ISIS

[Murat B.]

Not to derail the nice religious discussion with the original point of the thread, but ISIS is close to claiming Kobani, a Northern Syrian town close to the Turkish border. Not a good development.

 

[Kieran]

Not to derail the nice religious discussion with the original point of the thread, but ISIS is close to claiming Kobani, a Northern Syrian town close to the Turkish border. Not a good development.

I read that. I'm thinking, just who are these ISIS people? I mean, are they ex-al qaeda? Where did they spring from? And how did they get to be so successful, so fast? Islam spread rapidly like this in the beginning of the religion, with military successes at a rapid rate, they shook the ancient world and built a huge empire within a generation of Mohammad's death.

ISIS seem to be expanding at an even faster speed, and with nobody seeming able to stop them. As you say, they're near the Turkish border... :nono

 

[Murat B.]

Not to derail the nice religious discussion with the original point of the thread, but ISIS is close to claiming Kobani, a Northern Syrian town close to the Turkish border. Not a good development.

I read that. I'm thinking, just who are these ISIS people? I mean, are they ex-al qaeda? Where did they spring from? And how did they get to be so successful, so fast? Islam spread rapidly like this in the beginning of the religion, with military successes at a rapid rate, they shook the ancient world and built a huge empire within a generation of Mohammad's death.

ISIS seem to be expanding at an even faster speed, and with nobody seeming able to stop them. As you say, they're near the Turkish border... :nono

These people used to be called Al-quaida In Iraq. Needless to say, they did not have a hard time filling the void there after the stupid invasion was over and had even less of a hard time recruiting the Sunni population who felt left out from the political process. They have a lot of weapons , well, because we provided them. :nono

 

[Kieran]

Not to derail the nice religious discussion with the original point of the thread, but ISIS is close to claiming Kobani, a Northern Syrian town close to the Turkish border. Not a good development.

I read that. I'm thinking, just who are these ISIS people? I mean, are they ex-al qaeda? Where did they spring from? And how did they get to be so successful, so fast? Islam spread rapidly like this in the beginning of the religion, with military successes at a rapid rate, they shook the ancient world and built a huge empire within a generation of Mohammad's death.

ISIS seem to be expanding at an even faster speed, and with nobody seeming able to stop them. As you say, they're near the Turkish border... :nono

These people used to be called Al-quaida In Iraq. Needless to say, they did not have a hard time feeling the void there after the stupid invasion was over and had even less of a hard time recruiting the Sunni population who felt left out from the political process. They have a lot of weapons , well, because we provided them. :nono

But are they totally representative of Sunni Muslims? In fairness, these seem to be an extreme faction, largely funded by the Saudis, who are probably as great a cause of trouble in the region as anybody.

Again we're wondering, how can they be stopped. My question is, though, how did they get so big?

 

[shawnbm]

Al-Queda in Iraq was, indeed, largely controlled and internally decimated after the surge in 2007, but our intelligence community and the Pentagon (which were on the ground in Mesopotamia back then--with Malicki backing) knew that the Iraquis were not solid enough--militarily or, more importantly, politically--to withstand the forecast vacuum-filling that would take place once USA troops and intelligence officers were gone. That advice and warning was rejected for political gain back here in the USA and now we say what was prognosticated years ago has unfolded as anticipated--except even worse in terms of barbarity and terror. Our silly playing around with the Assad regime only served to add fuel to that fire; we had no business trying to overthrow him and if we were to talk tough like we were back then (over the chemical weapons issue), then we ought to have acted in accordance with the talk. We did not and now even more are ripe to be further radicalized by their brother Sunni extremists' gains in the Levant and Iraq. It is just such a quagmire, to borrow a term from another epoch of poorly planned and, more to the point, executed political-military strategy by a President of the USA.

 

[Murat B.]

They are definitely NOT representative of Sunni Muslims, not even a tiny percentage. They THINK they are. They are as extreme as they get. It is their way or the highway. And highway usually means you lose your head. Their tool is fear and recruiting young ones by making them believe their way of life is under attack. Wait a sec...that "Your way of life is under attack" tactic pretty much works for everyone , no? Sad really...

 

[shawnbm]

I agree they don't represent a majority of Sunnis and certainly did not mean to imply that, in case you thought I did.

 

[Murat B.]

I agree they don't represent a majority of Sunnis and certainly did not mean to imply that, in case you thought I did.

No , no, I know what you mean. I was just back in my home country of Turkey for 3 weeks and I just came back on Saturday. Turkey as you know is mostly Muslim and around %80 Sunni. People are scared sh*tless over there. ISIS has scared Muslims, Christians, pretty much everyone.

 

[calitennis127]

They are definitely NOT representative of Sunni Muslims, not even a tiny percentage.

Ibrahim Hooper and the founders of CAIR can certainly be represented by ISIS.

 

[Billie]

The battle for Kobane is still going on, with all the horror that comes with fighting...also Iran's supreme leader turned down US initiative to coordinate steps in the fight against the IS:

http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-agrees-us-anti-islamic-state-fight-091518378.html

http://en.ria.ru/world/20141013/194035586/Irans-Supreme-Leader-Says-US-Britain-Created-IS-Terrorist-Group.html

 

[Murat B.]

Two soldiers in Canada, one in Montreal couple days ago, one in Ottawa today have been killed by "suspected" terrorists. From what I hear, both these guys were known to the authorities and both had their passports revoked recently . The thinking was that these guys have been radicalized and they were going to go abroad to join Isis or similar.

Selfish part of me says let them go and be someone else's problem but...

Sad times...condolences to the families of the soldiers.

 

[shawnbm]

An absolute tragedy and the Muslim communities are really coming under the microscope. The words and deeds need to coincide better

 

[calitennis127]

Folks, Marie Harf and Barack Obama have explained that murat's title to this thread was bigoted and misguided. It should not have been "ISIS", but "NISIS", because the group in Iraq has nothing at all to do with the religion of Islam. There is no justification from the Qu'ran or the hadith or Islamic jurisprudence for anything that this "terrorist group" stands for.

Non-Islamic State - repeat. Non-Islamic State

 

[Murat B.]

^ My bad...

 

[CanIHaveYourRaquetErnie?]

Folks, Marie Harf and Barack Obama have explained that murat's title to this thread was bigoted and misguided. It should not have been "ISIS", but "NISIS", because the group in Iraq has nothing at all to do with the religion of Islam. There is no justification from the Qu'ran or the hadith or Islamic jurisprudence for anything that this "terrorist group" stands for.

Non-Islamic State - repeat. Non-Islamic State

If only the administration could transfer all those non-shovel ready jobs promised in the stimulus over to Iraq and Syria, maybe ISIS will lay down their arms and pick up some tools.

 

[shawnbm]

My LORD what is going on??????? The Obama Administration just inked a deal with Turkey to fund and train (5000 US Special Forces troops being sent over to assist Turkey) the "moderate rebels" in Syria to fight against ISIS (ISIL in Obama world). Meanwhile, Assad is a secondary target for Turkey, who would like to see the tattered opposition in Syria kick butt on ISIS but also further undermine Assad who, as best I can tell, Obama and his folks now is again a leader to tolerate and live with as opposed to force him out. I give.

 

[Murat B.]

^Kinda confusing, no? Factor in Kurds and their relationship with the Turks and Syria , your head can easily explode. Moderate rebels? Great...Isn't that we called the mujahaddin when they fought against the Russians in Afghanistan? They turned out not so moderate eventually (read al-quaida).
Mad world...

 

[shawnbm]

Mad world indeed, Murat--somebody cue the Tears for Fears tune.

 

[shawnbm]

Well, Murat, ISIS just captured another 90 Christians (probably Chaldean or Syro-Malabarese) from northeastern Syria. Oh how I fear we will see more executions. It may be the bastards try and trade the Christians (or at least a few of them) for ISIS militants being held by the Kurdish forces. Regardless, more killings are, sadly, likely to soon follow. Mater Dei, Ora pro nobis

 

[brokenshoelace]

Well, Murat, ISIS just captured another 90 Christians (probably Chaldean or Syro-Malabarese) from northeastern Syria. Oh how I fear we will see more executions. It may be the bastards try and trade the Christians (or at least a few of them) for ISIS militants being held by the Kurdish forces. Regardless, more killings are, sadly, likely to soon follow. Mater Dei, Ora pro nobis

History implies they really have no interest in actually making exchanges to get back their own prisoners. They just do it as part of their psychological warfare. Those 90 Christians, unfortunately, will meet a now familiar fate. Tragic.