Senate Rejects Arming The Most Successful Anti-Islamic State Force

Kurdish fighters (the peshmerga) have been the key fighting force in pushing back Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria. The Iraqi central government has not. With an increasing trend of utilizing Shi’ite militias in an attempt to fight back IS, more and more tribal Sunnis who want to be a part of the fight are ignored. Considering that arms and equipment are “sent to the Iraqi forces in Anbar and not directly to the Sunni tribes”, this makes it even more difficult for them to get involved.

This week, there was an opportunity to engage and support meaningful action. Unfortunately this opportunity was not seized. On June 3, Senator Joni Ernst [IA] submitted amendment 1549 (to H.R. 1735) “to provide for a temporary, emergency authorization of defense articles, defense services, and related training directly to the Kurdistan Regional Government”. The amendment was proposed on June 11, and on June 16 was not agreed to by the Senate. It needed 60 “yeas”, and therefore just missed the mark in a 54-45 vote. The “yeas” included 46 Republican votes, and the “nays” included 36 Democratic votes.

Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter wrote a letter last week to the Senate, urging them to turn away from the proposal. He reasoned, “that arming the Kurds would trigger the revenge of the Shi’ite militias to unleash attacks on the US personnel and interests in Iraq”. Secretary of State John Kerry also wrote a letter, urging the same action of Senators. He argued that, “Iraq’s fragile territorial and political unity would be in jeopardy if the amendment passed”.

As it stands today, Iraq could not be further away from being united. With IS forces closer than ever to Baghdad, it has never been more paramount for the US government to be the united force. Partisan roles aside, the next move that must be taken is the direct arming of Kurdish fighters. Senator Ernst says she is committed to supporting the Kurds who she sees as “key partners” in this fight against the Islamic State. Hopefully the next time she, or another individual, is able to present an opportunity like that of the defeated amendment, we as a country will be on board to accept it.

Related, the Center for Security Policy is looking forward to the release of its newest monograph, Toppling the Caliphate, which is to be released within the next month. This piece will provide a sort of master plan to defeat IS, detailed by a step-by-step process. The process, first and foremost, starts with the arming of Kurdish fighters.

We keep looking for the right move, the right group, or the right decision to definitively extinguish the Islamic State. However, the answer is right in front of us. How many more times do the Kurdish fighters need to recapture a previously IS-held city or protect and defend regions from incoming IS attacks, before we realize this truth? If it’s the case that we do realize this, then our lack of engagement and support is utterly incomprehensible.