Posted on 02/14/2015 2:38:54 AM PST by lowbridge
Heads bowed in terror the orange-clad Kurdish fighters are paraded through streets filled with jeering militants in the latest horrifying video release from Islamic State.
In a grim echo of the terrible fate which befell Jordanian pilot Lieutenant Muath al-Kaseasbeh the captives, reportedly Peshmerga fighters, are dressed in orange jumpsuits and shackled in cages.
Just as Lt. al-Kaseasbeh was burned alive on camera, IS are planning to do the same with their latest prisoners, according to posts on social media.
-snip
But the Pentagon said the capture of the town did not represent a major setback in the war effort against the Islamists who have overrun large areas of Iraq and Syria.
'This is arguably the first in at least a couple of months, if not more, where they (IS) have had any success at all at taking any new ground,' Kirby said.
'So this is an enemy that we still assess to be in a defensive posture.'
He added: 'It's one town. It's not all of Anbar. It's not all of Iraq.
'We need to keep it in perspective.'
-Snip
On Wednesday President Obama formally requested from Congress the authority to use military force in the war against ISIS.
The proposal does not ask for the deployment of ground troops.
During a press conference the president said: 'Our coalition is on the offensive, ISIL is on the defensive and ISIL is going to lose.'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Well, you notice that Kirkuk did not rise up and try to wipe out ISIS, but vice versa.
It does not make sense to damn them all in one basket.
I agree with you, and I know hind sight is 20/20.... but taking Saddam and his military out (considering they were the only thing keeping some order there) was probably not such a good idea. I remember before we invaded Iraq reading an article that said 80% of everyone in Iraq hated the U.S. and would fight us to the death. That number is probably really close. That just means there were a lot more people over there to kill than we ever would have the stomach for. It means men, women, children. It means 80%.
It is bullying on steroids. They all share the same religion, so terror really works. That is exactly how 50k jihadis can defeat millions. Safer to join them than be burned alive.
It might well have been better in one sense to leave Saddam alone and spend effort on trying to funnel in a better successor when the time became ripe. The culture responds more constructively to monarchy than it does to attempts to be democratic. There are two rival sects of Islam and either one is willing (if not altogether comfortable) to be the underdog for a time, if there is a strong king.
I agree. But I’m saying.... if 50 million let 50k kill, destroy, and burn them alive.... There is something real wrong. To me it means a whole lot of the 50 million are sympathizers.
It would take mongo evangelization to sell a different worldview. But that needs an actual faith i.e. Christianity. You can’t set up some tepid democracy and hope it will carry itself. It will not.
I agree 100% with that. I always thought “planting democracy” as a way to solve their problems was a really dumb and naive idea.
Just arm the Kurds. That will do it. Obama sends the arms to Baghdad and the Kurds never see them.
I would not arm anyone in that region. Not a single group for any reason. There is nobody there that we know we can work with for any length of time. I’d nuke the whole area before I would send any more weapons over there. The weapons we send over there eventually end up getting used on us, or our interests.
The forces of satan are gathering.
Well if we don’t learn some lessons about what makes Islamic society tick, it will be even worse.
So far, the US has done fair with a representative democracy, though the current regime is testing that to its limits and then some. But the US has always had a Judeo-Christian ethic, even if distorted. It has always had an idea of a God whose primary desire is to bless. Once you get a “God” who either doesn’t care or is heavily into damning, the political needs change.
The challenge for us is how to attempt to bless a society that isn’t ready to accept many blessings.
If we had to choose friends, I would sooner choose Kurds. If they took over the place and established a kingdom, we could do worse.
Its a tough deal because the world has gotten small enough that you probably can't just leave them alone to their own demise.
With what I know, and I'm sure that isn't much, I would destroy all of their ability to fund war. I really would. When ISIS takes an area, I would destroy the oil facilities and wells in that area. And, I would tell Iran we'll do the same thing there if need be. And then do it if need be. I think that is where I would start.
Apparently, “Suzanne Barakat, the sister of Deah Barakat, one of the victims of the Chapel Hill shooting said that there was “open season” against Muslims and placed part of the blame on the movie “American Sniper” on Friday’s broadcast of “The Lead” on CNN.” .... and other American Muslims do not have access to the UK Daily Mail.
Though, I would happily turn over Hicks to the ISIS for disposal once he is found guilty.
Well, we would be doing the things that a semi-sane kingdom would attempt to do.
There’s a reason why ISIS hasn’t gotten very far in, say, Saudi Arabia. They’d get mercilessly squashed by the kingdom, which is strong enough to do it thus far, though worried about its longer term prospects.
If we start thinking in terms of kingdoms, I think we would be thinking more realistically. There could be relative peace. The US itself may, after struggle, decide to chuck out its own idea of God permanently. The end times is no excuse not to attempt to wisely do good in the middle times. The end will be marked by a loss of the resources needed to do that, i.e. people who are willing to believe in a God who blesses.
Of course not, it has not been approved by Obama’s Administration for distribution.
Maybe so.
That’s how I’ve been seeing the dynamics between God and man more and more, as I attempt to progress in God’s grace.
The ultimate problem isn’t God, and it isn’t even the devil. Neither one of them can vary from what they back. It’s us. Will we make room for God’s grace. That sounds so free and easy until we realize that our prides are quite immense. We tell God don’t bother loving us, we love ourselves just fine. Which is why we have to learn in the school of hard knocks that no, our own love falls woefully flat.
I definitely agree with that. I’m just saying, I’m not really convinced that the muslim middle east is ever going to know God in that way. We can pray that they will. We can hope they will. We can send missionaries... and we should..... but at the end of the day.... what is written will come to pass. I just believe that. Best to ya!
Ahem.
Three words (two or four, if you're Joe Biden):
State Run Media
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.