President Obama did the right thing when he had American planes drop food and water to the 40,000 Christians and Yazidis on a mountain in northern Iraq surrounded by ISIS forces who are trying to starve them to death. It is, however, not enough. America must also provide ammunition, weapons and other supplies to the Kurdish forces nearby. The Kurds have been allies of the USA throughout all the fighting in Iraq. We ought not abandon those allies now in their darkest hour. American planes should also attack the formations of the ISIS terrorist crazies who are moving in on both the starving civilians and the remaining Kurdish forces. A short campaign by the US air force should be able to break the back of the ISIS advance. We need to give the Kurds the chance to resupply and rearm. Then they can confront the ISIS fighters.
For the last few months, Obama has been waiting for the politicians in Baghdad to form some sort of coalition government that he finds acceptable. That was a silly move, but at least it had some sort of rationale. Allowing the Kurds to be overrun by ISIS, on the other hand, is completely irrational. Such a move would only undermine the interests of the USA and help ISIS solidify its hold on vast swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria.
Let's hope that now that he has finally actually done something, Obama will follow that move up with others that are necessary.
For the last few months, Obama has been waiting for the politicians in Baghdad to form some sort of coalition government that he finds acceptable. That was a silly move, but at least it had some sort of rationale. Allowing the Kurds to be overrun by ISIS, on the other hand, is completely irrational. Such a move would only undermine the interests of the USA and help ISIS solidify its hold on vast swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria.
Let's hope that now that he has finally actually done something, Obama will follow that move up with others that are necessary.
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