges it faces and the need to stand with the international community in order to overcome the crisis, which is going through.
The statement added that al-Jubouri, “stressed that the presence of Christians in Iraq will add an element of strength and support for Iraq’s unity and cohesion of its people, which everyone should work for him.”
The statement said al-Jubouri, concluded his visit to the Vatican this evening and went to Brussels on an official visit lasting several days. End

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://www.alliraqnews.com/&prev=search

Defense Minister briefed on preparations Balad Air Base to receive the aircraft [F16]

History of edits:: 2015/6/4 0:10 • 91 visits readable

[Baghdad-where]

Visited Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi Wednesday Balad Air Base which will receive aircraft [F16] in the summer of this year.

A defense ministry statement received by the agency all of Iraq [where] a copy of the minister’s visit was for the purpose of standing on the readiness of the base to receive the aircraft [F16] The Minister lose during the visit, facilities and infrastructure of the base.
The statement added that al-Obeidi, listened to a detailed explanation of the current by al-Qaeda and companies operating and supervising the rehabilitation of the commander of the business.
This was the defense minister said according to the statement “that the business is going according to plans prepared for that and will be prepared to complete the work according to her table” .anthy

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ar&u=http://www.alliraqnews.com/&prev=search

Iraqi national anthem and raising the Iraqi flag in the opening ceremony of Zakho International Stadium

History of edits:: 2015/6/3 22:49 • 245 visits readable

{Baghdad: Euphrates News} witnessed the opening ceremony of Zakho International Stadium on Wednesday played the Iraqi national anthem and raising the Iraqi flag.

A reporter and Euphrates News Agency {} “The opening ceremony of Zakho International Stadium saw playing the Iraqi national anthem and raising the Iraqi flag in the presence of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Abdul-Hussein Abtan and Prime Minister of the Kurdistan region Nechirvan Barzani.
The Abtan had recommended on Wednesday to raise the Iraqi flag in Zakho Stadium and download the organizing committee breaches noting that he “should be at the descent of the two teams into the stadium to start the game to raise the Iraqi flag and playing the national anthem of respect for Iraqi sovereignty, because the two teams from the same country and are not strangers.”
And achieved the Iraq team football, on Wednesday, beat Zakho Club two goals without reply, in a trial match was held at the opening of the stadium Zakho Sports Club, in the presence of President of the Kurdistan Regional Government Nechirvan Barzani and Minister of Youth and Sports in the federal government Abdul-Hussein Abtan and a number of officials in the governments Baghdad and Orbel.anthy

http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=ar&u=http://www.faceiraq.com/inews.php%3Fid%3D3879020&usg=ALkJrhh89e8qgdbaGST6wPNKdF4oEQJfPw

Urgent ISF, PMU arrive at SB of Baiji district, ISIL terrorists run away

Published: 2015/6/4 0:31 • 52 Reads

ISF, PMU arrive at SB of Baiji district, ISIL terrorists run away 

Salah-il-Din (AIN) –The Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday evening that the security forces and the popular mobilization units are progressing from three directions forward Surrogate building of Baiji district .

The MoD, in a statement received by All Iraqi News Agency in the evening, stated that “the ISIL terrorists fled in groups, leaving their weapons and the corpses of their fellows in the battlefield.” /End/ 

http://en.alliraqnews.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1198

Kurdistan denies suspending oil transfer to Iraq’s SOMO

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Editorial Staff in Oil & Gas
ERBIL-Hewler, Kurdistan region ‘Iraq’,— Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region has not transferred any oil to state marketing firm SOMO so far this month, two shipping sources said, as a deal with Baghdad over exports comes under increasing strain.
An official in Kurdistan’s Ministry of Natural Resources said any interruption was only temporary, and the region remained committed to a December deal under which it agreed to export 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil via SOMO.
The spokesman of Kurdistan Ministry of Natural Resources, Alan Atoot denied stop the process of transferring oil to the Iraqi Oil Marketing Company (SOMO)
“we strongly deny the report irresponsible by Reuters “. Atoot said. He added that the continuous flow of oil “We are committed to the agreement with Baghdad.”.
The deal was hailed as a breakthrough in a long-running dispute over exports between the Baghdad government and Kurdish authorities, but each side has been accusing the other of violating it.
Baghdad accuses the Kurds of failing to export the volumes they committed to. The region refutes that and says it has not been paid its full share of the federal budget, as agreed.
One of the shipping sources said oil was reaching the Turkish port of Ceyhan through the pipeline from Iraq, but none had been handed over to SOMO since June 1.
The Ministry of Natural resources official, however, said transfers were sometimes interrupted by bottlenecks, or when the region was loading oil to sell separately to repay debts it incurred last year after Baghdad cut funding.
“The KRG strongly denies the false and irresponsible reports that KRG has stopped its shipping to SOMO,” a Ministry of Natural Resources official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The Kurds said they exported an average of 577,621 bpd via pipeline to Turkey in May, of which 448,889 bpd was handed over to SOMO.
A Turkish industry source said the Kurds had temporarily suspended transfers to SOMO because they had already met their commitment for May and were waiting to see how much Baghdad would pay them for it.
In previous months, the region has received less than half of the 1.2 trillion Iraqi dinars ($1 billion) to which it is entitled in the 2015 budget.
“If the payment is again at around $300-400 million, then I believe they will start considering whether it makes more sense for them to export their oil independently,” the Turkish source said.
Kurdistan will sell its oil independently of Baghdad if Iraq’s federal government does not pay the money it owes, the president of Kurdistan Massoud Barzani said in May
“Either Iraq will commit to the agreement that they have and will pay the Kurdistan region or, in another case, if they don’t and fail to pay Kurdistan, then we will be selling our own oil and collecting our own revenue,” Masoud Barzani told CNBC.
http://ekurd.net/kurdistan-denies-suspending-oil-transfers-to-iraqs-somo-2015-06-03

Ebadi, an adviser to calls to install Governor of the Central Bank confirms: no one dares to turn it into a commercial bank

Central Bank building one independent bodies according to the Iraqi Constitution .. Photographed by Mahmoud Raouf

Author: HH, MJ
Editor: AT, HH 06.03.2015 10:06 a.m.number of readings: 1033

Long-Presse / Baghdad

Called on the Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, on Wednesday, to install governor formally the Central Bank, and stressed the need to be “financial policy maker”, and as pointed out that the international community address Iraq constantly in this regard, ruled dare any party to the attack on its independence and turn it into a commercial bank supplement policies “temporary government.”

The appearance of Mohammed Saleh said in an interview to the (long-Presse), “The work of the Governor of the Central Bank acting and subjected to political quotas did not affect the Iraqi economy is now very dramatically, especially after three years on the job distracting proxy”.

Saleh stressed the need to “install the Governor of the Bank formally,” noting that “the international community address Iraq and constantly asking him to install the Governor of the Central Bank to be a financial and economic policy maker.”

Saleh pointed out that “the global community that respects the stability of Iraq by the central bank and fixed this approach can not be underestimated,” pointing out that “the stability of the Central Bank of Iraq Christsn his money abroad from creditors.”

Saleh stressed that “there are no hand dared attack on the independence of the central bank and convert it into a commercial bank and an extension temporary government policies,” explaining that “the prime minister Haider al-Abadi his position clear of the subject of the independence of the central bank and remove him from the political quotas”.

The Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq and the Agency on the Keywords revealed in (the first of December 2014), that the amendments to the Central Bank and banks laws, money laundering and reached the final stages, among the several meetings held with the Speaker of Parliament Saleem al-Jubouri for ratification soon, description the Board of Directors as

“an internal committee need to be extended.”

 http://www.almadapress.com/ar/news/49545/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%88-%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AB%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%B8-%D9%84%D9%84

US-Led Coalition Conducts 22 Airstrikes Against ISIS

Published: 2015/6/3 19:36 • 23 Reads

Follow up (AIN) -US-led coalition forces have conducted 18 airstrikes against ISIL group in 10 Iraqi cities since Tuesday morning, as well as four airstrikes against the terror group in Syria, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement Wednesday.

Cities struck in Iraq include Ramadi, Sinjar, Tal Afar, Baiji, Kirkuk, Mosul and Fallujah; buildings, fighting positions, tactical units, vehicles and heavy machine guns were destroyed, the statement said.

Six ISIS fighting positions near Al Hasakah in Syria were destroyed, as was an armored vehicle and a tactical unit near Dayr Az Zawr. /End/

http://en.alliraqnews.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1193

Reuters: Kurdistan stops oil transfers to Iraq’s SOMO

Published: 2015/6/3 15:42 • 45 Reads

Follow up (AIN) – Kurdistan region is shipping oil to the Turkish port of Ceyhan but has stopped transferring crude to Iraqi state oil firm SOMO, two shipping sources told Reuters on Wednesday.
The suspension comes after months of tensions between Kurdistan and Baghdad over oil sales and budget payments./End/

http://en.alliraqnews.com/modules/news/article.php?storyid=1189