On Saturday, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the destruction of yet more ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria, including multiple armored personnel carriers which had been controlled by the terrorist group. The strikes that eliminated these targets took place on Friday, the same day that ISIS revealed it had beheaded United Kingdom citizen Alan Henning.
The airstrikes were conducted by the United States, using both manned aircrafts and drones, although CENTCOM said that Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates lent support.
The anti-ISIS coalition has grown slightly larger in recent days. Also on Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced his country would launch airstrikes in Iraq and possibly Syria, depending on whether the Syrian government gave permission.
“We will strike ISIL where, and only where, Canada has the clear support of the government of that country. At present, that is only true in Iraq,” said Harper. “If it were to become the case in Syria, then we would participate in airstrikes in that country also.”
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott also announced that it would participate in airstrikes against ISIS on Friday. Like Harper, Abbott said Australia would only launch attacks in Iraq for now, leaving Syria untouched. On Thursday, the Turkish parliament voted to authorize military action against ISIS. The terrorist group had recently launched attacks on the city of Kobani, which is in Syria but perilously close to the Turkish border. Although Syria’s government supports the destruction of ISIS, the country’s foreign ministry condemned Turkey’s decision to join the campaign against the terrorists as an “act of aggression,” because Turkey also supports regime change in Syria.
Ned Resnikoff is an urban policy analyst, researcher, writer, and editor. His byline has appeared in a variety of publications, including the New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Dissent, and The Nation. He writes the newsletter Public Comment, which can be found at publiccomment.blog. Recommended
