For over ten years, we've been asking - begging - world leaders for a hero. Over a hundred Iraqi churches have been demolished. At least another hundred in Syria. Four out of five Christians in Iraq have fled the country. These comprise of ancient ethnic minorities - Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs, Armenians, but also other religions such as Mandeans and Yezidis. These statistics are repeating in Syria.
ISIS is not an enigma born overnight in an Iraqi desert. We've been facing discrimination, racism, ethno-religious cleaning and genocide for over ten years. Rape, kidnapping and mass-murder are part of non-Muslim life. But it is also a specter for other Muslim sects, Kurds and non-compliant Sunnis.
In Saddam Hussein, America took away what they called a beast. In Bashar Al-Assad, America now wants to take away another so-called beast. Whether they're dictators or monsters doesn't make a difference. I convey the consistent message of victims - thousands of people I have met and spoken to over a decade. "We need a hero. We want someone who can stop the kidnappings and beheadings of family members."
Obama and US presidents before had their chance to enter the history books as saviors.
But facts show the contrary.
When the US left Iraq, a lot of heavy weaponry remained. Weaponry the current monster, ISIS, obtained. Another salient fact is bombings supposed to stop ISIS expanding appear to have backfired.
There are so many questions that need answers.
ISIS yesterday published the destruction of yet another artifact - the Arc of Triumph in Palmyra - and also published a video from a Sharia 'trial' where Christian Assyrians/Syriacs were charged for not converting to Islam. They were coerced to sign a contract enforcing extortion payments and live as third-class citizens.
How could ISIS drive hours without being stopped to capture Palmyra? How could ISIS invade another majority Christian city? Most of its population run with only the clothes on their backs and enslave the sorry people that remained.
All this occurred during the allied bombing campaign to curtail ISIS expansion.
A Demand For Action this morning interviewed a person that was kidnapped by an Islamic terrorist group. After being abducted, tortured and humiliated in a way unimaginable in 2015 - forced castration, chopped fingers and pulled teeth. We asked what he thinks of Putin, we said that Russia might be bombing civilians, among them children. We also asked him what he thinks of Putin's potential hidden agenda in relation to Syria. This gentleman, an anti-Assad intellectual, abrupt between tears, said:
"In the bible there is hell and paradise. I don't know if there is any hell and paradise after death. What I know is that there is hell on earth. That hell is to live under the ruling of Islamist terrorist groups. So if anyone will be able to stop them for the price of Iraq and Syria's oil - then so be it."
The propaganda war has never been so fierce than after Russia's overt Syrian intervention. We have heard claims from the US and Russian Governments. It is clear that nothing is black and white.
For example - is it true Russia isn't bombing ISIS strongholds? Our sources on the ground say the opposite - that Russia is bombing ISIS. Are civilians getting killed? What is a civilian in this awful mess? Who is who?
Obama, you had your chance. Unfortunately you didn't take it.