Letter | U.S. should help allies face threat of ISIL

Published 6:45 pm Monday, July 20, 2015

As a former military officer and counterintelligence specialist (USAF-AFOSI), I’ve been monitoring the rise of the Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL) in Iraq and Syria.

While I appreciate the situation our administration faces trying to placate the Shiite government in Iraq by channeling support through Baghdad, not directly supporting our Kurdish allies is unconscionable. There is little evidence that this limited support makes it to Kurdish territories.

The Kurds have long been a close partner in the region, but they are having to deal with the ISIS/ISIL threat with makeshift weapons and broken supply lines.

It is neither reasonable, nor prudent to believe this threat won’t impact the western world. Even if contained in the Middle East, it will be a destabilizing factor.

Where is our moral compass? I am ashamed that the US is not taking a leading role in meeting this enemy.

Recently news emerged that the US and other Western powers are blocking Arab attempts to deliver weapons and support to the Kurds. Haven’t we clamored for those in the region to step up and counter the threat? If the West will not take a leading role in this conflict, why inhibit other states supporting those who are trying to battle this evil? Let there be no mistake, ISIS/ISIL is the face of evil in today’s world.

This shouldn’t be a partisan issue; the US and the West are lining up on the wrong side of history. Allowing genocide and atrocities to go unchecked, seemingly to avoid angering Tehran, doesn’t make sense to me. I’m certain it doesn’t to the people being brutalized.

John Phillips

Snoqualmie