Sunday, November 2, 2014

More ISIS atrocities in Iraq. Mass killing campaign against local tribe. -Reuters

ISIS has killed 85 members of the Albu Nimr tribe in Iraq as part of a sustained campaign against the tribe. -Reuters. The tribal casualties were mostly fighters engaged in Anbar province who were forced to withdraw after running low on ammunition and supplies. 50 of the fighters were killed near Tharthar Lake, including 6 women and 4 children. The other 35 were found in a mass grave near Ramadi. The bodies were handcuffed and blindfolded. In the past few days almost 300 Albu Nimr have been killed by ISIS. The leaders of the tribe have asked for support from the Baghdad government but have not gotten any.

My Comment:
The Yezidi and Kurds in the north seems to have gotten the most coverage in the war in Iraq but it is important to know that many other groups have been targeted as well. Christians, Druze and Shia Muslims, and other religious minorities have all been targeted by a campaign of extermination. Others, like the Albu Nimr, who are Sunni Muslims, were targeted because they resisted ISIS. These Sunni tribes have not gotten anywhere near the press they should have. The are bringing the fight to ISIS, many times without support. The fact that they are fighting at all is very good news, but without help they might be wiped out.

As for ISIS it is concerning to me that despite the stalemate in Kobani and the small setbacks in northern Iraq, they are still able to field a large enough force to defeat this tribe in Anbar province. This is a war on many fights and it is disturbing that ISIS can be fighting in so many areas at once. ISIS doesn't have that many fighters so they must be getting a lot of help from their Baathist and Sunni Muslim allies. It would be wise for the government in Iraq to reach out to these enemies and see if they can turn them back to their side like they did during the Sunni awaking a few years back. Is that even possible anymore? Possibly, but I have no confidence in the Iraqi government to do much of anything.

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