Introduction — Oct 9, 2014

Why can’t the Western coalition stop Isis advance, particularly when their available troops outnumber Islamic State fighters nearly 20 to 1? The disparity between the respective forces is all the more striking when you factor in Western naval ships and aircraft in the region.

So why can’t the West stop Isis in its tracks?

It’s a stupid question really. Especially when you consider that U.S. military personnel — either in the employ of private military contractors or acting on the orders of the U.S. government — were reportedly training “Syrian rebels” in Jordan last year

With this in mind it’s obvious why the West cannot stop Isis advances: it doesn’t want to.

The air strikes are only for show; an explosive display of ordnance but theatre nonetheless. Rather than take on Syria’s Assad directly, the West and its gulf allies are using proxy fighters in Isis to do their dirty work. That’s why, despite their overwhelming firepower in the region the West and its gulf allies cannot seem to stem the militants advances.

Like Saddam Hussein’s fabled ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ the struggle against Isis is a ruse. Little more than smoke and mirrors.

Of course the following article doesn’t mention any of this. Like the rest of the corporate Western media, the Independent’s report is aimed at diverting attention from who is behind Isis and who’s interests their brutality really serves.

Syria air strikes: Why can’t the US-led coalition stop the march of Isis?

James Rush — The Independent Oct 9, 2014

With Isis on the verge of victory in Kobani, while also continuing its advance on Baghdad, questions have been raised over how the US-led coalition should attempt to deal with the threat of the militants.

Isis fighters now reportedly control more than a third of the strategic border town in northern Syria, despite air strikes today which have been the most intensive in the campaign so far.

As the UK and the US warn air strikes alone will not stop the town from being taken, a study of the estimated strength of the two forces shows there is clear disparity between their respective sizes.

The study, carried out by Statista for The Independent, suggests the number of coalition troops available to fight on the ground outnumber Isis militants by more than 20 to one.

And while Isis fighters are backed by assorted artillery, tanks and small arms captured by Syrian and Iraqi inventories, Kurdish peshmerga and Iraqi army troops fighting for the coalition are supported by three US Navy ships and aircraft from air forces across the world.

Continues ….