According to the AP, "activists and Syrian state media say that militants from the Islamic State group have launched a major attack on the predominantly Kurdish city of Hassakeh in a northeastern Syrian province by the same name." The population of Hassakeh is just under 200,000. The majority are Kurds, but there are also close to 20% Christians. Both of those groups will be killed or forced to flee if ISIS takes the city. Right now, the Kurdish peshmerga forces are defending the city, but we know that the Kurds, particularly in Syria, are poorly armed. The question therefore arises: will America help in the defense of these people?
Despite a great deal of talk, president Obama has not allowed any weapons to be given to the Kurdish forces either in Iraq or in Syria. Obama has even banned the sale of ammunition to the Kurds. For about a year, Obama has been talking about how local forces have to confront ISIS, but the only group to do so consistently has been the Kurds. Their reward from America has been talk and only talk.
I don't know if Hassakeh will fall to ISIS. The peshmerga held on in Kobane earlier this year. They may hold off ISIS once again. If Hassakeh does fall, however, then all the deaths which will follow should be blamed directly on president Obama.
Despite a great deal of talk, president Obama has not allowed any weapons to be given to the Kurdish forces either in Iraq or in Syria. Obama has even banned the sale of ammunition to the Kurds. For about a year, Obama has been talking about how local forces have to confront ISIS, but the only group to do so consistently has been the Kurds. Their reward from America has been talk and only talk.
I don't know if Hassakeh will fall to ISIS. The peshmerga held on in Kobane earlier this year. They may hold off ISIS once again. If Hassakeh does fall, however, then all the deaths which will follow should be blamed directly on president Obama.
No comments:
Post a Comment