http://www.realclearpolitics.com/2017/05/13/trump_takes_a_ke y_step_toward_crushing_isis_410199.html
*Trump takes a key step toward crushing ISIS <http://nypost.com/2017/05/12/trump-takes-a-key-step-toward-crushing-isis/>* May 12, 2017 | 8:20pm Modal Trigger <http://nypost.com/2017/05/12/trump-takes-a-key-step-toward-crushing-isis/> [image: Description: Trump takes a key step toward crushing ISIS] Donald Trump, Recep Tayyip Erdogan Getty Images Following through on his vow to “kick ISIS’s ass,” <http://nypost.com/2017/02/06/trump-pledges-to-defeat-isis-rebuild-military-with-beautiful-new-equipment/> President Trump this week moved to arm the Syrian Defense Forces, a mainly Kurdish group, for the campaign to retake Raqqa, the Islamic State’s capital and last stronghold. It’s the best choice in a part of the world that offers no good ones. The SDF is fighting not just ISIS, but also the barbarous Assad regime. And Turkey considers it an enemy, too — seeing it as an ally of the PKK, the Turkish Kurdish group that both Ankara and Washington condemn as terrorists. Yet arming the SDF strengthens the only player in the complex Syrian civil war that isn’t in the pockets of Iran and Russia or allied with radicals who want to murder Americans. More important, it’s the only way the US-led anti-ISIS coalition has a prayer of taking Raqqa. The only alternative would be to send US ground troops into Syria on a scale beyond anything either the administration or the American people want. The Turks’ attitude can’t be ignored: They’re a NATO ally and a major regional player, despite President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s hard dictatorial turn. But Erdogan’s own ideas for taking Raqqa would give the Islamic State too much time, too much breathing room. He may claim to share America’s concerns about Russia, Iran, Assad and ISIS, but warring on the Kurds is his real priority. Ankara can’t be allowed a veto over US policy, nor can its interests outweigh the American imperative to crush ISIS. ------------------------------ [image: Avast logo] <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> <#m_-1471376804944355862_m_1897692161203036751_m_9084638609602253053_DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2> __._,_.___ ------------------------------ Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected]> ------------------------------ Visit Your Group <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmaWJjYnRhBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0OTQ2ODk2Mzc-> [image: Yahoo! Groups] <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlc3A5ZzcyBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTQ5NDY4OTYzNw--> • Privacy <https://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html> • Unsubscribe <[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms of Use <https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> __,_._,___ -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PoliticalForum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
