Operation Free Sinjar: the nexus between values and military objectives

Kurd24

The success of Operation Free Sinjar, led by the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, constitutes a new chapter in the fight against ISIS. In addition to its valuable strategic and military gains, the operation leaves significant moral implications on the overall fight against the self-proclaimed Islamic State. The Kurdish liberation of Sinjar [Kur, Shingal] demonstrates the victory of humanities' morality over ISIS' medieval ideology and so-called 'values.'

This moral triumph reaffirms the underlying values shared by all who oppose ISIS and helped restore faith in the world's capacity to defy such anarchy and violence, emboldening the international community with a stronger determination to defeat terrorism.

ISIS first shocked the world in August 2014 through its atrocious campaigns against the Christian and Yazidi minorities in the Nineva Valley and Sinjar in what the UN described as “an attempt to commit genocide.” Footage of tens of thousands of mainly Yazidi women and children stranded on Mount Sinjar was widely circulated over traditional and social media outlets, as was the news of thousands of much less fortunate Yezidi women and children being forced into sexual slavery by ISIS.

 This medieval-minded terrorist group deployed a warped narrative of self-righteousness to justify ethnic cleansing of minorities. These offensives were carried out in pursuit of stripping the Middle East, but especially the Kurdistan Region, of its rich and diverse culture, religious pluralism, and centuries of peaceful coexistence.

ISIS' continued occupation of Nineva Valley and Sinjar, which previously imparted unseen brutality against Christians and Yazidis, is a scar against humanities' commitment in defending minorities and its overall resolve to combat ISIS.

The tragedy of Sinjar served a major propaganda objective for ISIS, enabling them to portray itself as a horrifying, invincible caliphate. The fate of the Yazidi calamity created a storm in the collective consciousness of the international community, calling into question its willingness and determination to stand up for the values that humanity has paid a dear price to attain and establish since WWII.

In response to this attack, the people and government of Kurdistan have been providing massive assistance to accommodate the exodus of Christian and Yazidi families fleeing the Nineva Valley and mountainous Sinjar area. The Kurdistan Region is also harboring hundreds of thousands of Syrian Kurdish refugees and Arab Iraqis who have sought safety. 

Importantly, the KRG leadership has taken the reins in framing the debate about ISIS. The President of the Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani, in a letter given one day after Sinjar's tragedy in August 2014 said “The people of Kurdistan are accustomed, in their culture, to respect and abide by religious pluralism and coexistence.” This inclusive sentiment was later re-emphasized during his meeting with the special envoy of Pope Francis a few days later, when he affirmed "we will all live together with dignity."  On the one-year anniversary of this national calamity, the President reiterated Kurds’ resolve to liberate Sinjar vowing “We [Kurds] will hunt down those who committed this crime until the last one.”

Kurdistan is a Muslim majority region; hence such a holistic approach synthesizing peaceful coexistence, freedom of religion, women and human rights, and combined with steadfast military resolve embodied such a decisive action from the Kurdish people and its leadership. This was precisely the response required to win the battle of hearts and minds, in preparation for the military battle.

The dedication to liberate the city of their Yazidi brothers and sisters is the newest chapter in the long and deep-rooted Kurdish history of facing and fighting tyrants in order to achieve freedom and liberty.

Operation Free Sinjar is also a significant morale boost for the world’s collective tenacity to conquer terrorism. The effective collaboration between the American-led international coalition and the Peshmerga is a practical and viable model of what the world can do together, to face the terrorists plaguing this region.

This congruence of values among the partners — the Kurdistan Region, the United States of America, and the international coalition — proved to be one of the major underlying factors for a successful operation.

In military terms, while the bravery of the Peshmerga brought about the operation’s success in clearing and holding the land, international coalition airstrikes targeting ISIS bases played a major role in neutralizing some of their major capabilities, particularly their advanced weaponry captured from the Iraqi army.

While Paris and the free world in general mourn the loss of innocent life to medieval terrorism, it is vital for all who oppose ISIS to activate their military capabilities to protect and preserve our shared values of freedom, liberty, and peaceful coexistence.

The Peshmerga and the Kurdish leadership empowered by their peoples' morale and values, have undertaken this military challenging operation to defy ISIS and bring justice back to Sinjar. Only with a similar unified resolve, the world can help conquer ISIS, and turn it to a term for the history books.