Thursday, December 18, 2014

The Kurds Attack

The Kurds with our air support are making a move on Sinjar, Iraq:

Kurdish Iraqi forces launched a major operation Wednesday to retake the militant-held town of Sinjar in northern Iraq, part of a push to secure the road that leads directly to the Syrian border.

Peshmerga forces, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, moved into the town, which has been under the control of the Islamic State group since August, a statement from the Kurdish Regional Security Council said.

I dare say this isn't part of the integrated plan to defeat ISIL. The Kurds are better prepared than the Iraqi army and probably don't want to wait for the big offensive that is scheduled to take part some time in 2015 after the Iraqi army is re-trained.

Not that the Kurds could probably move on Mosul yet, but if the Iraqi Kurds can push toward the Syrian border, the Kurds might not need Turkish cooperation to reinforce their brethren in Syria fighting ISIL.