Obama Blocks Middle Eastern Attempts to Arm Kurds Against Islamic State

by Dave Blount | July 3, 2015 3:50 pm

For the past year Obama has appeared ambivalent about the Islamic State. True their nightmarish atrocities have made him look bad to some, but others can be convinced to blame them on Bush — despite the rise of ISIS being directly attributable to Obama prematurely withdrawing our forces from Iraq. True they are torturing and murdering on a scale rarely seen in the region since Mohammad was alive, but at least the victims are largely Christian. As if unsure whose side to take, Obama has wavered, issued tepid statements, and done effectively nothing as the maniacs eradicate their last resistance and close in on Baghdad — but now he has taken a stand:

The United States has blocked attempts by its Middle East allies to fly heavy weapons directly to the Kurds fighting Islamic State jihadists in Iraq, The Telegraph has learnt. …

They now say they are willing to “go it alone” in supplying heavy weapons to the Kurds, even if means defying the Iraqi authorities and their American backers, who demand all weapons be channelled through Baghdad.

High level officials from Gulf and other states have told this newspaper that all attempts to persuade Mr Obama of the need to arm the Kurds directly as part of more vigorous plans to take on Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) have failed.

The Kurds are the only effective resistance ISIS faces.

Millions of pounds-worth of weapons have been bought by a number of European countries to arm the Kurds, but American commanders, who are overseeing all military operations against Isil, are blocking the arms transfers. …

At least one Arab state is understood to be considering arming the Peshmerga [the military forces of Iraqi Kurdistan] directly, despite US opposition.

The US has also infuriated its allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the Gulf states, by what they perceive to be a lack of clear purpose and vacillation in how they conduct the bombing campaign. Other members of the coalition say they have identified clear Isil targets but then been blocked by US veto from firing at them.

“There is simply no strategic approach,” one senior Gulf official said. “There is a lack of coordination in selecting targets, and there is no overall plan for defeating Isil.”

Obama has admitted that he has no plan for defeating the Islamic State. But he may have a plan for helping it win.

Why not? Obama has been consistent in supporting the most radical Islamists against relatively moderate, pro-Western forces in the Middle East — including in Iran, Syria, Egypt, Libya, and now evidently Iraq.

On tips from Dragon’s Lair and Byron. Cross-posted at Moonbattery.

Source URL: https://rightwingnews.com/isisisil/obama-blocks-middle-eastern-attempts-to-arm-kurds-against-islamic-state/