Fighting power in Kobanî
▻http://mondediplo.com/blogs/fighting-power-in-kobani
On Tuesday 23 September, the United States expanded its campaign of air strikes into Syrian territory, but there are widespread concerns about who can provide “boots on the ground” in the war against IS (the so-called Islamic State).
In Syria, the gains of “moderate” rebel groups earlier this year were soon reversed again. In Iraq, the army abandoned Mosul almost without a fight, and even the more capable Kurdish Peshmerga forces were quickly ousted from Şingal (Sinjar). Yet in northern Syria, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and Women’s Protection Units (YPJ) have held their ground against intruders for over two years, despite lacking any kind of external support.