You certainly have to give these gals credit. They are as brave as their men.
Are Leftist, Feminist Kurds About to Deliver the Coup de Grâce to ISIL in Syria?
Juan Cole on June 25, 2015 - 2:43 PM ET
A female fighter of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) goes back to her place after receiving her military card in January 2015. (Reuters/Rodi Said)
In the past two weeks, a remarkable new development has taken place in Syria that bodes ill for the future of the so-called Islamic State group, referred to in Arabic as Daesh. Kurdish fighters from the northeast of the country have taken Tel al-Abyad, a key border town with Turkey through which Daesh smuggled arms and fighters. Now, under cover of American bombing raids, they have gone south to take an important army base only 30 miles from the city of Raqqa, the Syrian capital of the self-proclaimed caliphate. As with everything in Syria, these events are fraught with moral and ethical questions, but that they could be a game changer is not in doubt.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Kurdish fighters supported by Arab rebels of the Euphrates Volcano paramilitary took the town of Ain Issa from Daesh, as well as the nearby Syrian military base, Brigade-93, which had been overrun by Daesh. The Kurdish forces receivedaerial support from the United States and its allies, who conducted an intensive bombardment of Daesh positions and convoys. Reportedly, their formations were breaking up toward the end of the battle and the fighters were simply running away. The Kurds are now only 30 miles from Raqqa, the capital of the so-called caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (the nom de guerre of Ibrahim al-Samarrai, a minor Iraqi academic). Could Daesh be on the verge of being largely pushed out of Syria?
Kurds speak an Indo-European language ultimately related to English rather than Arabic, the language of most Syrians, which is related to Hebrew. Kurds make up about 10 percent of Syria’s 22 million people, and inhabit three formerly unconnected enclaves in the north of the country, which they call Rojava, consisting of Afrin in the west, Kobane in the middle, and Jazira in the east, abutting Iraq. By far the most populous of these enclaves is Jazira, from which the current campaign was launched. It is spearheaded by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the paramilitary arm of the far-left Democratic Union Party.
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Are Leftist Feminist Kurds About to Deliver the Coup de Gr ce to ISIL in Syria The Nation?#
Are Leftist, Feminist Kurds About to Deliver the Coup de Grâce to ISIL in Syria?
Juan Cole on June 25, 2015 - 2:43 PM ET
A female fighter of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) goes back to her place after receiving her military card in January 2015. (Reuters/Rodi Said)
In the past two weeks, a remarkable new development has taken place in Syria that bodes ill for the future of the so-called Islamic State group, referred to in Arabic as Daesh. Kurdish fighters from the northeast of the country have taken Tel al-Abyad, a key border town with Turkey through which Daesh smuggled arms and fighters. Now, under cover of American bombing raids, they have gone south to take an important army base only 30 miles from the city of Raqqa, the Syrian capital of the self-proclaimed caliphate. As with everything in Syria, these events are fraught with moral and ethical questions, but that they could be a game changer is not in doubt.
On Tuesday, it was reported that Kurdish fighters supported by Arab rebels of the Euphrates Volcano paramilitary took the town of Ain Issa from Daesh, as well as the nearby Syrian military base, Brigade-93, which had been overrun by Daesh. The Kurdish forces receivedaerial support from the United States and its allies, who conducted an intensive bombardment of Daesh positions and convoys. Reportedly, their formations were breaking up toward the end of the battle and the fighters were simply running away. The Kurds are now only 30 miles from Raqqa, the capital of the so-called caliphate of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (the nom de guerre of Ibrahim al-Samarrai, a minor Iraqi academic). Could Daesh be on the verge of being largely pushed out of Syria?
Kurds speak an Indo-European language ultimately related to English rather than Arabic, the language of most Syrians, which is related to Hebrew. Kurds make up about 10 percent of Syria’s 22 million people, and inhabit three formerly unconnected enclaves in the north of the country, which they call Rojava, consisting of Afrin in the west, Kobane in the middle, and Jazira in the east, abutting Iraq. By far the most populous of these enclaves is Jazira, from which the current campaign was launched. It is spearheaded by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), the paramilitary arm of the far-left Democratic Union Party.
Continue reading at:
Are Leftist Feminist Kurds About to Deliver the Coup de Gr ce to ISIL in Syria The Nation?#
