U.S. Airstrikes Have Failed To Stop The Islamic State In Iraq

Weeks Of U.S. Strikes Fail To Dislodge ISIS In Iraq -- New York Times

BAGHDAD — After six weeks of American airstrikes, the Iraqi government’s forces have scarcely budged the Sunni extremists of the Islamic State from their hold on more than a quarter of the country, in part because many critical Sunni tribes remain on the sidelines.

Although the airstrikes appear to have stopped the extremists’ march toward Baghdad, the Islamic State is still dealing humiliating blows to the Iraqi Army. On Monday, the government acknowledged that it had lost control of the small town of Sichar and lost contact with several hundred of its soldiers who had been besieged for nearly a week at a camp north of the Islamic State stronghold of Falluja, in Anbar Province.

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My Comment: The local Sunni population have shown no interest to align themselves with a predominantly Shiite run government .... and as a result, a united Iraq becomes more and more likely with each passing day. And while U.S. airstrikes have probably degraded some ISIS mobility .... the Islamic State does not appear to be severely impacted. This is also a "heads-up" on why U.S. airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria is not going to change the course of that civil war .... fighting a war by "piecemeal" has never worked in the past, and it certainly will not work in this case.

Update: Some still believe that the U.S. can destroy the Islamic State in 90 days .... U.S. Could Defeat Islamic State In 90 Days, Not Years (IBD Editorial)