The Kurdish Stalingrad

[shira]

1. OP cont'd...

IS has been happy to accept the challenge. As well as pouring more men and equipment into the fight, on October 27th it distributed a bizarre five-minute video in which a British hostage, John Cantlie, appeared to dispatch a “news report” from Kobane. Its purpose was to refute the idea that the battle was swinging against IS. Dresssed in black, Mr Cantlie tells the camera that America and its allies “even with all their air power and all their proxy troops on the ground” cannot defeat IS.

It is still not possible say who will prevail in Kobane. Kurdish defenders appear to be outnumbered but in street-to-street fighting the heavy weapons and vehicles that usually give IS its edge are of limited use. IS is up against a foe with nowhere to retreat, an improving supply of arms and continued air support. Kobane may not be Stalingrad, but if it holds out, the psychological damage to IS will be real.