re: ISIS now threatening US soldiers and embassy personnel

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A fire support plan requires fire support. A Marine rifle battalion has 9X60mm mortars and 8X81mm mortars as part of its TO&E. See Table 4-2 at Page 4-8 That is all the organic fire support capability they would have.

If ISIS was capable of employing 155mm howitzers against the Kurds what makes you think they would not be able to do the same against Americans isolated inside a single compound? Siege warfare does not end well for the besieged unless the siege is broken by a relief force. What sort of relief force do you think the U.S. is willing to commit? If it is only enough to extract the people within the compound, then what is the purpose of having them there in the first place? If we are not committed to staying, then don't go.

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I'm very well aware of the organic fire support that's available to an infantry bn. I'm not saying the situation is all hunky dory over there. I'm just saying that if ISIS goes after our embassy they're going to be on the losing end of that fight. I'm not sure exactly what type of fire support is available at the embassy. I would imagine they have 81mm or 120mm mortars at the least and possibly even HIMARS available. Also, 155 arty isn't exactly that easy to hide. You can't shoot it from a concealed position. You can bet your last dollar that we have countless manned and unmanned ISR assets over Baghdad and surrounding areas around the clock. If any thing that could seriously threaten the embassy is moved close to Baghdad it would go boom with a quickness.

Now, were not just going to abandon an embassy because there's a war going on unless it's absolutely necessary. This really has little to do with fighting ISIS or not.