Evils of the Devils

"In addition to its strategy of terrifying people, taking hostages to use as human shields to protect from coalition airstrikes is another of its goals."
"Daesh is wiping Assyrian heritage in Mosul, and at the same time wiping them geographically from the face of the Earth."
Osama Edward, director, Assyrian Network for Human Rights in Syria, Stockholm, Sweden

"There are 200 families who were running away and trying to escape to Turkey, but the border is closed for Syrians. No Syrian can cross into Turkey."
"(ISIS) attacked two villages, which are a Christian majority. They took families from both villages."
'[Every night he can hear planes passing over their heads, but] without bombing or doing anything…in the past four days [coalition] air operations have been suspended. I ask myself why."
Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo, Syrian archdiocese of Hassake

Assyrians citizens hold placards during a sit-in for abducted Christians in Syria and Iraq, at a church in Sabtiyesh area east Beirut, Lebanon, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015. (Hussein Malla/Associated Press)

The group of an estimated 90 Christians that Islamic State jihadists abducted from their villages has been moved to one of their strongholds, presumably while their leadership decides how they will dispose of the captives; by slaughtering them as yet another message to the world that they will not tolerate any religion other than Islam the privilege of living alongside the faithful, or as pawns for trade in exchange for captured ISIS terrorists. 

Even more likely as a threat to the U.S.-led bombing coalition that all those abducted will be killed if the aerial assaults don't cease.

Hassakeh province bordering Turkey and Iraq now represents the latest fierce battleground in the conflict being prosecuted against the spread of Islamic State in Syria. Predominantly Kurdish, there are also populations of Arabs and predominantly Christian Assyrians and Armenians, the latter two accustomed to the dreary reality of persecution, but never quite prepared to have to suffer through it all again, afflicted by hatred and remorseless violence.

Younan Talia, an official with the Assyrian Democratic Organization, speaking from Hassakeh bemoaned this latest assault on his people: "It's a tragedy ... It is true what they say: history repeats itself". Well, of course it does; humankind is urged to recall history to ensure that it does not repeat itself, but human memory is short and the malice that exists within ethnic, tribal, clan and sectarian isolatin ensures that each views the other with suspicion and unease.

In the case of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, however, the motivation is pure, unadulterated hateful menace backed up by the resolve that no amount of bloodshed is too much to achieve their goal of cleansing the geography of non-Muslims, and of Muslims whom they consider apostates. Now the hostages reside helpless to their fate in the Islamic State-controlled city of Shaddadeh, south of Hassakeh. where the coalition bombing ISIS have occasionally struck Shaddadeh.

According to Mr. Talia, the jihadi terrorists had raided no fewer than 33 Assyrian villages, collecting up to 300 people along the way, many taken from their beds at dawn. One man who refused to leave was set on fire, along with his house. Over 700 families who fled the region had arrived in Hassakeh. And even more hostages have been taken from their homes in northeastern Syria since the first abductions on Monday.

"God protect the Christians of Syria from all the evils of the devils."
"For our Syriac and Assyrian brothers, let us pray together." [Placards held in the photo above]