A Islamic State fighter walks near a black flag belonging to the Islamic State near the Syrian town of Kobani, pictured from the Turkish-Syrian border near the southeastern town of Suruc in Sanliurfa province, October 6, 2014. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Isis On The Verge Of Victory In Kobani As US Strategy Lies In Ruins: Jihadists Close To Taking City Near Turkish Border -- The Independent
Syria’s Kurds are unable to do a political deal with neighbouring Turkey, while US air strikes are failing to make much impact, Patrick Cockburn reports
Isis is close to capturing the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani, just a short distance from the Turkish border, after a three-week siege in which US air strikes turned out to be ineffective in preventing Isis winning an important victory.
With Isis fighters also making advances into western Baghdad, which may allow them to close the city’s airport with artillery fire, President Obama’s strategy of containing the Islamic militants in Iraq and Syria is in ruins.
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My Comment: The fall of this town would give the Islamic State complete control of northern Syria straight to Mosul and Anbar province in Iraq. U.S. air strikes have clearly not been effective .... and U.S./allied support for anti-Islamic forces have been inadequate (if at all). Bottom line .... U.S. policy and strategy to contain the expansion of the Islamic State is not working .... and my prediction now is that with the fall of this town, Islamic State forces will then focus their fire power and resources on the Syrian army, and on consolidating their control of the Sunni regions of Iraq.