Lights, Action!

There it is, action in the offing, on the cusp of responding to the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham, to teach them that they have yet much to learn about American, British and French resolve. And the revulsion in which they are universally held. The very countries in the Middle East whose wealthy Sunnis have in the past supported them, incited them to action, lavished funding upon them, are now poised to join forces with countries of the West to stop them in their American-tracked tanks.

(Top from left) Jordanian foreign minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Hamad, foreign minister of United Arab Emirat Sheik Abdullah Bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Egyptian foreign minister Sameh Shoukri, Spanish foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo, (bottom from left) Iraqi president Fouad Massoum, French president Francois Hollande, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius and US secretary of states John Kerry, pose for a group photo at the French foreign ministry in Paris, on Monday. — AFP photo

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(Top from left) Jordanian Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al Hamad; Foreign Minister of United Arab Emirates Sheik Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan; unidentified; Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo; Norwegian Foreign Borge Brendem; (Front row from left) Iraqi President Fuad Masum; French President Francois Hollande; French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius; US Secretary of State John Kerry; and Italian Foreign Minister Federica Mogherini prepare to walk away after a group photo at the French Foreign ministry in Paris on Monday Sept 15, 2014, prior to a meeting on the Islamic State group. Diplomats from around the world are in Paris pressing for a coherent global strategy to combat extremists from the Islamic State group. Photo: AP

Let's hear it for photo-ops, everyone wants to be in the picture. Which is to say, to be seen to be involved, but the picture doesn't tell all, even though it has the traditional value of a thousand words. A thousand words of obfuscation represents nebulous vagueness, and that is precisely what the picture itself demonstrates. There, but not there. None of the Arab nations ostensibly committing themselves to aiding Western nations who have come to their rescue have actually pledged assistance in the group endeavour.

Privately, several have informed they wuld be willing to take part in air strikes in Iraq and Syria, but would prefer not to be publicly identified. So, sshhh! David Cameron, on the other hand, vows that Britain will confront the jihadi terrorists (militants, you know?) with "iron determination", while France has stated it has initiated surveillance flights over Iraq. Surveillance is useful, right? And iron determination got Britain rid of at least one jihadi-spouting mullah.

But not to cavil. The United States of America will provide ample air power, but no boots on the ground. Somewhat similar to Libya, when the U.S. shot the first rounds from offshore into Libya and left it to France, Canada, Britain and Holland to bomb the hell aerially out of the regime's airspace, disabling the air fleet, then concentrating from the air on Libyan forces, giving the advantage to the Libyan tribal Islamists so the nation could finally become a safe and secure country.

The combined response involves at least one positive step; military support to the Kurdish forces, political support for the new Iraqi government, not so useful perhaps since it will remain a Shiite-dominated force continuing the tradition of bypassing equality for its Sunni demographic, its Kurdish autonomous area, its minority ethnic tribal groups and religious sects. Humanitarian aid for displaced people, a required step; at least there Mideast oil riches can come in handy.

One shouldn't, after all, grumble about the situation, lest one be placed in bad company, say for example alongside Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, uninvited and unimpressed: the coalition efforts are "pointless", "superficial", and "agenda-driven", and he would not want to have anything to do with them in any event. Thanks to the unbridgeable Sunni/Shia divide, he would not have. Since that is the source of the problem to begin with.

As for Russia, Syria's staunch supporter, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov issued his own statement that "disputes" not get in the way of the common struggle against ISIS. He "could not but be alarmed" by loose talk of air strikes taking place in Syria, without, horrors! the agreement of Mr. Assad. "We together face the same enemy in Iraq, Syria and elsewhere and there is no room for double standards", he warned.

Yep, he did. Got that? No.Double.Standards. No kidding!