The Hydra-headed monster that is Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS) has retaken the northern Syrian town of Ain Issa from which it was driven out only two weeks ago by Kurdish militia. The counterattack took place even as US-led coalition aircraft pounded the terrorist capital at Raqqa. This setback for the Kurdish Popular Protection Units (YPG) should also be seen in the light of the renewed assault on Kobane 12 days ago, timed to coincide with the terror attacks in Kuwait, Tunisia, Somalia and France. The Kurdish fighters said they had repelled the Kobane advance, but not before 233 villagers, including women and children, had been lined up and murdered in a hail of gunfire. The reality is probably that the terrorists never intended to mount more than a demonstration of their continuing ability to launch deadly strikes at will, exacting horrific retribution on all those who oppose them, which means virtually everyone. Thus questions do arise over the competence of Kurdish forces both in Syria and Iraq. There can be no doubting the personal heroism of the fighters who finally forced Daesh terrorists from Kobane, once Turkey had grudgingly allowed Kurdish reinforcements to cross the border. But it also took a concerted effort by largely US warplanes and attack helicopters to destroy terrorist positions. Similar American air support was also necessary last August before Kurdish forces could retake the Mosul dam. The first contact between the much-vaunted Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Daesh terrorists had been a shock. It turned out that with the exception of a few elite units, the majority of Kurdish fighters were poorly equipped, poorly supplied and poorly paid. Worse, a US military assessment found that the command and control structures were seriously lacking and officers had a poor understanding of battlefield tactics. The message seems to be, both for Kurdish and Iraqi forces, that their success against Daesh fanatics is too often dependent on outside air support. And herein lies a key problem for those who are dedicated to the destruction of the Daesh terror menace. On Monday, President Barack Obama once more made it clear that the air campaign against the terrorists was going to take time. Part of the challenge in attacking positions in Raqqa, said Obama, was the lack of forces on the ground able to provide targeting information. This remark may well be ingenuous, since CIA drones are operating relatively effectively in the Pakistan and Afghanistan border region without the obvious presence of local observers. But in the end, even the most intensive aerial assault is going to be ineffective unless there is a follow-up by ground forces. The problem with much of the territory seized by Daesh is that there are no obvious forces able to move in and secure it. Neither the Kurds nor the Iraqis are prepared to move beyond a tactical defense of their heartlands. It should be unthinkable that Washington would work with the bloody Assad regime and meanwhile the Free Syrian Army has been forced onto a back foot by Daesh. The air campaign is undoubtedly degrading the terrorists but as their recapture of Ain Issa and their sudden thrust at Kobane demonstrate, their power is by no means yet broken. It is clear that the airstrikes need to be stepped up to the point where they become relentless, where not a captured tank or Humvee or armored personnel carrier can move without being destroyed. It is time for the gloves to come off.
