I saw an interview this evening with the deputy prime minister of the Kurdish region of Iraq; it was a chilling indictment of an incredibly incompetent Obama foreign policy.
Let's start with a few facts:
1. The Kurds have been friends and allies of the United States for many years. During the era of Saddam Hussein, the Kurds were persecuted by the Iraqi central government. When the Iraq War began, the Kurds sided almost immediately with the USA. There were no anti-American militias (like in the Shiite areas) and there were no terrorist attacks as there were in the Arab Sunni areas. Kurdistan was relatively peaceful and safe. Once the central government was formed in Baghdad, the Kurds participated but they were not part of the sectarian strife that split that government.
2. Even after American forces left Iraq, the Kurds have remained friends of the USA.
3. The Shiite government of Iraq under Maliki did its best to make certain that none of the weapons systems given by America to Iraq were sent to the Kurdish forces, even though some were designated for those forces.
4. Despite the lack of modern military equipment, the Kurdish forces (known as the peshmerga) were the only troops who fought back when ISIS forces attacked. As a result, only a small portion of Kurdistan was overrun, and most of that has now been retaken.
5. Over a month ago, president Obama promised that the USA would be sending weapons to the Kurds for use against ISIS. Despite Obama's promise, the weapons have not arrived. At the moment, the delay in delivery is the result of the claim by the Baghdad government that all the weapons should be sent first to Baghdad. While the lawyers argue about the niceties of sending weapons directly to Kurdistan, nothing is being delivered.
6. ISIS is armed now principally with American weapons that we had given to the Iraqis. ISIS captured these weapons when the Iraqi forces ran away during the ISIS attack.
7. The USA has carried out about 120 air strikes on ISIS positions. Many of these strikes have helped the Kurds.
So there you have it. Our long time friends and allies in Kurdistan are being abandoned by Obama. Obama promised weapons but delivered nothing. The Kurds are fighting with old Soviet weapons from the 1960s and 1970s. There have been some airstrikes, but that is about all.
Despite the lack of American support, the Kurds are not willing to give in to ISIS. Today, Obama said he wants to "manage" ISIS. The Kurdish deputy prime minister stated that his people would never agree to live with ISIS despite that group being "managed". He made clear that ISIS is evil and must be destroyed.
It is a sad day when the government of a besieged area speaks with more courage than the president of the United States.
Let's start with a few facts:
1. The Kurds have been friends and allies of the United States for many years. During the era of Saddam Hussein, the Kurds were persecuted by the Iraqi central government. When the Iraq War began, the Kurds sided almost immediately with the USA. There were no anti-American militias (like in the Shiite areas) and there were no terrorist attacks as there were in the Arab Sunni areas. Kurdistan was relatively peaceful and safe. Once the central government was formed in Baghdad, the Kurds participated but they were not part of the sectarian strife that split that government.
2. Even after American forces left Iraq, the Kurds have remained friends of the USA.
3. The Shiite government of Iraq under Maliki did its best to make certain that none of the weapons systems given by America to Iraq were sent to the Kurdish forces, even though some were designated for those forces.
4. Despite the lack of modern military equipment, the Kurdish forces (known as the peshmerga) were the only troops who fought back when ISIS forces attacked. As a result, only a small portion of Kurdistan was overrun, and most of that has now been retaken.
5. Over a month ago, president Obama promised that the USA would be sending weapons to the Kurds for use against ISIS. Despite Obama's promise, the weapons have not arrived. At the moment, the delay in delivery is the result of the claim by the Baghdad government that all the weapons should be sent first to Baghdad. While the lawyers argue about the niceties of sending weapons directly to Kurdistan, nothing is being delivered.
6. ISIS is armed now principally with American weapons that we had given to the Iraqis. ISIS captured these weapons when the Iraqi forces ran away during the ISIS attack.
7. The USA has carried out about 120 air strikes on ISIS positions. Many of these strikes have helped the Kurds.
So there you have it. Our long time friends and allies in Kurdistan are being abandoned by Obama. Obama promised weapons but delivered nothing. The Kurds are fighting with old Soviet weapons from the 1960s and 1970s. There have been some airstrikes, but that is about all.
Despite the lack of American support, the Kurds are not willing to give in to ISIS. Today, Obama said he wants to "manage" ISIS. The Kurdish deputy prime minister stated that his people would never agree to live with ISIS despite that group being "managed". He made clear that ISIS is evil and must be destroyed.
It is a sad day when the government of a besieged area speaks with more courage than the president of the United States.
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