Kurdish forces captured an ISIS base after a two-day siege

RABIA, Iraq — Jihadists finally gave up their last stand in the Iraqi border town of Rabia Thursday after a two-day siege and under repeated allied bombardment that included attacks by British jets.

In the chaotic aftermath of a second, night-time air raid by coalition forces following an British RAF attack on Wednesday afternoon, Kurdish forces believe 20 of those who had been holed up in the town’s hospital may have been able to slip away and make good their escape.

Thursday night, the mere handful of bodies on display in the hospital’s wreckage bore testimony to the skill of Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) in holding ground. They also demonstrated the long, slow war that lies ahead for the motley collection of ground forces on whom the West and its allies are relying to retake the swathes of Iraq and Syria the group has seized.

It was a tough battle. We used air strikes, shelling, tanks. But it was 48 hours, there was a battle going on here,” said Capt. Naqib Hami.

Two divisions of the Peshmerga were on the Rabia front of an attack ordered across northern Iraq early on Tuesday. Rabia marked the most striking gain.

The town guards one of the main border crossings between Syria and Iraq, and has been used by ISIS to channel supplies seized from the American-armed Iraqi forces in the jihadists’ sweeping victories in June.

-——They also demonstrated the long, slow war that lies ahead for the motley collection of ground forces on whom the West and its allies are relying to retake the swathes of Iraq and Syria the group has seized.-——

The author does not understand what is in progress. There is no intent by any one to retake the swathes of Iraq or Syria. Swathes is code for the land along the rivers and thus the highways.

The intent is to straighten up the various borders between the Kurds in the north of Iraq and the Shia in the south. Those Shia in the south have neither the desire nor the means to re establish the nation of Iraq. The Kurds have established a nation that will almost certainly extend into kurdish Syria.

The same is true in Syria where Assad lacks the ability and probably the will to re establish his former borders.

The states of Syria and Iraq established in 1917 or 18 to establish British and French control of former Ottoman territory are no more. Iraq and Syria are but brief historical entities now just memories.

The new nation now known as the Kurdish Autonomous region will likely seek and receive UN recognition. The status is now fluid while negotiations among the various allies determine the overall outcome are underway. It is still questionable that the USA is a real voice in the coalition having abandoned it a year ago.

The presence of Brit and French and UAE forces indicate the fluidity might be gelling. Obama is not the leaderbut merely a hanger on. He will fork out some money and take credit for the victory

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