The ongoing ISIS massacres

[Imran Siddiqui]

No, but I am! Oh crap, I've said more than I should!

[Nikolai]

Of course you aren't.

[Al B. Sure!]

Whatever.

[Sava]

Don't worry Speer. I believe you.

[Lorizael]

I'm pretty sure that's because of scarsity of american civilians around rather than faulty analogy

Didn't stop al-Qaeda.

[Bereta_Eder]

I was talking about finding some around their parts (syria-iraq).
But of course they'll try to find more abroad. I doubt how succesful they'll be though or even if that's their primary objective.

[dannubis]

I don't see what's so funny. I've honestly probably said more than I should.

1. you are lying which makes it sad, not funny, so you are correct
2. you are telling the truth which makes it stupid, not funny, so you are correct.

to summarize... you are ....... ??????????????? correct ?

[regexcellent]

I'd wager he's on a ship somewhere in an MEU or something.

[Elok]

Okay, I've read a bunch of op-eds by ostensibly knowledgeable people, and they all make two points:

1. We must prevent Iraq from fragmenting.
2. But I'm damned if I know how we can.

So I'm inclined to just smash ISIS for now and not worry about solving the root problem, which is apparently insurmountable anyway.

[Hauldren Collider]

I don't see what's so funny. I've honestly probably said more than I should.



I'll make it clear I am not in Iraq.

Don't worry, no one ever thought for a second that you were.

[Hauldren Collider]

So I'm inclined to just smash ISIS for now and not worry about solving the root problem, which is apparently insurmountable anyway.

100% agree.

[Nikolai]

For the Christians amongst us:

Urgent text from Open Doors: "Christians in Northern Iraq are calling for urgent prayer backing as they're in great danger- serious threat of beheading of all Christians in a few hours. Please forward this request to your praying friends on behalf of our brothers & sisters in Christ.".

For you others, let's hope the West intervenes. Building a sustainable state can wait. We need to stop the persecution of the Christians, Yazidis and other minorities NOW.

[C0ckney]

Okay, I've read a bunch of op-eds by ostensibly knowledgeable people, and they all make two points:

1. We must prevent Iraq from fragmenting.
2. But I'm damned if I know how we can.

why? (i mean i understand that this is a key western objective, but also as i mentioned earlier one of the things that make this conflict very difficult to resolve, but rather why must we prevent iraq from fragmenting?)

So I'm inclined to just smash ISIS for now and not worry about solving the root problem, which is apparently insurmountable anyway.

it's not insurmountable, it just means making some hard choices. so actually, yes, probably insurmountable.

i will just note that it was an ill-conceived and poorly-executed western military adventure that created the space for ISIS in the first place, why will another solve the problem?

[Nikolai]

Why do you not want the West, who is in a position to stop the killing, to intervene?

[Elok]

why? (i mean i understand that this is a key western objective, but also as i mentioned earlier one of the things that make this conflict very difficult to resolve, but rather why must we prevent iraq from fragmenting?)

The general consensus is that it will be like Yugoslavia, but bigger and uglier.

it's not insurmountable, it just means making some hard choices. so actually, yes, probably insurmountable.

i will just note that it was an ill-conceived and poorly-executed western military adventure that created the space for ISIS in the first place, why will another solve the problem?

Er, because we're talking about radically different situations being tackled by different people with different objectives, so it doesn't necessarily follow that similar outcomes will result? Also, the situation is already FUBAR and looking like it's going to get worse, but we might at least salvage Kurdistan and some refugees.