ISIS Gets More Horrible World Attention: World Unity Needed to Wipe Them Out

Celebrating in Syria and Across Iraq 

(IS Direct Combat Side)

Teen Girls from UK to Syria and Marriage to IS Fighters

(IS More Subtle Yet More Serious Long Term Side)

This update comes only one day after the following extensive post, but it needs reinforcement again based on this story source is here - it includes a short video yet unconfirmed:

More Carefully Staged ISIS Mass Executions for World Consumption 

(in Syria recently)

Original post starts here: This posting is quite long and the focus (the three girls in the story) follows at the end of this background:

Nine nations agreed to help the U.S. combat ISIS that includes training and equipping the Iraqis – those nine are: the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Turkey, Italy, Poland, and Denmark. Also, some 21 of the 22 states in the Arab league (Syria has been suspended since 2011 due to their Civil War) have pledged support. That is all very good news and potentially bad news for ISIS/ISIL with caveats – is it and are they working effectively enough?

The past and massive GOP criticism of President Obama appears to have been premature and most political point-making (as usual). Now they are hot and cold or totally silent about a previous stance that “we need a declaration of war and more American “boots” on the ground – let’s go get them attitude.” Yet they will not take that Constitutional step, either. Seems the Grand Old Party is confused and apparently not so damn grand after all.  

Lest we forget the Tonkin Gulf resolution that got us into Vietnam for 10 years (I know, I served two full infantry combat tours there), and then in Iraq for 8 years (both on lies and deceit), and still to a certain degree in Afghanistan, and of course in other hot spots in the ME (Yemen).

Let me be clear: Afghanistan was the right call for the right reason at the right time that is until the Bush team lost focus and shifted towards Iraq and we all know that story – which BTW is now reigniting under a real threat by ISIS or ISIL with their murder all across the Internet and TV and in the news in horrible acts of “serving Allah” they claim.

Reflect on this from NY TIMES columnist, Thomas Friedman, who reminded readers that ISIS emerged from a context of three civil wars raging in the Arab world, which makes the U.S. response incredibly complicated. He urged caution, writing in part that: “ISIS is awful but it is not a threat to America's homeland” (I would now interject: Not a direct threat to us yet, but don’t hold your breath).

Friedman continued, which I agree mostly, in part:

“I'm all-in on destroying ISIS. It is a sick, destabilizing movement. I support using U.S. air power and Special Forces to root it out, but only as part of a coalition, where everybody who has a stake in stability there pays their share and where mainstream Sunnis and Shiites take the lead by demonstrating that they hate ISIS more than they hate each other. Otherwise, we'll end up in the middle of a God-awful mess of duplicitous allies and sectarian passions, and nothing good we do will last.”

So, who can logically answer this question: “Why is it safe or otherwise appear to be safe in assuming or saying that ISIS fighters — well-armed, with lots of money, U.S. and EU passports in many cases, and having and displaying a thirst for American blood on display with the public execution of the two American journalists: James Foley and Steven Sotloff — won't bring the fight directly to our shores?”

ISIS is not a case or set of circumstances that warrants any kind of containment or deterrence – not one bit. They have to be totally wiped out and off the face of the Earth, and that must be in harmony with an international coalition of like-mined countries focused on that same single goal.

The U.S. can and must set the example and lead. The “how part” is always the toughest part. Just “how” deep should our involvement be? “How” much must we invest compared to the countries in that region where ISIS is literally in their backyard?

Yes, there is a lot the U.S. can do … but shedding more blood and spending billions like we did in Iraq and continue to do in Afghanistan – well, that’s very different kind of “why” now isn’t it? That word apparently is weak in GOP-speak, BTW. The results kind of speak for themselves, too.

My thinking tracks along these lines. See if you agree or not with some of these points:

1.  War should not be our first, second, or even third choices. However, war may be necessary in cases where we are up against an ideology or over zealous religious perspective that acts the way we see it acting today – that in short, denies any logical reasoning.

2.  Certainly going to war in cases or in response to attacks such as Pearl Harbor and 9/11 are totally justified.
3.  Fighting against Nazism and Japanese Imperialism in World War II are classic examples which highlight the need for strong, united, direct, and decisive military intervention no matter the cost; no matter the time; and no matter the suffering along the way. 

4.  Not acting in those cases benefit the attackers and their goals and not those of freedom-loving decent people – thus we cannot allow ourselves or our citizens to become slaves or cowards in the face of that kind of thinking.
5.  I do not advocate a hawkish national policy across the board, either. Simply stated: we must be prepared and ready and willing to intervene and act if circumstances require or warrant it.

6.  Identifying and clarifying the threat and circumstances to act must be in harmony with public support. That is key.

What we face today, I strongly believe, with the recent beheadings by ISIS of the two American journalists who are not combatants in any sense of the word, do warrant strong and swift and decisive military action that is not limited in scope, but that strives to build a like-minded international coalition of free men to act and react full bore to eradicate the threat that ISIS obviously presents. 

I see no other way – especially in light of this recent news and update about ISIS worldwide aim:

London (AFP) (July 4, 2015) - Two of three teenage girls who travelled from Britain to Syria sparking criticism of the police response have married Islamic State (IS) group fighters, the lawyer for their families said Saturday. The girls: Kadiza Sultana, 16, and 15-year-olds Shamima Begum and Amira Abase left their homes in February and flew to Istanbul before crossing into Syria. Two of the trio have been in touch with their families to say they have married men in ceremonies approved by IS and are living in and around the Syrian city of Raqqa, the group's stronghold, the Guardian reported. The paper reported that the two teenagers were given a “catalogue of men to choose from” and that their husbands were in their 20s.

The newspaper did not identify which two of the three had got married at the families' request.

Attorney Tasnime Akunjee, who represents the families, told the Guardian that the news had “caused a lot of distress,” and it entrenches their lives in Syria, rather than in Britain. It erodes significantly hopes that they will come back.”

All three of the girls attended the same school in east London, Bethnal Green Academy. They are believed to have followed a classmate who left a few months previously. Four other girls from the same school have been given a court order banning them from travelling abroad over fears they too could go to Syria. The girls' families have accused police of failing to communicate information which could have alerted them to the risk that their daughters would travel to Syria.

Related to the heart of thoughts introducing this posting today:

Scotland Yard believes around 600 Britons have travelled to Syria and Iraq since the conflict began though about half are believed to have returned to Britain. I would hope and ask: are they being tracked? Several hundred let alone one or two “lone wolves” could do great harm in London or elsewhere no matter what country they “return to” to fulfill IS dreams whatever the f**k ISIS dreams are or may be down the road.

It is very concerning and the world had better wake up.