Tens of thousands of Yazidi sect refugees trapped by ISIS/FSA in Iraq

TENS of thousands of refugees from a religious minority abhorred by jihadists as “devil worshippers” are cut off in a mountainous area of northern Iraq, it has emerged.

An estimated 40,000 people, mostly members of the Yazidi sect, are running out of food and water in the Sinjar mountains, in an area that is surrounded by Isis militants.

The Yazidis, whose religion has its origins in the ancient Zoroastrian tradition, have been branded Satanists by Muslim hardliners.

Trapped refugees, reached by phone before their batteries were exhausted, said that they had run out of food and were searching for water in the hills.

A Yazidi MP broke down in tears at the Iraqi parliament on Tuesday and begged for international help. “We are being slaughtered. Our entire religion is being wiped off the face of the earth. I am begging you, in the name of humanity,” said Vian Dakhil.

Isis militants took control of three Kurdish-held towns and a number of oil fields over the weekend, including Sinjar. Kurdish Peshmerga forces have complained that they lack the type of heavy weaponry that Isis has captured from Iraqi government forces and is now being used against them.

Kurdish factions from Turkey, Iraq and Syria announced a joint counter-offensive on Wednesday in an attempt to reverse the advances and to open a passage to safety for the trapped civilians.

The Iraqi government announced that it was re-engaging with the Kurdish administration in the north of the country, after recent disputes over the Iraqi Kurds’ seizure of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.

Baghdad said that it had dropped 77 tons of food supplies to the trapped refugees. The United Nations Security Council said that the latest attack from Isis “could constitute a crime against humanity”.

Violence from the Syrian civil war continues to spill over into neighbouring Lebanon, where Isis militants have been surrounded by government troops after five days of fighting around the town of Arsal.

It is the most serious escalation of tension so far to affect Lebanon from its larger, troubled neighbour. The Saudi Arabian government has pledged an immediate $1100 million of military support to Lebanon.

Reporters heard shelling and machinegun fire close to Arsal on Wednesday, in a mountainous area close to the Syrian border. A ceasefire broke down and refugees reaching government lines said that there had been intense fighting.

“We saw death with our own eyes,” said Mariam Seifeddin, who spent three days under fire, trapped in a room without food or water along with 50 other civilians.

Dozens of government armoured personnel carriers were seen moving into the area, while ambulances and other vehicles apparently carrying about 30 prisoners were seen leaving.

At least 17 Lebanese soldiers have been killed and 85 wounded, with 22 believed captured.

“There was a ceasefire, but it is no longer being implemented,” the mayor of Arsal, Ali Hujeiri, told reporters. “The army is still there, the gunmen are still there, and the ones suffering are the civilians.”

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/tens-of-thousands-of-yazidi-sect-refugees-trapped-by-isis-in-iraq/story-fnb64oi6-1227016467445

As the bold part says. I dunno if Fredsta can, but to be perfectly honest I can't give a succinct reason as to why. Maybe because being part of the church is hardly any imposition on my life and I feel little malevolence towards the church. Their school system also gave me a good education.

ISIS and anyone even remotely connected to their prosperity should be tortured and killed.

ISIS pretty much exists because a bunch of Afghans and Iraqis were already tortured and killed.

I realise that it's far more complex than that, but your glib assertion is exactly the kind of thinking that has gotten the world into this mess in the first place.

You can't blame the west for slaughtering kids like lambs.

I can blame anyone for whatever I like. The devil is in the detail of how I justify the blame.

Nothing good has come from western interventions since World War II... other than my ability to get world class pho around the corner from my house I guess.

"their own people" is such an exposing phrase of ignorance that I can't really see how this could possibly be a productive conversation.

Interventions have bred generations of resentment. Did you ever wonder why groups like ISIS are able to become so powerful so quickly? It sure isn't religious conviction.

From its beginnings the establishment of a pure Islamic state has been one of the group's main goals. So they're only pretending to be religious?

I read an interesting article on this subject: Who is Sunni Who is Shia

I'm sure you will discredit it because it's not your view and therefore anything I think is below your sense of superiority :lol:

It pretty much expresses my view in the second paragraph. Don't let that get in your way of straw manning though.

ISIS pretty much exists because a bunch of Afghans and Iraqis were already tortured and killed.

I realise that it's far more complex than that, but your glib assertion is exactly the kind of thinking that has gotten the world into this mess in the first place.

I said the article was interesting I didn't say I agreed. To blame occupation forces the way you do and the author has seems a bit convenient. Sectarian violence would have eventually boiled over with or without occupation to bring things to a head. That's just my opinion though.

If the fault is to be with occupation forces their fault is not delivering on promises and being naive enough to think that they could actually bring peace into a fractured and religiously divided country.

Also there is need to be a prick chief, this isn't a dick measuring contest so we can have a discussion without your snarky fucking comments or we can leave it. Your choice.

Sometimes I reckon people ark up at Notorganic simply because he's Notorganic :lol:

-PB

Was I snarky before or after you chose to put words into my mouth and assert that I had a sense of superiority? Glass houses mate.

Calling something ignorant isn't being a dick, it's calling a spade a spade.

Sometimes I reckon people ark up at Notorganic simply because he's Notorganic :lol:

-PB

I don't understand how people in Iraq etc who don't like ISIS haven't fought back in some regard?

-PB

Yes you're a prick because you jumped to conclusion over two words.

I dislike you assertion that you're over educated on the subject and thus I know nothing. I might not have the time to research like you do because I have extensive work commitments but your initial assertion was pretty fucking rude and presumptuous which rendered continued discussion pointless when you can't see past the end of your own nose.

I don't understand how people in Iraq etc who don't like ISIS haven't fought back in some regard?

-PB

ISIS are quite popular at the moment. What will be interesting will be when they reach their goals in Iraq and the numerous factions schism and turn on each other.

They are intimidated by my superiority so automatically go on the defensive and double down.

edit: I was also 100% correct. Benelsmore did not provide anything resembling a productive conversation.

Edited by notorganic: 8/8/2014 07:56:44 AM

Support the Peshmerga. They fight on behalf of humanity.