Kobani: The Important Place You Never Heard About

Its called Kobani, Syria. It is not a tourist spot. America never drew a red line here. We never promised to defend it. It is not the key to any massive defense system. It is not a new style Alamo. It does not even hold any real strategic significance. But if this little place that is more like a small town than a city falls, it could have implications that could figuratively rock the world.

If ISIS, (you know, the guys you never heard about until they were actually a problem) is able to take the city, which US officials admit is a real possibility in the upcoming days, than it could reveal things about the new American Airstrikes Campaign.

The UN is frightened of a possible massacre if ISIS takes the city. You can’t blame them. ISIS hasn’t shown much concern about the articles of the Geneva Convention, if indeed they even know what that is.

The town sits near the border with Turkey, who still sits mostly aloof from the fight. But that could change, some say, if the town falls. If it does fall, then that would mean that around fifty airstrikes by the United States, mostly in the last four days, were widely ineffective in bringing down ISIS and company.

This morning the militant terrorists made a drive toward the heart of the small town, but were pushed back in about ninety minutes of fighting. They are fighting both some of the town’s people, and Kurds, who, although having difficulty early on in getting the ball rolling, have come back with greater punch in the second round of the “World v. ISIS” war.

If Kobani falls, it will not only be a major media blitz for them, that they took a city America dropped bombs to save, but it could also potentially free up hundreds or even thousands of fighters, who could then put added pressure elsewhere, including places like Baghdad, which, if it were to fall, would be the biggest victory yet for ISIS, expect perhaps that they have finally become a household name, something they will need to recruit more troops if they want to continue this war against all things good.

Kobani, and Baghdad still stand. For today. Some US officials believe that too much emphasis is being put on one small town. But ISIS clearly doesn’t think so.

Andrew C. Abbott