Despite the fact that the barbaric ISIL jihadists have disrupted and seized poorly defended Christian and minority communities, they remain overextended and are vulnerable to a decisive counterattack. The Russians and Iranians are providing military, logistic and training aid to the Iraqi military that has been reinforced by motivated Shi’ite volunteers. The ISIL offensive has been stalled outside of Baghdad. Tough Kurds are harassing their flanks as Hezbollah, Syria and the Lebanese military are in their rear. While they have captured a large amount of weapons and ordinance, the Saudis are no longer funding them and they have no reliable supply routes to the outside. If the Iraqi army is able to launch a coordinated creative counterattack, ISIL may be in for a very bad time. Their situation is eerily reminiscent of the German invasion of Russia. Militarily overextended and characterized by brutal atrocities to innocent civilians. History is being repeated.
Your comment about overextension and cruelty to the population is on target. I’ve been thinking the same thing.
I heard this morning estimates that the ISIS/ISIL fighters number around 12,000. It’s hard to believe that the Iraqi army, numbering many times that much and supported by so much American training and weaponry, just crumbled before them. But, they have not only killed Christians and Yazidis—they have abused the Sunnis in northern and central Iraq who might have been inclined to prefer them over the Shi-ite jerk Maliki. It’s also hard to believe that US personnel didn’t know how hollow the Iraqi Army was, although it’s easier to believe that Obama was told and ignored the info, hoping that it would fall apart in, say ten years on a GOP President’s watch.
Ultimately, the population will grow to hate them, if they don’t already. But, getting rid of an oppressive rule can take a long time.