Public Comment

The massive US bombing has not stunted the expansion of ISIS. Contrary to President Obama’s stated goal to ‘degrade and destroy ISIS’, they appear to be very much alive and only six miles from the Turkey border town of Kobani. If Kobani falls, ISIS will be in control of more than half of Syria’s border with Turkey. If this is allowed to happen it will be a massive military victory.  

ISIS is a guerrilla organization and has no central ‘Pentagon’ and is therefore relatively immune to US bombing. Contrary, to the facts on the ground the Pentagon PR machine continues to debunk civilian casualties and exaggerate its bombing successes. ISIS has demonstrated its effectiveness by appealing to extreme religious fanaticism combined with military expertise drawn from disaffected Sunnis who were margined by our 2003 invasion and the highly sectarian former Prime Minister, Maliki.  

Despite Obama’s claim of cobbling together a collation of 44 of counties, our allies seem to be hopelessly divided. Saudi Arabia is playing a double game – sending weapons and millions of dollars to their Sunni ISIS friends while outwardly supporting US efforts. Turkey is likewise seriously conflicted, reluctant to support the US coalition. Turkey and Jordon are also overburdened with tens of thousands of refugees fleeing from Syria. There appears to be no close liaison between the US and the people who are actually fighting ISIS, such as the Syrian Kurds and the Syrian army and other groups in Iraq and Syria.