As I’ve often noted, the word “genocide” is overused, but as Neoneocon notes, ISIS (and followers of the true faith) really are genocidal.
As I noted on Twitter,
When are Obama and Kerry going to lecture ISIS about how this is the 21st century and don't they know that crucifixions aren't au courant?
— Rand Simberg (@Rand_Simberg) August 8, 2014
And speaking of genocide, Jimmy Carter and Mary Robinson continue to be Hamas’s useful idiots. They aren’t of much use to anyone else.
I’m glad Obama stepped up and announced we will help these people.
I think the administration is sending them $500 million to fight Assad in Syria, but it sounds like they need also need anti-air weapons to defend against Iraqi attack aircraft.
I don’t think the Iraqis have any attack aircraft. That’s one of their problems in opposing ISIS, no air support for their army – the few parts of it that haven’t done a fast fade or gone over to ISIS themselves, that is. This lack may turn out to be a long-term blessing as, if Iraq had had any fixed-wing combat aircraft, ISIS would likely already be flying them against the Iraqis, the Kurds and Bashar al Assad.
The Kurds have announced their willingness to be America’s “boots on the ground” proxies, but they need arms and ammo equivalent to all the American stuff supplied to the Iraqi Army that got captured by ISIS. Thus far, the Obama administration isn’t taking them up on their offer.
I suspect they would get a much more favorable hearing in Riyadh. I hope the Kurds can do a deal with the Saudis soonest and start kicking some serious ISIS butt. If Obama wants a way out of his self-imposed box of opposing any “new” American initiative in Iraq, he could let the Saudis do the direct supplying of the Kurds then quietly agree to backfill the Saudi inventories. For cash, of course. The Saudis have a lot more skin in this game than we do and they’ve got money enough to cover their stake.