Are The Rats Deserting A Sinking Ship?

Let this be a lesson to jihadist wannabes! Choose who to follow wisely. Especially if you're a foreigner looking for adventure or just a way to sate your lust for blood.

The Financial Times reported today that IS has executed 100 of it's own fighters who tried to flee their headquarters. Interestingly, those killed were foreigners who had become disillusioned.  I can say hooray for that but for them it has been too little too late!  I wonder too if maybe the Europeans have a smidgen of conscience that the hard liners don't.

The nationalities of those executed included British, French, Germans and Belgians.  It would seem they wanted to fight groups other than those to which they were assigned. The downside is their desire to fight in the first place.

However, when rebellion begins within ranks, chaos could follow and with a little bit of luck it could be the beginning of the end of ISIS.  Once word gets out that you either do as you're told or die, it puts you on an even footing with those you're there to fight.  Capitulate or die.  While hard core IS members look at death in their own way, most Europeans entered the fight for the fight perhaps more than the cause.  That would be their downfall. But it could also lead to the downfall of IS because they can't afford to lose too many within their own ranks if they can't replenish them.

If the likelihood of death by the hands of those with whom you've joined becomes widely known I would hope their ability to recruit would be greatly diminished. That IS would begin to disintegrate from within.

Now if only we would help the movement along by doing what we promised as far as properly arming the Kurds so they can mount more robust counter attacks real progress may follow. With Iraqis once again deserting due to lack of equipment poses a dilemma.  Of course they would still have their arms if they hadn't deserted in the first place.

Maybe it's time we quit playing war and actually fight it and end it.  Once and for all. Properly.

The IS Maze Versus Our Own

It hasn't been easy, this war against the Islamic State.  Even though Turkey now seems ready to let the Iraqi Kurds help the Syrian Kurds other aspects of the war aren't going too well.

We've been put on notice that Wednesday is dooms day for the next American and we've air dropped a load of arms meant for the Kurds right into IS territory.

It gets worse and we here in America should take note for there is a lesson in it. Sunnis in Lebanon are now leaning more in support of the IS cause because of the same old reason that allowed the movement to get a foot hold in the first place.  The exclusion of Sunni Muslims in government.

Hezbollah is gaining a strong foothold within Lebanon's borders much as Hamas has done in Gaza. The alternative is to look at the radical groups and none have the victories to tout more than IS.  While having enough on their hands as is for the time being, I'm sure the IS leadership is pleased with the turmoil in Lebanon.  Will even the moderate Sunni's join forces with them?  It has happened elsewhere and could again.  That means another front for the war and still too few to fight it.  Even with the Kurds valiantly providing boots on the ground they are outnumbered and remain out armed.

Could this repeat itself here?  Could a group that feels marginalized be pushed to the brink of extremism?  You see the ground work in places like Ferguson, MO.  The protests have far surpassed reason.  The truth of what happened the night young Michael Brown was killed by a police officer is still muddy yet that didn't quell the violent protests.  Led, in many cases, by rabble rousers from out side the community whose only purpose was to create and perpetuate unrest.

They've succeeded for the anger still is palpable, deserved or not.  We need to address this.  We need to quell the radical outliers who want only more tragedy to avenge tragedy. The ones who want to foment hatred for the sake of hatred and nothing more.  This is how movements begin and trying to solve the problem with political correctness is an exercise in futility.

The symptoms need addressed before the fever hits. Can we do this in our country before we turn into a nation of malcontents and the worst of us reign?

We can if we have the will.  The will to understand ethnicity and economic conditions play a part yet have the courage to enforce that which is right and that which is wrong without caveats. It must be the first priority if we are to remain a civilized nation.

Exclusion, whether great or small, breeds discontent and there is quite enough of that going around these days.

You Can't Have It All Ways!

Unlike this country where the President wants things his way or no way Turkey's Erdogan has played it differently. He really wants to be the new Caliph with Turkey as the center of the Caliphate. Like us, he prefers to let others do his fighting while playing both sides.

Where we once thought of him as a suspect ally he has proven to be a turncoat by disallowing coalition forces, such as they are, from using his air bases and turning a blind eye toward those crossing his borders to join IS.

I suspect he wants to let IS fight his war than he'll take care of IS in lieu of joining forces with them. Good luck.

He's at war in a lesser sense with the Kurds because they want their own country and in my opinion should have it.  On his eastern border, however, their territory is in Syria so he lets his tanks sit on his side of the border while the Kurds fight desperately against IS for the survival of Kobani.

Further west Kurdish territory is partially in Turkey, partially in Iraq and partially in

Iran so he is taking advantage of the chaos to bomb those Kurds while they too are fighting IS. The poor Kurds are surrounded by hostiles, yet they remain democratic and pro western.  Unfortunately they're finding that allegiance has gained them nothing.

No arms as promised.  No support from the Turks and sporadic air support from the coalition.

So now what?  The Kurds are mad.  Really mad and beginning to rebel against the Turks. That puts them in an even more tenuous position because I'll bet it will effect our promise to provide them with more appropriate arms.  Will Turkey crumble?  Probably not but they'll be forced into some kind of armed conflict to quell the angry Turks leaving al Assad in Syria even freer reign than he already has.

Now back to IS.  While the media is focusing on Kobani IS is inching ever closer to Baghdad. We've been assured that Baghdad won't fall.  The Iraqi forces won't allow it yet two outlying bases and the accompanying arms have fallen to IS in the past few days.  Suicide bombings within the city limits are on the increase.

Will Baghdad fall?  Have we kept Ebola out of the U.S.? If it does Erdogan can forget his ambitions, IS will reign for at least a time then we'll turn our attention to a nuclear Iran.

This is why when one goes to war the goal should be to win.  Unequivocally. You can't have it all ways.

 

Trouble With The Truth

Why is it politicians, of any party, feel it is okay to lie to the people they serve?  Granted there are times when it's better we not know some things to avoid panic but for the most part we deserve the truth.

The biggest and most consequential lie of the Bush administration was weapons of mass destruction.  The fall out of having pushed that lie may never be put to rest.

This administration seems to be doing it's share too.  Benghazi for starters.  All the denials that preceded departmental investigations - the IRS, the Veterans Administration, Obamacare.  Carefully, calculated lies.  Why?  To obscure departmental short comings? Or is it mere contempt for the intelligence of the public? Do they really think no one will notice?

I can't help but wonder where this mind set originates and why it's so difficult to eliminate.  Perhaps the most egregious set of untruths come from the President when he promises and fails to deliver to countries who had once been our friends.  The most recent and worst is saying Turkey will allow us to use their airports to launch strikes against ISIS. Wrong.  No such agreement has been made.

Did Susan Rice think that by saying so Turkey would be embarrassed into to doing so?  Well, whoever was behind the statement miscalculated.  Again.

The only thing that comes from such actions is a demeaning of this country and its leadership and the establishment of mistrust among our allies.  And triumph from our enemies.

If we don't want our boots on the ground in massive numbers arm the Kurds like we promised.  If we don't, there will be no boots what-so-ever.  IS will continue revising it's strategy, and like yesterday when they over ran another Iraqi Army training center, our arms will continue to fall into their hands. That's not the type of arming we should be doing.

It certainly cannot be our intent.  Can it?

Why Is Turkey Playing Chicken?

I have to take back everything positive I said about Turkey a few posts ago.  And wonder why they're playing chicken with us with the very existence of Kobani at stake.

Is there no human decency left in the world?  Come on people, sort out your territorial issues later.  The peril of leaving IS run amok is far worse than who has possession of a piece of land - the Turks or the Kurds!

After all, Kobani is within spitting distance of the Turkish border.  They even have tanks at the ready yet they insist on playing political games.  If they send in ground troops so must we.  True.  I  don't disagree with that but they are there, we aren't and the city is hanging on by its fingernails!

They want a no fly zone.  We won't order it up. Heck we won't even order up enough air strikes to dissuade IS as they keep moving that black flag ever closer to the center of Kobani.  Turkey understands the risk yet they're willing to risk an increased IS presence because they worry about the Kurds, at some time, going back to demanding their own country.  Well, there may be nothing for any of them to claim if they don't quit playing games.

They also need to realize and accept that the U.S. effort is being micro managed by an abysmally unqualified individual and that isn't going to change for at least two years.

Biden was right even if unpolitical in saying our allies are a large part of the problem, including Turkey. They may not be letting people cross into Syria at the moment to join IS but they're doing a far cry less in keeping IS away from their border.  Never mind the human cost paid by thousands of people who want no part of this mess.

We're stuck with Obama for two more years.  The world doesn't have to be.  It's time for them to put aside their own petty interests and collate among themselves to get the job done.

If for no other reason than it's the decent and humane thing to do.  Don't follow in our footsteps.  To do so is to fall prey to the most inhumane enemy the world has faced in decades. Perhaps we can't do better.  I have higher hopes for the rest of the world.

We Doze, People Die

I realize there is a lot going on in Washington these days and little of it good.  The incompetence of cabinet level people is enough to take your breath away. Maybe we should have cleaned our own house before engaging in another war no matter how justified.  But we have.

We also know that our own house won't be cleaned until after the November elections if then.  Some things can't wait.  Or can they?  I haven't seen the President call Congress back to get his war vote nor have I seen them volunteer to do so.  Heanven forbid their vote may come back to haunt them in future elections.  Who cares what's right?

I hear great bragging about this marvelous coalition we've pulled together - mostly with our own enemies.  They aren't in the fight because of the inhumanity of the IS but because of their own governmental and territorial interests.

Yes.  They'll fly with us but will only hit targets of their choice, not ours.  Like us they won't put boots on the ground.  I can't help but wonder about the commitment.  Well, you say, many of them have said they would send modern arms and armor to the Kurds, the only ones willing to fight.  On the ground.  They're still waiting.  Why?  Don't give me a big song and dance about delivery logistics.  It's not that.  It's politics.  Anything that can slow involvement is being done.  After all, elections loom.

In the meantime what about the Kurds?  They're still fighting with weapons from the Soviet era.  Give them an A+ for keeping what should be in a junk pile functional.  Such as it is against the modern weaponry of IS.

The IS is annoyed with the air strikes you can be sure but they're flicking them off like an irritating fly.  They've taken cover among civilians just as Hamas did against Israel.  Of course they're basically the same.

They continue with the ethnic and religious cleansing attacking villages, hospitals and schools.  Recruiting mere children.  Beheading women they don't sell into slavery. Sending more and more refugees into Turkey who like other neighboring countries will soon find themselves on overload.

Yet our politicians continue the opposition bashing campaigns while ignoring the state of the world.  No one is pressuring the coalition to step it up, the action is in "negotiations" with Iran.

The entire world could use some leadership.  It won't happen here with this administration.  Do we really have two years to wait for someone to emerge?  The Kurds, the only ones really willing to fight, don't.

Beware Of Turkey

Me thinks Turkey with their Islamist leader may be another can or worms for the United States and the region.  Another ally of sorts who has mixed allegiances due to mixed needs.

It was questioned why Turkey said no to our use of air bases within their borders while the air strikes against ISIL were being formulated.  It was thought perhaps because the newly re-elected Erdogan explained the leanings of his countrymen.  Not a comforting thought for the rest of the region.

Then he was given some slack when it became known that ISIL held a sizable group of Turks that were captured when ISIL over ran Mosul. Ah, that explains it.  Concern for the hostages.  Don't affiliate in any manner with the Great Satan.

Then duel headlines this morning sent a chill through me.  One was that some 60,000 Kurds were fleeing over the border to the relative safety of Turkey.  The other  was that the hostages have been released.  The reports are that it was some well executed rescue mission but I can't help but wonder.  We couldn't extract two and the Turks rescued forty nine?

Okay, our commander-in-chief, who has no military experience what so ever, meddles in everything military and that may have had something to our bungled mission. Still, the language of the reports are suspect when on one hand it was credited to a well executed rescue mission and on the other it talks of their having been handed over.  The two aren't compatible. When the double talk stops I'll take another look at Turkey and their intentions but for now I don't see them as an ally at all and putting aside Edogan's leanings, I don't blame them.

We can put 3000 of our military into Africa to fight Ebola which is not a threat to our national security at this point. Yes, it's a deadly disease in undeveloped countries, but it's a medical problem, not a military one.

Maybe the President doesn't think our troops are in danger there but I beg to differ.  If it migrates into our troops it will be as deadly to them just as much if their boots were on the ground fighting ISIL.  They actually may have a better chance fighting ISIL because it's what they've been trained to do and regardless what we're told, the movement is a threat more far reaching in the long run and certainly more difficult to detain.

Every day the world around us becomes more frightening with the Russians and Chinese buzzing our shores with war planes, the allies defying us at every turn and perhaps most of all the President insisting he personally signs off on every air strike planned for Syria.

Golf any one?