Posted on 08/09/2014 2:32:09 PM PDT by Eleutheria5
WASHINGTON (AP) - For years, Kurdish officials have beseeched the Obama administration to let them buy U.S. weapons. For just as long, the administration has rebuffed America's closest allies in Iraq.
U.S. officials insisted they could only sell arms to the government in Baghdad, even after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki broke a written promise to deliver some to the Kurds. Their peaceful, semiautonomous northern region had been the lone success story to come out of the 2003 U.S. invasion.
The U.S. has resisted arming the Kurds because Washington's aim is to keep Iraq united. A strong Kurdish army could hasten independence for the Kurds.
Now, the Islamic State group, which some American officials have branded "a terrorist army," has overpowered lightly armed Kurdish units, threatening the Kurdish region and the American personnel stationed there.
President Barack Obama said Saturday that the U.S. had increased military aid to the Kurds, though he did not elaborate. White House officials said Friday that Baghdad had sent the Kurds some weapons, a first after years of ill relations between the Kurds and the central government.
"The United States and the Iraqi government have stepped up our military assistance to Kurdish forces as they wage their fight," Obama said.
Among the 300 military advisers the Pentagon sent to Iraq in June, dozens are operating out of Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region, which is now within 25 miles of fighters from the Islamic State.
In a bitter irony, the extremists used American armored vehicles and weapons they had seized from the Iraqi military to defeat Kurdish fighters who were blocked from acquiring just such equipment, U.S. and Kurdish officials said.
The U.S. sought to halt the extremists' advance toward Irbil with airstrikes, but Kurdish officials also say Washington has promised to begin sending...
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(Excerpt) Read more at aol.com ...
Most likely Obama's "support" consists of cheerleaders with pompoms encouraging the Kurds to "fight, team, fight".
It’s one thing to hear them — it’s altogether something else to fulfill their request.
Our NATO partner, Turkey, will not be pleased.
Well, I think it’s only right. Two peoples, two states, after all. As for Turkey, some partner. It’ll really hack off Syria and Iran as well.
Depressing last line on the excerpt, “Washington has promised...”. Hope they’re not relying on this government’s promises. Better they should take some of that oil money and buy some good quality Chinese weapons.
If Israel isn’t already supplying the Kurds with arms, our leaders are idiots. I believe they are idiots, so I worry that they are not supplying the Kurds with arms.
On a lighter note, Obama has promised to resupply the Marines at Khe Sanh. As soon as his golfcation is over.
Evil irony that the Iraqis ran and left behind the equipment and ammo that should have gone to the Kurds.
Remember, Turkey entered NATO (over many having misgivings) back when it was a secular nation in which the military moderated the political scene. The current Turkish Regime has purged their military down through our equivalent of Majors and has ensured absolute control of their Armed Forces.
Turkey has become Radical Islam's proverbial camel's nose under the NATO tent!!!
It is anyone's guess as to how this all turns out now!!!
Any Westerner, American or European, with a logical bone in his body should realize that ISIS, Boko Haram, Al Qaeda, Hamas, Shia or Sunni and even your smiling muzzie neighbor, all pray facing one particular spot on this globe and are all inspired by the one book that commands to kill all infidels.
Then why in hell do we make a distinction between militant and peaceful muzzie?
We should be providing more aid for the Kurds and any Iraqi who join them. They’re the only reliable ally there
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