The Catch-22 Of The War Against ISIS And Our “Allies” That Support Said War

A few weeks ago, I read in the news that Turkey was going to allow US Planes to use Turkish Airbases to attack ISIS. The first thought in my head wasn’t “Good!”, it was “Wait, What?” followed by a complete humble silence in seeing the awesome power of NATO allies supporting each other </sarcasm>. Especially since one would think that a nominally secular nation (Turkey) that is on the border of ISIS expansionism would want to curtail the army that has effectively fought two governments and wiped out numerous non-extremist-non-sunni-non-pro-rape-non-arab-non-like-us-not-as-pure-sunni-as-us peoples in the area. It’s almost like Turkey wanted the genocide to continue…(yep, foreshadowing)

On the same day that Turkey announced that the United States could use Turkish airbases to attack ISIS, front page news organizations also mentioned Turkey also joined the air war against ISIS and actually conducted airstrikes against ISIS positions (this is important). Relegated to the backpages and asterisks on most news organizations websites, was a minor detail. Turkey also attacked the Kurds. Who are the Kurds today? Well only the most effective ground force currently fighting ISIS because everyone else cuts and runs. The other semi-effective ground forces are: Syria’s former military, headed up by Syrian Alawites (a branch of Shia Islam that Sunnis, especially ISIS types, consider heretical, and we all know what ISIS does to those that they think are apostates…) that are fighting now for their lives and Hezbollah, funded and armed by our new friends IRAN who will have the arms embargo lifted for them when we ratify the Nuclear Agreement that our Present and Secretary of State so shrewdly negotiated. Guess where Shia Hezbollah will focus their efforts with more arms and money, once they kill the Sunnis in ISIS? (reminder – Hezbollah, and the Iranian Quds commander that recently visited Russia are directly implicated in the Beruit Bombings that killed both American and French soldiers). This is not feeling sorry for the Alawites, who have brutally repressed the Syrian Minorities (Christian and Sunni Muslim) for decades but again, helping us understand what is truly going on.

Where does this now leave the situation against ISIS.

1. We have given the green light for our Ally (Turkey), to bomb our temporary ally (Kurds) in return for allowing us closer airbases. So essentially we’ve increased our airpower, and put our only somewhat effective ally on the ground in a vice between Turkey and ISIS. Airpower and blowing money out the ass in airstrikes may make us happy (see reports of enemies killed in Vietnam), but airpower without ground power, kind of sucks. (The opposite is also true). Note: Of the thousands of airstrikes against ISIS in the last year, the size of ISIS’ fighting force has NOT shrunk, but grown.
2. If this continues, the only semi-effective fighting forces against radical Sunni Islam will be a Brutal Minority Led Dictatorship and a radical Shia Islam fighting force as follows:
   1. the Syrian Army, now fighting for their lives and their President Bashir Assad, who we had wanted out of Syria, but waffled about supporting anyone anyone else.
   2. Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy, that we have essentially green lighted more arms and funds to.
3. Anyone wonder why Arabs hate us besides you know, Islam? (Think Kurds, the Shia Marsh Arabs, etc). We promise and then stab them in the back repeatedly.

For those that don’t know why Turkey hates the Kurds, it’s because the Kurds have been fighting for a homeland in Northern Iraq, Eastern Turkey, North-West Iran and North East Syria for years. When Iraq and Syria were stable (i.e. Dictators Saddam Hussein and Haffez Assad), the Kurds were essentially a terrorist annoyance. But with the fall of Iraq, and Kurd Autonomy in Oil Rich northern Iraq, the Kurds became better financed and more of a thorn in Turkey’s side. Before we feel too sorry for the Kurds however, there is a bed that they made and now sleep in…

Why do the Kurds hate Turkey? Well because during and shortly after World War I, the Sunni Turkmen (ethnic majority in Turkey of today) and the Sunni Kurds (second largest ethnicity in Turkey of today) conspired to ethnic and religious cleansing in Turkey. The Armenian (Christian), Assyrian (Christian) and Greek (Christian) genocides in Turkey were conducted by the Turks and Kurds over a period of about eight years, with about an estimated 3 million Greeks (done mostly by Turks), Armenians and Assyrians (done mostly by Kurds at the direction of Turks). The basic deal was the Kurds would have autonomy in what is now eastern Turkey, after the Christians were gone (i.e. dead). How were most of the Armenians killed? They were marched into the desert and left to die. What desert? Well it’s now in…Syria. Chickens indeed come home to roost. Once the Greeks, Armenians, and Assyrians were pretty much wiped out in Turkey, the Turks went back on their word and shut the door on their hatchet men, the Kurds and that other awesome, (not joking) Islamic fighting force…the Chechens who are currently giving Russia fits and are also key members of ISIS – many with the nomme de guerre – “al Shishani”, which means, simply “The Chechen”.

By the way, the Armenian Genocide, recognized by the UN and most major western countries, has NOT been recognized by the United States to this very day or interestingly enough, Israel. In a sad move, Syria, this year, has recognized the Christian genocides, in hopes that they will be seen as protectors of Christianity and get aid in their battle against ISIS. When we hear of Genocide, we wonder of the effectiveness. A table based on populations estimates

Now the Kurds are portrayed as saviors; the Turks as our allies; and we sit idly by while saying we are fighting ISIS, and continue to allow the Genocide of Christians, Shias, and Sunnis alike by the doomsday cult ISIS. Our “Christian” nation who suddenly cares about the Christians in Iraq facing slaughter by ISIS, have one small problem. Assyrian Christians in Iraq (over 1.4 Million around the time of the 1935 census above), have been wiped out far more by two other forces, the Arabs and Kurds of Iraq over the last 80 years. We ignored it then and now our timidity in this battle and our foot dragging at providing any true help will only cause every single faction there to hate the US, add to instability and in the long term create more danger for US citizens at home and abroad.

So what to do with this Gordian knot.

1. Direct confrontation with ISIS. Sorry, not warmongering, but this proxy war is killing everyone and nothing is moving. Once ISIS is gone, or weakened, leave. No need to try nationbuilding.
2. Recognize the Armenian, Assyrian and Greek Genocides. Let Turkey throw a fit and stop our usage of their bases and do what is right rather than the handwringing that accomplishes nothing and allowing an ally hold us hostage. Want to know what happens when we appease an “Ally” for short term gain. I suggest you look at Pakistan’s funding, support and hiding of Taliban and Al Qaeda while we look the other way to this very day.
3. If Turkey does stop usage of our bases, counter with direct (as opposed to our normal weak moral) support of an Autonomous Kurdish Homeland in Northwest Syria and Northern Iraq. But stop looking the other way should the Kurdish / Assyrian truce end once ISIS is stopped. And stop considering the Kurds noble defense. The blood of millions is on their hands to this very day (Assyrian slaughters all the way until ISIS came about, and suddenly now Assyrians are friends for the Kurds)
   1. And yes, I understand Turkey as a bulwark against Russia to the north and radical islam to the south. But even if Turkey is offended, I don’t think Turkey would swing to Russia (the history of hate there is long, strong and bloody) and the current government fears radical Islam removing their powerbase.
   2. Turkey, right now is in denial. The Kurdish birthrate is almost triple that of the rest of Turkey. At that rate, the homeland may be a done deal through blood in the near future if there is not rapprochement. Besides, it’s what the Kurds were promised for killing everyone else.
4. Provide direct military support to Assyrian Militias to allow for self-defense.
5. Support the Arab Spring to limit radicalization, although this is likely too late due to our weak foreign policy.
6. For those that say we should not get involved, please look at what has happened when we either “don’t get involved for fear of annoying an ally” or we do the short term “Trust us” and then leave those allies hanging (usually literally). We need to not ignore Islamic Nations, nor intervene in an adhoc manner, but directly, for the long term and with honesty.

*Footnote – On accuracy in the media and everyone wanting to be the “oppressed” in hopes the US will step up. Recently there have been many articles about the Christian genocide going on in Iraq and Syria at the hand of ISIS. Specifically the Assyrian Christians in northern Iraq. But lately the news has changed and we are now seeing misrepresentation to bolster these claims. The plight of the Yazidis at the hands of ISIS comes to mind. They are now, amazingly listed as Christian. The reality is they are a unique religion combined mostly of Islam and Zoroastrianism and not Christian at all. In addition, they have been pretty much reported as a distinct ethnic minority. They are not. They are Kurds, Kurds that happen to have their own religion, and not Sunni Islam, like the majority of Kurds. I am not saying we shouldn’t care, I am saying we need to understand, to really see what is going on. And this goes back to Genocide that started 100 years ago.