ISIS and the Battle for Kobani

     Last June a terror group known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) launched a lightning offensive into Iraq and took control of a third of the country. ISIS started out as a small group that was once part of al Qaeda, but because of infighting with another terror group based in Syria, the al-Nusra Front, was forced to leave. ISIS has also played a major role in the Syrian civil war since they are currently the largest rebel group. They've claimed the city of Raqqa in Syria for their capital.
   
 

Map of the area that ISIS controls

     ISIS wants to create an Islamic caliphate out of Iraq, Syria and any other land they can get their hands on. This group wants everyone in their land to become Islamic and follow radical Muslim rule. When ISIS first took control of Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, they said that any Christians there could live freely and without fear since there was a very large Christian population there, but a few days later ISIS announced they would either heavily tax or kill any of the Christians there. ISIS has also been hunting down smaller ethnic minorities such as the Yazidis and the Kurds. When the Yazidis tried to flee their homes in Iraq to Mount Sinjar they were besieged by ISIS for weeks but were eventually relieved with American help. The Kurds live in the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northern Iraq.  The Kurdish army, the peshmerga, have been the only group to successfully combat ISIS and succeed. ISIS has been executing anyone found in their land that belongs to these ethnic groups. Currently the Kurds are in a fight against ISIS for the city of Kobani, Syria and the border of Turkey.

     The city of Kobani sits on the border of Syria and Turkey and if ISIS gains control of it they will have the entire Iraq/Syrian border. Many Kurds in Iraq want to help in the fight but they would have to go through the Turkish border, since the Iraq/Syria border is under ISIS control. Turkey does not want to help the Kurds at all. For three decades Turkey and the Kurds have been in a guerrilla war in Turkey which has just recently ended. Turkey closed off their border completely to Kurds from Iraq and Syria. 

Turkish tanks guard the Turkey/Syrian border by Kobani.

Turkey has also brought in many tank divisions to guard the border. US airstrikes and airdropped supplies have helped to relieve the Kurds in the city but isn't enough. After weeks of fighting Turkey recently decided to open their border Iraqi Kurds to let them into Kobani.

     For any statistics or information you could ever need to know about ISIS, visit this link.

Citations: Ap. "Iraqi Kurds Head to Fight Militants in Syria." USA Today. Gannett, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.

"ISIS Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 29 Oct. 2014.

Terrorism in Canada

  Canada may seem like a nice place with their special bacon, hockey, and countless moose, but as of lately Canada has seen some hard times. Over the past three days Canada has seen not one, but two acts of terrorism. On October 24 two Canadian marines were struck by a car being driven by a man that was influenced by radical Islam. A chase ensued between Canadian authorities and the driver. The driver eventually lost control of his vehicle and was shot by police. The driver could have been influenced by the terror group ISIS in the Middle East. Many people from all around the world have gone to the Middle East to fight for ISIS but others have stayed in their own country and attempted terrorist attacks on their government. 
      Only two days after that attack, Michal Zehaf-Bibeau, shot and killed a reservist Cpl. Nathan Cirillo then ran into the Canadian parliament, possibly trying to shoot more people but was taken down by authorities. This man was also influenced by radical Islam.
     Could this be a start to a new wave of terror attacks in the Western World?  

Learn more about the topic in this article from USA Today Here


Citations: Ap. "Canada: Convert to Radical Islam Ran down Soldiers." USA Today. Gannett, 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.

Leinw, Donna, and Leger. "Canada's New Reality: Homegrown Terrorism."USA Today. Gannett, 23 Oct. 2014. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.