Dear ISIL Girls... Really?

Had a recent spate of random terrorist attacks - 

Soldiers killed in Canada; a nut case with an axe -

ISIL doesn't know their names, and neither do they care;

Without even common ideologies they share.

It sure isn't Islam that these idiots fight for,

Nor is it for territory on some foreign shore,

Nor is it for human rights or common decency;

Only thing in common is barbaric lunacy.

ISIL's p.r. makes their war with Syrians and Kurds

Look as if it might be fun for Call of Duty nerds;

Guys who live in mother's basement and do not have friends,

Open to the nihilistic message ISIL sends.

What I do not understand, however, are the girls.

Knowing that these guys are rapists, murderers, and churls;

Holding females in contempt and selling them as slaves,

Why on earth would women choose to join them in their graves?

Goosing Turkey

  

 As Kobani's Kurds - with help from the United States -

Hold off ISIL fighters, Turkish forces shut the gates;

Haven't let the Kurds from Turkey reinforce the town,

And it isn't just their borders Ankara's shut down.

They've been less than useless - even bombing local Kurds.

Were their promises to help with ISIL only words?

Erdogan's demanding more than we're prepared to do;

(He wants us to promise that Assad's a target, too)

Taking on another foe before we've crushed the first.

Assad is a tyrant, true...  But ISIL's still the worst.

Time that Turkey offers us a neighborly assist...

Let's take care of ISIL before adding to our list.

Is Turkey Chicken?

Even though the Turks agreed to help us hunt them down

ISIL fighters are about to seize another town.

Feet across the border into Syria, it sits

But, 'though U.S. airstrikes have been blowing them to bits,

ISIL (with its heavy, hand-held  weapons) will still win

If the town can't get some reinforcements coming in.

U.S. wants the Turks to help...  So far, they've said "No thanks"

Even though the border's lined with Turkish troops and tanks.

Since Kobani's Kurdish there are people who believe

Turkey thinks its residents deserve what they'll receive.

I think it's more complicated - but it's also time

Turkey does its part to help us stop a new war-crime.

ISIS Makes Dramatic Gains in Iraq

ISIS forces now control a large swath of Iraq.

Baghdad asked if we would send some U.S. assets back.

Iraq's army stripped to skivvies, dropped their guns and ran.

(Clearly, then, our training mission didn't go to plan.)

People under ISIS rule must be the ones opposed.

Islam needs a Reformation...  Those can't be imposed.

Muslims have to be the ones who move beyond the past.

Let them form their Caliphate; the thing will never last.

Sunni, Shia, Kurdish tribes; a thousand different clans...

Let them live as ISIS wants.  There won't be many fans.

This war is sectarian and one we shouldn't fight.

Even with our best intentions, we won't get it right.