Public Comment

Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s criticism of Iraqi forces not having “the will to fight’ closely reflects our own reluctance to send ground forces to the region. The birth of ISIS followed the dismissal of tens of thousands of disgruntled Ba’athist soldiers and police officers by Paul Bremer following the US invasion in 2003. We ensconced our own puppet - the thoroughly corrupt and incompetent Shiite, Nouri Maliki as prime minister who waged a pogrom against the Sunnis and voila - ISIS surged in strength and numbers beckoning radical Sunnis from around the world.  

Following our invasion, the country has proved the perfect breeding ground for Sunni radical Muslims, who have become affiliated with the Islamic State. To heap scorn and derision on the Iraq forces is unfair and unhelpful. If we uncorked the ISIS genie we have a moral responsibility to send in ground troops to degrade and defeat ISIS.