The ongoing ISIS massacres

[C0ckney]

Or better yet - "responsibility to ruin".

With ISIS, the normal path would be to reverse the policy on Assad, start to assist him, continue to assist Kurds and central Iraqi government. Without all three being in place, ISIS will continue to rule their part of the desert for a long time to come.

that might work, although obviously the first won't happen, for various reasons (it would be very embarrassing, it would alienate the kurds in syria, it would annoy the saudis and the turks etc.). it's also worth remembering that ISIS emerged from iraq when it was occupied by the west; they know what they're doing and they have staying power.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

In Syria it can only be Assad, as whoever else comes in - will be too weak to counter, and in Iraq between the Kurds and the government they should be able to keep a lid on ISIS to a degree.

ISIS can only be replaced by another more moderate Sunni organization, but without defeating them militarily there is nothing that can be done, so west needs Assad more than ever before - if it was not clear to the marketing department in Washington that Assad is better than the alternatives, it is becoming obvious now.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

where's Russian... Russia is not very far from this part of the world. how come they can't go in and set order, take care of the medical issues and rebuild the country... all the while setting up a democracy?? Russia says they are a world player... are they?

of course I don't they are.

[C0ckney]

onefoot: i don't disagree, but i suspect the americans won't openly, or even covertly, change their position to back assad, preferring instead to wash their hands of syria and concentrate on backing iraq and the kurds. this probably won't work, but there you go.

[Bereta_Eder]

The ongoing massacres of non Muslims by the fanatics of ISIS is well known. But still we do almost nothing!

I'd like to dedicate this thread to the victims of ISIS and ask all of you if you believe in God to pray for these poor souls, and for the rest of the world to take action, NOW.

This is what the barbarians do(spoilered due to very graphic video):

Spoiler:

I did more than pray (erm, actually I switched cigarette brand and posted on poly) when the iraqi invasion started.
Now it's too late.

I also fail to see how this is more repulsive than actually dying from a bomb, although I assume the gruesome part does it (didn't watch the video)

[The Mad Monk]

"The life of this American citizen, Obama, depends on your next decision,"

Is it wrong to hope that decision involves dumping half our arsenal on every ISIS target we can find?

[Sava]

If Norway wants to go fight those pesky terrists, I'll give a to that.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

let them fight. keeps the whole region in check. and a reason for the US military to be everywhere. you think china and Russian and iran would clean up the world a bit (order and security) just to say, no reason for US, bye.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

and if it's not this group who beheads everyone, guess what... it would have been the group who just got beheaded that would be doing it.

let them fight.

[The Mad Monk]

Look, all I want is 2-3 cruise missiles striking every ISIS battery, HQ, and encampment, followed by a B-52 dropping a full load of cluster munitions, followed maybe 15 minutes later by C-130s dropping some nice thermobaric fireworks. Is that so bad?

[Hauldren Collider]

I sincerely hope we won't let the threat of beheading an American citizen stop us from doing what is right.

[My Wife Hates CIV]

I'm sure it will not stop the US from doing what is good - good for the US. we'll just all say it was the right thing to do.

[Nikolai]

If Norway wants to go fight those pesky terrists, I'll give a to that.

We are a weak people. I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Dauphin]

Look, all I want is 2-3 cruise missiles striking every ISIS battery, HQ, and encampment, followed by a B-52 dropping a full load of cluster munitions, followed maybe 15 minutes later by C-130s dropping some nice thermobaric fireworks. Is that so bad?

Rockets! Rockets! Rockets!

[DinoDoc]

In an interview with the BBC, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond acknowledged that the apparent executioner spoke with a British accent and said the video seemed to be genuine.

Hundreds of Britons are believed to have traveled to Syria to fight in the country’s civil war, including many who have joined the Islamic State.

“We’re absolutely aware that there are significant numbers of British nationals involved in terrible crimes, probably in the commission of atrocities,” Hammond said. “Many of these people may seek at some point to return to the U.K., and they would then pose a direct threat to our domestic security.”

A European intelligence official said the British government was examining the video, and the speech of the purported executioner, to compare it with former Guantanamo Bay prisoners and other British residents believed to have joined the Islamic State.

Both prisoners in the video are wearing orange shirts and pants, similar to orange jumpsuits worn by detainees at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. A similar outfit, believed to be a jihadist symbol of the prison, was worn by Nicholas Berg, an American businessman kidnapped in Iraq in 2004 whose execution by an Islamic State precursor organization was recorded on video and posted online.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/...c1a_story.html

UK