Starved by Obama, the Kurds convert an ISIS tank

Barzani had this seized tank converted into an anti-mine vehicle.

"We are fighting for all the world, 

for all civilization."

Peshmerga General Sirwan Barzani

(Fox News)  -  The Kurds are enjoying increasing success against ISIS, and not only are they doing it without the U.S. weapons they seek, they often find themselves going up against American-made equipment.

In Syria, Kurdish Peshmerga forces captured the key city of Tal Abyad from ISIS on Monday, the latest in a string of Kurdish victories over the black-clad jihadist army in Iraq and Syria. Leaders of the ethnic army told FoxNews.com recently that they could be even more effective if U.S. weapons went to them instead of the enemy, which has seized massive amounts of American weaponry from the Iraqi forces it has defeated in battle.

 “What America has given to Iraq in the past, what Iraq borrowed from Russia and U.S., ISIS has,” said Peshmerga commander Kemal Kerkuki. “They are using many, many, mines, C4, TNT, snipers, mortars; they have Humvees, they have tanks, they have different kinds of weapons.”

U.S. military aid is distributed through Baghdad, which has an arm’s length relationship with the semi-autonomous Kurds in the north. Without direct aid, the Kurds have largely made do with aging equipment and weapons they seize from ISIS.

“The weapons of [ISIS] are 10 times that of the Peshmerga,” said Maj. Gen. Sirwan Barzani, another Kurdish commander whose forces are based southwest of Erbil.

Much of the weaponry the Peshmerga are currently using consists of old, worn-out munitions from the Iran-Iraq war more than 30 years ago.

One other weapon the Peshmerga have is improvisation. With no anti-mine vehicle to pave their way into ISIS-held territory, Barzani had a tank captured from ISIS re-engineered to roll through mined areas where it squashes IEDS before they can harm troops. Barzani told FoxNews.com the vehicle is crucial for making retaken land safe to once again inhabit.

“If ISIS stays in Mosul, then it is a danger for everyone,” said Kerkuki. “If we can push them out, then it is a benefit for all.”

Read More . . . .

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Read more: Daily Mail