Once again the US Air Force has commenced a bombing campaign in Iraq. This time in support of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting in north western Iraq against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (now simply called IS). The RAF sent Tornado fighter bombers to conduct surveillance missions with a combat role now beginning.
The French, Gulf states-Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and others are supporting the campaign to destroy IS after their vicious killing spree, dramatically highlighted by repulsive execution of US journalists and British Charity workers. This helped crystallise the slaughter taking place in this war blighted region to western attention. Apart from their own intervention the US President Obama warmly praised France with their efforts in the bombing campaign so far a far cry from the 2003 invasion (Guardian, 2014).
Thoughts can quickly return to the 2003 Iraq invasion and other bombing campaigns in Iraq during the 1990s including the 1991 Desert Storm operation to liberate Kuwait from Saddam Hussein’s invading forces. Will this time be different or better? Will there be mission creep? Why only Iraq and not Syria asked MPs during the debate in the UK House of Commons?
The support of the Kurds, the Iraq government, other Arabs nations makes it more legitimate for the western forces aerial presence. However, ground support must be built and support given to the Kurdish fighters and Iraqi security forces. The political will must be found and maintained by regional neighbours and allies to form a lasting alliance with mutual understanding to address a campaign against IS, with its changeable allies, off-shoots and supporters, which may well continue for years.
This time the ultimate outcome must be peace, stability and “freedom” in the sense of human rights from the religious fanaticism IS imposes on people regardless of their wishes.
If not, the worries and justification for the bombing campaign that western targets will be attacked will materialise. The US has already struck at the Khorasan group, a cell under al-Nursa (JAN) an al-Qaeda affiliate, as intelligence gathered implied imminent attacks on the West (Economist, 2014). Is US intelligence correct or overestimating IS capabilities? Will IS not attack the west once its Caliphate is created using its access to oil revenues to spread its threats to the wider world?
Syria and Iraq, along with Turkey and Iran are the areas which formed the Fertile Crescent which started the agricultural revolution during the Neolithic period leading to the rise of ancient empires in Mesopotamia, of the Sumerians, the Assyrians, of the Bronze Age Hittites in central Anatolia and Syria. From Ptolemaic Egypt to the later rise of Islam in Arabian peninsula, with Baghdad, Cairo and Damascus all world leading cities of innovation and learning during Islam’s rise and golden period approx. the C. 7th-13th with scholars who advanced knowledge in medicine, mathematics, architecture and astronomy. Arabic cultures added to the depth of human activity in this turbulent historic region.
So it’s a tragedy to see the wretched state the Arabs and Middle East have become and it’s only the countries and all their inhabitants that will halt and reverse the situation with help of course, as needed and requested. Colonialism in the C.20th did harm too and their soviet-inspired nationalism afterwards also compounded problems.
However, to achieve a return to better times- tolerance is key-it must replace religious fanaticism, and allow institutions of state to mature and not just an elected parliament beholden to factions. Tolerance allows freedom of expression which fosters innovation and creativity which creates trade and improves prosperity.
It will take a huge collective effort but the alternative of societal collapse is all to possible once again in a region that has seen many empires and civilisation rise and fall yet this time it will be the rest of the world that suffers too.
LDC.
References-
Economist Magazine, (2014) Briefing-“Attacks on the Islamic State: Another long war”, The Economist Newspapers Ltd 2014, London, UK. Issue 27 Sept-3rd Oct. 2014 pages 21-23.
Willsher, K (2014); “France bombs Isis depot in Iraq-François Hollande’s office says air strike destroyed logistics depot in north-east held by Islamic State”, Guardian News and Media Limited 2014, London, UK. Website accessed on 30th September 2014: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/19/france-bombs-isis-depot-iraq-islamic-state