What are your thoughts about militias routing ISIS from a Christian area in Syria?

LTC Stephen F. — Sat, 30 May 2015 17:03:22 -0400

Recently Kurdish militia and Christian Assyrian fighters took back control of an area that ISIS has previously captured. ISIS has been planting mines in areas around churches and probably other areas that people would be expected to congregate. Either ISIS has a capability to quickly lay mines or else they may have deliberately allowed the militias to retake the villages. I suspect that ISIS can lay mines quickly and that they emplaced them as they were being forced back. I would hope that "we" could be employing FASCAM and other remotely launched "land" mines or mines "laid" by aircraft with predetermined deactivation in areas with "heavy" ISIS populations.
http://www.worldmag.com/2015/05/militias_rout_isis_from_syrian_christian_area
1LT L S, 2LT Christopher Allen, COL Edward Amato, COL Bill Aquino, SFC Boots Attaway, MAJ Carl Ballinger, Sgt David G Duchesneau, GySgt Wayne A. Ekblad, SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA, CPT Aaron Kletzing, COL Roger Lintz

WORLD | Militias rout ISIS from Christian area in Syria | Mindy Belz | May 29, 2015

ISIS | Militias recapture ancient Assyrian villages but find churches destroyed

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 30 at 2015 6:18 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 30 May 2015 18:18:22 -0400

If it works, it works. The militias are made up of motivated volunteers fighting for things they believe in-- that's why they are able to tough it out against ISIS/"Daesch", while the lavishly-equipped Iraqi Army breaks apart at the slightest challenge-- they have no faith in their government and are fighting for a system they feel is corrupt and artificial to real Iraqi needs.

We're going to have to get used to the idea, politically, of letting the locals sort out things according to their beliefs, which they will be able to sustain, and give up on trying to maintain the old colonial borders and identities. In a way, ISIS has given the locals something to rally against... maybe this will force them to work together and come to an equilibrium. It won't be "peace and prosperity" (it's the Middle East after all) but things will eventually settle in their places.

Either that or we bring back the Ottoman Empire. The Turks seem up for it, heh...

Response by MAJ James Woods made May 30 at 2015 7:19 PM

MAJ James Woods — Sat, 30 May 2015 19:19:00 -0400

No problem at all. Where the Iraqi military struggles they should be happy the local militias are standing up and achieving success

Response by SSgt Gregory Juedes made May 31 at 2015 9:14 AM

SSgt Gregory Juedes — Sun, 31 May 2015 09:14:49 -0400

Why not? Someone needs to get in the weeds

Response by SFC Boots Attaway made May 31 at 2015 4:33 PM

SFC Boots Attaway — Sun, 31 May 2015 16:33:06 -0400

I wish our government would support the Kurds more as I think that they could be our best ally over there. It looks like the militias are doing better than anyone else in that region and deserve our support with weapons, ammo and intel.

Response by SSG John Jensen made May 31 at 2015 10:47 PM

SSG John Jensen — Sun, 31 May 2015 22:47:04 -0400

interesting article - France24.com/ Repoters/ Video: Abu Azreal Iraq's Rambo

Response by SSG John Jensen made Jun 1 at 2015 3:16 PM

SSG John Jensen — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 15:16:55 -0400

if i could recommend for background "Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms- disappearing religions of the middle east" by Gerard Russell - wonderful read - equal parts travelogue, ancient and modern history and religion and politics with chapters on the Yazidis, Druze, Mandeans, Zoroastrians, Samaritans, Copts, and some others

Response by TSgt Joshua Copeland made Jun 2 at 2015 11:30 AM

TSgt Joshua Copeland — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 11:30:23 -0400

I see it as no different than our patriot forefathers in the 1770's.

Response by SrA Edward Vong made Jun 2 at 2015 11:33 AM

SrA Edward Vong — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 11:33:23 -0400

Good for pushing back!

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 2 at 2015 11:45 AM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 11:45:09 -0400

Personally, I think local groups NEED to stand up to ISIS. People NEED to defend their lives, homes and their lands or risk losing everything.

Its good to hear that there are militias out there who are seeing success in this endeavor.

As for history... A rag tag group of farmers and businessmen that organized into militias routed the British and paved the way for the United States. With proper leadership and organization, it can be successful.

Response by SSgt Gary Hendershot made Jun 3 at 2015 11:01 PM

SSgt Gary Hendershot — Wed, 03 Jun 2015 23:01:52 -0400

I believe if our leadership's intent was to defeat ISIS, they would be arming and training the Christian, and Kurdish militia instead of arming people who hate us to fight other people who hate us. I believe our President wants a Suni Islamic state to counter balance the Shiite state of Iran. Its not a bad strategy, but I'm not sure this is so well thought out. Iraq is enlisting the help of Iran to fight ISIS, and we aren't putting enough sorties in the air, or allowing our pilots to bomb high value targets to actually get the job done. The only explanation I can find for this course of action (aside from high treason by our leaders) is to allow ISIS to grow. After all, if Iran is fighting ISIS, and ISIS is concentrating on fighting Iran, neither one will have the time or resources to mount serious attacks on us or our allies. Its the old combat axiom.. let you two fight... We'll deal with the winner. The problem is the public outcry because of all the atrocities being committed by ISIS "thugs" against the indigenous population. Its ugly, and heartless, and exactly what I would expect from a leader with no qualms about morality, justice, or righteousness. What we ought to be doing as a righteous and moral superpower is systematically destroying both regimes (because they are the embodiment of evil on our planet), and maybe that is the end goal... Who am I to say... I'm just a lowly veteran who never advanced past NCO.

Response by SSG John Jensen made Jun 16 at 2015 3:58 PM

SSG John Jensen — Tue, 16 Jun 2015 15:58:25 -0400

rt.com - shows - documentary -
Her War: Women vs ISIS
documentary of the Kurdish women volunteering for YPG - interviews, scenes of their basic, insights into their ideals

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 9 at 2015 11:33 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 09 Jul 2015 23:33:38 -0400

I think something needs to be done. the longer we sit and watch, the more lives are lost. Or is that the plan of the world, to rid it of Christianity?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 24 at 2015 1:02 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 24 Oct 2015 13:02:24 -0400

Time to put ISIS out of business.