Iraq 2014 - Air Strikes by U.S. |
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The use of air strikes against the fighters of the Islamic State by the United States began in early August 2014. The first airstrikes were very limited. The first day the U.S. attacked some gun positions threatening Erbil - the capital of the Iraq Kurd area and provided some support to the trapped Yazidis on top of Mount Sinjar (located in northwestern Iraq along the Syrian border). The air strikes continued through August with the use of Navy and Air Force fighters and unarmed UAVs (drones). The attacks continued in the Sinjar area keeping ISIL at bay and in support of Peshmerga units engaged with the ISIL fighters.
The U.S. president authorized the use of limited airstrikes on August 7, 2014. The reason provided by the U.S. government 2. was that U.S. personnel in the city of Erbil were threatened by ISIL forces just "minutes" from the city. In addition, there was a humanitarian crisis that needed attention (the Yazidis).
Air strikes can hit easily identifiable targets on the ground - mass troops, artillery positions, convoys, etc. The strikes are less effective in cities and against small groups of fighters that can blend into the populace and urban areas. 1. So the United States has to judiciously use the air power at its disposal in Iraq.
Once again, whenever the U.S. intervenes military in any part of the world, Congress wants to know about it and many members want a "vote". 3. The current air campaign in Iraq against fighers of the Islamic State is no exception.
Some believe that the use of U.S. airpower in the United States puts the homeland more at risk for attacks - such as the September 11, 2001 attacks. 4. The use of U.S. airpower takes a country civil war (Sunni against Shia) and escalates it to the international level. The worldwide jihadist movement can now justify their attacks against the U.S. homeland - pointing to U.S. airstrikes in Iraq. In fact, there are recent news reports 5. that indicate that the Islamic State is establishing cells in Western Europe and possibly in the United States.
The initial airstrikes were performed under the justification of humanitarian assistance and protection of U.S. embassy and military personnel in Erbil. Subsequent airstrikes supported the retaking of the Mosul Dam. Later air strikes in September 2014 airstrikes were conducted in the western province of Anbar 6. (under the guise of humanitarian assistance - securing the Haditha Dam). ---------------------------------------------------------
September 25, 2014. "Arab Allies Take Lead in Syria Airstrikes: F-22s Fade From View". Breaking Defense. September 25, 2014. "CENTCOM releases new video of airstrikes on Islamic State in Syria". Military Times. September 25, 2014. "U.S. says airstrikes crippled most of small oil refineries held by Islamic State in Syria". The Washington Post. September 5, 2014. "How to Defeat ISIL: It's All about the Strategy". By David Deptula, Beaking Defense. August 14, 2014. "Obama: U.S. to End Aid Drops in Iraq, but Airstrikes to Continue". NPR at this link. August 14, 2014. "The Strengths and Limits of Air Power". The New York Times at this link. A discussion with Joe Felter, Rebecca Grant, Michael Wahid, James Franklin, and Mark Clodfelter. August 13, 2014. "10 days in Iraq: Aid drops, air-strikes and 200,000 new refugees". BBC News Middle East at his link. August 13, 2014. "Vatican approves of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq". The Washington Times at this link. August 12, 2014. "Americans Support Air Strikes in Iraq, but Strongly Oppose Sending in Troops", The Huffington Post at this link. August 10, 2014. "U.S. airstrikes bring early gains in Iraq". USA Today at this link. ---------------------------------------------------------
1. For more on the effectiveness of air strikes against ISIS see "Airstrikes Can Only Do So Much to Combat ISIS", The New York Times, by Joe Felter, August 13, 2014 at this link. 2. For a justification of the airstrikes see "Airstrikes in Iraq: What You Need to Know", The White House Blog, by Ben Rhodes, August 11, 2014 at this link. 3. See "Tim Kaine wants congressional authorization of Iraq airstrikes", The Washington Post, August 12, 2014 at this link. 4. For more on U.S. homeland at risk due to airstrikes in Iraq see "Will US Airstrikes Empower ISIS?", The Diplomat, August 14, 2014 at this link. 5. Read a news report suggesting that the IS will or has established cells in Western Europe - "Islamic State working to establish cells outside Middle East, U.S. says", The Washington Post, at this link. 6. For more about airstrikes protecting the Haditha Dam see a statement from the pentagon released on September 7, 2014.
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