The United States has been in a constant state of war in the Middle East -- Iraq, Afghanistan and, more recently, Syria -- since I was a first grader and the majority of ya’ll were in preschool or elementary school. It’s been easy the last few years for many of us to become ignorant of the progression, and we’ve become distracted from giving the support we should to the brave men and women of our armed forces who are selflessly fighting and dying for our nation in the deserts and cities of this region.
This may not be as light-hearted an article as you’re used to reading, but it will be informative about the current state of our troops overseas.
What is ISIS and what are they fighting for?
The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) is an extremist right wing Muslim Jihaadist group with intentions of spreading their ultra-conservative Islamic views to the world through combatting Western nations by both physical conflict and suppressing Western culture in all of their controlled regions. They have gone about this through persecution -- well, more like mass murder -- of Christians. They have become a household name through the release of propaganda tapes that show the brutal assassinations of their enemies through graphic means such as beheadings, burning people alive, and grueling torture. There is believed to be as many as 30,000 ISIS militant regulars, and they have recently proclaimed plans to expand regional dominance as far as the Vatican in Italy through conflict and suppression and to install a single Sunni Caliphate as a religious and political ruler for their nation.
The United States and what our troops are doing.
Since engaging ISIS in a state of conflict, the United States has conducted nearly 3,000 air strikes in Syria and Iraq, combined. A coalition of nations has been formed in the fight against ISIS that consists of the United States, Australia, Great Britain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Canada, Turkey, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Iraqi Kurdistan. The United States will continue to train the Iraqi national military, as well as commit training and weapons to Syrian rebels, however Obama has not yet committed to putting boots on the ground in this fight.
Many nations have criticized the United States, and Obama administration in particular, for not committing ground troops at this point, but many still want to try to avoid jumping into a third war in Iraq.
US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons
Ramadi
Former Rumadiyah is a city in Central Iraq that was taken by ISIS fighters last month. This week, ISIS has closed 24 of the 26 Euphrates dam gates to the North of the city in order to cut water flow off from pro-government cities and Baghdad-loyal forces in Husabayah and Khalidiyah, and a security forces base at Habbaniya. The two gates that are open are only opened for a short period on a daily basis in order to feed water to ISIS held Felluja. Iraq has deployed 800 fighters of their top-tier troops to combat these actions. The water levels are now low enough to be walked across, making these attacks easier for ISIS troops. Families and citizens have since fled, and many have sought refuge in Amiriyat al-Falluja.
Anbar
Iraqi National Forces thwarted two ISIS attacks in Anbar providence early on Saturday, June 6. This is a positive show of force from Iraqi forces, and will put a hold on American forces putting boots on the ground.
ISIS is no longer a growing threat in just the Middle East, but also a larger problem that must be dealt with. Though the United States still has not put boots on the ground, many believe this big step is not very far into the future.
