By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch Managing Editor
DAMASCUS, Syria – U.S. forces have begun leading airstrikes in Syria against The Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIS) which is attempting to establish an caliphate in Syria and Iraq based on its extremist interpretation of Islamic law. The United States military conducted the airstrikes with fighter jets as well as remotely piloted aircraft and Tomahawk missiles to conduct 14 strikes against ISIS in Syria. 47 Tomahawk missiles were fired by American ships located in the Red Sea and the North Arabian Gulf. The Coalition of states supporting the airstrikes included several Arab allies. Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates took part in the strikes. Several of the Arab Allies participating in the airstrikes played a kinetic role in the strikes meaning they played an active role in carrying out the strikes rather than simply providing material support to the United States.
On Tuesday morning, before heading to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, United States President Barack Obama addressed the importance of Arab participation in the Coalition combating ISIS on Tuesday morning saying the Coalition that attacked ISIS in Syria overnight “makes it clear to the world that this is not America’s fight alone,” and that Middle Eastern governments are rejecting ISIS and its extremist agenda. Jordan’s minister of information and communication, Mohamamd Al Momani, confirmed Jordan’s participation in the strikes saying the airstrikes would continue in the coming period. Momani said The Jordanian Kingdom is participating in the collation in order to combat “terrorism in its home in order to protect Jordan’s security and stability and to prevent terrorism from reaching the kingdom.”
The strikes primarily targeted the area around Raqqa, which ISIS has declared as its Capital city. For several moths civilians living in Raqqa have been experienced the harsh rule of ISIS after militants took over their city, which had been one of Syria’s most liberal cities. Members of ISIS have implemented severe punishments against civilians for violations of their strict interpretation of Islamic law, opposition members have said public executions have become a daily occurrence in the area.
Abo Ismail, an opposition activist inside Raqqa, said Tuesday that residents were both fearful and elated to see the U.S. attacking ISIS targets there because while they were thrilled to see intentional action against ISIS the group was reacting by increasing security in the city.
“I would dance in the streets, but I am too afraid,” Ismail said.
Syria has been in the midst of a devastating civil war that has killed thousands of civilians and displaced several million people. Syrian rebels have been clamoring for Western military aid as they fight the regime after it began turning its guns on peaceful demonstrators. Despite the late action the Free Syria the Free Syria Foreign Mission said it was elated by the U.S. strikes. “Thank God. What a momentous day — a day that we have been looking forward to for so, so long,” the Syrian opposition group said. “It’s a big step forward, but we are nonetheless clear-eyed that it will be a prolonged campaign to defeat ISIS.”
Ironically attacks targeting ISIS may help the Syrian Regime. Bashar al-Assad’s regime has said it wants to be informed of any action against ISIS taken in its country and will react harshly to actions taken without its approval. However, the regime has been fighting ISIS and other rebel groups in Syria for three years and U.S. and Coalition attacks on ISIS will allow the regime to target moderate rebel groups in the country. “It helps him because we’re taking out one of the threats to his regime,” said retired Air Force intelligence officer Lt. Col. Rick Francona. “If we destroy ISIS, which we’re committed to do … that takes the biggest player off the table. And all he has to worry about is the smaller, less effective al Qaeda in Syria — al-Nusra — and the (rebel) Free Syrian Army, both of whom he has bested in the past couple of years.”
According to a statement issued by the United States Decampment of Defense “The strikes destroyed or damaged multiple ISIL targets… and included ISIL fighters, training compounds, headquarters and command and control facilities, storage facilities, a finance center, supply trucks and armed vehicles.”
The airstrikes also targeted the Khorasan group, an al Qaeda affiliated organization. In a statement the United States Department of Defense claims the group represents and imminent threat to the United States and the West. The statement said “The United States has also taken action to disrupt the imminent attack plotting against the United States and Western interests conducted by a network of seasoned al-Qaeda veterans – sometimes referred to as the Khorasan Group – who have established a safe haven in Syria to develop external attacks, construct and test improvised explosive devices and recruit Westerners to conduct operations.
For more information please see:
ABC News – President Obama Says Airstrikes against ISIS Targets in Syria ‘Not America’s Fight Alone’ – 23 September 2014
Al Jazeera – US and Allies Strike ISIL Targets in Syria – 23 September 2014
CNN International – Obama: Syria Strikes Show ‘This is Not America’s Fight Alone’ – 23 September 2014
CNN International – U.S. Strikes ISIS and Khorasan Inside Syria Live – 23 September 2014
