The soaring civilian death toll from US airstrikes against the ISIS capital city of Raqqa has gotten so bad that yesterday, it actually fueled a statement from the UN requesting the US pause their airstrikes to allow more civilians to flee the city.
US officials are rejecting this call, however, with SPecial Envoy Brett McGurk insisting that the war against ISIS is going very well, and that the “number one thing that we have to do to” to help civilians in Raqqa is continue the war and defeat ISIS outright.
McGurk went on to say that President Trump is “focused like a laser destroying ISIS,” and that the war is going well, but that they will take the UN call to pause the strikes “under advisement.” It’s clear, however, they aren’t taking the call seriously.
That’s unsurprising, as the Pentagon has gone out of their way to downplay the huge civilian toll of their ISIS air war, and appears to be confident that they can continue to mislead everyone about the number of people actually being killed in their strikes long enough to defeat ISIS outright.
What Jason fails to mention is that even the UN says ISIS is doing all they can to create human shields, and it’s impossible to negotiate with ISIS since they don’t negotiate. Which leads one to deduce that options are few and expect the place to be Mosul #2 since there isn’t any other options.
The oroblem is — in both cities ISIS was long gone before operations began. From Mosul they went to Syria, and left locals that feared Baghdad more then ISIS to fight to death. In Raqqa, ISIS removed all its heavy artillery, all assets and militants long ago, to strenghten the ring around Deir Azzor, and block Syrian Army clearing out Homs. What is left in Raqqa are locals that do not want to be occupies by Kurds, and being forced into Kurdish state, as the land grab continues. Why would not US government offer locals self-rule, in exchange for ceasing rebellion. US should insure that non-Kurd towns wnd villages are not occupied by Kurds. That would end resistance, and establish much needed goodwill towards American intentions. The problem are Kurds. Why would they fight unless they are promised a land grab — what looks like ten times their Kobani region. Syrian government is not speaking badly against Kurds — but the actions of Kurds are now striking horror in towns and villsges of Raqqa and Deir Azzor provinces, lest they be “liberated” by a new occupier. US is still not fighting ISIS — not really. US blocked Syrian Army from liberating Al-Tanf — literally placing a makeshift base on the road leading to Al-Tanf. All ISIS assets are moving out to make room for Kutds, and it is only Syrian and Russian airforce that have been destroying their convoys. NOT ONE ISIS CONVOY moving in open desert has been destroyed by US air force. Kurds do not like when Syrian Army liberates areas from ISIS, and tries to blame Syria for attacking them. For as long as we place priority on Kurdish territory expansion and indirectly shield ISIS by alliwing them to move freely — we will encounter more local resistance, and to the delight of neocons — have reason to stay longer. Like in Afghanistan, by successfully redefining Al-Qaeda and Taliban in order to manipulate local warlords into endless fighting. Already, we are redefining the resistance to Kutds as fighting ISIS. it does not matter to neocons. For as long as fighting, any fighting continues. The only way fighting will end is by ending support for non-state militants anywhere. Terrirism that is weakening sovereign states is the key glibalist weapon, and there will never be any chance for peace for as long as the support fir terrorism is legal. Once we get it, and we start arresting some government bureacrats for writing purchase orders supplying terrorists, some sheiks, politicians, bankers, arms suppliers snd their financiers and lobyists, we will not get anywhere.
ISIS is a CIA operation. The CIA created and directs ISIS.
I love how anti war is is against isis when its is fighting against Assad and the Russians. And supports isis when its US coalition forces doing it. I wonder how much Kremlin funding it get’s?
You neither love nor wonder. You just troll. There’s a difference.
C.C. meant that citizens have a duty to wonder about the people at the other end of US pointy sticks, and how they got there.
No i just speak the truth. Something u lefty americunts don’t hear enough of so to your bought and paid for soros funded propaganda bs.
and your proof of this is where slick?
Please, check your facts. Just because President Trump is laser focused on ISIS, that dies not mean the operation is going well. I hope Trump has any power left to hold the command of ISIS war in Syria accountable. At this point Trump is not allowed to read any reports or published media articles unless vetted. The bombing of Raqqa has turned out to be fight against locals who refuse to be taken over by Kurds. There is NO coalition — there is US Sir Force and Kurds on the ground. ISIS heavy artillery and all logistics left Raqqa long time ago. Their focus is to blick Syrian Army liberating Raqqa and Deir Azzor provinces. Al ISIS is doing now is playing a rear guard to Kurdish attempt to grab as much territory they can within two provinces.
But the obstacle are LOCALS. They resist Kurd takeover on the ground, and thus we call them ISIS. How about some homework. Look up towns of Raqqa and Deir Azzor. Check their population. Outside of Kobani and Afrin areas– there are no majority Kurdish towns or villages. They do not want to be occupied, and forced under Kurd rule. And while ISIS is long gone, now the battle is fought to ethnicaly cleanse Arabs and install Kurds. Remember Manbij. This is now a repeat of that over and over. If you can name just ONE village or town liberated from ISIS by Kurds — and where local Arabs have received them as liberators — that would be news to me.
You do realize that Isis would not even exist had Obama not helped to fund them yes? And what party does Obama come from again?
Try to get over party racket. Parties are PRIVATE organizations, and elites that manage to get influence in both — effectively control the country. So Obama broke every promise to voters, and became dutiful servant to oligarchy. Like Bush before him, and Clintons before.
Never has it been more clear then in the last election. Population in revolt over imperial waste, unaccountable globalists, endless wars and war profiteeeing sucking up the lifeblood out of our economy. The oligarchy closed ranks, both parties and the Soviet style media — all insured that the presidency is paralysed. Then, the president is surrounded by generals in all key positions. The coup actually occured and it can be dated as of Trump’s Ft.Myer’s speech.
ISIS genesis goes back even further when General Petraeus organized Sunni Awakening, a militia to ostensibly fight a non-existent Al-Qaeda. Immediatelly, mass graves of Shia population were uncovered — and the “sectarianism” that we prayed for and rain danced for, was born. Nibody is fighting ISIS today except Iraq and Syria — their armed forces, their foreign allies and internal self-irganized militia.
As they managed to crush Trump and his supporters in front of our very eyes — we must accept finally that both parties are merely a front for oligarchy. And that they will do whatever they please, in your face — what are you going to do about it?
Trymp asked military to fight ISIS. He can see results, and precious little have US forces done to liberate anyone from ISIS. Can we find just one happy liberated village to feature on TV thanking US for liberating them? What about Sinjar and poor Yazidi? Well, we liberated Sinjar just ti turn it over to Iraqi Kurdish PKK. Not Berzani’s Peshmerga. They are now in the dog house — as we prop PKK in Turkey, Syria and Iraq. So, Peshmerga cut the deal with Ankara — and now are blicked out of strategically located Sibjar? Yazidi? Who cares about them.
Devil us in the details.
i belong to know part there slick. I just tell it like it is.
The article was about civilians getting killed. There isn’t a hint of support for ISIS anywhere to be found. The Kremlin would be pissed if they were paying for that.
how so?
Empire USA and the terrorists are one, surely this place could
not be called Anti-War unless it was against them both.
I’m not American and you don’t have to be to see the one sided stories that Soros funded crap like this shows.
Hard to believe the USSA is actually bombing terrorists they’ve spent so much time and money supporting. If it’s true, bomb them until the final human shield has been vaporized!
The plan is to take out most of the population and turn it over to ISIS to run the area. Check your facts
So where are the female tv commentators on like CNN and MSNBC showing the pictures of all this with tears streaming down their face? Geez, when the Syrian military and Russia were at it in Allepo last December, they were on TV with tears and pleading how this could be happening. It is because they are orchestrated paid actresses of propaganda. Plain and simple.
That’s the leadershiip of the USA today – a group of heartless, amoral criminals directing armies of passive grumblers who carry out their missions and do nothing to help any actual victims.
Just maybe under Trump he lets the military so far off their leash that the commit such crimes that the world has to respond … and thus ending the US military’s protection and invulnerability to any sort of war crimes charges.
That’s basically what happened a Mai-Lai in Vietnam. The military was so used to be able to do whatever they wanted, and the likes of a young Colin Power would cover up anything for them, that they went too far and the world had to take notice to the slaughter of 100s of civilians.
Just looking for any silver lining to what has become the regular news that the US military has murdered yet more civilians.
Things must get worse before they can get better, this is our global warming strategy and it don’t seem to be working.
When our military let caravans and caravans of oil tankers and armored vehicles to freely travel under the nose of our 24-7 drone surveillance,
for years up to when Russia intervened, why must civilians now be slaughtered for the sake of speed?
Surely, our proxy wars are not what they pretend to be.
I would think that the world would applaud if Russia turned it’s S-400 missile defense system to fire-on-warning whenever a U.S. or Israeli warplane came into Syrian air space. Not that I wish the dastardly duo any misfortune.
that dirty filthy orange clown is killing civilians ,he is a traitor, and has no conscience , what a failure……..
And the US has the shameless audacity to talk of terrorism?
“Shameless” is the correct word here! A nation’s “leaders” constantly talk about “freedom and democracy” and “fighting terrorism” while going about doping just the opposite- supporting and enacting terrorism and overthrowing democratically-elected leaders!