Washington Post: Plans by U.S. to capture Islamic State’s capital already go awry
AIN ISSA, Syria — In this abandoned desert town on the front line of the war against the Islamic State in Raqqa, local fighters are fired up by announcements in Washington that the militants’ self-proclaimed capital is to be the next focus of the war.
But there is still no sign of the help the United States has delivered ostensibly for the use of the Arab groups fighting the Islamic State, nor is there any indication it will imminently arrive, calling into question whether there can be an offensive to capture Raqqa anytime soon.
Fifty tons of ammunition airdropped by the U.S. military last week and intended for Arab groups has instead been claimed by the overall command of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, which is fighting alongside Arab units but overwhelmingly dominates their uneasy alliance, according to Kurdish and Arab commanders.
WNU Editor: The Kurds are not interested. The Sunni rebel Arabs are too disorganized. The U.S. is not interested in deploying ground forces. And the Syria military with its allies are more interested in battling against the rebels in the east of the country .... and not the Islamic State.